A female founded, independently run anti-agency; intentionally small, deeply experienced, and hands on by design.
A Letter from Masha.
Hi, I’m the lady in charge around here.
I stay directly involved in every client relationship and placement, approaching the work with loyalty, care, and a deep sense of responsibility to both clients and candidates.
I bring over seventeen years of hands on experience in private service, alongside a lifelong background in the arts. I grew up surrounded by this work - my mother a career housekeeper, my father a construction project manager - while also spending much of my life at the center of creative, performance driven environments. That dual exposure shaped how I understand discretion and visibility, structure and personality, and the balance between private life and public facing work. It’s a perspective formed from living inside these worlds, not observing them from a distance..
Over the years, through firsthand experience and ongoing conversations within the industry, I’ve seen a clear pattern emerge. Both highly capable private service professionals, and principals are often guided through recruitment processes by people who lack meaningful experience inside the environments they are staffing. That distance shows up as missed nuance, misaligned expectations, roles that are never clearly or realistically defined, and compliance gaps often overlooked.
The result is predictable; candidates set up to fail, principals left without their expectations properly met, and repeated searches driven by avoidable and expensive turnover.
I built The Grocery Store because I don’t agree with that model.
This firm was created to support thoughtful recruitment and lifestyle solutions meant to last; grounded in real experience, clear communication, and respect.
Everything here runs through me, from start to finish. By my side is Sylvi Bell, my Kuvasz and the true heart of the office. She serves as Chief of Security and occasionally appears on Zoom calls, when she deems it necessary.
The Anti-Agency Approach
No Hand-offs: You work with me directly, not a junior assistant or someone who transitioned into staffing after one or two personal hires. I bring lifelong industry experience, and seventeen years of hands on professional private service depth to your search; staying directly involved from the first call to the final placement decision, with ongoing support well into the future.
Radical Candor: I am not a "yes person.” I value your long term results over a comfortable conversation. I will tell you the truth about what you need, even, and especially, when it’s not what you expected to hear.
Selectivity over Scale: I reject the high volume model. By keeping my roster intentionally small, I ensure your search receives the attention to detail required to deliver the results that you actually need.
