Shows
Cirrius Talk[Ep 024] Salesforce at Scale: Tackling Technical Debt Before It Tackles YouTechnical 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 concrete starting steps—like analyzing report usage, taking an automation inventory, and using docu...
2026-01-2328 min
Cirrius Talk[Ep 023] MCP Servers Deep Dive: Secure, Reusable Tools for AI Agents 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 should ask vendors in 2026 as MCP becomes a standard integration pathway.Highlights / Takeaways:🧠 Agents...
2026-01-1619 min
Cirrius Talk[Ep022] Andrea Bryant - From Service to Success: ACP MentorshipWhat 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 online. Whether you’re months from separation or years into underemployment, this episode shows you how to stop going it alone and start...
2026-01-1543 min
Cirrius Talk[Ep 021] Context Engineering: The Secret Sauce Behind Great AI AgentsAI 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 accurate results. If you’re building agents in the Salesforce ecosystem—or anywhere—this is...
2026-01-0921 min
Cirrius Talk[EP020] Emily Skelton - From Marine Spouse to Salesforce ProWhen 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 deployments—and how she reinvented herself as a 7x-certified Salesforce professional working in CPQ and Data Cloud. Whether you’re...
2025-12-2954 min
Cirrius Talk[Ep019] Agentforce vs Custom Agents: An Apples-to-Apples Costing ComparisonAs AI headlines accelerated through 2025, costing remains one of the hardest areas for leaders to “get grounded” on. In this episode, Greg Banks sits down with Tim and Nancy for a true apples-to-apples comparison: building a customer-facing AI agent using Salesforce Agentforce + Data Cloud versus building a custom AI agent from modular components. Using a realistic vignette—Terrapin Pet Care, a direct-to-consumer pet wellness brand—the team evaluates both approaches across five criteria: solution fit, technical feasibility, procurement complexity, implementation costs, and operational costs. TakeawaysA prac...
2025-12-1929 min
Cirrius Talk[EP018] Tom House - Director of Salesforce Military: Serving Those Who ServedWhat happens when a 25 year Navy Mustang veteran is handed the keys to relaunch Salesforce Military? In this episode, new program director Tom House breaks down how Salesforce Military is being rebuilt around three pillars—future-ready skills, mentoring, and networking—so veterans and military spouses aren’t left staring at a blinking cursor wondering where to start. He walks through the evolution from VetForce to Salesforce Military, why the program lost momentum, and how community feedback, partnerships with VA, Hiring Our Heroes, and Hire Heroes USA are reshaping it for today’s job market. We also dig into how non-vete...
2025-12-1134 min
Cirrius Talk[Ep017] Architecting Your AI Agent Workforce: Agents, MCPs & Skills What if your AI agents were architected as intentionally as your Salesforce org? In this episode of Cirrius Talk, Greg Banks sits down with Tim and Gavin to break down a practical mental model for AI agent architecture—agents as decision-makers, MCP servers as shared capabilities, and skills as reusable workflows. They unpack when a use case calls for a new skill, a new MCP, or a brand-new agent (or even a multi-agent pattern), plus the anti-patterns to avoid as you scale. By the end, leaders walk away with questions they can use to design a secure, future-ready AI wor...
2025-12-0519 min
Cirrius Talk[Ep016] Jason Pomeroy - Veteran - The Military MinuteWhat do you do after leading soldiers through a nine-day firefight in Afghanistan and watching your story become a combat documentary? In this episode, former Army infantry officer and West Point instructor Jason Pomeroy shares how the mission didn’t end when the bullets stopped—especially as he processed trauma, sought help, and redefined purpose back home. We dig into his role in The Hornet’s Nest, the toll that deployment took on his family life, and the counseling that helped him become a more present husband and father. Then we follow the winding path that led him from farm k...
2025-11-2851 min
Cirrius Talk[Ep015] Nick Stump - Veteran - The Military MinuteWhat happens when an Air Force drill instructor trades the flight line for Flow Builder? In this episode, Greg sits down with 14-year Air Force veteran Nick Stump to unpack his journey from power production tech and military training instructor to Salesforce consultant at Cirrius Solutions. Nick shares how deployments, family priorities, and a Hiring Our Heroes fellowship guided his transition, and why AI has become his quiet superpower for communication and productivity. If you’re a veteran or military spouse wondering how your service translates to tech, this conversation is a playbook you can start using today.
2025-11-2137 min
Cirrius Talk[Ep014] Will Saleh - From Starbucks Barista to Salesforce Solution Architect What does it take to go from pulling espresso shots at Starbucks to architecting complex Salesforce solutions for enterprise clients? In this episode, Greg sits down with Cirrius Solutions Solution Architect Will Saleh to unpack his unconventional path from barista to Microsoft cybersecurity, then Salesforce admin, consultant, and finally architect. They dig into how mindset, mentorship, Trailhead, and community support helped him push through imposter syndrome and information overload in those early “firehose” years. Will also shares how he thinks about scalable architecture, AI as a tool (not a crutch), and the people-first skills that make consulting work...
