Start Your Business Before You’re Ready!

Data can tell you who your customers are, what they’re searching for and what to test next – if you know what to look for.In this Small Business Byte on This Is Small Business, host Andrea Marquez explores how founders can use data to make smarter business decisions. You’ll hear from Alejandro Lopez, founder of Toma Beverage Company, on using customer demographics and purchasing patterns to shape marketing and product development; Katie Diasti, founder of Viv, on using keyword research and online sales data to guide new products, bundles and retail expansion; and April Wachtel, founder of Cheeky Cocktails, on testing whether faster delivery could increase sales.Their stories show how one useful pattern can lead to better products, marketing and customer experiences.What could your business data help you do next? Share it with us in a Spotify or YouTube comment, or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Sources:If you want to know more about Toma Beverage Company, listen to Alejandro Lopez’s story here: https://link.cohostpodcasting.com/8e217b7f-8570-4d6f-8aa9-d215dac74295?d=e5yds1dHS&v=4512 If you want to know more about Viv, listen to Katie Diasti’s story here: https://link.cohostpodcasting.com/c9324772-0b7c-4f8b-b278-d243b3114835?d=eJdUE-_b7&v=7365 If you want to know more about Cheeky Cocktails, listen to April Wachtel’s story here: https://link.cohostpodcasting.com/87d3ea85-42e1-4c8e-a727-c21909fd5098?d=ePH7rs1r3&v=5060

Your culture may already be shaping your business – through the problem you noticed, the traditions that inspired you, or the story behind your product. Bringing those influences forward can help customers understand what makes your brand distinct and why it exists.In this Small Business Byte on This Is Small Business, host Andrea Marquez explores how founders can make culture a visible and authentic part of their brands. You’ll hear from Akruti Babaria, founder of Kulture Khazana, on why telling authentic stories can help customers understand what makes your brand different, and from Alejandro Lopez, founder of Toma Beverage Company, on how changes to your packaging, language and messaging can bring your culture forward and help customers connect with your brand.Their stories show how culture can give a business roots and become something competitors won’t easily replicate.What’s one part of your brand that could feel more like you? Share it with us in a Spotify or YouTube comment, or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.Sources:If you want to hear more about Kulture Khazana, listen to Akruti Babaria’s story here:https://link.cohostpodcasting.com/5fc4f66d-84a0-4495-944e-5ffd11558055?d=eRN_gJwDH&v=9209 If you want to hear more about Toma Beverage Company, listen to Alejandro Lopez’s story here:https://link.cohostpodcasting.com/8e217b7f-8570-4d6f-8aa9-d215dac74295?d=e5yds1dHS&v=6734

When you’re building a business, it can be tempting to keep tweaking until everything feels perfect. But sometimes, the next step isn’t more polishing. It’s putting something real in front of people and learning from the feedback they give you.In this Small Business Byte on This is Small Business, host Andrea Marquez dives into what it means to build a brand before everything feels fully figured out. You’ll hear from Rubens Amedee of Papa Rozier Farms on testing different products before finding the right fit, April Wachtel of Cheeky Cocktails on using an early business version to understand what needed to change, and Brenden Silverman of Leilo on why the first version of your product shouldn’t be perfect. From early product testing to customer feedback, these stories show how launching before everything feels finished can help you stop guessing and start learning.What’s one thing you’ve been holding back because it doesn’t feel ready yet? Share it with us in a Spotify or YouTube comment, or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Sources:If you want to know more about Papa Rozier Farms, listen to Rubens Amedee’s story here: https://link.cohostpodcasting.com/e4f22f37-9f3e-436d-81b7-2be95de75548?d=eaUuHybww&v=6707 If you want to know more about Cheeky Cocktails, listen to April Wachtel’s story here: https://link.cohostpodcasting.com/87d3ea85-42e1-4c8e-a727-c21909fd5098?d=ePH7rs1r3&v=3665 If you want to know more about Leilo, listen to Brenden Silverman’s story here: https://link.cohostpodcasting.com/38945c9b-de35-4606-8656-16b089c5059d?d=eW9QGrzby&v=2298 

You don’t need to have it all figured out before you start.This latest season of This Is Small Business was full of founders who began with a problem they couldn’t ignore, made mistakes, changed direction, and learned as they went.Catch up on the stories, lessons, and advice from founders who figured it out the hard way.We’ll be back with more episodes soon! Until then, we’ll be sharing Small Business Bytes – quick actionable lessons that’ll help you build, grow, and keep going.

What if the conversation you’re avoiding is the one your business needs most?A lot of founders start a business because they have an idea, a product, or a vision they believe in. But at some point, building the business also means learning how to lead people, give feedback, handle tension, and communicate when things feel uncertain.Ashli Carter, senior lecturer in management at Columbia Business School, helps leaders build the skills that matter most in those moments: trust, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and difficult conversations.In this episode, Ashli shares practical ways to prepare before a tough conversation and how to build trust with your team even when you’re still figuring things out.If you’ve ever struggled to give feedback or felt like leadership was the part of entrepreneurship no one prepared you for, this episode is for you.Watch the full conversation on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ThisissmallbusinessIn this episode of This Is Small Business, you’ll learn:(01:24) — What leadership really asks of small business owners(03:54) — How Self-Awareness Makes You a Better Leader(05:57) — How to Stay Grounded When Feedback Feels Overwhelming(08:13) — How to Make Difficult Conversations Productive(12:13) — Why perfection can get in the way of leadership and how to overcome it

