Cirrius Talk

39 Episodes

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[Ep 039] - Brandon Wiedemeier - Preparation, Positivity, and Platform Scale

2026-04-0341:42

Scaling Salesforce isn’t about features — it’s about leadership. In this episode of Salesforce at Scale, we explore how Managed Services evolved from reactive admin work into strategic advisory partnerships that drive long-term platform success. What You’ll Learn How to transition from project delivery to sustainable Salesforce managed servicesWhy preparation and leadership philosophy reduce stress and improve delivery outcomesHow AI can augment teams without replacing strategic thinking W...

[Ep 038] - Agentic AI - Local vs Cloud-Hosted Agents

2026-03-2724:32

Local AI agents vs cloud-hosted AI agents isn’t just a technical debate—it’s a productivity and security decision. In this episode, we explain the spectrum from cloud-hosted to hybrid to fully local, and what each approach unlocks for real-world adoption. What you’ll learn How cloud-hosted agents typically map to scoped business processes and scale across teamsWhy local agents can drive major individual efficiency gains through personalization and tool accessThe real-world tradeoffs: context/...

[Ep 037] Mike Nolan: Military Talent Connectors

2026-03-2630:09

Transitioning out of the military can feel like stepping into the unknown - this episode gives you a practical roadmap for military transition, straight from a veteran recruiter who’s built hiring programs inside major tech. What you’ll learn How Mike’s “Mission Methodology” frames networking and career movement like a real-world field manualWhat it takes to build fellowship pipelines (including SkillBridge-style approaches) that convert into careersHow employers can support veterans/spouses ...

[Ep 036] From Accidental Admin to Salesforce Evangelist | Mike Gerholdt

2026-03-2056:12

What actually makes a great Salesforce admin? In this episode of Salesforce at Scale, Greg Banks and Allie Nelson sit down with Salesforce evangelist Mike Gerholdt to unpack why empathy, user understanding, and community matter more than technical wizardry. What you’ll learn Why empathy is the most important skill for a Salesforce adminHow “SABWA” helps you design better solutionsWhy the Salesforce community is one of the most powerful learning accelerators in techWho it’s for Salesforce adm...

[Ep 035] Agentic AI Boundaries: Multi-Tenancy Done Right

2026-03-1323:43

Multi-tenancy in agentic AI is not the same thing as multi-user—and getting it wrong can create serious security, compliance, and data boundary risks. In this episode, Greg Banks and Gavin Franklin break down what actually changes when an AI agent serves multiple users vs multiple tenants. What you’ll learn How to distinguish individual, multi-user, and multi-tenant agent architectures (and why multi-tenant doesn’t always imply multi-user).Where cross-tenant leaks happen: memory, embeddings +...

[Ep 034] Purpose After Service Jon Macaskill on Military Transition & Mindfulness

2026-03-1251:09

Military transition is more than finding a job—it’s rebuilding purpose. Retired Navy SEAL commander Jon Macaskill shares what he didn’t see coming after leaving the teams, and the practical tools that helped him move forward. What you’ll learn: How to start early and “backward plan” your transition (even if you feel too busy)Transition resources Jon recommends: The Honor Foundation, Commit Foundation, ACP, Tuck Next Step, and moreA practical purpose-finding exercise (from Designing Your Life)...

[Ep 033] Salesforce MVP: The Smart Way to Scale

2026-03-0626:26

A Salesforce MVP isn’t about building less — it’s about building smart. In this episode of Salesforce at Scale, we break down how a Minimum Viable Product drives adoption, reduces risk, and protects long-term ROI. Too many Salesforce implementations fail because teams try to automate everything on day one. The MVP approach flips that script. What you’ll learn The 4 criteria of a true MVP: Viable, Minimal, Measurable, and TestableWhy “big bang” implementations often create technical debt and u...

[Ep 032] Agentic AI Security Stop Prompt Injection Before It Stops You

2026-02-2722:00

Agentic AI security is now the difference between “we shipped” and “we leaked.” In this episode, we break down the real security risks AI agents introduce—and the practical ways to mitigate them. What you’ll learn: How prompt injection happens (and why LLMs struggle to separate trusted vs. untrusted instructions)How data exfiltration can occur even without a malicious prompt (often from system/design errors)How to reduce tool abuse risk by scoping tools, validating calls, logging, and using a...

[Ep 031] From Military Spouse to Salesforce: Karri Webster’s Playbook

2026-02-2601:01:17

Karri Webster shares how she navigated military life, family stability, and career re-entry—then built momentum in the Salesforce ecosystem through community, volunteering, and consistent habits. What you’ll learn How to start building credibility in Salesforce through volunteering and community involvementPractical ways to use LinkedIn to grow relationships while you’re still learningHow routines and “next best steps” help you break out of transition gridlockWho it’s for Military spouses an...

[Ep 030] User Adoption Isn’t a Mandate—It’s a Strategy

2026-02-2027:00

User adoption is the difference between Salesforce being live… and Salesforce delivering value. In this episode of Salesforce at Scale, we break down what real user adoption looks like — and why you can’t mandate it. What you’ll learn: Why user adoption is cultural, not just technicalHow leadership behavior directly impacts platform successPractical strategies to increase adoption before and after go-liveWho it’s for: Salesforce admins, architects, IT leaders, delivery managers, and business...

