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Source: Fairygodboss

Jessica Rovello ambitiously quit her job at 26 and founded Arkadium with her husband. Years later, they’ve created a successful business that’s also a great place to work. Jessica’s advice is simple and poignant: if you don’t love your job, quit and find one that you do.

Fairygodboss of the Week: Jessica Rovello

Co-Founder & CEO, Arkadium
New York, NY

FGB: Tell us about your career. How did you get to where you are now?
JR: When I graduated from college I wanted to be in the movie business. I got a job at an independent film studio in New York. The internet was really just starting to catch on so they allowed me to start producing websites for our film releases. I produced the website for Darren Aronofsky’s “Pi”, and it was one of the first websites ever made to promote a movie. About a year later I produced the website for the Blair Witch Project. It went on to be the most successful independent film of all time, and the website played a big part in its success. After that an early dot com came calling and I decided to leave the movies behind for the exciting new world of tech. I met my husband, and co-founder Kenny Rosenblatt at that dot com and there we came up for the idea of Arkadium. At 26, we quit our jobs and went into business together.

FGB: What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?

JR: Building my business. Arkadium was recently named a “Best Workplace” by Inc. Magazine.

FGB: What is a challenge that you’ve faced and overcome?
JR: There are too many to count! The most difficult challenge was about two years ago when, because of sanctions the US placed on Crimea, Ukraine, where Arkadium had 100 employees, we had to shut down and move our employees to a new country. It was a very difficult time, but we’ve bounced back.

Lightning Round:

FGB: What do you do when you’re not working?
JR: Play with my three boys and work on lots of DIY projects at our farm outside of NY.

FGB: If you could have dinner with one famous person – dead or alive – who would it be?
JR: Caravaggio

FGB: What is your karaoke song?
JR: Summer lovin’ from Grease

FGB: What is your favorite movie
JR: Raiders of the Lost Ark.

FGB: What book would you bring with you on a desert island?
JR: Anything by Wayne Dyer

FGB: What is your shopping vice? What would you buy if you won the lottery?
JR: A villa in Rome.

FGB: What is the #1 career tip you’d like to share with other women who want to have successful careers like you?
JR: If you don’t love waking up and going to your job every day, quit and find one where you do. Then work your ass off and become indispensable. The rest will take care of itself.

FGB: Why do you love where you work?
JR: It provides me with unending opportunities.

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