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.