Packaging Corporation of America’s Post

Meet Ainsley: MAGNA's Excel whiz! If there’s a problem that needs solving, Ainsley’s the first to volunteer. With her expert-level knowledge of Excel, she skillfully combines logical and creative approaches to problem-solving. When not at work, Ainsley enjoys solving puzzles or building with Legos, and in her downtime, she loves watching videos while cuddling up with her dog. Get to know Ainsley by reading on! 📌 Years in Industry & Career Evolution "I've been handling casual admin tasks for years. Since joining MAGNA, I've tackled more projects that extend beyond the typical admin job description.” 📌 Most Memorable MAGNA Project "My most memorable tasks involve using Excel to create master project and client databases, and complex spreadsheets involving macros originally written in French 😰. These contributions earned me the title 'Excel Wizard'." 📌 Major Career Milestone "Being called the Excel Wizard is a pretty cool milestone. Completing those spreadsheets was also significant; basically, whenever any of my work can be used by—or helps—the rest of the team, I consider it a major milestone." 📌 What They Enjoy Most at MAGNA "The flexible schedule! I love being able to adjust my work hours to fit my school schedule." 📌 Skills Utilized in Role "✨Excel✨" 📌 Exciting Future Opportunities "We're a very unique and capable civil engineering firm, so that'll help us capture some exciting opportunities." 📌 Turning a Bad Day Around "When I have a bad day, it's usually because I haven't eaten, so I eat, watch a movie, and sleep." 📌 Childhood Dream Job "I wanted to be a math teacher because I loved math! These days, however, I’m exploring archeology and anthropology." MAGNA appreciates Ainsley’s analytical reasoning and problem-solving abilities. Her willingness to help team members come up with efficient solutions is a testament to the dedication and spirit that drive our company. #EmployeeSpotlight #CorporateServices #MAGNAEngineering #NaturalizedWastewater #Stormwater #NatureBasedInfrastructure

Age 17: Became a glazing apprentice at my cousins small business 'coz all of my high school mates did. Age 19: Realised glazing had ceiling and wanted more, so I started studying business at night school. Age 20: Quit glazing to apply for special entry to Uni (didn't have the grades for normal entry). Age 22: 2 years into my degree, transferred to RMIT in Melbourne after a painful breakup to challenge myself. Age 25: Landed my dream job. Head of marketing for public finance company with my first direct report, earning $100K a year. Age 27: MELTDOWN! Redundant from dream job, relationship ended. Deep inner emptiness. Age 29: Started Alchemy Breathwork Grew a client base on +1,200 people, did over half a mil, and built a team of 4. Age 32: Massive misalignment with my core values, lost passion, stopped enjoying helping people heal trauma - MELTDOWN round 2! Age 33: Present time. Discovered what I LOVE doing, am very good at, and people desperately want... and it's a high value service so I can charge a lot. Launched ICON, Stand Out brand development for legacy-fueled people. My point is... We’re always evolving. And those of us who 'wake up' to ourselves, face our issues, and actively choose to live the most incredible life possible will rise and fall on the journey. That's OK. The more difficult the challenges, the more incredible highlight reel we get to look back on when our time is up. You either get incredible success or an incredible story. Sometimes it's both, either way, they're both a win. May your vision be greater than your perceived personal limitations.

Changing the logo had many reasons, not just one, not two, but 101 reasons! Can you guess what's one of them? Hint: It's mentioned above. Know more: https://lset.uk/ #LogoEvolution #BrandingJourney #CreativeProcess #IdentityTransformation

🎉 Excited to share that I've completed my 5th semester in Industrial Design! Yesterday's design jury was an eye-opener, receiving valuable feedback that not only enhanced my design but also provided profound insights. This semester was a journey filled with errors, and I'll admit to making plenty of mistakes. However, each misstep became a stepping stone for learning and growth. It's fascinating how design juries are more than just evaluations; they shed light on our professional attitude through design, in just a few hours, jurors perceive us both as designers and individuals. Choosing Industrial Design has been a rewarding decision – beyond honing my design skills, it's a journey of self-discovery. Here's to continuous learning and embracing the surprises this field brings! 🚀

After 3 challenging, enlightening and foundational years I am thrilled to announce my graduation with Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing and Management Science Cum Laude at the IMM Graduate School. 🎓 When I completed matric, I remember my dad telling me I needed to find a little admin job because I certainly wasn’t going to be sitting at home doing nothing until varsity started. What followed was the start of my journey at Paintmaster SA PTY (Ltd) as an admin assistant. The time flew by, and before I knew it, varsity was around the corner. The initial plan was always to study, study hard and complete my degree. After getting a little taste of the working world. I thought, hang on… I’m digging this new independent working woman! How can I make them both work? So it started. Office work by day, night shift hitting the books at night. I look back at it now, and wonder how on earth I did it? I came to the realisation that once you get into a routine, it becomes easy. Having a routine, and being disciplined enough to stick to it. Is one of the key lessons I have learnt these last 3 years. Now, 3 years later as the Marketing Manager at PaintMaster SA. I am proud to look back at my journey, and the growth I’ve been fortunate enough to experience. The late nights were providing me with knowledge, I got to apply to my work the next day. It has given me so much insight and value in the early years of my career. All I’m thinking now is, what’s the next 3 years routine going to be? #Graduated #Marketing #BusinessManagement #Growth #WhatsNext?

