December 1, 2025 • 20 mins
From 15th birthday celebrations to Black Friday prep to reminiscing on the early Showpo days, this episode dives into the three lessons I wish I’d known in my first year of business.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- The role luck actually plays in the early stages of business, and how you can create more of it.
- Why you have to spend money to make money and how risk directly influences your results.
- How your environment shapes your ambition, momentum, and the opportunities you’re able to see.
Connect with us:Follow The Lazy CEO Podcast: @thelazyceo_podcastStay updated with Jane Lu: @thelazyceo
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Welcome to the Lazy Ceo Podcast. I'm Jane Lou. I
escaped the corporate grind in twenty four and started my
own business, Choupo, a global nine figures online fashion brand,
and now I want to share my learnings here with
you every Tuesday, so join my conversations with the entrepreneurs
behind the iconic brands we all know and love. In
between interview weeks, you'll find me talking about hot topics
(00:29):
that fascinates me in the world of business and personal development,
alternating with help my Small Business episodes where I deep
dive into a small business every month to help them
grow and why the Lazy ceo You ask, Well, give
a lazy person a problem, they'll find the simplest way
to solve it. Hey body, Van, this episode is a
(00:49):
fun one. I'm joining my my team a, Gena and
Monica to discuss the week that was and share the
three things I wish someone told me in my first
year of business. We discussed the concept of love and
the role of plays in the early days, why you
have to spend money to make money, and how you're
a product of the environment you're in. All right, let's
get into it, Hey buddy, fam, welcome back. So it's
(01:17):
just me this week with well me and my team
hiy Hi Gemo Raman for a solo pod. We needed
better name than solo pod.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
We are celebrating.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Show Pro turning fifteen this year, which is crazy because
you know, I feel kind of old.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
So we are going to use this.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
I thought it was a good time to talk about
some of those things that I wish someone told me
in my first year of business. Before we get into that,
let's just like stop for a minute and talk about
how amazing the show Pro birthday party was.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
If you haven't seen it, you're obviously.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Don't follow me your Instagram because I'm spanning the shit
out of it on my Instagram.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
So we had a Fitteen layer cake that was insane.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
It wasn't saying the socials are incredible, but the socials
don't even do it justice.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
I was like, holy shit.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
In case you're wondering, I'll tell the Potty Fam a
little truth just between us. Only Layer two and four
are real, but like it would be a waste otherwise,
you know, So it's real, right.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
The top one, I don't think the top one was
the little.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
One at the top one wasn't I thought you cut
through that. No, that was Oh my god, No, wonder
I didn't get a piece? Yeah, not enough?
Speaker 2 (02:27):
No, when I first saw it.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
And also I don't know if anyone's been to the press,
it's like the new Mayor Vale Events venue in the establishment. Yeah,
it's like when st used to be. We had the
first party there, so it's pretty cool. I like that
little flex.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
So we had the first private.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Event that will be besides their own launch event, but.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Like the first private event there.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
First time I've seen the venue, it was so beautiful,
and it just took me back to like when I
had my first actual show pro party, Like we had
a cool launch party. Well when at our first star party,
we were drinking on a plastic cups that had our
names on it because it's I was so stingy, like
you've got to reuse your cups. So we had our
names and the cups. We're drinking Passion pop and like
(03:08):
whatever cheap bottles you can find at the bolo and
we my mum made dumplings for the cannapas.
Speaker 5 (03:14):
That sounds pretty good to me.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Had so much fun, you know, we would have then
hit the down, but then that night we had like
trolley soft caviar and oh my god, so that was amazing.
Come I'm very far, and it was just I had
this like pinchy moment, you know, I just think back
to where we have come to be in that room,
to be all these people there celebrating on just like
(03:37):
where the business is now in general. I just remember
like sitting in that little Broadway store by the way.
It's like actually around the corner from our office right now.
If anyone wants to play along, it's two four seven Broadway.
If anyone goes, it's any Union, you'll see it. It's
now a store our sells Jesus and Merry statues anyway,
just fun fat.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
That was the first Shypo store, And I.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Remember sitting in that store and it's just like another
day empty. No one was coming in, just waiting for
the next person to com me, who will probably come
and be like can I buy? Can I get a discount?
I'm like, just give discounts anyway. And then I'm just
sitting there pressing refresh on the website back end, just
pressing refreshed, hoping for the sale to come in. And
just you know, I just thought if she could see
(04:18):
where we are now, that she would be.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
So so, so so shocked and so proud.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
So yeah, yeah, evy fifteen go, I know everyone is
probably well. Actually, by the time this airs, we're knee
deep in Black Friday madness.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
By the time this s will be just over.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
So happy end of Black Friday to all the business
owners out there, because now I can relax, like it
must be. It's mostly's so hectic for everyone. I hope
you'll all had a really great Black Friday sale. If
he didn't, don't worry. I honestly think Black Friday is
overrated because it's now just like a it's very discounted.
