619: Airline Charged Me $65 - So I built a $250M Competitor | Adam Ewart - Total Greatness with Sam Barry | Interviewing World Class Guests in Health, Wealth & Spirituality Recap
Podcast: Total Greatness with Sam Barry | Interviewing World Class Guests in Health, Wealth & Spirituality
Published: 2026-01-01
Duration: 49 minutes
Guests: Adam Ewart
Summary
Adam Ewart transformed a frustrating £50 baggage fee into Send My Bag, a $250 million global logistics company operating in 145 countries. His journey emphasizes the power of automation, strategic PR, and customer-centric growth without relying on venture capital.
What Happened
Adam Ewart founded Send My Bag after a £50 excess baggage fee experience inspired him to create a more customer-friendly luggage shipping service. Starting with just £100 and no coding skills, he built a basic website and leveraged his previous shipping experience to bootstrap the company. Today, Send My Bag operates in 145 countries, moving over 250,000 bags annually with a team of 32, thanks to robust automation systems.
Ewart describes how a scrappy PR strategy helped Send My Bag land national TV coverage, which brought in the first wave of customers. His appearance on Dragon's Den in 2012, despite not accepting any offers, further boosted the company's profile and credibility. Ewart's emphasis on customer referrals has been a significant growth engine; 85% of their customers come through word-of-mouth recommendations.
Navigating challenges like Brexit, COVID-19, and international disruptions, Send My Bag has managed to remain profitable without layoffs. The pandemic initially spiked demand as people rushed to return home, but ongoing travel restrictions required strategic adaptations, such as absorbing some freight cost increases to maintain customer loyalty.
Ewart highlights the importance of persistence and learning from failures, drawing from his early entrepreneurial ventures in selling musical instruments online. Sponsorships of sports teams and events form part of the company's marketing strategy, helping to expand their global footprint.
The economics behind luggage shipping are complex, involving partnerships with major freight companies and managing customs processes to ensure shipments are cleared as personal goods. Ewart's goal is to scale Send My Bag to handle one million shipments annually, further optimizing their automation to achieve this without a significant staff increase.
Ewart's journey underscores the power of turning customer pain points into business opportunities, demonstrating how a lean, automated approach can sustain long-term profitability. His story is an inspiring example of how entrepreneurial resilience and innovative thinking can disrupt established industries.
Key Insights
- Send My Bag operates in 145 countries and moves over 250,000 bags annually with a team of 32, utilizing robust automation systems to maintain efficiency and growth.
- A scrappy PR strategy, including national TV coverage and an appearance on Dragon's Den, significantly boosted Send My Bag's customer base and credibility, even though no investment was accepted on the show.
- 85% of Send My Bag's customers are acquired through word-of-mouth referrals, highlighting the effectiveness of customer satisfaction in driving growth.
- The company has managed to remain profitable through challenges like Brexit and COVID-19 by strategically adapting to market changes, such as absorbing some freight cost increases to maintain customer loyalty.