“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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High Five: Top 5 Moments That Made My 5 Years at Cisco Unforgettable!

High Five: Top 5 Moments That Made My 5 Years at Cisco Unforgettable!

It all started with my first interview, a moment that set the tone for everything to come at Cisco. Picture this: my manager (interviewer at the time) casually asked if I watched the show “Friends” and what my favourite episode was. This unexpected interview question surprised me at the time, but I’ve come to realize that it captured what Cisco is all about. This company isn’t just about the work; it’s about building genuine relationships…

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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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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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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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Preserving Culture Through Technology: An Unforgettable Experience in the Arctic

Preserving Culture Through Technology: An Unforgettable Experience in the Arctic

In June 2024, two of my passions—Native American culture and technology—converged at the top of the world. Along with a small team from Cisco and IP Consulting, an African American Cisco Partner, I journeyed to Utqiaġvik (Barrow) Alaska, to support IỊisaġvik College and the Iñupiaq Alaska Native Tribe. My visit was a bucket list item I didn’t know I had until I was there. We weren’t there to change the Iñupiaq culture but to help…

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StickmanCyber Report: Australia's Cybersecurity Skills Crisis

StickmanCyber Report: Australia's Cybersecurity Skills Crisis

A new report has found that Australia’s available pool of cybersecurity skills is smaller than realised. The report, Australia’s Cybersecurity and Technical Skills Gap, an analysis by security provider StickmanCyber and based on an analysis of ABS census and labour force data, revealed a shortage of 10,000 technical roles throughout the country. There is just one cybersecurity professional for every 240 Australian businesses. The lack of Australian security professionals is partially to blame for the…

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