Our global team makes Traction® Tools stronger

Building a strong team is important to building and maintaining success in the workplace. We’ve discussed in the past how different personalities are beneficial to building a strong team, but don’t just stop there! One of the things that has improved our understanding about how people work here at Traction Tools is that we have team members all over the world who bring perspectives we wouldn’t otherwise have. 

Check out what our team mates have to share about where they’re from and their favorite parts of working with such a broad-reaching team!

(Ricardo) Meida Marques

Where do you live and what you love about it?

Panama City Beach, FL. I love the emerald colored shorelines and the ability to wear flip flops year round.

How long have you lived there?

About 3 years. Lived in Chicago for 5 years before that.

Where are you originally from (if it’s different than where you currently live)?

Originally from a city called Viseu in Portugal.

What is your favorite local cuisine?

Southern style BBQ.

What is your favorite part/lessons learned working with the diverse team at Traction Tools?

It’s not as hard to work with a globally spread team as you’d think. Just make sure to over-communicate. In our case, the time zone difference between members of the team can be advantageous, because we have more around-the-clock availability.

Hayley Parr

Where do you live and what you love about it?

Westby, WI. I’m a small town girl, and the Midwest is truly my home! I love the slower pace and friendliness that comes with living in a small, rural community. And Wisconsin has some of THE BEST cheese and beer—my two favorite food groups. Oh, and GO PACK GO! 

How long have you lived there?

I’ve lived in Westby for 5 years, but I’ve been in Wisconsin for 10 years now. I moved to WI for my undergrad and never left.

Where are you originally from (if it’s different than where you currently live)?

Postville, Iowa (Which is even smaller than Westby… I’m talking no stoplights, graduated with 45 people small).

What is your favorite local cuisine?

Definitely cheese curds. The fried ones. Oh my goodness.

What is your favorite part/lessons learned working with the diverse team at Traction Tools?

It’s one of my favorite aspects of my job! We get to build our team with the absolute best talent out there, because we’re not limited to one geographical area. And I’ve learned so much from my coworkers who don’t live in the US.

Maggie Marques

Where do you live and what you love about it?

Panama City Beach, Florida. I love the warm autumn/winter.

How long have you lived there?

3 years.

Where are you originally from (if it’s different than where you currently live)?

My entire family is from Poland. I’m first generation in the U.S.!

What is your favorite local cuisine?

Fresh caught Grouper!

What is your favorite part/lessons learned working with the diverse team at Traction Tools?

It’s always interesting to learn about other cultures directly from the source! For example, how people spend their holidays, have different traditions and superstitions!

Neguiba Eslaquit

Where do you live and what you love about it?

Managua, Nicaragua. I love that it is never cold in here, and I can go to the beach pretty much any time of the year. The food here is amazingly delicious and it is really a beautiful country with the best people.

How long have you lived there?

All my life. Except for college when I went to the US

Where are you originally from (if it’s different than where you currently live)?

Nicaragua

What is your favorite local cuisine?

Gallopinto. It is basically rice and beans, but it is delicious. You could eat it for breakfast or dinner.

What is your favorite part/lessons learned working with the diverse team at Traction Tools?

I think my favorite part is to see pictures they send from their hometowns or places they visit. I love to travel and just by looking at pictures that my co-workers send, I feel I get to know a little more about other places. Also, I love that there is so much respect and appreciation of other cultures and beliefs.

Joana Ferreira

Where do you live and what you love about it?

Viseu, Portugal. I love the tranquility, the purity of the air and the absence of the stress of the big city.

How long have you lived there?

I am from here. I returned to the city about a year ago after having been away for three years, where I lived in a big city called Porto.

Where are you originally from (if it’s different than where you currently live)?

I am originally from here and the big difference I notice from other cities in the country is the quality of life that you can have here.

What is your favorite local cuisine?

I can’t choose, everything about Portuguese food is great! But I will choose the slow-cooked in the oven dishes, they are quite tasty. Hold on… did I mention all the regional sweets? The sweets are wonderful!

