The Case-Mate Blog: Make A Statement

How long have you been working for case-mate? Tell us about what you do here.
I have been working at case-mate for about 3 and a half years. I’m the Marketing Director, I work very closely with the creative team and other marketing team members with our products, packaging, images, copy, etc… if its got case-mate written on it, I probably have a hand in it.

What/where was your first job?
Metro North Soccer Sideline Referee it was the only job that hired 14 year olds at the time other than McDonald’s.

What phone do you currently use? Love it or hate it?
iPhone 3GS – Obsessed with it, it’s my second child.

What was your first cell phone?
Nokia 5110. I loved it, it had a few interchangeable faceplates and everything…

What features do you look for in a case?
Mainly form factor, protection and looks. I’m abusive to my phones, I need something slim and protective.

What’s your favorite case?
Tough/Hybrid, without a doubt. Best case out there.

Where is the craziest / funniest place your phone has ever been in?
Well, there are a few. I’m pretty sure there are about 5 of my phones at the bottom of lake lanier right now…

Favorite case-mate story?
There’s a lot. The Savannah retreat, the time Shashi (our CEO) went to the hospital for a self inflicted eye wound, and basically all the nights that involve case-mate employees and alcohol…
BUT my favorite is when Shashi sprayed KK (Director of Sales) in the face (and basically the whole office) with pepper spray as a joke. This was on the day we were supposed to move to our new office – no one could even enter the building.

Favorite website or news-source?
drudgereport.com and reddit.com

Favorite you-tube video?
It changes from month to month, but this is this month’s is The Morning Benders – “Excuses” Yours Truly session.

Favorite phone app?
Newsrack/Doodlejump

Guilty pleasures?
Sometimes I watch American Idol when my wife turns it on… only sometimes though… when she makes me watch it… cant believe they kicked off Katelyn…

What can’t you live without?
My MacBook Pro/iPhone, its almost scary how dependent I am.

When you’re not working at case-mate, what do you do with your spare time?
I spend as much time as I possibly can with my 1 year old son. He’s currently in case-mate training and will be starting in a few weeks as an intern. If my son isn’t there I turn to my guitar.

How long have you been working for case-mate? What is your new role?
Two weeks (2/15 was my first day). My position is “Project Manager.” I will coordinate industrial design for new product launches, manage the vendor communications, including negotiation, sampling, sourcing and quality control.

What did you do before coming to case-mate?
I worked for EA International and International Greetings USA before I came to case-mate. EA designs and produces the packaging for home textile, cosmetic, toys, shoes and garments. International Greetings USA does gift wrapping paper, gift bags, greeting cards, bows, photo frame and other stationary. I worked as a buyer & in product development for both companies.

What phone do you currently use? Love it or hate it?
Blackberry 8130. I like the color, red.

What was your first cell phone?
Samsung Anycall.

What features do you look for in a case?
Something that’s stylish and convenient.

What’s your favorite case?
The case-mate I.D. case.

Where is the craziest / funniest place or situation your phone has ever been in?
I often forget where I leave my phone. Once, I left my phone on a table on my deck. Of course, it started raining later in the day and by the time I realized I’d left my phone out, it didn’t work anymore. I took off the battery and wiped off the water, used a hairdryer to air it out, but it still didn’t work. I finally gave up, thinking I’d have to buy another phone even though I’d just bought this one a couple months prior. Two days later, I tried the phone again without any expectations, I was surprised that it worked, but I could barley hear anything. After another two days, it went completely back to normal.

Favorite website or news-source?
I always go to alibaba.com to source new suppliers and I like to check out tech news from Google news which always has lots of updates for the telecommunications industry.

Favorite you-tube video?
Anything funny.

Guilty pleasures?
I like eating chips and other snacks while watching movies. I know it’s unhealthy, but just can’t help doing it.

When you’re not working at case-mate, what do you do with your spare time?
In my spare time, I like to play with my lovely daughter Fiona who is now 19 months old. Before Fiona was born, I enjoyed spending time cooking and watching movies.

