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This is a headshot of Melissa Yates.

Melissa's profile photo

 

The REM Team is ecstatic and overjoyed to welcome Melissa Yates as our new Director of Account Management! 

 

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This is a headshot of Amanda Turner.

Amanda's profile photo

 

We are delighted and very happy to welcome Amanda Turner as REM’s latest member in the role of Senior Copywriter & Digital Marketing Specialist! Get to know more about her in the staff bio below.

 


 

At Work

 

Role at REM: Copywriter, blog writer, and do-er of many miscellaneous tasks that make every day different.

 

Education: I studied English and Legal Studies at the University of Waterloo, then completed the graduate Paralegal program at Conestoga College.

 

Something That Makes Me Smile at Work: Learning fun facts about all kinds of topics and industries I never would have known if I hadn’t encountered our clients.

  


 

Favourite

 

Web site: YouTube. My favourite channels include Rob Has a Podcast, Caitlin Doughty, Red Letter Media, LGR, ​münecat, BobbyBroccoli, Matt Orchard, MISTER MANTICORE, and Rebecca Watson.

 

Movie: I don’t watch a ton of movies, but I am a sucker for time travel stories, especially where characters run through the same timeframe repeatedly for different outcomes. So, I love Back to the Future.

 

Food: Chocolate. 

 

TV Show: Survivor, and the golden age seasons of The Simpsons.

 

Musical Artists: Primarily metal-adjacent stuff. Protest the Hero, Alexisonfire, Opeth, Animals as Leaders, Periphery.

 

Time of Day: 4 AM, when the streets are empty and wild animals like deer and foxes come out.

 

Season: Fall. Although I have been out of school for almost a decade, I still love that back-to-school feeling.

 

Places in the World: Algonquin Park.

 

Recreational Activities/Hobbies: Video gaming, freshwater aquaria, camping and hiking with my dog, making crafts, and watching documentaries and podcasts about reality TV, culture, politics, and popular science.

 

Sport: Skiing in the winter and bicycling spring to fall.

 

App: I’m really into Pokemon Sleep right now. It combines two of my favourite things.

 


 

Least Favourite

 

Food: Anything served on a wooden stick.


Activity: Trying to walk two dogs at once.

 

Time of Day: 2 PM. Lunch is long forgotten, yet dinner is still so far away…


Season: Late winter to early spring. 


Place: The Infinite Toilet Dimension (Google it).

 


 

More Info

 

Best Thing Someone Said to You: You can always come home.

 

Life Motto: Be kind to individuals and ruthless to institutions.

 

My Hero: My family.

 

One of the Things I Find Fascinating: Electoral politics. As Shep Smith said, “Politics is weird and creepy, and lacks even the loosest attachment to anything like reality.”

 

Most People Don’t Know This About Me: In addition to being a marketing nerd, I am also a licensed paralegal.

 

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This is a headshot of Alina Litvinenko.

Alina's profile photo

 

We're thrilled and filled with joy to introduce Alina Litvinenko as the newest addition to the REM Team in the role of Web Developer! Learn more about her in the staff bio below.

 


 

At Work

 

Role at REM: Web Developer

 

Education: Master's Degree in Finance

 

Something That Makes Me Smile at Work: Fixing a bug. It's like finding the last piece of the puzzle - pure satisfaction.

 

....And jokes from my coworkers. They all have an excellent sense of humor.

 


  

Favourite

 

Web site:  Easy! All the ones I've crafted.

 

Movie: I'm not a film lover. I'll watch a movie only if I know it's 100% good with an exciting plot and actions from the first minutes of watching.

 

Food:  Chocolate, cakes, cookies, candies and... meat. A day without sweets is a day wasted.

 

TV Show: Friends. I've watched it hundreads of times in three different languages.

 

Musical Artists: Ed Sheeran, Imagine Dragons, Taylor Swift.

 

Time of Day: 11pm, when kids finally fell asleep, and the house is quiet, and I can hear myself think.

 

Season: Summer without any doubts. I wish it would last forever in Canada.

 

Places in the World: Home sweet home.

 

Recreational Activities/Hobbies: Travelling no matter where, it can be just a small town near me or another continent. I dream of a journey around the world.

 

Sport: Unfortunately, I'm not sporty, but I'm the mom of a soccer player. So soccer is my favourite sport.

