This Is Small Business

Be Delulu. Start the Company.

What if the thing everyone avoids talking about is actually your best business idea?When Katie Diasti realized how awkward and outdated period care still felt, she didn’t wait for someone else to fix it. She built Viv – a brand rooted in honesty, education, and actually listening to people.In this episode of This Is Small Business, Katie shares how a college class project turned into a real company, why she said no to a full-time job offer, and how asking one simple (and slightly uncomfortable) question unlocked product-market fit.From dorm-room “period parties” and scrappy farmer’s market feedback to going viral through education and scaling with intention, this conversation is about building by listening first – and being a little delusional in the process.If you’ve ever thought “this should exist already” or wondered what happens when you actually bet on yourself, this one’s for you.Watch the full conversation on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ThisissmallbusinessIn this episode of This Is Small Business, you'll learn about:(00:26) — Why Viv Needed to Exist (03:10) — Listening Before Building (05:21) — Saying No to the Job Offer(07:51) — Funding, Fulfillment & “Touching Cardboard”(10:03) — Social Media, Trust & Education(14:56) — How Amazon Helped Get Viv into Retail(17:29) — Advice for Young Founders

This Is What Running a Business Feels Like

Running a business is more than strategy and numbers. It’s momentum, pressure, excitement, and responsibility–often all in the same day. It’s making decisions without perfect information, trusting your instincts, and living with the outcome.In This Is Small Business, host Andrea Marquez sits down with founders and creators to talk honestly about what it’s really like to run a business. The highs that keep you going. The moments that make you pause. The decisions that change how you see your business and yourself.These conversations go beyond how companies grow. They get into the emotional reality of entrepreneurship: the confidence, the doubt, the energy it takes to keep showing up. If you’ve ever wondered what it actually feels like to build and run a business, this is the place for you.

Small Business Bytes: Building Your Support Squad

Building a business can often seem like a solo mission. But founders who thrive know that success doesn’t come from hard work alone — it comes from having the right people in your corner: those who understand your mission and are invested in your growth.In this Small Business Byte on This is Small Business, host Andrea Marquez dives into how to build, and lean on, a support squad that keeps your business moving forward, and makes the journey a lot less lonely. You’ll hear from Aliett Buttleman of Fazit on finding like-minded peers who truly understand what you’re building, Katie Diasti of Viv on how showing up consistently can turn connections into collaborators, and Maurice Contreras of Volcanica Coffee on how one conference conversation gave him the exact expert he needed to scale his business.From finding the right peer support, to strategic connections that open doors, these stories show why community is one of your most powerful business tools.What does your support squad look like? Identify the five archetypes you’d want in your corner, then go find them. Share your map with us in a Spotify comment, Apple Podcasts review, or email ThisIsSmallBusiness@amazon.com. Doing that will not only hold you accountable but could also inspire another entrepreneur to take their next big step.Sources:If you want to know more about Fazit Beauty, listen to Aliett Buttelman’s story here: How a Small Business Turned One Celebrity Moment into Long-Term Growth - This is Small BusinessIf you want to know more about Viv, listen to Katie Diasti’s story here: How a College Student Turned a Class Project into a Scalable Business - This is Small BusinessIf you want to hear more about Volcanica Coffee, listen to Maurice Contreras’s story here: How Volcanica Coffee Left Comfort Behind - This is Small Business

Small Business Bytes: Preparing for Your Viral Moment

Every small business owner dreams of seeing their product go viral. It’s exciting to imagine your business blowing up out of the blue, but these moments aren’t as random as they seem. What looks like a sudden spike in attention is often months of preparation, small bets, and calculated risks coming together at just the right moment.In this Small Business Byte on This is Small Business, host Andrea Marquez breaks down how founders can spark and sustain viral moments and turn them into long-term growth. You’ll hear from Aliett Buttleman of Fazit Beauty on how she built relationships, systems, and supply chains long before Taylor Swift wore her freckle patches and sent orders soaring. Plus, Kangaroo Hanger founder, Angus Willows, shares how setting hard deadlines and being persistent all paid off when he woke up to a million views on his video.From building systems to consistent experimentation, these stories show that virality is as much about preparation as it is about luck.What’s one small step you’ll take to make your next viral moment count? Share it with us in a Spotify comment, Apple Podcasts review, or email ThisIsSmallBusiness@amazon.com. Doing so could inspire another entrepreneur’s next big move.Sources:If you want to know more about Fazit Beauty, listen to Aliett Buttelman’s story here: How a Small Business Turned One Celebrity Moment into Long-Term Growth - This is Small BusinessIf you want to know more about Kangaroo Hanger, listen to Angus Willows' story here: How a Small Business Turned One Celebrity Moment into Long-Term Growth - This is Small Business

Small Business Bytes: The Power of Trial and Error

No one gets it right on the first try. But every great idea has a few misses behind it – because getting it wrong is how you finally get it right.In this Small Business Byte on This is Small Business, host Andrea Marquez explores why the secret to finding your winning idea often lies in what doesn’t work. From testing products that flop to pivoting when plans fall apart, embracing trial and error is what turns experiments into breakthroughs.You’ll hear how Kim Kerton, host of Unemployed and Afraid, tested business after business before discovering her true calling in podcasting. How Aliett Buttelman of Fazit Beauty learned to let go of what wasn’t working and rebuild stronger. And, how Zoya Biglary of Fysh Foods turned a shipping problem into a whole new way to grow.So, what’s one idea you’re ready to test – or even toss out to make room for something better? Share it with us in a Spotify comment, Apple Podcasts review, or email it to ThisisSmallBusiness@amazon.com. Doing that will not only hold you accountable but could also inspire another entrepreneur to take their next big step.Sources:If you want to know more about Unemployed and Afraid, listen to Kim Kerton’s story here: The Business of Reinvention: Why Experimenting is Kim Kerton’s Superpower - This is Small BusinessIf you want to know more about Fazit Beauty, listen to Aliett Buttelman’s story here: How a Small Business Turned One Celebrity Moment into Long-Term Growth - This is Small BusinessIf you want to know more about Fysh Foods, listen to Zoya Biglary’s story here: How Zoya Biglary Became the Internet’s Fruit Peeler to Fund her Business - This is Small Business