She didn’t mean to disrupt the gum industry. She just wanted gum that wasn’t made of plastic.

When Caron Proschan first found that out, she couldn’t ignore it. One piece of neon-blue gum after a healthy lunch sent her down a rabbit hole that ended with her hand-making natural gum in her apartment.

In this episode of This Is Small Business, Caron shares how reading one ingredient label set off a chain reaction – from kitchen experiments and door-to-door Whole Foods pitches in Manhattan to building a factory of her own in Brooklyn.

We get into proof of concept, the customer reviews that actually changed the product, and why sometimes not knowing how hard the entrepreneurial journey will be is exactly what gets you started.

If you’ve ever looked at a product and thought, “Why is this like this?” – this one’s for you.

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

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

(01:05) — What happens when you can’t un-see what’s on the label?

(04:03) — Andrea tries the gum (and the mints… and the gummies)

(04:48) — Can you really build a food brand without experts or investors?

(06:27) — When do you know it’s real enough to quit your job?

(09:00) — How being on Amazon can help you grow faster and improve your product in real time.

(13:25) — Will customers pay more for better ingredients — or not?

What if the biggest thing holding you back isn’t your idea… it’s the way you’ve been trained to think?

Ashish Bhatia is basically a therapist for entrepreneurs and in this episode of This Is Small Business, he breaks down why “just be confident” is the worst advice ever, and what actually works instead.

As a professor of Entrepreneurship at NYU Stern, Ashish has helped hundreds of founders go from “I have an idea” to “I built this” and he’s here to teach you how to rewire your brain for uncertainty, feedback, and real momentum. You’ll learn why entrepreneurs aren’t “natural risk-takers,” how to stop protecting your idea like it’s fragile, and the simple steps to move faster (without spiraling). Plus: how to figure out what you really want so you stop building a life that looks good on paper but feels wrong in real life.

If you’ve been stuck overthinking, waiting for the “right time,” or quietly questioning whether you’re cut out for this… this one’s 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) — Mindset isn’t enough… so what actually has to change?

(06:41) — The 3 steps to go from “I have an idea” to “I built this”

(08:44) — Why you’re scared to share your idea (and how to do it anyway)

(11:49) — Opportunity cost vs. “affordable loss” (A.K.A. How to stop talking yourself out of it)

(14:20) — Why you need to self-reflect to build a successful business

What do you do when you realize the “safe” path isn’t actually your dream?

Brandon Fuhrmann went to law school, passed the bar… and then walked away – because building Cooler Kitchen, a space-saving kitchen brand born in a tiny NYC apartment, sounded way more fun than billing hours forever.

In this episode of This Is Small Business, Brandon breaks down how he actually built Cooler Kitchen – from choosing products based on keyword research to scaling in the Amazon store. He also shares how his kids are shaping his next product line and how he built a massive community for sellers through the conference he co-hosts, Innovate, because entrepreneurship doesn’t have to be a lonely grind.

If you’ve ever wanted freedom, flexibility, and a life where you can make money while you sleep, this one’s for you.

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

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

(00:59) — Should I quit a stable career to start a business?

(01:56) — Is Amazon FBA the easiest way to start selling online?

(04:55) — How do you choose your first product without wasting money?

(07:58) — Can you run a business and still be a present parent?

(09:52) — What Amazon tools actually move the needle for sales?

(10:56) — Why is selling internationally so much harder than it looks?

(12:32) — Building a business can feel lonely, so how do you find your people?

(15:03) — What’s the number 1 mindset shift new entrepreneurs need to survive?