Golden minds and golden interview tips this week, as Ian and Kat are joined by Cisco's US Public Sector Sales Director Sammy Brenner for all her best interview tips (after we get through talking supplements and subscriptions...bear with us)!

Sammy shares her career journey (starting at 5:10 in) before we segue into into interview icks, tips and best practices (7:17 in). From being dressing for success to not using the interview to rant about animal rights, we've got you covered. Bottom line: you've got to play the game!

Sammy WILL be back for a part 2, so stay tuned!

If you want to apply (and hopefully interview) for a role at Cisco, we've got you covered: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/about/careers.html

Also, check out Sammy's podcast Meraki Unboxed here (after you listen to ours): https://open.spotify.com/show/3ahh6qHnNoYvCBSYBJMZX1?si=22ee47049d664d8a

Kat's on the road, and in a haunted hotel...which begs the question: do you believe in ghosts?

We segue (beautifully) into talking about the cloud at 5:05 into the episode if the ethereal doesn't do it for you. From dispelling common myths to highlighting benefits for small businesses, we've got you covered. We all use it every day, possibly without knowing it. Kat even makes this about Cisco at 15:20 and we highlight what role Cisco plays in the cloud.

If you're interested what Cisco has in terms of cloud networking, check it out here: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/solutions/small-business/index.html#tabs-a107e9a621-item-6caff3e5bb-tab

We’re LIVE with the latest episode of "Cisco SE Talks": AI Services delivered by Cisco and Presidio. Joining me on this episode, we’re thrilled to bring in Michael Byrne (VP, Solution Strategy), Aaron Kierpaul (SE and AI Champion, Presidio) and Gilbert Rivera (Solutions Architect Manager, Presidio) as we break down the powerful Cisco + Presidio partnership and share proven strategies for overcoming the early challenges of AI adoption.

As part of the episode, we talk through where customers are beginning their AI journey, addressing common pain points, and what it takes to drive real results with AI with security top of mind.

Watch the episode on Cisco's YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsvlXxdnVZA

We're rewinding to where it all began - the bold conversations that sparked a movement. 💫

This "Best Of…" edition revisits the insights and collaboration that built the foundation for Cisco's partner transformation and the launch of the Cisco 360 Partner Program.

Featuring Elisabeth DeDobbeleer, Rhonda Henley, Jason Gallo, Sharon Price, and Ken Seitz, this episode explores:

🌍 How co-design became the heartbeat of Cisco's partner evolution

💪 Why "fear less" is more than a motto - it's a mindset for change

🧭 How clarity and consistency fuel long-term growth

✨ Key Takeaways:

87% of VIP 46 SKUs carry into CPI at equal or higher payout levels

Partners achieving Preferred status are locked for 18 months post-launch

The Partner Value Index aligns what "good" looks like across security, networking, cloud, and AI

Cisco 360 Partner Program empowers a thriving ecosystem where all partners can grow 🌐

Bold beginnings. Clear direction. Shared success. Let's make shift happen. 🔥

Backend-related outages were somewhat of a theme during the first half of 2025 and this trend seems to be continuing.

In recent weeks, we’ve seen several service disruptions that appeared connected to backend issues, affecting organizations including a social media platform, an Australian bank, and a major airline.

These incidents offer valuable insights into the typical characteristics of backend outages and strategies for spotting them.

Tune in now to hear more about these events and the distinct anatomy of a backend outage.

———

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

01:01 About Backend Outages

04:18 Anthropic’s Claude Outage

08:44 Service Disruption

12:54 Alaska Airlines Outage

14:17 Commonwealth Bank Outage

15:42 Gong Service Disruption

17:25 Outage Trends: By the Numbers

19:43 Get in Touch

———

Explore Anthropic’s Claude outage and the Alaska Airlines outage further in the ThousandEyes platform (no login required):

- Claude: https://acshghvfamioplwqigifrycvlsqesoxb.share.thousandeyes.com

- Alaska Airlines: https://annocixygjjriicwjupcporbjqblgkym.share.thousandeyes.com/

For additional insights, check out the links below:

- The Internet Outage Survival Kit: https://www.thousandeyes.com/resources/the-internet-outage-survival-kit??utm_source=soundcloud&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fy26q1_internetreport_q1fy26ep6_podcast

- The Guide to Next-generation Assurance: https://www.thousandeyes.com/resources/guide-to-next-generation-assurance-ebook?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fy26q1_internetreport_q1fy26ep6_podcast

———

Want to get in touch?

