Brighten your work week by meeting two of our sales specialists, Angie Bohon and Heather Pendleton. Each day, we are inspired by their driven personalities and sincere belief in all the products and services we offer.

How long have you been with Magnets USA? Since May 27.

What does a typical day at the office look like? Mailing list, mailing information, online chat, occasional phone conversation, mailing list, mailing list, online chat, mailing information — oh, did I mention we have a full mailing service? It can save you time and money, so you should probably add that to your order today!

What's the best part of the job? The family atmosphere. We're a very laid-back company that is GREAT to work for!

What's one of your proudest accomplishments? Actually I have two accomplishments in my life and those are my children! My son is 20 and my daughter is 15.

What are some of your favorite things about living in Roanoke? Being surrounded by the beautiful mountains, and it's the perfect size for a town — not too big or too small.

How long have you been with Magnets USA? One year and about 3 months.

What does a typical day at the office look like? Making lots of follow-up calls and helping customers get all the information gathered for their orders.

What’s the most rewarding part of the job? Being able to direct customers to the perfect products for their marketing needs and being surrounded by my co-workers. Also, one of my favorite experiences and most rewarding things about working at  Magnets USA has been using my love for photography to photograph our beautiful cutlery. (If you have not purchased our cutlery yet, you are missing out!) I have worked first-hand with each and every knife, and I can assure  you that the quality and the price are unbeatable.

Who in your life inspires you? My parents, my son and my grandmother. My parents are always there to put my life into perspective when I am out of line. My son reminds me daily to slow life down and take it all in — basically to “stop and smell the flowers."  My grandmother radiates an amazing amount of love and support whenever I am around her or talk to her.

What's your biggest passion? My biggest passion would be my photography. It has inspired me to take my love for the art a step further and start my own photography business (Sweet P Photography by Heather Pendleton, for all you local folks.) I am in love with all art, like painting and making new things. I like to test my abilities, even though sometimes I fail miserably!

This week, meet marketing consultant Brittany Wilson. The best part of her job? Building meaningful relationships with their customers. See what she say about this, and discover her passions outside of the office.

How long have you been with Magnets USA? Four years, five months.

What’s the most rewarding part of the job? Working with customers year after year. You get to learn so much about them and their families. It really lets you know they are happy with your service when they call back to order with you.

What’s one of your proudest accomplishments? I have accomplished several things that I am proud of, but the most recent was this spring. I had talked about making a flower bed around my house for a year and a half. It took me six hours to till the yard, shape the flower bed and plant the flowers. Now five months later, the flowers have doubled in size and are more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. I do not have a “Green Thumb,” but I definitely  did something right this time. I'm very proud of myself for making something my daughter can enjoy as well. She loves to water them, and seeing her smell them and point out which one is her favorite makes me happy.

What are your biggest passions? Scrapbooking. I have been working on one scrapbook for four years now, ever since my daughter was born. Just the thought of giving it to her when she is all grown up makes it even more special. Fishing is also another passion of mine. I could spend hours sitting on a dock beside a pond.

What are a few of your favorite places in the Roanoke Valley? My first would have to be the Mill Mountain Zoo. I have so many wonderful memories going there as a kid that I want to make sure my daughter experiences it like I got to. Another is Scott's Strawberry Farm. You have never really tasted a strawberry until you’ve  pick your own fresh from the field.

Kicking off week 13 of our Meet the Team series are Donnie Martin, director of sales and marketing, and Becky Wills, national account manager for Keller Williams Realty.

As a leader, Donnie works closely with each part of our team to make sure Magnets USA is heading in the right direction. Outside of work, Donnie is a father of two boys and a die-hard South Carolina Gamecocks fan.

A member of our team for almost a decade, Becky's intense dedication to our customers is inspiring. You'll often find Becky traveling around the country to different trade shows, because for her, nothing beats meeting with our customers face-to-face.

How long have you been with Magnets USA? Six years.

What’s the most rewarding part of the job? While Magnets USA is a place of learning, creativity and some of the best clients and co-workers you could ever want, I would have to say the best part is working with my wife. Does that keep me out of the dog house, honey?

What does a typical day at the office look like? My day generally consists of seeking the most effective way to support our Magnets USA family in providing our clients a quality buying experience.

If you could choose anyone dead or alive, who would you pick as your mentor? My father and both of my grandfathers. I lost each of these role models before age five. Don't get me wrong, my mother and many great male role models have provided great inspiration to me, but I would've loved to have had their influence in my life.

If you could only work on one project for the next year, what would it be? Streamlining our website.

What was the last experience that made you a stronger person? Most recently, I have seen a friend of mine battle a horrific illness. As I reflect on the challenges she and her family have faced, I'm reminded of the grace that is provided for us each day. It’s easy to forget with all of our the day-to-day activities how precious life is and how fortunate we are to have each day.

