integratePR blog

It’s time to meet another fabulous member of our team. Jenny started work at Integrate last August and has made an amazing addition to the team. Learn more about Jenny’s passion for non-profits and see who keeps her company at her desk!

What’s your favorite thing about working in social media?

The constant and reliable changes – I thrive on change and work well in an environment where new opportunities are endless.

What is one of your best experiences with social media?

Last year, my entire extended family travelled to Key Largo for a cousin’s wedding.  Being that it was a destination wedding, my two great uncles (one of which was the grandfather of the groom) and my grandparents were not well enough to make the trip.  Fortunately, another family member brought his computer to the ceremony and Skyped my uncles and grandparents in.  They four watched the entire beach-front ceremony from their front row seat in Houston, Texas.  It was extremely moving for our entire family.  

What is your favorite life event/accomplishment to date?

This is tough, but I’d have to say Camp HOPE. AIDS Foundation Houston runs a week long camp for children with HIV/AIDS and I’ve served as a counselor for 9-11 year old girls during 5 different summers.  Working at camp truly puts life into perspective and being around these children tends to reinvigorate my year.  Each summer that I’ve volunteered at Camp HOPE has been irreplaceable and unforgettable.

What are you most looking forward to in the future?

I’m looking forward to being around for big changes!  I can’t wait to see how both iPR expands and how the City of Houston continues to grow and change!

Who is your role model/inspiration?

Easy – my mom. She’s inspired me to find a job that allows me to give back.  I’ve volunteered and worked for and with several non-profit organizations. Working with iPR has been the perfect balance, as many of my clients are non-profits or organizations that really give back.  It’s been extremely rewarding to work with these types of businesses and I certainly owe my passion for both community and communications work to my mom.

What is one thing no one knows about you?

If I could move Houston (and all of my friends and family here) to Colorado (probably Telluride), I would. I absolutely love the time I spend in Colorado, but am far too attached to Houston to ever consider moving.

What’s on your desk?

Photos of loved ones – I’m inspired by photos and when I need a smile, turn to these. And of course, my Dwight Schrute bobble head!

One thing I’d like people to know about me:

I’m pretty much an open book. I’m not sure I can come up with one thing in particular that I’d like for people to know about me. I love meeting new people and building relationships, but I think most people already know this.

Our Pinterest has gotten much more exciting since its creation this past week, as we’ve been sticking more pins to our boards. However, one of our Account Executives, Stephanie Ignacio wanted to share a way that she and her sister are staying connected via this exciting social media site.

From Stephanie Ignacio

My sister Allison Ignacio (pictured, right) and I are 14 months apart and we have been close all my life. However, after she graduated from UT in 2010, she became a reporter at KWTX in Waco, Texas. We do not see each other as often as I would like and as her reporting schedule is often very different than my 8-5, we miss each other on the phone as well. In lieu of verbal communication, we of course turned to the Internet. Although we used to simply email each other funny pictures and links, with the user-friendly collaboration features of Pinterest, it’s become way easier to share things with each other.

I made a pinboard titled Sisters, and now every time I see something that I know will make Allison crack up laughing, a recipe she has to try, or just an inside joke we have about an old TV show, there is one central place for us to share these things. It’s a lot easier than emailing different clips also, because she can log in to Pinterest from her phone and get the latest funny updates from me.

With the recent death of Whitney Houston, the New York Daily News hosted a similar pinboard in Tribute, titled Whitney Houston, Remembered.

In a similar fashion, they invited different people to pin their favorite pictures of Ms. Houston and they were put onto a community board. However, different music journalists, friends or colleagues of Whitney could have utilized the collaboration element.

So do you have a group of friends that you like to share Internet pictures and jokes with? I encourage you to create a board with your different groups of friends so that you can target your pins to different people – it’s a great way to stay connected!

Have you ever wondered about the amazing team that helps IntegratePR continue to push out its amazing content and initiatives every day? Well you’re in luck, because now is your chance to meet the team! Each month we will showcase one of our fabulous employees so you can know a little bit more about what makes each Integrate employee tick.

This month, you’ll meet Britney Munguia, as I sit and chat about how she landed at the firm, her inspirations, quirks and slight coffee addiction.

How she got the job: From spring to summer of 2011 my life was a constant whirlwind — I graduated, received my diploma, ended my job at University Marketing, and began researching job opportunities in both Austin and Houston. After numerous interviews with start-ups and small businesses in Austin with no luck, my hopes were quickly dissipating. That is, until I got an interview with IntegratePR.

Allie and I met at a local coffee shop called Dominican Joe in Austin. Unlike many of my other interviews, our conversation flowed effortlessly. Allie was easy to talk with, and I felt like I could really open up and show her my true colors. We finished our coffee, parted ways and I headed home with my fingers crossed. I had a good feeling about this particular interview, but wasn’t going to get my hopes up just in case. A week later — coincidentally enough on my 23rd birthday — Allie called me up and gave me the good news. I hadn’t been this excited since receiving Backstreet Boys tickets for Christmas when I was 12.

Two weeks later I had relocated to Houston, moved back in with my mother (who was wonderful enough to put up with me for 3 months), had my wisdom teeth taken out, and started my new position with IntegratePR. And I can happily say that I’m still enjoying every minute of it all. The rest is history.

What’s your favorite thing about working in social media? Social media is constantly evolving, and that’s exactly what makes my job exciting. I get to learn the newest tools in the industry, attend “tweet-ups,” connect with new faces via online platforms, and the best part is that I’m always “in the know.” If you think desk jobs are boring, think again.

What is the best lesson that you learned working at IPR? The most crucial thing that I have learned while working at IntegratePR is learning how to communicate with an array of personalities. Some prefer doing so via e-mail, while others rely on the phone or face-to-face conversations.

What social media moment are you most proud of? I manage Salt Lick BBQ’s Twitter, and recently received this mention:  ”@Cherie_Cobb: If you want an example of a co that does Twitter well, follow @SaltLickBBQ. Active, relevant, responsive to tweets, tasteful. Well done.“ This tweet made me extremely happy because it shows that my hard work and dedication to my client is truly paying off.

Who is your role model/inspiration? This might sound weird, but I don’t have a single person that I look to for inspiration. I’d like to think that everything around me inspires me. Art, music, shooting a roll of 35mm film, going on adventures — Creativity inspires me.

What is one thing no one knows about you? I had my gall bladder removed when I was 18 years young. I’ve got some gnarly scars to prove it.

What’s on your desk? (Picture attached) From left to right: A Halloween beanie baby… It’s cute, okay? Play-doh is a must. Not only is it a stress reliever, but it’s fun to sculpt all kinds of things… like kittens. Pens, sharpies, gel pens and highlighters in every color are absolutely necessary –  I really like office supplies. Kitten notepad… I don’t need to explain myself. The last item is my Pier One owl mug, which is used approximately 3 times per day. You could probably say I have a slight addiction.