As AI headlines accelerated through 2025, costing remains one of the hardest areas for leaders to “get grounded” on. In this episode, Greg Banks sits down with Tim and Nancy for a true apples-to-apples comparison: building a customer-facing AI agent using Salesforce Agentforce + Data Cloud versus building a custom AI agent from modular components.

Using a realistic vignette—Terrapin Pet Care, a direct-to-consumer pet wellness brand—the team evaluates both approaches across five criteria: solution fit, technical feasibility, procurement complexity, implementation costs, and operational costs.

Takeaways

• A practical 5-part evaluation rubric for agent platform vs custom build decisions. 
• Why procurement complexity often favors platform approaches (fewer decisions; consolidated SKUs). 
• Why long-run operational costs may favor custom builds (cutting out the “wrapper”/middle layer). 
• How assumptions about your existing stack and team skill sets can change the recommendation.

Recommended Links

Cirrius Solutions 

Cirrius Blog

Tim Harting on LinkedIn

Nancy Roller on LinkedIn

Pydantic AI

Docling: 

Crawl 4 AI: 

Langfuse: 

Render: 

Sentry: 

Comparison Artifact

Greg Banks on LinkedIn

Jason Fowler Music

For questions or feedback, please contact us at [email protected]

What happens when a 25 year Navy Mustang veteran is handed the keys to relaunch Salesforce Military? In this episode, new program director Tom House breaks down how Salesforce Military is being rebuilt around three pillars—future-ready skills, mentoring, and networking—so veterans and military spouses aren’t left staring at a blinking cursor wondering where to start. He walks through the evolution from VetForce to Salesforce Military, why the program lost momentum, and how community feedback, partnerships with VA, Hiring Our Heroes, and Hire Heroes USA are reshaping it for today’s job market. We also dig into how non-veterans and employers can plug in as mentors and partners, and preview the upcoming Salesforce Military Summit aligned with World Tour DC in March.

This fits into the broader mission of Cirrius Talk: The Military Minute—spotlighting veterans and military spouses, translating service into civilian skills, and surfacing the tools and communities that actually help at separation.

Takeaways

• Salesforce Military is back—and it’s veteran-led. 
• From VetForce to Salesforce Military (and why that matters). 
• Three core buckets: skills, mentoring, and networking. 
• How Salesforce Military, the VA, Hiring Our Heroes (SkillBridge), and Hire Heroes USA are connected
• Veteran support orgs are teammates, not competitors. 
• Networking is going hybrid—and community-led. 
• You don’t have to choose Salesforce to benefit. 
• How YOU can help a veteran on their journey
• Big things are coming in 2025. 

Recommended Links
Tom House on LinkedIn

Greg Banks on LinkedIn

Salesforce Military

Salesforce Military Signup

Trailhead Military

Trailhead Academy (instructor-led training)

Hire Heroes USA (HHUSA)

Skillbridge 

Hiring Our Heroes

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Blue Star Families

Salesforce Military Exchange

Salesforce Military Exchange: Veteran Business Panel (example event)

Salesforce Military Town Hall (example event)

Salesforce Events (Dreamforce, TDX, World Tours)

Dreamforce 

TrailblazerDX

Agentforce training resource hub

Salesforce LinkedIn

Salesforce Military Slack

Agent Blazer” (Agentblazer) Champion / Innovator / Legend - Also in the Salesforce Military Site

 What if your AI agents were architected as intentionally as your Salesforce org? In this episode of Cirrius Talk, Greg Banks sits down with Tim and Gavin to break down a practical mental model for AI agent architecture—agents as decision-makers, MCP servers as shared capabilities, and skills as reusable workflows. They unpack when a use case calls for a new skill, a new MCP, or a brand-new agent (or even a multi-agent pattern), plus the anti-patterns to avoid as you scale. By the end, leaders walk away with questions they can use to design a secure, future-ready AI workforce across their Salesforce ecosystem. 

Takeaways

• Agents are the “brains,” not the plumbing—let them decide what to do when, not handle low-level integration. 
• MCP servers are your superpowers: secure, reusable connections into Salesforce, Jira, ERPs, and document stores that every agent can tap. 
• Skills are where your workflows live—think “mini playbooks” that orchestrate steps and call MCPs to actually get work done.
• Use the five-question test (audience, decision space, context, security, triggers) to know when a new agent is justified. 
• Multi-agent patterns shine when a “hub” agent needs to reason across multiple domain-specific agents—sales, service, finance, delivery, and more. 
• Build from the bottom up (capabilities and MCPs), but design from the top down (business decisions and outcomes).
•  Cirrius Solutions brings AI-shoring to Salesforce: 100% US-based teams, 50% military veterans and spouses, all AI & Data Cloud certified. 

