Ever since I was a kid, my dad instilled in me the importance of saving for retirement. To this day, he still says, “It’s not how much you make; it’s how much you save.”
My dad retired at 52. Today he plays pickleball every day, enjoys a low-stress life, and invests his time in his family. Because of him, I’ve been obsessed with retirement since I was 14 years old — which, admittedly, is a little unusual. While other kids were buying Nintendo consoles, I was saving for Roth IRAs. I enjoyed the satisfaction of saving money more than the thrill of spending it.
Fast forward to today: I’m 43 years old, and thanks to the power of compound interest — and a thriving AI-driven technology industry — I can see a path to retirement. I’ve worked toward this goal my entire life, but now that the finish line is visible, I find myself questioning whether I’ve been optimizing for the right things.
This is where Cisco’s culture shines: I am empowered to set boundaries that create balance for me. That support, paired with the financial discipline I’ve practiced my whole life, gives me the freedom to show up fully for the people I love.
Last night, my nine-year-old daughter put herself to bed for the first time. As I watched her, I couldn’t help but think about the countless times over the past nine years that I glanced at my phone to answer a text or let other distractions pull me away from being fully present.
Lately, I’ve been wrestling with a bigger question: What is my purpose?
My wife has patiently entertained these philosophical conversations for the past three years. The internet tells me to volunteer more. Financial advisors encourage charitable giving. My kids have a much simpler request: close the laptop at 5 p.m. and come outside to play. This is where Cisco’s culture shines: I am empowered to set boundaries that create balance for me. That support, paired with the financial discipline I’ve practiced my whole life, gives me the freedom to show up fully for the people I love.
A few years ago, I started a social community at Cisco called Cisco FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early). What began as a small, personal idea evolved into a vibrant community and endless flow of ideas. Our Webex Space is a constant stream of thoughts on maximizing the financial benefits Cisco offers beyond compensation and creative financial strategies, helping everyone learn from one another.
In many companies, a leader like me starting a group like this might be seen as a distraction. But at Cisco, I found the “green light” to pursue it. I’ve often told others: if you have an interesting idea, just take a couple of steps toward achieving it. You’ll be surprised by how many like-minded people are ready to help.
It’s remarkable that empowering people to believe their jobs are important, but not their whole lives exist in the hard-driving, results-oriented culture of a top-tier tech company. That freedom — to prioritize purpose while still making an impact — is exactly what makes our teams more engaged, more connected, and ultimately, more effective.
The secret sauce of Cisco is the people. I recently hired a new team member who joined specifically because she heard our culture was “supportive and driven.” That is the unique environment that allowed this community to evolve beyond math and money into a space where we discuss purpose, happiness, and work-life balance.
To me, FIRE isn’t just about retiring; it’s about reaching a point where you have the financial freedom to choose how you spend your life, which — ironically — makes you enjoy your work even more. Cisco’s financial benefits, like ESPP, RSUs, and Mega Backdoor Roth, give employees the mental space to focus on balance rather than just financial survival.
I’ve now given more than 20 presentations on financial independence to thousands of Cisco employees. Based on the feedback, it’s clear that personal finance is something almost everyone cares about — but many people find intimidating. The confidence I gained from building this community at work sparked a desire to take those ideas to an even bigger stage. Whenever the topic of purpose came up, I found myself asking what was on my bucket list. Near the top was giving a TED Talk.
Realistically, no one was likely to invite a Collaboration Regional Manager to speak at TED, so I thought, “Why not host my own TED event?”
So, I did.
After earning an official TEDx license — a process that was far more difficult than I expected — I organized a TEDx event in my hometown. I rented a beautiful historic venue, welcomed more than 225 attendees, and five speakers, including myself, shared ideas that sparked meaningful conversations. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
I love working at Cisco. It’s a dream come true to be in a role that challenges me professionally while supporting my personal journey. I haven’t landed on one single ultimate purpose, but instead enjoy the freedom to integrate my career and my life in a way that creates memories today.
In the end, I won’t define myself by my resume — the Cisco Golden Gate Bridge logo won’t be on my tombstone — but by the moments I’m creating with the people I love. I hope the rest of my life is guided by this simple idea:
“The business of life is the acquisition of memories. In the end, that is all there is.”
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