Shows
ProfitLed PodcastS2E27 The 12 Most Shocking Surprises on Our Way to $1M ARRWhen Melissa cofounded eWebinar, she had no idea it was going to be “product-led”. Before becoming an entrepreneur, she had always been in B2B sales and biz dev roles. She was always a sales-led founder as both her previous startups were enterprise SaaS. The word “product-led growth” didn’t even exist in her vocabulary!When she ran out of leads to sell to in her network 9 months after launching eWebinar, she asked other founders for help. You can imagine her surprise when she learned that low cost, self-serve SaaS products were sold in a completely different way. Turns...2025-03-2546 min
Leadership RulesLeadership Rules with Melissa KwanIn today’s podcast, Nick Coniglio and Marnie Stockman are excited to welcome Melissa Kwan, CEO and co-founder of eWebinar—a platform that automates webinars so founders and teams can reclaim their time and focus on what truly matters. Melissa is a three-time bootstrapper with one exit, a global digital nomad, and a fierce advocate for life-first leadership.Episode Highlights:⚽ Bootstrapping with Purpose: Melissa shares her journey of building three companies without outside funding and why she believes success isn't about scale—it's about alignment with your values and lifestyle.⚽ T...2025-03-1935 min
The Disciplined TroublemakersBootstrapping, PLG, and the Future of Webinars with Melissa KwanMelissa Kwan, cofounder and CEO of eWebinar , is transforming webinar automation by eliminating the repetitive strain of live sessions she describes as "soul crushing." In this episode of the Disciplined Troublemakers podcast, Scott Shagory explores how Melissa's innovative solutions enable technology leaders to scale their companies and boost profitability. Beyond eWebinar, Melissa cohosts the Profit-Led podcast, sharing growth strategies for bootstrap founders, and offers valuable insights on startup life and founder well-being on LinkedIn. The conversation delves into scaling product-led growth tech companies, Melissa’s journey toward building a lifestyle business, and her unique approach to redefining success on her ow...2025-03-1852 minProfitLed PodcastS2E26 9 Most Important PLG Lessons LearnedWhen Melissa cofounded eWebinar, she had no idea it was going to be “product-led”. Before becoming an entrepreneur, she had always been in B2B sales and biz dev roles. She was always a sales-led founder as both her previous startups were enterprise SaaS. The word “product-led growth” didn’t even exist in her vocabulary!When she ran out of leads to sell to in her network 9 months after launching eWebinar, she asked other founders for help. You can imagine her surprise when she learned that low cost, self-serve SaaS products were sold in a completely different way. Turns...2025-03-1145 minProfitLed PodcastS2E25 What Lifestyle Business Means“This is fine as a lifestyle business.” Says every VC with a slight look of disdain after you pitch them your brilliant idea they don’t want to invest in. The industry has given “lifestyle business” such a bad reputation by commonly using it to describe non-venture scalable businesses with less ambitious founders. Only 1% of startups are venture funded, which means the other 99% are bootstrapped and by industry standard, lifestyle businesses. If anything between zero and unicorn is “lifestyle”, I’d happily take it.eWebinar was founded intentionally as a lifestyle business, and that means choosing happines...2025-02-2544 minProfitLed PodcastS2E24 5 Pricing Decisions that Turned Out to be Costly MistakesShould you “do right by your customers” at the expense of the company, your team, and your own wellbeing? Your answer might be “yes”, until you realize a small change that customers would barely feel could mean instant profitability for your bootstrapped startup.Having said that, hindsight is always 20/20. There are some mistakes that you just have to make yourself, no matter how many warnings you get.On this episode, Melissa and Todd share the five pricing mistakes they made, why they were so costly (including one that would’ve given them $30k/month overn...2025-02-1146 min
She's So Suite PodcastThe Inside Sales Rep turned Co-Founder & CEO of eWebinar ft. Melissa KwanShe's So Suite is brought to you by Client Success. The easiest to use, fastest to implement software to reduce churn & increase customer revenue. Request a demo at https://www.clientsuccess.com/
Melissa Kwan, Co-Founder & CEO of eWebinar, joins me, Kristi Faltorusso, CCO at ClientSuccess, on the She's So Suite podcast to share her journey of bootstrapping startups, embracing nomadic living, and intentionally designing a life centered around freedom and happiness.
She also reveals the philosophy that guides her today: You can have everything you want—just not all at once.
