In this episode, Jane Hynes, VP of Communications for Google Cloud, shares captivating behind-the-scenes stories from her successful tenure at Salesforce that emphasize the significance of creative problem-solving and product comprehension.
Jane Hynes, VP of Communications for Google Cloud, shares behind-the-scenes stories from her impressive 14+ years at Salesforce, where she led the company's communications strategy from its days as a start-up, through its IPO, to the Fortune 500 company it is today. In this episode, you’ll hear real-life examples that emphasize the significance of creative problem-solving and advice for aspiring communications professionals.
Quote:
“It taught me the power of being creative, collaborating with other people, and being able to make a real impact at the same time.”
- Jane Hynes
Episode Timestamps:
*(02:00) - Ohana Origins: Jane’s introduction to Salesforce
*(08:00) - What does the Ohana mean to Jane?
*(14:00) - What’s Cooking: Jane’s career post-Salesforce
*(17:00) - Future Forecast: What’s in store for the future of Salesforce?
*(18:00) - Advice for aspiring communications professionals
*(20:00) - Lightning Round!
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Introduction: Welcome to Inside the Ohana. This episode features an interview with Jane Hynes, Vice President of Communications for Google Cloud. Jane has more than 14 years of experience at Salesforce where she played a crucial role in shaping the company's communication strategy from its startup days to becoming a Fortune 500 giant. Her expertise was instrumental in establishing cloud computing within the enterprise software industry. And throughout her tenure, she spearheaded [00:01:00] communication efforts during critical milestones and set up several board level best practices still used today. In this episode, Jane shares behind the scenes stories of how her creative problem solving skills have come to the rescue and also provides insights into how communication professionals can stay relevant in their field. But before we get into it, here's a brief word from our sponsor. Inside the Ohana is brought to you by Qualified. Qualified as the pipeline generation platform for revenue. Teams that use Salesforce intelligently grow your pipeline by understanding signals, a buying intent, and having real time conversations. Learn more over on Qualified dot com. So please enjoy this interview between Jane Hyne, Vice President of Communications for Google Cloud, and your host, Dan Darcy.
Dan: Welcome to Inside the Ohana. I'm Dan Darcy, Chief Customer Officer at Qualified, and today I'm joined by a great friend of mine, Jane Hynes. Jane, how you doing?
Jane: I'm awesome, Dan. Thank you.
Dan: Well, I'm excited [00:02:00] about today's episode because of just the history we have together. So I wanna dive right into our first segment. Ohana Origins. So, Jane, how did you discover Salesforce and start your journey? Oh,
Jane: I actually went to the, the Salesforce launch party. Back when the company first started, I was a plus one for a friend who worked at their PR agency. I basically went for the free dinner and the free music.
Dan: And so what year was that obviously? 1999.
Jane: That was the, the party we partied like it was 1999.
Dan: I mean, that, that's awesome. Well, I mean, how and how did you come to be at Salesforce? Yes.
Jane: So that is a, a different story. Um, I actually started working for a PR agency and Salesforce was one of their clients and I was working on a lot of their consumer accounts.
Jane: And then there was this, you know, this enterprise [00:03:00] software company that decided that they wanted to launch a foundation and um, I had nonprofit experience. So they said, Hey Jane, why don't you go launch the Salesforce foundation and kind of be the PR person for it? I ended up getting along with the team super, super well, and they're like, Hey, why don't you kind of come do some enterprise software stuff and the rest is kind of history.
Jane: I think I started doing all the product PR and then kind of was the, you know, agency account lead. And then, you know, when I kind of started getting itchy to. Take an in-house job. Um, Salesforce basically said, you're gonna, you're gonna come work for us now.
Dan: That's awesome. I mean, I mean, obviously they just saw great talent and they wanted it, but I mean, tell me a little bit more about the details.
Dan: Like what was the title, your job, you know, what time of the what, how big was Salesforce at the time?
Jane: Oh, let's see. I think my title was Senior Manager of pr. I was the one and only communications person at the company. I think officially my badge number was like [00:04:00] 420 something, but at the time there had already been some turnover, so I think the company was about 250 people. And you know, Frank still had his tequila parties on Fridays to celebrate, you know, the wins, the, the customer wins of the week.
Dan: Yeah. And you're talking about Frank Van Veen, Andal, the head of sales. Right, of course. Just obviously for the, for the listeners out there and when you joined, what was your initial impression of Salesforce?
