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A Christmas Champ-Ian

5 min read by Levi Clucas 11 Dec 2018

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Merry Christmas! It’s December, it’s wintery, cold and frosty outside, and everything feels festive in the office as we prepare for the new year (and the Christmas party). As you know, a new month always means a few things: we reflect on the previous month’s hard work, prepare for the month ahead, and crown a new MVP!

As per usual, November was a super busy month in the StrategiQ office – and a very successful one at that. We scooped up project management agility specialist Kish, welcomed new clients, launched four sparkly new websites, and continued filling up our trophy cabinet! What better way to celebrate our hard work than by winning awards at both the UK Search Awards and the DevelopHER Awards – both of which made us incredibly proud.

In all the hustle and bustle of winning awards left and right, and having some interesting hurdles to overcome, we battled on and came out triumphant. There’s one person, however, who came out more triumphant than all of us. And that person had to beat some pretty tough opponents…

“SLAAAM DUNC!! Duncan has been going above and beyond with various projects this month. He’s been getting in early to deploy code, taking late lunches to fit in client amends to avoid project delays and has generally been going the extra mile to get some projects over the line. He deserves the MVP this month.”

“I think Hannah is a super worthy winner this month! I think she’s been a big representative of the company, and proudly so. She faced her fears and left the panel speechless on the SEMRush webinar with her technical expertise and knowledge. A huge congratulations for the well-deserved digital marketer award at the DevelopHER awards, where both her and Bex certainly did us proud. Then to round it off, the recognition for her and the wider team at the UK Search Awards was the perfect end to the month and a testament to Hannah’s ‘give a ship’ attitude!”

“Whilst the sheer amount of hours and ridiculously early starts was the definition of ‘above and beyond’, the biggest thing for me was seeing Chris stay late into the evening a few days after a client’s site had launched to make sure that any post-launch snags weren’t impacting their business overnight, even though it would have been easy and safe enough to have just left it for the next morning. That level of commitment is why people choose to work with us, and the direct impact it has on their business is huge.”

It really was a battle royale this month for MVP as we all put in that extra bit to get finished ready for a relaxed Christmas break. However, one person scooped the win by a country mile – a person with lots of grit, determination, a big smile and some fantastic Christmas jumpers.

You got it: November’s MVP winner is the one and only Ian Garstang!

via GIPHY

Here’s what a bunch of us had to say about Ian’s champion effort in November:

“I feel that Ian deserves this award for his grit and sheer determination to deliver client satisfaction. Ian always puts the task in hand with great enthusiasm and determination; whether it’s an existing client who is seeking advice or recommendations to a new client, he is always able to free up the time to give it his all! Ian accepts every challenge with fortitude and tenacity and never gives up – he definitely goes above and beyond what needs to be delivered. On top of this, he is always there to help whenever anyone’s in need with no hesitation or resistance. He really deserves an extra day off.”

“Ian’s transformation over the last few months has been inspirational. His dedication and ‘over and above’ approach to kicking off client retainers is impressive, but more than that, his “can do” attitude and continual dedication to push himself and close his skill/knowledge gaps makes him a joy to work with too.”

“I believe Ian is a worthy MVP winner this month. No matter what’s thrown at him, he always manages to keep a level head and ensure every client is left happy. His dedication to securing new contracts and on-boarding clients should be applauded, and he’s also just a great person to have around the office; even when he’s under a lot of pressure, he’s still got time to share a hilarious anecdote or join in with the office ‘banter’. Give that man a duvet day!”

So, our final MVP announcement of 2018 goes to Ian Garstang for being a top chap, always having a smile on his face and just cracking on no matter what’s in his path. A very worthy winner and a very proud team. Enjoy your duvet day, Ian. You deserve it!

If you fancy joining the team and having your very own chance to win an MVP in a Christmas jumper (or any jumper really), take a look at our careers page or get in touch. We’re always excited to speak to passionate people!

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