June has come around quickly in 2020, after an incredibly busy month in May as things start to gear up again, after what we hope is the worst of Lockdown. We’ve been working from home for what has felt like an eternity already, but it hasn’t stopped us from doing the absolute best we can do for our clients and being as awesome as we can be.
It also hasn’t stopped our monthly MVP award! To recap for those who haven’t read these blogs before or are new to MVP, it’s essentially our version of the ‘Most Valuable Player’ award. It’s awarded based on the number of nominations each person gets as to why they should win from other colleagues. The prize is an extra day off, known as the ‘Duvet Day’ and a dinner on the company.
We say every month how hard it is to choose who to nominate since every member of the team works so hard – but every now and then, it can be a bit of a landslide vote. Before we get into that, let’s take a look at some of the best nominations from May…
“Adam has really shone this month. He’s been working crazy hard on his day-to-day as usual but he’s also been incredibly supportive with new site launches and his eye for detail means very little goes unnoticed by him! His content is still on-point no matter how much you chuck at him and he’s incredibly graceful when he has to say ‘give me some space’ to get everything done. On top of all that, he’s super supportive with his colleague’s achievements and takes time often to check in on people, even when his diary is absolutely stacked. A month of super hard work deserves a day off since he can’t go on any holidays right now!!”
“Oli has stepped onto a few new accounts at a time of great need for many of our clients. His expertise, passion and dedication to his specialism has been nothing but apparent and has really impressed a couple of clients in particular, and me! He’s super organised, proactive, and has been supportive with all clients after the Google Algorithm update dropped (even the ones without an SEO retainer), by adding them all into Data Studio for close watch and keeping us in the loop of any impact. Really impressed with his level of self-motivation and expertise.”
“Be has expertly demonstrated her skills as a designer and her commitment to impressing clients this month. She has gone above and beyond working on her second-ever email template, creating an impressive template design for Rocksure that blows their past emails out of the water. Not to mention, she’s absolutely killed it with Bristow’s downloadable report, with one of the best PDF designs we’ve created to date. The pace at which she’s improving as a designer is remarkable and her constant enthusiasm and positivity when facing new challenges is commendable. Be is well-deserving of MVP this month!”
“You don’t have to go very far to see how far Kierans reach goes. It seems that everything he touches is golden. But that has come with a lot of hard work and he is continued to excel and clients are always hugely impressed. Thank you Kieran.”
“Even though Hatii is so far away in terms of the distance, she does an incredible job of making everyone feel involved and part of the team. She has a fabulous flair and infectious personality that makes you feel like you’re with her in person, even though she’s at the end of the phone or on a video call – an incredible achievement considering the 150-mile difference. Hatti is genuinely caring, absolutely ambitious and always an expert. She embodies StrategiQ’s values in every way and constantly goes above and beyond to help her clients and especially her colleagues. Hatti, you’re wonderful!”
“Elliot is such a secret star, I love how he always has impressive numbers and stats to share at the Monday morning meetings, but yet he rarely boasts about them without a prompt? Very cool, very smug. . . . . He really does work hard, always lends an ear, and is just generally a pleasure to have in the company. Elliot is an inspiration and although he’s quiet about it, he truly lives our values. I want him to get all the credit he deserves-well done Elliot, I see you!”
“Sean has been unlucky on a number of occasions since the turn of the year. He has been prolific in his pursuit of WordPress development greatness and delivered some really well-received sites. For me, one small moment of expertise and proactivity tipped it this month. Seeing that he had – rather than simply fixing it – put in place a process to patch a technical issue that had been popping up on our WP sites sporadically for years really showed the way he has his grown in his time here. Sean would be a worthy winner for this month’s MVP.”
So many people in this company deserve this award every month for the effort they put in – it warms my heart reading how carefully considered these nominations are, and how proud the nominators (is that a word?) are for their chosen person. We’re a big team now and since it’s harder these days than ever to win this thing, it’s super motivating to get nominated, let alone win.
Oftentimes I write about how many people were so close to winning every month, and we have even had tied double-wins and a cheeky company-wide win once too! However, every now and then, there’s a natural disaster within the nominations and a ‘landslide’ win occurs. May’s MVP was one of those times.
Words used to describe this months’ winner were:
- Passion
- Positive attitude
- Inspiring
- Exceptional work
- Expertise
- Commitment
- Loyal
- One of my favourite people to work with
- Admirable confidence
- Calm, friendly and caring
- Always available
- Level headed
- Superstar
- Creative
Who’s crying? Not me. Definitely not me. OK, maybe it’s me. This feels super-surreal to be writing about myself, but May’s MVP winner was indeed, Me! I had a crazy month, which included my birthday, my 3-year anniversary at StrategiQ and my first webinar talk on Google My Business for the Suffolk Chamber Of Commerce, as well as a bunch of other cool results for our clients, particularly in Local SEO. I’m not the braggy type so let’s read what some of the team had to say:
“Levi is one of my favourite people to work with at StrategiQ (I love everyone but she has a special place in my heart). You can always count on her to support and approach everything with a clear head and a desire to get it right for the client (and us!). Throughout lockdown she’s really had an opportunity to shine through in her role, and although it’s felt pressured at times and there’s a lot more work to do, there’s never any doubt that Levi will get it done to the best of her ability – because she gives a ship!”
“My nomination this month goes to Levi, and in all honesty, it’s been a long time coming! For many months she has been stealthily creeping up behind other worthy nominees but this time she has smashed it. From embracing her inner Account Manager, stepping up to be a really valuable member of the SEO team to mastering GMB and sharing her expertise with others. A true representation of our brand and an all-round MVP for me this month. Well done Levi!”
“My nomination this month goes to Levi. Not only did she confidently deliver an insightful GMB talk to the Suffolk Chamber, but Levi is consistently delighting clients, sharing her expertise with the wider team and constantly striving for the best. StrategiQ simply wouldn’t be the same without her!”
“Whilst our SEO team has been at 50% capacity in terms of people, this individual has truly stepped up to support the team and department during an exceptionally busy month. A positive attitude and passion for their work has allowed their creativity and talent to shine on many occasions. Punctual, attentive and supportive – they have been a rock to rely on and completing solid work for clients on-time and to the desired standards. My MVP goes to Levi this month who has been a superstar. Her ideas for PR, attention to detail on basic SEO tasks have ensured a solid month of delivery for clients I have been involved in. Alongside all of this, she someone found the time to share her expertise on the Zoom conference where she represented herself and our brand with the utmost professionalism, expertise and passion.”
“Levi takes my vote this month. She’s impressed me greatly, not just maintaining the heavy workload and delivering to a high standard, also in pushing herself. Let’s be honest, it’s not been as easy as usual to motivate ourselves through the current situation, however hearing Levis GMB talk really made me think about how far she’s come over the last few years. And, to have the confidence do it with so many excuses available to give it a miss, shows tenacity, expertise and pride in representing StrategiQ. I’m sure it’s inspired others in the business to realise that working from home doesn’t mean that goals have to stop. So, keep smashing it, Levi. I’m looking forward to seeing what else you achieve this year!”
Wow. I am honestly blown away with the kind words from this amazing team, and this has really given me an incredible boost to keep going at doing the best I possibly can for my team and for my clients. If anybody is wondering, I’m going to be getting a curry in for the family and having a big long day of snoozing on the sofa as my reward! I also want to say a huge thank you to everyone at StrategiQ for making me the SEO I am today – I wouldn’t be the person I am without you all!
Want one of these super-emotional blogs written about your MVP win? How about checking out our careers page, or just give us a call for a chat – we’re always looking to talk to passionate and aspirational people!