How long have you been with Magnets USA? Nine years, with one year off to care for my parents before they passed away.

What's the best part of the job? Everything — I love what I do! That makes it better than a "just a job."  I love when a customer thanks me for helping them, or when I get a call from a new customer due to a referral. Realtors say all the time that the highest compliment they can receive is a referral from a past client, and I know how strong and meaningful this statement really is.

What does a typical day at work look like? Coffee, clock in and then help our fantastic customers with whatever their needs may be. When I clock out, I'm wishing there were more hours in the work day — except on Fridays!

What's your greatest accomplishment? I have been blessed with a lot of accomplishments: I was the first female in the Service and Warranty department of a local fire truck manufacturer. A female telling a fire chief what's wrong with his new fire truck? I loved it!

But most of all, I'm proud of raising my family with strong ethics and values handed down from my parents and seeing those being passed on to my grandchildren. Being told by my granddaughter that her mom is so much like me is priceless!

If you could give one piece of advice to a large group of people, what would it be? In business, always look at things in two different ways — first from the customer's point of view and then from the company's, keeping the customer's best interest in mind. Without the customers, there would not be a company.

What are some of your favorite hobbies? I don't have much time for hobbies, but home-style cooking is one thing I love! I also cross-stitch when I have time, mostly in the winter.  Oh, and a quick Candy Crush fix or jigsaw puzzle every day!

Who's had the biggest influence on your life? My mom and dad. Dad's advice: Always treat others the way you would want to be treated, and if you fall, get up, try again and make it right. He didn't believe in the word failure. There are other pieces of advice from him, but I don't think I should post those here — he had a great sense of humor! Mom's advice: Be nice! She was a dearly loved, sweet lady.

They say everything is bigger in Texas. That certainly rings true for Keller Williams Mega Camp, a dynamic conference for top-producing real estate agents, brokers and owners from around the word. Held each year in Austin, Mega Camp also welcomes hundreds of vendors that culminate in a high-energy Mega Market.

For 15 years, Magnets USA has been a proud participant and a Keller Williams-approved vendor. Last week, several members of our sales and marketing teams flew down to the Live Music Capital, ready to help out agents with our magnetic marketing products and LifeLong Cutlery. Celebrating its Mega Camp debut, LifeLong Cutlery was received with open arms.

So here are a few important things we took away from the show:

1. Agents love that we can engrave their homeowner's name on the handle of each knife. By doing this, we're able to extend our cutlery beyond just a great marketing tool and closing gift. With one simple word, a knife can truly become a generational piece — something for a family to treasure forever.
2. Seeing our customers face-to-face always gets us. Throughout the year, our sales reps spend a lot of time on the phone carefully helping clients through orders, answering questions about artwork and suggesting products to fit their needs. While we love talking to you via phone, seeing you at trade shows is the best.
3. Austin's color is invigorating. During our downtime, our team spent some time exploring — and tasting — Austin's culture. We were able to tour the Capitol, take a stroll down Sixth Street and sample some amazing barbecue, jalapeño-infused grits, cornbread and brisket.

Mark Willis (center), CEO of Keller Williams Realty and LifeLong Cutlery user, poses with Cutlery Specialist Daniel Turner (left) and Magnets USA founder Dale Turner.

Free handle engraving was a show hit.

This week, we're celebrating two of our creative masterminds, Katy Adkins and Ray Samonte. Learn a little about what these dedicated graphic designers love doing on and off the clock.

How long have you been with Magnets USA? Eight years in October.

What’s the most rewarding part of the job? I love getting feedback from customers praising a design I created or had a hand in.

What does a typical day at work look like? I have the pleasure of using my creativity every day to create designs for the company and for our customers.

What’s the best vacation you’ve ever been on? My husband and I went to the Grand Canyon on our honeymoon five years ago. It was truly unbelievable, breathtaking and an experience I will never forget.

How would spend an unexpected day off? I would spend it with my three-year-old son, Ace, making sure we included his favorite things — the park, trains and ice cream!

How long have you been with Magnets USA? Exactly one year and two days.

What's the best part of the job? Having a chance to do what I love to do, which is being creative. My co-workers are pretty cool, too. Also, Friday lunches.

What does a typical day in the office look like? Clock in. Brew some coffee. Make proofs while listening to some fantasy football podcast. Brew more coffee. Make proofs while listening to some music on Spotify, Pandora or iHeart radio. Eat lunch. Brew more coffee and maybe grab some candy from Tara's desk. Do more proofs. Clock out.

What’s the best adventure you’ve been on? Traveling to Egypt. Aside from fulfilling my childhood dream of riding a camel, I had a chance to experience Egypt's culture, meet the people, taste the food, learn more of their very rich history and see some really, really, really old stuff.

What brought you to Roanoke? I moved here to be closer to family.

What are some of your interests outside of work? Aside from design, I love watching and playing sports, reading about new gadgets and apps, camping and fishing.