Muzo Works

What are you doing here at Muzo? 

I’m an English Literature major with a minor in Marketing, from Pennsylvania. I’m here with Muzo to learn the ropes and learn about the Marketing world within a real context. 

How did you get here?

I’d had my resume up on an internship website for about a month-and-a-half. I had applied to twenty different internships and only heard back from a couple. Two of them didn’t follow up with me, and one wanted to do an in-person interview, so I needed to wait. I didn’t know what I was doing, really. Darren [Buttle] from Muzo contacted me, explaining that there were internship positions, and that he thought I’d be a good fit. 

I checked it out, and as soon as I saw the website, I thought to myself, ‘This is amazing’. The visual design of everything is really cool, and the way everything works, and fits together is fantastic. I really wanted to be a part of it. I was looking to spend summer, and fall in Chicago anyway, and so the fact I was able to find something in the city was phenomenal. 

What do you enjoy about working with Muzo?

I like that it’s pretty chilled out, when I was thinking about a Marketing internship, I was thinking corporate, and I was looking for dress pants! I was thinking that it would be really formal, and uptight, but when I got here, and the first time I interviewed it was really clear to me that it’s different, and the fact that everybody comes from a music background throughout the company really appealed to me. 

Some people get confused about how music and furniture can mix at Muzo, how do you feel about it? 

The biggest, and most exciting thing with regards to the furniture is being able to see how the different pieces can work together, in that they have to be both aesthetically pleasing and functional. That is also a big part of what music is, you can’t just have a bunch of nonsense, you have to have variation - it’s not always going to be conventional and in time - you have to switch it up sometimes, and that’s what appealed to me from the start when I walked into Muzo. This place seems like a home for creative, and artistic people, and the furniture is definitely a product of that. 

How can you see yourself fitting in to the future of Muzo? 

Like a lot of millennials today, I am really into social media, and I have a lot of experience in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest when it comes to working with brands. That is where my strengths are. As an English Lit major, I have a lot of experience with various forms of writing, which is a huge part of Marketing today, particularly within social media. I have have a certain eye for aesthetic and visual arts. I am really enthusiastic about Muzo’s products particularly Riveli, because it’s so customisable and practical. I think that because I have that passion for the brand, and its products, it’s a really good reason for me to be here. 

For more information on Stephanie, visit her on Twitter.

Why are you here? 

I’m here at Muzo because I was looking for an internship over the summer. I had a meeting with Darren [Buttle] and Rob [Gould]. They expressed how important it is at Muzo to champion creativity and art, and these things are very important to me. 

Tell us how you got here?

I go to Loyola University in Chicago, and I’m about to head into my senior year. I went to Europe my last semester, and so I was travelling all around Europe. From that, I got a lot of cultural experiences. I came back here, and I knew I needed to get into gear and start doing some internships in my areas - I am majoring in Marketing and minoring in Studio Art. I was trying to look for something that could combine both. 

There are a lot of Marketing internships, but few that can work with both skills. So, with Muzo to have that opportunity is fantastic; to be able to work on the Marketing side of things, as well as the creative side. 

What inspires your artistic side? 

Aside from my parents who are great role models, I can draw a lot of stuff from things that I see. I get a lot of inspiration from walking around Chicago as a city; it’s so beautiful. I’m in awe of it every time I spend time here. Music-wise, I like a lot of pop-punk, old-school rock, and alternative music. I really love rock ‘n’ roll as a vibe, and an attitude. It suits my personality!

For more information on Arianna, follow her on Twitter. 

Tell us a little bit about who you are, and what you do? 

My name is Roger Alvarado, and I’m a Marketing Intern at Muzo! I come from Robert Morris University, and I’m very excited to be here. 

How did you end up here? 

I’ve been studying Business Management, Business Marketing and Business Design for around four years. I was getting ready to graduate, and I definitely needed an internship. I heard about Muzo, I checked you guys out, saw the website and was like, ‘Wow!’. 