Recommended Links

Gavin Franklin on LinkedIn

Tim Harting on LinkedIn

Greg Banks on LinkedIn

Cirrius Solutions

Cirrius Blog

Mental Model Diagram

Jason Fowler Music

Send questions to [email protected]

What do you do after leading soldiers through a nine-day firefight in Afghanistan and watching your story become a combat documentary? In this episode, former Army infantry officer and West Point instructor Jason Pomeroy shares how the mission didn’t end when the bullets stopped—especially as he processed trauma, sought help, and redefined purpose back home. We dig into his role in The Hornet’s Nest, the toll that deployment took on his family life, and the counseling that helped him become a more present husband and father. Then we follow the winding path that led him from farm kid to major, to startup consultant, and finally to Engagement Manager and change management leader in the Salesforce ecosystem.

Key Takeaways

• 9/11 to Ranger school to Afghanistan – how one high school decision turned into 12 years of service, combat tours, and leadership in the 101st Airborne.
• Inside “The Hornet’s Nest” – the real story behind the documentary: a multi-directional ambush, lost communications, six brothers killed on day one, and a nine-day fight in the Kunar River Valley.
• Calm in the chaos – Jason breaks down what it feels like to realize “no help is coming” and why leaders must still make clear, decisive calls when everyone else is locking up.
• The quiet aftermath of war – from throwing a toy through a wall at home to realizing he needed support, Jason shares how counseling through Headstrong helped him show up better for his family.
• From foxholes to fractional consulting – how he went from no job after separation to building an LLC, closing his own clients, and learning the full life cycle of business the hard way.
• Startup bootcamp for Salesforce – translating requirements between customers and offshore dev teams at a small software company became the perfect bridge to Salesforce consulting.
• Why veterans make elite Engagement Managers – active listening, conflict without drama, owning the budget, and keeping the “wheels on” when timelines and tensions spike.
• Reframing “yes sir” – why the best military leaders don’t want yes-men, and how that same candid, solution-oriented honesty is gold on high-stakes Salesforce projects.
• Purpose after the uniform – Jason’s advice: your biggest task in transition isn’t just finding a job, it’s realigning to a new mission that deserves your level of commitment.

Recommended Links
Jason on LinkedIn
HeadstrongProject.org
Hornet's Nest Documentary
Cirrius Solutions
ACP
Candorful
Hiring our Heroes
Hire Heroes USA
Merivis
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Youtube
iHeartRadio
Castbox
Goodpods
Cirrius Blog
Greg Banks on LinkedIn
Jason Fowler Music

For questions or feedback, please contact us at [email protected]

What happens when an Air Force drill instructor trades the flight line for Flow Builder? In this episode, Greg sits down with 14-year Air Force veteran Nick Stump to unpack his journey from power production tech and military training instructor to Salesforce consultant at Cirrius Solutions. Nick shares how deployments, family priorities, and a Hiring Our Heroes fellowship guided his transition, and why AI has become his quiet superpower for communication and productivity. If you’re a veteran or military spouse wondering how your service translates to tech, this conversation is a playbook you can start using today. 

Key Takeaways

• From 17-year-old recruit to 14-year Air Force veteran – Nick walks through joining at 17, working power generation and arresting systems, and ultimately becoming a training instructor. 
• Why loving deployments still wasn’t enough to stay in – He loved the simplicity and purpose of being overseas, but repeated absences and growing family priorities pushed him to rethink a full career in uniform. 
• Hiring Our Heroes as the on-ramp to Salesforce – A single education brief and a TAPS PowerPoint opened the door to Salesforce, and a Hiring Our Heroes fellowship became his bridge into Cirrius Solutions and Team Echo. 
• Work–life balance the military rarely teaches – Nick explains how he gives 100% to work during work hours, then fully “takes off the hat” to be present with his family—something that was nearly impossible as an MTI. 
• Using AI as your quiet professional edge – From polishing client emails to summarizing complex tasks, Nick shows how AI doesn’t replace the human element but amplifies clarity, professionalism, and efficiency. 
• Imposter syndrome is normal—especially in tech – He admits going from 14 years of mastery to “new guy” in Salesforce was humbling
• Translating military bullets into civilian impact statements – Nick urges service members to use education offices, TAPS, and even AI to turn EPR/OER bullets and acronyms into plain-language, resume-ready accomplishments. 
• Start planning your exit years—not months—before separation – Whether you serve four years or thirty, he stresses enjoying the ride and intentionally preparing for life after the military long before your final out date. 
• Sports, Disney trips, and family experiences over “stuff” – Off the clock, Nick is an Ohio State and Reds fan, a Disney trip regular, and a dad who prioritizes shared experiences to teach resilience and savor post-service life.

