Starting Today, I am M- Powered

You read that right, Valeria Maltoni joins the team at Powered.

After more than 20 years on the company side, where I've helped mature brands grow and start ups reinvent themselves, I chose to write the next chapter as part of the strategy team at Powered. Most recently I was with a Fortune 500 corporation and the active lead representing member for that organization at the Social Media Business Council.

I'm excited to join a diverse and experienced team I admire and respect -- people like Aaron Strout, Joe Jaffe, Greg Verdino, Jen van der Meer, Jane Quigley, and Steve Kleinberg.

Social media is helping us see how things have changed in how we communicate, share, and buy. I'm looking forward to putting my experience to work for organizations that are looking to power what’s next in their business cycle and reach their true potential with social media.

Having built a social network with Fast Company magazine going back 10 years, and with this blog about to turn 4, I have walked the talk for many years, seeing and creating opportunities to connect ideas and people. It wasn't as sexy to put that on your resume back then, believe me, especially in corporate America.

I do know for a fact that partnerships were formed, business models were improved, and numerous opportunities to collaborate on projects and make money, find jobs, and even get engaged in the romantic sense of the word were outcomes from those activities. It has been the best use of my spare time.

Definitely a labor of love and passion. Although the insights and connections have been priceless, I have given back to the business community freely -- with the network and with this blog, often covering the out of pocket costs. I am honored to serve the community by sharing what know, and grateful for your attention and participation.

Want to do something for me?

• leave a comment here telling me how I can be more helpful to you -- do you think we can get to 200?
• subscribe if you don't
• share this blog with your network and ask them to subscribe

We're just getting warmed up. Starting today, I am M- Powered -- I continue to be fearless in Philly. Let's get to work, shall we?

***

Look forward to more ideas, connections, and stories of executions at Conversation Agent, on Twitter, and in other social media outposts.

© 2010 Valeria Maltoni. All rights reserved.

Comments

[Elizabeth Sosnow]

Valeria:

They are very, very lucky to have you. I admire all of your colleagues, but you take the cake. Can't wait to hear about your new adventures.

[Chris Guillebeau]

Congrats! All you need to do for me (and everyone else here) is keep being awesome.

[Andrew Careaga]

Congratulations on this new chapter. Just keep creating the same great, provocative and relevant content for this blog, and you'll keep me happy!

[Mike Fruchter]

Valeria,

Congrats on the career move. I know it's a long time coming and very well deserved. I wish you the best at Powered. They are extremely lucky to having found such a valuable resource and thought leader.

[Chris Brogan...]

Congratulations and very best to you. You're joining a great team.

[Lance]

Valeria,
Woo-Hoo!! Congratulations!! Looking forward to all that this leads to! You already LIVE AWESOME...so I can only see this taking that to the next level!! Rock on!!!

[Shiv Singh]

Congratulations and best of luck. Aaron and Joe are great people.

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Gavin - as someone who's been on both sides of the conversation, I'm sure you appreciate the opportunities that open from mixing it up.

@Gianandrea - you know me, I never leave home without the Italian that powers my day. Bold it is~ it feels right.

@Geoff - who knows, we might get to do a podcast with Jaffe in the near future. It would be a lot of fun.

@Greg - thank you. Exciting times filled with opportunity for forward looking companies. I'm glad and lucky to make a home with the Powered team.

@Luc - merci. I'm all brains from the neck up :)

@Albert - as I was looking at the backgrounds of the team members, I kept seeing solid marketing skills, serous love for technology and smart work. There is room for a new breed of professionals outside the known systems, conversation agents, if you will.

@Arik - thank you. I'm a diligent reader of your work as well, so that you know.

@Aaron - thank you. Everyone has been very helpful and having read and heard many on the team in recent years, I just know that we will do really good work in service to our customers

@Ike - I thought of soccer when you said it that way. You'll see why in an upcoming post of mine.

@Nick - I will miss you at council meetings. Who knows, it's a small world, after all, right?

@DJ - a solid team for sure. Looking forward to your stories of baby-Waldow and to your success as well.

@Lisa - I told Mack I would hover. Afraid I'm not much of a wallflower. To me there are so many untapped uses for content and social media to bring the right people together. That's why I continue to be passionate about it, even if we're still early days.

@Beth - thank you, my friend. I'm honored to be in such good company, at Powered, and in the comments here. Puns are fun, and there is a lot more to life when we can let out hair down and enjoy the work, isn't there?

@Armando - of that, I am sure. My creative juices are already brewing all sorts of new perspectives and real life stories.

@Chris - thank you for encouraging the original side of me. You keep up the great work, too.

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Michael - so good to hear from you! How are things in your neck of the woods? Thank you for the kind words.

@Anne - thank you, on so many levels.

@Anthony - very kind of you to say. I'm learning a lot from the many smart readers who stop in and share their thoughts, too.

@Drew - thank you! We should not wait this long to touch base next time, look at what I did :) I'm looking forward to helping connect companies and customers.

@Mitch - I laughed out loud on the Jaffe joke. A great team for sure.

@Matt - thank you for your kind words and glad to be helpful.

@Mark - hope all is well with you and the family.

@Toby - I still remember that very first time we met in person in NY. It was during BlogHer. I think of all the great things you have all done since then, amazing.

@Dan - thank you.

