The Blagica Profiles: Meet Araceli Arroyo
Next up in my weekly profiles is Araceli (aka Celi) Arroyo. Celi and I met through the local tech scene, but got to know one another really well during the infamous social media experiment, Sleepover 2.0. Yes, this is indeed the night that MC Hammer called me and I briefly turned into a 13 year old again (yes, one day I will meet him in person:) ). Chicago has more women in tech than you may think. And now, on to the interview!
AVP Digital Marketing, HSBC Credit Card & Retail Services
Blogger /Photographer of http://chicagophotos.blogspot.com
How did you get started in the Chicago digital scene? How long have you been here?
I've been immersed in the Chicago digital scene for over ten years now.
My introduction came in early working for a commercial print artist wanting to expand his business to the online channel, while I also worked on finishing my BS in Information Systems from DePaul University. I was titled then with the ever-popular webmaster role, which encompassed taking responsibility with everything that had to do with the internet. (setting up networks, designing web pages, creating databases, consulting with customers).
Shortly after graduating I went to work for Classified Ventures where I worked for over seven years, primarily under the Apartments.com family. There I worked under the product development department as an web producer, senior producer and later product manager.
Throughout my employment in various companies I've done freelance assignments and created different websites, ranging from insurance, real estate, music, non-profit as well as personal websites and blogs.
What are some of the most interesting projects you've worked on?
There have been so many interesting projects I've been fortunate enough to
lead, especially due to the ever changing technology techniques and opportunities. I was responsible for SEO strategy at Apartments.com from the early boom of SEO and dealt directly with national and local initiatives for about three years until I changed companies where I am at now. With HSBC I've had the pleasure of learning and guiding several digital initiatives from fraud, payments and improved online customer experience.
What is the difference between working in the space during the 90s compared to now? Did you experience any of the dot com bust?
For my personal experience it feels somewhat similar working in the digital space today as it did working in the 90s. I believe this is the case because of my personal choice of where I work and what projects I decide to take on, whether they are for my employer or my own freelance company. I survived the dot com bust of the 90s. During that time I was working with Apartments.com and saw many friends and colleagues swooped into the vacuum, but also witnessed many start-ups become stronger cost-effective businesses. Due to the economy I think we are witnessing a similar cycle today. The experience for me though is not being part of a start-up but go through the same fears and focus with a larger company. Earlier this year I again witnessed many friends and colleagues lose their jobs and seen other start-ups and larger companies fail. I am confident though that once again the stronger businesses will survive and new business ventures will continue to rise.
What are you up to now? Tell me about it.
I focused mostly on the credit industry, optimizing online customer experience and new legislation changes that impact our sites. I am now involved with email marketing and that is another different world I am learning. I've scaled back from my freelance work at Exceli Web. That said I've tested a few open source CMS platforms and moved a few of my domains from static pages to wordpress, drupal and joomla. I have a few ideas I'm trying to launch but have been on hold for months. I'm in search of a developer to partner with - any recommendations? I also need to make some changes to my ChicagoPhotos blog, which probably entails finally moving domains. I fear a big dip in seo traffic but the time has come, especially for the changes I will be making that blogger is just not scaleable enough to support. Visitors can expect better organization and improved search.
Any misconceptions you think Chicago has when it comes to digital media and tech?
I'm not sure if it's a misconception or simply lack of understanding for the immense amount of talent and opportunity the Chicago has. What amazes me is the close sense of community that the Chicago digital space has towards each other. I'd say some of the most interesting projects/leads have come via my blog and social media networking. I've been invited to cover many fun events as a speaker, photographer and/or blogger. In doing so, I have met many smart and talented people that make me love and appreciate Chicago every day.
Tell me something I don't know about you
I share way too much on twitter, I don't know what people know of me or not anymore. I don't mind being an open book, my digital life is pretty safe - just Google me ;)
