Cirrius Talk

 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 governan...

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 ...

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...

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 t...

As 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 well...

What 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 Milita...

 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), pl...

What 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 o...

What 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 super...

 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...

What 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 ...

In 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 a...

In 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 vi...

In 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 Lo...

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 acti...

In 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 capabiliti...

In 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...

In 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 conversati...

In 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 netwo...