Beyond the Fiber - S1E2 : Voice of the Customer with Lumen

Kat is back, and immediately finds a mystery pair of sunglasses to derail us. Ian then somehow turns seeing 11:11 into a segue about emotional intelligence. It’s a chaotic start. Then we get into what we actually meant to talk about: why emotional intelligence matters at work, and how much of it comes down to self-awareness. Kat brings MBA-class receipts, Ian reflects on how badly young-20s Ian handled feedback, and together they unpack the biases that shape how we lead, hire, and work with other people. From the halo effect and similarity bias to a live on-air diagnosis of Ian’s fundamental attribution error, this episode is equal parts leadership conversation, workplace reality check, and accidental therapy session. Spoiler: emotional intelligence won’t solve everything, but it can make you a lot better at your job. If you liked this, like us, or just enjoy Cisco...check us out here: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/solutions/small-business/index.html

The Internet Report examines the April 2 Microsoft 365 service disruption, an Outlook issue aboard Artemis II, and what these events reveal about critical paths within enterprise architecture. ———  CHAPTERS  00:54 Anatomy of the Microsoft 365 Disruption 02:52 What the Failure Pattern Shows 03:41 Mitigation vs. Resolution 04:58 Outlook Issues on Artemis II: Coincidence? 08:11 Takeaways for NetOps 10:18 Outage Trends: By the Numbers  13:24 Get in Touch   For additional insights, check out The Internet Outage Survival Kit: https://www.thousandeyes.com/resources/the-internet-outage-survival-kit?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fy26q3_internetreport_q3fy26ep134_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 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   - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theinternetreport_official

Ian and THE Sammy Brenner are back, and Sammy has officially negotiated her way into the co-chair seat for this week’s episode. We’re ditching the usual format to get into the nitty-gritty of the "art of the ask." Sammy shares her journey from "begging" to co-hosting, while Ian reflects on his own early-career lessons and the realization that if you don't ask, you simply won't get. Beyond the banter, we dive deep into the tactical side of career growth. We’re breaking down how to research your worth, why you should never be the first to drop a number, and the secret power of the pause. Whether you’re staring down a new job offer or prepping for a promotion cycle, we’re sharing the strategies—and the stories—to help you stop leaving money on the table. While we miss Kat this week, you won't want to miss this one. Tune in now!

The Challenge: Service Providers are facing a dual pressure: exploding bandwidth demands from AI/ML workloads and the critical need to reduce cost-per-bit. Traditional hub-and-spoke architectures can no longer keep up. Francis will pull back the curtain on how Lumen is transforming its metro and long-haul networks using Cisco Routed Optical Networking. In this session, we will explore: • Architectural Evolution: Moving from legacy transport to a converged, flat IP+Optical layer. • Scaling for AI: How Lumen is deploying 400G/800G to support massive Data Center Interconnect (DCI) demands. • Operational Efficiency: Practical insights on automating multi-layer provisioning to speed up time-to-service.

20 years. One company. Zero shortcuts. In this episode of Shift Happens, Jeff Edwards sits down with Amy Bahlo who didn’t join Cisco for the brand—she joined for a September start date so she could spend one more summer at a camp that mattered to her. Two decades later, she’s leading one of Cisco’s most strategic global partnerships, driving $80M in co-sell with Microsoft and now scaling that motion globally with Google. This episode isn’t just about big numbers—it’s about what actually builds a career that lasts. Amy gets real about the moments that didn’t go her way—and why missing a role she knew was hers became the catalyst for something bigger 💥 rethink setbacks. She shares how owning outcomes, seeking hard feedback, and staying relentlessly coachable became her edge 🚀 grow faster (and smarter). And she breaks down how co-sell and cloud marketplaces are opening entirely new paths to win 🌱 tap into where the real growth is happening. Her mindset is simple—and powerful: it’s not about the peak, it’s about the rebound.

How are Mercy Ships and Milton Keynes Hospital using data collection to transform accessing health? In this episode of Tech Unscripted, we explore the future of Tech for Healthcare and its role in improving global patient outcomes. Join us as we sit down with Grady Nichols from Mercy Ships and Ollie Chandler from Milton Keynes University Hospital to discuss how cutting-edge technology is bridging the gap in underserved regions and optimizing clinical decision-making.

