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The Diff Team

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info@whatsthediff.com


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About Quicken Loans & THE DIFF Blog

THE DIFF blog is all about the things that make the difference in business and in life. Most of the time, it's the little things. But every so often it's something really big. At Quicken Loans, our team members cite "the ability to make a difference" as the biggest key to their job satisfaction. We consider this one of the most important facets of our company and corporate culture. So, we decided to search the planet for things that make a difference. Everyday, we want to celebrate those that make a difference and call out those that don't. It's that simple.

All stories and examples on this blog are real, not fiction, and if any mistakes or errors are found, we will acknowledge them and correct them promptly. We will never delete or refuse comments unless they are off-topic of an entry, spam, or contain offensive/abusive language. We link directly to other sites and references and never claim information owned by others to be ours. Links to and from this site are not an endorsement.

For information about THE DIFF, email info@whatsthediff.com . To add comments to any entry, simply post your comments through the site. All relevant, appropriate comments will be posted after being reviewed by our editors.

If you have a specific customer service issue or question regarding Quicken Loans or would like information about a mortgage, please call Quicken Loans Client Relations at 1.800.863.4332, email help@quickenloans.com, or visit our Web site, www.quickenloans.com.

Meet THE DIFF Team


Kelly LaVauteklavaute@whatsthediff.com

"THE DIFF Wordsmith"

Kelly LaVaute is the newest DIFF contributor. With a photographic memory which is creepily equivalent to Raymond Babbit in “Rainman,” Kelly takes strange pride in being a spelling freak as well as remembering useless phone numbers and addresses.

Kelly can be found frequenting Detroit Tigers games, tailgating whenever possible and supporting the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team. Voted Best Dancer by her high school senior class, she feels most at ease behind the wheel of a car with the radio blaring.

An amateur cook, Kelly enjoys watching full length kitchen appliance infomercials on Saturday mornings and seasonal candy like holiday M&M’s or spring colored Oreos. She also totes her digital camera everywhere so as not to miss a moment of humiliation at other’s expense.

Formerly a QL banker, Kelly can now be heard spouting off product & real estate knowledge as the newest web marketing copy writer. She spends much of her time being the Home Loan Guru, blogging, writing mortgage news and talking Clayton off the ledge.

Read Kelly's posts >>


Ann-Marie Murphyamurphy@whatsthediff.com

"THE DIFF Darling"

Ann-Marie Murphy, aka "Peppermint Patty," is a regular writer for THE DIFF. A brief preview of her neuroses, which are too extensive to list in full, include her irrational fear of grasshoppers and deep-seated loathing of black licorice and bland chicken.

She tends to be a freak about the hyphen in her name so don't forget to include it unless you want to make her cry or cause her to rant endlessly. Her favorite pastimes include perfecting the art of couch potatory, training to become the world record holder in perogi eating and creating to-scale paper models of her apartment just for kicks.

Ann-Marie works as a Web marketing project manager at Quicken Loans. She typically bides her time between creating mind-bogglingly innovative Web sites, scribbling fascinating blurbs about real estate and mortgages for the Web and occasionally harassing her cube-mates with surprise attacks of tchotchkes over the walls.

When she grows up, Ann-Marie wants to be just like Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

Read Ann-Marie's posts >>


Clayton Clossoncclosson@whatsthediff.com

"THE DIFF M.C."

Clayton Closson is a frequent contributor to THE DIFF. That is when he isn't doing more important things like rocking the mic as M.C. Clay C of the defunct rap band DUN. DUN had a local favorite in the hit "livin in the 313", which countless people of really low intellect really loved.

Clayton is also an experienced amateur actor and long ago was even in a few operas with Michigan Opera Theatre. His biggest acting claim to fame is bumping into Martin Sheen on a NYC street a few years ago.

Clayton is one Detroit city bad boy. He studies kung fu, though he is currently in couch potato status until his broken ankle fully heals. He is truly a one-man gang, feared and respected by "people who can't fight very well" everywhere. Oh yeah, and he is the king of all web content for Quicken Loans. It's all about the content, man. The words baby. They all come together and it's, like, beautiful.

And he really doesn't look much like Elvis. Only in this picture taken at the Palms Restaurant in Vegas. The Palms actually has an Elvis impersonator working as a bathroom attendant and Clayton put his glasses on and the rest is history.

Read Clayton's posts >>


Christy Brewercbrewer@whatsthediff.com

"THE DIFF Critic"

Christy was expelled from the soccer mom club years ago because she refuses to conform. She’s the only mom on the street who actually makes her kids do yard work without pay. But, her peanut butter brownies still get Quicken Loans web developers to put in overtime.

After a day working on the Quicken Loans web site, Christy likes to get out and play – bike riding, soccer, gardening, putt-putt and board games with her boys. (Her husband often refers to himself and her “biggest kid.”) Christy is a huge fan of Detroit, and will give you at least three things to do any time you say, “There’s nothing to do in Detroit!”

As a huge fan of the written word, finding errors in the newspaper and in scrolling headlines really raises Christy’s ire. Her mom still reminds her of correcting friends’ writing in elementary school. So, you’ll find the picky, little things the focus of many of Christy’s posts.

Read Christy's posts>>


Chris Kaufmanckaufman@whatsthediff.com

"THE DIFF Design Demon"

Hot dog connoisseur and graphic design extraordinaire, Chris is the designer of THE DIFF. Chris can often be seen around Quicken Loans wearing white socks with black shoes, but as his coworkers say, "he's the creative type, so he can get away with that kind of thing."

He is the 2nd place winner of the 2006 Quicken Loans "Dog Chow" Hot Dog Eating Contest and is currently training to capture the 2007 1st place championship belt. He often goes on binges, eating extra spicy Thai food for days on end. When he's not busy digesting, he enjoys his antique camera and nutcracker collection (currently collecting dust in his parents' attic).

In his spare time you can find Chris enjoying the fine arts, visiting museums, dreaming up new recipes in the kitchen, taking photos, painting and watching late-night TV.

Read Chris' posts >>


Corey Baileycbailey@whatsthediff.com

"DIFF Melody Maker"

Corey is a very busy working super-mom, who often masks her fate during business hours, working her heart out at Quicken Loans. In her neck-of-the-woods, Corey is best recognized as a celebrity car singer who is on the verge of uncloaking her hidden talent as a hip-hop car dancer. That's right! She is the girl you see rocking out in the car in the next lane.

When she is not whooping it up in the car, she can be found in full form in her kitchen, cooking in her flannel pajama pants; aka-mom clothes. Corey spends her evenings tending the undying needs of her family, which includes a nightly game of “speed” with her son Nicholas.

She plans to continue working hard at Quicken Loans in hopes to secure her alias as a data expert on the Marketing Team until she can take her talent out of the car and onto the stage. Until then, you can occasionally catch her on the weekends at the local karaoke bar, but no autographs please!!

Read Corey's posts >>


Guest Bloggerinfo@whatsthediff.com

"DIFF Guest of Honor"

Guest M. Blogger hails from Livonia, Michigan. He drives a Porsche and enjoys movies, romantic dinners and long walks on the beach.

Ok, not really. Guest bloggers are really just people other than those on the main WHAT'S THE DIFF team.

Right now, they include people who work for Quicken Loans like Mark "The Former Intern" Messing, Matt "Let's Have a Bakeoff" Cardwell, or Kathy "Who's Got Chocolate?" Fawcett.

But we'd also like to hear from you. Yes, YOU! If you'd like to submit your story to THE DIFF, just e-mail us your story!

Read Guest Blogger posts >>