The Lazy CEO Podcast with Jane Lu

This week on Help My Small Business, Jane is joined by marketing guru and podcast queen Kelly McCarren to review Lucy’s business, Antico - a vintage-inspired homewares brand.

With just $500 and one hero product (the Fiore Vase), Lucy has already hit $54k in revenue. But now she’s stuck: Where should she invest her time and money next? Should she expand her range? Run ads? Fix her conversion issues in the US?

Ja...

What do you do when your own employee starts stealing your clients… and your entire business model? If you’re Katelin Gregg and Ella James, you put on matching suits and handle it.

But that’s just one chapter in the wild story behind Fayshell, Australia’s first membership-based skincare clinic. Launched in 2022, Fayshell was built on a simple but disruptive idea: make good skin accessible through consistency, not one-off facials...

Doing it all on your own? It’s overrated.

This week, Jane sits down with Kelly McCarren - marketing consultant, beauty expert, and co-host of You Beauty - to talk about why going solo isn’t the flex we think it is.

From business to friendships to life in general, they unpack how building a strong support circle can change everything and why it’s one of the smartest (and most underrated) moves you can make.

Plus, they ...

This episode dives deep into a story that starts long before today’s guest was even born - one of resilience, reinvention, and the legacy of pubs, people, and a little chaos.

Jane sits down with Elliot Solomon, CEO of Solotel Group, a fourth-generation hospitality leader whose family fled Russia during the pogroms and ended up building one of Australia’s most iconic venue groups - behind The Sheaf, The Clock, Opera Bar, Chiswick, Ar...

Not all advice is good advice. Especially when it’s trying to make you blend in.

In this solo episode, Jane gets real about the well-meaning (but completely off-brand) advice she’s glad she ignored when building Showpo. From industry “rules” to branding tips that would’ve diluted everything she was trying to do, Jane shares the decisions that helped her stand out and why playing it safe was never the plan.

Connect with us:

&nb...

This week’s extended Help My Small Business episode is packed with real talk and practical advice for product-based founders. Jane is joined by interior designer and business mentor Emma Blomfield to review Bek’s business, Luckies - the knickers that ditch the shame around discharge.

Together, they unpack some of the most common (and costly) mistakes early-stage brands make - from building a website...

In this Help My Small Business episode, Jane is joined by Tori Clapham and Chris Hole - founders of Peaches Pilates - to help out Nikolina, the founder of I See by Nikolina, an Australian-made fashion brand that blends style with spiritual connection.

The big question on Nikolina’s mind? When is the right time to start running ads and investing in SEO?

Tori and Chris break down how to know if your bra...

This week on The Lazy CEO, we’re joined by Tori Clapham and Chris Hole, the husband-and-wife team behind Peaches Pilates, the mat-based Pilates brand shaking up the fitness world.

In this episode, Tori and Chris dive deep into how building from their client community helps create loyal staff and reduce turnover. Tori opens up about the mindset shift she experienced as a mentor, learning to accept that staff will eventually ...

Feeling like you're doing everything and still getting nowhere? In this solo episode of The Lazy CEO, Jane shares 9 time-saving habits that actually help when you're overworked, overwhelmed, and barely keeping up. These habits are all about working smarter, not harder - because no one has time for burnout.

Jane breaks down how she structures her day to avoid falling into reactive mode, the mindset shift that helped her stop glor...

Ever feel like your product is great, but no one’s seeing it? You’re not alone.

In this Help My Small Business episode, Jane is joined by James Thornton, CEO of Intrepid Travel, to help Tormina - founder of Lucie & Co, a sustainable pet accessories brand - figure out how to actually stand out online.

From learning how to make Meta ads work without blowing your budget, to understanding how to incre...

Most people think being CEO means having all the answers. James Thornton would say it means knowing when to shut up and listen.

James is the CEO of Intrepid Travel – the world’s largest adventure travel company and a certified B Corp that’s been walking the talk for decades – but he didn’t start at the top. Nearly 20 years ago, he applied for a job at Intrepid, got rejected, and eventually got his foot in the door as a sales rep...

This week on Help My Small Business, Jane is joined by Sophie Hood, founder of Seoul Tonic, to review Glydelle—an anti-chafing brand created by Kristy.

Right now, Kristy's content is resonating more with other small business owners than with the customers she's actually trying to reach. Jane and Sophie dive into how she can shift gears and build a community that buys, not just supports.

They unpack the importance of brand equ...

Sometimes being naive is the superpower. Just ask Sophie Hood.

This week on The Lazy CEO, Sophie—founder of Seoul Tonic—shares how she turned a side hustle into one of Australia’s most innovative beverage brands, now stocked in Woolies, BWS, Dan Murphy’s, and over 2,000 independents—all without a single full-time employee.

With a background in finance and strategy at EY, LVMH, and Red Bull, Sophie had the big-brand ...

Ever wonder how to build a strong, engaged community—without showing your face or having a big following? You’re not alone.

In this Help My Small Business episode, Jane is joined by Chebbo, founder of Chebbo’s Burgers, to offer advice to Bec, the founder of The Food Design Studio, a creative studio that helps food brands stand out.

Bec’s challenge? She wants to grow her audience and build a genuine communi...

In this episode, Chebbo, the founder of Chebbo’s Burgers, shares how a viral TikTok series took him from a backyard BBQ setup to a booming burger business with a cult following.

Chebbo dives into the power of content—how being consistent, building a community, and leaning into storytelling helped him create a brand that people don’t just love, but line up for. He opens up about his early missteps, including an underestimation of...

Ever feel like you're just winging it, even when your business is thriving? You're not alone.

In this Help My Small Business episode, Jane and Anaita Sarkar dive into the all-too-common feeling of imposter syndrome among founders. The conversation kicks off with the story of Cindy Lim, founder of Koko & Kush, who made the bold decision to sell her house and move in with her parents to fund her hemp-based skincare brand durin...

Anaita Sarkar—founder of Hero Packaging and the voice behind Sell Anything Online—joins Jane to talk about what’s working in marketing right now, how she’s handling unexpected US tariffs, and the real, not-so-glam side of running a business.

They get personal about the stuff people don’t usually say out loud—like the loneliness that can come with being a founder and the pressure to always look like you’ve got it together.Th...

This week on The Lazy CEO, Jane is joined by Adam Schwab, founder of Luxury Escapes, one of the world’s most trusted travel brands. They chat about how service businesses can position themselves as the go-to experts in their space, justify premium pricing during tough economic times, and build loyalty that keeps customers coming back.

They also dive into Julia’s business, Highlight Brows and Beauty—a cosmetic tattooing studio ba...

In this episode, Adam Schwab, co-founder of Luxury Escapes, shares powerful insights on building a successful business. He explains how combining brand and scale is a company’s superpower, and why having a “cornered resource” — like exclusive hotel deals — gives you a major competitive advantage.

Adam also dives into the importance of building switching costs into your brand to keep customers loyal, especially when facing m...