By Mark Messing

While stale floor-popcorn, the back of someone else’s head, and stiff legs make a good combination, I am going to guess that people don’t go to football games for the way things smell, look, or feel.  Live action unequivocally appeals to our need for a thrilling atmosphere, and for the most part, that is built by sound.  The cheer of the crowd seems to be unending throughout every game I go to, getting louder for every great play and horrible call.  But even during timeouts, the general chatter of the audience, and booming voice of the announcer add energy to the air.

I noticed this during a timeout at the Champs Sports Bowl, when, amongst the babble, I thought I heard someone whispering to me.  I asked my friends if they had heard, but they assured me there wasn’t anything more than the lull of the crowd and the mumble of the announcer.  I thought I was going crazy.

By Mark Messing

When I was in the 6th grade, I remember going to a library session where everyone in the class was taught how to effectively use search engines. They had a list of about 20 at the time.  And while the preference was still Google, it was far less of a landslide. In fact, Yahoo, Ask Jeeves, and a site called Mamma Search all shared equal usage from various children in the session. I remember the librarian telling us why she had put together the session that everyone in the school would eventually take.

"This is going to be the future of research," she proclaimed.

When I was in 9th grade a fellow student came to class with the first iPod I had ever seen. He explained how he had spent $400 on it, and how it was going to be the future of music. "I can’t believe you haven’t heard of these yet," he told me, "Some day they are going to be smaller, and hold more songs.  If you ever get the chance, you should buy their stock."

Last night, I read an article about Kent Hodgson. He is a 22 year-old inventor.

by Mark Messing

Think back to the show “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” I am of course assuming you have seen the show. If you haven’t, allow me to give you a quick description. People video taped themselves falling off of things, running into things, getting stuck in things, or standing next to their babies who did cute stuff. Then, Bob Saget would throw his voice into the video, as if the original wasn’t already solid gold material.

When you think about it, this show taught America two things:

1) It is cheaper for TV studios to give away an entire series worth of prize money to Joe-Schmo public for real time video than it is for them to pay Tim Allen for one episode of Tool Time. (Hence, The reality TV show seed was planted…sorta)

by Mark Messing

It is nice to think we have complete control over every situation, and that we are the unquestioned experts in our personal areas of expertise. However, the demoralizing truth is that it is impossible to know everything. From time to time, no matter how hard we try, we mess things up and turn out to be *gasp* wrong. At least, I’m pretty sure that’s the case.

This is the reason why the saying the popular phrase “The customer is always right” can be so confusing. Even as customers, we know that could never be true. Taken in the most literal context, that saying is just plain unreasonable. Walking into a McDonalds on a sunny day and telling the cashier it’s snowing while ordering a yogurt parfait won’t make the weather change.

Gregory Price was a banking intern at Quicken Loans this past summer.  We wish him well as he finishes his studies.  Interesting and inspiring story, Greg!

by Gregory Price

Growing up in Detroit is no easy walk in the park, especially if you are an inner city kid trying to get a good education. As a kid Burgess Dwight Foster strived for something more then just reading and writing to get by. He wanted an education that gave him a way of life, a passion and something to work for. Becoming a great leader and speaker in the city of Detroit was something special if you had the right stuff, and deep down Burgess knew he had what it takes to succeed, he just needed some help in paving the road to get there.

Burgess was a senior in high school when he met Charlotte Fair an English Teacher and Speech Coach. He was running for the Student Senate, Officer of the Human Relations Club, and Forensic (public speaking not CSI) participant. One afternoon his speech coach said to him, “You like to talk, but can you speak?” As a talkative inner city kid he shrugged it off saying, “come on now, if a person can talk they can speak right?”

Mili Pradhan was a summer intern at Quicken Loans Cleveland office this past summer and one of the finalists for our DIFF Intern contest.  She sent in this post about her summer with us.  We wish her well as she finishes her degree. Great post Mili and good luck in the future!

By Mili Pradhan

It was a busy Friday afternoon as I was driving down Mayfield road, anxiously waiting for the light to turn green. My anxiety broke to my phone ringing as I picked it up to look at the caller ID; my heart skipped a beat.

I had memorized this number and realized that it was Stephanie Toma from Quicken Loans. I answered the phone with a calm tone but could not maintain that same tone when she offered me the summer internship position at Quicken Loans. After a brief chat, I accepted the job and immediately sped home to tell my family.

by Mark Messing

Mark was an intern for the Quicken Loans Marketing team this summer.  Mark has now returned to Michigan State.  Below is an excerpt from his "goodbye note" and it's a great take on what corporate culture is really all about.  Congratulations Mark on a sucessful internship and good luck your senior year at MSU!

