This Is Small Business

A good product can still be a hard sell if people don’t know what to make of it. When Lori and Llance Kezner put broth in a tea bag, they had something customers loved once they tasted it – but finding the right way to explain the product and getting them to try it took some trial and error.

The co-founders of Millie’s Sipping Broth join host Andrea Marquez to share how a fix for Lori’s break-room snack dilemma grew into a business selling in stores and on Amazon. They discuss the name change that helped customers understand their product, an unexpected way to stand out alongside much bigger brands, and why they sometimes pause expansion to make sure they can keep up.

If you’re figuring out how to turn curiosity into sales – or wondering whether you’re ready for your next stage of growth – this conversation offers practical lessons in helping customers understand your product and building a business that can deliver when demand takes off.

Watch the full conversation on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Thisissmallbusiness

In this episode of This Is Small Business, you’ll learn:

(01:00) — How solving an everyday problem can spark a business idea

(02:40) — Why the way you describe your product shapes customer expectations

(05:48) — How to maintain product quality as production grows

(06:59) — How a creative marketing idea can help a small business stand out and reach new customers

(10:49) — How exposure on one platform can drive sales on Amazon

(12:47) — Why growing gradually can help your business handle setbacks

What if the idea for your next business is rooted in something you’ve known your whole life?

Jake DeLeon grew up helping his mom and grandmother make Filipino food to sell to their neighbors. Years later, after his first business closed, those familiar flavors inspired a fresh start and a chance to bring Filipino cuisine to more grocery shelves.

In this episode of This Is Small Business, Jake joins host Andrea Marquez to share how he built Fila Manila while caring for his dad and what his first business taught him about doing things differently the second time. Over banana ketchup and fries, they talk about reaching the right customers, the Shark Tank appearance that transformed his online sales, and growing a brand without losing what makes it personal.

Watch the full conversation on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Thisissmallbusiness

In this episode of This Is Small Business, you’ll learn:

(01:12) — How family cooking sparked a career in food and led to entrepreneurship

(03:10) — What a first business can teach you about building your next

(06:58) — The family support behind getting onto grocery shelves

(09:13) — How Shark Tank transformed Fila Manila’s online sales

(13:04) — Why embracing your culture can help your brand stand out

Sometimes, the best business ideas can spring from some of our deepest insecurities.

Jessica Rosales and Carlos Torres grew up feeling like "no sabo kids" — not quite fluent enough, not quite connected enough to the culture they came from. But instead of burying that insecurity, they turned it into Yo Sabo, a popular bilingual card game designed to help families reconnect through language.

In this episode of This Is Small Business, the married couple shares how a simple night at the dog park turned into a real company, why they bet their savings on an initial order of 500 units, and how man-on-the-street interviews at a theme park helped their game go viral.

From selling out inventory before it even landed in the US, to fighting off counterfeits, to Jessica finally quitting her job after their sales passed a million dollars — this conversation is about building something that means more than the product itself.

Watch the full conversation on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Thisissmallbusiness

In this episode of This Is Small Business, you’ll learn:

(01:11) — How insecurity became a business idea

(03:16) — The questions that turned an idea into a real product

(05:29) — Why showing people play your product beats telling them about it

(08:09) —Why a beautiful website isn't enough without customer trust

(09:40) — What happens when counterfeits flood your listing

(11:02) — What happens when your side project turns into a full-time business

Running a business rarely goes exactly as planned. Sometimes the idea comes from an insecurity you cannot shake. Sometimes growth means questioning the habits that got you this far. And sometimes the best advice sounds completely ridiculous until it starts to work.

In this latest season of This Is Small Business, host Andrea Marquez sits down with founders to unpack the moments that shaped their businesses. This season, those conversations unfold through competitive games, crafts and one very cute four-legged guest, bringing us closer to the products, ideas and experiences behind each story.

We’ll be getting honest about burnout, failure, identity and the deeply personal reasons people choose to build something of their own. Because there is no right way to be an entrepreneur.

Watch the trailer on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Thisissmallbusiness

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/@Thisissmallbusiness

In 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/@Thisissmallbusiness

In 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