Too many teams still believe the myth: more data equals better decisions. But when your field teams ignore your tools and CRM adoption stays low, it’s time to ask a different question—are we helping people understand the data or just piling it on?

Host Robert Sur sits down with Paul Pacun, founder of Vablet, to explore how sentiment lives in behavior, not surveys—and how true sales enablement starts with listening. With 15 years of experience turning real feedback into business-ready tools, Paul shares how a tablet placed on a patient’s lap sparked insights that helped drive smarter content, better sales conversations, and CRM updates that actually happen.

They unpack how refining data—like turning sand into silicon—requires clarity, context, and constant feedback loops. If you’ve ever rolled out a tool no one used or been asked to build a report no one reads, this episode will hit home.

👤 Guest Bio

Paul Pacun is the founder of Vablet, a field sales platform designed to work in the real world—where reps can work offline, automate CRM updates, and close business without fighting their tools. For over 15 years, Paul has transformed live field feedback into sales enablement solutions that reduce friction and support business leaders.

🔗 Paul on LinkedIn

📌 What We Cover

• Why collecting more data won’t make your teams smarter
• A real-world story of 5,000+ media views and what they revealed about sales behavior
• Why true sentiment is found in content engagement, not optional survey buttons
• How “media view” metrics can offer more authentic insight than intent data
• The myth of full adoption and why finding early champions is key
• How Chipotle’s watch app inspired smarter UX through user intent
• A better way to name roadmap projects: lead with the problem, not the tech
• How pivoting from doctors to pharma saved a launch
• Why asking “what sand do I need to give you to build the next chip?” changes the admin’s mindset
• Why even a 99-page PDF can be improved by tracking what people actually look at

🔗 Resources Mentioned

• Vablet (field sales platform)
• ClearSlide (competitor reference)
• Salesforce
• Marketo
• Pardot
• Marketing Cloud
• Chipotle watch app
• Starbucks AI demo app
• Oura Ring
• Demofest
• Delegate — delegate.team/accidental

Boardrooms everywhere are buzzing about AI—but few know where to begin. In this episode, host Robert Sur welcomes Rich Radford, VP of Client Solutions at Seanergy.ai and a self-proclaimed “recovering accidental Salesforce admin.” Together, they confront the gap between AI hype and meaningful execution.

Rich shares firsthand stories—from healthcare systems using AI to book appointments and chart patient notes, to a VP of operations discovering their company was tapping only 10% of AI’s potential. They examine why most companies are stuck in inertia, how fear of failure and fragmented data holds teams back, and what real readiness for AI looks like. You’ll hear what happens when leadership gives permission to fail fast, and how one Fortune 500 firm is turning 58,000 employees into AI bot managers—complete with employee numbers.

For Salesforce Admins navigating AI adoption, this is your blueprint for making the leap from aspirational to actual.

Rich Radford is VP of Client Solutions at Seanergy.ai. A veteran technologist with experience across cloud, security, and AI, Rich has implemented ERPs, consulted on Salesforce and marketing automation, and now builds AI-driven business solutions. A former accidental Salesforce admin himself, he now helps clients unlock strategic potential through practical AI use cases.

🔗 Connect with Rich on LinkedIn

• How to close the gap between AI hype and real execution
• Why most companies only tap 10% of AI’s current potential
• The HP program training 58,000 employees to build AI bots with employee numbers
• What makes AI adoption succeed—push, pull, and focused execution
• Case study: AI agents that schedule medical appointments and reduce no-shows
• Case study: Doctors using AI to chart conversations with 30% more throughput
• Why company inertia, fragmented systems, and regulatory fears are blockers
• How to know if your company is ready for AI—and what to do if it’s not
• The importance of small, measurable proof-of-concept projects
• What AI readiness really means: cross-functional teams, clean data, and executive buy-in

• Seanergy.ai
• ChatGPT
• Epic and Athena (EHR platforms)
• ZoomInfo
• Google Ads
• Facebook Ads
• Berkshire Hathaway (mentioned in context of AI investment discussion)

Ever feel like your roadmap is just a wish list no one reads? Host Robert Sur explores why execution often breaks down, not because of lazy teams or chaotic leadership, but because the operating system is invisible. In this solo episode, Rob shares why most Salesforce roadmaps get ignored—and how to turn yours into a tool of influence. Learn how a roadmap becomes more than just a tracker when it’s tied to business outcomes, made visible, and creates strategic pull. Rob breaks down what high-functioning teams get right, including how to make leaders want to reference the roadmap, the role of change discipline, and why the best roadmaps manage attention, not tasks.

