Meet Aly Gomez
Hi, CI
Hi, CI! is a series featuring the best team we know—the Capacity Interactive team! Today, meet Aly Gomez. She loves data and dancing in the sky—that’s why she’s a CI Consultant and Meta specialist by day and an aerialist by night (okay, weekends).
How long have you been at CI?
I started working with CI in November 2021, so about two and a half years!
Where are you from originally?
I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. For those who know that area well, most of my childhood was spent in Westlake.
How and when did you get started practicing aerial arts?
I started doing aerials back in 2014. I had just moved to Cincinnati the year prior, and was seeking ways to stay in motion after a childhood in competitive gymnastics and a university era spent learning to dance. Dance was still filling me with joy after college, but I missed the acrobatic elements of my gymnastics training days. I started with a basic silks class, then switched to a studio that taught several apparatuses and ended up training in silks, sling and lyra (aka the aerial hoop).
What’s your favorite aerial sequence?
I love drops. For me, any combination where I can get all the way to the top of the apparatus and do one or two flips on the way down is pure bliss. I also thrive in improv and performance experiences. It’s thrilling to string things together that don’t normally go side-by-side, and explore how dance can get me in and out of various moments in the sky. I also love how being in the sky makes me feel so far away from any problems or anxieties in my life. I can leave those below on the ground while I enjoy my time up in the sky, and they somehow always feel smaller when I come back down.
View this post on Instagram
You previously worked as the Associate Director of Marketing at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Describe your experience moving from CI client to CI consultant.
Being a CI client was one of my favorite parts of working at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. I loved connecting with the consulting teams assigned to us alongside the Director of Marketing & Communications Kathy Neus (Hi, Kathy!), and absorbing everything I could from CI’s Boot Camp and webinars. However, after spending the better part of a decade dedicated to the shows put on at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, I was ready for a new challenge. Now that I’ve joined CI’s consulting team, it’s been exciting to get a peek into so many organizations all at the same time. I’ve learned so much about different art forms (like symphonies, operas, and museums), and I’ve gotten to work with so many people who live all over the U.S. and Canada. Additionally, I’ve loved getting to know the platforms really well—specifically diving head-first into Meta and all its ongoing updates.
How does your arts marketing background inform your work as a consultant at CI?
I’ve literally been on the other side of a CI call. I’ve sat where our clients sit, weighed advice from CI vs available internal resources like time and budgets. I’ve wanted to do more than we could, and had to collaborate on decisions about what idea or opportunity took precedence for a specific show. Now from this side of the table, I have the advantage of anticipating what roadblocks might be stopping a client from trying a new strategy or following a recommendation which helps me better tailor strategy recommendations.
What’s your favorite WFH hack?
My favorite procrastination hack (read: thing that helps me procrastinate) is when my 3 year old son Miles is home during the work day, and I get the wonderful distraction of playing with him which truly fills my soul. My favorite WFH hack when he’s there? I toggle my bluetooth keyboard to “off” and let him type on my lap while I use the actual laptop keyboard to get something done. Works like a charm…for about 6 minutes.
You’re a two-time Boot Camp speaker, and presented at Boot Camp 2023 on Meta’s AI tools. What about those experiences most surprised you—and what did you learn?
The first time I presented was back when I worked at the Playhouse, and I was so surprised by how folks reacted to that presentation! I shared ideas, suggestions, and systems we were implementing at the Playhouse as a case study. People had questions, wanted to talk about my ideas, and really seemed to connect with what I had to say. I loved the community I got to engage in on a deeper level after that, thanks to CI’s platform and the experiences Playhouse was giving me.
For Boot Camp 2023, I prepared for my presentation with a mindset of an entire industry, which was a very different challenge! It surprised me how many “right answers” I found as I explored ways our clients can start to experiment with new AI tools in Meta. There is no correct next step, and it’s not one-size-fits-all, but I’m thrilled to have sparked some conversation surrounding the possibilities.
How do you recommend arts marketers remain nimble enough to experiment with emerging technologies like AI when their plates are already full?
Ooof. It’s really so hard. My best advice is to be on the lookout for something that actually saves you time or has big returns for you. Like I said before, AI tools are not one-size-fits-all. For some, turning on advantage+ placements when in the past you’ve not used them at all might be a great fit, because it doesn’t take much added input (or any, if you format square for all). For others, you could use the tools to buy you time. An example of this would be to run a dynamic ad for just the first two or three weeks without any post swaps because it could work well when you don’t have production photos or behind-the-scenes videos yet. And honestly, just remembering to check in with Meta or with CI about what the options are that could work for you is a great first step, too!
You also recently attended the Meta Small Business Performance Summit. What was that experience like?
Honestly it was so eye-opening! Getting to ask questions and learn straight from the source at Meta was a gift. I have so much more clarity about how the tools work and how to help our industry leverage them. The relationships my colleague Bailey, who also attended, and I built on that trip are invaluable. I’m really proud of all the intel we were able to bring back to CI and our clients about the upcoming election’s impact on ads, how creative impacts the algorithm, and what to look out for to avoid scams. It was also the first time I’d ever heard a presentation from a data scientist at a platform organization! That was so incredible we just had to ask a data scientist from Meta to come share their insights at Boot Camp 2024—I’m so psyched about Helen Crossley’s session! It will be transformative for attendees.
Plus, while we were there, I unlocked a new career moment: Meta filmed me as part of their small and medium business series, and used my video on ads across Meta & LinkedIn!
What do you love about working with arts organizations?
I love this question! I think what I love most is that everyone really cares about the art. We’re not marketing something that we have to be convinced has value because we see it all the time—the power this industry holds with its inherent storytelling and connection. I jump on a call with any client, and I can just feel how important this work is to everyone there.
Plus, I get to look at/watch/listen to incredible things all the time, because I’m working with videos and photos from the stunning art happening across the nation. It’s truly a beautiful backdrop to a job.
Also, to echo Colleen Dillenschnieder’s insights from Boot Camp 2023, mission really matters. I love that my time goes to forwarding the missions of these arts organizations across the country, and I find that to be a really meaningful motivator in my career at large.
What’s something about your job that makes you excited to come to work every day?
I love my team! Working with Chynna Lake, Erin Mast, and Cecily Moore is an honest-to-goodness joy. We get along so well in Team ACE (Aly, Chynna, Cecily, Erin), and learn so much from one another. I also get really excited about collaborative projects—I find so much joy anytime I get to work with another team or another department.
What’s one tip you can give to help arts organizations market smarter?
Strategize your marketing with a full season in mind. Anything that happens last-minute or piece-meal is fine and can totally work, but more strategic opportunities and planning can emerge when you can look at the big picture. Consider content planning that way, too! I know how stressful it can be to get an ad conceptualized and approved as quickly as it’s needed. If you’ve mapped out your ideas for messaging around a campaign or show in advance, your builds can become faster, more efficient, and less stressful. Plus, while looking ahead you might see an opportunity to engage AI or machine learning to skip a step here & there.
