Keep Calm and Carry on, has been my mantra all week.   It’s been a really crazy week.   It’s now finally Friday, and seeing these Custom oval magnets in production, I just had to call the owner Mary Beth and ask to use these bad boys as our Magnet of the Week!

This design was made in 1939 by the British Government intended to raise moral during the beginning of the Second World War.   The posters were rediscovered in 2000 and have been re-issued by tons of companies as a decorative theme for major labels and products.

In this case these magnets are being sold in a nautical themed retail store, visit them online: http://www.shipshatch.com/

Save the Date Magnets are not just for weddings!  We see family reunions, company picnics, birthdays, christenings and tons more – anything that has a date, can be a reminder on your fridge (or lamp, or car, or speaker, or frame… you get the point)!

If you’re looking to order some Save the Date Magnets and save some cash go visit the Save the Date page on our Magnets.com website – Click on our Google+ icon and when we reach 100+’s we will be releasing a huge coupon – comment on this post to be notified when we reach our goal!

Next in our “Inside Magnets.com Series” is a profile from Michael fom our art department.

He took the time to answer a few questions for us:

What’s the most challenging aspect about laying out the artwork prior to it being printed?

The greatest challenge to imposition layouts is maximizing the amount of live job/art space used per sheet. This, sometimes intricate puzzle work, reduces waste and allows us to offer a better price for our customers.

A well imposed sheet can also reduce further production time substantially.

How satisfying is it to be the first person to see the customer’s design being printed?

I think it’s great. Printing methods have come a long way over the last few years. Coming from an art background, its always great to see designs leave the press.

What advise can you give customers trying to design their artwork for the first time?

That’s a difficult question. Always leave a large margin, it will give your final piece room to breathe. Always let us know if you’re trying to match a particular color, as every press uses different color profiles.

Since you have seen thousands of designs since you’ve starting work at Magnets.com, what is your favorite color combination?

There are many appealing color combinations. I like simple solids with typography that really speaks. Cool Grays and deep Reds seem to be popular at the moment.

When did you start? And I hear you have a newborn daughter?! How old is she?

I started working here in May of last year. Before magnets.com, I was Art Director/Production Manager for a MinuteMan Press. My daughter (Paisley) is 8 months old.

As the “voice” of Magnets.com, the customer service team consists of many talented people. The Spotlight would like to introduce you to one of those talented people: Jason Tabucbuc. Starting in early February of this year, Jason has been giving sound customer service and advice to many customers. Adept at helping customers navigate our Web site and respond to any type of design question, Jason has been a valuable asset to the team.

Q: What do you feel the most important role of customer service is at an e-commerce company?

A:  A large part of Magnets.com and Customized Stickers’ success comes from treating customers with the utmost respect while also providing a unique personalized, caring touch. I strongly believe that customer service is a company-wide commitment, not just a department. Therefore, everyone here plays an important role in building long-term customer relationships.

Q: How do you feel about your fellow co-workers in the customer service department?

A: We make a great team. They’re my heroes, especially Adam and Cody.

[Editor’s Note: For more insight on Adam, see Blogging Magnet’s Spotlight on April 22, 2011; as for Cody, this cute and lovable German Shorthaired Pointer is Magnet.com’s Director of Security.]

Q: Thinking back about your first day on the job, what was the most important aspect of your role that you’ve learned so far?

A: Just have fun. Magnets.com is a great company to work for. I love being on the phone and helping customer’s with their needs.

Jason just reiterates the point that we here at Magnets.com pride ourselves on having the best customer service in the industry. They are well-versed at helping you with all your orders and needs. Give us a call and you will see for yourself. With that, Magnets.com would like to wish safe and fun Memorial Day.

One of the most important departments within Magnets.com is the art department and we would like to introduce you to its newest member:  Michael Gonzales. Beginning his tenure at Magnets.com  in early March, he has quickly become one of our stars. Prior to coming to us, Michael was a freelancer.

Q: Why did you choose to pursue a career in graphic design?

A: Graphic Design seemed to be the most rewarding career path that I could pursue while being able to serve a purpose as well as expressing my inner abilities. Being slightly hearing impaired greatly affected my decision.  It is said that what you lack in one of your senses, you make up for it with another. “Visual Communication” just made a lot of sense to me.

Q: As an artist, what do you find to be the most challenging aspect of the position? …the most satisfying?

A: The most challenging aspect has to be translating another person’s idea and putting it to the canvas while making sure my “touches” doesn’t overwhelm their idea/personality. The most satisfying aspect comes on the opposite end when the customer/client really loves the final design, something that the both of us can be proud of.

Q: What do you like to do when you are not a work?

A: I am a diehard supporter of the New York Red Bulls (fans love the game, supporters live the game).  During the MLS season, my life is consumed by soccer. When I’m not busy rooting for or following the team, I like to relax by reading up on new technologies or by spending some time outdoors, most likely flying a kite.

Q: As the newest member of the art team, what are your initial thoughts about the department?

A: The art department is definitely the most dynamic group I’ve ever worked with. We all get along really well and seem to feed off of each other’s ideas and passion for design. I am really enjoying my time here so far!

Magnets.com definitely agrees with Michael regarding the art department. They’re creative and hard-working. We also want to add that they’re hard work comes at no extra charge – simply send us your information, photos and artwork and Michael and the rest of the team will get right to work perfecting your design.

Let’s visit the marketing team again and introduce you to Matthew. Matthew joined the company in late January of 2011 as product manager and brings many years of experience in various industries (Marketing Communications, Human Resources Consulting, and Promotional Products) to the department.

Q: What do you love most about Magnets.com?

