“We're Renovating!” Mission Improbable: The Office Adventure

“We're Renovating!” Mission Improbable: The Office Adventure

“Office closed for renovations.” For someone who actually enjoys coming to the office (Yes, even on Fridays!), this could have been my villain origin story. But instead, I decided to turn this challenge into a secret mission across Germany. Instead of my usual role of Collaboration Account Executive, where I specialize in customer engagement and live demonstrations of our world-class collaboration solutions, I went “undercover” at Cisco customer and partner locations, and a few coworking…

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The Heart of Cisco: A Family Beyond Work

The Heart of Cisco: A Family Beyond Work

Grief … I’ve always believed in owning and sharing my truth, hoping it might help others. But what happens when your truth is so heavy it feels like it might crush you? On May 28th, my world shattered. I got the devastating call that my sister, Tabitha, and my father, William, had passed away. Since then, it’s been days filled with anger, heartbreak, and confusion. I was on a business trip when I received the…

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Work, Life, Purpose: The Transformational Journey of Giving Back

Work, Life, Purpose: The Transformational Journey of Giving Back

Work-life balance — aiming for it is admirable. Achieving it is next to impossible. Even if we carefully balance the marketing plans, pipeline reviews, and presentations with the laundry, childcare, and home repair, we can end up exhausted and frustrated. But if you want to transform your point of view, stop worrying about trying to equally distribute all the stuff on your plate and begin factoring in the significance of the tasks. If you check…

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Finding Light in the Darkness through Cisco’s Compassionate Culture

Finding Light in the Darkness through Cisco’s Compassionate Culture

Contentment washes over me today as I watch my daughter play, a feeling I wouldn’t have recognized just a few years ago. Back then, I was in a relentless storm of challenges. I struggled with infertility and the grueling process of IVF treatments. An ectopic pregnancy resulted in emergency surgery, and for nearly five years, I carried the weight of being separated from my mom due to work, travel bans, visa applications, and the demands…

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Reaching My Ultimate Goal: Cisco Live!

Reaching My Ultimate Goal: Cisco Live!

In undergrad at East Carolina University, I stumbled across Cisco Live. Although I was a communications major interested in journalism and mass media, I was familiar with the lucrative opportunities in the Raleigh-Durham area at various tech companies and I wanted to land a great job at one of them someday. Cisco was the second company I researched. The first thing I saw on the homepage was Cisco Live. I was intrigued by the collaboration…

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From Lifeguard to Leader: How One Conversation at a Pool Changed My Life Forever

From Lifeguard to Leader: How One Conversation at a Pool Changed My Life Forever

Imagine this: You’re fresh out of university, filled with big dreams and a bit of uncertainty. During your recent internships, you often felt lost, struggling to navigate without proper guidance from busy supervisors. You had to figure things out on your own.  This is how my career journey begins. CSAP 2004/2005 Class in front of the Cisco Amsterdam office. Back in 1999, I went to San Jose State University as part of the exchange program…

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Redefining Parental Leave at Cisco

Redefining Parental Leave at Cisco

When I was expecting my first child last spring, I was determined to make a parental leave plan that was best for my family and demonstrated leadership on a matter I am passionate about. My situation was a bit unique: while I identify as a woman and a mother, my wife was carrying our child. I sort of fell into both the traditional category of maternity leave as well as paternity leave. This led me…

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Network Connections: How Cisco and the Camino de Santiago Share Common Ground

Network Connections: How Cisco and the Camino de Santiago Share Common Ground

What do a centuries-old pilgrimage path in Spain, a global leader in networking technology, and $54,986 have in common? Well, before I answer that question, let me back up a bit … The Camino de Santiago, established in the 9th century, is a network of pilgrimage routes leading to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain. Did you catch that key word? A network of paths — a way to connect people. You…

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Thank You, Cisco: From Persistence to Parenthood

Thank You, Cisco: From Persistence to Parenthood

The following story discusses the loss of a baby and miscarriage. Readers who may be sensitive, please take note. I applied to Cisco 32 times. Yes, from 2016 to 2020, I applied to Cisco 32 times, driven by the dream of joining a company that values its employees. In 2020, an amazing Emerging Talent Recruiter reached out to me and persuaded me to try one more time. I was reluctant because my feelings were still…

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