Finding Product-Market Fit—for My Company and for Myself
The Early Days
In 2018, I launched my company as a boutique consulting shop serving media, events, and event tech. We focused on revenue and go-to-market, and by most measures we were successful. But we were scattered.
Clients were buying me, not the people I hired. Which meant the core product was my hours. That model wasn’t sustainable.
My Second (and Most Costly) MBA
After Covid, my family business sold and I had the capital to pivot. I wanted a product, not just services. I partnered with a data intelligence platform, white labeled it, and tried to scale through a VAR model.
In hindsight, I had no business doing this. Competing against entrenched leaders with a brand-new brand was… insane. Two years later, I walked away with what I call my second most expensive MBA.
And yet, it wasn’t wasted. I learned how data reshapes business models, where customers struggle most, and what it takes to build something scalable.
The Birth of The Revenue Room™
That learning took me back to a trademark I’d filed in 2018: The Revenue Room™.
At its inception, The Revenue Room was an organizational construct—connecting every revenue-critical function (marketing, business development, sales, customer success, account management, RevOps, and product) through a single source of data truth. Alignment was the glue.
From there, it grew into something bigger: a platform for education, frameworks, and roadmaps that help leaders rapidly design and execute strategies, processes, metrics, and KPIs. Today, we’ve become our customers’ revenue war room.
The Journey of Growth
Why This Matters Now
Companies in media, events, and information face an existential threat in the age of data and AI. We know this because we’ve been in their shoes—as operators in the early 2000s. The lesson is clear: speed, agility, and knowledge are not optional. They’re survival skills. And they must start at the top and permeate the entire organization.
That’s why we built The Revenue Room™—and why our premiere community, Revenue Room CXO, is dedicated to CEOs and their revenue-critical C-suites.
The Revenue Room isn’t just about product-market fit. It’s about me finding founder-market fit.
Proof of Impact
What makes all of this worth it are the voices of our members and participants. Their testimonials are the true measure of what we’ve built: quality and depth of content, the right people in the room, and an exceptional experience.
- “Revved Up was unlike any conference I’ve ever attended—from its electric energy to the razor-sharp, plug-and-play strategies. Within days we’d launched six new business-development conversations, and the ROI was undeniable. Even more valuable was the high-caliber network and immediately actionable insights that have reshaped our growth playbook at Adweek.”
— Will Lee, CEO, Adweek
- “Revved Up was a fantastic experience—it nailed the balance: media insiders from B2B and B2C, plus outside innovators in AI and tech that are shaping the industry’s future. I walked away with real insights and felt like I was part of a collaborative, high-energy experience.”
— Nino Tasca, CPO, Northstar Travel Group
- “Thank you so much for one of the most incredible and informative events of my career. I’m so thrilled to be working with you. Please let me know what I can do to support the organization! It was such an amazing day and honestly, exactly the recharge I needed!”
— Constance Sayers, CRO & President, GovExec
- “Going through my notes I just want to say thank you for a fantastic day—the learning and takeaways were outstanding. I think the entire group saw you are filling a gap in the market that is needed! Kudos to you both!!!”
— Kate Spellman, Chief Commercial Officer, Questex
Looking Ahead to 2026
We’re just getting started. In 2026, we’ll:
- Host RevvedUP 2026: Redefining Growth: Data, AI & The Business Model Shift Ahead
- Host Revenue Room™ Salon #2
- Develop benchmarking tools so our members can see how their strategies and execution align with their peers
Gratitude for Our Advisory Board
None of this progress would be possible without the guidance, perspective, and support of our advisory board members. Their experience, leadership, and belief in our mission continue to shape The Revenue Room™ as we scale.
A heartfelt thank you to:
- Doug Emslie, Chairman, Cuil Bay Capital
- Liz Irving, CEO, Clarion Events NA
- Paul Miller, CEO, Questex
- Kerry Gumas, CEO, Metacomet Advisors
- Matt Yorke, CEO, The Channel Company
- Mike Carlucci, CEO, Clarion Events NA
- Tina Hannagan, CCO, Definitive Healthcare
- Amanda Landsaw, CMO, EndeavorB2B
- Denise Medved, CCO, Informa Markets NA
- Jane Qin Medeiros, EVP, Informa Techtarget
- Constance Sayers, CRO, Wellesley Information Group
- Kate Spellman, CCO, Questex
- Nino Tasca, CPO, Northstar Travel Group
Your counsel, encouragement, and willingness to push the conversation forward are what make this journey not just possible—but powerful.
An Invitation
The Revenue Room™ has grown from a single idea into a platform, a community, and a movement. If you’re a CEO or a revenue-critical leader navigating the intersection of data, AI, and growth, I’d love for you to be part of what’s next. Follow this newsletter, join us at RevvedUP, or explore Revenue Room™ CXO. Because the future of growth won’t be written by chance—it will be written in the war room.
About the Author
Heather Holst-Knudsen is a distinguished figure and expert in the events, media, marketing and technology sectors. Using her extensive experience, she guides clients in adapting to structural economic and market changes, seizing the chance to innovate and evolve. She specializes in digital and data disruption and opportunity, exploring how these overarching factors can impact revenue growth, customer-centricity, operational efficiency, profit margins, and the overall valuation of companies in both public and private markets. Her journey began at her family business, Thomas Publishing Company, where she honed her skills. She further expanded her expertise by holding positions at early industry giants Miller Freeman, Reed Elsevier, and IDG. Returning to Thomas Publishing, Heather founded and spearheaded Manufacturing Enterprise Communications, an integrated media portfolio connecting buyers and sellers in the manufacturing and technology sectors. Starting in 2015 and spanning the next seven years, she leveraged her expertise as a revenue and business leader in various SaaS businesses, including Feathr, Gleanin, Brella and Edflex.
Heather is deeply passionate about digital innovation, data monetization, and AI and how these strategies fuel revenue growth, profitability, and company valuation. To serve and create value for clients in these areas, she launched H2K Labs, dedicated to generating and leveraging value through data for media, business information, events, and adjacent technology and service markets.
