Welcome to Deskside with Melissa

Thank you for subscribing and following my #selflovejourney through juggling the corporate world & entrepreneurship.

Have you ever noticed in the entertainment world how an actress, singer or even a novelist will re-invent themselves to propel their careers forward? They’ll embark on new projects, share their personal life and step outside of their comfort zone to grab the attention of new followers/fans.

So…I started wondering.. why can’t the average person do the same?

Hi, my name is Melissa DiMercurio. I juggle a corporate remote career, a passionate side business, and a beautiful life in Maryland. I’ll be honest with you, over the past 10 years, I have been plagued by self-doubt, fear and imposter syndrome. I have had so many ideas that I wanted to write about and projects that I wanted to try - like starting a YouTube channel or a Podcast- but this little voice in my head kept saying, ‘uh..who do you think you are? Jennifer Lopez?”

As I started to embark on my own #selflovejourney, a term I coined in 2018 while launching my side business, Curves Ahead, I realized that I have the ability to approach my personal brand however I damn well please.

However, there was one little problem. I had been working in public relations agencies that had a not-so-subtle culture expectation that their employees should remain behind-the-scenes. Over time, I slunk so deep in the shadows that I lost myself in the process. I flailed for years and stayed quiet for the paycheck.

At a young age, I always loved analyzing the beautiful choreography of a successful launch. I scoured the headlines for inspiring stories and watched hours of behind-the-scenes documentaries to get insights on the people that made all the big moments happen.

It's no wonder that I landed in the wonderful world of marketing as a full-time career.

I always thought I would be out in front of the camera in some way and even took internships at news stations during high school, but as life progressed and my career evolved, I found myself trying my hand at agency life “just until I figured it out.” That one year turned into 12. While those jobs lined my bank account it simultaneously eroded my self confidence, individuality and put me on stress overload that most days I didn’t know which way was up.

After the pandemic, like so many others in the workforce, I went to work on reimagining my life. I’ll be sharing more on my story of how I found a remote job and a manger that would go on to encourage me to explore all my interests, no matter what they were.

For now, I am at the crucial phase. The hard yet liberating part of actually stepping out all the way out of my comfort zone.

My intention with starting a Substack channel is to share my voice. Together, we’ll explore the many fun projects that have lived in my head for 12 years.

At Deskside with Melissa you will find:

• Stories from my years in the agency trenches

• Behind-the-scenes of my side business, Curves Ahead

• Inspiring insights from moguls and mavens that I meet along the way

• Diving into the headlines and geeking out about the marketing behind it all

• Spotlighting women-owned businesses and GIRL BOSSes around the world

• Letting my creativity and writing chops run wild with short stories and tales

• Dabbling in new projects for my business and sharing what I am learning

Pull up a chair, sit deskside and lets see where this journey takes us.