 

App: Instagram. I like watching funny reels that relate to my life and laughing at them.

 


 

Least Favourite

 

Food: Onion. I hate the aftertaste.

 

Activity: Cleaning, and shopping with kids. It's like debugging real-life chaos, and I'd rather deal with a thousand lines of code.

 

Time of Day: Early morning.

 

Season: Winter is the season I'd happily skip.

 

Place: Outside when it's cold and windy.

 


 

More Info

 

Best Thing Someone Said to You: I love you, mom!

 

Life Motto: I have two:

"It’s all for the best" "It's better to regret something you have done than to regret something you haven't"

 

My Hero: My dad and my husband.

 

One of the Things I Find Fascinating: Human brain and body.

 

Most People Don’t Know This About Me: I like heights and flying. I flew a hot air ballon at 6000 feet, I flew an aircraft, paraglided and had a flight in an air tube. Maybe in my previous life, I was a bird? My poor husband, he is afraid of heights but follows me everywhere. Now you understand why he is my hero….

 

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This is a headshot of Tabitha Doyle.

Tabitha's profile photo

 

We are thrilled to announce the addition of Tabitha Doyle to the REM Team in the role of Marketing Specialist! Learn more about Tabitha in her staff bio below.

 


 

At Work

 

Role at REM: Marketing Specialist.

 

Education: Bachelor's Degree for Marketing Management at University of Guelph.

 

Something That Makes Me Smile at Work: Working creatively with my coworkers!

 


 

Favourite

 

Web site: Youtube. I love watching vlogs and podcasts!

 

Movie: I love thriller/mystery movies! Inception and Shutter Island are two of my favourites. I also can't help but love the Fast and Furious movies.

 

Food: Chicken alfredo pasta.

 

TV Show: I love sitcoms like Seinfeld and dramas like Yellowstone and NCIS but I’ll watch anything if someone recommends it!

 

Musical Artists: I listen to almost any genre; my favourite is county but I’ll listen 2000’s pop music and 80’s rock any day!

 

Time of Day: Evenings.

 

Season: Summer without a doubt!

 

Places in the World: Cancun is beautiful and relaxing but Nashville was so exciting!

 

Recreational Activities/Hobbies: Reading, I love thriller/mystery! Spending time with friends and family!

 

Sport: Basketball (my height helps). To watch: Football (Go Bills!)

 

App: TikTok.

 


 

Least Favourite

 

Food: I’m not a picky eater but pork chops aren’t for me.

 

Activity: Doing laundry.

 

Time of Day: Sunday evening (Sunday scaries)

 

Season: Late Winter, it’s time for spring.

 

Place: Dentist.

 


 

More Info

 

Best Thing Someone Said to You: Just be yourself, that’ll be enough.

 

Life Motto: Everything happens for a reason.

 

My Hero: Definitely my mom. She’s the best!

 

One of the Things I Find Fascinating: The Ocean.

 

Most People Don’t Know This About Me: Growing up I was on a dance team and bowling team, you wouldn’t be able to tell now.

 

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This is a headshot of Rob Matlow.

Rob Matlow and Jessica Chalk

 

As seen in the news: REM Web Solutions Inc. acquires TrafficSoda, an acquisition marketing agency, heralding a new era in transformative digital excellence. 

 

We are pleased to announce the acquisition of TrafficSoda, a data-driven agency with a strong focus on online lead generation. This acquisition is a significant step for us in broadening our service offerings and expertise in the digital marketing sector. 

 

We have spent the last two decades dedicated to helping businesses grow through exceptional web design, development, and digital marketing solutions. We are known in the Waterloo Region community for creating responsive, quick, and robust websites built on an easy-to-update CMS. We also provide digital marketing services designed to make a tangible and impactful difference in our clients' success. REM’s commitment to excellence has earned us the Consumer Choice Awards for Web Design in 2019 and 2020, an impressive collection of over 100 five-star Google reviews and a nomination for The Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce 2023 Business Excellence Award. 

 

Earlier this year, the opportunity came up for REM Web Solutions Inc. to acquire TrafficSoda. This was a natural progression of an already strong and evolving partnership, bringing with it a highly skilled team and a roster of impactful clients. 

