The New Gig with The Company of Mods

A little background

After Target, the first question everyone asked me was, ‘What will you do next?’

I knew I would spend some solid time talking to companies, taking meetings, listening to trusted mentors and making sure my next move completely fit what I believed in.  I did all of those things (and turned down a few fabulous job offers). But I also made an effort to not focus so much on the next career move. Instead, I spent time with my family and wrote. I wrote and wrote and wrote. It was heavenly.

I mentioned beliefs a few beats ago.  Beliefs are important to me. When it comes to the web, I believe that we are globally connected, using the Internet to accomplish an infinite amount of things. I always felt drawn to companies who solve real problems of people, making the web simpler and easier to use. At the same time, I wanted to be at a place that embraced my full span of digital marketing know-how: from website builds, to online marketing to social media to digital PR/communications. I didn’t want to be put in any one digital lane – because that’s not how the web works. 

I also assessed my time.  When I was running Zlato, I worked out of my home office, in addition to some co-working space in Chicago. I first set up shop at 1871 and then moved over to TechNexus. I was able to get more done in six hours than I would normally get done in two or three days in a corporate setting.  Imagine what I could get done in a full week?

Mind. Blown.

Taking action

After a course of industry conversations with a smart-as-a-whip industry friend who will now be my colleague (I love how the universe works!), I decided to join Metaverse Mod Squad as their Vice President of Digital Media, effective next Tuesday. I’ll be splitting my time between building out our clients’ social media and digital marketing programs and sharing the love of what Metaverse does.

Meta-who?

I know. You are shaking your head and asking yourself, ‘Wait. What? What do they do? Never heard of them.’ You may have not have heard of Metaverse Mod Squad, but there is a good chance that the website, forum or message board you visited was connected to the company in some way.

For seven years, Metaverse Mod Squad has had global teams in place moderating online forums, message boards and creating digital programs for startups, multi national companies and agencies of all sizes. Multiple languages, cultures and people driving towards the same goal.  From NBC to the Department of State, the team's client roster is wide and varied.

 They are doing important work at an important time in the web’s history.

But where are you going to live?

This has been quite the popular question.  It was assumed by many that we would turn  right around and move back to Chicago. That’s not how I operate.

The Bottiglieros will be in Minneapolis for some time and yes, I will be working remotely. Metaverse Mod Squad mastered the art of having remote teams around the world – while accomplishing big things. And yes, I believe this is the future of work. So does Jason Fried (you should read 'Remote'). 

In terms of office space? Happy to report that I’ll be camping out a few days of the week at CoCo, the Twin Cities’ co-working/incubator space that is part of the Google Entrepreneur Tech Hub network.  I’ve missed the startup culture of Chicago and am looking forward to getting to know the up and coming ideas in the Twin Cities!

There you have it, friends. Savored every bit of summer, wrote chapters to a passion project, found a job in an ever growing industry, working from my home office and exploring the Twin Cities startup community.

Win win in the Blagica Book.