The suitcase is finally unpacked, the emails are slowly being tackled, and I’m finally catching my breath after another whirlwind Cisco Live. You know that feeling when you come home from a week like that? You’re physically drained, your voice is a little raspy, but your head is absolutely spinning with new ideas. It’s the best kind of exhaustion.
From Presentation to Problem-Solving
I spent a lot of time on stage this year, and I’ll be honest-there’s always a little knot of nerves before you step up. But as soon as the room fills up and the first question is asked, that all melts away. I had the privilege of leading three sessions:
DEVNET-2144 (Automating Network Compliance)
DEVWKS-2083 (The Journey of Automating Network Compliance)
BRKOPS-2824 (Latest and Greatest of NSO features)
There’s something incredibly satisfying about walking a room full of engineers through the “how-to” of NSO. But the real highlight wasn’t just the technical deep-dives; it was the moments after the sessions ended. When someone walks up to the stage to tell you, “I’ve been struggling with exactly this for months,” and you get to help them connect the dots? That’s the “why” for me. That’s why we do this.
The Real Conversations
If the sessions were the broadcast, the “Meet the Engineer” meetings were the heartbeat of my week.
There’s a unique kind of honesty that happens when you sit down with a
customer in a small room, pull out a marker, and start sketching a design on a whiteboard. We moved past the slides & demos and got into the real-world stuff-the product implementations that keep them up at night, the security hurdles, and the actual day-to-day challenges of running a network.
Why I’m Already Looking Forward to the Next One
Cisco Live is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s long days, constant networking, and a whole lot of coffee. But it’s also the highlight of the year for the EMEA community-a time where we all come together as one brilliant and passionate family.
I’m still reflecting on the conversations I had-both the planned ones and the ones that happened over a quick coffee in the hallway. I’m heading back into my day-to-day work feeling re-energized, inspired
, and genuinely grateful for the people who make this industry what it is.
To everyone who attended my sessions or sat down with me for a chat: thank you. It was a pleasure to learn alongside you. Until next time!
This article is part of our mini-series, Voices of Cisco Live, where we follow different Cisco employees who had their own unique experience and perspective on the event
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