What is your favorite part/lessons learned working with the diverse team at Traction Tools?

I find it incredible to meet and work with people from such different places, with different cultures and even in different time zones and see that there are no barriers as long as there is communication. And there is plenty, so the work always goes well! To top it all, is to see the connections that are born without meeting the people in person.

Catalina Munera

Where do you live and what you love about it?

I live in Chicago. My favorite thing about Chicago is the contrast between the lake and the magnificent buildings that we have.

How long have you lived there?

I have been here for 11 years.

Where are you originally from (if it’s different than where you currently live)?

I am from Medellin, Colombia. Medellin is the second biggest city in Colombia, with friendly people, lush nature and perfect weather.

What is your favorite local cuisine?

I love that in Chicago there is a little bit of everything. I love eating Argentinian empanadas, Mexican food, and of course, Colombian bakery goods.

What is your favorite part/lessons learned working with the diverse team at Traction Tools?

That at the end, we are all the same. We are all human with similar struggles.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Working with a diverse team is a great way to truly innovate for the global market, and I am very proud to be in this team.

Nixon Galario

Where do you live and what you love about it?

I’m from Philippines. I lived around the Metro Area, from city to city until I finally found my home city to live in and start my family with my wife.

I love to travel! I love traveling to different islands here in Philippines (just 7,641) islands currently and traveling countries in Asia with exquisite culture (Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia). Visiting new places, immersing myself into local cultures of life and discovering the unexpected! Stepping off a plane, I’m always in a hurry to get my passport stamped and ready to begin a new adventure.

What is your favorite local cuisine?

Yeah my favorite local cuisine is Menudo!

It’s my number 1 comfort food. It has chunks of pork that is stewed in a tomato sauce! Some carrots and potatoes!! Cannot live a month without these!

What is your favorite part/lessons learned working with the diverse team at Traction Tools?

I can say that working with Traction Tools gives you a unique opportunity to learn and get to know your team members. We are purely remote work and relationships with team members may become different. In a remote environment, you will have insight into people’s lives and the availability is key when it comes to remote work. Overlapping hours is important when people work globally in different timezones. Working together at least half a day in real time allows us to make sure assumptions and feedback are discussed thoroughly and quickly. Talk outside work is also important even just 1 on 1 with colleagues. The collaboration is amplified and reduces the isolation between people and this can have a very big impact in remote environments.

Neema Bahramzad

Where do you live and what you love about it?

I live in Lincoln, Nebraska. The weather and climate are not selling points for Lincoln, but Husker football games, low cost of living and a friendly community are great selling points!

How long have you lived there?

I have lived in Lincoln since 2001.

What is your favorite local cuisine?

A Runza sandwich is a local delicacy that everyone should try when visiting Nebraska.

What is your favorite part/lessons learned working with the diverse team at Traction Tools?

I have learned a ton of lessons working at Traction Tools. The most significant lesson I have learned is to be very clear with expectations for teammates and to over communicate the “by when” you want something done or will plan on having something done.

Anything else you’d like to share?

In the almost 20 years that I’ve lived in Lincoln, I’ve only had 2 close calls with tornadoes. Some people not from Nebraska think that tornadoes are something you’re constantly worried about.

Claudia Mir

Where do you live and what you love about it?

I currently live in Denver, Colorado and what I love about living here is how accessible it is to nature and the mostly sunny days year round

How long have you lived there?

I moved to Denver in November of 2019 after a big road trip around the west of the US.

Where are you originally from (if it’s different than where you currently live)?

I am originally from Puerto Rico ! Wepa!

What is your favorite local cuisine?

I haven’t found a local cuisine from Denver, but I can tell you my favorite from back home: Mofongo with skirt steak with a really cold Malta India.

What is your favorite part/lessons learned working with the diverse team at Traction Tools?

I’ve learned the importance of team collaboration as different points of views can help us come up with ideas that, as one, you might not have thought of.