Airline Charged Me $65 - So I built a $250M Competitor | Adam Ewart

Adam Ewart turned a £50 excess baggage fee into a global bootstrapped logistics company operating in 145 countries, generating over $250 million a year, and staying profitable for 15 straight years.

In this interview, Adam breaks down how he built Send My Bag, the international luggage shipping service moving more than 250,000 bags annually with only 32 staff, all through ruthless automation, scrappy PR, and a customer-first obsession that outperformed airlines and traditional freight companies.

What you’ll learn in this interview:
• How a £50 baggage fee inspired a $250M global logistics company
• The exact PR strategy that landed national TV coverage for free
• How Send My Bag scaled to 145 countries without VC funding
• Adam’s automation systems that enabled 250,000 shipments with 32 staff
• How he navigated Brexit, Covid, surcharges, and international disruptions
• Why customer referrals became their biggest growth engine
• How he negotiated airport media, TV placements, and global partnerships
• The economics behind luggage shipping and global freight networks
• How to survive catastrophic industry shifts without layoffs
• The mindset, execution, and resilience behind 15 years of profitable growth

By the end of this episode, you’ll understand how to build a lean, global service business, protect margins, automate at scale, and turn painful customer frustrations into a nine-figure opportunity.

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CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN
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CONNECT WITH ADAM EWART
Website → https://www.sendmybag.com

00:00 – How a £50 Airline Fee Sparked a $250M Global Shipping Company
02:04 – From Shipping Musical Instruments to Inventing a New Travel Category
05:13 – Launching Send My Bag With £100, No Code Skills & Scrappy PR
06:45 – The Local TV Appearance That Brought the First Hundreds of Customers
07:21 – Going Global: Why Adam Knew Send My Bag Could Work in the US & Australia
09:37 – Dragon’s Den, PR Stunts & Early Seed Funding to Kickstart Growth
12:51 – How Send My Bag Scaled Using PR Instead of Paid Ads
17:05 – Playing the Media Game: Negotiating TV, Airports & Global Placements
20:13 – Inside the Automation Engine Handling 250,000 Bags With 32 Staff
24:31 – How Send My Bag Operates in 145 Countries Without Owning Planes
27:05 – Brexit, Covid, Visa Bans & The Surges That Nearly Broke the Business
31:26 – Growing Every Year for 15 Years: Profitability Through Global Diversification
34:01 – Navigating COVID, E-commerce Supply Shocks & $180 Freight Surcharges
39:19 – Passing Costs to Customers, Protecting Margins & Maintaining Loyalty
41:02 – How Send My Bag Wins Against Airlines With Price, Service & Reliability
42:51 – When to Diversify vs. Double Down: Adam’s Entrepreneurial Framework
44:36 – Expanding Globally Through Sports Sponsorships, Airports & New Markets
46:00 – Adam’s Final Advice: Persistence, Pattern Recognition & Turning Pain Into Opportunity

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