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In some ways making Naples look beautiful isn’t that hard to do, with its tony shops, lush beaches and serene sunsets.
But getting those images and content out to people, from locals to international tourists, requires a lot of behind the scenes work. One of the leaders in that area is Samantha Bloom. She’s the owner of Naples-based Oh Snap Media, which she founded in 2013, initially focusing on photography and social media marketing. She soon expanded to website design and magazine content.
Nearly a decade later, one of the company’s main focuses is to provide photography, videography, event coordination and media marketing services for Naples Fifth Avenue South and the downtown historic district. The core of the job remains the same as when she started the company: make Naples look amazing.
“My job is wonderful because there are no rules,” Bloom says. “When I go out and take on each project I get to be creative, off the cuff and where the mood strikes every single day.”
The media and marketing community in Naples has noticed Blooms work. In 2018, for example, the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau named Bloom a Social Media Star at its Paradise Coast Tourism Star Awards luncheon. The nomination for the award noted the Fifth Avenue South district’s Instagram following increased 200% in six months and engagement on Facebook was up 75% under Bloom’s leadership. She also showcased the district’s diverse offering well, the nomination said, a list that includes culinary, retail, historical, medical, business and travel and tourism messaging.
Bloom says her mom, Nancy Barone, is both her mentor and the motivation behind her work. Bloom calls her mom, who has worked in commercial real estate, a business genius — and someone “who was inspirational in ensuring that there is more than one way to fix a problem.”
“As a young child, she went out of her way to give us the freedom to think out of the box,” Bloom says of her and her siblings’ childhood. “She allowed us to be ourselves, and she allowed us to create ourselves to be seen the way we wanted to be seen.”
— Mark Gordon
• City of Residence: Naples
• Birthplace: Greenwich, Connecticut
• Years in the area: 20 years
• Marital Status/Children: Happily Married to Jim Bloom with our three children Gavin, Cassidy and Maille
• Alma Mater/Degree: FGCU - English
• What community group or organization are you most involved with? With my events I like to (network) with as many 501(c) (3)’s as possible
• Are you working from the company office, home office or hybrid? Company office
• What's the weirdest job you've ever had? Or the weirdest task you've ever been assigned? As a teenager, one of my first jobs, I worked as a professional wrapper for corporations business wide gifts. As a teenager I would make homemade bows and double tape items to perfection - to this day, I wrap with a gift bag!
• What's your top tip for being productive? Make a list! The most satisfying thing is to be able to check it off!
• If you could have a side hustle, what would it be? I would create online classes
What's your favorite off-hours activity? It turns out it's watching my kids play volleyball
• What's the most significant item on your life bucket list — and what's keeping you from completing it? Travel! My husband is waiting patiently for our children to be old enough to not burn the place down.
• What's your favorite podcast? Jennifer Johnson - The Fashionista Life. As a producer Im invested!
• At what percentage on your phone do you start to get Low Battery Anxiety? 2% - you can do most things with 2% left
• What are the top three apps used on your smartphone? Lightroom, Instagram, Beat Leap
• What books are you reading now? Start with Why by Simon Sinek and the occasional romance novel
• What's your go-to music genre, band or act to be inspired? I'm a sucker for a cowboy! My husband was raised on a dairy farm so I'm a sucker for anything country
• Who would play you in the movie of your life? Kristen Wiig - seems the obvious choice
• Where is your happy place? I'm happiest at home with my family — I'm italian, I like to be surrounded by the people I love and have them well-fed.
• Describe yourself in three words: Absurd, Adaptable, & Creative
• Who is your mentor for your career and why? Nancy Barone - My job is all about thinking out of the box, its adapting to what is on the rise in popularity and creating a version that will catch your eye.
• What are the biggest lessons you have learned from your mentor? Nancy Barone, has spent her life showing me that even life’s mistakes can be a blessing. She is my mentor but more importantly my mother, she has been an advocate in my life to create change and to think creatively. She always followed her own path and was inspirational in ensuring that there is more than one way to fix a problem. She has shown me the importance of treating everyone with kindness and the path of least resistance is always paved with graciousness.
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