Tales From The CSAP Floor

Tune in to this season's last episode of 'Tales from the CSAP Floor' as we explore the dynamic career of Nish Parkar at Cisco. Starting with her early days in the Cisco Sales Associates Program (CSAP) and moving into her latest role in marketing, Nish offers a wealth of insights on leveraging sales experience in marketing and communications, mastering the art of storytelling, and the power of embr...

In this episode, we are joined by the amazing Alexis Bertholf, who shares her journey of merging engineering with content creation, the impact of simple explainer videos, and the power of an online presence for networking and brand building. She also reveals how embracing imperfection has helped her balance her dual roles and explains why starting small in content creation can lead to big opportun...

Welcome to another exciting episode of Tales from the CSAP Floor! This time, host Mackenzie is joined by Evan Welsh, the global head of talent excellence at GVSE (Global Virtual Sales & Engineering). Evan takes us on a compelling journey through his career, sharing insights from his nearly two decades at SAP and his transition to Cisco. In this episode, Evan opens up about the pivotal moments that...

🎧 Get ready for an electrifying episode of “Tales from the CSAP Floor” with Josh Recker as we explore the crossroads of tech sales and creativity with a seasoned Cisco veteran, Steven Heinsius, currently spearheading Software Sales for EMEA. Not only a sales maven, Steven also shines as the mastermind of "The Basement Series" on YouTube and a staple speaker at Cisco Live. 📹 Dive into the transfo...

Join Suruchi Wadhawan, a top system engineering leader from Singapore, as she explores the latest in technology and leadership. Hosted by Josh Recker, this podcast brings you conversations about leadership, innovation, and empowerment in tech. Suruchi, a Cisco Sales Champion with extensive certifications, leads insightful and inspiring discussions. Dive into topics like overcoming imposter syndrom...

Dive into "Tales from the CSAP Floor" where host Mackenzie Brennan talks to Amy Bahlo, a Club Cisco winner —a feat reserved for the top 1% in sales excellence. Starting as an Associate Sales Representative, Amy’s 19-year Cisco career has led her to a strategic Global Partner Executive role, steering the Microsoft Partnership. This episode unpacks her climb from sales to leadership, highlighting th...

Introducing Guido Sironi, a key account manager for Cisco Switzerland and a sales superstar from CSAP class of FY19. He has thrived in the tech industry for over five years, with a passion that shines through. In this podcast, he reveals his professional journey, trade secrets, and must-reads on excelling in sales and communication. Discover how he mastered the art of customer connection and why h...

Continuing our "Tales from the CSAP Floor" series, our host Mackenzie Brennan engages with Matt Yager, a top performer within the SLED Accounts team. Matt kicked off his Cisco journey through the Sales Associate Program (CSAP) in FY21, on the same track as our host. Before setting his sights on a customer-centric sales role, Matt dives into his rich background and the significant responsibilities...

In this season opener of "Tales from the CSAP Floor," host Joshua Recker welcomes Chris Toh, a remarkable individual whose unique professional journey defies convention. From a pivotal eureka moment during his military service to becoming a celebrated Club Cisco member and enjoying a well-deserved Hawaiian vacation, Chris's story is a testament to the power of divergent thinking. Live from Singapo...

Join us for an enlightening podcast journey with the famous Ron Fox the 3rd! Discover the Power of Connection: growing with people around you and the finding the value in mentorship. In our pursuit of success, we often focus on climbing the ladder vertically, and connections above us. But what about the incredible value that lies in networking horizontally? 🚀

Don't miss Episode 7 of Season 5! We're chatting with Hemang Shah, a global systems engineer at Cisco, who smoothly transitioned from CSAP to working as a trusted advisor on some of our top global accounts. He shares his unique journey, including the time when he almost swapped tech for a paper route in Denmark! Hemang digs deep into how to excel at your job, and even spills the beans about his dr...

In this episode, Nick chats with Ryan Houska, Director of Web Operations at Cisco and a CSAP Alum. Hear firsthand about his transformative journey, the power of curiosity, open-mindedness, and networking, and the crucial difference between management and leadership. Get an insider's view of his transition into leadership, the significance of resilience, shared team accountability, and the customer...