A: In this world of economic uncertainty, especially in the business world, I love the fact that Magnets.com is expanding. Whether it is purchasing other companies or hiring people almost on a weekly basis, it is comforting to know that the leadership of this organization is confident in its product and message and continues to grow.

Q: What’s the best part about being a Product Manager?

A: That’s an easy question . . . I enjoy looking for new products to expand our current offering of quality product. I specifically look for products that will make any promotional campaign a success for our customers who purchase them at cost effective prices.

Q: Since you are a history buff, what’s your favorite period?

A: I have a few in fact. My top three though will have to be the American Revolution, American Civil War and Ancient Greek history. I enjoy reading and discussing all types of history but these three have to be my favorite. Sometimes I amaze my colleagues by answering tough trivia questions about presidents long past. In addition, if you give me a town name in New Jersey, I can tell you if there were any battles or skirmishes in that town during the American Revolution.

Q: What’s your favorite word?

A: Petrichor – it’s the name of the scent that rain makes on dry ground…you know that smell, especially in the summer. It comes from petra, the Greek word for stone or earth and ichor, the blood or fluid that flows in the veins of the Greek gods of mythology.

That is a pretty cool word and I know exactly what that word describes. Stay tuned and read the next Spotlight series from Blogging Magnets.

Making our way back to our talented graphic design department, let’s introduce you to Abe. Abe joined our team in March of 2010 and his design skills and ‘outside the box’ aesthetic has brought us and our customers a lot of success. He surely has a keen eye for professional and corporate design.

Q:  So what made you want to pursue a career in Graphic Design?

A:  My God given talent of course! Haha I’m just kidding. Honestly to me, that’s just a small part of what makes a great designer. I love interacting with clients and bringing their vision to life, while adding my own twist and perspective to their piece. It’s also really rewarding when you see the finished product of your work being displayed. Be it a poster, magnet, logo, or ad, I still get that warm feeling of excitement.

Q:  Who are some of your favorite graphic artists? Did they inspire you to study this field?

A:  No one in particular, I’m mostly inspired by design firms such as Pentagram where their concepts surpass the norm and push the envelope.

Q:  What was your favorite design class in school and why?

A:  My favorite class was definitely Typography and Identity. That class taught me how to properly use type, color, patterns and texture and my professor was brilliant.

Q:  What are some of your favorite hobbies?

A:  I love to do urban photography and I’m obsessed with collecting sneakers. I currently have approximately 120 pairs of kicks. My favorite sneakers are the Undefeated Nike Dunks.

I must say, that’s really impressive and these sneakers are pretty cool. Come back soon to learn about our new Product Manager Matt!

Heading back over to the customer service department, let us introduce you to Adam. If you’ve had the pleasure of speaking with Adam over the phone or via e-mail, then you know how much of a jokester he is. Since January of 2008, his colorful personality and cheerful attitude continues to entertain while helping our customers.

Q:  Alrighty Adam, you have more hobbies than anyone I know – what are some of your favorites?

A:  Wow it’s really hard to pick favorites. I love creating laser light shows for different events such as weddings, birthdays and concerts. I have a passion for drumming and electronic percussion, and I’m addicted to martial arts. I love to go on nature walks and go camping; but most of all, I like to hang out with good people, listen to great music, and eat delicious food. I always have a great time!

Q:  How did you fall into this field?

A:  When I was 16, I met a great guy who was a stockbroker and I started to work for him cold calling people to buy and sell stocks over the phone. Soon after my company sent me to a one month ‘Art of Selling’ course in Colorado where I worked 14+ hours a day. That’s where I discovered my natural people skills and I learned how to make the customer my number one priority.

Q:  What do you love most about your job?

A:  Giving our customers the BEST service along with the BEST product makes me really happy! It makes it easier for me to honestly stand behind a product and make my message stick to our customers. Hehe get it?

Q:  What is the biggest thing you’ve learned on the job?

A:  Being a consumer myself, I’ve learned how important it is to treat our customers like family and to be highly knowledgeable about the products. If not, people start to lose confidence in the product as well as the company. We have a library of repeat customers coming in daily. These customers are savvy, they know what they want, and they have done their homework. That’s why it’s important to be on top of your game by researching industry trends and conducting routine competitor analyses so that you can help your customers find the best and most effective products for their needs.

Now that’s some great advice Adam. Come back next week to learn about another one of our talented graphic designers, Abe.

Fred is like your favorite uncle in the family. His laugh is contagious, he gives us the best advice, and he’s an extremely helpful and wholesome guy. Fred, A.K.A the ‘laminator master’, has been the Production Manager of our team since December of 2009. We call him the ‘laminator master’ because that’s his favorite machine and he laminates all of our products wonderfully.

Q:  So Fred, what is your favorite aspect of production here at Magnets.com?

A:  I love that I’m my own boss. My machines never let me down and if there is a slight hiccup, I am the only one who knows how to fix it. They’re like my children!  

Q:  We’re always amazed on how you handle these machines, have you always worked with print machinery?

A:  I certainly have. I’ve always been a hands-on type of guy, and ever since my first job at a printing company, I realized how much I love the print industry. The power and speed of the machines never cease to amaze me.  

Q:  What are some of your favorite hobbies?

A:  I love to go fishing, it’s my time to meditate with the tranquil and relaxing sound and motions of the water. I also love my football – GO JETS! Most of all, I like to go see my favorite rock bands play live.

Q:  Fred, now that you are recently engaged, are you excited to get this new chapter of your life rolling?

A:  Quite frankly, I’ve waited to find someone like her for a long time and I am super excited to spend the rest of my life with the woman of my dreams. We will be moving to Brooklyn soon and I can’t wait to see what life has in store for me.  

Congrats Fred! We wish you and your new fiancé tons of love, health and happiness.