ers. She is also the host of The Lazy CEO Podcast, where she interviews high-profile entrepreneurs about their business journeys, and a shark on the new season of Shark Tank Australia, which has just relaunched after going off the air in 2018. Lu didn’t intend to take on so many jobs at once, but the timing was too good to pass up. “I’d been wanting to do a podcast for a while, but we were so busy with work, and Covid was tough because we got overstocked, so we had to focus on the business,” she told Inside Retail. “But then we did a rebrand, and Showpo was doing well, so it felt like a good time for me to be selfish and do these other side hustles.” What really sealed the deal was the fact that her second child, born at the end of 2022, was a miraculously good sleeper. “She was 8 weeks old and wasn’t really doing anything yet, so I thought, ‘F— it. I have the capacity.’ ” It goes without saying that Lu can’t stand being bored, and she is a natural marketer, so when her role on Shark Tank Australia was confirmed shortly after she decided to start the podcast, she was more determined than ever to make it work. “It’s perfect timing. When the show runs, we can capture that audience,” she explained. Talking shop Since launching at the end of May, The Lazy CEO Podcast has reached No.25 on Spotify and No.30 on Apple Podcasts, including No.1 on the Business Chart. Guests so far have included: Kristina Karlsson, the founder of Kikki.K; Don Robertson and Matilda Murray, the couple behind cult-favourite activewear brand Stax; and Fred Schebesta, the creator of $650 million comparison site Finder, among others. New episodes drop every Tuesday. For Lu, having an excuse to probe into other entrepreneurs’ businesses, including those of long-time friends like Schebesta, has been one of the unexpected joys of hosting the podcast. “You might not think this is true, but in a normal conversation, I don’t want to dig too deep into someone’s business. I also feel a little bit awkward because I’m like, ‘Have you already told me this?’” she said. “Now I have the authority to ask the question.” After telling her own start-up story for years, interviewing other founders has made Lu reflect on her growth journey in new ways. “I’m not very strategic, I just do things,” she said. “It’s only when you look at it retrospectively that you realise, ‘Oh, that’s what I was doing.’” There is no one-size-fits-all approach to running a successful business. “What works for one business won’t work for another – because of the industry, the product, and even different points in time,” she said.  But the course is meant to cover the basics, so the next time someone DMs Lu asking for advice – a daily occurrence – she can give them a place to start.  Inspiring the next generation Already well-known in the small business and e-commerce communities, Lu is about to become even more of a public figure with the new season of entrepreneur showcase Shark Tank Australia airing this year. “The most exciting part was meeting the entrepreneurs and working with the other sharks,” Lu said about the filming. For someone who is never short of new business ideas, but has scant time in which to execute them, the show provides an opportunity to flex her entrepreneurial muscle. “I feel like that’s how I’m going to get my kicks – I don’t have to start all these other side hustles myself, I can just be involved in these businesses,” she said.  Inspiring the next generation of founders to chase their dreams is not a role that Lu takes lightly, but one that she is incredibly proud to do. “I didn’t grow up seeing people who look like me – Asian women – on TV. There are a few more now, which is exciting. I’m just really glad to be that for someone else,” she said. “I feel like if I had grown up [seeing] more people who look like me or whom I resonated with, it would have made me feel even more like I could do it. This story first appeared in the August 2023 issue of Inside Retail Australia Magazine.