By Ryan Fulton,
Publication Date: 2026-11-10 13:00:00
For more than eleven years, I wore my identity in a uniform. “Do hard things” was the motto I lived by as a collegiate athlete, Cadet at the United States Air Force Academy, and Officer in the Air Force. But eventually, that path left me overwhelmed, over committed, and exhausted. I wanted to find a job that used the skills I had gained, do the things I love, stay near family, and start one of my own with my wife in Colorado Springs.
When I separated from the Air Force, I was faced with a question I didn’t have an answer to, “Who am I now?” When I joined Cisco, I expected to find a new mission, but I didn’t expect to find a new way to live.
I came to Cisco through the Military in Sales and Leadership (MISL) SkillBridge program in 2024, which helped bridge the gap between active duty and this new, civilian life. A lot of us in the program were going through the same struggles with identity, knowing what we can bring to the table, but not being able to translate that…