2025-01-2950 min
She's So Suite PodcastThe Traditional Wife turned Co-Founder & CEO of eWebinar ft. Melissa KwanShe's So Suite is brought to you by Client Success. The easiest to use, fastest to implement software to reduce churn & increase customer revenue. Request a demo at https://www.clientsuccess.com/ Melissa Kwan, Co-Founder & CEO of eWebinar, joins me, Kristi Faltorusso, CCO at ClientSuccess, on the She's So Suite podcast to share her journey of bootstrapping startups, embracing nomadic living, and intentionally designing a life centered around freedom and happiness. She also reveals the philosophy that guides her today: You can have everything you want—just not all at once. Melissa opens up about working alongside her life p...2025-01-2950 min
She's So Suite PodcastThe Inside Sales Rep turned Co-Founder & CEO of eWebinar ft. Melissa KwanShe's So Suite is brought to you by Client Success. The easiest to use, fastest to implement software to reduce churn & increase customer revenue. Request a demo at https://www.clientsuccess.com/Melissa Kwan, Co-Founder & CEO of eWebinar, joins me, Kristi Faltorusso, CCO at ClientSuccess, on the She's So Suite podcast to share her journey of bootstrapping startups, embracing nomadic living, and intentionally designing a life centered around freedom and happiness. She also reveals the philosophy that guides her today: You can have everything you want—just not all at once.Melissa...2025-01-2950 minProfitLed PodcastS2E23 Why We Stayed Away from EnterpriseMost companies think the answer to more revenue is to sell enterprise, but they aren't aware of the massive hassle and costs that come with going upmarket.There's no such thing as free money. The bigger the deal, the more attention you need to give your customer. The more customizations you offer, the more versions of your product you have to maintain.Many founders think the air is better up there because they think it'll solve their money problems. Spoiler alert: It won’t.On this episode, Melissa and Todd discuss all things en...2025-01-2857 minProfitLed PodcastS2E22 5 Wrong Hires that Ended Up Costing $450kHiring is one of the biggest challenges every company faces. For bootstrapped startups, this challenge is even bigger as we have to compete against funded companies and tech giants.Part of building a startup is trial and error, throwing things against the wall to see what sticks. Hiring is no different - it’s a learning process that can sometimes get expensive if you don’t “fire fast”.On this episode, Melissa and Todd dives into their 5 most costly hiring mistakes, what happened, and what they learned from each experience that helps them better define job requ...2025-01-1458 minProfitLed PodcastS2E21 When Our Startup Became a Real BusinesseWebinar was built in a silo for 18 months before the first person signed up for a trial. Melissa and her team had no idea if this business would become “real”, and if people were going to pay for the service.On this episode, Melissa and Todd recount stories of when they knew they were onto something, through customer interactions and feedback, outgrowing their marketing website, and hitting scaling issues from increased usage.Takeaways:• Signs of our business business becoming “real” post launch• How customers, marketing, and pricing changed as business grew• Product enhancements w...2024-12-1043 minProfitLed PodcastS2E20 Social Selling and Personal BrandingIf you’ve been following Melissa on LinkedIn, you’ll know that she’s a frequent contributor on the platform, sharing lessons and stories from her journey bootstrapping three startups. What you might not know is the backstory of WHY she turned to social selling after running out of leads to sell to.On this episode, Melissa shares her “hacks” of building a content machine starting with taking Justin Welsh’s “LinkedIn OS” course, how she experimented with different content styles, and eventually found her own.Wondering if all this effort was worth her time?H...2024-11-2644 min
Seed MoneyStartups, Sacrifice, and Salaries: Why Founders Should Pay Themselves First w/ Melissa KwanShould founders pay themselves? It’s probably the biggest debate in the startup world. Many entrepreneurs believe sacrificing and struggling is necessary to succeed; that we should put everything towards growth to our own detriment. Here’s the truth: being in survival mode isn’t the best state for a founder to be in. You can’t think, be creative or strategize effectively if you’re worried about covering your bills. In fact, not paying yourself could put you on the fast track to burnout. The good news: there is a way to build our businesses...2024-11-2626 minProfitLed PodcastS2E19 12 $0 Marketing StrategiesSpending money on marketing is often not an option for bootstrapped startups, at least not enough to make a meaningful impact.Without an abundance of resources, there’s no choice but to get creative.While found-led sales can get you off the ground, your network can exhaust pretty quickly, leaving you with the challenge of figuring out new ways to generate demand.On this episode, Melissa and Todd share the 12 most effective zero-dollar marketing strategies that got eWebinar to $1M ARR.Takeaways:• Why paid marketing should be your last resort...2024-11-121h 08ProfitLed PodcastS2E18 The Customer is NOT Always RightCompanies like Amazon and Costco who pride themselves on customer service conditioned consumers (me and you) to think that customers are always right - but, are they?In the faceless world of software, customer demands can be brutal, leading to soul crushing and demoralizing support. Training your customers to respect your team and product sets the foundation for healthy business relationships that make you feel appreciated.On this episode, Melissa and Todd recount customers from hell, the things they did to try and get around paying for the service, and how they dealt with demanding...2024-10-2948 minProfitLed PodcastS2E17 You Pay Peanuts, You Get Monkeys15 years ago, Dropbox spread like wildfire with their freemium product and