(04:52):
It's a race to the bottom, like for us, like
our best time of the year is going to be,
Like actually, when US is peaking, AU is peaking north
hand south pen peaking without discounting, you're selling your arrivals,
like that is the best time of the year for us.
When both summers are like kind of overlapping, or like
when both warm seasons overlap, that's our height. Ultimately, think
about your margins. So you're the first to though that
(05:15):
bitchcon is coming back. Yes, unless I've already accidentally said it.
Maybe Jen came and I said we were doing it.
But this is official, Like as soon as Black Friday
is over, we are planning this shit. We've already started
getting speakers. We're going to announce them verries toon. So
save the date now, Saturday, the seventh of March. Okay,
that's all I'm going to say for now, more infoers
to come. Let's get to the things that I wish
(05:36):
that someone told me in my first.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Year of business.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
As great as the fifteenth birthday celebrations were and how
you know, just pound the back of making it for
fifteen years, I really think sure most listeners are in
more of that.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Early stage of business.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
So I really want to use this opportunity to take
it back and talk about the things that I wish
someone taught me my first year of business, because I
really think that first year of business was like the
most formal of years and made such a big impact
and it can make them break a lot of businesses.
So let's go three things. Number one, I think that
sometimes in the first year, I think sometimes you're waiting
for luck to happen because you think you've like tried everything.
(06:15):
You look at other people and other successes, and especially
now I feel like in this TikTok era where it's
all about like fast changes and like big impact. Like
you think people just kind of like pee, some people
just get lucky, But I really think it's all about
putting yourself out there for the opportunities to happen. I
believe in something called luck in motion, and that you
(06:35):
have to put yourself in a position that when lucky
opportunities come, you're there to receive them. Some of the
worst things that happened to me were actually just stepping
stones that led to some of the best things that happen.
For example, like I'm not going to go on about
the failed business. The failed business is what led me
to my new business. Actually the business failing the global
financial crisis, which meant I couldn't get a job, and
(06:56):
then that's how I got into the business. But there's
other things like, for example, my ex business partner, the
one that I started Chope with, and she was amazing,
but just because Chope wasn't growing, that's why she wanted
to leave the business. How terrible is the business not growing?
Like when she left, we were making five thousand dollars
a month, that's so terrible. I think the thing that
sent over the edge was like this rat came into
(07:18):
our office, our store, scared the Jesus out of us,
and then we got robbed. It got robbed twice. I've
never heard that with people. The guy got caught on
camera and the police didn't do anything as in like
shoplifting in the middle of the night.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
There was a so.
Speaker 5 (07:34):
Not whilst the store was open. Like fully, I was.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
There, thank god, but the rat was there when I
was there, so I love that.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
I know.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Actually the worst part about the rat happening is like
this guy came in to help, and then he kept
showing up every day, so then I got a stalker
from the rat incident. It's just a lot. This area
is still get nervous around the anyway, So it was
and like, oh my god, and all of that compound
it into her really wanting to leave.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
I think I've got a really great valuation.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
I've said this before, like probably that she bought Chape
for twenty thousand dollars. The last the only valuation Chope
has had is forty thousand dollars.
Speaker 5 (08:13):
And now you're one hundred million dollar business. Isn't that wild.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
The thing that actually made things happen was that I
actually invested money into the online store. If I ask
you right now, how many red cars have you guys
seen today?
Speaker 2 (08:24):
I mean you both have.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
Read to drive them.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
You don't drive them, I know, But other red cars I'd.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
Be guessing I haven't noticed them.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
If I was to tell you, I'll give you a
hundred dollars tomorrow for each red car you see, how
many were you find?
Speaker 4 (08:37):
Oh, I'd find a million, Because I feel like ready, you.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Are tuning your mind to looking for the opportunities, looking
for the luck. You know, your mindset shifts and that's
when everything changes. So I really think it's about believing
like these opportunities, that you are making yourself open to
these opportunities, that luck doesn't just happen, that everything is
a stepping stone.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
I think luck comes down to timing.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
I actually saw a YouTube video of a Ted talk
where they're saying all the factors that attribute to the
success of Unicorn business, which is a billion dollar business.