Don't miss this candid episode where Laura delves into Eduardo Sebastian Galardi's unexpected yet interesting transition from aerospace engineering to Cisco's CSAP program. Fresh out of CSAP himself and early in his career, Eduardo's timeless advice holds relevance for newcomers as they embark on their journeys. Embrace the rollercoaster of learning and discover the power of empathy and humility i...

Join us on a captivating journey in our fourth podcast episode as we explore the inspiring story of Vinaya Springer, a former CSAPer and current Senior System Engineer Manager. Vinaya has transformed her adversities into her superpower, paving the way for others by sharing her experiences. She faced numerous challenges, including imposter syndrome, but has learned how to overcome it. Vinaya shares...

In this third episode, Laura welcomes Yvette Filippo, Field Account Manager in the Netherlands. Since she graduated from CSAP in 2018, she has been recognized as Sales Champion and Sales Achiever. Yvette explains that she approaches success in a holistic way, by adding value to her personal, team, and company projects. She shares with us practical tips on how she does this, by prioritizing, turnin...

In this episode our host Nick sits down with Zaid Al-Taher, a Systems Engineer who graduated from CSAP in 2021. Join us as Zaid shares his journey at Cisco, from the application process to his remarkable volunteering work in Indonesia building a school playground. Learn how Zaid combines his passions: continuous learning, teaching and giving back, and how working at Cisco makes it all possible. Ge...

Join Laura and Stien as they start off the new season of "Tales From The CSAP Floor: Epic Wins and Fails"! From the importance of mentorship and putting things into perspective to frozen lasagnas, discover how Stien navigates her journey and the lessons she's learned along the way. Be sure to tune in for this empowering conversation about flexibility and perseverance.

JP kickstarted his career at CSAP some moons ago as an Associate Sales Representative. He shares many valuable lessons on career progression at Cisco, leveraging your connections, the importance of diversity, the value of people and culture and so much more!

Annika Gruvstad kickstarted her career at CSAP some moons ago as an Associate Sales Representative. She shares many valuable lessons on career progression at Cisco, leveraging your connections, the importance of diversity, the value of people and culture and so much more.

Let Ella take you on a journey from pre-covid CSAP times to a fully virtual experience. Going from playing table tennis with CSAP peers to following classes remotely, Niek van Geffen and Momoki Yokoi, ASR Alum, talk about the same program but in a different world. While the times have changed, the strong CSAP thread of learning, networking and friendship remains unbreakable! Oh and Niek, one of th...

In this episode, Mark chats to two former Associate Systems Engineers (ASE): Timi Omoyajowo & Yashar Asgari. Our host asks them about their CSAP experience, our culture of learning and feedback. They address what it was like leaving CSAP to go into a permanent role within Cisco and making the most of their support system. They give some great tips about how to avoid getting whiplash from working f...

Follow our host Mark Falkenstrom as he talks to Louise Man, a current Associate Systems Engineer (ASE) in the CSAP program, about having the right mindset heading into the assessment centre. Louise and Mark talk about their (very different!) backgrounds prior to Cisco, being your authentic self, and having fun while going through the interview process.

Welcome back for season 4 of Tales from the CSAP floor! In this first episode, our host Ella Cheng-Bradshaw speaks to Australian Associate Sales Representative (ASR) Hugh Steinmetz about how he landed the job in a virtual setting. While the assessment centre varies region to region, Hugh and Ella’s insights paint a clear picture of the general process from the perspective of two ASRs.

We are thrilled to wrap up season 3 with Esther Ayorinde, Senior Director in Cisco's Customer Experience Organization, a CSAP Alum and just a phenomenal woman and power house! There is so much goodness packed into this episode…Esther talks about her unusual journey and unlocking the 'serial intra-preneur’ within. She shares what being on the NFL & NBA dance teams has taught her in her corporate li...

Follow our host Sabrina as she talks to Gertrude Wong, Cisco's Director of Business Operations for CX (Customer Experience) in EMEAR about Mentoring. Gertrude's passion on the topic comes from her own experience as a mentor for Early In Career but also as a mentee herself. Gertrude clarifies the differences between coaching, mentoring and sponsoring. She gives advice on how to recognize a potentia...