GAIL GOODMAN, CEO, CONSTANT CONTACT

Another leader who has successfully leveraged her personal brand for the benefit of the company is Gail Goodman, CEO of Constant Contact. If you’re a small business leader, chances are you’re familiar with the popular online marketing software system. Small businesses can use Constant Contact to send out professional e-mail newsletters, conduct online surveys, and promote their events. The company’s pitch to venture capitalists included the famous New Yorker cartoon of a dog sitting in front of a computer, telling another dog, “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.” “The company was founded with a pretty crisp passion,” says Goodman, “which was making small businesses look great on the Internet.”

Goodman is not a founder. She became CEO in 1999, and under her leadership, Constant Contact grew to more than 400,000 customers worldwide. She presided over an initial public offering in October 2007, when common shares of Constant Contact began trading on the Nasdaq Global Market. Soon after that, Constant Contact was named “Best Overall Company” at the 2009 American Business Awards.