There is a lot of people who talk about the culture of this company.  I think that we all know the things I mean when I say “the Quicken Loans culture,” so for the most part, I will spare you on those details which have been covered already.

At the risk of sounding corny:

I can’t thank a "culture."  I can only thank the people responsible for creating it.  In many ways, the people ARE the culture. 

By Cassie Bixler - winner of the 2007 Summer DIFF Intern Blogger Contest

For most of my college career I solely focused on one end goal…a career in medical sales, hopefully somewhere on the sunny west coast.  I was so narrowed minded, that I almost didn’t run with the chance to work at Quicken as an intern.  I had no idea of the phenomenon that lies behind the doors of the Quicken Loans offices.  Dan Gilbert is a genius, and the opportunity to witness a billion dollar corporation in which people are actually happy is priceless.

The friends, co-workers, and mentors that I met this summer are the best ever.  The culture here is awesome; Quicken just gets it, that’s the only way to put it.  It is not just one believer it is each and every person believing the same philosophy and truly living the culture. 

By Dave Rigotti

Last week, Quicken Loans took some of us interns (associates) to The Roller Coaster Capital of the World.  That's right, we went to Cedar Point.  What was really cool about the trip was that our tickets and bus (the bus was very nice, by the way) were paid for by Quicken Loans. 

We boarded the bus at 8am and left for a fun filled day.  After a 2 hour (though it seemed to be much shorter) ride, we were there.  The place where steel, fear, and friends mesh to make for a truly unique experience.

While picking up our tickets, a bird left a little present on fellow intern Mark Messing’s Diff shirt.  He was disappointed since I’m sure his DIFF shirt is his favorite, so he went and immediately cleaned it off.

By Cassie Bixler - winner of the 2007 Summer DIFF Intern Blogger Contest

Traveling…if you ever want to develop your patience level, start traveling a lot and on a time schedule.  From the coordination of the event, travel time, to your arrival, several things can occur that irritate you beyond measure. You try to ensure your plans are good to go, foolproof. Regardless, there always seems to be a set back.

Airport security, road construction, reservation screw-ups, and sometimes it is a combination of all the above. The challenge lies in determining how you face the set backs. I have learned that in a trying situation, whatever it may be, the general secret is just chill out.

By Cassie Bixler - winner of the 2007 Summer DIFF Intern Blogger Contest

It's 7 a.m., my alarm goes off, and curses spew from my mouth.  I slam down the snooze button, once, twice, three times.  Struggling to open my eyes, I look in disbelief at my alarm clock that now says its 8 a.m.; more curses fly.  I jump up and proceed to run around like a maniac, trying to get around for the day. 

The only thing on my mind from the time the alarm goes off is, “I need COFFEE!” 

I truly believe that I cannot function without it.  Now, not just any coffee will do, oh no, it has to be branded.

It has to be Starbucks.

By Cassie Bixler

A vacation is an exemption from life for a while.  It is the most sought-after, looked-forward-to time.  You save, plan, and await the date.  Destinations are endless; however, time is limited.  A vacation is your hard earned time off from the real world and you want to make the most out of it.

I spent my last spring break in San Pedro, Belize.  San Pedro is absolutely beautiful.  It is paradise on Earth, an exotic island location complete with white sand, clear blue water, and any luxury imaginable -- island spas, snorkeling, sailing, day trips to the Mayan Ruins, Sun Set Cruises, the works!

But this trip was organized by Ambassadors for Children. 

By Cassie Bixler, winner of the summer intern blogger contest

“Plan out your future, but do it in pencil!” – Bon Jovi

Over July 4th I had time to relax on the lake, soak up the sunshine, and live carefree for a few days.  Somehow, amid all the relaxation I found myself stressing about the changes to come in the all-too-near future, after graduation.

I seriously had a panic attack when I realized, "OMG! Real life!  That means no more waking up at noon, no more jetting out of the state on a spontaneous whim, and no more crazy, carefree college life."  The future, the unknown, the real world and all that goes with it is staring me in the face... scary!

Check out this video, then read on...

Editor's Note: This week, the winner of our Summer Intern contest gives a little peek into the world of mortgage banking and customer service.

This was very inspirational to me, and I feel this story really defines what Quicken Loans is about: Excellence. 

One of the things I find so awesome about Quicken Loans is the company-wide standard of excellence. The dedication to provide the absolute best for each and every client, every time, no exceptions, no excuses. It is absolutely amazing to see it in action.

By Cassie Bixler - Winner of the DIFF Intern Challenge

I recently traveled back to my little hometown of Warsaw, Indiana.  It is a simple, small town; you might even say... podunk! However, sometimes it is in the small areas of life that we find the greatest things. 

