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I’ve Joined Edelman Digital

August 1st, 2011 · 28 Comments · Uncategorized

Today I’m excited to announce that I have joined Edelman Digital as the Director of Operations for Measurement and Analytics in their Montréal office.

I am heading up the great team in Montréal that specializes in providing social insights and measurement and I will be liaising with other Edelman offices to provide clients with analysis and insights that will help guide their business decisions. I’m happy to be joining the company that is home to my colleagues in social media – David Armano, Steve Rubel, Dave Fleet, Rob Clark, Zena Weist, David Almacy – and so many more bright people that I’ll be getting to know in the coming months.

But What About…?

With this announcement, I will be retiring my consulting practice. I want to thank my clients and partners for making the last 4 years so fulfilling. Thank you for your confidence and for entrusting your marketing and social media to me. I’ve learned so much from you.

A special thank you goes to A.C. Riley and Mark Goren for your unwavering support and for always putting a smile on my face, no matter how tough a day I’ve had. I’m privileged to have worked with you both and to count you amongst my dearest friends.

Of course, I am grateful to my family who took the brunt of my crazy hours (remember when I was working on an Australian clock for 10 days while still juggling day-to-day, or the all-nighters on deadline? #goodtimes) and the waves of unpredictability that go along with striking out on one’s own. I could not have survived and thrived these last 4-years without your love and support, and I thank you for always being there for me.

Thanks also to my friends and all the wonderful people I’ve met along the way who sent me leads, had me speak at their event, and gave me a leg up when I needed it. I do my very best every day to pay your kindness forward.

This blog will continue, though with an expected change in focus and updated look (like I haven’t got enough on my plate ;) ).

My research and speaking on Death and Digital Legacy will go on a bit of a break until I get my feet under me at my new gig. I’ll get back to it as time allows. In the meantime, if you’re interested in the topic, please be sure to follow my buddies Evan Carroll and John Romano over at The Digital Beyond.

I will also continue to stay as active as I can in the social media and tech scene here in Montréal and elsewhere, including being a mentor at startup incubator FounderFuel.

Why?

Some people might wonder why I’m giving up the freedom of my own business. My answer is simple. As my friend Shel Israel wrote a few months ago, it’s time. For me, the writing has been on the wall for the last year and my feelings about the future of social media consulting were confirmed in conversations with at least a dozen of my contemporaries at SXSW last March.

I need a new challenge and I am ready to dig into a niche. It’s exhausting work to be a generalist in social media because the pace of change makes it extremely difficult to stay on top of every aspect. In my new role at Edelman Digital, I’ll be happily diving into monitoring and measurement, while swimming in analytics and influence. I’ll be unfettered by the need to know the latest Twitter management app or Facebook custom page tool. Sure, I’ll be interested, but it won’t be essential for me to know. Narrowing my focus will help to alleviate the inevitable social media burnout.

And, the great thing about joining a company vs. being a lone consultant is that I get to work with a team of smart people who are just as passionate about this space as I am. It’s lonely out there on your own. I’m looking forward to doing my best work because of the collaborative process that teamwork brings.

So, here’s to new horizons and the next phase of my career!

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