This week, meet Call Center Supervisor Nancy Jones and National Accounts Manager Misty Lemon. When you stop by our offices, Nancy is one of the first smiling faces you'll see. As a supervisor, she's responsible for maintaining each representative's performance file. She also works with our reps when they need help assisting a customer. Translation: Nancy is always there when you need her! Misty, a certified sales superstar and mom of two boys, works closely with customers and co-workers alike to make sure each product is properly detailed for manufacturing. Her secret to getting the job done? Listening. Nancy Jones How long have you been with Magnets USA? Eight years. What’s the most rewarding part of the job? Working for a company that cares about their employees and their families. If you could give one piece of advice to a large group of people, what would it be? At this point in my life: “Don’t sweat the small stuff." What’s one of your favorite vacation memories? Beach trips with my entire family. Who are some of your favorite musicians? Led Zepplin, Jason Mraz and Tim McGraw. Misty Lemon How long have you been with Magnets USA? 15 years. What’s the best part of the job? Helping our clients market and promote their business. If they succeed, we succeed. It’s rewarding when you find out how our products really help increase sales and referrals. The testimonials prove that marketing really is effective. I also have passion for motivating, teaching and helping our sales staff learn to manage and help their customers be successful. It’s not about me, it’s about you and your business. Who in your life inspires you? Zig Ziglar is my inspiration. He made a difference in my life. Zig’s motivational speaking made me hungry to want something in life. My two also boys give me the motivation to get up every day. How do you relax after a busy day at work? Relax? Who gets to relax after work? I’m still working on perfecting the art of relaxation. It’s a goal of mine to learn to relax. What’s your TV show? My favorite shows are "Chicago Fire," "Two Broke Girls" and "Drop Dead Diva." This season, our eyes have been opened to the work of the Roanoke Rescue Mission.
Each day, this nonprofit feeds and shelters hundreds of area families experiencing financial and personal hardships. For far too many in our community, the Rescue Mission is a safe-haven against abuse, addiction, homelessness and hopelessness. Inspired by the Mission's intense dedication to the Roanoke Valley, our Magnets USA family wanted to lend a hand. We started last month by collecting donations for the Mission's Back 2 School Blast, an annual event that helps more than 1,500 children of low-income families prepare for the upcoming academic year. Craving an even more hands-on experience, several of our team members and their children gathered at the Mission early Saturday morning. In just two hours, we had peeled 200 pounds of potatoes and filled 250 brown bags with sandwiches, chips, cookies and condiments — and had a blast doing it. For us, helping at the Rescue Mission was a great opportunity to strengthen relationships that make our time at work even more meaningful. As a company rooted in the Roanoke Valley since its founding, we were thrilled to be a small part of such an expansive outreach. If you've ever wondered how to best market yourself and your business, Daniel is a great people to turn to. If you've ever thought about exploring Alaska, he's also great person to turn to! As an account executive, Daniel's job is to help our clients find the best marketing products and services for their business. One of the best ways to do that is to ask questions to get a feel for how his clients’ businesses work and suggest a product that best fits their industry or style. Daniel Turner How long have you been with Magnets USA? I’ve officially been with the company for nine years this month. What's the most rewarding part of the job? My favorite aspect of my job is building relationships with my clients. It’s really rewarding to get to work with so many great people for all these years. They seem more like friends than clients. If you could live someone else’s life for a day, who would you choose? I’m really into the marine aquarium hobby. So with that being said, I would love to be a retired millionaire with no other obligation than to scuba dive and explore the Great Barrier Reef. (I’ve never scuba dived before, but it’s on the bucket list.) If you had an unexpected day off, what would you do? I would probably pull a lazy day and go tubing on the New River. What’s the most exciting thing you’ve ever done? I would have to say my journey to Alaska with my father and brother several years ago. From deep-sea fishing for 30-plus-pound Halibut to whale-watching while on a glacier tour, Alaska has some of the most amazing sights I have ever seen. This week, meet two members of our IT department, Steve Bono and Travis Jones. These guys ensure that all our computers are healthy and happy. When a server, network or (shriek!) the Internet is down, Steve and Travis are on the scene, prepared to get everything back on track so we can all breathe easier. It's difficult to describe a typical day in IT because, outside of routine maintenance, anything can — and will — happen. Steve Bono How long have you been with Magnets USA? I'm in my 14th year. What’s the best part of the job? I find the most rewarding part of my job is the impact we see when we implement a new process, system, piece of equipment or fix an outstanding issue, either for an individual or for the company as a whole. If you won the lottery, what’s the first thing you would do? I would sit down with a financial adviser. I read an article once that suggested more than 50 percent of lottery winners are bankrupt within five years, and I would not want to fall into that category. What’s one of your favorite childhood memories? My family used to vacation in Maine every year when I was younger. Unlike the beaches in the south, pine forests butt right up against the coastline in much of New England. I can clearly remember, as a child, the feeling on your bare feet as you walk across soft beds of fallen pine needles on your trek out to the beach. If you could witness any historical event, what would it be? This is a tough one to answer — my degree was in history and I love learning about historical events. If I was just there to witness the event and I couldn't have any direct effect on it, I would have to say the early 1940s in America. It would have been amazing to see the transformation in our country as everyone pitched in to help in the war effort. Travis Jones How long have you been with Magnets USA? Since December of 2013. What’s the best part of the job? Fixing a problem that you have been working on for weeks. What’s your idea of a perfect day? When everyone’s having an awesome day, it tends to make my day perfect! When was the last time you had an amazing meal? Nawab, Indian food buffet! This week, we'd like to you meet one of our graphic designers, Geoff Thomas, and Erin Zurawka, our order provisioning supervisor. Like all our designers, Geoff is top-notch and dedicated to making your vision a reality. A typical day spans the gamut — creating proofs for customer orders, designing new products, evaluating incoming artwork, creating custom designs and preparing files for printing or running the printing press. As an administrative leader, Erin is a liaison between our customers and the graphics department. She ensures that orders are moving through the process and assists representatives with questions about orders and artwork. Geoff ThomasHow long have you been with Magnets USA? Nine years. What’s the best part of the job? Every day is different. What are three words that best describe your personality? Creative, unconventional and sarcastic. What’s the one modern convenience you couldn’t live without? Air-conditioning. If you were a super hero for a day, what would your power be? To stop time — that way, I could keep my power longer. Erin Zurawka How long have you been with Magnets USA? Almost 13 years. What’s the most rewarding part of the job? Working for a small company, I know my voice is heard. I’ve seen the company grow and improve exponentially based on employee and customer feedback. It’s been a great experience! If you won $1 million, how would you spend it? Traveling around the world in luxury. Who's your favorite musician? Justin Timberlake. I’ve seen him five times in concert in the past year! Beach or mountains? Mountains. Snowy mountains. Let it snow! |