Like many women, Massolo experienced misogyny in the workplace—an experience that isn’t foreign to women in the corporate world. Suddenly the long hours that came from working from home during the pandemic put things a little more into perspective and she said to herself, “enough is enough.” She was done with giving up her personal time and missing personal events, all while being disrespected in the workplace.

After working in the advertising industry for over 15 years and helping many Fortune 100 companies succeed, Silvana Massolo decided it was time to do it on her own.

Massolo realized it was time to trust instincts and catch herself in the process. Though a scary leap, it has been one that proved to be the best decision for herself. Though she gave up a comfortable corporate salary and perks like vacation time and a 401k, in a short time she’s met that and exceeded personal goals.

How did she accomplish this while the world was physically shut down? We’ll let her share her story with you.

Tell us about your business?

Massolo: The Bloom Agency is a boutique social media marketing agency helping small businesses and brands use social media and digital marketing to find, connect and convert audiences into followers, clients and customers.

How did this idea come about?

Massolo: I wanted to help others be successful in their business. I knew I could do it and I’m happy I committed myself to launching The Bloom Agency. Now I have the flexibility and time to help businesses and my community, without having to skip an important date in my personal life.

What prompted you to starting your own business?

Massolo: I watched businesses around me fail and some others bloom into amazing companies. Those that failed had one thing in common, lack of a marketing expert in their corner. I spent my career in advertising agencies contributing to the growth of many Fortune 100 companies. I knew I could do the same for small to medium sized businesses. I wanted to give them the same advantage large corporations have—access to award-winning professionals that care at prices they can afford without hurting their overhead.

silvana massolo ceo standing — Trust Yourself.

“It's hard for me to do a trust-fall but then I remembered, that's because I'm counting on someone else to catch me. I reminded myself that I was who was catching me and I was in control of my life and future.” - Silvana Massolo

What drew you to starting your own business in the middle of a pandemic?

Massolo: The last straw was experiencing misogyny. After dedicating myself to the business and bringing my best to the table every single day, I couldn’t bear to be disrespected anymore. Minor things like disgraceful comments, my name being mispronounced on multiple occasions, and speaking over me, without ever expressing a thank you. It was time. I had thought about it in 2017, but then the long hours that came from working from home during the pandemic, having very little personal time, and being disrespected were enough to help me go full time at The Bloom Agency.

How was starting a business as the world was mostly shut down?

Massolo: As it pertained to the social and digital space, I leaned on social media to help spread my message and become personally connected to friends, family, and potential customers. Starting a business in the middle of a pandemic and during the lockdown phase was also very lonely. It was filled with many long nights of me and my computer, with my loyal companion always by my side, my sweet rescue pup, Enzo. Many nights were spent reading, researching, testing, building, and creating.

What challenges did you face? What challenges did you face that were particular to starting this during the pandemic?

Massolo: One of the challenges was the lack of human interaction, but I think we all tried our best to stay connected via social media and platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and FaceTime.

What did you learn about yourself during this endeavor?

Massolo: I learned I can do whatever I set my mind to. I believe this for everyone. If you have an idea research, draft a plan, and stay focused. Take breaks but don’t give up. You got this!

What was the biggest challenge you faced?

Massolo: The biggest challenge was learning to balance my business and my personal life. The many long hours spent in front of my computer consumed me and derailed my personal relationships and my health. I gained weight and became obsessed with my business. It’s now something I’ve learned to manage better, though I think it’s a challenge many entrepreneurs face in the first couple of years after launching their business.

Read the full interview on Bella Vida Styles here.

It’s Her Story: Let Yourself Bloom