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 Founderbr 00:32 – How Getting Fired Sparked a Business Ideabr 01:49 – The Origin of Tie-Dye Cupcakesbr 02:55 – Hardest Moments in the Early Daysbr 04:14 – Naming the Brand “Baked by Melissa”br 05:39 – Market Research That Changed Everythingbr 07:04 – Owning the Role as Brand’s Facebr 09:02 – The Strategy Behind Her Viral Salad Contentbr 10:55 – How Social Media Drives Business Growthbr 13:06 – Brand Partnerships and Building Communitybr 16:07 – Becoming the CEO—And Why She Said Yesbr 20:47 – Blending Work and Motherhoodbr 23:35 – What’s Next for Melissa and Baked by Melissabr 24:27 – Cupcake Favorites and Everyday Sweet Treatsbr 25:58 – What Mother’s Day Means to Melissabr br Subscribe to FORBES: 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 br Stay Connectedbr Forbes newsletters: Forbes on Facebook: Forbes Video on Twitter: Forbes Video on Instagram: More From Forbes: br Forbes covers the intersection of entrepreneurship, wealth, technology, business and lifestyle with a focus on people and success.