I met up with a friend for breakfast at a little restaurant called Maria's House of Pancakes.  If you are not from Warsaw, you would probably never find this place, nor bother to stop in.  There is absolutely nothing special about this restaurant -- it is simple, tiny, and "country-ish."  Looking over the menu you will find that it, too, is simple, ordinary, and nothing unique. 

The meal arrives in a timely manner and it is at this moment that the shock sets in.

Congratulations to Cassie Bixler, who won our Intern Challenge contest with this entry about exceptional leadership in a university classroom. Cassie will be posting here on THE DIFF each week during her summer internship, covering the things that she feels expose the gap between average and excellent, as well as sharing what it's like to be an intern at Quicken Loans.

Cassie is currently an intern on our Mortgage Insiders team, and a senior at Purdue University, majoring in Selling and Sales Management. She is 23 and from Warsaw, Indiana. In her spare time, she rides horses and spends a lot of time on the lakes with her friends.

Welcome to THE DIFF, Cassie!

Ok, here's the deal.  Please help us pick a Summer 2007 DIFF Intern who will be a regular contributor to the DIFF blog.  We need your input to pick  a winner.

We've picked three finalists, Mili Pradhan, Stepanie Powel, and Cassie Bixler and we want your help to decide which intern should have a weekly feature on the DIFF blog as they go through their summer with us at Quicken Loans.  If you have the time, please read each one and leave a comment on the one you like.

Thanks for your help with this.  Choose your favorite based on their story and their writing. 

Help us pick the best blogger!

Editors note:  please leave a comment about Mili's post if you like it.  Tell us if you think she should be the featured DIFF intern blogger this summer.

“I can’t stand it when mom’s always on my case,” I complained to my 18-year old sister as I drove her to school that morning. My sister gave me an I-know-how-you-feel look. My mom had just given me a “sermon” about how I was careless about my personal finances.  As I drove away after dropping my sister off, I reflected back on the fight I had with my mom that morning. Was she right? Did she always know everything?

I was only four years old when my dad left us. My mom had to bear numerous humiliations because divorce in India was unheard of. She had not even finished her college education. How was she going to support us? Luckily for us, we had our grandparents to help us out. She soon realized that she would have to do the unthinkable, leave her children for three years to come to US so she could build a life for us.

Editors note:  please leave a comment about Stephanie's post if you like it.  Tell us if you think she should be the featured DIFF intern blogger this summer.

Instant Karma

Desperate to escape the wet, gloomy, chill setting into my hands and feet, I hurried into Rock Financial.  I stared in horror as an anchorwoman’s voice grimly echoed through the TV, “Detroit Coyote to be Killed.” Frantic, the beautiful beast desperately fled the Detroit Police, leading them on a wild “Coyote” chase, ultimately ending in her and her unborn babies capture.

It seemed as if the coyote had fixed her eyes into mine, pleading for a second chance. Calm came over me and the irresistible desire to save not only the stunning creature, but the unborn life she carried inside, took over.   I flooded the Governor, Senator, Humane Society, Detroit Police, and S.M.A.R.T. with phone calls fighting for the coyote’s life.

Editors note:  please leave a comment about Cassie's post if you like it.  Tell us if you think she should be the featured DIFF intern blogger this summer.

The Simplicity of Great Leadership

The most powerful people in the world are teachers.  To teach is to care enough to enhance the life of another, to give of yourself.  You will never find a successful or powerful person who solely focuses on himself.  Successful people care.  It is that simple.  They care about doing the right thing in every situation and with every person; and they pass that philosophy on to as many people as possible.  The power of caring is phenomenal.

In all the classes I have enrolled in at Purdue University I have never met anyone like Professor Richard Feinberg.  The first few weeks of class he was basically MIA.  He sat in the back of a large lecture room saying and doing nothing.  He sat back and watched us.  You can only imagine what happens when there is no leadership in a classroom of 250 college students: pure chaos.  Emotions ranged from the typical, “Kickass this is the best class ever!  We have nothing to do and no professor, sweet!”  Then there were the few dedicated students saying, “Screw this professor, I want to learn something.  This is so unfair!”  Some students just left.  Other students sincerely tried to figure out what the hell we were supposed to do.  Still others ignored the situation and took advantage of the time to kick back and chat it up.  There was absolutely no way we were going to get anywhere without direction.

By Mark Swistock

Mark Swistock was a banking intern last semester.  He's now a mortgage banker in our Livonia office.  Congratulations on being hired full-time, Mark!

Ever since I can recall, my dad has been the one to display what we like to call The Diff.

From early in my life, I have understood what it means to earn your money and hard work is only the beginning of it.