2025-11-1446 min
Cirrius Talk[Ep013] Justin Dunn - Veteran - The Military MinuteWhat happens when a U.S. Air Force officer swaps flight lines for Flow Builder? In this episode of Cirrius Talk: The Military Minute, host Greg Banks sits down with Justin Dunn — Air Force veteran, nine-time Salesforce-certified pro, and Engagement Manager at Cirrius Solutions. Justin shares how military departure unexpectedly opened the door to a thriving tech career through Salesforce Military and Hiring Our Heroes. His story is a roadmap for veterans navigating transition, blending discipline, adaptability, and heart into a new mission: customer success in the Salesforce ecosystem.TakeawaysService to...
2025-11-1351 min
Cirrius Talk[Ep012] From Clicks to Code: How AI Is Redefining Salesforce DevelopmentIn this episode, Greg Banks and Tim Harting welcome Gavin Franklin to explore how AI is transforming the world of Salesforce development. From the rise of agentic coding to Salesforce’s new AgentForce Vibes tool, the trio unpacks how generative AI is shifting the balance between declarative and custom development. They dive into what this means for developers, admins, and consultants alike—revealing both the massive opportunities and new challenges that come with AI-driven innovation in the Salesforce ecosystem.Takeaways AI has made developers believers — once skeptical, coders now embrace...
2025-11-0728 min
Cirrius Talk[Ep011] Dreamforce Debrief: AI Agents, Slack Smarts, and the Changing Consulting GameIn this episode of Cirrius Talk, host Greg Banks is joined by Allie Nelson and Tim Harting. Fresh from Dreamforce 2025, the team unpacks Salesforce’s AI-first roadmap and what it means for partners and customers. Highlights include how MuleSoft Agent Fabric can orchestrate enterprise AI agents (and MCP tools) with granular security and hierarchy; why Slack Channel Agents meet users where they work—desktop or mobile—to update CRM via natural language; and how the Einstein Trust Layer and data governance should guide choices between native Salesforce agents and general-purpose ChatGPT-in-Slack. The conversation also notes a noticeably lighter consultancy presen...
2025-10-3121 min
Cirrius Talk[Ep010] Munta Montgomery - Veteran & Reservist - The Military MinuteIn this inspiring episode of The Military Minute, host Greg Banks sits down with Munta Montgomery, a U.S. Air Force veteran whose story embodies resilience, reinvention, and relentless growth. From turning wrenches on jet engines to solving complex Salesforce challenges, Munta’s journey is proof that technical skill and military discipline translate powerfully into the digital economy.Munta shares how his upbringing in Louisiana—and a family legacy of service—led him to the Air Force, where he mastered the art of precision, teamwork, and pressure-tested problem solving. After serving honorably, he pivoted from aerospace mechanics to ent...
2025-10-3046 min
Cirrius Talk[Ep009] Salesforce × OpenAI: Agents, Slack, and the Race for ‘Data 360'In this episode of Cirrius Talk, we highlight the bombshell dropped at Dreamforce: Salesforce + OpenAI. Greg, Chad, and Tim unpack what was actually announced, why it matters, and how it could change day-to-day work for folks living in Salesforce and Slack. We hit Agentforce 360, ChatGPT inside Slack, Codex for devs, instant checkout for Commerce, and the Data Cloud → “Data 360” rebrand—plus where each tool best fits (governed actions vs. free-form reasoning). If you’re wondering how to get quick wins without breaking guardrails—and why clean data suddenly matters more than ever—this one’s for you.Takeaways
2025-10-2419 min
Cirrius Talk[Ep008] Pick the Right First Agent- Our 5-Factor PlaybookIn this episode of Cirrius Talk, host Greg Banks, along with Chad Anderson and Tim Harting, delve into the significant announcements from Dreamforce. This episode frames Salesforce’s Dreamforce announcements as a decisive shift: AgentForce 360 re-centers the Salesforce stack around agents, with Data 360 as fuel, Customer 360 apps as institutional memory, and Slack as the human–agent workspace. New build-time and run-time capabilities—AgentForce Builder, AgentForce Voice, Atlas Reasoning + Agent Script, Vibe Codey, and enhanced observability—aim to compress time-to-production and harden agents for enterprise scale. For leaders, the playbook is clear: pick an initial agent use case with measurable business...
2025-10-1723 min
Cirrius Talk[Ep007] Jeff Loven - People First in PracticeIn this episode, Jeff Loven shares his journey from being a pastor to becoming an engagement manager at Cirrius Solutions. He discusses his family life, the challenges of transitioning careers, and the importance of personal values in both professional and personal settings. Jeff emphasizes the significance of people in his work and life, the lessons learned during his first year at Cirrius, and the importance of maintaining a work-life balance. He reflects on personal growth, the role of character in navigating challenges, and the need for margin in life to foster well-being and connection with others.