Please join us in welcoming Jackie Barnett to the case-mate family. Here’s a little bit about her to get y’all acquainted:

How long have you been working for case-mate? What is your new role?
One week and counting. Basically I’ll be cashing some checks and breaking some necks in the Sales Department.

What did you do before coming to case-mate?
I was living and working in Barcelona, Spain for the past year. Fue la mejor experiencia de mi vida hasta ahora en “el mundo de case-mate!”

What phone do you currently use? Love it or hate it?
LG Xenon. Hate it, but it was free, and I like free things.

What was your first cell phone?
Mmmmm, I believe it was a Nokia 6150 with a sunflower faceplate cover. She was a beaut.

What features do you look for in a case?
Creative design aesthetics and durability.

What’s your favorite case?
The gray/pink Hybrid Tough. It’s girly and strong at the same time… just like me

Where is the craziest / funniest place or situation your phone has ever been in?
There’s no telling, but I’m sure it saw some illegal activity with the thief that stole it from me on a Barcelona train. Unfortunately, I never saw that phone again.

Favorite web site or news-source?
The Wall Street Journal. It’s the most balanced and objective medium of news I’ve been able to find, which is really refreshing in a society that constantly tries to eliminate the consumer’s ability to form their own individual beliefs and opinions. I wake up early every morning to read it.

Favorite you-tube video?
One of my favorites is the Mobile, Alabama leprechaun news clip. It had me laughing to the point of tears.

Favorite phone app?
SitOrSquat: Bathroom Finder. It locates the nearest bathroom to your immediate location, when well, your needs are immediate.

Guilty pleasures?
Trashy celebrity mags and pretty shoes.

When you’re not working at case-mate, what do you do with your spare time?
I love being outdoors and with my wonderful friends. So I try to do as much of both as I can.

How long have you been working for case-mate?
One and a half glorious years.

Tell us about what you do here.
I’m the Human Resources Director.

What/where was your first job?
In high school I was a cashier at True Value Hardware in Rancho Santa Margarita, California where I grew up. It was right across the street from the main gate of Coto de Caza, where the Real Housewives of Orange County is now filmed. We had some interesting customers…

What phone do you currently use? Love it or hate it?
iPhone.. love it.

What was your first cell phone?
It was so long ago I can’t remember! Whatever phone was popular in 1997!

What features do you look for in a case?
Design, quality, color.

What’s your favorite case?
The Purple I.D. case hands down. It changed my life.

Where is the craziest / funniest place or situation your phone has ever been in?
My phone is pretty sheltered and lives a quiet life. Although, it does frequently accompany me to the restroom. You learn quickly to never leave your phone unattended in the office.

Favorite case-mate story?
Shashi (our CEO) hitting himself in the eye with a foam dart and having to wear an eye patch.. he came back from the eye doctor and started a dart war the second he walked back in the door! Only funny because there was no serious damage. The pirate jokes lasted for days! Arrrrr!

Favorite website or news-source?
Drudge Report.

Favorite you-tube video?
Triumph the insult comic dog who does the Hawaiian weather.

Favorite phone app?
Style.com- up to the minute, exhilarating news from the fashion world!

Guilty pleasures?
Watching TMZ every night, and reading magazines on the weekends. I am a magazine junkie.

What can’t you live without?
Burt’s Bees chapstick, iphone, ipod, notebook.

When you’re not working at case-mate, what do you do with your spare time?
Things I try to cram into my spare time include; planning my wedding, reading, writing, watching new TV shows, cooking (by cooking I mean making homemade guacamole) hanging out with great friends, some of whom I am lucky to work with.

Things get crazy at case-mate over the weekends…

I sent an email (as a joke) to the staff here on Friday, asking for celebrity look a-like nominations to post on the blog (not intending to actually post anything) with this doctored-up picture of my boss, Andrew Knight (below) sparking a wave of responses and submissions.

Well apparently I missed the memo, as I was shortly informed by other co-workers that Andrew’s celebrity twin is actually Danny from Full House.

The tidal wave of emails I got in response to my original request for nominations was so hilarious that I just have to post some of them here.

