Cimplifi Conversations | Featuring Megan LaFrance

We know the importance of building a company and culture that empowers people to thrive—we offer an environment where you can make an impact and grow and be recognized for the value you deliver.

Welcome to our series, Cimplifi Conversations, where we recognize a team member honoring our company values – courageous, reliable, inventive, and adaptable. At Cimplifi, we believe in empowering our people and providing opportunities for professional and personal growth. 

Recently, Amy Hinzmann, president of Cimplifi sat down to chat with Megan LaFrance, vice president of DevOps . Megan started as a contractor working on a data migration project in the summer of 2019. It didn’t take too long for Cimplifi to realize we needed this dedicated expert on our team and Megan became a full-time member of the IT team in March of 2020. We hope you enjoy getting to know Megan and get a better understanding of the employee experience we offer at Cimplifi.

Amy: Hi Megan, I’d love to know more about your background and how you ended up at Cimplifi.

Megan: I grew up in the outskirts of a small town in the Northwest. Our town population was less than 500 and my graduating class was about 30 people. Growing up for me was a mix of small-town life with big world adventure. I went through school with the same individuals from pre-school to high school graduation. And my adventures spanned from spending a summer working on a goldmine, a year living in an Alaskan logging camp, having a Sailboat as our ‘RV’ to taking flights in a homemade hyperlight (small lightweight floatplane). I took the opportunity through my college scholarship as a way out of my small town. I finished my undergrad in 2.5 years while holding a job to pay the bills the entire time. Soon after I graduated, I relocated to Arizona looking to start my career and landed by chance into an entry-level technical support position at a software company in eDiscovery and Litigation Support. I happened to make acquaintance with Cimplifi through a prior colleague’s recommendation and began working as a contractor for a data migration project. The time with the people at Cimplifi, the way the work happens, and what we do really excited me about a long-term opportunity and here we are today.

A: That’s an incredible story, thank you for sharing it. We’re glad you are here. So, if you had to describe yourself in one sentence what would it be?

M: This is seriously hard. If it were one word that would be ‘Yes’. Yes, I will try; yes, let’s do it; yes, that can be done. I embrace the hard and enjoy the process.

A: Yes! What was the defining factor that made you want to work at Cimplifi?

M: The people, the focus on inventive solutions, and how agile and adaptable the entire company operates.

A: I agree, Cimplifi has an amazing sense of community, innovation, and flexibility. Along with that, how has Cimplifi helped you in your career development?

M: Cimplifi has offered me an open environment, not just express ideas but the opportunity to implement, pivot, and work freely. Which is amazing! Being able to have the autonomy to take initiatives and run with them has allowed me to grow in new areas of technology that have greatly expanded my ability to push the business, and ultimately my career, forward.

A: I love to hear that. Our mission is about empowerment for our clients, but that extends to our team members as well. What kind of personality traits do you have that enable you to excel in your position?

M: Above all I’m tenacious. This allows me to press and dig regardless of the complexity of the problem that needs to be solved. I also have the ability to break the big into small digestible pieces. All things can be accomplished by taking small steps.

A: So true. But when the going gets tough, what motivates you to push through or go above and beyond?

M: I am never satisfied with “good enough” personally. I want to see what more and what else I can learn. My son is also a huge motivator for me. I want to be an example for what hard work, creativity, and a positive approach can do for opening opportunities and making every day something to look forward to experiencing.

A: That is beautiful, and it is something I tell my own kids all the time – dedication, hard work, and positivity will get you far in this life! I would love to know what your proudest professional accomplishment is.

M: My recent promotion to VP of DevOps tops the list currently. I am equally proud of the accomplishments of the individuals I have managed or mentored in the past. Each upward movement they accomplish is a proud moment for me knowing I may have even a 1% impact in their quest to do big things.

A: That’s a great philosophy. One of my favorite quotes is “Supporting another’s success won’t ever dampen your own”. So, if you could see into the future, what will be the next major milestone in your career?

M: Only time will tell. Fresh in the new role I see the building out of the team itself and having an awesome team driving progress to help the company scale over the next 2-4 years.

A: I am going to say it again…yes! I love that you keep bringing it back to the team because that is how big things are accomplished. I am also excited about building an amazing, supportive team around me to push the company forward. Can you tell me about a situation when Cimplifi went through big changes, how did you adjust?

M: Now! For the past six months, the company has been going through substantial changes. The company is scaling rapidly by adding more talented leaders – like you! – expanding to new revenue streams and developing support processes and technologies across all the areas of business. I live for change and do not see it as an adjustment for myself but rather an opportunity to be part of more projects and initiatives that I can spend my time on. Rather than staying in the weeds, micro-focused on a few single areas, I’ve adjusted my view to the larger impact. While always keeping close to mind the cross-functional impact of all the things we work on.

A: That’s right. Everything one department does affect another – it is about teamwork and transparency. Is there an area you would like to grow in that you currently find challenging?

M: A deeper technical skillset as it relates to programming is where I need to grow. I will never be a developer or engineer but continuing to challenge myself and learn more in those areas is important to driving the projects and discussing the architecture for the solutions we implement.

A: I love that you say “Yes!” to continuing to challenge and improve yourself. What are three long-term professional goals you have, and why?

M: My goal is always: take on new challenges with professionalism, apply my expertise, and expand my skill set to take myself and my company a step forward. I’m always looking at what can be done next and that does not mean a specific title or a company of a specific size or earned certificate but just always a step forward.

A: Well said.  In closing, what do you think the future holds for Cimplifi?

M: I see Cimplifi continuing this rapid growth path as well as successfully scaling out the business both with internal operational efficiency and taking a larger cut of our very competitive market. Also, I think it would be exciting to acquire and integrate other companies as part of that growth.

We are always looking for knowledgeable and passionate people to join our team.  Explore our job board to learn more.  Attorneys, data experts, project managers, sales pros, and IT whizzes: this is your opportunity to thrive!

Until then, we look forward to introducing you to more of our talented team members that shine and bring dedication and creativity to their role at Cimplifi.