that gave us the impression that free = more users. It deluded companies to think that giving something away for free is a go-to-market strategy, when it’s far from that.Giving away something for free has many negative implications that aren’t often talked about. The most irritating one being the fact that it attracts the worst customer profiles. The people who are least tech savvy, most time consuming on support, and never end up converting.On this episode, Melissa and Todd share stories abou...2024-10-1535 minProfitLed PodcastS2E16 Our $130k Mistake in Affiliate MarketingIf you have a great product and offer a commission for people to promote it, they’d happily do it and you’d just make money, right? Not so fast…On this episode, Melissa and Todd recount the painful memories of spending $130k on affiliate marketing over 10 months; an experience Melissa considers the “biggest financial mistake she’s made in her career”.Takeaways:• Why we jumped into this channel too early• Reasons why this strategy was a colossal failure for us• Why you should stay away from affiliate marketing (for now)• The complexities of...2024-09-2435 minProfitLed PodcastS2E15 How We Decided on Our RoadmapEveryone says you need to measure everything so you can make data-driven decisions on your product. That's exactly the strategy eWebinar DID NOT follow, especially when there's not going to be enough data when you don't have enough users.On this episode, Melissa and Todd shares how they decided on priorities even before having a significant customer base, and the lean process their product team goes through to execute on feature development and roll out.Takeaways: • How we came up with an initial wishlist as a guideline• How we prioritized by listening to custo...2024-09-1045 minProfitLed PodcastS2E14 10 Go-to-Market Strategies that Didn't WorkRunning a startup is a lot of throwing things against the wall to see what sticks (and what doesn't). The hard truth is, majority of things you do won't work...but you need to do them anyway to find the few things that do.On this episode, Melissa and Todd dives into the 10 go-to-marketing strategies that didn't work for them, why, and what they learned from each one.Takeaways: • Think twice before putting effort into Product Hunt.• Things they wasted too much money on too early.• What they thought would have a huge im...2024-07-3034 minProfitLed PodcastS2E13 Owning SEO When Marketing Agencies SuckIn the last 13 years, Melissa has worked with over 10 marketing agencies/contractors to execute a content strategy. Most couldn't deliver on their promise. It was incredibly frustrating. You may have experienced something similar.The vicious cycle went something like this:→ Hire company experienced in digital marketing for min 3-6 months→ Get proposal of new content strategy because old one was bad→ Technical and content audit, keyword research→ Receive mediocre pieces of content→ Realize company is not a good fit→ Start over after spending $10k+Most writers wrote for the sake of gene...2024-07-1647 minProfitLed PodcastS2E12 Staying Super Duper LeanMelissa and Todd talks about how they stay super lead as a bootstrapped startup, how they decide what to and what not to spend money on, and how to avoid money mistakes they've made in the last few years.Takeaways: • What "lean" means especially for bootstrapped startups• The importance of optimizing cost versus being cheap• What to spend money on (software, people, operations)• What not to spend money on until absolutely necessary• Money mistakes they made and how to avoid themContact ProfitLed Tweet us at @profitledfm. Find show notes o...2024-06-2545 minProfitLed PodcastS2E11 Leveraging Customers to Sell Our ProductMelissa and Todd talks about how (and why) they leveraged their best customers to sell and market eWebinar by using the language they used to describe value propositions and how the product solves their problems.Takeaways: • The moment Melissa realized 1on1 sales was never going to cut it• How to extract the best product marketing language from your customers• The process of doing customer interviews and deep dives to create a database of marketing language• Identifying your best customers and creating an "Ideal Customer Profile" (ICP)• What to do with the content you extract and...2024-06-1141 min
Growth LeapBuilding a Business on Your Terms: Melissa Kwan on Bootstrapping and Webinar AutomationSend us a textIn this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Melissa Kwan, co-founder and CEO of eWebinar. eWebinar is a platform that automates webinars using prerecorded videos. Melissa is a three-time bootstrap founder, digital nomad, and host of the Profit Led Podcast. As an entrepreneur, she's driven by her desire to create a business that aligns with her personal values and lifestyle. In our conversation, Melissa shared a wealth of insights on webinar automation, remote team management, and the importance of prioritizing happiness over revenue.Key Takeaways:eWebinar's Automation2024-05-3045 minProfitLed PodcastS2E10 Importance of Founder-Led SalesFounder-led sales is the ONLY way to get your startup off the ground. If you can't sell your own product, how can you expect someone else to? On this episode, Melissa digs into why every founder needs to be the first to sell their product, and how anyone can learn how to sell today.Takeaways: • Where to find your first set of prospects to sell to• Using sales as a way to get customer feedback• Separating good feedback from bad• Using objections to prioritize your roadmap • Disconnect between what you're selling and they're buying2024-05-2858 minProfitLed PodcastS2E9 Product Launched, Now What?Launching eWebinar after 18 months was a huge milestone, but then what? On this episode, Melissa and Todd discuss what it was like to wake up from the dream that if you build it, they'll come. Spoiler alert: That didn't happen.Takeaways:• When reality set in after months of daydreaming• Product assumptions that worked and didn't work• Initial user reactions, the good, the bad, and