There's five factors and it's the team, the business model,
the maybe funding I don't know, I don't know the
other factors, but the one that the biggest commonality of
the Unicorn businesses is timing. I do think that then
(09:25):
comes down to element the luck. Timing happens. When timing happens,
you have to make yourself open so that when that
time comes, you're there to receive it.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
You're ready to make choices. It's ready to invest.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Hey body bam.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
For those of your dreamers out there, ready to start
building your own online business, the Lazy Ceo Business Course
is for you. It's ten modules packed with visuals, live examples,
covering everything from sourcing product to marketing and scaling. You
can go at your own pace, re visit lessons whenever
you need, and actually see result. Have you even stuck
(10:01):
wondering where to start or what to do next? This
course gives you the step by step guide to finally
make it happen. And because you're part of the Potty fam,
grab twenty percent off with the Code Podcast twenty head
to the Lazyceo dot com and start building your business
your way.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Maybe this is mabing controversial then, but I don't really
believe in luck.
Speaker 5 (10:24):
I actually don't.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
I think you can, like, yes, I think you have
privilege and opportunity, but I don't believe that's luck. Like,
for instance, I'm in this role because I had the
opportunity to get a good education in order to go
blah blah blah.
Speaker 5 (10:38):
Blah blah, and is like pitch myself to you in
order to get this job. Right, that's opportunity and privilege.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
I think luck is this concept that people constantly backtrack
and rely on and blame for when good things don't
happen to them because they're not willing to put in
the effort to open up that opportunity. Yes, totally, that's
like timing plays into it. I do believe in that.
I do believe in you know, the universe if you will,
But I think you have to be willing to hustle.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
You know what, Actually we just finished you know we
do in terms in cohorts mainly come through like fashion
schools and like universities and stuff anyway, and you can
just see with different cohorts how much someone puts themselves
out there. Yeah, it makes us such a huge impact.
We've had people coming back to help with the Fifteenth
Party that were in terms like the people that got
(11:28):
caught back, they're not lucky. There are people that like
hustle they're the people that put themselves out there that
we're super friendly as a bunch. It's daunting to go
up to like people and be like, Hi.
Speaker 5 (11:37):
Can I you know, like just how can I help?
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Yeah, you know, I definitely think you're right with that.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
And that's why I think it's like, yeah, you know,
you've made it to fifteen years because yes, obviously timing
you got in before online shopping was really a thing,
but also you were willing to put yourself out there
on social media, make a bit of a fool of yourself,
like do pranks, do do things to create noise and
get attention.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Yeah, so like shark take, I think like, you know,
you can. I sometimes joke about like trivializing it to
the fact that oh my name got passed around some
producer's office and they happened to like me. But really
it's because I've been built working on my personal branding
for years and also being I was doing social media.
I was doing YouTube and like snapchat when it was
(12:22):
still considered cringey.
Speaker 6 (12:24):
And that was a training ground for where you see
yourself now, which is really exciting. And I do agree
with what Jemma said, that's not luck that's training for
when the opportunity came up.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Oh love it? Okay number two.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
So I wish the one told me this, and I
don't want this to be caveat it with like, please
don't go crazy with this one that you have to
spend money to make money and because basically the business
just like.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Sitting in this no man's land state.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
Because I think the problem is your business will always
have a sudden amount of fixed costs and your personal
time and your opportunity to cost not working is a
certain level fixed costs, and you have to get it
to a certain level to make it worthwhile. So even
yesterday we had Michael from stem Pallartes coming in right.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
Which you'll hear his epostit Sorry next later.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
It's a great episode.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
A little bit away we're talking about when do you
franchise and or when do you own the stores yourself
the studios, And he said, you know, you really got
to get to that two hundred franchise store mark. If
that's what you have in mind, that's when you actually
see like tremendous growth and profits and it makes it
really worthwhile. So I think when you think about having
a business, you need to get it to a sudden
(13:35):
level for it to be worth your time. And I
know that sounds obvious, but I think about how long
we were sitting there, just like five thousand dollars a month,
six thousand month. First of all, that just covers the
costs for the products and the store that we had
and our other fixed costs.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
That doesn't mean cover my salary.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
And it wasn't until and this is the whole lucky
bit of the lucky motion thing. We had everything ready
and we ages ago pitch to be in this like
it's called one hundred square. It's like a middle kiosk
area in Pitstrey War and they finally selected us to
be there. When we went in, it was like a
cash cow opportunity. And yes, that was great that we
(14:12):
had that money, but because then finally for the first
time I had money, We're making ten thousand a week
profiting around three thousand, which is so much when you're
like breaking even all of a sudden, making three thousand
dollars a week, that I felt like it was playing
money if you had some play money to actually invest
in the business, because we weren't able to do anything.
