When Sandy Li-Truong and Justin Truong started PUSHAS in 2017, they were sneakerheads solving a problem inside a subculture they knew intimately: buying rare sneakers required immense trust, but the market was plagued by counterfeits and friction. Having walked away from a predictable path in corporate law, Justin teamed up with Sandy to build an infrastructure where trust - not just footwear - was the actual product.

Years later, a spontaneous tweet during COVID sparked an unexpected half-million-dollar inventory fund, pushing them to test whether their playbook could stretch beyond kicks into streetwear, collectibles, and now, their highest-stakes turnaround yet: acquiring collapsed cult activewear label STAX.

In this episode, Sandy and Justin share what it takes to break the rules that made you successful, how to distinguish a reckless gamble from a cheap experiment, and how to decide whether you've outgrown your niche.

On today’s episode, you’ll learn:


How Sandy and Justin turned an obsessive hobby into an business built on trust. 


The story behind how they raised over $500K for inventory, and what it taught them about selling before you've built the machinery. 


How to know when "niching down" stops being your competitive moat and starts becoming a ceiling on your growth. 


Why they stepped in to buy collapsed activewear brand STAX, and how to value IP, community, and trust when rebuilding a company you didn't create.

THE END BITS

Support independent women's media.

Got a work life dilemma? Send us all the questions you definitely can't ask your boss - send us a voice note or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au. You can remain anon! 

HOST: Lisa Lie 

GUEST: Sandy Li & Justin Truong - founders of Pushas & new owners of STAX

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Courtney Ammenhauser

SENIOR CREATIVE PRODUCER: Thom Lion


ASSISTANT PRODUCER: Sasha Tannock

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

When Sandy Li-Truong and Justin Truong started PUSHAS in 2017, they were sneakerheads solving a problem inside a subculture they knew intimately: buying rare sneakers required immense trust, but the market was plagued by counterfeits and friction. Having walked away from a predictable path in corporate law, Justin teamed up with Sandy to build an infrastructure where trust - not just footwear - was the actual product.
Years later, a spontaneous tweet during COVID sparked an unexpected half-million-dollar inventory fund, pushing them to test whether their playbook could stretch beyond kicks into streetwear, collectibles, and now, their highest-stakes turnaround yet: acquiring collapsed cult activewear label STAX.
In this episode, Sandy and Justin share what it takes to break the rules that made you successful, how to distinguish a reckless gamble from a cheap experiment, and how to decide whether you've outgrown your niche.
On today&rsquo;s episode, you&rsquo;ll learn:
<ul data-path-to-node="2">
<li>
How Sandy and Justin turned an obsessive hobby into an business built on trust. 
</li>
<li>
The story behind how they raised over $500K for inventory, and what it taught them about selling before you've built the machinery. 
</li>
<li>
How to know when "niching down" stops being your competitive moat and starts becoming a ceiling on your growth. 
</li>
<li>
Why they stepped in to buy collapsed activewear brand STAX, and how to value IP, community, and trust when rebuilding a company you didn't create.
</li>
</ul>
THE END BITS
<a href="https://mamamia.com.au/subscribe/?utm_source=shownotes&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=quicky&amp;utm_content=mm-birthday&amp;code=TQBIRTHDAY">Support independent women's media</a>. Got a work life dilemma? Send us all the questions you definitely can't ask your boss -<a href="https://help.mamamia.com.au/en-US/send-a-podcast-voice-note-467960"> send us a voice note</a> or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au. You can remain anon!&nbsp;
HOST:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/lisa.lie_learna/?hl=en">Lisa Lie</a>&nbsp;
GUEST: Sandy Li &amp; Justin Truong - founders of <a href="https://pushas.com/">Pushas</a>&nbsp;&amp; new owners of <a href="https://stax.com.au/">STAX</a>
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Courtney Ammenhauser
SENIOR CREATIVE PRODUCER: Thom Lion 
ASSISTANT PRODUCER: Sasha Tannock
Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

BIZ is a podcast about work and how to make it work for you.

This season, we're promising new wisdom, fresh energy, and zero fluff. Co-hosts Em Vernem (ambitious but efficient) and Lisa Lie (founder of Learna) bring real talk, real hacks, and real experience. No vague inspo, no recycled advice—just smart, straight-up strategies that actually work. Because work is hard enough without having to figure it all out yourself.

Because work is hard enough without having to figure it all out yourself.

BIZ is a podcast about work and how to make it work for you.
This season, we're promising new wisdom, fresh energy, and zero fluff. Co-hosts Em Vernem (ambitious but efficient) and Lisa Lie (founder of Learna) bring real talk, real hacks, and real experience. No vague inspo, no recycled advice&mdash;just smart, straight-up strategies that actually work. Because work is hard enough without having to figure it all out yourself.
Because work is hard enough without having to figure it all out yourself.

Biz 

Why PUSHAS Bought STAX: Sandy Li & Justin Truong on Trust, Risk & Reinvention

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/3ea926be-9be7-482a-8ac3-a44f016e43d1/clips/82e64600-14c0-4188-b7ad-b4ef0023427a/transcript