In our member spotlight, Valerie Puchades, FSMPS, CPSM, recently sat down for a virtual chat with SMPS. Valerie, who’s a partner at CVG, has been an SMPS member since 2009. In this spotlight, she shares more about her career and why SMPS membership is important to her.
How long have you worked in the A/E/C industry? My first job out of college was at an architecture firm in Cambridge, MA. I was the first marketing person the firm had ever hired and had to learn quickly! That was in 1997. With the exception of two years at Delta Dental of Massachusetts, I’ve always worked in the A/E/C industry.
Please share some recent professional-related news that you’re proud of. Earlier this year, I was promoted to partner at CVG, a consulting firm that helps design firms be better businesses. I recognized shortly after joining the firm that I wanted to be there for the long run. We’re in our tenth year of business and I’m excited to be able to play a part in the continued growth of our clients and services.
What’s your favorite part of the job? Seeing that moment when a client’s vision, strategic priorities, and short-term action plan all gel together. There’s magic in seeing clients fully understand that the little things they do each day are getting them closer to their goals.
What has been one of your most meaningful projects? I was part of a project team at The Cecil Group working with the City of Salem, MA, to develop a Framework Plan to guide future investment and programming at Artists Row. It was rewarding to be working alongside the technical staff on a client project that was designed to help artists thrive through supportive infrastructure.
What’s the best advice you’ve received regarding your career? Stretch yourself past what you think you can do. Those are the moments where real growth happens. It was a former boss and mentor who taught me that and I would not be where I am today without his guidance and all of those little pushes.
Why is SMPS membership important to you and how has it helped you and your firm? I found “my people” through SMPS and have built my leadership skills through volunteering at the local, regional, and HQ levels. Like any organization, you get what you put into it, and I made it a point to immerse myself.
You’re a CPSM and last year you were recognized as an SMPS Fellow. How have these designations changed or elevated your professional role? Both designations have opened doors. At a previous firm, I was able to advocate that being a CPSM should be treated in the same way as technical staff designations when determining eligibility for being named an associate. That resulted in me being the first marketer at the firm being named an associate. At CVG, it was a partner (and a Fellow of AIA) who last year encouraged me to apply to be an SMPS Fellow. That’s not why I was promoted to partner this year, but it did factor into the equation.
What would you like to accomplish as an SMPS Fellow as it relates to the Society or A/E/C industry? I’d like to help advance marketing and business development education for design professionals, especially small- and mid-sized firm leaders who can’t (or don’t yet) see the immense value of marketing and BD strategy.
Can you tell us something we’d be surprised to learn about you? I moved to the finger lakes region of New York a few years ago to open a bed-and-breakfast, Canandaigua Guesthouse, with my husband. We’re in our second season and it’s going strong. We have a surprising number of guests that work in A/E/C. I also have a culinary degree, so this has been a fun side hustle to put that into practice.
Guilty pleasure: What can you not live without? My Peloton Tread! I have a 131-week (and counting) streak going.