[Ep 029] From UI to LLM: Building a Custom AI Agent End-to-End

2026-02-1319:26

AI conversations can feel like alphabet soup—but building a custom AI agent doesn’t have to. In this episode, we break down custom AI agent architecture end-to-end so you can make the right build decisions with confidence. What you’ll learn The key layers of a custom AI agent: UI/interaction → hosting/orchestration → tools & memory → LLMs → monitoringThe six core tech-stack decisions most teams must make to ship a custom agentA concrete example architecture: an agent that triages Zendesk ...

[Ep 028] Kate Stoker (Merivis) & the Military-to-Tech Path: Structure, Community, Purpose

2026-02-1201:13:05

Merivis went from a side-project in Central Texas to a nationwide engine for military tech careers—and Kate Stoker explains exactly how they scaled without losing the “high-touch” support that makes Veteran transition programs actually work. What you’ll learn How Merivis built a structured cohort model (coaches, squads, accountability) that helps people finish—and get hiredThe 10-year milestones that changed everything: Salesforce seed funding, Dreamforce spotlight, and the pandemic pivot to ...

[Ep 027] Salesforce UI Optimization Faster Users, Cleaner Data, Better Adoption

2026-02-0626:07

Salesforce UI decisions quietly determine whether users adopt your platform—or work around it. In this episode, we unpack why UI is a strategic lever, not a cosmetic choice. What you’ll learn The real difference between Salesforce UI and UX—and why it mattersHow poor UI design creates technical debt and data quality issuesPractical ways to simplify pages, flows, and navigation without breaking trustWho it’s for Salesforce leaders, architects, admins, and delivery teams designing for scale. G...

[Ep 026] Top 3 Agentic AI Frameworks (and How to Choose Without Analysis Paralysis)

2026-01-3022:14

Agentic AI frameworks are multiplying fast—but most teams only need a clear “when to use what” map to start building. In this episode, we break down the top agentic AI frameworks and how to pick the right one without getting stuck in analysis paralysis. What you’ll learn How LangChain, Pydantic AI, and Anthropic’s Agent SDK differ in structure, community support, and best-fit use casesSimple rules of thumb: when you want RAG + ecosystem, typed/structured outputs, or autonomous delegationThe d...

[Ep 025] Joanah Gacuya - The Volunteering “Hack” That Landed a Military Spouse in Salesforce

2026-01-2947:34

From stay-at-home mom to 11x-certified Salesforce consultant—Joanah Gacuya breaks down how military spouse careers can thrive in tech (even if you’re starting from zero). What you’ll learn How Joanah found Salesforce through a Facebook post—and turned curiosity into a real career planWhy volunteering (even small tasks) can give you the “real experience” that unlocks interviewsThe mindset shift that helped her lead discovery: follow the data in, through, and outWho it’s for For military spous...

[Ep 024] Salesforce at Scale: Tackling Technical Debt Before It Tackles You

2026-01-2328:48

Technical debt in Salesforce rarely feels urgent—until it is. In the first episode of the Salesforce at Scale series, host Greg Banks is joined by Allie Nelson and Al Huerta (Cirrius Solutions) to break down what technical debt looks like in real orgs, why it piles up, and how it quietly slows performance, blocks new features, and inflates the cost of future change. They share practical examples and discuss the most common blockers preventing companies from doing what MUST be done. They offer...

[Ep 023] MCP Servers Deep Dive: Secure, Reusable Tools for AI Agents

2026-01-1619:07

AI agents are powerful—but without the right “tooling layer,” they can be risky, inconsistent, and hard to scale. In this episode, Tim Harting and Gavin Franklin break down what an MCP server is (think: a secure, deterministic API layer for agents), why it exists even when you already have APIs, and how it improves reusability across multiple agents. They also walk through three practical adoption paths—existing MCPs, MCP governance platforms, and DIY MCP servers—plus what leaders shoul...

[Ep022] Andrea Bryant - From Service to Success: ACP Mentorship

2026-01-1543:26

What if one conversation could turn your military experience into a career-changing opportunity? In this episode, Navy veteran and ACP staff member Andrea Bryant breaks down how American Corporate Partners connects veterans and military spouses with high-level mentors for a full year—at no cost—to help them land meaningful, better-paying roles after service. We unpack eligibility, what actually happens inside a mentorship, and why networking and referrals matter more than blindly applying onl...

[Ep 021] Context Engineering: The Secret Sauce Behind Great AI Agents

2026-01-0921:47

AI agents don’t fail because they’re “not smart enough”—they fail because they’re missing the right context. In this episode of Cirrius Talk, Greg Banks sits down with Tim and Gavin to break down context engineering: the practical evolution beyond prompt engineering that’s shaping modern agent performance. You’ll learn the five core context sources agents draw from (prompts, system instructions, memory, RAG, and external tools) and why smaller, curated context windows often produce the most a...

[EP020] Emily Skelton - From Marine Spouse to Salesforce Pro

2025-12-2954:51

When a Nebraska math teacher meets a Marine on leave at a small-town charity dinner, her life takes a sharp turn into deployments, cross-country moves, and the invisible load of being a military spouse. In this episode, Marine spouse and Salesforce consultant Emily Skelton shares how she went from “passenger” in her own life to building a remote tech career through Family Readiness, Merivis, and Hiring Our Heroes. She breaks down the reality of loneliness, resilience, and parenting through de...

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