I mean, I thought it would be okay to work for a furniture company, but when I got here, it’s certainly not typical! It’s super-creative and outside the box. 

Where would you like to be in the future?

My real passion lies in Marketing, but I really like brands and how they represent themselves, and why we buy what we do, because of an image or name. I see myself definitely being in that field. I was thinking about working for the likes of Disney, or Apple. 

I aim high, but now I’m here at Muzo, I see there’s some really awesome stuff going on! This is not just cookie-cutter furniture. Muzo does so many different things and I love that. 

How do you think you’ll contribute to the future of Muzo? 

I know I’m technically only a Marketing Intern, but I want to get involved in some design stuff, in the marketing and the social media, as well as the video editing with Nathan [McGrory]. I see everything you guys are doing, and I want to be a part of it all.

Muzo in Chicago

#muzoinchicago

In our latest Muzo Spotlight, we chat to Carrie Routh Ernst about her role as Director of Student Professional Engagement at Robert Morris University in Chicago, and what she thinks about the Muzo way of working...

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do?

My name is Carrie, and I work at Robert Morris as the Director of Student Professional Engagement. There are two parts to my job, the first is the higher level internships, that’s where the students get more a day-to-day experience and these internships are much more immersive, and students will get the chance to learn the real ins-and-outs of an industry, and network. 

We also have our integration centre which sees our students act as consultants for clients, and complete projects whether that’s a marketing project or a social media project; there’s also an accountant group that meets to discuss cashflow [for clients] as well. It’s always astounding to see what the students manage to achieve in terms of the calibre of their work. 

All this is done under the guidance of a faculty advisor who works with our students to make sure they are putting into practice what they learned in class by applying it to real life scenarios, so that students can produce [or work on] a product that they can walk away and use. 

Where does your passion for the job come from? 

My passion starts with Higher Education, I’ve been with Robert Morris University since 1995, and I come from an Academic background. I’ve always had a passion for education and learning. I was asked to take this position in January of this year, and it’s another way for me to be involved with the students, and make sure that they are having a great experience. For me, it’s great seeing that lightbulb moment for students where they are at school and can see how working with us, and doing these types of internships are going to help them in their career. 

Have there been any career highlights for you?

I would say probably whenever our students graduate, and they walk across the stage after having built a relationship with you for around three years. It’s amazing to see how these people have developed and become mature adults with goals who are just really excited to start life.

What do you look for in a client? 

We want somebody who’s going to be involved. The students need to be able to communicate regularly and get answers with regards to the type of project that they have students working on. We ask that the client meets with the students to talk about the project and the company, as well as to keep track of objectives through product development. 

How have you enjoyed the working relationship between your students and Muzo so far?

With Muzo, it’s really the enthusiasm that has impressed me the most. Muzo has a lot of passion and drive, but it is definitely that enthusiasm that excites us the most. Muzo have been very supportive of our students. 

For more information on Robert Morris University, and how you can get involved with Student Engagement at the ICenter as either a client or student, visit: robertmorris.edu/icenter

Muzo is a company with a love for design and problem solving. The business focuses on accessible design, functional, mobile furniture to encourage a happy and healthy working environment. Their mission is to create a world of equality, culture, health and wellness within the school, library, university or workplace.

In a special series of music-themed promotional events (sponsored by renowned ginger beer brand, Crabbie's), based at the company's main showroom in the heart of Chicago, Muzo will present UK pop darling Beth McCarthy who will be flying in to perform a number of exclusive sets for Neocon-goers throughout the week.

From Saturday June 10, through until Wednesday June 14, Muzo will be showcasing a series of new products, and allowing customers to check out the showroom, and make personal appointments with the Muzo team to discuss any potential collaborations.  

Vice President of Sales for Muzo, Joe Prendergast comments on Neocon's impact: "The event is always a yearly highlight for our business, and it's awesome to be able to showcase our products, and entertain our customers at the same time."

Pod Chair by Muzo

Osprey by Muzo