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Scaling with Values and Vision - From Laundry Room to National Brand with Susan Toft - Ep 252
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Ever wondered if your side hustle could turn into an 8-figure national brand?
In this episode, Annelise sits down with Susan Toft, the powerhouse behind Laundry Lady - a business that started in her spare room and now spans over 300 teams across Australia and New Zealand.
From doing laundry herself as a new mum to pitching on Shark Tank, Susan shares the gritty truth about growing a purpose-led, flexible business that empowers others while juggling single motherhood, self-doubt, and scrappy start-up solutions.
This one’s a must-listen if you’re building a business on your terms and dreaming of scaling - without losing your freedom.
How Susan turned a $5K grant into a national business model
What actually prepared her for Shark Tank
Why building systems from the ground up was her secret weapon
What investors look for (and what they don’t say out loud)
The power of mission-driven marketing when you’re talking to two audiences
- How to grow without burning out—or giving up your values
Highlights:
01:15 – What is Laundry Lady? (And why everyone needs it after a family trip!)
04:00 – How Susan became the “OG Laundry Lady” after leaving corporate life
07:40 – Scaling from local to national with a bootstrap budget
10:50 – The reality of juggling growth, divorce, and full-time work
15:00 – Building a team and learning to lead (while letting go)
20:30 – The myth of “balance” and the truth about flexible business models
26:15 – Behind the scenes of Shark Tank – and what came after
33:00 – Raising capital, founder self-belief, and standing strong in your values
39:45 – Marketing to two audiences with the same story
- 44:00 – Why Susan still wakes up excited—and how she’s making flexibility contagious
Learn More About Laundry Lady:
Website: https://www.laundrylady.com.au
Instagram: @laundryladyaus
Want more …
Connect on Instagram: http://instagram.com/anneliseworn
Book a free Strategy Call: http://anneliseworn.com/consult
253 episodes
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