(14:33):
And see what actually shifted the needle, Like we were
putting like thirty dollars a day in meta, right, so
you can't really tell what's working what's not. And then
we couldn't even afford to do Google ads. This is
twenty eleven, so not everyone was doing Google Ads. Wasn't
that obvious? I'm not an idiot. And then so basically
it was only when we had this money to actually
invest in things, we started investing in more stocks. So
(14:55):
at one time we had more stock out there to
see what was winning and failing. And so then we
had more like best sellers were and more winners, and
then we invested more depth in those. And then I
did more e comm shoots, I did more campaign shotes,
more social stuff.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
Like, it was just the wheels.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
Just kind of started spinning, the snowballs started snowballing. You know,
to an extent, you need to start spending money to
make money, But obviously it's about testing, iterating. It was
just sometimes without spending a sudden amount when you're testing,
you're not going to get significant results to actually know
what to do next.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
Does that make sense?
Speaker 5 (15:33):
Yes, you have to be willing to take a resk,
take a risk.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Yeah, because actually just sitting there not making a salary.
It's already more risks than you know. It's already at
risk in itself. So the last one is what a
big impact finding like one of people had to my journey.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
So I think it took me like over a year.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Before I started going to a conference or going to
like networking events, and once I did, it was like,
it blew my mind.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Now this is not a plug for Bitchcon.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
That is actually why I do Bitchcon to give back
because I know what a big impact it made into
my journey.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
So I remember going to my first conference.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
I think it was an unconventioned with Jack Delsa on
the Entourage, who's been on the podcast before, and I
just went in. I sat in the back and I
was like, oh my god, I'm ley. I'm not going
to meet anyone. But then the few people I sat
around me, some of them i'm still friends with now,
some of them I'm known for like years. One of
them introduced me to someone that ended up being my
general manager that worked with me for seven years. Your
(16:31):
first real high really shapes of business. And I think
being there also, it's not just about like the people.
It's one that you met. You realized you're not going
crazy by yourself. You start thinking in a way that
you haven't before, Like this is such a long time ago.
I didn't think about hiring an agency to do our
like paid ads and stuff. It's actually dumb. There's not
(16:52):
like all those people on Instagram telling me like this
is how you do matter ads. Like it wasn't obvious
like I was being a game changer by post like
cat memes on our show pro Facebook. It was just
like it wasn't even about what I learnt at the conference,
to be honest, because I'm really quite I'm like undiagnosed ADHD.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
I can't pay attention for that long.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
But it was the people that I met, the conversation
that I had, and I just think the overall listening
to people made me feel super motivated. I realized something,
did I tell you this other day night?
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Did I realized? Guys? Something I guess?
Speaker 1 (17:25):
So when I get really excited, I don't finish my
sentence before I move on to the next sentence because
in my head it's already done that I've moved on.
So jem seeds to be like, finish your sentence Sometimes
if you actually go to something and you hear someone
talk and they're not actually that great. It makes you go,
I can do this. Someone else said this, and that's
why I resonated me with me so much. Jennifer Coolidge
said this in the Ted Talk. She was difless mom
(17:47):
and she's like, oh, you know, I was really not
getting jobs in acting, and then she went and saw
this really bad off Broadway play. She's like, man, they
can do it. I can do it. And so sometimes
going and if you go to something, if you hear
a great speaker, you're motivated by them and you might
have some takeaways, but honestly, I wouldn't even count on
the actual takeaways because you can learn so much from
(18:09):
Instagram and TikTok these days. It's about the feeling and
what the mindset shifts that these events, these things can
bring you. But it's also if someone else's terrible as speaking,
it makes you go, oh fuck, they can do it.
I can do it, which really helps.
Speaker 6 (18:24):
And it sounds like you created a real community at
those events as well. You met a lot of people
that thought the same way that you did, and you
obviously hired someone from the event that you met there y,
which is pretty incredible.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
And then so it's not just about going to the
paid conference.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
It's like joining like little networking hub, joining on online group.
There's like masterminds and that kind of stuff, just like
go and like, I know you're already busy, but I
just really think about what a difference that made for me.
And I think it's also led to kind of me
being at these things and I'm like, oh, maybe I
can speak at this thing, and I think it's kind
of the start of me building my personal brand.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (18:59):
I think a lot of business owners could relate to that,
because you do feel, you know, if you're starting a
business and you are the only one, you're really siloed.
You feel like you're on your own. So being at
something like that and meeting people that are feeling the
same way really incredible.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
So guys, hope that helps anyone else in that La
station business. Now, since its our fifteenth birthday, I think
I can ask for a little present from you guys
wherever you're listening Apple Spotify, make sure you're subscribed, because
I don't know how the details and mechanics of a
podcast works, but I know that helps, So help us out.
Give us a follow, give us a subscribe, Thank you
(19:33):
very much. Now, next week we have part two of
my interview with Eugene Healing for the Marketing One on
one how, and we talk about the death of the
millennial brand and what it means to market to gen
ZC says. So I actually learned so much from this chat,
so can't wait for you to hear it. So I'll
catch you guys next Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
Okay, that's it from me for now. Thanks for listening.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
If you're loving the podcast, don't forget to follow, and
I would love it if you.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Can do me favor and leave us a review.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
And if you or more joined the conversation on a
podcast Instagram at the Lazy CEO on the Score podcast,
all link.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
In the show notes.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Catch you next Tuesday.