If you have questions, feedback, or guests you would like to see featured on the show, send us a note at [email protected]. Or follow us on LinkedIn or X.

———

ABOUT THE INTERNET REPORT

This is The Internet Report, a podcast uncovering what’s working and what’s breaking on the Internet—and why.

Tune in to hear ThousandEyes’ Internet experts dig into some of the most interesting outage events from the past couple weeks, discussing what went awry—was it the Internet, or an application issue?

Plus, learn about the latest trends in ISP outages, cloud network outages, collaboration network outages, and more.

Catch all the episodes on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform:

- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-report/id1506984526

- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ADFvqAtgsbYwk4JiZFqHQ?si=00e9c4b53aff4d08&nd=1&dlsi=eab65c9ea39d4773

- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/ciscopodcastnetwork/sets/the-internet-report

Kat and Ian are BACK! To the US, to work, to 404. This episode starts with a quick (?) debrief on both of their travels - our hosts were having a delayed Euro Summer, if you will.

Kat asks Ian if he won the Berlin marathon, and Ian inquires about Swiss weddings.

If you were hoping for a bit more educational content, head to the very end where the two tease a discussion on events marketing, and as always, you can find all the Cisco knowledge you'd ever want right here: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/solutions/small-business/index.html#tabs-a107e9a621-item-6caff3e5bb-tab

What does it take to build durable growth in a $5.4 trillion tech market? 💡

In this episode, Jeff Edwards sits down with Gwendolyn Brantley, Cisco’s Director of Software & Service Sales for the Americas Partner Organization, to explore how AI, ecosystem partnerships, and premium services are reshaping the way customers buy, consume, and renew technology.

🎙️ Key takeaways:

• How AI and complexity are redefining customer expectations

• Why “meeting customers where they are” demands an ecosystem mindset

• The role of the Cisco 360 Partner Program in driving durable, recurring growth

• Why adoption accountability and premium services create happier customers

• Gwendolyn’s leadership superpower: The Connector 🕸️

If you lead teams, work with partners, or thrive on turning market shifts into opportunity—this one’s for you.

👉 Listen now and make shift happen.

The AI landscape is akin to the Wild West right now. There are so many solutions on the market, and it can be hard for SMBs to know which ones are secure and which can best support their internal systems. Many SMBs need an experienced guide that can navigate this rapidly evolving industry.

I'm joined by Dustin Holub, Director of Solutions Architecture at Technology Group Solutions, a Cisco Partner. He helps us cut through the noise by dispelling common fears surrounding AI and providing practical tips that enable SMBs to maximize the benefits of the latest LLM technologies.

Learn more about Cisco's solutions for SMBs: www.cisco.com/site/us/en/solutio…usiness/index.html

Check our TGS’s offerings here: https://www.tgs-mtc.com/

Kat’s addicted to…work. Which begs the question of if you would go to work still if you win the lottery? We talk about what we would buy if we did, and then talk about Ian's wedding attire choices.

If you’re here to learn about AI, we start that at about 4:53 in. We share our own personal use cases, best practices and tips – from meal prepping to learning new languages, AI has something for everyone (we just need it to be better at the things we don’t like).

If you want to learn about the solutions powering AI for small and medium businesses, check them out here: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/solutions/artificial-intelligence/index.html?dtid=osscdc000283&linkclickid=srch

AB sits down with Snorre Kjesbu, SVP & GM of Employee Experience at Cisco, for a great conversation on a variety of topics such as the value of AI-powered collaboration in the workplace; unifying devices, spaces, and workflows to enhance employees’ day-to-day experience; and how Cisco is helping organizations prepare for the future with a platform that simplifies management, future-proofs investments, and unlocks intelligence everywhere work happens.