BIGTeam Spotlight: From Film to Ecommerce, How Pablo Gallaga Lives for Exceptional Storytelling

Happy National Hispanic Heritage Month! Kicking off this month’s spotlight is Pablo Gallaga, Senior Manager, Content Marketing at BigCommerce, specializing in thought leadership and data-driven content. 

As a manager, Gallaga finds meaning in his work through supporting his team to take on new opportunities to expand their careers, just as his hard-working family did for him. Through his family’s tenacity, he was influenced to make a career for himself in the tech world more than a decade ago. 

His upbringing taught him that we all have stories that should be shared. Now, he passes on that same intention with his team, encouraging them to create engaging content and share the important stories. 

BIGTeam Spotlight: Pablo Gallaga 

From ecommerce content marketer by day to film reviewer by night (or the weekend), learn more about Pablo Gallaga below: 

How did you get into the ecommerce industry?

Pablo Gallaga: “I’ve been working in tech for a decade now and was at Dell Technologies doing brand advertising and thought leadership there before coming to BigCommerce.

“Ecommerce has, of course, been a big part of Dell since the beginning, but didn’t factor much into my day-to-day, but when you have a career in tech you’re never far removed from it. Now that I’m at BigCommerce, I’ve become obsessed with learning the latest ecommerce trends.” 

What makes BigCommerce a great place to work?

PG: “The culture and the people drive what we do. I’ve been lucky throughout my career to work with such great people at every step of the way, but at BigCommerce I find myself so energized by every person I get a chance to collaborate with and learn from.” 

What’s the most fulfilling aspect of your role?

PG: “I manage a small team within the larger content marketing team and I’m fortunate to have direct reports who come to work every day with great attitudes and ideas. It matters a lot to me that they have opportunities to grow and be the next generation of leaders.

“I fully expect they will go as far as they want to in their careers. Watching them lead their own programs and get the recognition they deserve is why I do what I do.” 

It’s National Hispanic Heritage Month right now. What does your heritage mean to you?

PG: “I’m mixed Mexican and Spaniard-American and do actually refer to myself as Hispanic in most cases, rather than Chicano, Latino, Latinx or Mexican-American. I think it’s most accurate for me. 

“My family is from the Rio Grande Valley and is made up of many hard-working people who set me up for the opportunities I have today. My grandfather was a combat Army veteran who fought in the Korean War. My father is a retired Air Force veteran. My mother worked in insurance before I was born. My older brother is a nationally recognized journalist. I was a National Hispanic Scholar.”

“I’ve always felt like I’m between two worlds. Not brown enough for some. Not white enough for others. But I carry in me the blood of a people that encountered hardships in America and still advanced. No one can take that away from me. Representation matters because we all have stories within us that should be shared.”

What are your passions outside of work?

PG: “I am a big film geek — particularly genre film. I like to go to film festivals and I actually review movies in my off hours. My favorite genres are horror, sci-fi and over-the-top action. I highly recommend seeing the original Telugu-version of RRR in a theater if you ever have the opportunity. It’s pure cinema joy.

“We’re also living through a horror film renaissance with movies like Midsommar, Get Out and Possessor giving us a whole new generation of examination into the societal issues of our times. Don’t miss out!”

What do you shop for most online?

PG: “I am very much a thrill-of-the-hunt type person. I’m quick on the drop. I used to buy a lot of Mondo posters, rare action figures and toys. I’ve slowed down a bit on that, but sometimes it calls me back. Basically, if it’s a pre-order that geeks are gunning for, I’m there.”

If you had an online store, what would you sell?

PG: “At the start of the pandemic, my wife and I both jumped on some of the homebody survivalist trends to remedy boredom, and we both ended up really enjoying candle making. She actually went on to open an ecommerce shop and I toyed with the idea but ultimately didn’t have the time or energy. I might revisit that one day.” 

What’s your favorite BigCommerce store?

PG: “I am a Solo Stove believer. They’re a business where they could’ve just let the product speak for itself, but they go the extra mile. The experience of picking out and ordering our firepit was so simple and smooth. I like that they have thought out their bundle SKUs and that they offer a wide variety of accessories for every possible use case. That’s a shop that is looking out for its customers.” 

What do you find most fascinating about ecommerce?

PG: “It’s incredible to think about how quickly the ecommerce industry innovates. When you really stop and think about how long it’s been available to us, it hasn’t been all that long at all. Buying online used to be super risky. Now it’s the norm. And then things like one-click checkout and one-hour delivery are just true marvels of logistics.” 

Where do you see the future of ecommerce?

PG: “It will always be about the customer. It comes down to meeting them where they are and giving them what they want. So, as those expectations go, so goes ecommerce. One day we’ll be taking things like 10-minute delivery and predictive ordering for granted.”