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/@Thisissmallbusiness

In 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/@Thisissmallbusiness

In 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/@Thisissmallbusiness

In 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.