#WeAreArity Wednesday: Manny Alvarez Milano 

What was your experience like as an Arity intern last summer?

Since day one, everyone was very welcoming. They make you feel like you really belong at the company. There wasn’t a separation between interns and full-time employees. It was a very collaborative environment.

I was part of the mobile solutions team, and it was really fun. There was a lot of research involved. My manager, Alexa offered such great mentorship throughout my internship. She helped me become what I am today in terms of product marketing. I had been in marketing for many years before, but she and Arity gave me different perspectives.

I would encourage any interns that are into anything related to tech and marketing to definitely give it a try.

What was your transition like from Arity intern to your current position as Product Marketing Senior Consultant?

It was swift. I was in a unique situation. I actually had another offer to go and work for NASCAR. I received the offer, and I was letting my manager know – basically, giving her my two-week notice. And she said, “You know, there’s another alternative.” They offered me the job, and it took me not even a day to decide.

I couldn’t be more sure that I made the right decision. My experience so far has been great. The work-life balance that Arity offers is amazing.

What bucket list item do you want to check off in the next six months? 

I really want to learn how to kite surf. I grew up surfing – regular surfing, and Miami is not the greatest place to surf. There are not a lot of waves, but wind on the other hand – there’s plenty! So, I think that would be a great, similar experience. I haven’t done it before, but I’ve always wanted to try.

What is your favorite holiday?

My favorite holiday is Christmas. I have a really big family, and it’s a time when all my family gets together. And finally, this Christmas, it’s going to be even better because we’re now all living in the same place, Miami.

Do you have a favorite Christmas tradition?

We don’t really have any unique traditions for Christmas. We do have one for New Year’s, and it’s really weird: if you want to travel within the next year, you take your luggage and cross the street and come back.

If you could live in any state, which would you pick?

I always wanted to live in California. It reminds me a lot of my hometown, Caracas – geographically speaking. Caracas is a valley. You have the beaches on one side and the mountains on the other. Venezuela overall is very similar to that.

I didn’t grow up playing soccer, baseball, or any of those sports. I was really into extreme sports like rock climbing and rafting and surfing. It wasn’t because I was an adrenaline junkie or anything like that, it’s because I had everything available – literally in my backyard.

Imagine you no longer have to work. How would you spend a Tuesday? 

My retirement plan is to buy a catamaran and sail around the world. I would spend every Tuesday somewhere out at sea.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

This one’s funny. I was telling my mom I was going to do this We Are Arity, and that I was going to answer some questions. She was like, “What kind of questions?” I told her, “Things like what did I want to be when I grew up.” And she said, “Please don’t say you wanted to be a Navy Seal.”

So yes, I wanted to be a Navy Seal. I don’t know where that came from – I wasn’t even an American citizen! My brother and I were really big fans of Rambo, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Sylvester Stallone movies. I remember I had a lot of G.I. Joes. I had like 50 different G.I. Joe toys.

Obviously, that faded, and I took a complete 180-degree turn. And I’m in marketing now!

Would you rather live 100 years in the past or 100 years in the future? Why?

I would like to live 100 years in the future. I think we already know the past, and whatever the future holds is what’s curious to me.

What is an easy way to do something nice for someone?

Especially in these times, I think just being a decent human being. Lately, the environment feels so hostile with everything going on so just generally being nice – a good person, a decent person is enough.

How do you set up good boundaries between working from home and your life outside of work?

I’ve been working remotely since 2017. And up until 2021, I’ve lived in a one-bedroom apartment. It was physically impossible to separate my home from my home office.

I think it has to do with if you like what you’re doing. When you do something that you’re passionate about, the line between work gets blurry. But I enjoy walking my dogs and being outside for a while. I think that’s a good way to separate those.

What are your dogs’ names? 

One dog’s name is Chip. He’s very mixed. He’s an American Bull Dog with Great Pyrenees. He looks like a cow. He’s black and white, and I think he’s overweight right now.

My other one is Mia, and she’s an Australian Shepherd with Great Pyrenees as well. She’s gorgeous. She has one very bright blue eye, and a regular hazel one.