Hidden Gems: Meet Alana Ficalora of Aligned for Impact

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alana Ficalora.

Hi Alana, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was that kid in high school that knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I knew I wanted to produce commercials (which I figured out after acting in commercials as a kid in Los Angeles, ultimately realizing I wanted to be behind the camera, not in front) and followed all the traditional steps to get there. I immediately dove headfirst into working in commercial production after graduating from Northwestern (go Wildcats!).

I loved my journey in production – I started as an office PA & worked my way up to producing commercials, movie promos, PSAs, photo shoots & branded content. I’ve had the opportunity to work with top brands & agencies, athletes & celeb talent, stunts & animals. To travel & explore places I never would have otherwise gone, meet & work with people from different backgrounds & learn about industries I otherwise may not have been exposed to. I love creating something from nothing. I love how the general steps are the same, but each project comes with its own unique challenges waiting to be solved.

Simultaneously, outside of work, I was feeding another part of me through volunteer work, community building, travel, mindfulness practices & physical activity. I was active in Junior League of Los Angeles, served on different boards, and built a community of women in entertainment & advertising by hosting events across the city. I made a great wing woman – always ready to check out a new hike, sign up for a fundraiser walk, embark on an adventure, volunteer at a local non-profit, or attend a dinner party or event with people I didn’t know.

I remember being told early on in my career that commercials wouldn’t be around in ten years. While that didn’t pan out, I wasn’t expecting the other ways in which the industry would change & how quickly I would be ready to move on from it. New technology & media platforms meant more opportunities for content & ways to advertise a product – which was great, except simultaneously, the budgets shrank and timelines condensed. For me, the industry I had spent 15+ years in, which I used to find to be creative & fun, was losing its sparkle. Being in production was all-consuming, and I was no longer able to consistently find time for my restorative activities outside of work. I no longer had my version of balance.

My favorite projects to work on became the PSAs and branded projects with a tie to social impact. I distinctly remember crew members coming up to me & thanking me for the opportunity to work on a PSA for Ignite – they were inspired to be part of such an incredible & meaningful project. This storytelling is so important, and I felt there was a deeper opportunity available to elevate these stories for a larger impact.

My first a-ha moment came when a project I was bidding on was canceled for lack of budget. While this isn’t unusual, this one stuck with me because these spots were going to tell the incredibly impactful work the brand was doing to address a variety of social issues (that I, as an avid consumer of the brand, was not even aware of). I didn’t understand why brands weren’t sharing & valuing these stories, consumers want to know what the brands they purchase from stand for. As I worked on more branded spots with social impact messages, I realized that while these brands were bringing awareness to a social issue or touting a partnership with a non-profit, it was unclear what they were actually DO-ing beyond sometimes performative storytelling.

I saw an opportunity to expand & amplify this work. Instead of just touching the surface of a social issue and/or donating money, how can you engage your employees & customers in the issue & take them on this journey with you? Through experiential events, grassroots conversations & volunteering, there’s great opportunity to build on these campaigns & dig into the DO-ing.

I now help conscious brands amplify their social impact through employee & customer engagement. I couldn’t be happier about the opportunity available to utilize these platforms to make a lasting positive impact. Being able to combine my passion for philanthropy, community & producing is a beautiful way for me to bring all these elements of my life together as I pave a new path.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Transitions are always tricky, right? Whether it was moving up a position in production or transitioning careers entirely, it’s been important to remember transitions take time & require patience & trust. We live in a culture that has falsely led us to believe you can achieve success overnight, where we tend to see the highlight reel of people’s lives & careers. Staying present, true to myself, trusting the process, and being a lifelong learner have helped me stay on course as I move from one thing to the next.

There were bumps in the road early in my career as a woman – especially as a young woman. While I moved up the production ranks relatively quickly at the time, sometimes I was not given the same respect because of my age or gender. I also came up in production at a time when sexual harassment was still very much part of the business. It was almost like there was an unspoken rule that you were supposed to laugh off the inappropriate jokes & comments. While we still have a long way to go, it seems there has been some progress made due to the #metoo movement & hopefully, young women (and men) today feel more empowered to speak up for themselves when someone is not treating them appropriately.

My journey was very straightforward until it wasn’t. I knew I wanted to produce commercials, so I took all the steps & followed the most direct path to get there. I had a clear road map to follow. Now I’m starting a company from scratch, no guide map included, navigating & learning as I go. For someone who likes to have control & is a rule follower, it’s not easy, but I believe I’ll find it’s worth the adventure & discomfort to take the road less traveled.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Aligned for Impact was created to support companies on their journey to have greater social impact. To shift from a moment to a movement, utilizing a company’s influence and reach for positive impact & culture change. To expand beyond the shiny award-winning spots & non-profit grants, to engage in taking action on a local & global level while activating employees & customers to engage in the social cause(s) that are aligned with the company’s mission & values. This can manifest itself in so many ways. Through brand-sponsored experiential events, grassroots initiatives & conversations with non-profit partners, civic engagement, volunteer days that bring employees & customers together under a common purpose, and so much more. We offer a range of services including video production, event production, employee & customer engagement, program development & management, and partnerships.

We live in a world of savvy consumers who have a heightened awareness due to extensive cause-washing & green-washing. It’s vital to be authentic & lead with your heart. We’re here to help support companies on that journey and create meaningful positive impact.

A few of my favorite collaborations to be a part of:

• We Rise Virtual 2020 where I flexed my community engagement muscles while building out our extensive virtual programming calendar. Going virtual provided an opportunity to re-imagine our programming to involve a larger breadth of community partners and talent and expand the audience we were able to reach. It was extremely impactful to be able to share mental health resources at a time of such great need.

• FIRST “More Than” Campaign where we got to speak with real kids & parents across the country about self-esteem, building connections & the impact influential adults can have in inspiring a child’s future. The wisdom & advice of both the parents & kids was incredibly moving & inspiring. What are YOU More Than?

• The Skid Row Carnival of Love where I managed over 2,000 volunteers & community partners to provide a unique & impactful experience for our un-housed neighbors. It was inspiring to be able to bring the Los Angeles community together for a day of celebration and service while providing much-needed food, services, and goods to those in need.

• Helping Each other Rise (HER) where I’ve built a community of like-minded women dedicated to helping advance females in entertainment & advertising. Since 2016, I’ve been planning intimate events from dinner parties & workshops to wellness & volunteer events with local community partners. It brings me such joy to see the personal connections made and knowledge gained from these events.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
So many! At the moment…

Podcasts:
* We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle
* Purpose 360
* She Dynasty
* On Purpose with Jay Shetty
* The Smart Gets Paid Podcast

Books:
* The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker
* Raising Good Humans: A Mindful Guide to breaking the cycle of reactive parenting & raising kind, confident kids by Hunter Clarke-Fields
* You’re Invited: The Art & Science of Cultivating Influence by Jon Levy
* Give & Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success by Adam Grant
* Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett
* Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
* Imagine it Forward: Courage, Creativity & the Power of Change by Beth Comstock

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alignedforimpact.co/

Image Credits
Tara McVicar Jacqueline Dalunde