Recommended Links

Nick Stump on LinkedIn
Cirrius Solutions
ACP
Candorful
Hiring our Heroes
Hire Heroes USA
Merivis
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Youtube
iHeartRadio
Castbox
Goodpods
Cirrius Blog
Greg Banks on LinkedIn
Jason Fowler Music

Contact us at [email protected]

 What does it take to go from pulling espresso shots at Starbucks to architecting complex Salesforce solutions for enterprise clients? In this episode, Greg sits down with Cirrius Solutions Solution Architect Will Saleh to unpack his unconventional path from barista to Microsoft cybersecurity, then Salesforce admin, consultant, and finally architect. They dig into how mindset, mentorship, Trailhead, and community support helped him push through imposter syndrome and information overload in those early “firehose” years. Will also shares how he thinks about scalable architecture, AI as a tool (not a crutch), and the people-first skills that make consulting work long term. 

Takeaways

• From lattes to layouts: How five years as a Starbucks barista and other service jobs quietly built the empathy and composure he now uses with stressed-out clients and teams. 
• Nonprofit to Microsoft to Salesforce: The nonprofit training program that opened the tech door, led to a cybersecurity internship at Microsoft, and eventually dropped him into the Salesforce ecosystem. 
• Drinking from the firehose: Will’s honest take on the first two years in Salesforce—data models, limits, overlapping automations—and how “mental reps” with documentation and training sped up his growth. 
• Imposter syndrome is normal, not fatal: How he reframed “new job jitters” as proof of growth and leveraged his “junior” title to ask every question while the bar was lower. 
• Building a Field Service accelerator: Inside the project where Will helped turn repeated field service patterns into a reusable accelerator that saves clients serious time and money. 
• What a Solution Architect really does: Beyond building flows—thinking about integrations, security, compliance, user experience, scalability, and how today’s choices impact mergers and growth five years out. 
• AI as power tool, not autopilot: How Will and the team use AI for automation assessments, documentation, and drafts—while still insisting consultants get their hands dirty and understand the details. 
• Community as a force multiplier: Why mentors pushed him into Trailblazer communities, Slack groups, and forums instead of just giving him answers—and how that built confidence and resilience. 
• Resilience, work ethic & grit : The work ethic he learned from his father, the grind vs. mental-health balance he’s trying to strike, and his advice to career changers not to lose the big picture in tough early days.

Recommended Links

Will Saleh on LinkedIn
Salesforce Break / Andy Engin Utkan
Andy’s Youtube Channel
Year Up United

Cirrius Blog
Greg Banks on LinkedIn
Jason Fowler Music

Contact us at [email protected]

What happens when a U.S. Air Force officer swaps flight lines for Flow Builder? In this episode of Cirrius Talk: The Military Minute, host Greg Banks sits down with Justin Dunn — Air Force veteran, nine-time Salesforce-certified pro, and Engagement Manager at Cirrius Solutions. Justin shares how military departure unexpectedly opened the door to a thriving tech career through Salesforce Military and Hiring Our Heroes. His story is a roadmap for veterans navigating transition, blending discipline, adaptability, and heart into a new mission: customer success in the Salesforce ecosystem.

Takeaways

• Service to Salesforce — Justin’s path from Airfield Operations Officer to Engagement Manager proves military skills translate powerfully into tech.
• Trailhead Military = Liftoff — Free training and structured mentorship helped launch a second career.
• Managed Services Bootcamp — Hands-on problem solving built his technical and client-facing chops fast.
• From BA to EM — How business analysis evolved into engagement management and leadership.
• Project Management under Pressure — Lessons from briefing colonels now guide corporate communication.
• People > Process — Success at Cirrius comes from collaboration, not competition.
• Boundaries Build Longevity — Strict schedules, sleep, and structure keep consultants sustainable.
• Document Everything — Clear communication and thorough follow-up are a consultant’s best defense.
• Military Mindset Wins — Adaptability, accountability, and resilience make veterans natural fits for consulting.

Recommended Links

Justin Dunn on LinkedIn
Cirrius Solutions
ACP
Candorful
Hiring our Heroes
HOH Military Spouse Network
HOH-Amplify events for Military Spouses
Hire Heroes USA
Merivis
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Youtube
iHeartRadio
Castbox
Goodpods
Cirrius Blog
Greg Banks on LinkedIn
Jason Fowler Music

Contact us at [email protected]

In this episode, Greg Banks and Tim Harting welcome Gavin Franklin to explore how AI is transforming the world of Salesforce development. From the rise of agentic coding to Salesforce’s new AgentForce Vibes tool, the trio unpacks how generative AI is shifting the balance between declarative and custom development. They dive into what this means for developers, admins, and consultants alike—revealing both the massive opportunities and new challenges that come with AI-driven innovation in the Salesforce ecosystem.

