Meet Emma Musto | Marketing Professional & Artisan Candle Maker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emma Musto and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emma, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
After working a couple “normal” 9 to 5 jobs I felt like I was trapped. I hated it so much because I felt like I was wasting away my time which is basically my life for someone else’s benefit. I believe the 8 hour work day is so antiquated, the majority of people are not productive for 8 hours straight, every single day! I decided I needed to work for myself, on my own time, so I could regain control of my life. I wanted to do something that allowed me to manage my own time even if that meant giving up a “steady” paycheck every two weeks.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I founded Musto Media & Marketing which is a digital marketing agency specializing in social media management, website design, and content creation for small, woman-owned businesses. My whole life I have been surrounded by powerful, inspiring women and when I first launched my agency I was almost immediately immersed in the most supportive and loving community of woman owned small businesses. I instantly knew I wanted to niche my marketing to help other women succeed in their businesses. A year after launching MMM I started my second small business, From Spark To Flame, a luxury handmade scented candle company. I am an avid candle buyer and every time I went to the store in search of candles I could never find beautiful containers with good smelling candles. I hated finishing a candle and then tossing out the container because I thought it was too ugly to display around my house. It felt so wasteful and I wanted a candle that I could display proudly around my home and even reuse once I was done burning it. That’s how From Spark To Flame was born. I only use clean burning soy wax, the highest quality essential oils, and make all the candles by hand. Our containers don’t look like typical candle containers and are meant to be kept and reused after you’ve finished your candle. It’s almost surreal for me to be able to say that I am the owner of two small businesses today when just two years ago I was working a 9-5 and dreading every minute of it. I worked a couple different jobs in the past and always felt unsatisfied no matter how “good” the job seemed to be. I soon realized it wasn’t necessarily the work that had me bummed out but the structure of the job itself. I couldn’t stand having to sit in an office for 8 hours everyday, only living for the weekends. I knew I needed to work on my own time but quitting a job and being without a stable income is very scary! A lot of people discouraged me from it and I had to not only block out my own worries and fears but now theirs as well. It was very hard getting started at first, there was a lot I didn’t know that I had to figure out myself but I soon realized that the biggest obstacle in starting your own business is yourself. It’s your own fears, doubts, and insecurities that will drag you down and keep you trapped in a life you hate, not the actual failure of your business. Once I realized this and was able to shift my mindset to a more positive, optimistic outlook and start manifesting my own success, I believe it got a lot easier. Clients and opportunities came to me more easily and frequently and I stepped into my role with a new confidence and respect for my work and business. Now that I’ve launched a product based business, I am still applying the same high energy and mindset. I am creating a product that I love and believe in, that I think others will enjoy, with the well being of the environment in mind and that I am proud to showcase and bring to the world. My optimism and love for my business and my product manifests into success. I am a very spiritual person and I strongly believe in the power of energy, mindset, and manifestation. It was and still is a big risk to leave a stable income in pursuit of my own business but it was a risk I was happy to take. Although I sometimes work even longer hours than at my office job, I am working on my own time and towards something that I truly believe in and am passionate about.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The first place I take anyone who comes to visit is the beach! Miami has so many beautiful beaches and perfect weather. Some key spots I would hit are Ocean Drive, Lincoln Road, Brickell, Downtown, Bayside, Coconut Grove, and Wynwood. My favorite drinks in Wynwood are from Miami Mojito Company and we’d have the best Asian food from 1-800-Lucky just down the road! Maybe stop by the hidden club behind Coyo Taco for a fun night out! Miami has so many amazing water activities that I would definitely include snorkeling or diving off of Dania Beach, jet skiing around the bay, and maybe a booze cruise to Haulover sandbar!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My shoutout goes out to two strong boss babes, Natalie Levy and Debra Mitchell, both of whom own their own businesses and who have supported and encouraged me to start two of my own!

Website: https://www.fromsparktoflame.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma__musto/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fromsparktoflame

Other: https://www.mustomm.com

Image Credits
Branden Musto