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A 2016 Festivus Celebration: #12DaysofMods and #8NightsofAwesome

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Over the past couple weeks, we’ve had the pleasure of highlighting Mods and their acts of awesomeness across our social media channels. For anyone who missed our 12 Days of Mods and 8 Nights of Mod Awesomeness series, we gathered our total of 20 features here in one place.

We hope you enjoy getting to know our Mods and reading their stories as much as we’ve enjoyed sharing them with you. 2016 has been a whirlwind of a year for us here at ModSquad, and we look forward to an even more exciting and eventful 2017. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with everything as it happens!

12 Days of Mods

We’re kicking off our TWELVE DAYS OF MODS series with a rockstar Mod, Natalie Klein. Natalie’s teammates, particularly her project manager Heather Banks, know Natalie for her total dedication to the project, her unique and positive outlook, and her constant drive to learn and do more. “She often provides feedback or new ideas that no one else had thought of. Natalie’s fellow Mods see her as a source of compassionate knowledge,” says Heather. Based in Canada, Natalie lives with her husband Wayne and several furry children. She loves reading, cats, and pugs, and has hinted that her ideal home would be 95% library and 5% everything else. We’re proud to have such a positive, talented, and passionate Mod as Natalie in our ranks! #12DaysOfMods #ModsNotCubes #HappyHolidays #remotework #workfromhome #thankful

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It’s Day 2 of 12 DAYS OF MODS! Alexandru Graur has been a grade-A Mod from the day he joined his first project. Smart, intuitive, and dedicated, Alex is a proactive problem solver his colleagues know they can rely on. When asked to describe Alex, project manager Kenny Peebles has no shortage of praise or metaphors. “Having Alex on the team makes you feel that you’re a general with one of those commandos from the movies that can take down an entire army in one night,” Kenny explains. “I would say Alex retains information like a library or a supercomputer, but those can both be destroyed easily. Alex is more like an ancient pyramid of knowledge that holds everything from the past and will no doubt give new insight well into the future. I could literally write a book about what a overall great person he is and what a treat it is to have him on our team.” @alexandrugraur #12DaysOfMods #ModsNotCubes #HappyHolidays #remotework #workfromhome #thankful

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Today is Day 3 of 12 DAYS OF MODS! Project Manager Nicole Mohr puts it perfectly: “Mathew Monsma is all-around a great Mod! He's very flexible with scheduling, working crazy late hours or during the day (but to him, they might be reversed, as he’s in Australia)! Mat is always there to help out his fellow Mods by filling in to provide coverage and answering questions for the group. He's efficient, thorough, and never hesitates to ask a question.” In addition to pitching in however he can, Mat’s team knows him for his inspirational quips, such as: “There is no shortcut to awesome.” and “BREAKING NEWS: You're awesome and designed for success. Live this day accordingly!” #12DaysOfMods #ModsNotCubes #HappyHolidays #remotework #workfromhome #thankful

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Are you ready? It’s Day 4 of 12 DAYS OF MODS! It’s no wonder Tabitha Tackett’s project managers love her: she has amazing attention to detail, is totally committed to her work and her clients, and communicates thoroughly with colleagues and customers alike. She’s a versatile, skilled Mod who is always ready to adapt. "Tabitha is one of the best Mods I have ever had the pleasure to work with,” says project manager Kerri Seguin. “She works on all three of my projects because she is that invaluable. Every brand she works with has praised her! I can count on her for pretty much anything — picking up extra hours, assisting other Mods, or even just to talk. Not only is she a fantastic Mod, but she has become a great friend.” #12DaysOfMods #ModsNotCubes #HappyHolidays #remotework #workfromhome #thankful

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Feeling alive on Day 5 of TWELVE DAYS OF MODS! It’s no coincidence that “JR” rhymes with “superstar”! JR Sutich is skilled at handling all types of responsibilities, from community moderation to customer emails. His keen instincts allow him to quickly identify emerging issues and community trends. His project manager, Heather Banks, explains that JR is always eager to help out on a new task, happily contributing wherever and however he can. JR is also known for being an avid gamer and sports fan, particularly of Fallout 3, the Philadelphia Flyers, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s not every day you come across a dedicated, enthusiastic Mod like JR, and we are lucky to have him on the ModSquad team! #12DaysOfMods #ModsNotCubes #HappyHolidays #remotework #workfromhome #thankful

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Today is DAY 6 of our TWELVE DAYS OF MODS celebration! Kristi Martin’s hard work and bright personality have been recognized by her project managers, fellow Mods, clients, and customers alike. A lead on one of her projects, Kristi is always ready to tackle any extra responsibilities with a positive attitude and commitment to quality. In addition to all the positive feedback Kristi has received from customers, project manager Cherise Verrett notes that Kristi’s dedication keeps the project together and her team’s spirits high. “She's bright, fun loving, and warm, all of which make for an excellent Mod and an even better friend,” says Cherise. #12DaysOfMods #ModsNotCubes #HappyHolidays #remotework #workfromhome #thankful