Jane: I mean, I'd had three years experience working with Salesforce on the agency side, so I really already knew the company super well. I had helped launch early products and the foundation I'd, you know, even had exposure working with Mark and understood, you know, what a creative person he was. So it, it really felt like home to me immediately.
Dan: That's awesome. You know, one thing I just even missed to even ask you, uh, before is how was the launch party? I mean, tell me a little bit about, tell me a little bit about anything crazy that, you know how, I mean, Salesforce does events [00:05:00] pretty well. Did, was that, was that launch party just as fun?
Jane: It was, it was pretty epic. It was like on this three story building and each story had a different theme. And different music, and there was the B 50 twos on one floor, and then, I'm blanking the name, but like a beautiful jazz singer up on the top floor. And I think I was there for a good four or five hours.
Dan: That's, that's great. Well, a success obviously, and that obviously led you to Salesforce. Now you've had a long, obviously storied career. What would you say is some of the biggest successes you've had while working with Salesforce or something that you're really proud of?
Jane: You know, I feel like I, I really grew up at Salesforce when I joined. As I said, I was kind of the one and only person, and I was really fortunate that I had managers and leaders that saw my potential and were willing to invest in me. I got the opportunity to. To move abroad and I spent a year building up our communications operations around the world. I got the opportunity to come back and [00:06:00] really, you know, kind of scale our operations and, and build a team and, and I'm just so proud of the people that I was able to hire there and the amazing careers that they've gone on to. For me, it's all about kind of the, the people at the center of it.
Dan: I love that. And that's candidly what kept me there for so long. And I think, you know, part of a lot of the great friendships, you know, I still have to this day is because of Salesforce, so I couldn't be more grateful. But, you know, when you, when you came in-house and you know, you first started at Salesforce, and I'm sure there's a lot of lessons that you learned there, but if you could go back to yourself and talk to yourself beginning at Salesforce, what would you, what advice would you give to yourself?
Jane: You know, I think Marc set a really strong foundation from the beginning that the best validation that you could possibly have for your company, your product, your business is your customers, and that everything that we did from a marketing and communications perspective, I. Centered around our customers. [00:07:00] And so that was a huge lesson that I learned early on and that I've been able to, to carry with me. You know, I think advice for myself don't take everything so seriously. You know, it's, it's software, you know, it's not, it's, it's not an emergency room. I used to joke with my team that like, you know, no unicorns died, or, you know, were harmed, you know, this week. Yeah. So we're, we're fine. But when you're in it and you're building something and you. It can really become all consuming. So making sure that you maintain the right balance.
Dan: I, I mean, I love that, or, you know, and, and setting boundaries. I, I think back to that, you know, I'm obviously currently still at a startup again, and, you know, Salesforce felt like a startup that we were building something bigger and it did become really intense and so, It was, it was always nice to have those reminders of, hey, like, let's check ourselves and let's, let's take a look at what we're trying to accomplish and do now. How would you describe the Ohana and what does it mean to you? [00:08:00]
Jane: I mean, for me, I think the Ohana was, it really was kind of the, the center of the culture and, you know, treating your colleagues. As you would your family and you know, building those trusted relationships that got you through the harder times, but also like really enjoying yourself and enjoying the people that you surround yourself with. We all spend way more than 40 hours a week at work, which is probably more than the waking hours we spend with our significant others and children and pets and things at home. So, you know, it, it really, it made it enjoyable to, like you said earlier, you know, build lifelong friendships at, at a place where you were busy and stressed and building other things as well for the company. But the relationships really were so special.
Dan: So, Jane, are there any special stories or ohana moments that are a little behind the scenes that you'd like to share?
Jane: Oh, absolutely. Let's see. I think a really fun one was, you know, we [00:09:00] kind of became strange bedfellows with Oracle and had signed up to be part of their user conference and at the last minute they changed Mark's keynote time and you know, and it was a time they knew he couldn't be there and so effectively canceled it. And we kind of were trying to decide what do we do with this and, and how do we turn this into. You know, a moment for us. I had actually already had a restaurant across the street from the venue reserved, and I was being a little bit sneaky and hosting a little media lunch for the reporters that were in town for their event.