Welcome to the Lazy Ceo Podcast. I'm Jane Lou. I
escaped the corporate grind in twenty four and started my
own business, Choupo, a global nine figures online fashion brand,
and now I want to share my learnings here with
you every Tuesday, so join my conversations with the entrepreneurs
behind the iconic brands we all know and love. In
between interview weeks, you'll find me talking about hot topics
(00:29):
that fascinates me in the world of business and personal development,
alternating with help my Small Business episodes where I deep
dive into a small business every month to help them
grow and why the Lazy ceo You ask, Well, give
a lazy person a problem, they'll find the simplest way
to solve it. Hey body, Van, this episode is a
(00:49):
fun one. I'm joining my my team a, Gena and
Monica to discuss the week that was and share the
three things I wish someone told me in my first
year of business. We discussed the concept of love and
the role of plays in the early days, why you
have to spend money to make money, and how you're
a product of the environment you're in. All right, let's
get into it, Hey buddy, fam, welcome back. So it's
(01:17):
just me this week with well me and my team
hiy Hi Gemo Raman for a solo pod. We needed
better name than solo pod.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
We are celebrating.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Show Pro turning fifteen this year, which is crazy because
you know, I feel kind of old.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
So we are going to use this.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
I thought it was a good time to talk about
some of those things that I wish someone told me
in my first year of business. Before we get into that,
let's just like stop for a minute and talk about
how amazing the show Pro birthday party was.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
If you haven't seen it, you're obviously.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Don't follow me your Instagram because I'm spanning the shit
out of it on my Instagram.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
So we had a Fitteen layer cake that was insane.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
It wasn't saying the socials are incredible, but the socials
don't even do it justice.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
I was like, holy shit.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
In case you're wondering, I'll tell the Potty Fam a
little truth just between us. Only Layer two and four
are real, but like it would be a waste otherwise,
you know, So it's real, right.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
The top one, I don't think the top one was
the little.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
One at the top one wasn't I thought you cut
through that. No, that was Oh my god, No, wonder
I didn't get a piece? Yeah, not enough?
Speaker 2 (02:27):
No, when I first saw it.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
And also I don't know if anyone's been to the press,
it's like the new Mayor Vale Events venue in the establishment. Yeah,
it's like when st used to be. We had the
first party there, so it's pretty cool. I like that
little flex.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
So we had the first private.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Event that will be besides their own launch event, but.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Like the first private event there.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
First time I've seen the venue, it was so beautiful,
and it just took me back to like when I
had my first actual show pro party, Like we had
a cool launch party. Well when at our first star party,
we were drinking on a plastic cups that had our
names on it because it's I was so stingy, like
you've got to reuse your cups. So we had our
names and the cups. We're drinking Passion pop and like
(03:08):
whatever cheap bottles you can find at the bolo and
we my mum made dumplings for the cannapas.
Speaker 5 (03:14):
That sounds pretty good to me.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Had so much fun, you know, we would have then
hit the down, but then that night we had like
trolley soft caviar and oh my god, so that was amazing.
Come I'm very far, and it was just I had
this like pinchy moment, you know, I just think back
to where we have come to be in that room,
to be all these people there celebrating on just like
(03:37):
where the business is now in general. I just remember
like sitting in that little Broadway store by the way.
It's like actually around the corner from our office right now.
If anyone wants to play along, it's two four seven Broadway.
If anyone goes, it's any Union, you'll see it. It's
now a store our sells Jesus and Merry statues anyway,
just fun fat.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
That was the first Shypo store, And I.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Remember sitting in that store and it's just like another
day empty. No one was coming in, just waiting for
the next person to com me, who will probably come
and be like can I buy? Can I get a discount?
I'm like, just give discounts anyway. And then I'm just
sitting there pressing refresh on the website back end, just
pressing refreshed, hoping for the sale to come in. And
just you know, I just thought if she could see
(04:18):
where we are now, that she would be.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
So so, so so shocked and so proud.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
So yeah, yeah, evy fifteen go, I know everyone is
probably well. Actually, by the time this airs, we're knee
deep in Black Friday madness.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
By the time this s will be just over.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
So happy end of Black Friday to all the business
owners out there, because now I can relax, like it
must be. It's mostly's so hectic for everyone. I hope
you'll all had a really great Black Friday sale. If
he didn't, don't worry. I honestly think Black Friday is
overrated because it's now just like a it's very discounted.
