With a successful business history like his, you pretty much afford yourself bragging rights for life. 

And yet, Adam Schwab is unbelievably humble when it comes to discussing his entrepreneurial journey, crediting compounding luck, an incredible team and a loyal customer base of 8-million people to his ongoing success. 

On this episode of The Pay Off, the Luxury Escapes Co-Founder and co-host of the podcast, ‘The Contrarians’, speaks candidly about his journey through business so far.

From a sneaky side hustle in Law School, to subleasing backpacker apartments and eventually, scaling to a luxury travel company, it’s clear Adam’s main passion lies in creating value and delivering on happiness, with a side of impressive profit to go with it.

With a successful business history like his, you pretty much afford yourself bragging rights for life.&nbsp;
And yet, Adam Schwab is unbelievably humble when it comes to discussing his entrepreneurial journey, crediting compounding luck, an incredible team and a loyal customer base of 8-million people to his ongoing success.&nbsp;
On this episode of The Pay Off, the Luxury Escapes Co-Founder and co-host of the podcast, &lsquo;The Contrarians&rsquo;, speaks candidly about his journey through business so far.
From a sneaky side hustle in Law School, to subleasing backpacker apartments and eventually, scaling to a luxury travel company, it&rsquo;s clear Adam&rsquo;s main passion lies in creating value and delivering on happiness, with a side of impressive profit to go with it.

Money is a constant contradiction. You’ve got to spend money to enjoy life but save every cent for the future. 

It’s why Australians are caught between impossible expectations and an economic system that feels stacked against them. So, how do you keep up the juggling act when the stakes just keep getting higher?

In The Pay Off Sylvia Jeffreys sits down with leading experts and entrepreneurs to uncover tips and tricks from some of the sharpest business minds in the game.

You can listen to The Pay Off wherever you get your podcasts, or you can watch every episode on 9Now, search 'The Pay Off 9Now Podcast'

Money is a constant contradiction. You&rsquo;ve got to spend money to enjoy life but save every cent for the future.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s why Australians are caught between impossible expectations and an economic system that feels stacked against them.&nbsp;So, how do you keep up the juggling act when the stakes just keep getting higher?
In The Pay Off Sylvia Jeffreys sits down with leading experts and entrepreneurs to uncover tips and tricks from some of the sharpest business minds in the game.
You can listen to The Pay Off wherever you get your podcasts, or you can watch every episode on 9Now, search 'The Pay Off 9Now Podcast'

Sylvia Jeffreys sits down with leading experts and entrepreneurs to uncover tips and tricks from some of the sharpest business minds in the game.

The Pay Off with Sylvia Jeffreys

Compounding On ‘Luck’ To Create Luxury with Adam Schwab

Emily Pyke spent 13 years in the Royal Australian Navy wearing uniforms and equipment that weren’t designed for women’s bodies. Underneath it all was a safety gap: everyday bras weren’t made for the dangerous environments women were working in.

Her response was to co-found UndaTech, developing fire-resistant protective undergarments for women in defence, emergency services and other high-risk industries. But building the business meant working around her Navy job, investing her own salary and eventually leaving a secure career — sometimes going without pay to keep her team paid

Now Westpac’s Female Founder of the Year, Emily joins Sylvia Jeffreys alongside Paul Fowler, Westpac’s Chief Executive of Business and Wealth, for a frank conversation about what it costs to back yourself, and what it takes to turn an idea into a viable business.

They discuss:
The leap from employee to founder: Building a business while still working, leaving a reliable salary and learning to pay yourself.
The funding challenge: Pitching a physical product during an AI investment boom, and the barriers women face when raising capital.
Surviving the wait for a big customer: Why a promising product and successful trials don’t automatically translate into contracts.
Making growth financially sustainable: How supply costs, cash flow and the right manufacturing partner can shape your business’s future.
Getting ready to seek funding: What lenders look for, why your business plan matters and where founders can find support.