Industrial Designer Alex Marshall and our very own author of The PD Slice, Fairbanks

Product Coordinator, Hugh Eaton as Neil Patrick Harris, Steve McQueen or Daniel Craig?

Project Manager, Product Development, Josh Bannister aka Jesse Metcalfe

Key Account Manager, case-mate Europe or is it Bradley Cooper???

We already knew we had loads of star talent here, maybe it’s time for us to open an LA office?

How long have you been working for case-mate?
Just about a year.

Tell us about what you do here.
Creative Director: I oversee the creative team to help develop case-mate’s creative production for marketing, packaging, sales, and the web. This team includes designers and photographers. I also work to make sure that case-mate’s needs are being met and the creative goals are on track.

What/where was your first job?
Herpetologist, look it up…

What phone do you currently use? Love it or hate it?
iPhone 3G. Love is a strong word. Let’s just say we are close.

What was your first cell phone?
Motorola Flip Phone. Saved by the Bell style.

What features do you look for in a case?
Strong, sensitive, good communication, honest, knows what she wants… Oh, you were asking about what I look for in a case?

What’s your favorite case?
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 (1954)

Where is the craziest place your phone has ever been?
What happens in Vegas… well you know the rest.

Favorite case-mate story?
Anything involving Shashi (our CEO) getting laughed at (he picks on us all the time!).

Favorite website or news-source?
www.collectible-glass.com

Favorite phone app?
Hold The Button by Mi Mundo iPhone SL

Guilty pleasures?
Bacon: bacon is by far the greatest food on the planet. On a sandwich I like it nice and crispy, but if you cook some up with eggs for breakfast I like it nice and floppy. Hell, yesterday I just made myself a few slices as a snack. Yes, I had smoky, delicious bacon just because I could and it was fantastic.

What can’t you live without?
Um hello! BACON!

When you’re not working at case-mate, what do you do with your spare time?
I plead the 5th.

How long have you been working for case-mate? Tell us about what you do here.
Going on month 9. I’m the E-Commerce Site Manager — basically the operations manager for case-mate.com: order fulfillment, merchandising, inventory management, site quality assurance, fraud prevention, and many other things (that Andrew doesn’t have time to do

What do you like best about working at case-mate?
Obviously, that i can bring my dogs with me to work. That is huge! I also love the fact that when the CEO starts his rounds, everyone stops working and starts playing. There’s a culture and environment of creativity and entrepreneurship which cultivates fresh innovative thinking. Everyone here knows their voice will be heard and ideas considered. And…I can wear shorts to work when it’s warm. I love that.

What/where was your first job?
Lifeguard/golf course maintenance at a country club in FL.

What phone do you currently use? Love it or hate it?
iPhone 3G. Love it. Although I’m frustrated with the recent “controls” Apple has exercised in the iTunes interface. And no flash? Hopefully that will change soon.

What was your first cell phone?
Nokia 5110. My sister was working for Nokia at the time and gave it to me for Xmas ‘99. I was one of those people who sort of fought cellphones as a necessity. It sat in the box for 6 months. But when I finally initialized it … that was it.

What features do you look for in a case?
Oddly enough, it didn’t matter much to me until I started working for case-mate. I had the CM Naked when I joined. Now, I really pay attention to form, function, style and everything else.

What’s your favorite case?
Hands down, the ID case. I have a hard time letting go of it to use anything else. Second would be the Hybrid Tough. If we ever make a Tough case with an ID slot, I think it will be the perfect case.

Where is the craziest place or situation your phone has ever been in?
Long story, but the top case on my motorcycle flew off (unbeknownst to me) on the interstate in St. Louis. After scouring I-64 for about 3 hours, I decided to call my phone (which was in the top case with every other valuable item I’d taken on the trip). A recovering meth addict had seen it fly off and pulled over to pick it up on his way to an NA meeting. He broke the case open to see if he could figure out who it belonged to, and thankfully answered my Palm Treo 700 when I called it. We met at a gas station. I gave him $50 reward and hoped he wouldn’t use it for his addiction. I would have paid $1000 to get that case back.

