Through Amazon’s podcast, This Is Small Business , producer Andrea Marquez gets what she calls, “a front-row seat in a masterclass on entrepreneurship.” In each episode, she meets with small business owners from across the US to discuss pivotal moments they've experienced. Each episode focuses on challenges these business owners have faced, and what they’ve learned as they’ve scaled their businesses.

Below, Marquez shares, in her own words, some key insights and actionable lessons from the most downloaded episodes of 2024:

1. Your email list is gold. Jenna Kutcher, Author, Podcaster and Digital Marketing Guru, didn’t just remind me that email marketing isn’t dead, she convinced me it’s the most valuable tool. Your email list is your direct hotline to your customers. Unlike social media, you own it, and no algorithm can take it away. Give people a reason to join your list, such as a freebie, a discount, or something else that they can’t resist. Then, don’t ghost them. Keep showing up in their inbox with helpful, fun, or inspiring content.
2. Not all money is good money. Iman Cotton, Business Loan Officer with CDC Small Business Finance, dropped this insight: Loans can help, but only if you know what you’re signing up for. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Always ask yourself, “Will this loan help my business grow, or am I just trying to put out a fire?” If it’s the latter, rethink it.
3. Networking isn’t about hoarding business cards. Robbie Samuels, Author, Business Coach, Biz Book Publishing Hub Founder & Podcast Host, reminded me that networking is about people, not numbers. It’s not about having the most connections; it’s about having meaningful ones. Follow up. Yes, I’m calling myself out here. Send a quick email or share a resource. No, it’s not weird. It’s thoughtful.
4. Preparation is everything. Jay Clouse, Founder of Creator Science, stressed the power of pre-launch preparation. The little things, such as building a buzz and knowing your audience, matter so much. Start talking about your launch early. Use teasers, sneak peeks, or a waitlist to make people feel like they need what you’re about to offer.
5. Marketing isn’t magic; it’s strategy. Liz Downing and Elena Fahrländer from Danish Endurance made one thing clear: Marketing doesn’t have to be flashy to work; it has to be authentic. Think about the story that your brand tells, and make sure it’s consistent across all of your platforms. Focus less on selling and more on connecting.

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

We recently released our Brand Protection report, which demonstrates our efforts to stop bad actors and protect your business from counterfeit products through industry-leading technology and strategic partnerships.

In 2024, we invested more than a billion dollars and employed thousands of people—including machine learning scientists, software developers and expert investigators—to help protect customers, brands, selling partners and our store from counterfeit, fraud and other forms of abuse.

The report outlines the progress we’ve made, including the following highlights:

• In 2024, we identified, seized and appropriately disposed of more than 15 million counterfeit products worldwide, preventing them from harming customers or being resold elsewhere in the retail supply chain.
• Since its launch in 2020, Amazon's Counterfeit Crimes Unit has pursued more than 24,000 bad actors through litigation and criminal referrals to law enforcement.
• Through our continued investment in AI, our improved proactive controls blocked more than 99 percent of suspected infringing listings before the brand owners had to find and report them.
• Since 2020, while the number of products available for sale in our store has continued to grow, we have seen around a 35-percent decrease in the total valid notices of infringement submitted by brands.
• More than 2.5 billion product units have been verified as genuine through our Transparency programme, which has enrolled 88,000 brands worldwide, including Fortune 500 companies, global brands, startups and small businesses.

We remain committed to continued advancements and we will not rest until we drive counterfeits to zero.

For more detailed updates on our strategic areas of focus and the progress we’ve made, go to the Brand Protection report.

To report abusive customers or sellers, go to Report abuse.