So, I am going to flesh this out into an article, but I gave a talk to the Multimedia 3rd years at Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography this week. Wessie Van Der Westhuizen asked me to share some things about what it's like to work in our industry and what working at We Are Batch is like. As usual, I didn't follow the brief (😂) and decided to put together 12 tips on how to stay sane when working in our industry. They ended up being a combination of things that I wish someone told me when I was a student about to venture into the working world and some general things I have learned from my years in the industry so far. Please be sure to stand by for the full article, but till then, here are my 12 tips without elaboration. 1. No one owes you anything. Ever. 2. You always have a choice. So set and enforce those boundaries, personally + professionally. 3. Stand up for yourself and stand up for others. 4. Get a fucking hobby because you are not your work. 5. People who want the best you, are the people who can stay. 6. The only race you are in is the race with yourself. 7. Failing is succeeding. 8. You want to have imposter syndrome.   9. Don’t take advice from someone who doesn’t already have what you want. 10. Words are empty without actions. 11. Do what you need to do so your future self can benefit. 12. Learn to work with money and do your taxes. If you have any tips you feel should take the place of mine, let me know, and I will be happy to discuss this in the comments. Recommendations are also welcome! #tips #creativeagency #creativeindustry #stayingsane #productionstudio #working

KBB installation crisis… I suppose 3am is the perfect time to wade through the photo album…right? iCloud is screaming to free up space and the realisation hits that my storage is 99% kitchen based and 1% percent family. Hmmm, that needs to change quickly. That aside, I came across an old photo of me during the installation of the first displays at our Bakewell showroom, 9 years ago. I have absolutely no recollection of the photo been taken (as I was probably asleep), nor do I have any memories of ever having hair 🤔 I can’t express how much I miss being on the tools. The immense sense of satisfaction of installing a kitchen, to which clients had worked so hard to earn. Those nerve shreading first few days of dust clouds and hoping that it will all be worth it. For me, working as part of a team of craftspeople, with a common goal and sense of pride. Knowing that a days hard work would be rewarding in so many ways, beyond that of financial renumeration. And that feeling of truly being your own boss. All these traits seem to have slipped away in recent years. Trying to find installers with pride in their work or even an ounce of empathy, is nigh on impossible and even more so in smaller communities. A select few want to do as little as possible, for as much as possible. A cringe worthy monopoly, with a “take it, or leave it” mentality. Vague quotes sent via text message with a client never knowing if today….will they actually turn up? 10am arrival. Brew until 11. Lunch at 12. Another brew at 14:00. Gone at 15:00. How many hours work was that for £300?! And yet, where is the encouragement for the next generation? Who is offering support for apprenticeships? Why is focus within our eduction on applying pigeon hole targets, instead of practical life skills and allowing educators to encourage and nurture. We are lucky enough to have an employed installer, who was trained ‘old school’. Who doesn’t spend all day glued to social media and has an immense sense of pride in his work. And yet, I already see in him what happened to me….first the back, then the knees….but I guess somebody has to keep the pharmaceutical companies busy with pain relief production. I know I’m preaching to the converted, but we do need to come together and shout a little louder. Those of us with KBB showrooms, who work so hard to secure sales and yet have sleepless nights hoping the install goes well and snagging is kept to a minimum. It’s our name on the kitchen/bathroom and it’s our name the clients will remember…for good or for bad. #installation #installers #kbb #retailers #showroom

The logo is good to go...

Monday mind burp... Reflecting on my visit to New Designers last Thursday, it struck me quite how much now rides on the choice of major project at the start of each student's final year. LI is now full of posts from chuffed graduates celebrating (rightfully) their award wins and recognition, but much like many award wins in industry, the winners projects are somewhat predictable....in the sense that the awarding institution tends to highlight student work that reflects their own brand portfolio or market inhabitance. Homeware brands typically award prizes to students who have tackled homeware projects. The same goes for medical, toys, consulting... I have no issue with the students who win these awards. They are worthy winners, but I feel somewhat sorry for the students who tackle projects that don't fit into these categories. The stuff that is tricky or knotty and feels slightly unresolved because it is tricky or knotty. Complicated stuff that isn't neat. Stuff that doesn't look great in a press release. Loose ends. Scrappy prototypes. It also means that there tends to be a somewhat cyclical pattern to major projects. Stuff that does well. Stuff about the size of a football (or smaller) that can sit on a plinth and present itself as resolved and beautiful. Stuff people can wrap their heads around in a few minutes without needing to dig deeper. Don't get me wrong. That's what I advise 4th year students to do, because I know how the system works and how people get noticed. That doesn't make it right. It's no reflection on the students. They are doing what they know will get the best marks. It's more a reflection of the industry rewarding predictability, and institutions pushing students to do stuff that they know will do well. Ultimately you end up with a form of homogeneity I guess... Who knows...just an observation...

Career & Technical Education courses prepare students for bright futures. Read our latest blog to see how MooreCo can outfit a sleek cosmetology studio that teaches professional skills while fostering an environment where students celebrate the uniqueness of every individual, cultivating empathy, patience, and respect for others. https://hubs.ly/Q02bffhD0