Entrepreneurs

Massy Paulino is the Director of Ritmos Dance Studio.

Ritmos Dance Studio is a Small Latin Dance studio based in Central Mass that focuses on preserving Latin American Culture through dance! Ritmos serves ages 4-20 with instruction in various modern and traditional Latin dance styles. Ritmos prides itself in providing affordable instruction for youth the in the Central Mass area and partners with the Community for workshops, performance and celebrations whenever possible.

How to do business with Massy Paulino & Ritmos Dance Studio

Contact & Location

• Address: 70 Webster St. Worcester, MA 01603
• Phone: 508-425-1261
• Email: [email protected]

Special Hours & Protocols

Pandemic Business hours: Wednesday’s 4-10pm
Director Massy Paulino also currently offers Latin culture info and dance sessions virtually for school/corporate settings.

Social Media & Website

• Website: RitmosDance.com
• Studio Instagram: @Ritmos_dance_studio
• Studio Facebook: Facebook.com/RitmosDanceStudioWorcester
• Director’s Instagram: @Massy_se_mueve

About Massy Paulino

Tell us about yourself and how you got started:

My dance began at age 13. I trained in various styles including; Ballet, Flamenco, Latin Jazz, Modern, and Folkloric Latin dance at Ritmos Academy under the direction of Hilda Ramirez.
At age 16 I began independently instructing dance lessons and worked with children of all ages. After high school, I attended Dean College and majored in Dance and graduated in 2011. My teaching and performing experience resulted in taking on the role of Ritmos Academy director in 2011. Fast forward to January 2020, I received recognition from the Mayor, State Senate, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and was awarded a Women-In-Action Entrepreneurial and Small Business award. In March of 2020, I relaunched Ritmos Academy as the now Non-Profit, Ritmos Dance Studio Inc.

Any advice for others that are trying to start a project or business:

BE HUMBLE, set boundaries and don’t be afraid to seek answers.

Marie O’Toole offers a complete meal preparation and delivery service in Worcester County. She offers over 50 entrees, both vegetarian/vegan and non. Some of her specialties include Indian curries of all types; Chinese and Korean noodles and stir-frys; soups; Balkan dishes like moussaka and kebapche; and traditional favorites like beef stew; roast chicken and lasagna. Most dietary restrictions and preferences can be accommodated, as each dish is prepared to order!

How to do business with Good Food 4 You

Contact & Location

• phone: 774-364-0734
• Rutland, MA

Special Hours & Protocols

• I accept orders at any time, either via e-mail, phone or through my business page on Facebook (Good Food 4 You). Will deliver weekdays or weekends.

Social Media & Website

• Yelp – Good Food 4 You
• Facebook – Good Food 4 You

About Marie O’Toole

Tell us about yourself and how you got started:

My name is Marie, and I recently launched a customizable meal preparation and delivery service for clients in the Wachusett and Greater Worcester area.

I have been cooking for 35 of my 49 years, and back in the 1990’s I ran a small catering business in Bulgaria with my friend Tanya. We served many dinners and cocktail parties for the British Embassy, Shell Petroleum, and other ex-pats who were based in Sofia at the time. After moving back to the United States in 1996, I settled in Rutland and have built up a career as the only certified Bulgarian English interpreter in New England. For the past 20 years, I have made the daily commute from Rutland to Boston to interpret in the hospitals and courthouses of the Commonwealth.

All this ended on March 16, when the state went into lockdown. Phase II re-opening unfortunately meant little for us non-essential healthcare workers, and we are still not utilized for on-site interpreting. Telephonic and video interpreting has replaced us (even in courtroom proceedings), which does not pay anything close to a living wage. Unfortunately, this situation will not change anytime soon and so I was in the unenviable position of making a career change in middle age.

Like many people during lockdown, I did a lot of cooking…..and rediscovered my passion for gourmet cooking on a budget as well as food blogging and photography. I decided to go full-throttle and offer a personal catering service, for those who do not have the time or desire to cook but want to enjoy restaurant-quality meals in the comfort of their own home. Having recently adopted a plant-based lifestyle, I was initially keen to specialize in that market – catering mainly to vegetarians and vegans – but that simply isn’t everyone’s thing so I developed two separate menus. (My most popular dishes are Orange Chicken and Ginger Beef Stir-Fry).

I have already acquired several very satisfied recurring customers, and I hope to serve more! I am passionate about what I do, and love seeing the pleasure on people’s faces when they try my menu!

We accommodate dietary restrictions (one of my recurring clients is gluten-free) and since each meal is made to order, any preferences can be incorporated. The attached picture of myself and my assistant was taken on “launch day”!

What are your favorite resources:

The Thug Cookbook is where I got a lot of my ideas. Networking in local groups on Facebook is also helpful.

Any advice for others that are trying to start a project or business:

Definitely find groups to share your business in on social media (many towns have local small business groups). Open a Yelp business profile, but don’t let them talk you into paying for advertising! Make business cards (you can do it online for as little as $15), and tell everyone what you’re doing! Word of mouth is still the best reference.