Track #15: Araceli Gomez-Aldana – Why You Need to Throw Away Your Career Vision Board

Every afternoon at 3:00 p.m., the clock resets for Araceli Gomez-Aldana. A veteran journalist and reporter at WBEZ, Araceli joins Tom to discuss the “Groundhog Day” reality of the news cycle and why her career is defined by a Harry Nilsson song.

From her roots in a small town in the Chicago Region to a prestigious fellowship at Stanford, Araceli breaks down the unglamorous truth about breaking into media today. She talks about why the “prescriptive” career timeline is total bullshit, how to build a portfolio when no one is hiring, and the high-stakes world of waiting for sources to call you back. She also dives into the discourse around AI in the newsroom and why vertical video might be the only way to save attention spans, and critical thinking, in 2026.