Happy (belated) one-year anniversary to the pod! To celebrate, Ian is looking forward to reliving 2016 with The Chainsmokers at Cisco Live, and Kat is building an army of AI agents to do her job for her. We're breaking down the actual difference between a regular chatbot and an autonomous AI agent, and debating whether outsourcing your life to a virtual Board of Directors makes you lazy or just a genius. From setting up agents in Webex's AI Agent Studio to managing your new digital employees, we have your AI strategy covered (we think). Guys...it's been a year. If you haven't given us a click, this is your sign: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/solutions/small-business/index.html

In the latest episode of Shift Happens, Jeff sits down with Gary Wolfson, Director of Global Partner Communities at Cisco, for a behind-the-scenes look at what it really took to co-design The Cisco 360 Partner Program—not just in theory, but in practice. This isn’t just a story about partner programs—it’s a masterclass in trust. Gary breaks down the difference between listening and hearing (and why partners know instantly which one you’re doing), and introduces a simple but powerful framework: listen → interpret → act → be accountable. Sounds simple… until you try to do it at global scale, across thousands of partners, in the middle of massive change. What unfolds is a story of courage, vulnerability, and consistency—where trust wasn’t built through words, but through action, rhythm, and follow-through. From early skepticism in Dublin to confidence at Partner Summit, this episode captures the real shift: when feedback stops being a checkbox and becomes your identity. Why listen: • 🎯 Learn the 3-part framework that turns feedback into real action (and trust) • 🤝 Understand why “listening vs. hearing” is the difference between credibility… and noise • 🚀 See how co-design, done right, becomes a true competitive differentiator—not just a buzzword Let’s make shift happen #CiscoShiftHappensPodcast

The Internet Report podcast explores the telemetry behind recent SaaS disruptions to reveal how NetOps leaders can regain control of business continuity during an outage.    ———    CHAPTERS  00:10 Intro  00:52 Cloudflare 08:38 Salesforce 13:27 Outage Trends: By the Numbers  15:34 Get in Touch    ———    Explore the Cloudflare and Salesforce outages further in the ThousandEyes platform (no login required):     - Cloudflare: https://apfjyufeawshlcxbsvhsicakwoupobbf.share.thousandeyes.com/internet-insights/views/?roundId=1771612800&metric=interfaces&scenarioId=outageTraffic&filters=N4IgZglgNgLgpgJwM4gFygIYActQgYwxggHsA7AERIFsMIyAVDAczQG0BdAGhG1wKKkyAeQCuMFnADK%2BEljjsQAQQBiKgKIBhBuooB9HVIZ7hAJT0BJAHJ7NShkoAywgOIhuvJGXYBGAMwBAKxcAEwADACcIQAsIR4wCBhgkPhiEszSsvKKqhraugbqRibm1rb2Tq7uAL7VQA      - Salesforce: https://awzppfpqlujxnslfkbxhmhbdtpkugkks.share.thousandeyes.com/network-app-synthetics/views/?testId=8329769&startTime=1773723600&detailId=map&metrics=httpAvailability&timelineWindow=1773702000,1773744000&prefixId=13533839    
  For additional insights, check out The Internet Outage Survival Kit: https://www.thousandeyes.com/resources/the-internet-outage-survival-kit?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fy26q3_internetreport_q3fy26ep133_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: @thousandeyes    ———    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 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      - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theinternetreport_official

We jump right in by asking a deceptively simple question: do you have a personal brand, and if so...what is it? That quickly turns into Kat and Ian accidentally hyping each other up, questioning their professional identities, and landing on the idea that being good at work starts with being a good human. Ian explains why he’s sending out 360 feedback surveys “because he’s insecure,” while Kat defends her commitment to being on time (something Ian can't comment on...) Then we get into actual tips: how personal brands are built day by day. From accountability and consistency to perception and reputation, this episode is all about how people experience you at work — and why that matters more than ever in a virtual world. If you found this insightful, funny, or just like us...give us a click to keep the show funded! https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/solutions/small-business/index.html