the ugly• Why the market wasn't as ripe as they thought• Things that went well and things that didn't• Realizing people didn't always understand the solution• What to do whe...2024-05-1444 minProfitLed PodcastS2E8 Launching Our MVP and Converting 85% of TrialsMelissa and Todd dive into the thrilling and nerve-wracking experience of launching eWebinar's MVP. While many people see product launches as the end goal and celebratory occasion, Melissa explains why it's often more stressful instead because that's when the dreams you've sold become reality.They reminisce about getting stuck in a never-ending rabbit hole of features, how frustrated David (CTO) was, and how they ultimately had to choose a launch date just to get the product out the door. Melissa recounts the fascinating experience of seeing users (webinar attendees) interactive with eWebinar for the first time and the...2024-04-3038 minProfitLed PodcastS2E7 Coming Up With Our Business Model and Price PointMelissa and Todd discuss how they established eWebinar's pricing model, focusing on aligning their business strategy with their lifestyle goals and market approach. Melissa shares insights from her past ventures, highlighting her shift towards a product-led strategy to ensure the business supports a hands-off lifestyle, avoiding the demanding nature of sales-led models. Melissa explains why she’s against freemium and opted for free trial instead, and the reason they chose a low cost pricing structure to temper customer expectations about service levels.They talk about how eWebinar’s automated functionality required a unique pricing model based on the...2024-04-0952 minProfitLed PodcastS2E6 Going from Idea to Product Launch in 16 MonthsWhen Melissa first went to Todd with the idea of eWebinar, he wasn't immediately convinced the product was solving a much needed problem. She engaged him as a contractor to write the first version of the website which started with competitive research. During that process, he grew passionate about the idea because he identified a gap in the market for a product that could offer a superior automated webinar experience.On this episode, Todd describes the process he went through in doing market research and how he came up with the set of launch features. Melissa and...2024-03-2649 minProfitLed PodcastS2E5 Recruiting a Top 1% Cofounder and CTODavid, eWebinar's CTO and Cofounder, floated around for 2 years as a fractional CTO before joining the company. Previous to that, he was the cofounder for a New York telecomm startup that raised $10m, but shut down after they failed to find enough traction after 4 years to continue raising capital.Melissa shares David's story and what his mindset was after quitting Microsoft for startup life, and how his beliefs shifted away from gunning for "all or nothing" to "how do I not end up with nothing?"On this episode, Melissa talks about what founders should know...2024-03-121h 10ProfitLed PodcastS2E4 Building a Founding Team with Limited ResourcesContrary to popular belief, you don't need to have a cofounder to start a company. But, that may work for or against you if you're a business cofounder, depending on whether or not you have the technical chops (or lead on your side) to manage a development team.After two previous startups, Melissa was sick of (not doing a good job) managing engineers and thought she could start eWebinar by hiring a dev shop to build their v1 before outsourcing to a team in Vietnam.That experience was a disaster, but it led her to...2024-02-271h 00ProfitLed PodcastS2E1 Welcome to Our Journey to $1M at eWebinarHey there! It's Melissa, and I'm the Cofounder and CEO of eWebinar. At the time of this recording, we’d just crossed $1m ARR, 36 months after product launch.In the last 1.5 years posting on LinkedIn about my experiences bootstrapping three startups, I noticed that the stories that get the most engagement are the ones that gave people a window into the reality of what it’s like to build a startup with very few resources. The feedback I’ve gotten has been about how relatable it was to hear from a non-unicorn founder.That got me thin...2024-02-1305 minProfitLed PodcastS2E2 Picking 1 Idea Out of 1000Melissa founded eWebinar two months after her last startup (real estate SaaS software) was acquired. This episode is the origin story of eWebinar: how she finally settled on eWebinar vs all the other ideas she had, and why she was determined to bootstrap this startup over raising venture capital.Melissa talks about the importance of choosing an idea/product that makes you happy over what you have experience in and why the traditional model of building a career on top of your education is counter-intuitive.Todd (co-host and COO of eWebinar) tells his story of...2024-02-1358 minProfitLed PodcastS2E3 Why Bootstrapping Over Venture Capital FundingPeople think bootstrapping is a financial decision, when it's really a lifestyle choice. Read that again.In this episode, Melissa talks about the reasons behind choosing to build eWebinar as a lifestyle company and how that shapes every decision they make from how they operate, to who they hire, to company culture.Melissa and Todd discuss the benefits of bootstrapping over venture capital, what it means to run a bootstrapped company, and misconceptions about bootstrapping which include things like: they raise zero capital, founders don't want to give away equity, they have smaller exits...2024-02-131h 02
SaaSy Talk UnfilteredSaaSy Talk S01.38 - Lifestyle Over Revenue: Unfiltered with Melissa KwanAbout The Guest(s): eWebinar Cofounder and CEO, Melissa Kwan, has spent 13 years in startups and built three successful companies without venture capital backing. Her previous startup, a real estate tech company, was acquired in 2019. As a revenue-driven founder specializing in B2B sales and business development, she has learned how to build companies with very few resources — by automating what she could, outsourcing wherever possible, and inspiring talented people to join her team with shared focus and enthusiasm.
