Fashion Forward

In 2009, Michaela Vattimo got the same dreaded news thousands of American workers were hearing. She'd been laid off from her marketing and PR job at Chico's FAS Fort Myers headquarters, and she had to figure out a new plan for herself.

“It was a challenging time for everyone,” she says. “Businesses weren't hiring and were cutting budgets, especially for marketing. But like everything, there's always that silver lining.”

For Vattimo, her silver lining was the formation of her own Naples-based business, Michaela & Co. After her layoff, the one-time model started off by providing personal shopping services for clients and producing fashion shows. Now she's a go-to wardrobe and food stylist for many local advertising agencies and production companies. She's also expanded into creative direction and project management.