During the 2008 recession, Melissa Ben-Ishay was fired from her advertising job. After hearing the news, her brother encouraged her to go home and bake cupcakes, so they could start a business. And bam – just like that, Baked By Melissa was born. The first store, in 2009, was a window in New York’s trendy SoHo neighborhood manned by Melissa herself. The cupcakes were bite-sized, so customers could have one of everything, without feeling guilty. This ‘small’ decision made a big difference. Today, Baked By Melissa has more than a dozen cupcake outposts, offers an online “cupcake creator” for customized treats, and now ships nationwide.
Check out this video here presented by American Express Open where Melissa discusses how the business grew, how she found the right people for her team, and how she uses social media to make the business better.
