In our new podcast series Small Business Bytes on This is Small Business, producer Andrea Marquez shares bite-sized insights from interviews with more than 100 US small business owners about pivotal moments, challenges, and lessons learned as they scaled their business.

In this series, Marquez explores how mindset is a powerful tool to guide long-term planning and overcome challenges:

1. Know the problem you’re solving: Your why leads your decisions, your brand messaging, and keeps you going when things get tough. For example, Sean Brownlee founded Ravenox to create stable, meaningful jobs for veterans as they transition to civilian life. Teri Johnson created Harlem Candle Co to celebrate Black culture in the US through fragrance. Both found success by grounding their business in a clear purpose. Ask yourself: What pain point does my business address? And how does that connect to my deeper mission?
2. Don’t wait for perfect: Trying to perfect your product before launching can stall your growth. When Val Fishbane of Spread the Love Foods launched early, real world customer data helped refine everything from the ingredients to the jar size. Consider starting small, gathering feedback, and iterating from there.
3. Make your brand story personal: Storytelling builds emotional trust, but it needs to be rooted in something meaningful. Conchita Pleasant started Nefertiti’s Secrets after losing her hair during cancer treatment. She turned personal healing into a haircare brand focused on empowerment. Ray Phillips of Soap Sox created his product to help children in treatment facilities feel safe at bath time. These stories make customers feel seen and understood. Share the personal moment that sparked your business. Why did you decide to create this solution?
4. Craft a pitch that hooks in seconds: A sharp elevator pitch should spark curiosity fast. Felicia Jackson (CPR Wrap) opens her pitch with a gripping moment of panic: watching her child choke and feeling powerless despite her CPR training. Matthew Tesvich (Skunk Skin) connects with humor and relatability: he jokes about his own stinky feet, then pitches odor-fighting socks. Present the problem, an emotional hook, and a simple solution, and try to do it in less than 60 seconds.
5. Use social proof to build trust: User-generated content like reviews, social media tags, and customer photos and videos are powerful tools to grow your brand. Research shows that 70% of customers will consider user-generated content before purchasing a product. Create a branded hashtag, repost customer content (with permission), and add reviews or videos to your product pages or email newsletters.

To listen to all the episodes of This Is Small Business and Small Business Bytes, go to Amazon Music, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts

(Note: Episodes are in English.)