Takeaways

•  AI has made developers believers — once skeptical, coders now embrace AI as a productivity supercharger.
• Lightning Web Components are thriving thanks to AI’s ability to fast-track prototypes and POCs.
• Proof of concept in days, not weeks — AI bridges the communication gap between business and technical teams.
• Developers must shift mindsets — from pure coders to consultants who lead quality and control.
• Agentic IDEs = power and risk — more productivity, but more need for strong DevOps and QA frameworks.
• Salesforce’s AgentForce Vibes steps in — bringing ChatGPT-powered code generation directly into the org.
• The “clicks not code” era is fading — AI is making code faster, cheaper, and more accessible.
• Declarative tools hit their ceiling — as flexibility and AI-driven code take the spotlight.
• Developers’ new role: context engineers — feeding AI the right metadata and business context is the next skill frontier.
• The future of Salesforce = platform over product — as AI lowers barriers, consultancies can deliver more powerful, custom solutions faster than ever.

Recommended Links

Gavin Franklin on LinkedIn

Tim Harting on LinkedIn

Greg Banks on LinkedIn

Cirrius Solutions

Cirrius Blog 

Contact us at [email protected]

In this episode of Cirrius Talk, host Greg Banks is joined by Allie Nelson and Tim Harting. Fresh from Dreamforce 2025, the team unpacks Salesforce’s AI-first roadmap and what it means for partners and customers. Highlights include how MuleSoft Agent Fabric can orchestrate enterprise AI agents (and MCP tools) with granular security and hierarchy; why Slack Channel Agents meet users where they work—desktop or mobile—to update CRM via natural language; and how the Einstein Trust Layer and data governance should guide choices between native Salesforce agents and general-purpose ChatGPT-in-Slack. The conversation also notes a noticeably lighter consultancy presence on the expo floor, exploring ROI pressures and acquisitions

Takeaways

•  A lot of people are really wanting to get back to community (learning beyond AI).
• MuleSoft Agent Fabric helps control AI agents across tech stacks.
• Slack channel agents improve day-to-day workflows for users.
• Users can update Salesforce data directly from Slack.
• There may be confusion between different AI tools available.
• The consultancy presence at Dreamforce was notably lacking.
• Knowledge sharing is crucial for the Salesforce community.
• Transitioning to AI tools will be a long journey for many businesses

Recommended Links

Allie Nelson 

Tim Harting on LinkedIn

Greg Banks on LinkedIn

Cirrius Solutions

Cirrius Blog 

Contact us at [email protected]

In this inspiring episode of The Military Minute, host Greg Banks sits down with Munta Montgomery, a U.S. Air Force veteran whose story embodies resilience, reinvention, and relentless growth. From turning wrenches on jet engines to solving complex Salesforce challenges, Munta’s journey is proof that technical skill and military discipline translate powerfully into the digital economy.

Munta shares how his upbringing in Louisiana—and a family legacy of service—led him to the Air Force, where he mastered the art of precision, teamwork, and pressure-tested problem solving. After serving honorably, he pivoted from aerospace mechanics to entrepreneurship and eventually discovered the Salesforce ecosystem through the Hiring Our Heroes Fellowship, finding not just a career, but a community.

Now a Senior Consultant at Cirrius Solutions, Munta’s story reveals how veterans’ mindset and adaptability can fuel excellence in cloud technology and beyond.



Takeaways

• Munta Montgomery has a strong military background and is a senior consultant at Cirrius Solutions.
• Choosing the right military occupation can significantly impact future career opportunities.
• Transitioning from military to civilian life can be challenging but is manageable with the right resources.
• Munta's experience as an aircraft mechanic helped him develop troubleshooting skills essential for consulting.
• The Salesforce ecosystem offers numerous opportunities for veterans and military spouses.
• Munta's entrepreneurial spirit led him to explore various business ventures after leaving the military.
• The Hiring Our Heroes program played a crucial role in Monta's transition to the Salesforce space.
• Munta emphasizes the importance of following skills that can sustain a family rather than just pursuing passions.
• Life experiences, including military service, can provide valuable insights in consulting roles.
• Believing in oneself and making a solid plan is essential for a successful transition.

Recommended Links

Munta Montgomery
Cirrius Solutions
ACP
Candorful
Hiring our Heroes
HOH Military Spouse Network
HOH-Amplify events for Military Spouses
Hire Heroes USA
Merivis
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Youtube
iHeartRadio
Castbox
Goodpods
Cirrius Blog
Greg Banks on LinkedIn
Jason Fowler Music