The Story Behind ImagineCRM: A Journey of Salesforce Passion, Nonprofit Purpose, and Serendipity

The Story Behind ImagineCRM: A Journey of Passion, Purpose, and Serendipity

In the very beginning:

Nine years ago, ImagineCRM was born out of a passion for making a difference in the nonprofit sector, fueled by a unique blend of technology expertise and personal experiences. Daisy, the founder of ImagineCRM, has a rich background in tech, beginning her career at Oracle and later working at various tech startups. After becoming a mother of two, Daisy found that the demanding hours of the tech world were no longer aligned with the life she wanted. Seeking a more meaningful and balanced career, she joined The Broad Center as an Associate Director, where she was first introduced to Salesforce.

Managing a custom-built .NET portal at The Broad Center was a costly and time-consuming endeavor, which led Daisy to explore Salesforce as a more flexible and user-friendly alternative. She quickly became captivated by the platform's potential, particularly for non-coders like herself. Determined to master Salesforce, she spent her nights and weekends studying while raising her children, eventually earning her Dev 401 certification.

In her role, Daisy was responsible for selecting vendors for Salesforce implementation. However, she noticed a gap in the market: there were partners who understood nonprofits but lacked technical depth, and those who had technical expertise but didn’t fully grasp the unique needs of nonprofits. Realizing that she had the perfect blend of nonprofit experience, technical knowledge, and Salesforce expertise, Daisy saw an opportunity to fill this void and make a real impact in the ecosystem.

Initially, Daisy didn’t set out to start her own consultancy. The idea was sparked by her desire for a more flexible work-life balance, especially as a mother. The allure of the Salesforce ecosystem was not only its innovation but also its early adoption of remote work—a game-changer for Daisy. She attended Dreamforce, armed with creative business cards that simply read "Independent Consultant," and began networking with the intention of finding a consulting job.

Serendipity struck when she received her first lead—a small project for an Arizona high school football team. That one project was the seed that grew into ImagineCRM. What started as a solo consultancy has now blossomed into a thriving practice with 12 employees, helping nonprofits harness the power of Salesforce to achieve their missions.

Daisy's journey from a tech professional to a business owner is a testament to the power of passion, perseverance, and the unexpected opportunities that life presents. ImagineCRM continues to thrive, driven by the same values and commitment that inspired Daisy to start this journey nearly a decade ago.

Watch Daisy share more about her inspiring journey and the vision behind ImagineCRM.