Back when Maribel Lopez left Forrester and became an independent analyst in 2008, she was taking a great risk. Independent analysts were not the force they are today. Social media was just getting going, blogs were still in their infancy, and podcasts were still called online videos.

But today, in part because of Maribel's pioneering work in the field, independent B2B tech analysts thrive. And Maribel is a great example. Yes, she still does great analysis, now largely on the AI market, but she blogs, contributes articles to various outlets, and has her own successful podcast, the AI with Maribel Lopez. She's also a road warrior, spending upwards of 25 weeks a year at tech conferences in the US, Canada, and EMEA.

Nonetheless, she somehow found the time to join us to discuss the evolution of the analyst space over the past three decades, her approach to choosing projects, and how she got rid of that pesky Boston accent for this fourth season premiere episode of Pressing Matters from Big Valley Marketing, the podcast that brings you conversations with the top media and influencers in B2B Tech. I'm Dave Reddy, Head of Big Valley Marketing's Media and Influencers Practice, and I'm your host. Through research and good old-fashioned relationship building, we've identified B2B Tech's top 200 media and influencers, including Maribel.

Here's our chat with Maribel. Enjoy.

Maribel Lopez, Founder & Principal Analyst, Lopez Research