Emily Pyke spent 13 years in the Royal Australian Navy wearing uniforms and equipment that weren&rsquo;t designed for women&rsquo;s bodies. Underneath it all was a safety gap: everyday bras weren&rsquo;t made for the dangerous environments women were working in. Her response was to co-found UndaTech, developing fire-resistant protective undergarments for women in defence, emergency services and other high-risk industries. But building the business meant working around her Navy job, investing her own salary and eventually leaving a secure career &mdash; sometimes going without pay to keep her team paid Now Westpac&rsquo;s Female Founder of the Year, Emily joins Sylvia Jeffreys alongside Paul Fowler, Westpac&rsquo;s Chief Executive of Business and Wealth, for a frank conversation about what it costs to back yourself, and what it takes to turn an idea into a viable business. They discuss:
<ul>
<li>The leap from employee to founder: Building a business while still working, leaving a reliable salary and learning to pay yourself.</li>
<li>The funding challenge: Pitching a physical product during an AI investment boom, and the barriers women face when raising capital.</li>
<li>Surviving the wait for a big customer: Why a promising product and successful trials don&rsquo;t automatically translate into contracts.</li>
<li>Making growth financially sustainable: How supply costs, cash flow and the right manufacturing partner can shape your business&rsquo;s future.</li>
<li>Getting ready to seek funding: What lenders look for, why your business plan matters and where founders can find support.</li>
</ul>

From The Navy To Startup Life: Betting On A Better Bra

Verity Tuck spent years building towards a business sale. When it finally happened, she was too burnt out to feel much at all.

The LVLY co-founder joins Sylvia Jeffreys to talk about the money, relationships and difficult decisions behind building a business — from nearly walking away before the pandemic to managing extraordinary growth.

Now building No More Sausages, Verity shares what she’s doing differently, and why school fundraising is ready for a rethink.

In this episode:
The salary-sharing arrangement that helped keep her partnership fair.
Why selling LVLY brought financial freedom, but an unexpectedly fleeting high.
What led her to put mental-load startup Goldee on pause.
How she’s changed the way she works to avoid burning out again.
Why understanding the numbers makes difficult business decisions easier.
How a school merchandise range raised $35,000 — and sparked her next business.

Verity Tuck spent years building towards a business sale. When it finally happened, she was too burnt out to feel much at all.
The LVLY co-founder joins Sylvia Jeffreys to talk about the money, relationships and difficult decisions behind building a business &mdash; from nearly walking away before the pandemic to managing extraordinary growth.
Now building No More Sausages, Verity shares what she&rsquo;s doing differently, and why school fundraising is ready for a rethink.
In this episode:
<ul>
<li>The salary-sharing arrangement that helped keep her partnership fair.</li>
<li>Why selling LVLY brought financial freedom, but an unexpectedly fleeting high.</li>
<li>What led her to put mental-load startup Goldee on pause.</li>
<li>How she&rsquo;s changed the way she works to avoid burning out again.</li>
<li>Why understanding the numbers makes difficult business decisions easier.</li>
<li>How a school merchandise range raised $35,000 &mdash; and sparked her next business.</li>
</ul>

LVLY Co-Founder Verity Tuck: What Success Really Costs

Could AI take something off your to-do list?

Data scientist, mum of four and AI Herway founder Nici Sweaney joins Sylvia Jeffreys to explain how she uses it to help run her business and household.

From meal planning and school notes to better prompts, Nici shares practical starting points, the privacy questions worth asking and why women need a say in AI’s future.

Could AI take something off your to-do list?
Data scientist, mum of four and AI Herway founder Nici Sweaney joins Sylvia Jeffreys to explain how she uses it to help run her business and household.
From meal planning and school notes to better prompts, Nici shares practical starting points, the privacy questions worth asking and why women need a say in AI&rsquo;s future.

Compounding On ‘Luck’ To Create Luxury with Adam Schwab

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