Marcos Jimenez

My journey with CI Web Group began through Chris Heney, who connected me with the company and gave me the opportunity to start working as a full-stack developer. Chris has been much more than the person who introduced me to CI Web Group. He has been a great mentor, teacher, and source of support throughout my journey. At the time, I knew that I wanted to build a career in software, but I was still finding my confidence—both as a developer and as a person.

Before joining CI Web Group, I was much more timid. I was comfortable completing the technical work in front of me, but I was not always confident speaking up, sharing my ideas, or communicating with people outside of development. Working at CI Web Group changed that.

From the beginning, Chris took the time to teach me, answer my questions, and help me understand not only how to complete a task, but why things should be built a certain way. He taught me a large part of what I know today about software development, problem-solving, infrastructure, and approaching complex projects. More importantly, he trusted me with opportunities that pushed me beyond what I already knew and allowed me to learn through real experience.

Chris has always been someone I could go to when I was stuck or unsure of the right direction. He has helped me work through difficult problems without simply giving me the answer. Instead, he encouraged me to think through the problem, understand the larger system, and become capable of finding the solution myself. That mentorship has played a major role in helping me become a more independent and confident developer.

As my responsibilities grew, I also had to learn how to communicate with many different teams across the company. I needed to understand what they did, what problems they faced, and how technology could make their work easier. That pushed me to stop looking at software as only code. I began seeing it as a way to improve processes, connect teams, solve business problems, and help the entire company perform better.

When I first joined, I honestly did not know what to expect. Over time, the experience became a combination of fun, challenges, late nights, constant learning, and opportunities to create things that could make a real difference. I have learned an incredible amount about both software and business.

During my time here, I have helped build projects such as a CRM system, a CMS for our websites, automation tools, AI agents, and workflows that have improved the way different parts of the company operate. These projects have taught me that building good software is not only about making something work. It is about understanding how that solution fits into the larger infrastructure, how the data should be managed, and how people will actually use it.

A lot of my growth on these projects came from working alongside Chris. He helped me understand the importance of creating solutions that are organized, scalable, and able to support the company over time. He showed me how individual pieces of software connect to a much larger system and how decisions made during development can affect the entire company. His guidance helped me move from simply completing assigned tasks to thinking more deeply about architecture, long-term impact, and the needs of the business.

One of the biggest challenges—and one of the things that makes CI Web Group unique—is the speed at which Jennifer Bagley moves. Jennifer sees possibilities quickly, and with AI, she can sometimes begin creating a solution herself before the development team has fully planned how it should fit into the company’s systems. That creates challenges because we may then need to restructure the solution, connect it to the correct infrastructure, and make sure the data does not become decentralized.

At the same time, that speed is also part of what makes working here exciting. Jennifer constantly pushes the company forward. The target never stops moving. Processes can change overnight, new ideas can quickly become priorities, and everyone has to be prepared to adapt. That can be frustrating, especially when not everyone in the company is immediately aware of a change, but it is also one of the parts I enjoy most. We are never standing still.

Working directly with Jennifer has taught me a lot. I have always considered myself hardworking, but CI Web Group has tested my limits at times. There were school nights when we worked until five in the morning, with Jennifer working right beside me. Those moments showed me that she would never ask someone to do something she was not willing to do herself.

Jennifer and Chris have influenced my growth in different but equally important ways. Jennifer has constantly challenged me to move faster, think bigger, and recognize what is possible. Chris has helped me build the technical knowledge and foundation needed to turn those possibilities into reliable solutions. Jennifer often pushes the limits of what we believe can be accomplished, while Chris has helped me understand how to build those ideas properly and make them work within the company’s infrastructure. Learning from both of them has helped shape the developer and person I am today.

One of the memories that represents my experience the most is simply staying up late working with Jennifer and Chris and knowing that they genuinely care about the people around them. Jen does not only care about the success of the business. She cares about her employees and is willing to support them personally and professionally. Chris has also consistently been there to offer guidance, patience, and encouragement whenever I needed it. That is part of what makes the environment at CI Web Group feel like a home. Even during the most difficult or exhausting moments, you never feel completely alone.

The culture has also helped me become more comfortable expressing myself. Everyone communicates openly, treats each other with respect, and creates a friendly atmosphere. I do not feel like I have to be scared to speak up or share what I believe, regardless of the position or title of the person I am speaking with. That freedom has helped me grow into a stronger communicator, leader, and developer.

I realized how much I had grown when I stopped waiting for someone to tell me exactly what to build. I became able to look at the company’s processes, identify problems, and create tools that improved performance and increased the speed of development. I began thinking beyond individual tasks and looking at the bigger picture of the business.

That independence did not happen overnight. It came from being challenged, making mistakes, solving problems, and having people like Chris willing to guide me throughout the process. His mentorship gave me the knowledge and confidence to eventually bring my own ideas forward instead of always relying on someone else to determine the next step.

Before CI Web Group, I knew I wanted to work in software. My experience here has confirmed that decision while expanding what I believe I am capable of doing. I can now develop my own ideas, bring solutions to the table, and help turn those ideas into tools that support the company’s growth. Every solution gives me an opportunity to learn something new while also creating value for the business.

I am currently in my final year of college, and I plan to finish my degree while continuing to grow with CI Web Group. I look forward to staying with the company afterward and continuing to build things that once would have felt far beyond my abilities.

Overall, I love CI Web Group and the people who make it what it is. I am extremely grateful to Jennifer for continuing to challenge me and believe in what I can accomplish, and I am equally grateful to Chris for bringing me into the company, mentoring me, and teaching me so much of what I know. Both of them have had a major impact on my personal and professional growth.

We have already accomplished amazing things, but I believe there is still so much more ahead of us. I cannot wait to see what we build next, how much the company grows, and how much all of us continue to evolve along the way.

The biggest lesson I would share with anyone reading this is simple: never stop learning. Technology changes every day, and the people and companies that succeed are the ones willing to adapt, experiment, support one another, and continue moving forward.