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Happy DAY 9 of 12 DAYS OF MODS! Since joining ModSquad in 2011, Felicia Ho has done brilliant work on a number of projects and currently splits her time between two roles: Mod on one project and project manager for another. Project manager Michelle Ramage attests that in addition to Felicia’s skills in communication, team management, and documentation, her greatest strength is in customer support. “She writes very well and is very good at creating macros for others to use,” Michelle explains. “It was actually Felicia that taught me how to do customer support. My skills are her skills.” Put simply, Felicia is an amazing asset to whatever team she’s on, and we couldn’t be happier to have her on ours! #12DaysOfMods #ModsNotCubes #HappyHolidays #remotework #workfromhome #thankful

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It's DAY 10 of TWELVE DAYS OF MODS! Where Chris Permijo truly stands out is in his ambition and technical skills. Both of these traits have allowed him to take on a hybrid role here at ModSquad, spending time as a Mod on one project and as a project manager on another. “Chris is a whiz at reports,” attests account manager Mike Marcantel, who called on Chris when a client needed requested extensive, detailed reporting. Chris has also become our go-to Zendesk consultant. He jokes that he could implement Zendesk in his sleep… but having seen his stellar work, we’re convinced it’s the truth! “We worked with one of the first airports to implement Zendesk,” shares account manager Jay Biros. “The project would not have gone so smoothly without Chris. The airport uses Zendesk to this day!" It’s exciting to see how Chris has grown his professional skills through his various projects here at ModSquad! #12DaysOfMods #ModsNotCubes #HappyHolidays #remotework #workfromhome #thankful

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Join us in celebrating DAY 11 of 12 DAYS OF MODS! Sheila Lewis is, as her project manager Katie Carson attests, FEARLESS! Not only is she a quick learner; she is also ready and eager to jump into new responsibilities and master new skills. Thanks to her extensive background in games journalism, customer support, and forum moderation, Sheila sets the bar high for herself — and then proceeds to clear it every time! “Sheila is dependable, knowledgeable, and has displayed incredible leadership qualities,” says Katie. “Whenever a new client request comes in, Sheila is the first to jump in and ask, ‘How can I help?’ and to that I say, ‘Hallelujah! Sheila's here!’” We are thrilled to have such a talented, caring, and ambitious Mod in Sheila! #12DaysOfMods #ModsNotCubes #HappyHolidays #remotework #workfromhome #thankful

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And so we’ve arrived at our final day, DAY 12 of our TWELVE DAYS OF MODS series. Lynley Byrd is a member of our Shared Services team and an all-around fantastic Mod. Lynley is able to handle the rapid gear changes required of the Shared project team and does it masterfully. To someone outside looking in, such a skill may not sound like a big deal, but on this project, it's truly invaluable. Lynley also regularly steps up to help out new agents and helps us regulate new workflows. Lynley really understands the importance of teamwork and does everything she can to help the team remain strong, effective, and bonded. Newer Mods look to her for guidance and support, and she’s always there to lend a hand. We’re so happy to have such a skilled and dedicated Mod as Lynley (and she’s a talented photographer, too)! #12DaysOfMods #ModsNotCubes #HappyHolidays #remotework #workfromhome #thankful

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8 Nights of Mod Awesomeness

In addition to our ongoing 12 Days of Mods series, today we are kicking off a NEW celebration: 8 NIGHTS OF MOD AWESOMENESS! Each night, we’ll be sharing stories from the past year of Mods who went beyond the call of duty, exceeding expectations and making a real difference in the lives of their colleagues. On this, our FIRST NIGHT, we celebrate the story of Amy Wall, The Impressor! “Amy is on a smaller moderation project; she has been on that project forever, and knows everything about it. She does fantastic work all the time, but the 'ah-ha!' moment happened when hearing the concern from the client regarding her continued efforts on the project. We were making some management changes, and when we let the client know, they expressed concern about the mod team, mentioning Amy by name several times. It's rewarding to know the client so appreciates our individual Mods’ talents and skills. Amy gives them 110% and they recognize that.” -Project Manager Heather Banks #8NightsOfAwesome #ModsNotCubes #HappyHolidays #remotework #workfromhome #teamwork #thankful

