Hi, CI! is a series featuring the best team we know—the Capacity Interactive team! Today, meet Molly Shoemaker: a theater producer and HR extraordinaire who knows empathy is the key to success in both spaces.

How long have you been at CI?

I started at CI in late May 2018, so I’m at just about 7.5 years.

Where are you from originally?

I was born in New Haven, CT.

How and when did your love for theatre start?

I grew up poring over my mom’s Rodgers and Hammerstein lyric anthology and roping my little sister into living room performances. A very classic oldest-daughter-to-theater-producer pipeline.

Do you prefer being on stage or behind the scenes, and why?

I much prefer being behind the scenes. I actually spent pretty much all of high school and college working backstage. Once I got a taste for being a part of the team that makes everything happen, I never wanted to go back! 

If you could direct a play about the workplace, what story would you want to tell?

I’d love to create a mockumentary à la The Office about the operations team of a small digital marketing firm 🙂. (For now, this is the closest thing)

What is your favorite musical/play?

My favorite musical is tied between Oklahoma! and A Chorus Line. More recently, I’ve been totally entranced by John Proctor is the Villain. 

What activity fills your creative cup after work?

I spend most of my time outside of work at AfterWork Theater, a community theater for adults in NYC! Most recently, I participated in a cabaret-style performance centered around themes of storytelling, and it was music directed by my husband. 

What’s the top lesson you’ve learned from theatre that you take with you in everyday life?

Participating in theater is one of the best ways to practice building empathy for strangers, I think. Empathy is probably the most important thing I bring with me to work every day. 

You’re a big Disney fan—if you could recruit any Disney character to join our team, who would it be and why?

For the vibes, Rex the dinosaur from Toy Story. As far as someone who would be an excellent arts marketer, Mike Wazowski of Monsters, Inc., of course! He’s got a demonstrated track record of going the extra mile for his clients. 

What Disney song always makes you smile?

“Try Everything” by Shakira from Zootopia makes me smile AND emotional. “I wanna try everything/I wanna try even though I could fail”—are you kidding me? How can you not listen and smile with a little tear in your eye?

What do you find most rewarding about working in HR and people operations?

One of the things I’ve become the most passionate about since starting this role is Paid Family Leave. I really enjoy helping people navigate the various policies and laws that apply to them when taking this kind of leave (I’ve even advised friends and friends of friends outside of CI!). 

What do you love about working with creative people?

I know that I can walk into any meeting with any person and we’re going to have at least one thing in common!

What’s something about your job that makes you excited to come to work every day?

I get asked this question a lot in interviews, and the answer is ALWAYS the people I get to work with! It’s very special to get to work with so many people who have shared interests—I feel very lucky.