Photographer: Kyle Russell @mydudeKyle
Gabriella Gomez redefining the modern talk show through live streaming, creating space for two-way conversations where fans can engage in real-time, making it a community hub, and a deeply human kind of digital entertainment.
1. You were part of Beats by Dre in its early days, helping to shape a brand that became a cultural phenomenon. Do you remember the moment you realized Beats was about to explode?
Beats was already cool when I came on board, but I started noticing how consistent and
intentional the marketing was that with time grew the awareness exponentially with each brand campaign.Being so young in a room full of well established marketers, I learned how to speak the language of a “busy executive” and how to anticipate needs. I sat in on every single meeting I possibly could and worked overtime almost every single day. I learned how to hustle and how to
2.Can you walk us through that encounter—and how intuition has guided your approach to talent relativism not sure it has much to do with intuition when it comes to building relationships with talent?
I’m not sure it has much to do with intuition when it comes to building relationships with talent. I build relationships. I treat everyone the same, no matter if they're an emerging influencer /content creator or if they’re an A-list celebrity it doesn’t matter. You still treat them with the same respect and curiosity about where they’re headed or what they want to do with their platform.
3. How did you recognize the power of digital creators before the rest of the industry caught on?
I found myself being more influenced by creators on social media than anything else. Even if I'm had the TV on, I was really paying attention to my phone and using my TV more for background noise. The products and brands that stuck with me were the ones I saw in my feed, not on my TV screen.
4. At K-Swiss, you tapped Venus Williams to help rebrand the company. What did that collaboration teach you about aligning legacy names with modern audiences?
I approached the K-Swiss by Venus Williams collaboration by having the same conversations as I did with any creator or talent – the ultimate question is always.
5.What do you want to build your brand towards? And how can I help you get there?
With the K-Swiss collaboration the conversation really started around Venus being a tennis icon with a clear vision, and she wanted her own shoe line that reflected both her on- and off-court identity. Instead of building that infrastructure from the ground up, I suggested a collaboration with K-Swiss as a solution and stepping stone towards one of her goals.
6. Shifting from brand marketing to working directly with Bella Thorne’s Thorne Dynasty must’ve role felt like entering the heart of creator-led businesses. How did that experience reshape your view of content and commerce?
It didn’t reshape my view of content and commerce at all, it actually validated everything I already believed. I’ve always approached brand and product marketing through the lens of storytelling and authenticity. Working with Bella just confirmed everything that I had been already doing.
7. When you first discovered TikTok Shop, you noticed something missing—the heart. What made you step in front of the camera yourself, and how did you find your unique live-streaming.
I had been traveling with Bella and witnessing amazing, behind-the-scenes moments that gave stories behind the products. But in live streams, I noticed they were only talking about the product specs, mainly because they didn’t know the stories behind the photos and videos.jewelry.
8.As a consumer I wanted to know the story behind the photo like why did she style it that way? What inspired that piece? Why did she invent it that way?
So I started telling the stories. That shift made the chat come alive—and unexpectedly, one of the products on screen was me. To this day, some of those original viewers still pop into my live streams and say hi. be purchasing or gifting on the stream because they want to, not because I asked them to.
9. Community seems central to your approach. What does building a “deeply human” space online mean to you, especially in an era where algorithms often push quick trends over authentic connection?
At this point, I’m comfortable showing up as myself, even when that means sharing frustration, sadness, or vulnerability. I know that showing emotion in real time helps others feel less alone.Some of the most meaningful messages I get are from people who saw me talking about breakups, career struggles, or even algorithm fatigue, and it gave them the encouragement to keep going. That’s why I'm OK with showing this human side of me.
10. You’ve been at the forefront of multiple movements—music, influencer marketing, creator-led brands, and now live-streaming. Do you see a common thread in all these cultural shifts you’ve helped shape?
The common thread is always content, and the storytelling that drives it. Even on the brand marketing side or the product marketing side, it all comes back to content.
11. Traditional talk shows have always been one-way conversations—hosts talking at an audience. Your live streams flip that on its head by inviting fans into the dialogue. How do you see this two-way format changing the role of a “host” in digital entertainment?
The host's job is no longer to read off a Teleprompter or just talk about what they wanna talk about. A really good host now has to spark a conversation, engage with the audience's response to that conversation and continuously drive that conversation in the direction that they want to take it. Multitasking is now going to become at the forefront of skill sets for a host more than ever before.
12 You’ve described your streams as more than just entertainment—they’re a community hub.What does that look like in practice, and how do you balance being both a creator and a connector for the people who tune in?
If I’m battling, and I like the vibe of the person that I’m battling against, I’m gonna have a good conversation with them and then if they’re open to it, I like to introduce them around on the app if they’re newer. At this point, I know a lot of live streamers and a lot of battlers and so I’m easily able to match make them with other creators that they would have either a good conversation or a good battle with. I try to carve out time every week to do this not for sake of balance, but because it’s something that I saw value in when I was a new creator, and if I can help somebody else kick start their stream or meet new people on the app, I’m gonna do it.
13. Looking ahead, what’s your vision for live streaming as entertainment? Could we be witnessing the birth of a new era of digital talk shows, and what role do you hope to play in that future?
Live streaming is the new live TV. You think about traditional TV and shows formats that go
towards live as well. There will be a new version of the Kardashians or Good Morning America but on live it’s just a matter of time before we see this shift happen with traditional media.
