Rose

I've been trying to figure out how to write this because my story with CI Web Group doesn't start this year…or even last year.

It started almost twenty years ago.

I first joined CI Web Group back in 2008. At the time it was Jennifer, Chris, Kathy, myself and a few other guys. That was the entire team.

Before that, I had spent about five years in the oilfield industry. I started there right out of high school and moved away from home when I was just 22 years old. I wore every hat imaginable—administration, dispatching trucks, inventory management across five locations, training warehouse teams on new inventory software—you name it. Then the economy changed overnight. We went from managing more than 130 rigs to about 10 in what felt like the blink of an eye, and eventually I lost my job.

A mutual friend introduced me to Jennifer, and when I showed up for the interview, I honestly thought I had the wrong place. It was a small office tucked away, nothing like the busy corporate environment I had just come from. Working for a small company—especially one like this—was completely outside of what I knew. I remember looking around thinking, “Well…this is different.” I'll admit, I was a little skeptical. But I had just lost my job, so I was open to taking a chance.

Looking back now, I almost let first impressions get in the way of one of the best decisions of my life.

If someone had told me that this small office would one day become a company helping businesses navigate AI and employing more than 100 people, I probably would've laughed.

I started by answering phones and helping customers. As Jennifer's speaking opportunities grew, so did the business. Before I knew it, she looked at me and basically said, “Rose, you're going to learn how to build websites.”

So…I did.

Back then it was all WordPress. I built website after website after website. Medical clinics. HVAC companies. Dentists. Music producers. Even gentlemen's clubs. My favorite part? We built a website for a strip club and then immediately built one for a church. We laughed so hard about that because, honestly, work was work.

We eventually outgrew that little office and moved into a bigger one, which felt like such a huge accomplishment. Then, because Jennifer has never been one to spend money unless she absolutely had to, we eventually ended up working from her house. Looking back now, it wasn't about being cheap—it was about being smart. Every dollar she saved went right back into building the company.

The thing is…Jennifer wasn't just my boss.

She watched me grow up.

My twenties were messy. I went through some really hard seasons, and Jennifer was there for a lot of them. I remember helping take Torel to school. She helped me when I became a mom. We weren't just coworkers—we did life together.

Eventually life took me in another direction, and in 2013 I left CI Web Group. I spent years working in civil engineering, learning new skills and growing professionally.

Fast forward to today.

Life changed again.

My husband's job meant he would be traveling for weeks at a time, and I needed something that fit our family's schedule with three boys, soccer practices, tournaments, school, and everything in between.

One day, while sitting at soccer practice, I messaged Jennifer. I had been following everything she was building and simply asked if she had anything available.

She told me she might have something toward the end of the year. Then came months of waiting. Meetings got rescheduled, plans kept changing, and I honestly started wondering if she'd forgotten our conversation. Meanwhile, my husband had already accepted his new job, and I was quietly panicking. But deep down, I knew Jennifer. If she said she'd keep me in mind, she would.

Then one day, it wasn't Jennifer who reached out.

It was her Chief of Staff, Melanie.

That alone told me everything I needed to know about how much things had changed. The Jennifer I worked with years ago would've called me herself. Now she had built something so much bigger that her Chief of Staff was the one reaching out. I remember thinking, “Wow…look at what she's built.”

When I officially started and finally got to catch up with Jennifer, the first thing I said was, “Damn…I have to work with you just to talk to you now!” We both started laughing because it was so true.

Walking back into CI Web Group after all those years was surreal. The company I left had six people. The company I came back to had more than 100. That blew me away—not because I ever doubted Jennifer, but because I knew exactly how much it took to build it. I had seen parts of that journey most people never will.

I remember times when money was tight. Jennifer made sure every one of us got paid before she paid herself. At the time, I don't think I fully appreciated what that meant. Looking back now, as a mom with a family of my own, I realize the weight she was carrying while making sure ours stayed off our shoulders.

Seeing where she is today makes me incredibly proud.

Working here now is completely different.

First of all…Jennifer is a full-time job all by herself. 😂

Back then I sat right next to her. If she forgot something, I reminded her. If she missed a meeting, I could literally wave at her. Now we're remote. If she doesn't answer my call, I'm texting…then calling…and if that doesn't work, I'm calling Hicklen — her husband.

The biggest difference isn't just the company—it's the technology.

If I hadn't come back to work with Jennifer, AI probably would've meant ChatGPT to me—and that would've been about it.

Now I feel like I'm drinking from a fire hose every single day.

Twenty years ago Jennifer looked at me and said, “Rose, you're going to build websites.” Today she's saying, “Rose…we're building AI.” It feels overwhelming sometimes, but then I remember…I've been here before.

Jennifer has always had a way of seeing where the world is going before everyone else does. She pushed me into websites before I ever imagined building one. Today she's pushing all of us toward AI.

So I'll keep learning.

I'll keep showing up.

Because that's what this company has always taught me to do.

Some people come into your life for a season. Jennifer has somehow been part of almost every chapter of mine.

Jennifer…

Looking back now, I don't think you even realize the impact you've had on my life.

You became one of the people who helped shape the woman I became.

Thank you.

You didn't just give me a job twice.

You gave me stability twice.

The first time, I needed someone to believe in a 22-year-old who had just lost my job and was trying to figure out what came next.

The second time, I needed someone to believe in a mom trying to hold everything together while raising three boys, juggling soccer practices, tournaments, school schedules, and supporting a husband working out of town.

Both times…you showed up.

As I'm finishing writing this, I'm sitting in the passenger seat somewhere in South Dakota, headed to Blaine, Minnesota, where my son will spend the week playing in the USA Cup soccer tournament.

It hit me that this is exactly why I came back.

I didn't come back just because I needed a job. I came back because I wanted a life that let me be present for the people who matter most.

Who would've thought I'd be able to travel across the country with my family while still doing work I love?

Certainly not me.

Twenty years ago, I thought success meant sitting in an office from 8 to 5.

Today, success looks a little different.

It looks like answering emails from a hotel room, taking meetings between soccer games, working from the road, and still being present for one of the biggest moments in my son's life.

That's a gift this company has given me, and one I don't take for granted.

Watching your dream become the company you always talked about building has been one of the greatest privileges of my career. I got to see the little office days, the office days, the working-from-your-house days, and now the AI days.

Turns out…that little office wasn't the wrong place after all.

I walked in looking for a job.

I walked out with a career, a mentor, and a lifelong friend—I just didn't know it yet.