(04:52):
It's a race to the bottom, like for us, like
our best time of the year is going to be,
Like actually, when US is peaking, AU is peaking north
hand south pen peaking without discounting, you're selling your arrivals,
like that is the best time of the year for us.
When both summers are like kind of overlapping, or like
when both warm seasons overlap, that's our height. Ultimately, think
about your margins. So you're the first to though that
(05:15):
bitchcon is coming back. Yes, unless I've already accidentally said it.
Maybe Jen came and I said we were doing it.
But this is official, Like as soon as Black Friday
is over, we are planning this shit. We've already started
getting speakers. We're going to announce them verries toon. So
save the date now, Saturday, the seventh of March. Okay,
that's all I'm going to say for now, more infoers
to come. Let's get to the things that I wish
(05:36):
that someone told me in my first.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Year of business.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
As great as the fifteenth birthday celebrations were and how
you know, just pound the back of making it for
fifteen years, I really think sure most listeners are in
more of that.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Early stage of business.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
So I really want to use this opportunity to take
it back and talk about the things that I wish
someone taught me my first year of business, because I
really think that first year of business was like the
most formal of years and made such a big impact
and it can make them break a lot of businesses.
So let's go three things. Number one, I think that
sometimes in the first year, I think sometimes you're waiting
for luck to happen because you think you've like tried everything.
(06:15):
You look at other people and other successes, and especially
now I feel like in this TikTok era where it's
all about like fast changes and like big impact. Like
you think people just kind of like pee, some people
just get lucky, But I really think it's all about
putting yourself out there for the opportunities to happen. I
believe in something called luck in motion, and that you
(06:35):
have to put yourself in a position that when lucky
opportunities come, you're there to receive them. Some of the
worst things that happened to me were actually just stepping
stones that led to some of the best things that happen.
For example, like I'm not going to go on about
the failed business. The failed business is what led me
to my new business. Actually the business failing the global
financial crisis, which meant I couldn't get a job, and
(06:56):
then that's how I got into the business. But there's
other things like, for example, my ex business partner, the
one that I started Chope with, and she was amazing,
but just because Chope wasn't growing, that's why she wanted
to leave the business. How terrible is the business not growing?
Like when she left, we were making five thousand dollars
a month, that's so terrible. I think the thing that
sent over the edge was like this rat came into
(07:18):
our office, our store, scared the Jesus out of us,
and then we got robbed. It got robbed twice. I've
never heard that with people. The guy got caught on
camera and the police didn't do anything as in like
shoplifting in the middle of the night.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
There was a so.
Speaker 5 (07:34):
Not whilst the store was open. Like fully, I was.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
There, thank god, but the rat was there when I
was there, so I love that.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
I know.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Actually the worst part about the rat happening is like
this guy came in to help, and then he kept
showing up every day, so then I got a stalker
from the rat incident. It's just a lot. This area
is still get nervous around the anyway, So it was
and like, oh my god, and all of that compound
it into her really wanting to leave.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
I think I've got a really great valuation.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
I've said this before, like probably that she bought Chape
for twenty thousand dollars. The last the only valuation Chope
has had is forty thousand dollars.
Speaker 5 (08:13):
And now you're one hundred million dollar business. Isn't that wild.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
The thing that actually made things happen was that I
actually invested money into the online store. If I ask
you right now, how many red cars have you guys
seen today?
Speaker 2 (08:24):
I mean you both have.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
Read to drive them.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
You don't drive them, I know, But other red cars I'd.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
Be guessing I haven't noticed them.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
If I was to tell you, I'll give you a
hundred dollars tomorrow for each red car you see, how
many were you find?
Speaker 4 (08:37):
Oh, I'd find a million, Because I feel like ready, you.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Are tuning your mind to looking for the opportunities, looking
for the luck. You know, your mindset shifts and that's
when everything changes. So I really think it's about believing
like these opportunities, that you are making yourself open to
these opportunities, that luck doesn't just happen, that everything is
a stepping stone.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
I think luck comes down to timing.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
I actually saw a YouTube video of a Ted talk
where they're saying all the factors that attribute to the
success of Unicorn business, which is a billion dollar business.
There's five factors and it's the team, the business model,
the maybe funding I don't know, I don't know the
other factors, but the one that the biggest commonality of
the Unicorn businesses is timing. I do think that then
(09:25):
comes down to element the luck. Timing happens. When timing happens,
you have to make yourself open so that when that
time comes, you're there to receive it.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
You're ready to make choices. It's ready to invest.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Hey body bam.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
For those of your dreamers out there, ready to start
building your own online business, the Lazy Ceo Business Course
is for you. It's ten modules packed with visuals, live examples,
covering everything from sourcing product to marketing and scaling. You
can go at your own pace, re visit lessons whenever
you need, and actually see result. Have you even stuck
(10:01):
wondering where to start or what to do next? This
course gives you the step by step guide to finally
make it happen. And because you're part of the Potty fam,
grab twenty percent off with the Code Podcast twenty head
to the Lazyceo dot com and start building your business
your way.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Maybe this is mabing controversial then, but I don't really
believe in luck.
