The ceremony was held on January 29 and Louis Maldonado was accompanied by the DEX team, Gloria Constanza, Daisy Expósito-Ulla, Jorge Ulla, John Ross and Carmen Sepúlveda, from AARP
For the 9th year, City & State and AARP New York have recognized a group of distinguished New Yorkers whose decades in local and state politics and government are worthy of celebration. This week’s magazine features the annual Fifty Over 50: The Age Disruptors, highlighting the contributions and legacies of fifty venerable New Yorkers. Among the honorees was Louis Maldonado, partner and managing director of d expósito & Partners.
These awards honor leaders who have broken barriers, set the stage for future generations, helped create the New York we know and love, and serve as an inspiration to anyone who wants to make a difference in the state.
Louis explains that this is an important recognition for a couple of reasons. “First, it’s from City & State New York, which is the premier publication for politics and policy across New York City and New York State. Second, the other honorees are highly accomplished and at the top of their fields, so that is both exciting and humbling. More importantly, it’s about being recognized for my work and the sense of purpose of ensuring Latinos and other communities of color are included and engaged in an insightful and relevant dialogue”.
While the industry needs fresh perspectives and ideas, the younger generation needs wisdom, experience and knowledge. “After all, newer technologies and platforms are simply the latest tools that savvy communicators use to engage our audiences, but the principles of marketing and advertising remain the same. Learning to masterfully apply those principles to help client businesses grow takes time and cannot be rushed. That’s where veteran professionals like me come into the equation”.
What is the most important lesson or piece of advice you received early in your career?
This is a difficult question to answer because I’ve received so many gems of wisdom and advice that have taught me so much. But there is one word of advice that stands out, and that is to “wear your own shoes.” I have often watched and even studied my mentors closely, and I’ve model them in my leadership where appropriate. In one instance, it was time for one of my mentors to pass the torch to me, and I had no idea how I was going to fill this person’s shoes. Her response to me: “Wear your own shoes. You’re prepared, and you’ll be successful and loved because you’re you, not me.” That gave me a totally new outlook on the situation and the extra boost of confidence to move into the role with my head held high.
How does it influence your work today?
It reinforced the importance of always being true to myself and of being an independent thinker and leader. Of course, I practice the tried-and true leadership skills: active listening, leading with courage and empathy, critical and analytical thinking, etc. These are all important best practices for leaders, but it gave me the liberty for me to do it in the way that works for me and my teams; not according to what works for someone else. And that’s particularly valuable in this era because so much of what worked before may no longer work today or tomorrow. We have to find new solutions and ideas, and, thanks to these sage words, I fully have the confidence to do just that.
Who or what inspires you in the industry?
I get inspired by real creativity based on a kick-ass, insightful strategy. I get inspired by clients that are bold and will roll up their sleeves to do great work to build their brands while also doing right by their consumers and the world. I get inspired by people of all ages that are excited about our craft and that want to try new things and do meaningful work, and I get inspired by team members that are willing to go against the grain and avoid bandwagons to do work that is unexpected yet super powerful and effective.
What challenges do you value in the industry today?
I love and value that every day holds a different challenge because every day brings us something new to learn, and that brings more opportunities to create positive impact. There’s always a new technology, platform, data source, consumer trend, client project or competitor that emerges to help keep us on our game and to keep our work exciting and fresh. All these things prevent work from ever becoming boring.
Plus, we are faced with seriously daunting global challenges and economic shifts in this post-pandemic world. These create an even greater need for excellent and astute communicators. People need to know about new brands and solutions. They need to know how new systems and processes work. They need to know how to plan for the long haul while being prepared for the unexpected twist or turn. They need know about ways to continue learning and being inspired. So, whether our expertise is advertising, public relations, media, grassroots outreach, retail, etc., there will be an even greater need for effective communicators and campaigns for the foreseeable future. To me, that’s valuable and exciting!
