Guide Paddle Origin Story

Growing up in Boise, ID, white water river rafting was just something you did. The thrill of floating a river, and getting cooled off during the hot summer months was always a treat.

As an adult I have lived in locations where rafting isn't as accessible, so my children had not yet been introduced to river rafting - until the summer of 2018. That was when our family made plans for our first river adventure.

When I was making arrangements for our rafting equipment, the rental office asked, "Would you like a guide paddle with your raft package?" The timing of the question was perfect, since I was in the early stages of planning to start a Salesforce consulting company. This question began to resonate in my mind - with the idea of a guide paddle.

For those not familiar with the details of rafting equipment, guide paddles have longer handles and larger blades than typical paddles. They provide more leverage and power with each stroke. Placed in the hands of an experienced river guide, a guide paddle makes it easier to make quick navigational corrections to ensure a safe and fun river float.

When thinking of a business name, I thought back to this experience - and to the business application of the guide paddle. Growing businesses face all kinds of obstacles on the river toward success. Many times they are venturing into uncharted waters. It can be extremely beneficial to have an experienced guide provide some powerful, experience-leveraged paddle strokes to help them get through safely.

In my experience, I've seen businesses that use Salesforce as their CRM, and sometimes just expect it to keep working once it's initially setup. Also, smaller companies may not always be ready to hire a full-time Salesforce Administrator, so they assign an existing employee to manage Salesforce. This can take time away from the employee's primary responsibility, and at the same time make it harder to keep Salesforce aligned strategically with the company's needs. Both approaches limit the effectiveness of Salesforce as an investment, and it's ability to truly support business strategy.

That's where Guide Paddle can help. So - I would ask the question..."Would you like a Guide Paddle to help you navigate the Salesforce river?"