Over the last decade, Melissa has come to believe that happiness should be the foundation of one’s care...2024-01-2543 min
MarTech Podcast ™ // Marketing + Technology = Business GrowthHow To Retain A Prospect's Attention -- Melissa Kwan // eWebinarMelissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO at eWebinar, talks about the limitations of Zoom meetings. When it comes to scaling automated content, people fear that they’ll lose that personal connection with the audience. However, technologies like eWebinar enable interactive experiences with prerecorded content. Today, Melissa discusses how to retain a prospect's attention. Show NotesConnect With: Melissa Kwan: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2023-12-0316 min
MarTech Podcast ™ // Marketing + Technology = Business GrowthHow To Retain A Prospect's Attention -- Melissa Kwan // eWebinarMelissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO at eWebinar, talks about the limitations of Zoom meetings. When it comes to scaling automated content, people fear that they’ll lose that personal connection with the audience. However, technologies like eWebinar enable interactive experiences with prerecorded content. Today, Melissa discusses how to retain a prospect's attention. Show NotesConnect With: Melissa Kwan: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2023-12-0316 minMarTech Podcast ™ // Marketing + Technology = Business GrowthWhy Zoom Calls Aren't Scalable -- Melissa Kwan // eWebinarMelissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO at eWebinar, talks about the limitations of Zoom meetings. When the pandemic hit, Zoom meetings became the go-to for sales demos. However, Zoom has limitations as a marketing channel, as it forces the customer to fit into a specific time slot and may not always be convenient for them, leading to low attendance rates. Today, Melissa discusses why Zoom calls aren't scalable. Show NotesConnect With: Melissa Kwan: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https...2023-12-0219 minMarTech Podcast ™ // Marketing + Technology = Business GrowthWhy Zoom Calls Aren't Scalable -- Melissa Kwan // eWebinarMelissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO at eWebinar, talks about the limitations of Zoom meetings. When the pandemic hit, Zoom meetings became the go-to for sales demos. However, Zoom has limitations as a marketing channel, as it forces the customer to fit into a specific time slot and may not always be convenient for them, leading to low attendance rates. Today, Melissa discusses why Zoom calls aren't scalable. Show NotesConnect With: Melissa Kwan: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https...2023-12-0219 minMarTech Podcast ™ // Marketing + Technology = Business GrowthWhy Social Selling Matters So Much -- Melissa Kwan // eWebinarMelissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO at eWebinar, talks about startup marketing. In today's highly competitive market, establishing trust with customers is challenging. Social selling has emerged as a powerful tool, but it requires a deep understanding of your audience and the content they want to see. Today, Melissa discusses why social selling matters so much. Show NotesConnect With: Melissa Kwan: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2023-11-1912 minMarTech Podcast ™ // Marketing + Technology = Business GrowthWhy Social Selling Matters So Much -- Melissa Kwan // eWebinarMelissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO at eWebinar, talks about startup marketing. In today's highly competitive market, establishing trust with customers is challenging. Social selling has emerged as a powerful tool, but it requires a deep understanding of your audience and the content they want to see. Today, Melissa discusses why social selling matters so much. Show NotesConnect With: Melissa Kwan: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2023-11-1912 minMarTech Podcast ™ // Marketing + Technology = Business GrowthPrioritization for Startups Marketers -- Melissa Kwan // eWebinarMelissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO at eWebinar, talks about startup marketing. Prioritization is crucial for startup marketers as they are often limited by time, resources, and budget. However, with all the different marketing channels out there, it's important to evaluate each and prioritize the most effective channels that align with your goals and capabilities. Today, Melissa discusses prioritization for startup marketers. Show NotesConnect With: Melissa Kwan: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-i2023-11-1819 minMarTech Podcast ™ // Marketing + Technology = Business GrowthPrioritization for Startups Marketers -- Melissa Kwan // eWebinarMelissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO at eWebinar, talks about startup marketing. Prioritization is crucial for startup marketers as they are often limited by time, resources, and budget. However, with all the different marketing channels out there, it's important to evaluate each and prioritize the most effective channels that align with your goals and capabilities. Today, Melissa discusses prioritization for startup marketers. Show NotesConnect With: Melissa Kwan: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-i2023-11-1819 minMarTech Podcast ™ // Marketing + Technology = Business GrowthWhy Startup Marketing Isn't What It Used To Be -- Melissa Kwan // eWebinarMelissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO at eWebinar, talks about startup marketing. Before data restrictions and privacy concerns, startup marketing typically involved investing in Facebook ads to drive brand awareness and gain customer insights. Now that Facebook has started to prioritize privacy, building a personal brand to launch a product has become the go-to strategy for smart marketers. Today, Melissa discusses why startup marketing isn't what it used to be. Show NotesConnect With: Melissa Kwan: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Priva...2023-11-1719 minMarTech Podcast ™ // Marketing + Technology = Business GrowthWhy Startup Marketing Isn't What It Used To Be -- Melissa Kwan // eWebinarMelissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO at eWebinar, talks about startup marketing. Before data restrictions and privacy concerns, startup marketing typically involved investing in Facebook ads to drive brand awareness and gain customer insights. Now that Facebook has started to prioritize privacy, building a personal brand to launch a product has become the go-to strategy for smart marketers. Today, Melissa discusses why startup marketing isn't what it used to be. Show NotesConnect With: Melissa Kwan: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Priva...2023-11-1719 min
The Remarkable SaaS PodcastMelissa Kwan, CEO of eWebinar - on living the Bootstrapped SaaS dream.This podcast interview focuses on product innovation, that has the power to run hundreds of engaging webinars without having to be there. My guest is Melissa Kwan, CEO of eWebinar.Melissa is a 3rd time bootstrapped founder. Her previous company, Spacio (real estate tech), was acquired in 2019.eWebinar was the product she always dreamt about because she was drowning in sales demos, onboarding and training webinars every day for 5 years.So, in March 2019 she made the jump and founded the eWebinar. Her mission: to give people their time back so they c...2023-11-0852 min
Grow Your B2B SaaSS2E18 - How to become profitable as a bootstrapped SaaS? With Melissa KwanBuilding a successful startup, especially in the competitive world of B2B SaaS, is a challenging task. It requires dedication, strategic decision-making, and a focus on achieving profitability. Achieving profitability in a startup requires careful planning, customer focus, revenue-driven decisions, and adaptability.
