ArcStone Spotlight: Lisa Hirst-Carnes

June's ArcStone Spotlight focuses on Cofounder and Marketing VP, Lisa Hirst-Carnes. Lisa shares what it takes to work in marketing and her culinary specialities with homemade pizza and her love for music.

Lisa Hirst-Carnes

Title: Co-Founder and Marketing VP

Start date: November 2007

Path to ArcStone. I was working for another company when David started ArcStone. We were on vacation in Jamaica, and I knew I wanted more flexibility in my work life and home. After we got back from the trip, I went back to my job and gave them my notice.

Professional strengths. I am good at thinking of unique ways to strategically market things. I listen to what our clients want to do and figure out how to best achieve it. I’ve been doing this for a long time, so I know what works with what audience and what may or may not work. I like to really listen to people and advise -- I try not to be really stuffy with business talk.

I love being around kids, grade school kids, because they have their own opinions, and they’re not at the point where they’re censoring themselves yet. They still get really excited about things.

Cooking is something I enjoy doing, but I do sometimes get in a rut like everyone else. My go-to dish is Saturday night homemade pizza. I use homemade sauce, and it’s better than any pizzeria. My mom and sisters are really good cooks, too, and you’re going to be well fed when you eat with us.

Our family takes a lot of city trips. We’re going to Washington, D.C. with the boys soon. They’re going for choir, and we’re going to take the train to New York for museums and hear Beck and Sean Lennon’s band, The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger. I think we’re going to the Blue Note to listen to some jazz.

I love playing music, the oboe and the piano, and I love musicals and hearing music. We don’t really go to rock shows any more, because they’re so late; I like earlier shows. I love classical and jazz.