Conversation Agent Turns 2

"Everything you see and touch was once an invisible idea until someone chose to bring it into being. Any powerful idea is absolutely fascinating and absolutely useless until we choose to use it." [Richard Bach]

These last two years have been ten plus years in the making.

There have been discussions online recently about instant success. There is no such thing. Success is the result of continuous work and improvement.

Did I do well at the Marketing Profs B2B Forum in Boston? One thing is for sure, anything I did well was the result of the people in the room and in the hallway providing thoughts and feedback about the topic.

In exactly one month I will be participating to the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association Summit in Minneapolis. Being invited back is a sign that the conversation back in early March stimulated action and possibly results. When you learn you were the catalyst for individuals and groups to start something, that is also a form of feedback.

Having introduced and highlighted others for the better part of the last ten years, and having interpreted the words of content-rich conversations for the better part of my previous life, it feels different to be the protagonist. It is my belief that with greater visibility comes greater responsibility - and accountability.

My long time mentor used to say that doing your best is not enough, it's about getting it done. Feedback is a key component of figuring out if you have. Comments and links are another form of feedback. Heartfelt thanks go to all who have participated in the last year. Many thanks also go to all those who added their voice in conversations here.

As we celebrate the past, I am looking towards the future and asking for your feedforward. This is a term Marshall Goldsmith used to describe behavior suggestions for the future. I am taking some liberty on his definition because I do like the concept of impacting the future vs. trying to change the past.

What kinds of topics would you like to see covered at Conversation Agent? What inspires you to action? How can we weave conversations that will translate into results for your professional life? As marketing and communications change, so it is my hope that we will have an impact in influencing a change for the better.

Thank you for reading and for contributing to our collective growth.

[at Caffee' Concerto in Modena]

Comments

[Thomas Clifford]

Happy Blogday, Valeria!

Two years already? You're success is clearly a tribute to your continuous work and improvement; nothing instant about that, for sure.

It's also been an honor to know you and to be a part of your "conversational world!" Hoping we can meet again at the next Blogger Social.

Continue sharing and inspiring us, Valeria. Your voice is important and needed.

Be well,
Tom

[Brian Monahan, Expert in the Rough]

Valeria,

My FeedForward requests revolve around the new blogger. My blog is in its infancy and although I see the overnight successes that will occur in the future I need inspiration now.

What recommendations do you have for the new blogger who enters the conversation with new ideas and messages but has limited readers/subscribers to converse with, until they reach that overnight success.

FYI, you are in my list of 5 blogs I recommended for Blog Day.

Brian Monahan, Expert in the Rough

[Alli Will]

Dearest Valeria,

Congrats on creating a successful blog in what has quickly become a crowded medium. With a full time job and a passion for activity, reading blogs in one's spare time can be overwhelming. I find myself going to several links in the Conversation Agent (CA) that are also inspiring. I dutifully voted for the panel to appear at the SXSW event in Austin.

CA is provocative, thoughtful and delightful. You started it with a purpose of making it an effective marketing tool - your speaking engagements are the result of your "branding initiative" as the CA! Your dedication and ingenuity in your presentations are having an impact in real time. Since I first subscribed to CA in April of this year, your readership has increased from approximately 1800 to almost 2600. Diligent effort = honesty = recognition. It doesn’t always happen that way - just like films are not always a hit -but CA is a BIG HIT! CA is a brand in its own right. As Dr. Randy Pausch said, it is not the things we do in life that we regret, it is the things we do not do - so find your passion and follow it. It looks like you are well on your way and I applaud your "coming to America" to embrace your dreams. Greater visibility certainly equals greater responsibility but you are prepared for it.

I hope America will be a catalyst for CHANGE so it can lead a global economy by shaping Energy, Education, Healthcare, Infrastructure and Innovation with a bright, intelligent leader who is creating a new brand for the U.S.

Cheers to your continued resourceful site and your Labor of Love on this Labor Day. Bravo.

Everything begins with I mag I nation.