Jane: You know, as we kind of started brainstorming what are the options and what are the different things we could do, I said, you know, I have this venue. We could do something different there. It doesn't have to be a media lunch. And that's when, you know, kind of all the marketing leadership came together and we started tossing out ideas and we ended up hosting Mark's keynote in this little restaurant and packing as many [00:10:00] people in as we could and. We had a line around the block and there were people handing out donuts and it was absolutely hilarious. But it, you know, it taught me the power of being creative and collaborating with other people and, you know, and having, I. And, and being able to make a real impact in, in at the same time because, you know, that's something that most people wouldn't do. So that was, that's a good one, I think.
Dan: I mean, that was a great one because I, you know, I think when I think about Salesforce and I look back, I mean, you were at the center of a lot of it because of, in a sense there were publicity, you know, moments for us in, in terms of. Turning it around and making the story about Salesforce, which I think was an incredible feat. And yeah, I still remember that where we picketed outside that the cloud must go on outside of that restaurant and, and we were on the news, local news, which I thought was such a great time. But yeah, that, that's a great. Oh [00:11:00] moment. So thanks for sharing that.
Jane: Dan. I actually have another one that you. Prompted a memory, so after we had acquired a company called ExactTarget, they were based in Indiana, and we suddenly had this huge employee base in Indiana. You know, shortly after that there was a bathroom bill that came up in Indiana where they wouldn't let you know folks. That weren't born a certain gender use an alternate bathroom. Yeah. And, and it became a little bit of a, you know, internal conversation. And, you know, I think, you know, mark as a kind of, you know, stakeholder leader, I. Really leaned in and, and took an aggressive stance against it. And you know, we put a small tiger team together across communications and legal policy. We had people on the ground in Indiana, a group of us in San Francisco. And within a two week period I think it [00:12:00] was, we actually managed to get a law changed. And you know, I, one of the other big lessons I learned is that, you know, business does have, An opportunity to be a voice and be a platform for good. And you, and you wanna put your business and yourself on the right side of history. And those don't, those two things don't have to be in conflict.
Dan: I mean, that, that story gives me chills too. Just 'cause I remember, you know, mark was plain and simple. He's like, they're discriminating against my employees and that's where I wanna, I wanna stand up for my employees who don't have the voice. So I thought that was, that's a great moment. Now in terms of Dreamforce, we've got Dreamforce coming up in September. Which one would, what year would you say is one of your favorite dream forces and why?
Jane: Oh, okay. Well, my favorite Dreamforce is the one that I didn't attend because I had just had a baby, so, oh, yes, of course. Unfortunately, I have to, I have to take that one. Let's see. Yes, of course. My favorite Dreamforce from a music perspective, Bruno Mars. At [00:13:00] City Hall, that was a highlight. My team had an amazing dance party. I loved that Dreamforce became bigger than a technology user conference. It became an important place to have conversations around what was happening in the technology industry overall and what was happening, you know, more broadly. I loved, I thought it was just so special the year that we leaned in on, you know, on women's. Equality and equal rights, and we had Women's Day for the first time. Of course, Layla and Molly led, led that initiative and that was just amazing to be a part of. And I think that Salesforce was really at the forefront of, of doing so much of, of those sorts of things.
Dan: Our lives revolved around that event for many, many years.
Jane: My husband still jokes that he, he doesn't miss not being a Dreamforce widow. 'cause I would just kind of evaporate for three weeks every year.
Dan: Yeah, exactly. All right, well let's get into our next segment. What's cooking? [00:14:00] So, Jane, you're now the VP of Communications at Google Cloud. I want, I want you to talk about how you got to where you are now and what your journey's been like.
Jane: I talked a little bit about my journey at Salesforce. You know, when I started I was kind of the one and only PR person. When I left, I had this amazing team of amazing people and I kind of felt like I had. I'd done what I could do there and I wanted to, to do it again someplace else. Google Cloud presented the perfect opportunity for that. You know, it was a startup within a, you know, super well established company, but operated independently enough that, you know, I felt like it was a great mix of my skills around technology and, you know, kind of my ability to kind of keep things creative and interesting. And I also love building teams. That's where I get my energy from and [00:15:00] working with, you know, the, in the early days to think about, you know, product positioning and, and, you know, how do we kind of get through the next milestones and, and then, you know, hiring an amazing group of people that make it all work and come to life every day.
