What if the real barrier to your success isn’t risk but uncertainty? Dr. Matt Rutherford, John de Pope Chair in Entrepreneurship at Oklahoma State University, joins host Andrea Marquez to redefine risk for founders and show you how to make every risk you take more manageable. You’ll get to hear the six types of entrepreneurial risk, learn why distinguishing risk from uncertainty is crucial, and discover how pinpointing the risks you face can actually tilt the odds in your favor. By the end of this episode, you’ll have a simple framework to spot, measure, and hedge risk so that your next big leap feels less like a gamble and more like a calculated step forward.

Got a bold leap of your own? Share it with us in an Apple Podcasts review, Spotify comment, or email us at thisissmallbusiness@amazon.com – you might hear it in a future episode.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

(01:29) Ever felt entrepreneurship wasn’t for you? Andrea and Matt share how family and early doubts made them think twice about starting a business – for now.

(06:18) What’s the real difference between risk and uncertainty? Learn why risk can be quantified and how that clarity fuels confident decisions.

(08:53) Which six risks should every founder know? Discover which risks apply to your business and how to spot them before they blindside you.

(12:16) How do you turn uncertainty into risk by diversifying? Practical tips on expanding products, channels, or personal investments.

(15:26) How can small tests tilt the odds? Discover the low-cost experiments that validate ideas without blowing your budget.

(16:30) How do you embrace the upside of risk? Discover why focusing on opportunity instead of fear can turn setbacks into springboards for growth.

(20:03) Can you start a business even if you’re risk-adverse? Matt shares how teaming up with his wife turned caution into confidence and helped them start a small business together.

(22:46) How do you overcome the fear of risk and just start? Matt lays out three ways you can take a calculated leap forward: suck out every risk, enlist trusted voices, and run small experiments.

What happens when your viral moment finally comes — and you’re not ready for it?

Aliett Buttleman, co-founder of Fazit, only had 300 TikTok followers when she said her goal was to get Taylor Swift to wear her product. And she made it happen. But that moment wasn’t luck. It was the result of two scrappy founders, a small but strategically allocated budget, and years of rejection, pivots, and TikTok experiments. Host Andrea Marquez unpacks the strategy behind how Aliett made a viral celebrity moment happen and why she keeps leaning into discomfort to keep growing. You’ll learn how to build buzz without a big budget, why your wildest ideas might be your best ones and how to stay ready so that when your big moment comes, you’re not just hoping it works. You’re ready to make it count.

Got a bold leap of your own? Share it with us in an Apple Podcasts review, Spotify comment, or email us at thisissmallbusiness@amazon.com – you might hear it in a future episode.

In this episode you’ll hear:

(02:07) Ever felt lost in your career or like you don’t quite fit into a single box? Here’s why Aliett started her own company.

(04:50) Why start a business when you’ve seen how hard it is? Aliett’s early consulting work almost convinced her not to become a founder – here’s what changed her mind.

(07:25) How do you kickstart sales with a small budget and no team? The scrappy TikTok strategy Aliett used to grow an audience and why 30 million views didn’t lead to a single sale.

(09:11) What keeps you going when investors say no again and again? Aliett opens up about the emotional toll of 150 VC rejections and why she kept going.

(12:20) Curious how to raise money for your startup when VCs say no? Hear how Aliett and her co-founder Nina pushed through rejection, won a competition, and raised their first $200,000.

(15:50) What do you do when retailers and investors aren’t interested even when you’ve gone viral? For Aliett and Nina, it meant pivoting and moving on to the next product.

(19:01) Is it crazy to imagine Taylor Swift wearing your product one day? That’s exactly what happened to Aliett. And here’s how that surreal moment unfolded and how Aliett capitalized on it.

(25:17) How do you get Taylor Swift to wear your product? It’s not luck and Aliett reveals the behind-the-scenes scramble and marketing strategy that turned a viral moment into a lasting brand.

(29:45) What does it take to succeed without a Plan B? Aliett reflects on discomfort, delusion, and why chasing safety never built anything bold.

What were you doing when you were 12? Blake Shook, the founder of Desert Creek Honey, was wrangling swarms of bees and selling honey – all before middle school let out. What began as a childhood hobby sparked a decades-long entrepreneurial journey that led to the creation of a multi-million honey empire with over 120 employees. But before reaching that level of success, Blake lost his entire bee population – just as he was deciding whether to go to college – and had to choose whether to walk away or take the biggest risk of his life. Host Andrea Marquez explores how Blake scaled a business built around something delicate and unpredictable and what it takes to keep moving forward when your livelihood depends on something you can’t fully control. If you’ve ever wondered whether you really need a degree to build something big or how to bounce back when everything you’ve built disappears overnight, this is the story for you.

Got a bold leap of your own? Share it with us in an Apple Podcasts review, Spotify comment, or email us at thisissmallbusiness@amazon.com – you might hear it in a future episode.

In this episode you’ll hear:

(01:04) What is it like to peer into a beehive for the first time? Blake describes the moment he lifted the lid and discovered a hidden world of 80,000 bees working in perfect harmony.

(6:54) When do you know a hobby can turn into a business? Blake shares the “aha” moment when he got his very first honey order.

(10:36) What if your business disappeared overnight? In beekeeping, that can mean the death of all your bees. Blake talks about the hardest lesson he ever had to learn.

(14:42) When everything seems to be going wrong, do you give up or go all in? Blake explains the choice he made.

(16:14) How do you rebuild after losing everything? Blake turned failure into fuel by learning from seasoned beekeepers—and earned his comeback one hive at a time.

(18:02) Looking for some advice on managing risk? Here’s why diversification is important.

(19:21) What happens when you're suddenly forced to scale up? For Blake, a reality TV show became an unexpected opportunity that ultimately led to six separate businesses.

(23:07) Is passion enough to sustain an entrepreneur? Hear why Blake believes his real job is to work himself out of a job.