Here is the opportunity I see:

1. Every company knows that it must harness the power of social media and social networks. But they don't know how.
2. Most (thought not all) also know that the rules of marketing have changed significantly, but are not clear what this means for them.

Having seen these forces at play within Microsoft and had some success leveraging them, I realize that my skills would have even greater value outside of the Microsoft environment. Plus, the opportunity to make a difference for many companies is just ENORMOUS.

For a company (or any of us, really) the goal is simple:

1. Do something that is worth talking about (that's Word of Mouth Marketing aka 'WOM')
2. Make it easy for your customers and prospects to tell their friends about it  (and use social media/networking)

Right now, I am offering consulting services (WOM and Social Media) so stay tuned for client announcements in the upcoming days and weeks.

Of course, I am not alone in recognizing this opportunity and am in talks with some with some firms as well. Alone, small firm, big firm, it doesn't matter. What matters is to help companies tap into the ongoing Internet revolution that I've championed for 17 years.

Either way, it's a VERY exciting time and I just can't wait to get started.

It was an honor and a privilege to be a part of a world-changing organization like Microsoft.

Wish me luck and feel free to send some referrals my way!