Meet Trailblazing Partner Justin Heitmann of Magnet360

Justin Heitmann of Magnet360 wears many hats. He is a Salesforce functional architect, Marketing Cloud consultant, and even a macro photographer. But that is not enough for Justin. He has a passion for continuous learning and has blazed his own trail to success by earning his double certification in Marketing Cloud. Justin’s story is a heartening reminder that there is a world of possibilities out there, you just have to go for it.

Read on to learn more about Justin in this trailblazing partner interview.

So you’ve been with Salesforce for a while now, but what sparked the turning point in your career?

Justin: I was most recently at a Salesforce consulting partner before coming to Magent360. I had been using Salesforce since 2012 on the CRM side. But, since I started working at an actual Salesforce partner, I really hadn’t engaged with Trailhead. Since then, I’ve become a Ranger. 2018 is when I dove in head first and dialed into the Salesforce ecosystem a bit more. The Ohana really played a part in bringing a great comfort to me. The community is so broad that it has made me feel a part of a big thing and I am really blessed by that.

You mentioned you were on quite a journey last year. Can you share how things have changed for you since 2018?

Justin: In 2017, I became certified in Pardot, but in 2018, I became double certified in Marketing Cloud. I also became a Trailhead Ranger. These certifications opened up a world of possibilities for my career.

In September of 2018, I had multiple phone interviews a day. It was almost like a second job where I was constantly interviewing. I really wanted to understand these opportunities, which was going to help me understand the full landscape.

How did you get started with Salesforce in the first place?

Justin: Early on in my career, I worked for a software company in charge of their CRM database system. We were using Microsoft CRM Dynamics and had that really dialed in. I thought the system was doing everything we wanted it to do.

Fast-forward many years, we hired our first-ever VP of marketing and that gentleman is Kevin Brown. Kevin had the idea of transitioning out of Microsoft CRM Dynamics and jumping on board with Salesforce CRM. He got it approved by management and we went forward with the implementation process. He tells the story pretty well, but he knows that I was giving him beef about switching. He knows that I really liked Microsoft CRM Dynamics and that I didn’t really think there was a reason to switch. After 30 days of using Salesforce, I was in a dream state and never looked back. What really stood out was that I was able to see the data in a whole new way. That is what sealed the deal in making the switch.

How do you continue to learn in and outside of work? How did you find your passion?

Justin: I never have a closed door in my head. Nothing is ever so simple. Nothing is ever straightforward. I’m a macro photographer as a hobby—so I take microscopic close-ups of things. I randomly stumbled into this crazy genre of photography that I have no business being in, but because I didn’t have a closed mind, I allowed myself to be put into it and it’s kind of changed my life.

Tell us more about your passion for photography. What inspires you?

Justin: One of my past clients, FYE, sells Funko Pops—miniature toy figurines that mimic pop culture society—by the company Funko. At first, I had never heard of the company Funko. I don’t even know if I had ever seen one. So, I ended up going to the store, buying a couple, and started taking some photos of them. I realized that Funko has a huge collectible audience, and more specifically, a large Funko photography audience. There are hundreds of Instagram accounts dedicated to promoting Funko photographers. One day I decided to create my own Instagram account (@MACROPOP!) and published 20 photos. In just a few short months, my account grew to almost 1,400 followers. I’m the only Funko photographer doing macro photography which is really unique, and people are really intense about my work. It’s pretty exciting.

What advice do you have for others who want to dip their toe into the Salesforce ecosystem?



Justin: If you have any desire to have a career in Salesforce, you can do it. There’s no one that can’t. There is no ceiling to how much you can grow in Salesforce, because they give you the tools to do it. I can only name a few other companies that do that. So, my advice is, if you have any interest, go full tilt. You’ll be amazed by where you are in three months. Do that three more times, and look out!

Check out Magnet360 on AppExchange.