Favorite case-mate story?
Last October, Muse & U2 were coming to town. A friend who had tickets and needed to get rid of them because he couldn’t go contacted me to see if I could help him dump them. I’d seen Muse a few years back and U2 like 5 times in the 80s. I would like to have gone, but was not about to pay CHER prices. Anyway, I posted my friend’s tickets on Facebook. Within minutes of my post, our CEO responded, “We have suite at the dome for this show, would you like to join us?” Um, hellz yeah. It was great fun. case-mate is cool like that.

Favorite website or news-source?
Allmusic.com. I use it to research new bands I’ve discovered and to find new ones. Pandora actually uses the Allmusic descriptions for albums and artists. It’s fantastic. I probably look at it every day.

Favorite you-tube video?
That’s ’safe’ to publish? Total Eclipse of the Heart — Literal Version. I laugh every time I show it to someone.

Favorite phone app?
Of course I love Pandora, Facebook and LinkedIn. But a couple of other cool apps I’ve found are AccuTerra and Skee-ball.

What can’t you live without?
Music is as essential as water and air. I also can’t imagine life devoid of motorcycling. It’s an awesome liberating and therapeutic experience.

When you’re not working at case-mate, what do you do with your spare time?
I’m sure I spend an inordinate amount of time researching and acquiring cutting-edge indie/alternative music. Check out my podcast, nmhbear.podomatic.com (shameless plug) to experience the fruits of my labors. All my vacations are motorcycle excursions. I’ve been from the highest pass in the French Alps to Meat Cove, Nova Scotia on motorcycles. My partner and I have a place in the mountains we go most weekends and enjoy motorcycling and hiking with our amazing Boxer wonder dogs Jake and Bridget (pictured here).

Take your seats and get ready for some new perspectives on the case-mate blog. Here come the Case-mate Wise-Guys (and Gal)!

This week, we’ll debut three new blog columns,  The PD Slice, The Gold Standard and The Niche Society from case-mate insiders Ashlyn Remillard, David “Goldie” Goldstein and Matt Shackleford.

Here’s a little about them:

Ashlyn

How long have you been working for case-mate? Tell us about what you do here. Since November 2009 aka like a week! I’ the Product Development Coordinator, so I whip PD into shape… 3 sets of 15 reps a day!

What phone do you currently use? Love it or hate it? iPhone and I love it – not for the apps but for the cases!

Where is the craziest / funniest place your phone has ever been? Not funny-bottom of a toilet/pool (not at the same time though).

Favorite you-tube video? The video of this little baby who gives an evil eye and then busts out laughing… and then repeats it over and over.

Favorite phone app? AP News and words with friends (scrabble).

What can’t you live or go for more than 2 hours without? I cannot live without soft lips chap stick…nor can I go more than 2 hours without it!

Goldie

How long have you been working for case-mate? Tell us about what you do here. Almost a year. I work in the sales department as the Account Manager for case-mate Europe.

What/where was your first job? A country club with two golf courses. It was great, I got to work outside and drive golf carts all day.

What was your first cell phone? Nokia  5 series. I remember playing the Snake game nonstop. The fact the phone had games on it seemed mind blowing at the time.

What features do you look for in a case? It has to be something that’s innovative and new. That way I can show you why it’s better than the one you have on your phone.

Favorite case-mate related story? I met a  very sweet girl who found out I worked at case-mate and she commented on how she loved the Recession Case promo we did. It was really Matt Shackleford in our Marketing Department who came up with the entire campaign but I told her it was all my idea in an effort to get a date.

Guilty pleasures? Reality shows and the ‘E’ channel. My friends make fun of me but the people on them fascinate and bewilder me.

Shackleford

How long have you been working for case-mate? Tell us about what you do here. I’ve been at case-mate for nearly a year and a half and I’m the brand manager for I Make My Case, yes I do have the coolest job.

What was your first cell phone? Well I’m not sure if you have ever heard of the show “Saved By The Bell,” but Zack Morris had a Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, that was my first phone.

Favorite you-tube video? ‘Whips’ by Balloon Shop. Supporting my friends!