 

“It was an exciting opportunity. We had been referring our digital marketing business to TrafficSoda, so merging our efforts was a "no brainer." About 25% of our customers were mutual, and we had a wonderful relationship with them,” said Rob Matlow, President of REM Web Solutions Inc. 

 

TrafficSoda adds a wealth of knowledge and experience in areas such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay Per Click (PPC), and Conversion Optimization. This expertise has enabled our team to provide an even more comprehensive range of services specifically designed to boost online traffic and enhance lead generation for its clients. 

 

“After nearly 8 years working closely with Rob and REM, I'm so excited to announce TrafficSoda's sale to them. This indicative of the success of our exceptional partnership. I'm confident that our business, incredible team, and wonderful clients are now in the best possible hands.” said Jessica Chalk, Founder & Agency Director of TrafficSoda. 

 

The merger of two leading-edge companies made us stronger, fostering a collaborative environment that fuels creativity and innovative marketing. We have positioned ourselves to offer clients an even more extensive range of services, ensuring they benefit from a diverse and comprehensive set of solutions tailored to help them get noticed online. 

 

“As we move forward, our focus stays on growth, learning, and innovation while delivering creative solutions to clients. Our dedication to our team and customers has driven our historical growth. We look forward to continuing this journey in the ever-evolving digital landscape,” said Matlow. 

 

 

 

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This is a headshot of Sean Sanderson.

Illustration of character marking a calendar

 

We are excited to announce that effective this February we will be moving toward a 4-day work week! This is to provide a better work life balance for our staff.

 

Our office will not be open on Fridays starting February 4, 2022.

 

Support requests that come in on Friday will be answered on Monday.

Thanks for your understanding and feel free to reach out with any questions you may have.

 

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This is a headshot of Haley Burton.

Haley's profile photo

 

We’re very excited and overjoyed to welcome Haley Burton to the REM Team as a Graphic Designer! Get to know more about Haley, and her likes & dislikes below.

 


 

At Work

Role at REM: Graphic Designer

 

Education: Advanced Diploma for Graphic Design at Conestoga College.

 

Something That Makes Me Smile at Work: Working with creative people in a positive atmosphere!

 


  

Favourite

Web site: Spotify! Im always listening to a podcast!

 

Movie: I love comedies. I can probably quote any movie with Will Ferrel in it! 

 

Food: I always want sushi! I love cooking and trying different foods!

 

TV Show: I love sitcoms! I've watched How I Met your Mother completely three times through! I also enjoy a good thriller.

 

Musical Artists: I listen to a plethora of different music, from 70s rock, 90s alternative, to current rock and bubblegum pop. I love Jack White (+ The Raconteurs), Peach Pit, Black Keys, etc.

 

Time of Day: Evenings.

 

Season: Summer! Summer! Summer!

 

Places in the World: St. John's, Newfoundland. Such a beautiful place with very kind people. I would love to travel out west next!

 

Recreational Activities/Hobbies: Taking care of my plants! Going to the gym, spending time with friends/family, and painting/crafts. I'm also a foodie!

 

Sport: Pitcher for girls fastpitch, hockey.

 

App: Tiktok. It's not my fault.

 


 

Least Favourite

Food: Canned tuna! Ew! I'm a huge texture person. Sometimes I decide I don't like something halfway through eating it.


Activity: Carrying things.

 

Time of Day: Anytime before my body naturally wakes up.


Season: Winter. Except if it's Christmas. But the day after I'm over it.


Place: Crowded places.

 


 

More Info

Best Thing Someone Said to You: Shoulders back, chin up. You're beautiful. Be confident in yourself and you can do anything.

 

Life Motto: Take it easy.

 

My Hero: My grandmother. She was such a huge support and a strong woman!

 

One of the Things I Find Fascinating: Afterlife. 

 

Most People Don’t Know This About Me: I have half of a rib!

 

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This is a headshot of Colleen Legge.

Photo of Colleen Legge with a blackboard collage in the background

 

We’re super thrilled to welcome Colleen Legge to the REM Team as a Customer Success Manager! Get to know more about her in her own words below.

 

 

At Work

orange line

 

Role at REM: Customer Success Manager

 

Work Experience: I have many years of customer service experience under my belt, being a Sales Associate and a Manager. I would say I wear many hats when it comes to assisting customers and my strongest skill is working with people.