2025-10-1643 min
Cirrius Talk[Ep006] AI Agents and Agentforce DiscussionIn this episode of Cirrius Talk, hosts Greg Banks, Chad Anderson, and Tim Harting explore the integration of AI within the Salesforce ecosystem, focusing on the distinctions between AI agents and Agent Force. They discuss the implications of AI on business processes, the importance of human involvement in certain tasks, and the potential of tools like MuleSoft Fabric to orchestrate AI agents across various platforms. The conversation also touches on the evolving role of collaboration tools like Slack in enhancing AI capabilities and concludes with rapid-fire insights on current trends in AI agents....
2025-10-1023 min
Cirrius Talk[Ep005] Karlos Golightly - Veteran & Reservist - The Military MinuteIn this episode, Karlos Golightly shares his journey as an Army veteran and consultant, discussing his enlistment, the challenges faced by veterans, and the importance of translating military skills into civilian careers. He emphasizes the need for intentionality in military service and the value of work ethic and integrity during the transition to civilian life. In this conversation, Greg and Karlos discuss the importance of networking for veterans transitioning into civilian careers. They explore the challenges and misconceptions surrounding networking, emphasizing the need for intentional connections and leveraging resources. Karlos shares his personal journey of transitioning into the Salesforce...
2025-10-0249 min
Cirrius Talk[Ep004] Jenny Adams - Veteran & Reservist - The Military MinuteIn this episode, Jenny Adams shares her unique journey from aspiring accountant to Air Force veteran and paralegal. She discusses her motivations for joining the military, the challenges she faced during her transition from active duty to reservist, and the valuable lessons learned along the way. Jenny emphasizes the importance of adaptability, ownership, and continuous learning in her career, while also reflecting on the impact of her military service on her family life. In this conversation, Jenny Adams shares her journey transitioning from a military career to the Salesforce ecosystem. She discusses the pivotal moments that led her to...
2025-09-2549 min
Cirrius Talk[Ep003] Ryan Wagner - Veteran & Reservist - The Military MinuteIn this episode, Ryan Wagner shares his journey from military service to civilian life, discussing the challenges and strategies involved in transitioning careers. He emphasizes the importance of networking, seeking help, and leveraging military skills in the civilian workforce. Ryan also highlights the significance of leadership and adaptability in navigating the chaos of new environments, particularly in the tech industry.TakeawaysRyan's military background shaped his leadership skills.Networking is crucial for a successful transition.Veterans should leverage their unique skills in civilian roles.It's important to have multiple career...
2025-09-1834 min
Cirrius Talk[Ep002] Danielle Calabrese - Military Spouse - The Military MinuteIn this episode, Danielle Calabrese shares her journey as a military spouse, discussing the unique challenges faced by those in her position, including career interruptions, the impact of frequent relocations, and the importance of flexibility in employment. She reflects on her experiences of navigating early military life, overcoming self-doubt, and ultimately discovering opportunities in the tech field, particularly through Salesforce and the Salesforce Fellowship Program. The discussion highlights the significance of community support and the evolving landscape of remote work for military families. In this conversation, Greg Banks and Danielle Calabrese discuss the journey of military spouses transitioning into...
2025-09-1141 min
Cirrius Talk[Ep001] Hannah Piersall - Military Spouse - The Military MinuteIn this episode, Hannah Piersall shares her journey as a military spouse transitioning into a career in Salesforce. She discusses her background, the challenges she faced, and the support she received through the Hiring Our Heroes Fellowship. Hannah emphasizes the importance of soft skills, overcoming imposter syndrome, and the value of community support in building a successful career. Her story serves as an inspiration for other military spouses looking to navigate their own career paths in the tech industry.Hannah Piersall on LinkedIn Cirrius SolutionsACPCandorfulHiring our HeroesHOH M...
2025-09-0333 min
Describe Your KillThe Death of Destiny | E18 | Cirrius BusinessDeep within The Harrow Court's forest lands, can Wilhelm find a replacement weapon so he can reclaim his own?New episodes are released every Wednesday; find out more at describeyourkill.com or come say hi to the DYK crew on our new DISCORD!This podcast is an actual-play of Paizo's Stolen Fate Adventure Path for Pathfinder Second Edition.Music:"Kalimba Relaxation Music" / "Furious Freak" / "Sneaky Snitch" / "Stay The Course" / "Long Note Two" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License"Tavern Loop One" / "Tavern Loop Three" / "Adventure"...
2024-01-311h 34
Mic JackListen (feat. Cirrius The Ghost, Mark Cooper, and SHACAI)Welcome to the 48 Hours experience! Where I locked as many producers, rappers, singers, musicians as I could into one studio and forced everyone to make magic. This project was about Collaboriation, it was about Unity, Fun, innovation and spontaneity. We had a blast and I hope you has as much fun listening as I had making it.
2020-08-0804 min