In this podcast episode on the Grow Your B2B SaaS, host Joran Hofman interviews Melissa Kwan, a successful entrepreneur bootstrapping her third startup, E-Webinar. Melissa shares her expertise on how bootstrapped founders can achieve profitability and why they must do so. Melissa emphasizes that becoming profitable allows founders to have financial stability, pay their...2023-11-0736 min
Authentic Leadership for Everyday PeopleMelissa Kwan - Freedom, Bootstrapping, EntrepreneurshipOur guest today is Melissa Kwon, co-founder and CEO of eWebinar. Melissa is a 3x bootstrapper navigating the entrepreneurial world while embracing the digital nomad lifestyle. In our discussion, she talked about finding her authenticity and how that shaped her approach to leadership and entrepreneurship. She explained why the bootstrapping path was a better approach for her than looking for VC funding. We also delved into the unique experiences and challenges of being a digital nomad. Melissa also dispelled some myths and offered valuable insights into building and effectively managing fully remote teams. ...2023-10-3040 min
Fundraising: Demystified! True Stories Direct From FoundersEp 20: From Survival Mode to Profitable Growth: Bootstrapping Done Differently with Melissa KwanIn this episode of Fundraising Demystified, Melissa Kwan, co-founder and CEO of eWebinar, opens up about the realities of being in survival mode before finding her footing in the business world. She discusses the challenging circumstances that led her to make the bold decision to pivot from a product company to an agency model. Despite financial constraints, Melissa's resilience and determination ultimately paid off as her company discovered the ideal product-market fit, leading to profitability within a year.
Melissa discovered that success is not solely defined by raising external investment, but rather by the...2023-10-1742 min
Traction10 Unconventional Lessons From Bootstrapping to $1M with Melissa Kwan, eWebinarMelissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO at eWebinar, is one of my closest friends whose brutal honesty is something I rely on almost daily. She's bootstrapped three companies and had one exit, all while traveling the world as a nomad.Melissa's story reflects her belief that work should never come at the cost of one's life, as this idea helps you live life to the fullest.Today, Melissa dives into some juicy, unconventional insights about how she started her company and what success really looks like in the tech world.2023-09-131h 22
Discover your SecondAct PodcastMelissa Kwan on Bootstrapping Startups, Tenacious Mindset & Her SecondAct | S03E17Today on the latest episode of Discover Your SecondAct Podcast, we have a special guest all the way from Amsterdam - Melissa Kwan. She is a 3X Bootstrapper, Co-Founder & CEO - eWebinar.From Real Estate to building Software Products and now making strides with her new business, eWebinar - an automated interactive-Webinar solution (https://ewebinar.com/), Melissa’s life journey is filled with Multiple SecondActs.We discussed her being the first generation entrepreneur in her family, the right time to take the plunge of entrepreneurship, work ethics she stood by...2023-08-1756 min
Subscriptions: Scaled - Online subscription services, Subscription business, SaaS subscriptionsCreating Interactive Webinars with Melissa Kwan at eWebinarOn this episode, we talk to Melissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO of eWebinar, a platform that turns any video into an interactive webinar.Melissa is a three-time bootstrapper and entrepreneur in real estate technology. She created eWebinar to solve the problem of automating webinars and scaling content effectively, allowing businesses to engage with audiences on demand without being tied to live broadcasts.Melissa initially struggled to determine the right pricing strategy, aiming to avoid attracting undesirable customers while justifying the value of the platform. Over two years of continuous improvement and growth, the p...2023-08-1439 min
Protect the Hustle | A SaaS PodcastEmpowering Potential Buyers: Melissa Kwan's Game-Changing Approach to SaaS SalesImagine walking into an art gallery, where paintings of all colors, styles, and sizes adorn the walls, yet owning one feels impossible without guidance. In the world of B2B SaaS, that art gallery is your software, and the potential buyers are visitors seeking the perfect piece. Just as an art enthusiast needs a path to ownership, potential customers require a seamless and intuitive process to discover and purchase your software. Empowering these buyers is about guiding them on a journey, making the process as enjoyable as wandering through an art gallery, and making it easy to buy your...2023-08-0835 min
The Wise ExitBootstrapped Persistence: The Key to Successful M&A | Melissa KwanE46: MELISSA KWAN - 3X BOOTSTRAPPER / CEO OF EWEBINARJoin Todd Sullivan in a conversation with Melissa Kwan, the co-founder and CEO of eWebinar, a top automated webinar platform. Prior to eWebinar, Melissa spent 13 years building three successful companies without venture capital backing. Her last company, Spacio, became the real estate industry's number one open house sign-in solution, helping agents automate lead capture and follow up. Melissa sold Spacio in 2019 to a strategic buyer. After years of struggling to build her company with virtually no resources, our fellow founders will easily relate to Melissa's story, es...2023-08-0240 min
CXChronicles PodcastCXChronicles Podcast 204 with Melissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO at eWebinarHey CX Nation,In this week's episode of The CXChronicles Podcast #204 we welcomed Melissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO at eWebinar based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Melissa is a 3rd time bootstrapped founder. Her previous company, Spacio (real estate tech) was acquired in 2019. eWebinar was the product she always dreamt about because she was drowning in customer webinars every day for 5 years.The eWebinar team is now on a mission to give people their time back so they can do something else more fun, because that's what life is about.We...2023-07-2559 min
