▲ The Zoom / CEO Im Gyeong-ah

Im Gyeong-ah, CEO of The Zoom, found out she was pregnant while she should rather hang around with her friends. She had to give up everything she planned and after baby was born she suffered depression. 

"It was me and my baby at home while my friends were busy going to school or work. We meet occasionally but there was a wall that changed things never the same as before. One day, I was overcome with this dangerous thought to throw the baby out of the window. Shocked by the very thought, I felt I must do something to get this terrible thought away" says Im.

After spending some time to find where she could share her depression with people who have similar experience, Im came to know an online mom's cafe. She then took a step further to meet them offline and things that ailed her improved gradually and the meeting has become regular.

Inspired by the meeting, she launched her own online cafe 'Masan Mom's Challenge' and hosted a monthly meeting. The number soon grew to 100 and she started to attract sponsorship from baby goods companies. 

She also organized lectures on how to grow a baby and systematized babies into month and year to efficiently share information between members. As a result, the online cafe membership jumped surprisingly. 

"It all started as a village mom's gathering but a jump to more than 10,000 members made me emotional and highly motivated. I now have this sens of duty to do my role more professionally."

She changed the name of the online cafe to Zoomarella (Azooma: married women + Cinderalla) and the number of the membership now has reached 350,000 with 205,000 in Changwon City alone. 

In 2013, she registered Zoomarella as an advertizing agency promoting baby goods and businesses in South Gyeongsang Province including Busan, Changwon and Gimhae. Zoomarella boasts the biggest number of membership in Gyeongsang Province. Im now is as busy the head of the online cafe as an infant care lecturer. She is frequently invited to related organizations to give a lecture.

"Moms in their 30s and 40s share their information on the cafe about everything from infant care to beauty, interior, cooking and best restaurants as well as exchanges of goods and sometimes social issues. So it is important for me to keep the space good and sound."

A survey shows that 85% of women experience depression after giving a birth whether temporary or long term. Of which 10% suffer from postpartum depression. 

Im says it is important for the mom to accept she is experiencing postpartum depression and seek help and advice from her family and the doctor.

Alongside her busy schedule, Im with members of Zoomarella take action to raise a fund to help people in need and donate it to various regional welfare organizations. In recognition, she has received citations from the local government and the Ministry of Health and Welfare. 

"The citation I received from my staff is the most valuable. I will keep doing my service with firm hold of my very first intention of starting this online cafe."