December 2, 2021
During the past year, Aria has seen tremendous growth from existing clients and new ones, and we have hired some really great PR professionals to support the demand. One of our newest employees is Account Coordinator, Marni Illman. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Marni virtually to get to know her a little bit better. When Marni is not securing pieces of coverage in top-tier healthcare IT trades for clients, she is dancing or listening to a podcast. Read on to learn more.
CB: Marni, what do you like to do in your free time?
MI: I love dancing, and before COVID I spent a lot of timing going to Zumba classes. I am also quite the makeup addict; I love putting on makeup and I have an absurd amount of skin care and makeup products.
CB: What is your favorite podcast?
MI: Right now, my favorite is Murder, Mystery, & Makeup by Bailey Sarian. She used to only upload to YouTube, but now her videos produced as podcasts on Spotify. That counts right? I love true crime stories; I find it fascinating. Her delivery of the stories is also great, she doesn’t put on a silly spooky voice or anything. No crazy sound effects. Highly recommend.
CB: Who is your favorite musician? What is your favorite song by them?
MI: This is a hard one. I love Ariana Grande and her song R.E.M. I also love Frank Ocean, and Tyler the Creator… I can’t pick just one! I am also a huge theater nerd and love musicals—I am going to see the revival of Funny Girl in the spring!
CB: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
MI: I would love to go to France, though not Paris as I think it would be too touristy. I would love a chance to whip out my (rusty) French from high school, and experience the local cuisine, shopping, and pink-sand beaches.
CB: Let’s switch gears. What made you want to work in public relations?
MI: When I was at school at UMass Amherst, I majored in communications with a concentration in media studies. My father is a journalist and always told me how much I reminded him of the PR professionals that he spoke with daily, so with that nudge, I got my first internship at a PR agency. After graduating, I found Aria!
CB: What would you tell your younger self?
MI: Don't be afraid to branch out and try new things because you never know where one opportunity can lead you!
CB: Now that you have been at Aria for about 5 months, what would you say has been your favorite part about the working here?
MI: I love the culture here! I have never worked at a place with such a high standard for work and success while also maintaining a calm and relaxed atmosphere which is a nice balance. I am grateful to be able to work remotely as well.
Do you have a passion for PR and want to work alongside our awesome team at Aria? We are hiring the across all levels! Send your resume and cover letter to Careers@AriaMarketing.com. You can also check us out on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram to learn more.
