Westley Watkins, CCIE #30704

My CCIE Voice journey started in August of 2010. I passed my written that month and began preparing for what I now know was a journey of a lifetime. My preparations began with another vendor and the Cisco 360 program. In addition to my own study time I attended a couple bootcamps in preparation. After approximately 6 months of intense studying and preparation I felt I was ready for my first attempt in March of 2011. I was sure that I was going to past the first time, but the real exam was an eye opener. I didn't even come close to finishing the exam and really struggled with the dial plan. That first attempt humbled me and I really didn't know if I was cut out to finish this. I am a father of two and a husband. While the employer I work for was supporting me I was still working long hours on implementations and trying to study in between. The second attempt in July went much like the first. I purchased the all access pass and started watching all the voice deep dives. The content and the way Mark delivers it is excellent. Unfortunately there was not enough time to get through everything before my second attempt. So I did fail that second time, and again time was my enemy. At this point I really thought about quitting. It was all just to much. Eventually I decided I had put way to much time and effort in this to give up. So I sat through and watched all the deep dives, and the 5 day voice bootcamp that Mark Snow recorded. I believe that recorded bootcamp was the final tool that allowed me to pass my exam on Oct. 4th and become CCIE#30704. Mark's delivery in that bootcamp along with the strategy tips he provided allowed me to finish the lab in 6 hours and have time to test and troubleshoot any issues. For anyone out there wondering which vendor they should go with for their CCIE voice preparations INE is the best!!! Special thanks to Mark Snow, my family, friends, and employer for all their support.