In this episode of the Culture of Leadership, host Brendan Rogers interviews Susan Toft, founder of The Laundry Lady, who shares her journey from a busy mom to building a scalable laundry service business.
Starting in 2012, Susan discusses overcoming daily frustrations, systemizing operations, and leveraging technology like Time Boss to scale globally. She emphasizes flexibility, values-driven leadership, and empowering contractors while sharing insights on delegation, AI integration, and pitching to investors.
SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
00:00 - Introduction
00:07 - Susan’s Journey with The Laundry Lady
02:39 - From Chore to Business Opportunity
04:48 - Mindset for Scaling a Business
06:46 - Serving Diverse Customers
08:29 - Leadership Without Micromanaging
11:56 - Building Systems Early
17:16 - Time Boss: Strategic Technology Play
19:31 - Embracing AI in Business
21:33 - Lessons in Delegation
24:41 - Transition to Operations Manager
26:45 - Focusing on Marketing Passion
28:33 - Pitching on Shark Tank
31:41 - Contractor Values and Flexibility
35:30 - The Laundry Lady Business Model
39:54 - Customer Complaints and Communication
41:46 - Vision for Future Success
43:34 - Laundry Lads and Branding
44:52 - Lessons for Susan’s Sons
48:28 - Advice for SME Owners
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