Aimee Magnusson boosts Trilix’s project management team

Can you tell me a bit about your professional background and education? 

I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and exercise science from Minnesota State University Moorhead. I also did one semester at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs through the National Student Exchange program. I’ve always been into sports and athletics, so I worked at the Wellness Center during my time there. This is what sparked my major choice; I also minored in business administration as I wanted to someday own/manage my own fitness facility.

Upon graduation, I moved to Iowa and started a job at the Aspen Athletic Clubs in Ankeny. I was brought on as the operations manager and oversaw inventory and front desk operations. This sparked my interest in marketing/advertising. As a new facility, we were planning events, engaging in community outreach, hosting tours and everything else geared toward generating membership sales. This allowed for creativity and relationships to develop.

After leaving to pursue a career with better hours, I had a brief stint in the recruiting world. From there, I moved into the marketing/advertisement world at Sigler in Ames. I worked on the apparel team as an account/project manager working with clients for all their apparel/promotional needs. After spending three years at Sigler, I felt it was time to advance my career once more. I took my first role at a marketing agency. I’m thankful for the experience and getting to work with many talented and wonderful people there, but I’m excited to be at Trilix and can already feel the collaboration of this organization.

What are your strengths professionally? 

I love building client relationships by using my strong attention to detail and time management skills while remaining positive and a team player throughout the process.

What is your favorite aspect of the job? 

Team collaboration, client relationships and seeing the final product/reporting on successful campaigns. Creative and strategic thinking when brainstorming ideas on how to improve campaign performance/assets. I also love learning about different skill sets and talking to subject matter experts from each area to gain a better understanding of how they think and how we can effectively work together.

Tell us about your life outside of work! Any family? How long have you lived in Iowa or your home state? 

I was born and raised in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. It’s a small town about seven hours northwest of Des Moines. My parents still live there, and I have two sisters who both live in suburbs of Minneapolis. My dad is originally from Roseau, Minnesota, which is a huge hockey town five minutes from the Canadian border. My sisters and I all played hockey and spent most of our childhood at the arena.

We have a lake cabin on Star Lake, which is about 20 minutes outside of my hometown where we spent most of our summers tubing, water skiing, wakeboarding, etc. NOTHING is better than Minnesota in the summer.

I have lived in Iowa for six years now and love the Des Moines area! I always thought I would move back to Minnesota to be closer to my family but stayed here for a guy. My fiancé and I met here four years ago, and our wedding will be next September over Labor Day weekend! We hope to buy or build a house the following spring in his hometown of Carlisle.

What do you like to do in your free time? Any hobbies or unique talents? 

My fiancé owns Iowa Spine and Performance, a chiropractic office in downtown Des Moines that just opened in July 2021. This takes up most of our free time currently, as well as most of our time the last few years. Outside of that, we enjoy working out, going to concerts and sporting events, watching movies and spending time with our family and friends.

Favorite film, food, drink and furry friend?

Any Robin Williams movie.

Mexican food is my favorite. Complete with chips and salsa and a margarita. 

Favorite drink would be coffee — vanilla almond milk latte or an iced shaken espresso.

What would be your superpower and why?

Flying, because I love to travel and experience new cultures/ways of life.

Describe your perfect day. 

My perfect day takes place in Colorado with the sun shining and temperatures reaching 78 degrees. We have an early wake-up at 7 a.m. to begin the day with an outdoor workout like hiking. Afterwards, my fiancé and I visit a coffee shop before I start shopping with friends in the afternoon at the local boutiques. Then, we would go to dinner/drinks somewhere nice that has live music with our families and friends. Then in bed immediately after dinner — preferably by 10 p.m.

If you could do any other kind of work, what would it be?

I still would love to manage a collegiate fitness center. It was such an important part of my life during that time, and I believe wholeheartedly that fitness/relationships with food are SO important to discuss. It can be so easy to get caught up in an unhealthy way of life during college, so having a place that continually keeps you grounded and provides good mentorship is so important. Luckily, my fiancé owns a chiropractic office focused on athletes and rehabilitation, so I get to experience a little bit of that through him.

What motivates you at work? 

Encouraging leadership and co-workers! Campaigns that matter. Projects that tell a good story. And happy clients!