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For our SECOND NIGHT of 8 NIGHTS OF MOD AWESOMENESS, we bring you Wanika De Doelder, The Communicator! “Wanika has a long tenure with ModSquad, and I have worked with her for years now. Wanika went above and beyond in a crisis situation for one of our clients, staying in constant communication. She reported every issue she saw, offered solutions for each one, and pointed to potential problem areas so that the client’s communication team could get ahead of it. Wanika was concerned she was over-communicating, but when she offered to reduce the amount she was sending them, several members of the client’s team replied, “No, this is EXTREMELY helpful. Thank you!” –Account Manager Jay Biros #8NightsOfAwesome #ModsNotCubes #HappyHolidays #remotework #workfromhome #teamwork #thankful

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On this THIRD NIGHT of 8 NIGHTS OF MOD AWESOMENESS, we introduce Sarah Christian & Justin Ellis, the Mind Readers! "As Assistant Project Managers, Sarah Christian and Justin Ellis have been key to my project's success, and I am reminded of that every day! This is just one instance of how super-awesome they are (I want to be totally clear that I'm not disregarding the other million times they displayed absolute brilliance): The other day, we gathered for a team huddle to resolve some complicated issues and see about improving our project's success. Immediately, Sarah and Justin were able to deconstruct the issues and streamline solutions with the greatest of ease. The speed at which they did this honestly made me think they took the red pill from the Matrix and were seeing things I didn't even know existed, practically reading our client's minds! The fact that they do this on a daily basis is truly magnificent. I certainly know who I'm going to team up with should I ever be visited by someone in a suit and sunglasses, referring to themselves as Agent Smith…" –Project Manager Kenny Peebles #8NightsOfAwesome #ModsNotCubes #HappyHolidays #remotework #workfromhome #teamwork #thankful

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NIGHT 4 is upon us in our 8 NIGHTS OF MOD AWESOMENESS series. Here's a story of Carla Lincoln, the Streamliner! "Carla Lincoln has only been on our project for a short time so far, but she has a magic touch when it comes to documents and spreadsheets! I had requested that Carla convert our long list of Mods and the extensive list of the tools they access into a specific format, as a way to ease the conversion to our secure login system. Not only did Carla complete this huge task, but she upgraded it with coding so that I could easily add/remove names (and whenever I added a name, some of their information would auto-populate)! This amazing lady continues to blow my mind and make my life so much easier!" –Project Manager Katie Carson #8NightsOfAwesome #ModsNotCubes #HappyHolidays #remotework #workfromhome #teamwork #thankful

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On this FIFTH NIGHT of 8 NIGHTS OF MOD AWESOMENESS, we have a story of Kristina Bell, The Rescuer! "Kristina Bell was an absolute life saver this past summer. I had a client who wanted to increase hours by a factor of 10, which meant a huge amount of onboarding and orientation needed to happen in a short amount of time. We brought Kristina in as an assistant project manager, and she worked nonstop for three weeks, practically living in our recruitment software and project orientation meetings. It still amazes me that we were able to accommodate such an extensive staffing change is such a short time; it wouldn't have been possible without Kristina's dedication!" -Project Manager Heather Banks #8NightsOfAwesome #ModsNotCubes #HappyHolidays #remotework #workfromhome #teamwork #thankful

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On this SIXTH NIGHT of 8 NIGHTS OF MOD AWESOMENESS, we share a tale of Racheal McKenny, The Crisis Saver! "Racheal McKenny has a background in community management and has worked with me on a couple projects. Most recently, Racheal helped corral a client that essentially had 10 projects in one. She was a godsend for this client! At one point, there was an unfortunate incident happen where a game update included several bugs and errors, resulting in very unhappy customers. Racheal kept in constant communication with the client and me, helped to calm the community, organized forum threads, and directed the client where their attention was needed. This breakdown could have been so much worse, extending into several days, but Racheal handled the crisis promptly and effectively, and it was under control before the next Mod arrived for his shift. Our client immediately reached out to let me know Racheal was the best Mod they'd ever met. I couldn't have agreed more!" –Project Manager Mike Poe #8NightsOfAwesome #ModsNotCubes #HappyHolidays #remotework #workfromhome #teamwork #thankful

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For this final night, the EIGHTH NIGHT of 8 NIGHTS OF MOD AWESOMENESS, we're happy to share a story of Larissa Hisatomi, The Powerhouse! "Larissa's story is actually more of an ongoing series, as she seriously knocks it out of the park with the amount of work that she does weekly. I'm always particularly impressed every time an emergency community update goes out from the client. Almost every time, as I'm writing out a request for our foreign language team to translate a post, Larissa has it done already! She is constantly checking for updates and keeping the Portuguese community informed. She also has a great rapport with players and is held in high regard. These are cherished and invaluable qualities about her that make her such a great Mod! Larissa may have a modest personality, but she is fierce! Her level of efficiency and quality would leave most project managers in complete awe." –Project Manager Katie Carson #8NightsOfAwesome #ModsNotCubes #HappyHolidays #remotework #workfromhome #teamwork #thankful

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