Speaker 5 (10:24):
I actually don't.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
I think you can, like, yes, I think you have
privilege and opportunity, but I don't believe that's luck. Like,
for instance, I'm in this role because I had the
opportunity to get a good education in order to go
blah blah blah.
Speaker 5 (10:38):
Blah blah, and is like pitch myself to you in
order to get this job. Right, that's opportunity and privilege.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
I think luck is this concept that people constantly backtrack
and rely on and blame for when good things don't
happen to them because they're not willing to put in
the effort to open up that opportunity. Yes, totally, that's
like timing plays into it. I do believe in that.
I do believe in you know, the universe if you will,
But I think you have to be willing to hustle.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
You know what, Actually we just finished you know we
do in terms in cohorts mainly come through like fashion
schools and like universities and stuff anyway, and you can
just see with different cohorts how much someone puts themselves
out there. Yeah, it makes us such a huge impact.
We've had people coming back to help with the Fifteenth
Party that were in terms like the people that got
(11:28):
caught back, they're not lucky. There are people that like
hustle they're the people that put themselves out there that
we're super friendly as a bunch. It's daunting to go
up to like people and be like, Hi.
Speaker 5 (11:37):
Can I you know, like just how can I help?
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Yeah, you know, I definitely think you're right with that.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
And that's why I think it's like, yeah, you know,
you've made it to fifteen years because yes, obviously timing
you got in before online shopping was really a thing,
but also you were willing to put yourself out there
on social media, make a bit of a fool of yourself,
like do pranks, do do things to create noise and
get attention.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Yeah, so like shark take, I think like, you know,
you can. I sometimes joke about like trivializing it to
the fact that oh my name got passed around some
producer's office and they happened to like me. But really
it's because I've been built working on my personal branding
for years and also being I was doing social media.
I was doing YouTube and like snapchat when it was
(12:22):
still considered cringey.
Speaker 6 (12:24):
And that was a training ground for where you see
yourself now, which is really exciting. And I do agree
with what Jemma said, that's not luck that's training for
when the opportunity came up.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Oh love it? Okay number two.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
So I wish the one told me this, and I
don't want this to be caveat it with like, please
don't go crazy with this one that you have to
spend money to make money and because basically the business
just like.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Sitting in this no man's land state.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
Because I think the problem is your business will always
have a sudden amount of fixed costs and your personal
time and your opportunity to cost not working is a
certain level fixed costs, and you have to get it
to a certain level to make it worthwhile. So even
yesterday we had Michael from stem Pallartes coming in right.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
Which you'll hear his epostit Sorry next later.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
It's a great episode.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
A little bit away we're talking about when do you
franchise and or when do you own the stores yourself
the studios, And he said, you know, you really got
to get to that two hundred franchise store mark. If
that's what you have in mind, that's when you actually
see like tremendous growth and profits and it makes it
really worthwhile. So I think when you think about having
a business, you need to get it to a sudden
(13:35):
level for it to be worth your time. And I
know that sounds obvious, but I think about how long
we were sitting there, just like five thousand dollars a month,
six thousand month. First of all, that just covers the
costs for the products and the store that we had
and our other fixed costs.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
That doesn't mean cover my salary.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
And it wasn't until and this is the whole lucky
bit of the lucky motion thing. We had everything ready
and we ages ago pitch to be in this like
it's called one hundred square. It's like a middle kiosk
area in Pitstrey War and they finally selected us to
be there. When we went in, it was like a
cash cow opportunity. And yes, that was great that we
(14:12):
had that money, but because then finally for the first
time I had money, We're making ten thousand a week
profiting around three thousand, which is so much when you're
like breaking even all of a sudden, making three thousand
dollars a week, that I felt like it was playing
money if you had some play money to actually invest
in the business, because we weren't able to do anything.
(14:33):
And see what actually shifted the needle, Like we were
putting like thirty dollars a day in meta, right, so
you can't really tell what's working what's not. And then
we couldn't even afford to do Google ads. This is
twenty eleven, so not everyone was doing Google Ads. Wasn't
that obvious? I'm not an idiot. And then so basically
it was only when we had this money to actually
invest in things, we started investing in more stocks. So
(14:55):
at one time we had more stock out there to
see what was winning and failing. And so then we
had more like best sellers were and more winners, and
then we invested more depth in those. And then I
did more e comm shoots, I did more campaign shotes,
more social stuff.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
Like, it was just the wheels.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
Just kind of started spinning, the snowballs started snowballing. You know,
to an extent, you need to start spending money to
make money, But obviously it's about testing, iterating. It was
just sometimes without spending a sudden amount when you're testing,
you're not going to get significant results to actually know
what to do next.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
Does that make sense?