Big hugs,

Alli Will

"Quality begins with people, not with things. Before you are able to improve quality, you'll have to change the attitude of people to their job at each stage of a business process" (Phillip Crosby)

[Chris Guillebeau]

I just wanted to say congratulations on the two-year birthday!

In terms of specifics for your future work, I think case studies and real-world examples are always great. But don't change too much - you're obviously on the right track. Keep it up. :)

[Steve Woodruff]

Valeria,
You have consistently been one of the most encouraging souls to me on my blogging adventure, and I've always valued your contributions. Happy 2!
You inspired me to check when I first started blogging on marketing themes - looks like Stickyfigure will be 2 in October, so that will be my "other" October birthday!

[Mark Goren]

Valeria:

Congratulations not just for the second anniversary of Conversation Agent, but also for consistently being thought provoking, supportive of others and for reaching out offline and well as you do online.

I truly value the times we've met, collaborated and fed off each other. Keep it up for another two years – at least!

Best,

Mark

[Sara Borghi]

Dear Valeria,

I hope your writing path will continue (and even increase) in the future years!

I wanted to thank you for your capacity to motivate us with an amazingly positive attitude and to connect different life-aspects in a meaningful way, and, most of all, for your vision !

you "virtually" help me every day in getting things done, and done well !

Warm Regards,

Sara

[Phil Gerbyshak]

Congratulations on making it 2 years Valeria! I can't wait to see what's next.

My feedforward: More interviews with folks who've "done it" (meaning put your brilliant advice to work. Success stories are inspiring. Let's see more.

Continued personal stories. I love to read about what you're doing to further the conversation. These give me hope that the little things I do will make a difference.

A little more voice or video. I like to engage with my ears as well as my eyes.

Last but not least: Keep being YOU! Your brand is strong, and I enjoy your articles greatly because they are very unique. You're not just rehashing what everyone else is, you're challenging my thinking and encouraging me to dig deeper to keep the conversation going. Thank you for ALL you do!

[Simon]

Congratulations on the first two years. I look forward to your insightful posts continuing well into the future

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Tom - that is very kind of you to say. I know that you also celebrated two years blogging. Here's to us, then ;-)

@Brian - thank you. Well, we all do things differently. It also depends on your goals. DO you want a large readership? Are you going for many comments? There's no magic, really. Produce content worth sharing, participate in conversations at other blogs, be generous with attribution and collaboration, and be yourself. I do a lot of work behind the scenes, helping people connect with others, resources. It's part of who I am. I'm sure you have marvelous qualities you can utilize.

@Alli - wow, what can I say? That is good feedback, thank you. As for change, it is not built on hope alone. Change comes from a desire of each individual to take action. It also comes from having a plan and building a team that is serious and holds itself accountable for implementing it. As you said so well, diligent effort is key.

@Chris - case studies and conversations are in my plans. Good suggestions. Maybe I should take up more travel like you and see for myself ;-)

@Steve - we must organize a big bash, the second one, I'm sure, for your birthday. As for the writing and online presence - you are an insightful writer, an excellent listener, a wonderful conversation companion.

@Mark - I can hardly wait to see the results of your vision come to life. I really enjoyed learning more about your work and projects. Reach out any time!

@Sara - so glad you have drawn inspiration from this work. I look forward to meeting you and learning more about your aspirations. I know my post for tomorrow will give you ideas ;-)

@Phil - great hearing from you! I am planning to begin a series on success stories and publish more conversations in the next year. I am planning a redesign of this space to clean up the sidebar a little bit as well. Although I tend to put a little (or a lot) of me in every post, I tend to stay away from highly personal posts. I guess one every now and then would be fine ;-) The voice will need work on, I'm a writer, and learning to be a speaker by listening, practicing, rehearsing. Thank you for the very detailed feedforward!

@Simon - your posts are labors of love. I know how long it takes to filter information and present it in a continuum. You are a master at that!

[Robyn McMaster]

Valeria, I'm glad you chose to include a photo of yourself on your 2nd anniversary for Converstation Agent. You indeed are an agent of change and thoughtful reflection. Somehow I see that in this photo and it helps readers sit across from you in the room.

