In episode 23 of The DS Show, Daanish Soomar sits down with Shell Black, President of ShellBlack.com and a Salesforce MVP Hall of Fame, to unpack a journey that spans two decades of growth, community leadership, and scaling a boutique consultancy into a financial services powerhouse.

Shell shares how a personal blog turned into a full-fledged firm, what it was like growing alongside Salesforce during its explosive decade of 25% year-over-year growth, and how he’s navigated new headwinds in a post-hypergrowth world. The conversation dives into Shell’s philosophy on specialization, his approach to company culture, and the tactics his team uses to stand out among 3,000+ global partners.

Listeners will gain lessons on how to grow a bootstrapped business, the importance of mentorship, how to build a community presence, and why leaning into verticalization and culture is key to staying competitive in today’s consulting world.