Speaker 5 (15:33):
Yes, you have to be willing to take a resk,
take a risk.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Yeah, because actually just sitting there not making a salary.
It's already more risks than you know. It's already at
risk in itself. So the last one is what a
big impact finding like one of people had to my journey.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
So I think it took me like over a year.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Before I started going to a conference or going to
like networking events, and once I did, it was like,
it blew my mind.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Now this is not a plug for Bitchcon.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
That is actually why I do Bitchcon to give back
because I know what a big impact it made into
my journey.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
So I remember going to my first conference.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
I think it was an unconventioned with Jack Delsa on
the Entourage, who's been on the podcast before, and I
just went in. I sat in the back and I
was like, oh my god, I'm ley. I'm not going
to meet anyone. But then the few people I sat
around me, some of them i'm still friends with now,
some of them I'm known for like years. One of
them introduced me to someone that ended up being my
general manager that worked with me for seven years. Your
(16:31):
first real high really shapes of business. And I think
being there also, it's not just about like the people.
It's one that you met. You realized you're not going
crazy by yourself. You start thinking in a way that
you haven't before, Like this is such a long time ago.
I didn't think about hiring an agency to do our
like paid ads and stuff. It's actually dumb. There's not
(16:52):
like all those people on Instagram telling me like this
is how you do matter ads. Like it wasn't obvious
like I was being a game changer by post like
cat memes on our show pro Facebook. It was just
like it wasn't even about what I learnt at the conference,
to be honest, because I'm really quite I'm like undiagnosed ADHD.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
I can't pay attention for that long.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
But it was the people that I met, the conversation
that I had, and I just think the overall listening
to people made me feel super motivated. I realized something,
did I tell you this other day night?
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Did I realized? Guys? Something I guess?
Speaker 1 (17:25):
So when I get really excited, I don't finish my
sentence before I move on to the next sentence because
in my head it's already done that I've moved on.
So jem seeds to be like, finish your sentence Sometimes
if you actually go to something and you hear someone
talk and they're not actually that great. It makes you go,
I can do this. Someone else said this, and that's
why I resonated me with me so much. Jennifer Coolidge
said this in the Ted Talk. She was difless mom
(17:47):
and she's like, oh, you know, I was really not
getting jobs in acting, and then she went and saw
this really bad off Broadway play. She's like, man, they
can do it. I can do it. And so sometimes
going and if you go to something, if you hear
a great speaker, you're motivated by them and you might
have some takeaways, but honestly, I wouldn't even count on
the actual takeaways because you can learn so much from
(18:09):
Instagram and TikTok these days. It's about the feeling and
what the mindset shifts that these events, these things can
bring you. But it's also if someone else's terrible as speaking,
it makes you go, oh fuck, they can do it.
I can do it, which really helps.
Speaker 6 (18:24):
And it sounds like you created a real community at
those events as well. You met a lot of people
that thought the same way that you did, and you
obviously hired someone from the event that you met there y,
which is pretty incredible.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
And then so it's not just about going to the
paid conference.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
It's like joining like little networking hub, joining on online group.
There's like masterminds and that kind of stuff, just like
go and like, I know you're already busy, but I
just really think about what a difference that made for me.
And I think it's also led to kind of me
being at these things and I'm like, oh, maybe I
can speak at this thing, and I think it's kind
of the start of me building my personal brand.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (18:59):
I think a lot of business owners could relate to that,
because you do feel, you know, if you're starting a
business and you are the only one, you're really siloed.
You feel like you're on your own. So being at
something like that and meeting people that are feeling the
same way really incredible.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
So guys, hope that helps anyone else in that La
station business. Now, since its our fifteenth birthday, I think
I can ask for a little present from you guys
wherever you're listening Apple Spotify, make sure you're subscribed, because
I don't know how the details and mechanics of a
podcast works, but I know that helps, So help us out.
Give us a follow, give us a subscribe, Thank you
(19:33):
very much. Now, next week we have part two of
my interview with Eugene Healing for the Marketing One on
one how, and we talk about the death of the
millennial brand and what it means to market to gen
ZC says. So I actually learned so much from this chat,
so can't wait for you to hear it. So I'll
catch you guys next Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
Okay, that's it from me for now. Thanks for listening.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
If you're loving the podcast, don't forget to follow, and
I would love it if you.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Can do me favor and leave us a review.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
And if you or more joined the conversation on a
podcast Instagram at the Lazy CEO on the Score podcast,
all link.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
In the show notes.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Catch you next Tuesday.
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