Before Uber and Airbnb were household names, they were startups — just like the millions of small, medium and enterprise businesses that are the backbone of the U.S. economy. Uber and Airbnb came to Cisco, and we provided velocity to help them scale up. I work with our partners to help strategically grow their businesses massively scale their operations and realize their potential. I see every new Cisco customer as a potential Uber or Airbnb.Scaling up IT is one of the biggest challenges growing businesses face. Customers have high expectations, regardless of the size of any business. They expect secure IT infrastructure and user-friendly e-commerce. To expand, business owners must provide effective and simplified IT without burdening their growth with excessive cost and staffing requirements. Through our partners, we help startups and growing businesses meet this challenge by providing complete IT solutions that are secure, scalable, and simple to manage. And we save Cisco customers a lot of money in the meantime.My mother always reminded me that I have two ears and one mouth, and I bring this mindset to every discussion I have with my partners, customers, and colleagues. I listen carefully, and I help Cisco partners develop complete IT solutions that level the playing field so their customers can find new velocity and become wildly successful.