Dealing with Goliath: Psychological Edge for Business LeadersCreating a Hybrid Content Experience: B2B on Demand Engagement with Melissa Kwan #070Melissa Kwan is the Cofounder and CEO of eWebinar, the leading webinar automation platform that helps companies run hundreds of sales demos, training, and onboarding sessions without being there.And she's on a mission to save us all from Webinar hell!TOPICS EXPLORED:The repetition & burnout of having to repeat the same webinar or demoYet it doesn't matter how many you do, it's never enoughNot just a video recording, but moreThe option to respond live to questionsForms of interactivity: polls, questions, quizzes, conversion alertsA video on YouTube doesn't have the same engagementBecause...2023-06-2715 minProfitLed PodcastS1E15 The Route to Wealth and Freedom Nobody Talks About | Lloyed Lobo, TractionIn this last episode of Season One, Lloyed Lobo, Cofounder of Boast.AI and Traction shares:Why he took investment after bootstrapping to 8-figure ARRDifference between venture capital, growth capital, and private equityWhat drove him to depression after cashing out and how he got out of itTraction is a global community of more than 100k entrepreneurs and innovators. Traction Conference has consistently been ranked one of the top 9 marketing conferences in North America by Inc.com, Forbes and Huffington Post.ProfitLed host, Melissa Kwan and Lloyed also discusses:Why...2023-06-131h 00
SaaS FuelMelissa Kwan - Driving Success In The Digital EraIn our SaaS Fuel™ Founder Episode this week, Jeff is joined by Melissa Kwan, co-founder and CEO of eWebinar. Melissa shares her experiences as a founder, highlighting the challenges of balancing board meetings, investors, financial predictions, and economic uncertainty while finding personal time off. She emphasizes the importance of not neglecting personal fulfillment and urges fellow founders to prioritize their own happiness.Jeff delves into a range of topics with Melissa, including personal branding, bootstrapping, and the significance of pursuing experiences outside of the office. Whether you're a founder or an aspiring entrepreneur, SaaS...2023-05-3049 min
Scale Your SaaS265: How to Win Deals with a Webinar - with Melissa KwanEPISODE SUMMARYWebinars play a pivotal role in modern software sales funnels, offering entrepreneurs and SaaS sales professionals a powerful tool for connecting with potential customers. Whether through live or pre-recorded webinars, the key is to provide valuable and engaging content that educates, inspires, and persuades viewers. That’s why in this week’s episode of Scale Your SaaS, eWebinar co-founder and CEO Melissa Kwan graced the show to share why embracing webinars as an integral part of your software sales strategy can accelerate your business growth and achieve more tremendous success in today...2023-05-2322 minProfitLed PodcastS1E14 How Hiring Through Dev Shops Work | Thomas Vervik, SeniorDevIn this episode, Thomas Vervik, Founder of seniordev.com shares:The benefits of working with dev shopsHow agencies recruit high quality talent and retain themWhat it costs to hire senior devsSeniorDev is a software development shop based in Norway with an office in Ukraine.ProfitLed host, Melissa Kwan and Thomas also discusses:Why wouldn't you just hire direct?What is the process of interviewing for great developers?What should companies know before building an outsourced team?Contact ProfitLed Tweet us at @profitledfm. Find show notes...2023-05-2328 minProfitLed PodcastS1E13 How to Write Blogs that Actually Convert | Devesh Khanal, Grow and ConvertIn this episode, Devesh Khanal, Co-founder of growandconvert.com shares:Why most content sucksWhy vast marketing budget is spent on things with no ROIHow to create content that converts by focusing on customer pain pointsGrow and Convert is a content marketing agency and consultancy that helps growing businesses.ProfitLed host, Melissa Kwan and Devesh also discusses:What are some things content agencies do that have zero ROI?Why do you need to sell yourself in your own content?How do you hire a good writer or agency?...2023-05-091h 00ProfitLed PodcastS1E12 What They Don't Tell You About Raising Venture Capital | Greg Head, Practical FoundersIn this episode, Greg Head, Founder at Practical Founders shares:What every founder should know before raising venture capitalThe roles VCs play in your company after writing a big checkWhy VC backed companies need to grow at all costs or risk becoming "zombie startups"Practical Founders is a podcast and peer group designed for practical founders who are building valuable software companies without big funding.ProfitLed host, Melissa Kwan and Amman also discusses:What was your experience with VC funded companies that ultimately gave you the perspective that you have...2023-04-2553 min
SaaS DistrictHow to Launch Your Startup Business with Limited Resources with Melissa Kwan #207Melissa Kwan is the Co-founder and CEO of eWebinar, a revolutionary SaaS company that helps people automate repetitive webinars and achieve a better work-life balance. With over twelve years of experience in startups and three successful companies built without venture capital backing, Melissa is a revenue-driven founder specializing in sales and business development.In this episode we cover:00:00 - Intro01:23 - Prioritizing Sales Efforts Being A Bootstrapped Company04:36 - Leveraging Free Marketing Channels09:52 - Reaching Out For Users When Founding12:33 - How To Acquire First Users Without A Budget14:27 - What Is Social Selling & Why It...2023-04-2137 min
Women of Color RiseBe a Digital Nomad with Melissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO, eWebinarWomen of Color Rise supports more diverse leaders at the table, especially women and people of color. We’ll be talking with CEOs and C-suite women leaders of color and learning about their leadership journeys. How can you travel the world while running a successful start-up? For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Melissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO, eWebinar. Melissa has spent twelve years in startups and built three successful companies without venture capital backing. Her previous startup, a real estate tech company, was acquired in 2019. Four years ago...2023-04-2028 min
