The REAL Startup Story Behind The $30M Brand Revel Sauna
From Housing Commission to a $30M Wellness Brand: How AJ Williams Built Revel Sauna From Scratch.
Breaking free from housing commission and domestic violence, AJ Williams turned childhood trauma into a business superpower - launching Revel Sauna, a wellness brand now worth over $30 million.
What started with a pre-order eCommerce model turned into one of Australia's most disruptive health and recovery businesses.
In this raw, value-packed episode, we go behind the Instagram highlights to uncover the startup success story you haven’t heard.
Tune in to discover:
- ✅ How AJ used unique and advanced market research techniques to validate his ideas
- ✅ How brand positioning gave Revel a strategic edge over competitors
- ✅ AJ’s step-by-step blueprint for validating a product idea without inventory
- ✅ The mental toll of scaling and fighting the belief that you don’t deserve success
- ✅ How to build a founder-led brand that sells through authenticity, not hustle culture
- ✅ How pre-orders funded the entire operation before he even launched
This episode is a practical masterclass in startup validation, mental health and entrepreneurship, and building a team that scales with you - without sacrificing your family, sanity, or soul.
Key Points
- 00:01:00 Introduction and Background
- 00:02:20 Domestic Violence And Childhood
- 00:04:00 Business Partnership Origins
- 00:09:00 Sunglasses Business Exit
- 00:10:40 Innovation Cycle Research
- 00:12:00 Mental Health
- 00:14:40 Headphone Product Development
- 00:18:00 The Pivot to Saunas
- 00:27:00 Pre-order Model Strategy
- 00:30:00 Metrics and Calculations
- 00:32:00 Unique Content Strategy
- 00:35:00 Risk and Resilience
- 00:37:20 Success Psychology
- 00:42:00 Managing Self-Doubt
- 00:46:00 The Truth About Hustle Culture
- 00:50:00 Time Over Money
- 00:52:00 US Expansion Plans
- 00:58:40 Go-to-Market Strategy
Hit play to discover the blueprint behind Australia's fastest-growing wellness brand.
👉 Connect with AJ
👉 Connect with us
Adam Powell & Harvey Rivers are the founders of HARWELL.
HARWELL. are renowned for finding the top talent within the Construction, Accountancy & Finance & Labour Hire sectors. As well as eCommerce.
Their award-winning concierge approach is helping companies attract exceptional talent to their team.
👉 Want help finding exceptional talent for your business?
.jpg)
