Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Warren Walters, Salesforce MVP and host of the Salesforce Mentor YouTube channel and website. Join us as we chat about how we’re all becoming adminelopers and why you should learn to code.

You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Warren Walters.

What is an admineloper?

Salesforce Admins and Developers are increasingly overlapping in their roles, leading to the rise of the “admineloper.” AI has made it easier than ever to get things done with Apex, even if it needs some tweaking to get everything working right. A little coding knowledge can go a long way.

For developers, declarative tools in Salesforce are becoming incredibly powerful. Using flows and formulas can often be a simpler way to solve a problem than creating something custom in Apex.

In short, if you know a little about both admin and developer tools you can truly get the best of both worlds.

Learning to code as a Salesforce Admin

There’s a common misconception that only geniuses can understand code. However, Warren says, some of the best developers he knows didn’t go to school for computer science and are entirely self-taught.

A little can go a long way. Basic coding skills can significantly enhance an admin’s ability to implement more complex solutions and collaborate effectively with developers. Combining a working knowledge of how programming works with the declarative tools we all know and love can get you far.

Soft skills and career advancement

Beyond technical skills, Warren emphasizes that soft skills are just as important for career growth in the Salesforce ecosystem. While he identifies as an introvert, he’s made a focused effort to become a better communicator, and that’s helped him grow into new roles and bigger opportunities.

Warren also urges you to spend some time thinking about your personal branding. His YouTube channel has opened a surprising number of doors for him, but even a simple portfolio can do a lot to help you stand out.

There’s more from Warren about what he’s learned as a consultant and as a mentor, so be sure to listen to the full episode. And don’t forget to subscribe to hear more from the Salesforce Admins Podcast.

Podcast swag

• Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store

Learn more

• salesforcementor.com


• freeCodeCamp.org


• Video: Salesforce Mentor on YouTube


• Video: Salesforce Apex Hours on YouTube


• Video: Coding with the Force on YouTube


• Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: How Can Solving Sudoku and Wordle Enhance Your Critical Thinking Skills?

Admin Trailblazers Group

• Admin Trailblazers Community Group

Social

• Warren on X


• Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn


• Salesforce Admins on X


• Mike on Threads


• Mike on Tiktok


• Mike on X

Full show transcript

Mike Gerholdt:

This week on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we are talking about mentorship and learning how to code. Surprisingly, not surprisingly, because admins and developers need to know the best practices for creating our apps and deploying the best technology for our organizations.

So I’m going to bring on Warren Walters who is a Salesforce consultant. He’s an admin, he’s a developer, he’s a mentor and a self-described general geek. Now, Warren’s on because he runs a really cool YouTube channel, and I came across his TikToks where he does Salesforce tutorials to help you understand and master the concept of different things in Salesforce.

He has this really cool site, salesforcementor.com, and just a really fun guy to talk about in terms of the world of mentorship, what a lot of skills are that he’s seeing, and things that people should be paying attention to.

Now, before we get Warren on the podcast, I just want to make sure that whatever you’re using to listen to the Salesforce Admins podcast, make sure you hit that follow or subscribe button because then new episodes will show up on your phone or on your computer right away. So with that, let’s get to our conversation with Warren.

So Warren, welcome to the podcast.

Warren Walters:

Well, hey Mike, I’m happy to be here. Super excited because I’ve been listening to the podcast for such a long time and I’m finally on it, which is, I don’t know if it’s a dream come true or an honor, but I’m just happy to be here.

Mike Gerholdt:

It’s destiny.

Warren Walters:

I’ll take that.

Mike Gerholdt:

That’s what I’ll call it, it’s destiny. Well, I ran across your TikToks when I was posting stuff about the podcast and really loved some of the videos that you’re doing and the topics you’re talking about. So let’s just start off with what you do in the Salesforce ecosystem and how you got started.

Warren Walters:

Sure. So my name is Warren Walters. I am a Salesforce engineer. I do lots and lots of development. I probably talk too much about development. Some of you may or may not have seen my face on YouTube, and that’s where I primarily host a lot of my content.

And just from my side, I’ve been in development for about 10 years now. Various different companies, various types of companies to consulting ISVs in-House. And more recently, I’ve been focusing on a lot of mentorship and training in the Salesforce development space. So that’s a little bit about me. I can dive deeper depending on where you want to go.

Mike Gerholdt:

Well, I think the mentorship part is intriguing. You said development a lot in this i