By Arin Forstenzer

Hi – my name is Arin Forstenzer, Karen’s new marketing assistant. Born and raised in New York City, I chose to move south for  college. After spending my junior year abroad in Sydney, Australia, I graduated from Tulane University with Honors in the spring of  2010 with a B.A. in Communication then spent a year taking graduate communications courses at SMU in Dallas.

A recent social media obsession of mine reminded me of a debate I got into with a friend who works for a well-known print  newspaper. He argued that the digital world did not allow for any chance discovery of new things outside one’s interests—such as  flipping through a magazine and seeing something that piques your interest. While I can agree with his opinion to an extent, I believe  it’s  up to the individual to be curious enough to seek out new info.

Among my favorite social media websites include StumbleUpon and the more recent Pinterest. These sites are two examples of  ways to explore your current interests, as well as be exposed to new ones. Social networks can now be connected to both, letting you explore your friends likes and dislikes, that may otherwise be unknown to you, as well as exploring your clients’ and prospects’ favorite popular items.

Various other sites similar to these have become commonplace across many industries. I have discovered new music, useful apps, new restaurants and funny pictures that I may never have found otherwise.

These sites have been helpful since I’ve lived in four cities in the last five years. I’ve been exposed to new places and information that have been fun to explore.

Similarly, I’m pleased to work for Karen and I expect to discover new insights into the field of communication by learning from her expertise.