ProfitLed Podcast

On Season 2, Melissa Kwan (Cofounder of eWebinar) and Todd Parmley (COO) relive their "Journey to $1M" ARR, bootstrapping eWebinar from day one.

Each episode goes in depth into one major aspect of the journey, as Melissa and Todd share war stories, mistakes, and lessons learned as they grew the company to a million in annual recurring revenue, over a period of 36 months from product launch.

If you’re a bootstrapper who wants a window into the day-to-day lives of other scrappy bootstrappers navigating the realities of building a successful company – the good, the bad, and the ugly! – this podcast is for you.
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ProfitLed is a podcast by and for bootstrapped founders brave (or crazy) enough to grow their businesses to profitability without venture capital.

There’s so much content out there featuring VC-backed founders and the unicorns they ride. But everyone else? Not so much.

ProfitLed is dedicated to sharing the hard-won experience of bootstrappers in order to inspire fellow bootstrapped entrepreneurs to grow their own businesses and propel themselves closer to the freedom they’re working so hard to achieve.

Presented by: eWebinar - https://ewebinar.com

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Episodes

S1E11 Bootstrapping as a Non-Technical Solo Founder After a Failed VC Funded Startup | Amman Ahmed, MusicForPets

In this episode, Amman Ahmed, Founder at MusicForPets shares: Why running a VC-backed startup turned Amman into a bootstrapper How he came up with the idea to make music for pets How he got the company off the ground as a non-technical solo founder MusicForPets 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 strate...

Apr 11, 2023•35 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast

Office Hours | Troy Munson, 2x Bootstrapped Founder

In 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 entre...

Mar 28, 2023•38 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast

S1E10 Post Acquisition Learnings After 12 Years Bootstrapping | Gavin Hammar, StoryPrompt

In this episode, Gavin Hammar, Founder at StoryPrompt shares: His most important learnings post acquisition after bootstrapping for 12 years What made him decide to sell the company and how he felt after it closed The things he's doing different this time around with StoryPrompt StoryPrompt 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 ...

Mar 14, 2023•48 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast

S1E9 Achieving Life/Work Balance Through Intentional Life Design | Justin Welsh

In this episode, Justin Welsh shares: What living an intentional life means and how to define it The mission that gets him out of bed every morning Why it's important for everyone to have a system for content creation Justin is a solopreneur who is building a portfolio of one-person businesses to $5M in revenue. Be sure to follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter as he shares his processes daily. ProfitLed host, Melissa Kwan and Justin also discusses: What are some things you’re struggling with n...

Feb 28, 2023•46 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast

S1E8 Crafting Your Product Messaging with Your Best Customers | Aaron Krall, SaaS Growth Hacks

In this episode, Aaron Krall, Founder at SaaS Growth Hacks shares: What SaaS founders are talking about most nowdays The psychology behind using your best customers to craft your product messaging How to conduct customer interviews to let them tell you the problem you're solving SaaS Growth Hacks is the largest SaaS community on Facebook. ProfitLed host, Melissa Kwan and Aaron also discusses: How SaaS Growth Hacks started and the future of this community. What are the key things you want to...

Feb 14, 2023•46 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast

S1E7 What are Software Patents and Do I Need Them?! | Alan Macek & Geoff Mowatt, DLA Piper

In this episode, Alan Macek & Geoff Mowatt, Partners at the law firm, DLA Piper shares: What patents are (provisional, non-provisional, patent pending) How businesses can determine if they have something patentable How patents can help or hurt businesses ProfitLed host, Melissa Kwan, Alan, and Geoff also discusses: What are some common misconceptions about patents? How can a business determine if they have something that is patentable? What’s the process for filing for a patent and what does...

Jan 24, 2023•47 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast

S1E6 What's Non-Dilutive Capital and How to Qualify | Miguel Fernandez, Capchase

In this episode, Miguel Fernandez, Cofounder & CEO at Capchase shares: What it's really like running a venture backed unicorn What non-dilutive capital is and who it's designed for How you can qualify in 48 hours so you don't have to raise more capital Capchase is the most flexible, non-dilutive funding for your subscription-based or SaaS business. ProfitLed host, Melissa Kwan and Miguel also discusses: The failed ventures that enabled the founding of Capchase. What’s the hard...

Jan 10, 2023•46 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast

Office Hours | Meaghan Burns, Dunyasi Ventures

In this first ProfitLed Office Hours episode, Meaghan Burns from Dunyasi Ventures connects with host, Melissa Kwan, to discuss questions like: How are you building your company around your life? What's your advice on how non-technical founders can find cofounders? What has been your biggest challenge building your company on the road as a digital nomad? Do you hire developers direct or through an agency? How did you transition from founder to CEO? How did you structure your business so your...

Nov 29, 2022•33 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast

S1E5 How to Successfully Transition from Agency to Product Company | Tehsin Bhayani, AirMason

In this episode, Tehsin Bhayani, Founder & CEO of AirMason and Serind Labs shares: How he accidentally stumbled upon a great SaaS business by buying a product his friend didn't want for $8000 How he balanced workload between maintaining his agency and growing AirMason What he learned from working with hundreds of founders that he's applying to his business today AirMason helps HR teams and business leaders save time, engage teams, and retain staff with beautifully designed digital ...

Nov 15, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast

S1E4 What It's Really Like Building a Venture Backed Startup | Zvi Band, Relatable

In this episode, Zvi Band, Founder at Relatable shares: Why it's so hard to get off the venture train once you get on Why funded startups need "growth at all costs" Personal and professional learnings 2 years after selling his startup for 8-figures Relatable is the CRM for people who love people, the platform for you to capture, prioritize, remember, and nurture your relationships... authentically. ProfitLed host, Melissa Kwan and Zvi also discusses: What does building a venture-s...

Nov 15, 2022•43 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast

S1E3 Why a Customer-Centric Sales Process is Your Competitive Advantage | Trevor Larson, Nectar

In this episode, Trevor Larson, Cofounder and CEO at Nectar shares: The scrappy ways he got PerkNow off the ground and how that became Nectar Benefits of bootstrapping vs having too much capital Why putting yourself in your customers' shoes is the key to winning their hearts Nectar is a 360 employee recognition and rewards solution for companies investing in culture. ProfitLed host, Melissa Kwan and Trevor also discusses: What were some things you prioritized and some things you chose not t...

Nov 15, 2022•48 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast

S1E2 How to Consistently Earn Backlinks and Boost SEO Rankings | Farzad Rashidi, Respona

In this episode, Farzad Rashidi, Lead Innovator at Respona shares: How to figure out whether SEO is the right acquisition channel for your business The process of finding "opportunity" keywords The 3-step outreach strategy to consistently earn editorial backlinks to boost rankings Respona offers an all-in-one link building outreach software that helps companies to raise their ranking on Google by building quality backlinks to their website. ProfitLed host, Melissa Kwan and Farzad also ...

Nov 15, 2022•56 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast

S1E1 Intro: Bootstrapping vs Venture Capital - Why Bootstrapping is Better | Melissa Kwan, eWebinar

In this first ever episode, ProfitLed host, Melissa Kwan, shares her own story of bootstrapping, why she felt the need to start this podcast, and why she thinks more spotlight should be given to non-venture backed founders who have forged their own path to success. Melissa is the Cofounder and CEO of eWebinar , a 3rd time bootstrapped founder who has had the privilege of growing a startup to profitability and acquisition without taking venture capital, something that ultimately gave her the free...

Nov 08, 2022•18 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast

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