Dan: I love that. I love that. Well, what challenges are you seeing now and like how are you applying what you learned at Salesforce to those challenges? You
Jane: know, I am really excited about all the opportunities ahead for Google Cloud. You know, we've done some amazing things on the security front and, you know, adding a, a company called Mandiant that we acquired last year has just, you know, supercharged our ability to think about not just products, but also what are the services. That companies need to secure their, you know, to secure their technology. I think in this age of ai, you look across kind of the full spectrum from data to databases, to analytics, to ai, and there's huge opportunity there as [00:16:00] well. And you know, and obviously, Some of the, you know, some of the, the lesser known parts of Google Cloud. Some people don't realize that workspace is part of Google Cloud and that's all of your Gmail and your docs and your sheets. Yeah. And your presentations and all that fun stuff. And I think, you know, the opportunity of AI has. So much power to really, you know, allow us to reinvent how people think about collaboration and communication. So that's what, that's what I'm super excited about doing over the, over the next couple of years.
Dan: I mean, I, that's all I live in all day, every day is Google Workspaces. I mean, I think it's o obviously, I think, um, so many people, especially in our world, Google is just a part of their lives and it's pretty awesome. So let's get into our final segment, the Future Forecast. Jane, what do you envision and as the future of the Salesforce [00:17:00] ecosystem? And I think you have a really good point of view because you know, obviously have been at Google now you kind of are looking back at Salesforce and the ecosystem in a different way. So what do you envision would be the future of the, the ecosystem?
Jane: I think Salesforce was really at the forefront of cloud and we also saw them jump into, be early in mobile and early in social. And I think, you know, now you see them, you know, really wrapping their arms around ai. And so I think, you know, when you think about all the things that AI can automate in that customer process, There's so much opportunity there, and that, you know, extends to the partner community. I have ultimate faith in Salesforce that, that, you know, they continue to innovate and they continue to think about how, you know, how they can continue to surround the customer to make the customer experience even better. And I've got high hopes for them.
Dan: I mean, candidly, I think I, I said when everything was [00:18:00] going down and I'm like, you don't ever bet against Marc. And, and you know, and they're, they definitely are on a great trajectory to, to great things. So what advice do you have for aspiring communication leaders?
Jane: A couple of things. So, number one, don't get stuck in kind of what you do every day. Take risks. Think about how you can bring creativity to it. Make yourself interesting and and differentiate, excuse me, differentiate yourself. I think also when you're operating in an enterprise environment, it's so important to. Get really close to the products, use them, know them. I remember, I think it was my second manager at Salesforce, you know, when we first launched the platform, literally locked me in a conference room while he didn't lock the door, but made me go build an app. You know, get hands-on with the technology so you really understand it. And I think also as Salesforce grew and become a publicly traded company, it's also [00:19:00] so incredibly important to know the business. Know who's buying what, know what the opportunity is for your different products. How are they being sold? Who's buying which products with with other products? Understand, you know, how the sales, what, what is the feedback that you're getting from customers? And the, the closer you are to the business and to the products, the better. You know, marketing or comms professional, you're gonna be.
Dan: Well said, and that is definitely advice that I have taken to heart too. I mean, if you don't know the product, how can you do anything about it? So that's awesome advice. Now, before letting you go, I want to have fun with a quick lightning round and have some fun questions. You ready? What's your secret skill that is not on the resume?
Jane: Oh, I've been told it's getting done. I have an immense capacity to just get it done.
Dan: That's awesome. That's [00:20:00] awesome. Well, what's your best way to spend an evening after work?
Jane: Let's see. Cooking dinner with my husband and then playing games with my daughter.
Dan: That's awesome. Favorite brand of anything?
Jane: I really like SkinCeuticals. They have a lovely C serum that I thank for my, my fabulous skin.
Dan: I mean, you look like you're 25 years old, so it's great. Great to see you again, Jane. Alright, and you just won front row seat tickets to your dream event. What is it?
Jane: Taylor Swift, duh.
Dan: Yeah, duh. I mean, of course. I mean, that's everyone's answer to that question, so I can't wait for, for the reviews of the ERAS concert with you now, Jane, this has been so much fun. Before I let you go, I want you to let the listeners know where they can find you, and if there's anything else you'd like to plug or share with today, please let us know.
Jane: Absolutely. Well, you can always find me on LinkedIn and you know, if you're looking for something to do in the weeks before Dreamforce, we do have [00:21:00] Google Cloud next that is going to be at Moscone Center in San Francisco on August 29th to the 31st. So come join us.
Dan: Google next August 29th to the 31st. That's awesome. Well, thanks Jane for joining me today. I had so much fun and really appreciate you being here. Awesome.
Jane: Thanks so much. Dan.
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