In this inspiring episode of Your Career Journey, Emma chats with Susan Toft, Founder & CEO of The Laundry Lady, the world’s first online marketplace for mobile laundry services.

After being made redundant during the GFC, Susan took a bold leap. With no tech background and a young child at home, she built a business from scratch, turning a personal need into a multi-million-dollar enterprise, and landing a feature on Shark Tank Australia. 🦈

🎯 What’s Inside This Episode:

🔥 How Susan went from corporate marketing to tech entrepreneur

🔥 Starting small with a washing machine and big vision

🔥 Building an MVP (minimum viable product) instead of a perfect platform

🔥 Scaling to 300+ contractors across Australia and New Zealand

🔥 Pitching on national TV without prior investor experience

🔥 The power of personal branding as a female founder

This episode is perfect for marketers, creatives, entrepreneurs, and career changers looking for inspiration and insight.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:09 Susan's Early Career and Education

01:19 Transition to Marketing and Key Experiences

04:00 Working in Tourism and Government

10:27 The Birth of Laundry Lady

12:49 Starting the Business During a Crisis

20:06 Building the Business and Overcoming Challenges

23:48 Starting the Business During COVID

24:13 First Hire and Scaling Up

25:01 Importance of Marketing and Branding

26:07 Technology and System Integrations

29:27 Transitioning to Leadership

32:36 Personal Branding and Public Exposure

36:30 Shark Tank Experience

40:27 Lessons Learned and Future Plans

🤝 Connect with Susan Toft
✔️ Website: https://thelaundrylady.com.au
✔️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-toft-b855ab41/

Your host, Emma Graham, Career Coach and ex-recruiter, is here to help you with:

💡 Gain clarity on what’s important to you
💡 Confidently communicate your value
💡 Build a personal brand and a strong network
💡 Take a strategic approach to your next move
💡 Navigate the job market effectively
💡 Build career confidence with a repeatable success blueprint

🌐 Explore my coaching programs and free resources:
Website: https://www.egconsulting.au/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/emmajgraham
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmagrahamcareercoach/

🎁 Free Resources:
📄 CV Development Guide: https://www.egconsulting.au/cv-advice
📄 LinkedIn Profile Optimisation Guide: https://www.egconsulting.au/linkedin-profile-guide

📅 Book Your FREE Career Strategy Discovery Call:
https://calendly.com/emmagrahamconsulting/discovery-call