Melissa Ben-Ishay, cofounder and CEO of Baked by Melissa, shares how getting fired at 24 led to building a cupcake empire and a viral social media following. In this interview, she opens up about launching the brand, embracing the CEO role, and using authentic content to build a loyal community. Melissa also discusses balancing motherhood and leadership, how TikTok transformed her business, and what it means to be the face of a brand. With over 300 million cupcakes sold, she’s now blending business strategy with viral salad recipes and smart partnerships. Watch to hear her journey from tie-dye cupcakes to digital creator and beyond.<br /><br />00:00 – Intro: Meet Baked by Melissa’s Founder<br />00:32 – How Getting Fired Sparked a Business Idea<br />01:49 – The Origin of Tie-Dye Cupcakes<br />02:55 – Hardest Moments in the Early Days<br />04:14 – Naming the Brand “Baked by Melissa”<br />05:39 – Market Research That Changed Everything<br />07:04 – Owning the Role as Brand’s Face<br />09:02 – The Strategy Behind Her Viral Salad Content<br />10:55 – How Social Media Drives Business Growth<br />13:06 – Brand Partnerships and Building Community<br />16:07 – Becoming the CEO—And Why She Said Yes<br />20:47 – Blending Work and Motherhood<br />23:35 – What’s Next for Melissa and Baked by Melissa<br />24:27 – Cupcake Favorites and Everyday Sweet Treats<br />25:58 – What Mother’s Day Means to Melissa<br /><br />Subscribe to FORBES: https://www.youtube.com/user/Forbes?sub_confirmation=1<br /><br />Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:<br /><br />https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript<br /><br />Stay Connected<br />Forbes newsletters: https://newsletters.editorial.forbes.com<br />Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes<br />Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes<br />Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes<br />More From Forbes: http://forbes.com<br /><br />Forbes covers the intersection of entrepreneurship, wealth, technology, business and lifestyle with a focus on people and success.
