Dominique Faucher
Customer Success Manager
Employee Spotlight
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your journey into IT?
I was recruited into IT by a Coworker in a small restaurant bar that I worked at in Evergreen, CO. I started in dispatch then by default worked as the Service Manager. Moving up to full-time Purchasing and Logistics Coordinator/Project Manager. Then, I joined ViaTek.
What inspired you to join our awesome team here in Lafayette?
I was looking for another small MSP and was determined to get in somewhere that aligned with my values and goals. After meeting with Sid and Jay, I knew I had found a good place to grow.
If you are not a Colorado native, where are you originally from, and what brought you to beautiful Colorado?
It was a long journey to Colorado. I started in New England and moved to Fort Worth, TX for a boy. I missed the mountains so much and landed in the closest spot I could.
What's one personal achievement you're most proud of?
My kids are turning out to be good people.
How do you keep yourself motivated and productive during the workday?
Lots of Coffee
Have you experienced Colorado weather yet (four seasons in one day)? What's your strategy for dressing each morning?
Yes, it’s amazing. I was up around Loveland. My kids and I even had a snowball fight in July on Trail Ridge Road, and not the summit.
Layers are key, and I have winter clothes in my car year-round – Just in case.
Favorite Colorado activity: hitting the slopes, hiking trails, or brewery tours?
Hiking/walking in the mountains and exploring ghost towns.
If you do hit the slopes, ski or ride?
I used to ski; now I do more snowshoeing.
Red Rocks concerts or Broncos games?
Red Rocks definitely
Green chili: mild, hot, or "bring on the fire extinguisher"?
Half and half
Favorite Colorado landmark or location to visit so far?
St Mary’s Glacier
Have you adapted to high-altitude baking or cooking yet?
Yes – I worked in restaurants when I first got here, and the chefs gave me all the pointers.
Favorite local coffee shop or brewery?
Tommyknockers in Idaho Springs
What's your go-to mountain getaway?
I know of some small hidden camping gems off Kenosha Pass.
What's your favorite productivity hack or IT tip you think everyone should know?
I have three:
Microsoft doesn’t reach out to you for technical support.
Never enter credentials from a link in an email.
Minimum specs are just that – the bare minimum to run. Double everything if you want any performance.
Windows, Linux, or Mac - and why?
Windows girl – It’s what I grew up with. I tried a Mac once and gave it to a friend.
What's your go-to tool for troubleshooting network issues?
Have we rebooted the modem or firewall? Escalations after that.
Do you have a favorite keyboard shortcut or tech trick that's saved you more times than you can count?
Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V, and Ctrl-Z
Windows–V is my new favorite for pasting from the clipboard and not the last thing copied.
What's your advice for someone just starting out in IT?
You have to like people along with Technology
If you could master one additional technical skill instantly, what would it be?
Network Architecture.
What's the most interesting tech project you've worked on?
So many……I was part of the team to reverse engineer a $600,000.00 manufacturing workstation for solar panel production.
Favorite way to stay updated on technology trends?
What unusual hobby or interest do you have that might surprise your new colleagues?
I love classical music and go to the symphony and opera whenever I can.
I also love art and was a photographer in a previous iteration of myself
If you could automate any one household task, what would it be and why?
The dishes or laundry
It is never-ending
What's the most Colorado thing you've done since arriving?
Pikes Peak Drive
Pizza night or taco Tuesday?
It depends – we are more of a breakfast-for-dinner family.
Favorite book or podcast you can't stop recommending?
Book – Magician: Apprentice by Raymond Feist
What's your hidden talent or skill?
ADHD
If you could have dinner with anyone we might have heard of, who would it be and why?
Wayne Gretzky – my favorite quote is his “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”.
If you weren't in IT, what alternative career would you choose?
I would probably still be bartending and running a restaurant somewhere.