Favorite phone app? I Am T-Pain

When you’re not working at case-mate, what do you do with your spare time? Mostly spend time with my fiancee, hang out downtown, and drink coffee! Also I used to love playing my XBOX 360 but it died, so if anyone has one they want to donate I would appreciate it!

How long have you been working for case-mate?
Well lets see, its January 22, 2010 @ 10:54AM …. 738 days, 3 hours, and 54 minutes to be exact.

Tell us about what you do here.
I am a project manager for product development. I am orchestrating the success of two of our 2010 hero products.

What/where was your first job?
My first job was at a baseball concession stand. All the free Big League Chew you could get.

What phone do you currently use? Love it or hate it?
My current mobile cellular media device is the renowned Apple iPhone 3G. Have you heard of it?

What was your first cell phone?
My first cellphone was a Nokia. It had flashing buttons and a flashing antenna. The face plate was chrome!

What features do you look for in a case?
Superior protection, with minimal bulk.

What’s your favorite case?
My favorite case is my very own designed case that was created on imakemycase.com

What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to your phone?
It was not my phone, but my fiance’s. It went missing for about two days, and I continued to call and call. We had just figured it had been left somewhere besides our house. She was adamant on finding it instead of replacing the phone. So, I was on the back porch cooking, and I heard a phone ringing. I leaned toward the fence, and the ring was coming from the ground… our dog had buried it. It was not damaged or anything! CRAZY!!

Favorite case-mate story?
Remember that one time we were all at… I cannot release any information without an NDA.

Favorite website or news-source?
My favorite website is break.com. I have a problem with viral videos. I find myself loading up the site when I get home to see what people have posted for the day. Some are quite amusing.

Favorite you-tube video?
The one where the hamster gives you the evil eye with the dramatic music in the background.

Favorite phone app?
My favorite iPhone app is Score Center (ESPN). It allows you to customize your favorite sports teams/categories and gives you updates on games, stats, etc.

Guilty pleasures?
Tattoos. Its addictive. If you have never had one, you would think ….oh, ill just get one. Come one! really you serious. You cannot just get one. one leads to two, etc. I might leave early today to get one?

What can’t you live without?
I cannot live without peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I have a thing for peanut butter, I’m not sure if they have meetings for that or not. I fall into depression when I spoon out the last bit from the jar.

When you’re not working at case-mate, what do you do with your spare time?
Prepare for tomorrow’s work load, try to sleep, maybe eat something.

Tell us a little about what you do for case-mate? How long have you been with the company?
I am the National Accounts Manager for the United States, and I’ve been with the company since last January. This is by far the best place I’ve ever worked for… I can totally be myself and utilize my talents. Other companies you have to fit into their “culture” and you might end up losing a little bit of yourself, but here at case-mate, our culture IS being yourself!

What phone do you currently use? Love it or hate it?
Blackberry 8520… love it! The new optical trackball is really cool and since it’s a new release we have some cool products for it that I get to test out

What are your favorite case-mate products and why?
Hands down the smartskin… it’s weird typing on my phone without one on it! Plus it makes my phone look really sleek and different…. that is until everyone reads this and buys one! Actually, right now most of my friends with Curves have it on their phone and when we’re all together we get them confused sometimes if we all have the same color.

What features do you look for in a case?
Protection, beauty, and functionality… I don’t see the point of having a super protective case if it’s too bulky or ugly!

When you are not working at case-mate, what do you like to do?
Sports! I play beach volleyball as often as possible… I pretty much live in my bikini when it’s warm and beach volleyball is one of the few sports where you’re supposed to wear a bikini and it’s always sponsored by beer companies and has live music so I really don’t know how it can get better than that! I also play in leagues around Atlanta for flag football, kickball, and dodgeball. I also coach fifth grade basketball for my old elementary school, Immaculate Heart of Mary, and then AAU basketball for my old high school, St. Pius. Every other week on Wednesdays I volunteer at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta by reading to the terminally ill or recovering patients. Any other extra free time I have I spend with my family, boyfriend and friends, or travel!