We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kat Davis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kat, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us about a time where you or your team really helped a customer get an amazing result?

As tech skills become increasingly valuable, understanding the Salesforce ecosystem can be a real career booster. For non-IT readers, think of Salesforce as the ultimate organizational tool—a platform that helps businesses manage customer relationships, streamline processes, and make data-driven decisions. With over 150,000 enterprise customers like American Express, Shell, and Home Depot, the Salesforce ecosystem offers a plethora of professional opportunities.

I think Kathy Schwartz, a learner graduate of ours, is a great example of how a proactive mindset and aptitude for learning can cultivate game-changing career opportunities. “Camp4 was my first real dive into Salesforce,” Kathy told us. “The structure and support of the program kept me motivated and ensured I was ready to use these skills in a job setting.”

Her path wasn’t without its challenges – like so many others, Kathy was affected by the wave of layoffs during the pandemic. Through Camp4’s hands-on approach—complete with structured classes, practical case studies, and consulting-focused Fridays—Kathy kept her (already impressive) business skills sharp while mastering a new technology. “They didn’t just want us to get through the course; they were dedicated to seeing us succeed. It wasn’t just about the coursework; they wanted us to leave with skills that would actually land us jobs.”

Today, Kathy uses the skills she gained at Camp4 daily in her role at a tech product company. Her advice for those thinking about getting into the Salesforce world? “Get into a class like Camp4. Their contacts, expertise, and structure help you truly understand the material. It’s worth the investment because they make sure you’re ready to thrive in the real world.” Customer-learners like her keep us in love with what we do.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Camp4’s other founders and I knew that equipping people with the skills they need to thrive in the many new, rewarding tech roles emerging each year was going to be a critical part of driving economic growth. That’s why Camp4 exists – we want to close the every-widening talent gap here in the US by helping people acquire the skills to evolve their careers into tech.

This is especially important to me on a local level: I moved to Houston several years ago from New York (don’t worry, I’m interested in keeping Houston, Houston), so giving back to the city’s dynamic growth in the tech and innovation space is one of my top professional priorities.

At Camp4, we aim to do more than just train people—we’re focused on preparing them for real-world careers. Our programs are trusted by enterprise professionals because we emphasize practical, hands-on learning over rote information. We give our learners the skills and confidence they need to succeed in dynamic work environments, equipping them to tackle real challenges in their fields from day one.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

The first is a book called <i>America’s Game</i> by Michael MacCambridge. As a general fan of football, I initially picked the book up years ago because I wanted to nerd out over the history of the game, but the stories made me more cognizant of the parallels between managing a team and running a business. So while I thought I was just going to enjoy a sports history book, what I got out of it were examples of clever marketing, impactful storytelling, and understanding how people dynamics can make or break your goals. I’d recommend it to anyone building a business who might enjoy learning with football as the backdrop.

Another impactful book is Kevin Kelly’s <i>The Inevitable</i>. Even though it’s nearly a decade old, Kelly’s insights into how technology will shape the future remain relevant today. He’s the founder of Wired magazine, so he knows a thing or two about the relationship between technology and society. My favorite thing about his writing is that he provides very practical frameworks for interpreting tech-driven change that are perfect for anyone looking to get into a forward-thinking mindset.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Camp4 is bootstrapped, and we’re proud of that. I’ve had people way smarter than I am tell me: if you’re not selling or developing a product or looking to scale, don’t pursue funding. Startups demand quick decision-making, and having investors early on can sometimes complicate that process. I’m personally fortunate to be surrounded by very smart co-founders and a network of brilliant mentors, so we had the guidance we needed without bringing on outside investment.

Our approach has been to keep things simple, get creative, and run a lean, efficient business. Staying bootstrapped keeps us gritty and forces us to innovate into the kind of company that investors deserve. When the time comes to scale, we might seek investment. For now, our focus is entirely on building a very well-run business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://camp4network.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/71929739