📌 What We Cover

• Why invisible plans lead to execution breakdown
• The dangers of roadmaps that are too long, too technical, or too static
• How to make your roadmap a shared decision-making tool
• What it means to create strategic pull with leadership
• Real-world examples of high-functioning roadmap practices
• The Deep5ive framework questions to assess roadmap readiness
• The “one in, one out” change discipline that forces trade-offs
• How to know your roadmap is finally working

🔗 Resources Mentioned

• delegate.team/accidental

In this episode of Accidental Salesforce Admins, host Robert Sur welcomes Ernest Wong, VP at Delegate, to discuss what it really takes to lead change from inside an organization, especially when dealing with broken systems, misaligned teams, and unclear mandates.

Best Moments:

(00:42) Introduction to the topic of leading change from inside an organization

(03:22) Starting with the humans, not just the technology, when fixing broken systems

(05:22) Learning through experience that technology failures are often symptoms of human system failures

(10:56) Building coalitions and finding allies to help implement significant changes

(15:27) Using French and Raven's bases of power to influence without direct authority

(20:20) Prioritization frameworks for deciding where to start with limited resources

(24:42) The value vs. cost two-by-two framework for prioritizing initiatives

(32:57) Using simple frameworks like urgency scales to make decision-making more efficient

(38:42) The critical lesson that perception is reality in organizational settings

(42:52) What people often misunderstand about how change really happens

Guest Bio

Ernest Wong is the VP of Delivery and Operations at Delegate. With over 20 years of experience in tech, Ernest has rebuilt chaotic systems at early-stage companies like Talkdesk and navigated M&A complexity at enterprise organizations like Adobe. Known for his holistic approach to problem-solving, Ernest excels at understanding how incentives, behaviors, and systems design drive momentum. His expertise spans aligning teams post-acquisition, rebuilding product organizations, and helping clients establish data foundations at scale.

You look up. It’s midnight. You haven’t eaten. Slack’s clear, backlog’s cleared, and you’ve helped twelve people, but somehow, nothing actually moved forward. In this episode of Accidental Salesforce Admins, Robert Sur, CEO at Delegate, breaks down a familiar cycle for many Salesforce admins: you’re the go-to operator, always solving, always fixing—but never shaping what gets done and what you can do to break the vicious cycle.

Being essential isn’t the same as being strategic. And working harder won’t get you there. The key shift? Changing the altitude of your work. Robert introduces real, practical tools that have helped Salesforce operators across dozens of orgs step out of reactive chaos and into intentional leadership. This episode explores why strategic rhythms matter more than fancy titles, how simple frameworks can shift momentum, and how credibility starts with better questions—not more output.

• The hidden cost of being the go-to person for everything
• Why essential ≠ strategic—and what separates the two
• The altitude problem faced by sharp, trusted operators
• What the “Deep5ive” lens really helps unlock for ops leaders
• Using the Five Whys technique to reframe unclear requests
• A 3-question scoring model to prioritize work with clarity
• Rhythms like “One In, One Out” that force leadership trade-offs
• Why pushing back—done right—actually builds credibility
• Three specific actions to start working more strategically this week

• Deep5ive
• Five Whys (root cause analysis method)
• “One In, One Out” planning rule (team-level decision tactic)

In this episode of Accidental Salesforce Admins, host Robert Sur dives into the common struggle of the "leadership blind spot" and how to overcome it. Rob shares insights on breaking the cycle of reactive decision-making and shifting towards strategic, outcome-based leadership in Salesforce administration.

