Donald Tremel III

My name is DJ Tremel, and I am a Strategic Account Manager at CI Web Group. I joined the company in April 2021, but my story with CI Web Group actually began before my first official day. By way of an employee referral—thanks, Jaz!—I had the opportunity to meet Jennifer, Mike, and Clay at an event in Irvine while I was still employed elsewhere and looking for a new opportunity. When I was finally ready to make a move, I may have had to hunt them down a little and keep reminding them that I wanted my foot in the door. Thankfully, persistence paid off.

My professional background has taken an interesting path. Ironically, nearly my entire career has been in sales, even though my college education and additional certifications are rooted in information technology. That combination has ended up serving me well. Sales taught me how to communicate, build relationships, understand what people need, and help them make confident decisions. My technology background helped me understand the systems, websites, tools, and strategies behind the services we provide, even though I came in with no formal marketing experience.

I also learned a great deal about customer service and its value during the time I spent working at Nordstrom. That experience taught me that great service is not only about solving a problem. It is about listening carefully, taking ownership, communicating clearly, and making people feel that their concerns matter. Those lessons have stayed with me throughout my career and continue to influence how I work with every client today.

Immediately before coming to CI Web Group, I worked in B2B sales for a large Fortune 100 company in the telecommunications industry. Moving from that corporate environment to CI Web Group was a major change. The team was much smaller, the work was remote, and there was a level of flexibility and personal connection that had never been available in my previous role. It was a breath of fresh air.

It was exciting to join a close-knit company where people genuinely knew and supported one another. Calling it a team almost does not feel accurate because, from the beginning, it felt much more like joining a family. I knew I was stepping into something different. I just did not realize how much change, growth, and opportunity would come with it. Not long after I joined, the company entered a major period of growth, and things have rarely slowed down since.

Truth be told, my five and a half years at CI Web Group feel more like ten and a half because of everything I have experienced along the way. When I joined, the entire marketing team consisted of only three people, including me (shoutout Kim and Allula!). I remember when every employee in the company could fit on a single page during a Zoom meeting. At the time, I believe I was the first new person to join the tight-knit group in a year or two. Looking at the company today and thinking back to those early meetings makes the amount of growth we have achieved feel almost unreal.

Much of that growth has come from Jennifer’s willingness to see beyond where the company was at the time and focus on what it could become. Her vision has often required the rest of us to think bigger, move faster, and become comfortable with being uncomfortable. There have been moments when the next step was obvious, but there have also been major transitions and bumpy roads when the full picture was harder to see.

During those times, trusting Jennifer’s vision has been important. Believing in a direction is easy when everything is going smoothly. It means more when there are difficult decisions, shifting responsibilities, growing pains, and uncertainty along the way. I have learned that a vision does not always arrive with a perfectly mapped-out path. Sometimes it requires trust, patience, flexibility, and the willingness to keep moving forward even when the road is still being built beneath you.

I would be lying if I said the road that brought us here has been easy. It has been anything but. There have been restructures, changing job titles, expanding responsibilities, difficult decisions, and countless moments when we had to adapt quickly. Rapid growth requires rapid change, and that kind of environment is not always comfortable. Some people could not handle it, but many did. Those are the people who remain here today, continuing to push the company forward and helping establish CI Web Group as an industry leader in the age of AI.

Throughout my time here, I have held several roles and taken on responsibilities that I never could have anticipated when I started. Each change came with a new learning curve, new challenges, and new expectations. There were moments of uncertainty and times when the easiest choice would have been to stay comfortable. However, personal growth and development do not come from staying inside your comfort zone. They come from facing the challenge, making mistakes, falling down, learning from the experience, and continuing to try until you succeed.

There is a quote that has become especially meaningful to me: “You can have excuses or results. Not both.” It is a standard I try to hold myself to, and it is also a mindset I try to convey to every client I work with. Marketing success does not come from waiting for perfect circumstances or searching for reasons something cannot be done. It comes from making decisions, taking action, adapting when necessary, and staying committed to the desired result.

My role is not only to guide clients through marketing strategies, websites, technology, and constant changes in the industry. It is also to help them understand that meaningful results require participation, accountability, patience, and a willingness to evolve. We can provide the strategy, tools, guidance, and support, but long-term success comes from working together and remaining focused on the outcome rather than the obstacles.

That same mindset has shaped my own experience at CI Web Group. The company has challenged me, supported me, pushed me beyond my comfort zone, and given me opportunities to grow both professionally and personally. Jennifer’s vision has played a major role in that journey, particularly during the moments when change was difficult or the path ahead was uncertain. I am proud that I trusted in where we were going, proud of how far we have come from those early Zoom meetings, and even more excited about where that vision takes us next.