Trying to keep a small business going is really tough at the moment but I’ve been spending time on the things I love most about My Icon Story – turning people’s stories into icon art prints! That’s where our Printfluencer Series has been an absolute blessing.
This week we’ve had the pleasure of inviting Stephanie Melodia, Founder of Bloom, a specialist Marketing agency and consultancy for Start-up businesses. I’ve been following the success of Bloom for around a year and before lockdown, had the privilege of meeting Stephanie at Bloom’s first International Women’s Day event in London. Aside from being a phenomenal host and public speaker, her smile is infectious and her positive energy beams! I also knew she was a girl after my own heart when she said a Cosmopolitan cocktail was her fave!
STEPHANIE MELODIA / / BLOOM
In a tweet (280 characters) what do you/your business do?
Bloom supports entrepreneurs to make their business visions a reality, through practical marketing and beautiful creativity. Fast, agile, and action-driven, we are trusted by the best startups to help their companies bloom
Did you have a job/career before starting your business?
Yes, prior to setting up Bloom 2.5 years ago, I led the UK marketing for Top 10 Global App Developer, Meitu, and before this spent the best part of a decade working agency side across beauty, fashion & retail accounts – like Bally, Monsoon, Dior, Michael Kors…
Why did you decide to start your own business?
I saw how others were running their businesses and knew I could give them a run for their money! The level of freedom and autonomy when you’re your own boss is a great way to live your life. Ultimately it boils down to an internal drive to take action and do your own thing!
Tell us a bit more about Bloom
Bloom was born out of a desire to help entrepreneurs make their business visions a reality – through practical marketing and beautiful creativity, without the price tag of big agencies or the commitment of hiring your own staff. To that end, Bloom is an agile 360-marketing agency exclusively supporting early-stage startups. The level of impact, as well as the satisfaction that comes from working directly with business founders, is totally aligned with our core values and mission statement. Not to mention the excitement working with such intelligent humans and experience the innovation that comes from these fast-moving businesses!
I set up the business late 2017. I invested in a laptop, built my own website in an afternoon, signed up with an accountant, and got Bloom Consulting Limited registered. Exciting and naive times, at the beginning! I then put my sales skills to the test and pulled out every weapon in my arsenal to land my first client, which I succeeded in doing just a couple of weeks later. This was in December, before Christmas too, by the way – not the best time to be out there winning new business! From there, the business has of course gone on all its own natural peaks and troughs; from not generating any revenue at all one month (bellyache feeling), to managing a team in swanky offices in Central London!
None of it is easy though, and the world of entrepreneurship has been massively glamourised recently. I am incredibly fortunate in that I’ve put myself in a situation of “double exposure” in business; running my own company as well as vicariously building the businesses of others’. This means the lessons learnt, the challenges encountered, and the victories enjoyed are all twofold!!
If you were a recent client of Bloom, what would you write in the review?
“The expert team at Bloom are an absolute pleasure to work with. They know their stuff inside and out, and retain a healthy dose of practicality about their approach which feeds into the “get sh*t done” attitude needed in most startups businesses! The combination of Bloom’s expertise, energy, together with the fact that they are lovely people to work with, make them the agency of choice for any entrepreneur who wants to successfully build their business.”
FINISH THESE SENTENCES…
My business is amazing because…The unique driving force at the helm, the agile service structure, and the mantra to always strive for more!
This time next year…Wait and see 😉
STEPHANIE’S MY ICON STORY
SIZE: Inbetweener My Icon Story (fits 7-9 icons), White background with black icons and solid black wooden frame
Tell us the story behind your My Icon Story print?
I grew up on the island of Lanzarote before studying Art History in Madrid. I then lived in Toronto for a while before moving to London, starting my career, and eventually setting up Bloom!
JUST A BIT OF FUN…
My Icon Story partnered with the Mr. Men brand last year to launch our personality canvases. The idea for the product came after I was asked which character best represents me. I couldn’t answer with just one as our personalities and characteristics are a total mix! So we created the first personalised Mr Men & Little Miss Personality prints!
We asked Stephanie to choose 4 Characters that best represent her and she chose the following:
You’re in a cocktail bar. What do you order?
Cosmopolitan or Espresso Martini
What’s your favourite type of shoe?
Converse
If you could have any other job in the world, what would you be?
If I could, I would 😉
THANK YOU
Thank you Stephanie. Such an inspiring read and My Icon Story wishes you all the success with Bloom! When lockdown is lifted and we’re allowed to meet for a drink, I look forward to chatting over a Cosmopolitan!
To find out more about Bloom’s services, check out their website https://www.bloomltd.co.uk
And follow Bloom on Instagram @bloomltd
If you’d like to nominate a founder to be featured in our Printfluencer Series, please email laura@myiconstory.com
To create your own My Icon Story visit our design-your-own here. We also offer a free icon request service so any icon you can’t find, simply drop us an email to info@myiconstory.com or use the Submit Request form on our homepage.
