Cisco Podcast Network

A prompt from former guest Brad Oliver sparks this week’s conversation as Kat and Ian swap their favorite life hacks — from AI-powered routines to everyday habits that (mostly) keep things on track.

Kat shares her go-to method for turning a packed morning into a time-blocked, lock-screen-ready game plan (truly, you should steal this), while Ian brings ideas on using AI as a personal coach for growth, productivity, and even wellness. They also get into practical strategies like the two-minute rule, quick-start momentum tricks, journaling habits, and small upgrades that make a big difference.

Along the way, they touch on discipline, habit stacking, why being on time is harder than it should be (at least for Ian), and a simple relationship tip that can change how you show up for others.

A mix of useful ideas, honest moments, and a few habits still in progress.

Another life hack: buying Cisco products for your small or medium business. Check them out here: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/solutions/small-business/index.html#tabs-9da71fbd27-item-1288c79d71-tab

In the latest episode of the Cisco AI Insights podcast, hosts Rafael Herrera and Sonia Marques are joined by Dr. Catarina Carvalho, a Cisco leader in machine learning engineering. Together, they unpack the complex academic paper " Multi-Crit: Benchmarking Multimodal Judges on Pluralistic Criteria-Following," developed by researchers from the University of Maryland and the University of Waterloo.

As the industry moves toward more reliable multimodal models, traditional pass-or-fail evaluation is no longer sufficient. This paper introduces a hierarchical framework that uses "LLM-as-a-judge" to evaluate outputs across five distinct criteria: visual grounding, logical coherence, factuality, reflection, and conciseness. Dr. Carvalho guides the discussion through the nuances of this "judge of judges" approach, exploring why human alignment remains the gold standard even as we automate evaluation processes.

A special thank you to the teams at both The University of Waterloo and The University of Maryland, College Park, for developing this month's paper. If you are interested in reading the paper yourself, please visit this link: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2511.21662.

30 episodes… already?! 🎙️ And this one hits different.

Jeff sits down with Stacy Betts—VP leading Splunk’s Americas Partner Sales—to unpack a career that spans from the early days of the internet to the frontlines of AI transformation. But this isn’t just about strategy or a $28B acquisition… it’s about leadership that lasts.

From not knowing what the “internet” was in 1994 to helping shape one of Cisco’s most important moves, Stacy brings a rare perspective—and even rarer humility. Along the way, he shares unforgettable stories, powerful frameworks, and the kind of quotes you’ll carry with you long after the episode ends.

And one idea you won’t forget: Who’s packing your parachute?

Listen if you want to:
🔍 Rethink leadership through the lens of purpose, gratitude, and action
🤖 Understand where Cisco + Splunk + partners are headed in the AI era
💟 Walk away with stories and frameworks you’ll actually use (and repeat)

30 episodes in—and this is what it’s all about. Let’s make shift happen
#CiscoShiftHappensPodcast

AB sits down with Tom Gillis, Cisco’s SVP and GM, Infrastructure & Security Group, to explore the crucial role security plays in the ever-changing AI landscape.

Ian and Kat are back with a "yin and yang" week of personal chaos and professional growth. Kat recounts the harrowing story of her recent hit-and-run—including a very embarrassing realization about her side-view mirror—and shares how she managed to keep her cool (and her work schedule) on track.

Beyond the road drama, Kat dives into her experience at a women’s-only C-suite event, discussing the power of intimate networking, the future of AI in the workplace, and the importance of Cisco showing up in non-traditional spaces. Ian and Kat also get real about the "triangle of life"—balancing fitness, money, and sanity—and why sometimes, you just have to give yourself a break.

Tune in for an episode full of personal anecdotes, leadership insights, and a reminder that even when things (or cars) get hit, the show must go on.

Since we didn't talk (much) Cisco this week, PLEASE give us a click here: https://id.cisco.com/app/ciscoid_aemcloudprodsaml_1/exk14lk1xf6SKDANc5d7/sso/saml