Tess Nguyen, a first-generation Australian from Vietnamese immigrants, transformed a modest $15,000 Gumtree purchase of a pajama business into Midnight Mischief, a multimillion-dollar fashion brand. Despite her background as a physiotherapist, she leveraged her parents' sewing trade influence and self-taught design skills to expand from four basic pajama designs to a comprehensive sleepwear line for women, men, kids, and bridal parties. Her success stems from strategic influencer marketing, continuous learning, and adaptability. Beyond business achievements, Tess's journey from healthcare professional to successful entrepreneur serves as an inspiration, particularly to those from immigrant backgrounds, demonstrating how determination and strategic thinking can transform modest beginnings into significant success.

In this captivating episode of Unemployable, the team hosts Scott McKeon, a co-founder of Espresso Displays—a company revolutionizing portable work technology. The episode dives into how Scott and his team of young Australian entrepreneurs identified a gap in the market for portable, high-quality secondary screens for professionals on the go. Starting from a simple need to extend their laptop screens, Scott shares how they brainstormed, prototyped, and took their idea all the way to Shenzhen, China, to learn the ins and outs of manufacturing electronics firsthand.

Listeners will get an inside look at the gritty reality of launching a product from scratch: living on air mattresses, navigating cultural divides in manufacturing, and figuring out product development on the fly. Scott also reveals how their Kickstarter campaign exploded, raising over AUD 430,000 and validating their idea. This episode is filled with inspiring moments, from overcoming the initial hurdles of tech development to securing a place in major retailers like JB Hi-Fi, proving that innovative, high-quality products can come from anywhere—even a startup in Australia.

It’s a story of risk-taking, resilience, and the power of a clear vision, perfect for anyone fascinated by entrepreneurship, hardware tech, and scaling a startup in today’s competitive landscape.

Follow Scott on: https://www.instagram.com/espressodisplays

"How I Built a $200k Gym in 14 Days with Zero Marketing Budget!" Kale shares how he leveraged local influencers, community feedback, and grassroots tactics to launch a gym in a small town, generating $200,000 in annual revenue in just two weeks.

"The Untold Story Behind a Multi-Million Dollar Rugby Brick Business"From a small-town gym to selling rugby kicking tees worldwide, Kale’s unexpected entrepreneurial journey led to a $2M business. Learn how he scaled a niche product into a global brand.

"Want to Grow a Business? Here’s Why ‘Just Start’ is the Best Advice"Kale reflects on his journey, explaining why taking imperfect action is the key to entrepreneurial success. “If I can grow a global business from Cromwell, New Zealand, so can you.

"NFTs, Roc Nation & Stan Lee’s Comics: Inside Our First NFT Marketing Campaign" Kale talks about working with Roc Nation and the Stan Lee estate on an NFT project, exploring the challenges and learnings from marketing digital collectibles.

"Why Sweat Equity Beats Cash: Building Businesses by Taking Equity"Kale explains his approach to startup partnerships, revealing how taking equity instead of cash has led to ownership stakes in multiple growing businesses like Rugby Bricks.

"From $200 to $202k in Revenue: My Simple Pre-Sale Strategy for Gym Success" Kale shares his blueprint for pre-selling gym memberships before even opening the doors, securing over 200 memberships and turning a risky idea into a profitable business.