Key Discussion Points:

[00:00:43] Introduction to the leadership blind spot phenomenon

[00:01:52] Real-world example of a multinational firm's tech chaos

[00:04:32] The hard truth about leadership's unintentional chaos

[00:05:37] Breaking the cycle: Starting with leadership clarity

[00:08:12] Building a roadmap with structured flexibility

[00:09:20] Repositioning tech operators as strategic leaders

[00:10:23] Turning chaos into an opportunity for growth and leadership

[00:11:55] Closing thoughts and call to action for listeners

Rob shares a compelling case study of a large multinational professional services firm struggling with chaotic tech management. He introduces Sarah, an operator caught in an endless loop of reacting to leadership's ever-changing priorities. Rob then outlines a strategic approach to break this cycle, emphasizing the importance of:

1. Viewing technology holistically through the Deep5ive framework
2. Implementing a structured decision-making process
3. Creating a flexible but disciplined roadmap
4. Repositioning tech operators as strategic leaders

He encourages listeners to see chaos as an opportunity for leadership and transformative change. He emphasizes that the ability to bring order to noise and align priorities is what sets true leaders apart in the field of Salesforce administration and tech management.

The episode concludes with a call to action for listeners to identify areas of chaos in their work and use them as opportunities to lead and drive clarity in their organizations.

In this episode of Accidental Salesforce Admins, host Robert Sur welcomes Michael Stevens, VP of Product Marketing at SmartRecruiters, to discuss the journey from problem-solver to strategic leader. Michael shares insights on breaking free from the "essential but invisible" trap and becoming a more influential player in your organization.

Key Discussion Points:

[00:00:43] Breaking free from the essential but invisible trap

[00:01:33] Michael's journey from SDR to VP of Product Marketing

[00:02:36] The mindset shift from individual contributor to strategic leader

[00:05:26] Building influence without a leadership title

[00:11:30] Seeing through the lens of others and getting outside yourself

[00:14:58] Aligning teams and competing priorities across functions

[00:19:19] Positioning critical work to get leadership buy-in

[00:27:30] Common characteristics of high performers

[00:31:35] Advice for young professionals starting their careers

Michael emphasizes the importance of:

1. Thinking beyond individual tasks to drive broader organizational impact
2. Developing domain expertise and curiosity about other roles
3. Constantly prioritizing and aligning work with key business objectives
4. Communicating value and self-promoting in a meaningful way
5. Bringing joy and optimism to the workplace while maintaining a strong work ethic
6. Seeking environments and people that foster personal growth

The episode highlights the value of understanding different perspectives, aligning with organizational priorities, and consistently delivering impact beyond your immediate role. Michael encourages listeners to embrace discomfort, continue learning, and focus on adding value rather than chasing titles or equity.

Guest Bio:

Michael Stevens is the VP of Product Marketing at SmartRecruiters, where he's revolutionizing hiring through AI-powered software. With a career spanning from SDR to executive leadership, Michael has worked across various revenue functions, including sales, customer success, and operations. His journey showcases the power of strategic thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and continuous personal growth in building a successful career in the tech industry.

In this episode of Accidental Salesforce Admins, host Robert Sur welcomes Elvis Ha, VP of Product at Paradox, to discuss strategies for securing leadership support and resources for vital projects. They dive into common challenges faced by accidental admins and product managers, offer insights on communicating value to different stakeholders, and share tips on learning from rejections.

Best Moments:

(00:59) The frustration of not getting resources for critical systems improvements

(01:40) Introduction of guest Elvis Ha and his background in product management

(02:32) Elvis’s approach to getting leadership buy-in for important projects

(08:33) Example of successfully pitching a technical infrastructure project

(16:41) Advice for accidental admins on gaining leadership attention

(20:39) Three tasks for understanding stakeholders better

(27:14) Dealing with rejected proposals and learning from failures

(34:24) The connection between neuroscience, AI, and product development

Guest Bio:

Elvis Ha is the VP of Product at Paradox, where he builds AI-driven hiring solutions. With over a decade of experience in product management, Elvis has worked in organizations ranging from startups to public companies. His background in neuroscience and psychology informs his approach to product development, especially in AI and user experience.