@Kare - time in the same sandbox is key. I found that I was leading more and more a double life, even though there were definitely synergies and intersections. Go where your heart is makes for an interesting experience.

[Adam Singer]

Wow - huge congrats Valeria. They are LUCKY to have you :)

[Diego]

Congratulations Valeria, I wish you success and much happiness! : )

[Kami Huyse]

Very late to the party here. But I love Aaron and Joe, too. Moreover, I am thrilled for you! M-Powered is smart to grab you - no doubt!

[LPC]

Congratulations.

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Tiffany - and how much ground you have covered since we met, as well!

@CK - Mondays can be great starts, indeed. And knowing we can visit with each other more often does bring me joy. I will say hi to the team for you.

@Jon - a man after my own heart. Make that dark chocolate and you have a deal.

@Wayne - thank you!

@Kellye - so glad that my rants are taken within context :) How an independent thinker fared in the corporate world for so many years must be due to strong guardian angels. Feisty is an appropriate term. It was being a first born, I'm quite sure.

@Danny - another great laugh from you. It's a talent you have. Often people say they don't know what to say to my posts, and so I provided a fairly innocent-looking post to give everyone a reason to come in and comment. See? It makes perfect sense :)

@Chel - thank you and looking forward to see your beautiful self at some point in the near future.

@Marianne - thank you, much appreciated.

@Tim - exciting on many levels.

@Jeff - glad the content is seen as challenging. The way I write, I look to balance ideas and provide more than one view, I definitely have a point of view. I appreciate your support and take on the topics. Diversity of thought is good.

@Kurt - let's not lose phone numbers or phones now, ok? Would love to stay in touch, see how you're doing, and help the SMBC in any way allowed from this side of the fence :)

@Jay - see, I admire the craft of a good turn of phrase. This is an integrated team, in skill sets, in experience, and in brain power, no pun intended.

@Leigh - thank you, my friend. We missed you at SxSW this year! Coming from a smart geek like you, I am blushing at the compliment.

@Sonny - thank you so much.

@Roger - your Creative Think power deck keeps me fueled with ideas and perspectives. Thank you again for sharing it with me.

@Maggie - thank you!

@Nikki - indeed. Thank you for stopping by.

@Tom - get to know them on Twitter, this is a good group of peeps.

@Patrick - very kind of you. It's interesting how I met many on this team over time and learned to respect their work and to have the opportunity to work with them is really fortunate.

@Rich - there is this tension with social media, isn't there? The numbers make sense when there is proportion and care. I insist on getting to know people, and that takes time and commitment. I found that networks tip eventually, and everyone is the richer for it.

@Leah - we must stay in touch, I want to know how you're all doing.

@Connie - I'm still kicking myself for missing All Hat at SxSW. I must have been abducted by Aliens or something to miss seeing you! Being me is a job and a half :) Thank you for saying it here. It warms my heart. Somehow, I think Austin is in the future, at some point.

@Sue Anne - thank you.

@Jackie - fell in love with the town and the people in it, what can I say?

@Jared - thank you for stopping by.

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Elizabeth - thank you for the support, and for reading. You participation is wonderful.

@Chris - it comes so easy to you, being awesome. To your upcoming book and our visit in the fall.

@Andrew - that seems reasonable. Love the enthusiasm.

@Mike - we miss you out here. Hope things are going very well with you. Thank you for all your support over time. I appreciate it.

@Chris - we can influence each other on this team, I love that. And of course, to the larger team of doers out there. Cheers!

@Lance - I jumped up and down when I saw your comment. Thank you!

@Shiv - thank you so much for the well wishes.

@Adam - good to find a home for what's next.

@Diego - thank you/grazie. As you might say, I followed the music in me.

@Kami - the party cannot start without you. Powered is such a good name, too.

@LPC - thank you.

[Anna Barcelos]

Valeria!! How exciting, congratulations! Your blog is one of the richest in content out there. I have learned so much from your thorough, well-thought out and experienced posts. I hope you continue bringing us more insights in your new position. Something tells me you will because that's how you roll ;-) Best of luck!

[Joseph Jaffe]

The excitement is felt all the way in Leuven. In fact there was a huge celebration yesterday at the Stella brewery when the news broke!

Can't wait to work together and put our collective customer service/experience passion to maximum use!

Joseph

[TaltonFiggins]

Powered has a pretty awesome team. I saw Aaron speak at the Social Media Club of Dallas before SXSW and he was awesome. Congrats!

[Carolyn Ann]

Congratulations! :-)

[Skip @skipshoe Shuda]

Congratulations Valeria! I am so pleased to see your strategic insight will be joining a team that can make a real difference. I hope that ConversationAgent and #kaizenblog will continue to live on and make amazing contributions.

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Anna - my intention is to continue experimenting with formats and topics so we can continue thinking critically and individually.

@Joseph - I love Stella. Ditto, looking forward to our collaboration.

@Talton - thank you for the congratulatory note.

@Carolyn Ann - cheers.

@Skip - interesting times ahead, I'm sure.

[Paul Chaney]

Congrats Valeria. Couldn't happen to a nicer person. Don't let them change you! :-)

[Taylor Davidson]

Congrats Valeria. Looking forward to seeing what you'll do with your spare time now :)

[Mack Collier]

VERY big news Valeria! So happy for you!

[Marc Meyer]

It was only a matter of time before you got snatched up. Congrats Valeria!