WHAT’S appening From Hospital Bed to App Builder: The Story of Chris Harris A few years ago when Chris Harris faced a sudden health crisis, he threw himself into learning Salesforce and building a human resources app called Cloud HR. We sat down with Chris to learn about his journey from idea to app, and the hurdles he overcame along the way. His story is truly inspirational. WHAT HAPPENED IN 2017? I’ve had health issues since an adverse reaction to medication in 2015. But in 2017, I developed episodes of chest pain. After numerous hospital admissions, I was diagnosed with severe coronary artery disease. I needed immediate surgery to save my life. HOW DID YOU RECOVER AND FIND SALESFORCE? The surgery fixed my heart but left me with other issues. I was struggling with my new CHRIS HARRIS reality and needed to focus my mind on something else. I chose to learn Salesforce. Salesforce MVP I quickly realized Trailhead was the key to building my knowledge. I set aside a few hours CTO, Cloud HR a day to focus on learning. HOW WAS THE PROCESS? Trailhead is fun, clear, and rewarding. My goal was to get admin certification and become a Trailhead Ranger within a year. Ranger took about six months and I passed the admin certification exam soon after. Two years later I have over 350 badges. As time and health allows, I add more. HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR APP? I decided that the best way to fully learn the platform would be to design and build an application. I’d designed and built human resources apps on other platforms, so I wanted to build a solution for smaller organizations on Salesforce. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE YOUR FIRST APP ON APPEXCHANGE? The journey was challenging. I used the Salesforce Community as a sounding board, and made many supportive friends. When Cloud HR passed security review in July 2019, it felt like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER TRAILBLAZERS? Diving into something new helps you heal and focus on the future. Set goals that are achievable but challenging. Get involved in the community by attending or running community groups and conferences. Check out Chris’s app Cloud HR on AppExchange and connect with him on the Trailblazer Community. FALL 2019 FALL 2019 THE EXCHANGE 15