Lucy Walker didn’t start out in consulting — or even in Salesforce. Her journey took her from back-office operations to becoming a Salesforce Consultant at UPEO, where she now works with a mix of clients and projects. And where she found an environment that allows her to be herself and grow.
How would you explain your job to someone who’s never heard of Salesforce?
Lucy: I usually describe it as a platform where companies can store and manage their sales information. The way I explain it is with Lego bricks: you buy the bricks, and we build something tailored for you. My role is to talk to the client, understand their needs and then translate that into a working system by putting the right pieces together.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Lucy: I usually start with emails, then split my time between ongoing projects and regular clients for whom I work a fixed number of hours a week or days a month. Sometimes I have meetings (onsite or online) with them on a regular basis to fix issues, or reply to their questions. A customer will typically collect all their questions for these sessions, so we can be very efficient. I combine this type of client with work on larger projects, which may need my attention the whole day. At the start of the day, I decide how to schedule all these activities into my day. I like that variety — one day I might be fully focused on a single project, the next I’m jumping in to help a client with a quick question.
The great thing about UPEO is you can plan your days yourself, as long as you get the job done. I guess it’s part of the start-up vibe we have at UPEO, where you get a lot of trust.
How did you get into Salesforce consulting?
Lucy: It happened quite organically. I started in operations at an industrial company, working with Salesforce as a user, mainly to make reports. Over time I became the ‘superuser’ and was testing and improving processes. I realized that I really enjoyed working with Salesforce so much that I wanted to do more. When I switched employers, I got to know the UPEO team as an external services provider. I liked working with them so much that I asked to join them. They wanted me so much they even risked their relationship with that customer. And I can’t say I regret my move.
With trust comes responsibility
What attracted you to UPEO? With your Salesforce know-how and your experience as an end-user, you could have joined any consultancy, I guess.
Lucy: I moved to consulting because I like the variety that comes with the job, as well as the contact with clients. When you work in a back office or in a Salesforce admin role, every day is the same. Consulting means working with different personalities, industries and challenges. I also knew UPEO offered a lot of trust and freedom in how you work. That really appealed to me.
Can you be more concrete on the trust and freedom aspect?
Lucy: Sure. You organise your own schedule as long as the work gets done and the client is happy. I can decide for myself when to plan a meeting with a customer and whether someone else needs to be there or not. No one is micromanaging us. On the other hand, that also means you have to be able to manage yourself and your schedule. With trust comes responsibility.
As I said, UPEO has a start-up atmosphere, not corporate or rigid. The culture is very open-minded — people are accepted for who they are, and everyone is encouraged to grow in the direction they want.
Combining blue and yellow
What skills are most important in your role?
Lucy: It’s basically a mix of hard and soft skills. Communication is key — listening to clients and translating their needs into solutions. You also need technical Salesforce knowledge, of course, but UPEO supports you in learning. If you want to take a course or get certified, they’ll make it happen. And you have to be willing to keep learning.
I must say that in switching from an end-user position to being a consultant, I had underestimated how much more knowledge you need as a consultant. Customers expect that you have all the answers. A consultant also needs more problem-solving skills, and you get confronted with a more diverse set of challenges.
How do you see your career evolving over the next five years?
Lucy: I’d like to focus more on projects and client contact, maybe leading a team in the future. I enjoy being in that middle position — understanding the customer’s needs and working with a team who make it happen. I’d still like to be involved in building solutions, but perhaps less in the technical details. That fits nicely with my colour personality profile. I combine yellow and blue, which is quite rare, but very appropriate to the customer-facing position I have and to building technical solutions.
At the end of the day, I want both the client and myself to be satisfied. It always has to be both. If I’m satisfied but the client isn’t, or vice versa, then it hasn’t been a good day. If both are happy, then UPEO can be happy too…
You recently returned from maternity leave. How does UPEO support work-life balance, especially for parents?
Lucy: They’re incredibly understanding. There are no fixed hours and no clocking in — you work when it suits, as long as it fits client needs. When my daughter started daycare, they told me not to worry about coming in that first day because it’s already stressful enough. That empathy makes a huge difference. Everyone here is very family-minded and understanding. As an example, when my father passed away last year, Sara immediately said I could travel to London where he lived and combine family matters with working from there.
What’s the best advice you’d give to someone starting in consulting or at UPEO?
Lucy: Make sure you have some structure. Keep track of your deadlines, projects and write down any little tricks you learn along the way, because you’ll forget them otherwise. Document what you do and why a certain decision was made, so you can explain it afterwards. Be curious and keep learning. But above all, be kind. It costs nothing and makes work (and life) much more pleasant for everyone. I always remember a saying from my childhood: “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”