Your first business might not work out but it can show you how to build a better one.After years in hospitality and teaching cocktail classes to thousands of people, April Wachtel saw a gap: people wanted bar-quality drinks at home, but didn’t always have the time, tools, or ingredients to make them.So she launched Swig and Swallow – a cocktail batching and delivery business that didn’t quite work and eventually evolved into Cheeky Cocktails, a nationwide brand creating bar-quality syrups and juices for home bartenders.In this episode, April breaks down how she turned a failed manufacturing run into a full brand reset, relaunched during COVID, and used Amazon programs like Vine and FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) to build trust, increase revenue, and grow smarter.If you’ve ever had to rebuild, or start again – this episode is for you.Watch the full conversation on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ThisissmallbusinessIn this episode of This Is Small Business, you’ll learn:(01:26) — How to turn your experience into a business idea(03:21) — Andrea tries Cheeky Cocktails (04:17) —  How a struggling business pivoted into a smarter business model(07:06) — How a product reset turned into a growth opportunity (11:12) — The hard truth about building a business (14:49) — What’s Next for Cheeky Cocktails

What would you give up to build something bigger than yourself?After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Rubens Amedee left his successful finance career to build a school on his grandfather’s land. But keeping that dream alive meant finding a sustainable way to fund it. That’s how Papa Rozier Farms was born – a beauty brand built from Haitian grown castor and moringa, family legacy, and a mission to create jobs back home.In this episode, Reubens shares what it really takes to leave comfort behind for impact and how Amazon helped the brand reach new customers. If you’ve ever wondered how purpose and business can grow together, this episode is for you.Watch the full conversation on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ThisissmallbusinessIn this episode of This Is Small Business, you’ll learn:(01:12) — How a relief trip to Haiti changed Reubens’ entire career path(05:01) — How to build a business from what you already have(08:59) — How to use Amazon to reach more customers(10:27) — How to know when it’s time to leave your stable job(14:53) — How a business can create real community impact

What if your biggest competitive advantage is your story? When Akruti Babaria couldn’t find tools to help her son connect with his Indian heritage, she turned that gap into a business. What started as selling curated children’s books quickly evolved into Kulture Khazana – a brand built on storytelling, cultural connection, and community.In this episode, she breaks down how she validated demand through programming, pivoted during COVID by launching her first product, and used Amazon to scale – from leveraging influencer trust to unlocking rapid growth through the Amazon’s Choice badge.If you want to turn your story into a real competitive advantage and build a brand customers actually connect with – this episode is for you.Watch the full conversation on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ThisissmallbusinessIn this episode of This Is Small Business, you’ll learn:(01:22) — How Akruti found her purpose after a life-changing moment. (06:06) — How to use storytelling to grow your brand and community(08:35) — How Amazon influencers can help drive product sales(09:29) — What “Amazon’s Choice” means for your business and how it impacts sales(10:50) — How to turn your culture into a competitive advantage(12:10) — How to keep going when you feel like quitting your business.

What separates the businesses that get funded from the ones that don’t?Angela Lee, a professor at Columbia Business School and founder of 37 Angels, has helped evaluate over 20,000 startups and knows exactly what makes investors say yes.In this episode, Angela breaks down how to think like an investor, what metrics actually matter (hint: it’s not just revenue), and how to turn early traction into long-term growth. She shares practical frameworks – from the “triple, triple, double” growth model to scrappy experiments like landing page testing – that can help you validate your idea and scale with intention.If you want to stop guessing what investors are looking for – and start building a business they can’t ignore – this episode is for you.Watch the full conversation on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ThisissmallbusinessIn this episode of This Is Small Business, you'll learn about:(01:11) — How Angela Lee turned an investment book club into 37 Angels to tackle venture capital’s diversity gap(04:31) — How to find investors (even if you don’t have connections)(05:24) — How to make your pitch stand out to investors? (07:23) — How to prove your business model actually works(08:55) — The framework every founder needs to stay adaptable and prioritize what matters(12:49) — Confidence isn’t fixed – Here’s how you can build it(14:58) — How founders can deal with the loneliness of building a business

What happens when a simple craving turns into a nationally recognized brand?For Alejandro Lopez, it started with brunch. Frustrated by inconsistent Bloody Marys at restaurants, he began experimenting in his own kitchen – searching for the perfect mix. What began as a passion project quickly turned into Toma Beverage Company.In this episode, Alejandro shares how he tackled product development and packaging challenges, why leaning into his Hispanic heritage became a turning point for the brand, and how selling on Amazon helped Toma survive and grow after he lost 60% of his business during COVID.If you’re thinking about starting a business or figuring out how to adapt when everything changes, this conversation is packed with lessons on resilience, authenticity, and building a brand that connects with people.Watch the full conversation on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ThisissmallbusinessIn this episode of This Is Small Business, you'll learn about:(01:31) — What if your best business idea starts with a craving?(04:33) — Do you really need to “go all in” or can you build slowly first?(06:48) — Why leaning into your identity is a risk worth taking.(12:34) — How Amazon can help you understand and grow your audience(16:21) — What’s next for Toma and why authenticity is key to scaling.