Kickin’ around 30 Rock with Ali Vitali

Happy Friday everyone! This week on Featured Friday we’re excited to be introducing Ali Vitali, a Graphics Producer for The Cycle on MSNBC. Ali started there just two years ago when she was looking to put her Tulane degree to use in a job that would both let her show off her creative side and share her love of politics and news.

But there’s more to Ali than her job, there’s the personal side of her, which emerges somewhat in her videos (like the one below) that we wanted to learn more about. Things like what she drinks in the morning, (I’ll give you a hint, it’s not coffee) and other fun tidbits. As a millennial working in the media we also wanted to ask her how she uses her about.me page to tell both her personal and professional story. To see her answers to these questions, check out our written interview with her below.

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Eliana: What made you sign up for about.me? Backstory?
Ali: I signed up for about.me after seeing it pop up on Twitter profiles as people’s main contact website. I figured if all of these cool journalists and influencers that I followed were doing it, I probably should, too. So I’m a glorified social media copycat but who isn’t nowadays?

E: What’s your favorite feature on the platform?
A: I actually think that Backstory is my favorite. I stumbled upon it after talking to about.me’s Director of Outreach, Paris Rouzati and loved that it let people take a deeper dive into who I am, what my background is, and the experiences I’ve had. Sometimes just reading someone’s job title doesn’t quite do justice to all of the things they do on a day-to-day basis and all of the things they’ve accomplished at certain positions.

E: What do you drink when you go to work every day?
A: I swore off coffee over a year ago (gasp!) so I fill my plastic Starbucks cup with water and lemon every morning and throughout the day.

E: How are you using the platform on other digital mediums?
A: I use it on my website as well as on my Twitter profile. The widget lays out really nicely on WordPress and allows me customize. I like having control over the size of my name and what information appears or doesn’t on my site’s sidebar.

E: What do you have in your bag that defines who you are?
A: I always carry my day planner — that book basically holds my life together — and a pen because you never know when you’ll need to jot something down or make note of something. My business cards, which literally define my job. A tube of Byte lipstick (in Fig) because I’m not a huge makeup person, but a few swipes of this and it’s a super low-maintenance way to look put together and fresh.

E: Advice for people making an about.me page?
A: Have fun with it and don’t be afraid to brag a little. Chances are you’ve done some interesting and amazing things — share that with the about.me community! I feel like people, especially women, tend to sell themselves short because they want to come off as humble and don’t want to brag, but there’s a way to show off your accomplishments without being annoying. Find that balance and if someone does call you out for #humblebragging, own it. You deserve a little moment in the digital spotlight.

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