Dylan Cox | 20 Under 40
Dylan Cox
Junior Salesforce Architect
Advisors Excel
Dylan Cox is a junior Salesforce architect at Advisors Excel, where he has spent more than nine years building technology solutions and sustainable processes that support the organization’s growth. A Washburn University graduate with a Bachelor of Science in computer information science, he joined Advisors Excel as an intern and has grown alongside the company ever since.
Outside of work, Dylan has built Salesforce applications for two community programs, United Way of Kaw Valley’s Christmas Bureau and Advisors Excel’s Season of Sharing, helping both better serve families across Shawnee County. He also serves on the TARC Foundation Board of Trustees, supporting TARC through fundraising, technology and volunteer efforts, and believes the strongest communities are built by people who invest in each other.
What keeps you grounded when life gets busy? Why?
Family is what keeps me grounded when life gets busy.
There always seems to be another project, another commitment, or another item on the calendar. Spending time with family helps me step back and keep everything in perspective. No matter what is going on, they remind me that there are things more important than whatever happens to be demanding my attention that day.
Family also provides a sense of consistency. They have been there through different stages of life, from the simpler times to the busiest ones, and being around them is a reminder that not everything needs to move at full speed all the time.
When life gets hectic, family helps me slow down, focus on what matters most, and remember not to take those relationships for granted.
What should someone never take for granted? Why?
Someone should never take their friends for granted.
Family is incredibly important, and a strong support system can make a huge difference in life. But friends often fill a role that family cannot. They choose to be part of your life, and they see different sides of you throughout different stages and experiences.
You will have many different types of friends over the course of your life. Some will be around for decades, while others may only be part of a specific chapter. Even when people move on in different directions, you still remember the friends who were there during the important moments, whether it was school, a first job, a big accomplishment, a difficult setback, or some other milestone.
Friends can offer support, encouragement, and honest perspective in a way that feels different from family. They celebrate your successes, help pick you up when things are not going well, and share experiences that shape who you become. Because of that, I think friendships are one of the most valuable things we have and something we should never take for granted.
What led you to your career?
What led me to a career in technology was a lifelong interest in computers and problem-solving. Whether it was figuring out how to fix an issue or create something new, I always enjoyed tinkering with technology. That interest in problem-solving naturally led me toward the innovation side of the field.
What led me to Salesforce specifically was a combination of timing and a willingness to learn something completely new. Advisors Excel was launching a company-wide Salesforce initiative, both internally and externally, around the time I graduated from Washburn University. I wanted to join AE full-time, and the company needed a team to support that initiative. Nearly eight years later, that opportunity has evolved into a career in Salesforce architecture.
What’s the most important part of the work you do? Why?
The work I do at Advisors Excel is important in many ways. Improving efficiency within our Salesforce environments helps our teams work more effectively, which ultimately allows our advisors to better serve their clients and help them pursue safe and secure retirements.
However, I believe the most important work I do is not as a Junior Salesforce Architect, but as a steward of Advisors Excel’s values in the community. Serving on the TARC Foundation Board gives me the opportunity to support an organization that does so much for the people of Shawnee County.
At the same time, the experience I have gained working with Salesforce at Advisors Excel has allowed me to support even more people through Advisors Excel’s Season of Sharing program and United Way of Kaw Valley’s Christmas Bureau. Building and maintaining Salesforce applications and connected applicant wizards for both organizations has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. It is especially meaningful because I get to see the impact each year as the programs prepare to serve families during the holiday season.
While technology is a big part of what I do, the opportunity to use those skills to support organizations that directly help people in our community is what makes the work most meaningful to me.
What's at the top of your bucket list? Why?
I think I am still young enough that my bucket list will probably change many times throughout my life. Right now, though, one of my goals is to play every golf course in the TPC network.
The TPC courses are all championship-caliber venues designed by some of the best golf course architects in the world and located in incredible destinations. It combines two things I enjoy: golf and the opportunity to travel and experience new places.
So far, I have played four of the courses, and I hope to continue checking more off the list over the years.
What’s one thing you’ll always say yes to? Why?
I will almost always say yes to live music. Whether it is a sold-out concert in a stadium or a local band playing for a dozen people at a neighborhood bar, I rarely pass up the opportunity.
The genre does not really matter to me. What I enjoy most is the experience of it all, the connection to the music, the energy of the crowd, and the opportunity to share that moment with friends, family, and even complete strangers. There is something unique about live music that brings people together, and it is one of my favorite ways to spend my time.