MarTech Podcast ™ // Marketing + Technology = Business GrowthWhy Social Selling Matters So Much -- Melissa Kwan // eWebinarMelissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO at eWebinar, talks about startup marketing. In today's highly competitive market, establishing trust with customers is challenging. Social selling has emerged as a powerful tool, but it requires a deep understanding of your audience and the content they want to see. Today, Melissa discusses why social selling matters so much. Show NotesConnect With: Melissa Kwan: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2023-04-1412 minMarTech Podcast ™ // Marketing + Technology = Business GrowthWhy Social Selling Matters So Much -- Melissa Kwan // eWebinarMelissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO at eWebinar, talks about startup marketing. In today's highly competitive market, establishing trust with customers is challenging. Social selling has emerged as a powerful tool, but it requires a deep understanding of your audience and the content they want to see. Today, Melissa discusses why social selling matters so much. Show NotesConnect With: Melissa Kwan: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2023-04-1412 minMarTech Podcast ™ // Marketing + Technology = Business GrowthPrioritization for Startups Marketers -- Melissa Kwan // eWebinarMelissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO at eWebinar, talks about startup marketing. Prioritization is crucial for startup marketers as they are often limited by time, resources, and budget. However, with all the different marketing channels out there, it's important to evaluate each and prioritize the most effective channels that align with your goals and capabilities. Today, Melissa discusses prioritization for startup marketers. Show NotesConnect With: Melissa Kwan: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-2023-04-1319 minMarTech Podcast ™ // Marketing + Technology = Business GrowthPrioritization for Startups Marketers -- Melissa Kwan // eWebinarMelissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO at eWebinar, talks about startup marketing. Prioritization is crucial for startup marketers as they are often limited by time, resources, and budget. However, with all the different marketing channels out there, it's important to evaluate each and prioritize the most effective channels that align with your goals and capabilities. Today, Melissa discusses prioritization for startup marketers. Show NotesConnect With: Melissa Kwan: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-2023-04-1319 minMarTech Podcast ™ // Marketing + Technology = Business GrowthWhy Startup Marketing isn't What it Used to Be -- Melissa Kwan // eWebinarMelissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO at eWebinar, talks about startup marketing. Before data restrictions and privacy concerns, startup marketing typically involved investing in Facebook ads to drive brand awareness and gain customer insights. Now that Facebook has started to prioritize privacy, building a personal brand to launch a product has become the go-to strategy for smart marketers. Today, Melissa discusses why startup marketing isn't what it used to be. Show NotesConnect With: Melissa Kwan: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Priv...2023-04-1219 minMarTech Podcast ™ // Marketing + Technology = Business GrowthWhy Startup Marketing isn't What it Used to Be -- Melissa Kwan // eWebinarMelissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO at eWebinar, talks about startup marketing. Before data restrictions and privacy concerns, startup marketing typically involved investing in Facebook ads to drive brand awareness and gain customer insights. Now that Facebook has started to prioritize privacy, building a personal brand to launch a product has become the go-to strategy for smart marketers. Today, Melissa discusses why startup marketing isn't what it used to be. Show NotesConnect With: Melissa Kwan: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Priv...2023-04-1219 minProfitLed PodcastS1E11 Bootstrapping as a Non-Technical Solo Founder After a Failed VC Funded Startup | Amman Ahmed, MusicForPetsIn this episode, Amman Ahmed, Founder at MusicForPets shares:Why running a VC-backed startup turned Amman into a bootstrapperHow he came up with the idea to make music for petsHow he got the company off the ground as a non-technical solo founderMusicForPets has been making relaxing music for pets since 2011 to help with a range of anxiety issues. Their two main channels include RelaxMyDog and RelaxMyCat.ProfitLed host, Melissa Kwan and Amman also discusses:What was your go-to-market strategy for MusicForPets?What were the biggest challenges of being a...2023-04-1134 minProfitLed PodcastOffice Hours | Troy Munson, 2x Bootstrapped FounderIn this second ProfitLed Office Hours episode, Troy Munson, 2x bootstrapped founder and large enterprise sales rep connects with host, Melissa Kwan, to discuss questions like:Where is eWebinar at today in terms of size and revenue?How do you find contractors you trust?How did you get your first customers, then get customers who didn't know you to buy the product?Did you get your first customers to pay you or were they free?What are some $0 marketing strategies you use?How should entrepreneurs think about side hustles?Fellow bootstrapped founders are invited on ProfitLed Office...2023-03-2837 minProfitLed PodcastS1E10 Post Acquisition Learnings After 12 Years Bootstrapping | Gavin Hammar, StoryPromptIn this episode, Gavin Hammar, Founder at StoryPrompt shares:His most important learnings post acquisition after bootstrapping for 12 yearsWhat made him decide to sell the company and how he felt after it closedThe things he's doing different this time around with StoryPromptStoryPrompt empowers brands to strengthen relationships with customers, employees, and their community through asynchronous face-to-face video conversations – either in groups or one-on-one. ProfitLed host, Melissa Kwan and Gavin also discusses:How did you get Sendible off the ground as a side project?What happened when you tried raising cap...2023-03-1447 min