What happens 48 hours after you get fired? For Melissa Ben-Ishay, it was the beginning of Baked by Melissa. But this isn’t just a startup success story — it’s a conversation about rejection, imposter syndrome, and learning to own your voice. Melissa reveals to Maryam how she built a cupcake brand from her apartment, rode the subway making deliveries, and still didn’t believe she deserved to be CEO of the company that bears her name. She shares the pressure of being the face of a brand, the loneliness of leadership, and why confidence must be earned through experience. If you’ve ever struggled to ask for help, felt unworthy of your title, or wondered whether to take the opportunity in front of you — this episode will hit home.

Key Moments

She Thought She Was Getting Promoted, Then Got Fired 💔
Melissa walks into HR expecting good news — and leaves without a job. What she does in the next 48 hours changes everything.

48 Hours After Getting Fired, She Starts a Business 🚀
Still crying, still in shock — her brother says, “Let’s start a business.” No plan. No funding. Just cupcakes. Here’s how fast it moved.

Delivering Cupcakes on the Subway (Feeling Like a Fraud) 📦
She’s gluing logos onto pastry boxes in her apartment, while pretending she’s a real company. Inside, she’s thinking: Who do I think I am?

The Imposter Syndrome Nobody Saw 😳
The brand was growing. Orders were coming in. But privately, Melissa felt completely undeserving of her own success.

Her Brother Was CEO for 8 Years — Not Her 👀
The company had her name on it, but she wasn’t in charge. Why didn’t she think she was worthy of leading it?

The Founder Meltdown (Phone Thrown Against the Wall) 📱
Family tension. Leadership clashes. Emotional overload. This is the messy side of building something with people you love.

“Melissa Will Be CEO.” (She Didn’t Feel Ready.) 😰
With a baby at home and zero warning, the board names her CEO. She’s up all night questioning everything.

“Why Didn’t I Think I Deserved This?” 🎤
Melissa confronts the hardest truth: she was giving everyone else credit for her own success.

COVID Nearly Crushed the Business. Then She Pivoted 🔥
Sales drop. The world shuts down. She pounds the table and changes the messaging overnight — leading to 98% e-commerce growth.

The Subway Epiphany That Changed Her Leadership 🧠
One realization: you can’t control anything except yourself. That mindset shift becomes her superpower.

The Accidental Salad That Got 30 Million Views 🥗
A random post. Zero strategy. Massive response. The moment she decides to take the opportunity instead of ignoring it.

“It’s So Heavy.” The Truth About Being CEO ❤️
Behind the cupcakes and viral videos is pressure, burnout, and weight. Melissa admits what leadership really feels like.

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Gary Vaynerchuk opens up to Maryam about fear, self-esteem, forgiveness, AI, leadership, and what he believes is a growing crisis of “late adulthood.” Gary shares why so many professionals feel stuck — not because of burnout, but because of insecurity and unresolved resentment. He breaks down his philosophy on kind candor vs. radical candor, why fear is the real career killer, and how over-coddling may be delaying independence for an entire generation. From parenting teenagers to leading thousands of employees, Gary explains why self-worth is the operating system behind success — and why forgiveness (especially of yourself) might be the most underrated personal development tool of all. If you’ve ever felt behind, afraid to pivot, or unsure of your next move in the age of AI, this episode is for you.

Key Moments

Forgiveness Is the Answer We’re Avoiding ❤️‍🩹
Gary opens with a bold claim: most people are emotionally “clogged” because they’re holding resentment. He explains why forgiveness — especially forgiving yourself — may be the most underrated growth tool.

“Nice Guys Finish First” 🏆
Gary unpacks the tension between competitiveness and kindness — and why he believes you can be fierce in business without losing your humanity.

The Late Adulthood Crisis 🚨
Are we raising adults who aren’t ready to be adults? Gary shares his controversial take on over-coddling, privilege, and why independence matters more than ever.

Why He Doesn’t Fear AI (And You Shouldn’t Either) 🤖
Using historical pattern recognition, Gary explains why AI is just the next evolution — not the apocalypse.

The Self-Esteem Conversation Nobody Wants to Have 🧠
Gary breaks it down: almost everything — career fear, content paralysis, insecurity — comes back to self-worth.

The Rejection He Was Actually Afraid Of 💔
Despite fearless business moves, Gary admits he was afraid to ask girls out in high school. A revealing look at how fear shows up in unexpected places.

Kind Candor vs. Radical Candor 🎯
Gary shares his leadership “kryptonite” — struggling with candor — and why he now believes honest feedback must come with kindness.

Walking Away From the Family Business 🏪
After building his dad’s liquor store into a $65M company, Gary explains why leaving wasn’t guilt — it was growth.

Maximizing Joy vs. Maximizing Money 🔥
Why Gary doesn’t optimize for profit alone — and how curiosity drives his many ventures.

Call Your Mom. Forgive Yourself. 📞
One of the most emotional moments of the episode. Gary urges listeners to make the call — to forgive others or themselves.

At What Age Do You Stop Blaming Your Parents? 🧨
Gary poses a provocative question: when do you fully own your life? A raw discussion about responsibility and adulthood.

The Jets Jersey Story 🧵💚
Gary shares the

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Sojin Lee has built startups, helped scale Net-a-Porter, won fashion industry awards — and watched businesses collapse. In this candid conversation, she opens up to Maryam about public failure, ambition addiction, and choosing love over everything else. From early executive days in luxury fashion to launching ahead-of-its-time ventures, Sojin shares hard lessons about risk, ego, shame, and survival. She talks about losing major clients, navigating market crashes, and confronting identity when success disappears. This episode is for entrepreneurs, founders, and professionals facing career pivots, burnout, or reinvention. If you’ve ever tied your worth to achievement — or wondered who you are without the title — this conversation is for you.

Key Moments

00:00 – The Myth of Growth Through Failure 💥
Sojin reacts to the idea that “growth comes from failure” — and why that’s easy to say but brutal to live through.

02:12 – Raised to Be Responsible, Not Seen 🌏
Growing up Korean, the eldest of four, constantly translating and adapting — and how that shaped her identity.

05:18 – The ‘Joy Luck Club’ Leadership Complex 🍽️
Why giving away the biggest piece can turn into over-functioning at work — and quiet resentment.

08:05 – Control, Data & the Need for Certainty 📊
Why Sojin gravitated toward analytics in fashion — and how control became her survival strategy.

13:42 – The Love Story That Changed Her Career ❤️
Choosing Net-a-Porter wasn’t just ambition — it was a move driven by love and personal priorities.

19:55 – From 5th Row to Front Row at Fashion Week 👠
The scrappy early days of Net-a-Porter and the moment the industry finally took them seriously.

30:38 – Ahead of Its Time… Then It Collapsed 📉
Launching Fashion Air (early live shopping + UGC) — and watching it fall apart during the recession.

34:05 – The Shame of Public Failure 😶‍🌫️
Why she couldn’t read the press coverage about her startup’s collapse — and the saving-face instinct.

36:45 – When Success Becomes Addictive 💰
How financial wins and big exits unlock a hunger for more — and why that can be unhealthy.

38:52 – COVID, Market Crashes & Losing It Overnight 🌪️
Winning the LVMH Innovation Award — then losing major clients and investor backing during global chaos.

41:08 – “200 Coffees”: The Comeback Strategy ☕
Her practical reset plan: set a mourning deadline, ask for help, and book 200 coffee meetings.

45:05 – Adapt or Fall Behind: Why AI Is Non-Negotiable 🤖
Sojin’s blunt advice for professionals and founders navigating the next wave of disruption.

Send a text

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

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Thank you for listening.