 

Something That Makes Me Smile at Work: The thing that makes me smile at work is getting little thank you emails back from clients. Guaranteed. It makes me feel good knowing we're able to help our clients. So, when they take the time to send us that small acknowledgement back, it makes smile.

 

.... or when my co workers come by my desk to say hello. I'm a people person, what can I say. :)

 

 

Favourites

orange line

 

Web Site: I'm an artist, so I love supporting my favourite artists on whatever platform they're on. Tattoo artists, digital artists, potters, etc. if it's creative and interesting, I'm probably following. Twitter, ArtStation, Tumblr, Instagram. The whole gambit. 

 

Books: My favourite books are more so how to/informative art books. "Anatomy for Artists: Simplified Forms" by Michel Lauricella and others in this series are excellent break downs of the human form. 

 

Food: I am a simple lady, I love chicken strips, good French fries, and a Coke to drink. I'm also a sucker for a good green smoothie. 

 

TV Show: I would say trying to pick one or two favourite shows is pretty hard considering how much I've watched over the years. I generally like sci fi/fantasy or thriller/horror. I recently have been enjoying that new Netflix show Arcane, which has beautiful animation and a super unique art style! It’s stunning! Next on my watching schedule is Midnight Mass and The Wheel of Time!

 

Musical Artists: My musical taste is all over the place, from full cast recordings of musicals to Billie Holiday to Chet Faker. I usually don't get control of the AUX cable because of this lol

 

Time of Day: Evening. I'm a night owl. 100%

 

Season: I love Fall and Winter. All the bugs are gone, and I can layer up and actually be fashionable. Where in the summer I struggle to survive in the heat and humidity. 

 

Place in the World: my home

 

Recreational Activities/Hobbies: Currently my fiancée and I have taken up model/kit building as a good "no screens" hobby. Besides that, I also enjoy drawing/character design/story boarding and video games!

 

Sport: I don't really watch or play any sports, I used to enjoy rock climbing and volley ball. I will get VERY into sports during the Olympics and suddenly think I know everything about the sport and know more than the judges to pass my own judgments and scores on the athletes haha  

 

App: Unfortunately, TikTok has become a favourite pass time. All those catchy song trends and hilarious meme videos. 

 

 

Least Favourites

orange line

 

Food: Shrimp... I don't like the look of them and I don't like the texture. Nope. That's a hard pass.

 

Activity: Folding and putting away laundry. 

 

Time of Day: Morning or when the sun just starts going down and you get blinded by the sun when you're driving anywhere.

 

Season: Summer. All the bugs, the heat, the humidity. Hate it all.

 

Place: Dentist. I think that's pretty self explanatory. 

 

 

More Info

orange line

 

Best Thing Someone Said to You: You have to be kind to yourself, and treat yourself as you would treat your closest friend. The world will be unkind to you, you don't need to be unkind to yourself. 

 

Life Motto: Be kind. That's it. 

 

My Hero: I've never really had a hero? I have lots of artists I look up to as creative inspiration, but never a hero per say. 

 

One of the Things I Find Fascinating: The ocean and outer space. What exactly is going on above and below us? Interesting AND scary. 

 

Most People Don't Know This About Me: Most people don't know that I hadn't seen any of the Star Wars films until I was in my 20's.

 

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This is a headshot of Christine Votruba.

Collage of photos from REM's October Quarterly 2021

 

We had an awesome time at Four Fathers Brewing playing disc golf and taking a brewery tour at REM’s October Quarterly event! 

 

See below for more photos.

 

REM team assembled together to start disc golf

 

Haley, Sean S. and Todd playing disc golf

 

REM team enjoying hanging out and drinking beer together

 

REM team taking a brewery tour

 

A stack of wooden barrels

 

Exterior shot of Four Fathers Brewing building

 

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This is a headshot of Christine Votruba.

Collage of photos from REM's July Quarterly 2021

 

Last month for our July Quarterly event, we had a fun, team-building afternoon of playing foosball and Mario Kart!

 

See below for more photos.

 

Ryan and Rob playing foosball

 

Ryan and Rob playing foosball

 

Ryan and Rob playing foosball

 

Ryan and Rob playing foosball

 

Ryan and Rob playing foosball

 

Ryan and Rob playing foosball

 

 

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Sanj Rajput
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