Unless you were living under a rock or holed up in a bunker, you most likely saw the video of the professor doing a live interview with the BBC from his home office when his kids stole the spotlight.

My husband was the first person to show it to me and I immediately related on so many levels. As a former television news producer, I know the pitfalls of live TV, and as someone who now works from home a couple of days a week, I've had my kids make unexpected appearances during TelePresence meetings.  All that being said, I can't imagine not using all of the collaboration tools that are now at my disposal.

This month'sFocus Magazineis all about collaboration, and one of the stories comes from another family that can relate with juggling work and family. You'll meet Cecilie Sindum and her husband, parents ofTWOsets of twins, who use Spark Board to help them run their design business and manage their life at home.

We're just at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to cutting edge collaboration tools. Cisco Senior Vice President of IoT and Applications, Rowan Trollope, and his team are constantly pushing the envelope when it comes to creating new and exciting technology in the collaboration space. He's a guy who lives and breathes innovation and in our Q&A with Rowan, you'll learn why he thinks a career in tech was his destiny.

Cisco continues to look for new collaboration ideas and is putting big money behind it's mission, with a$1 million-dollar investment to an enterprise accelerator.

While Rowan and his team continue to innovate and Cisco continues to invest in startups, Monica Zent, an attorney and entrepreneur offers some great insight on how to create a culture of teamwork and not just buying into the latest fad. She's spent a career collaborating with other attorneys and is a pro at using the tools that are already available, tailoring them to fit her needs.

The now famous BBC dad may have given all working parents a chance to laugh out loud at the challenges of work life balance, but he also showed the importance of collaboration tools. I'm excited about the great work Cisco is doing to make that balance a little easier.

Happy reading and collaborating!