When you think about successful tech companies, you might picture Silicon Valley giants or venture-backed unicorns. But what about an email marketing platform that's thrived for three decades?

Gail Goodman, the former CEO of Constant Contact, helped build a company that defied the odds in an industry where many thought their business model wouldn't work. By focusing on customer needs and creating a strong company culture, she turned this skepticism into a 30-year success story.

"What I kept from all of it was to stay close to your customer," Gail emphatizes. "Understand the problem you're solving for your customer and stay focused on what they need to successfully use your product."

In this episode, Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, reconnects with Gail to explore how to build something that truly lasts. They discuss the power of repeat business, why resilience matters when hitting plateaus, and how staying obsessively close to your customers drives sustainable growth, even when others say it can't be done.

Listen to discover practical ways to build stronger customer relationships and create a business that stands the test of time.

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Additional Resources:

• Constant Contact On-Demand Library
• Getting Started with Constant Contact webinars

Meet Today’s Guest: Gail Goodman of Entrepreneurship for All

👤 What she does: Gail is the former CEO of Constant Contact and current mentor, board member, and chair of Entrepreneurship for All, a nonprofit dedicated to helping underrepresented entrepreneurs grow their businesses. She led Constant Contact for over 16 years, taking the company from startup to successful industry leader in small business marketing.

💡 Key quote: "The biggest advice is always stay close to your customer and notice how they are, how whatever they do that is related to you is changing and then try to get ahead of it."

👋 Where to find her: Website |  LinkedIn | X, formerly known as Twitter 

👋 Where to find Entrepreneurship for All: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | TikTok