What happens when you sell your house to bet on a travel business idea, survive the world's longest COVID lockdown, and still come out building a multi-seven-figure empire? In this episode of From Underdog to Entrepreneur, Pat Miller sits down with Lisa Pagotto, founder of Crooked Compass, an immersive travel company specializing in off-the-beaten-path destinations and experiences for fragile and emerging communities. Lisa is also a keynote speaker on leadership under pressure and a two-time Entrepreneur of the Year winner who gained national attention after appearing on Shark Tank Australia.

Lisa walks through her surprising journey from corporate travel employee to founder, starting with a travel blog that built a loyal following before it ever became a business. She opens up about selling her house with her then-husband to fund Crooked Compass, her surreal 18-month journey to filming Shark Tank Australia, and how a 12-minute segment aired nearly two years later completely transformed her business overnight, even though she walked away with no deal and full ownership of her company.

• How a "no deal" on Shark Tank still led to massive exposure, mentorship, and business growth

• Why selling everything to bet on yourself isn't for everyone, but conviction and gut instinct matter.

• How Lisa rebuilt her business by launching private plane tours across Australia during the COVID lockdowns, after her original tourism business came to a complete halt.

• Why recognizing you're "stuck" is often the first step toward meaningful change

• The importance of taking small, actionable steps to build momentum instead of waiting for a perfect plan

• Why compartmentalizing personal hardship (divorce, financial stress, single parenthood) while staying professional is a skill entrepreneurs have to learn

• How intuition and gut feeling have shaped major turning points in her business

• Why paying it forward and helping other entrepreneurs is part of the culture Lisa values most

About Lisa Pagotto

Lisa Pagotto is the founder of Crooked Compass, an Australian travel company specializing in immersive tours to off-the-beaten-path destinations. She's also a keynote speaker on leadership under pressure and has built multiple seven-figure businesses. Lisa gained national attention on Shark Tank Australia, and though she walked away without a deal, the exposure sent her business into rapid growth. During Australia's COVID-19 lockdowns, she pivoted and launched a second business offering private plane tours. Since then, the business has expanded to bring American travelers to Australia for unique travel experiences. She has also been named Entrepreneur of the Year twice.

Connect with Lisa Pagotto.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lisa-pagotto?originalSubdomain=au

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisapagotto

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