You bring out the best in others. No doubt that helped bring the success at the conferences!

May the next bring even more inspiring growth.

[Philippe]

Happy B-day Valeria. Modena is a great place to celebrate. You look so happy and relaxed on that photo.

I remember that I asked you what made your blog difference and you answered: "me" :) Well this is very true and it's a good thing.

[Gavin Heaton]

Congrats on your second birthday ... but doesn't it feel much longer?! Here's to more conversation.

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Robyn - I went back and forth on that one on whether to put a number two as an image. That is a nice compliment, thank you!

@Philippe - admittedly it was a cheeky answer, but it does fit. Looking forward to meeting in person.

@Gavin - it does, and it doesn't. Funny how those things go. One year meant a lot of content generated, yet it feels like yesterday that we were just reading each other for the first time ;-)

[Derrick Kwa]

Congratulations on the two years. =). It's been a great pleasure getting to know you, and reading your insights and thoughts. I'm looking forward to the next two years!

[Beth Harte]

Valeria,

Many congratulations on your two-year anniversary!

I remember our first meeting in 2000 (CoF) and how we discussed the .com wave and the importance of networking. Here we are 8 years later discussing social media and the importance of conversation. I am looking forward to another 8 years (or more!) of conversations and learning!

Thank you for sharing yourself with us, for stimulating thought and for continuing the conversation...forward.

-Beth

[Lauren Vargas]

Happy second blog anniversary...your blog is now a toddler! New challenges and lessons learned! The thoughts and discussions on this blog are far from echo chamber. Thank you for your unique perspective and wisdom.

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Derrick - your voice is a genuine and important one in international conversations. I look forward to reading more of you and for ways to be of assistance.

@Beth - I do remember also our work together for PRSA many years ago. Yes, funny how many of the things we discussed so many years ago are now at the fore. Here's to your success of which I have no doubt!

@Lauren - thank you. As a two-year old, it is into everything. Learning, testing, applying knowledge, improvising. But that is just the tool. The thinker is more focused - even if still highly independent.

[Karen Hegmann]

Congratulations Valeria!

You've accomplished so much in so little time. I think it's great the way you're able to incorporate different voices, themes and opinions into your writing.

Thanks too for being an inspiration, and for all your support. You are definitely someone to look up to.

In terms of future content, it would be great to see more on branding and innovative ideas on how specific companies use branding to sell their wares.

Congrats again. I'm sure you'll be celebrating in Italy!

[Ricardo Bueno]

Valeria: my first encounter with your blog was by chance...I was stumbling across the blog-o-sphere and here I was. Since our little chance encounter I have learned a lot from you and though I don't always dive into the conversation, I'm reading and soaking in information daily. You're an inspiration and it's great to have connected with you!

Happy 2nd Birthday!!!

Have a safe trip while you're away and a safe return! I can't wait for the conversations to come...

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Karen - I have enjoyed getting to know you and learning from your work and stories. It looks like there is consensus on case studies and practical applications. That is great, it is a welcome challenge.

@Ricardo - I've enjoyed our conversations and am glad you are deriving value from the content. As for the trip, it was looong!

[Drew McLellan]

Happy Blogiversary!

What I love about this medium and what I know you celebrate above all else are the relationships you have built and nurtured among your readers, peer bloggers and other professionals.

I know after they have met you (in person, on the phone, personal e-mail) they read your work and words with a whole new level of insight. They know what you're all about.

Thanks for authenticity and two years of thought-provoking content.

Drew

[The Kaiser]

my blogs never seem to get to have a birthday. Nevermind. Well done, thanks for all the good stuff.

Best wishes from Munich,
Marcus.

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Drew - that is very nice of you to say. I will be looking to shake things up a little in year 3. Maybe do a list myself, they do not seem to go out of fashion. Seriously, meeting people where they wish to make connections has been great.

@The Kaiser - it helps when one keeps publishing :) How are you? We are currently in the same time zone.

[The Kaiser]

Hello Valeria, I'm fine, up up to mischief again - which is always fun. Where are you? You're not in Germany are you??