Today we’d like to introduce you to Mateo Gomez.
Mateo, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up in the greatest city in the world: Chicago. After a nine-year tenure at my local grammar school, I followed in the footsteps of my grandfather and attended Mount Carmel High School on the far south side. It was there that I became involved with the school theater. The four years that I spent in theater ignited a creative spark inside me, particularly the writing aspect. From then, I went to school to study journalism for a bit before venturing into more creative and artistic outlets. I met a large portion of my friends and fellow crew members via Columbia College Chicago. After some time spent doing independent projects, it was a unanimous decision to eventually move to Los Angeles. So, I saved up, said my farewells, and now I’m here with those same friends.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, definitely not smooth. Chicago is my oasis, my home. It’s all I’ve ever known. My entire immediate family is there; the rest of them are even within the greater Chicagoland area. There’s nothing particularly easy about saying goodbye to your family and not knowing when you’ll be able to physically see them again. Coupled with that is the financial aspect of moving. I don’t think I need to expand on that, but moving to California especially is an expensive journey.
Please tell us about 1iota.
The company I work for is called 1iota. We deal with large audiences for various television shows including Will and Grace, The Voice, World of Dance, Ridiculousness, etc. I’m an audience coordinator–so a large portion of my job entails providing customer service, making sure the audience is checked in, shuttled, and overall appropriately accommodated.
As a company, I’m most proud of the familial aspect of work. I never come into work with animosity towards anyone. Mostly, everyone, there is friends with one another. I think the job of dealing with audience is severely overlooked and I believe 1iota does a great job of standing out and excelling in every possible way we can.
I think what sets me apart from others is my initiative and personality. Even when there’s a ‘bad day,’ I really try not to let it affect me whatsoever. I’m always trying to find what I can do next to help or what I can do better.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My grandpa and I would occasionally go to the park. He’d throw my little bicycle in the trunk and I’d ride in front of him while he walked and monitored from behind. Then we’d find a nice spot in the shade by the pond and feed geese or ducks or any other bird that was nearby. After that, we’d go get hot dogs from Maxwell St. before picking my grandma up from work. Simple times.
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
