The Lazy CEO Podcast with Jane Lu

Leadership isn’t about doing it all yourself - it’s about building high-performing teams, protecting your vision, and knowing when to evolve. In this episode, Jane sits down with her close friend Jude, a keynote speaker and masterful moderator who knows how to shake up workplace culture and spark action through storytelling. Who better to put Jane in the hot seat than one of her closes...

Would you believe you can scale a business without social content, influencers, or followers? Jeremy Levitt founder of Brunt Work ,  Baden Bower , and  ServiceSeeking has done exactly that.   From being fired from a top lawfirm to building multiple businesses, Jeremy has scaled companies without social media- leaning on Google Ads, SEO, PR, and AI to grow smarter and faster.  ...

Struggling with pricing and value perception? You’re not alone.   This episode of The Lazy CEO dives into the sales and marketing challenges faced by early-stage founders – through the lens of Lauren’s business, Colour Capsule , a colour analysis service helping women feel confident in what they wear.   Jane and Jack Delosa (founder of The Entourage , AFR Young Rich Lis...

Stanley Henry didn’t build  The Attention Seeker  with big budgets - he built it from coffee catch-ups, LinkedIn posts, and relentless consistency. Today, his agency has over a million followers, including 800k on TikTok, creating content people actually want to watch. You’ve probably seen him as the grumpy boss on TikTok, constantly provoked by his Gen Z sidekick Jony. Behind the skits...

Jane teams up with STAX founders Don Robertson and Matilda Murray to break down the 8 fundamentals of building a brand that lasts. Drawing on a decade of growing STAX from $80,000 in debt to an 8-figure activewear empire, Don and Matilda share the wins, mistakes, and turning points that shaped their business. From making inclusive sizing a non-negotiable from day one, to turning hype drops into a...

How do you disrupt a heritage industry with no retail experience, no paid ads, and zero brand awareness? Just ask Annabelle and Thomas Burns. These siblings are the founders of Femmé Organic, a brand that went from selling just seven products on launch day (mostly to family) to being stocked in every Priceline across Australia. With no retail background and no marketing budget, they relied on Link...

Struggling with your first hire? You’re not alone. This episode of  The Lazy CEO  dives into the hiring challenges faced by early-stage founders - through the lens of Sarah’s business,  Pinc Wellness . Jane is joined by entrepreneur Jeremy Levitt, founder of  Brunt Work ,  Baden Bower , and  ServiceSeeking . With a proven track record of building global businesses, Je...

In this episode of  The Lazy CEO , Jane chats with Melanie Gleeson, founder of Endota Spa, Australia’s largest spa service provider. With over 110 locations, a skincare line, a training school, and more than 850,000 treatments performed each year, Endota Spa is a masterclass in building a franchise empire.   But it didn’t come without challenges. Melanie shares how her very f...

This week, we’re diving into Labubu - the chaotic little toy that's outselling PlayStations, hanging off celebrity bags, and fuelling billion-dollar hype.   We unpack how a forest creature toy became a global status symbol - thanks to blind boxes, limited drops, and a business model built on FOMO.   Is this one of the smartest marketing strategies we’ve seen… or s...

What do you do after seven years in high finance? If you're Julian Parisi, you trade the suits for fresh produce and step into a 70-year-old family business - only to rebuild it from the ground up.   In this episode of  The Lazy CEO , Julian shares how one elevator pitch landed him a job at Goldman Sachs as a uni student… and how another brought him back to Parisi Australia - his...

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 ran...

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: ma...

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 sma...

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 - beh...

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 o...

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) m...

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? &...

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,...

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...

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  wit...

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,...

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 supp...

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 fin...

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&rsqu...

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...