My dad has always been what is called a blue collar worker, but I don’t think that title either fits him or gives him any justice what so ever. Work ethic is something I can truly say that I learned and now express thanks to things my dad has taught me. He is always told me, “If you’re early you’re on time, if you’re on time then you’re late.” This holds true to all, and is definitely something I try to fulfill in my own career.

By Nick Skully

Nick is a mortgage banking intern. He served one internship at the Quicken Loans headquarters in Livonia, Mich., and has headed back to Cleveland for a second internship.

I did not have to look long, or far, when thinking of a person that truly exemplifies “THE DIFF.”  The person who is a difference-maker to me is my best friend, Tim Paoli.  While you may not know him, I am positive that you know a person like him. 

He is a person who has overcome obstacles and adversity his whole life, and has helped me to be thankful for what I have. He gives me the extra push to go out and work hard to achieve my dreams.  I grew up with my best friend in Cleveland, Ohio, and from the first day I met him, we just connected because we were so similar. We have been close friends ever since.  He was less fortunate than me and most people around us, but he has the drive and determination to accomplish everything he wants. 

By Landon Sullivan

Landon Sullivan was a marketing intern last semester.  He has moved back to his home state of Utah to pursue other opportunities.  We wish him well and hope our readers enjoy his post.

From September 2001 – September 2003, I was able to spend two years in the Dominican Republic as a missionary for my church. During my time there, I had many life-altering experiences. For example, I was part of a clean up crew after a grocery store was burnt to the ground. I also helped people do yard work on several occasions among many other things.

On one occasion, my friend and I spoke with a lady outside her small home. This lady was very poor. Her tiny wooden house did not stand at a 90 degree angle to the ground and could have been easily pushed over by a strong wind. As we spoke with her, I watched her son play around in a small stream that had been created while she was washing her laundry in a small bucket.

By Jolie Vitale

Jolie Vitale was an intern last semester with the Quicken Loans Marketing team.  She did such a great job, she is no longer an intern - she's a full-time team member!  Congratulations, Jolie on joining Quicken Loans and on a well-written post about bank overdraft fees.

Who hasn’t at least once received that statement, screen shot or letter with the dirtiest of all dirty words: “overdrawn?” It is an unmistakably memorable moment, usually filled with the proliferation of other dirty words, a heated urgency to find your transaction register and racing feelings of anger, stupidity, denial, confusion, hope and surrender. If you haven’t experienced this moment, I am going to venture a guess that you represent about 3% of the checking account-holding population. If you’re part of the other 97%, including myself, you know all too well the ensuing routine: you call the bank, are ambiguously told what went wrong, try to fight for the return of your precious money (let’s pause to reflect the timeliness and pain of this process...ok) and usually end up losing- even in the event that the mistake was on the bank’s part. The institution’s stern reaction to your default is a bombardment of fees that devour your balance and propel your savings into debt before you know what hit you.

My latest slap on the wrist totaled $70.

By Cora Bledsoe

Cora Bledsoe was an intern last semester with the Quicken Loans Web Marketing team.  She did such a great job, she is no longer an intern - she's a full-time team member!  Congratulations Cora on joining Quicken Loans and on a well-written post about the Gates Millenium Scholars program.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has done a lot for a lot of people. In the health and education arenas especially, the foundation has funded many important initiatives the world over.

The Gates Millennium Scholars Program (GMSP), one of the foundations initiatives, funds college scholarships for low-income high school seniors. The scholarship is administered by the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), in partnership with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the American Indian Graduate Center Scholars, and the Organization of Chinese Americans. As a recipient of this scholarship, I can speak firsthand to the difference it has made in my life.

Angela DiSarno is an intern with the Quicken Loans Careers Connection (recruiting) team.  Congratulations on a great post, Angela.

By Angela DiSarno

When I first thought about who in the world made “The DIFF” for me, I instantly knew it was my old roommate, Sarah, from Mackinac Island, Michigan. Sarah and I spent the summer working for the Island House Hotel and lived together in a downtown Mackinac dorm above Ryba’s Fudge shop.

Sarah is the type of person who can look at a person and see directly into their soul.

She told me of a time when she was working at Cedar Point Amusement Park and saw a young teen dressed in black staring at a massive roller coaster. Sarah walked by and asked him if he needed help with anything around the park.

Stephanie Powel is a Quicken Loans Web Banker Intern.  And a great writer!

By Stephanie Powel

In 2005 I spent countless hours promoting women’s heart health. Nearly 2,000 pins were passed out, hundreds of thousands of people heard about the importance of heart health through presentations, airwaves, and the Miss Michigan Organization. I won tons of awards and learned a lot because I loved what I was doing. So clearly, promoting women’s heart health impacted my life and career. I always wondered if the message truly had an impact on others, which was the point. Things came full circle one fall morning on an elevator.