Account Manager Spotlight: Monica Armstrong

It’s time for another chapter in our Account Manager Spotlight series. This time, we catch up with Monica Armstrong, who lives not too far from our Operations Center in Austin, Texas. Monica joined ModSquad just after we opened our Austin office and has quickly become a go-to Account Manager for new social media and digital strategy clients.

Having worked with clients around the world and having lived in all different places, Monica’s global experience brings a perspective that jibes perfectly with who we are at ModSquad. When she’s not impressing her clients and colleagues, you can find her out and about in Austin with her dog Atlas or planning her next adventure abroad. Just how does she impress everyone? Her answers during our recent chat made that clear.

Tell us about your background.

My background is diverse, to say the least. In college, I majored in finance, with a minor in creative advertising. I started my career in marketing at American Airlines’ headquarters in Miami before taking on a financial analyst role with a timeshare exchange company. After about three and a half years of very long work nights, I realized I no longer wanted to work in Excel spreadsheets for the rest of my life.

I bought a one-way ticket to the opposite coast and moved to Los Angeles, where I transitioned into an hybrid media buying and budgeting role that I molded for myself at a global advertising agency, Saatchi & Saatchi. My primary client was Lexus, and after four years of developing this role, I decided to take my skill sets and work experience abroad. I transferred into the London office and resided with the company for eight more months before deciding I wasn’t leaving the UK anytime soon and switched companies. At Mediacom Worldwide, I worked as a Global Investment Account Manager, working with global brands and their teams around the world, including countries such as China, Italy, Turkey, Japan and Slovakia.

Ironically, l met my English husband while living in Los Angeles, and our relationship turned into marriage while living in London. In October 2016, we decided to continue our adventure and move back to Texas (I grew up in Dallas), specifically Austin. I immediately took on a contract position overseeing all social media, marketing, and events for a startup coworking space.

What brought you to ModSquad?

I discovered ModSquad at SXSW in 2017. Its British-inspired Mod branding is what initially attracted me, as I’d just moved back from London and clearly felt nostalgic. A month or two later, I came across a ModSquad pamphlet in my bag and decided to check them out online and noticed there were some attractive open roles. Being able to work remotely was a huge bonus; it was a business model I hadn’t encountered in my previous jobs, and I really wanted to experience it.

What do you do for ModSquad?

I am an Account Manager and I’ve worked with a range of clients, from high-end fashion brands to gaming to an international airport.

As the saying goes, no day is ever the same at ModSquad, especially as an Account Manager. I work with clients to make sure we’re representing their brands in accordance with our high standards and the brand’s guidelines/tone. To me, it’s all about creating a connection with consumers and audiences to drive brand loyalty and satisfaction for the brands we represent.

What sets ModSquad apart, in your opinion?

ModSquad’s business model itself is unique compared to a lot of other companies, with our remote-work model. Our entire company is adaptable and flexible. We’re also able to scale easily; we’ve had clients whose original contract entailed only one service area, like customer support. Through cultivating the client relationship and demonstrating more ways ModSquad can provide value, services can extend to other areas, such as community management and engagement. Those instances are fun wins.

Any great stories that stand out in your memory?

Having the opportunity to work closely with our offices across the world and with people from just about everywhere in the world is a humbling experience. As my father is from India and my mother from Brazil, travel and culture continues to play a huge role in my life. I appreciate that ModSquad’s diverse network enables employees to connect and collaborate with one another, both culturally and professionally.

Living in Austin, I’ve been able to watch ModSquad’s Austin Operations Center continue to grow. When I first started, we had just opened the location, and over time it’s been really great to watch the Ops Center and its team develop. Being able to put a lot of faces to names and having the opportunity to join group outings have both been really important parts of building the culture here. We keep it weird.