The Lazy CEO Podcast with Jane Lu

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, Jeremy shares advice on how to hire smart, scale fast, and avoid the common traps founders fall into. They explore who your first hire should be and why getting it wrong can stall your growth, plus the difference between freelancers, outsourcing, and both offshore and onshore hires. Jeremy breaks down how to build a lean team that actually moves the needle, and where to find great talent - without blowing the budget.Want your business featured on the pod?Send us a 30 to 90 second video telling us about your brand and how we can help. You might just be our next spotlight. Email your video to hello@thelazyceo.com.Connect with us:Follow The Lazy CEO podcast on Instagram: @thelazyceo_podcastStay updated with Jane Lu: @thelazyceoFollow Jeremy Levitt on LinkedIn: jeremy-levitt-entrepreneur Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 first spa almost didn’t open after the council mistook it for a brothel. From there, she takes us through how she turned an unproven idea into a nationally recognised brand. They dive into what it really takes to scale through franchising, the importance of brand consistency, and why slowing down might actually be the most productive thing you can do - especially when leading a wellness business.   Connect with us: Follow The Lazy CEO podcast on Instagram: @thelazyceo_podcast Stay updated with Jane Lu: @thelazyceo Follow @endotaspaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 should brands be held accountable for selling dopamine disguised as collectables?   Plus, we break down the week that was, including Jane’s new Microsoft campaign and how it nailed authentic, reactive marketing. Watch it here   Connect with us: Follow The Lazy CEO podcast on Instagram: @thelazyceo_podcast Stay updated with Jane Lu: @thelazyceoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 family’s multi-million dollar produce business now supplying clients like Merivale.   We unpack the unique challenges of stepping into a legacy operation (and earning respect fast), the shift from retail to wholesale and catering, and why Julian sees the future of fruit and veg as a branding opportunity - not just a supply chain. From baby cherry truss tomatoes to export dreams and shutting down the eastern suburbs (literally), Julian proves there’s nothing “small” about the fruit and veg game.   Connect with us:  Follow The Lazy CEO podcast on Instagram: @thelazyceo_podcast  Stay updated with Jane Lu: @thelazyceo Check out Parisi Australia:  Website: parisisydney.com  Instagram: @parisiaustraliaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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?   Jane and Kelly break it all down - from why having just one product might be holding her back, to how pricing and bundling could shift the game. They dive into website tweaks, TikTok strategy, and why Lucy’s founder story is her biggest asset.   If you’ve got a small business and you’re overwhelmed by all the things - this episode is a roadmap for making smarter, more strategic decisions with your limited resources.   Want your business featured on the pod? Send us a 30 to 90 second video telling us about your brand and how we can help. You might just be our next spotlight. Email your video to hello@thelazyceo.com.   Connect with us: Follow The Lazy CEO podcast on Instagram: @thelazyceo_podcast Stay updated with Jane Lu: @thelazyceo Follow Kelly McCarren: @kelly_mccarren Check out Antico: @antico.homeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. With a personalised, subscription-based model and twice-weekly LED treatments, Katelin and Ella set out to shake up the beauty industry and they did exactly that.   In this episode, the best-friend co-founders share how they turned a podcast about skincare into a full-blown business, how they pitched to investors with zero clinical experience, and what it really took to scale from living above their first clinic to managing a team of 16. They open up about early hurdles, big wins, and the marketing stunts they’d rather forget.   It’s a chaotic, unfiltered look at building a brand in an industry that’s still catching up, and proof that you don’t need permission to do things differently.   Connect with us: Follow The Lazy CEO podcast on Instagram: @thelazyceo_podcast Stay updated with Katelin & Ella: @katelingregg @ella.james2 Check out Fayshell: @fayshell.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 get into what's been trending in the beauty world, including their take on the Rhode x e.l.f. deal and what it means for the future of celeb beauty brands.   Connect with us: Follow The Lazy CEO podcast on Instagram: @thelazyceo_podcast Stay updated with our host, Jane Lu: @thelazyceo Find Kelly here: @kelly_mccarrenSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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, Aria, and more.   Elliot shares how the business has evolved across generations - how his dad ditched law to work in pubs, how changing the menu overnight didn’t go as planned, and how Elliot stepped up as CEO at 30. Now juggling 1700 employees and three kids under three, Elliot opens up about what it really takes to lead a legacy - through expansion, reinvention, and staying emotionally objective in a deeply personal business.   This one’s got family drama, business grit, and a whole lot of pub wisdom.   Connect with us: Follow The Lazy CEO podcast on Instagram: @thelazyceo_podcast Stay updated with our host, Jane Lu: @thelazyceo Follow Elliot on Instagram: @elliotsolomon Follow Solotel on Instagram: @solotel_groupSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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:  Follow The Lazy CEO podcast on Instagram: @thelazyceo_podcast  Stay updated with our host, Jane Lu: @thelazyceoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 that doesn’t convert to relying on a product range that’s too niche to grow. Emma and Jane get honest about what makes a business actually investable, sharing tips on how to pitch for funding, what investors want to see, and why investing in your own business can sometimes be a smarter move than giving away equity too early.   They also reflect on their own experiences starting out, including the tough lessons, mindset shifts, and business pivots that made the biggest difference. If you're a founder who’s hit a plateau, this episode will give you the insight (and reality check) you didn’t know you needed.   Want your business featured on the pod? Send us a 30 to 90 second video telling us about your brand and how we can help. You might just be our next spotlight. Email your video to hello@thelazyceo.com.   Connect with us: Follow The Lazy CEO podcast on Instagram: @thelazyceo_podcast Stay updated with our host, Jane Lu: @thelazyceo Follow Emma Blomfield: @emmablomfieldSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.