Produced By - From Spare Room to 8-Figure Exit: The Journey That Changed Everything | 133: Luke Tobin

Episode Date: January 5, 2026

Luke is a founder, investor, and multi-exit entrepreneur behind Unusual Group and Tobin Capital. After scaling a marketing agency to an eight-figure exit, he now helps creative service businesses grow and exit on their own terms. With three successful exits and several hard-learned lessons along the way, Luke is known for his transparent take on what it really takes to scale, including the parts most people don’t talk about. He is currently writing his first book with major publisher Pan Macmillan, set for release in 2026.In this episode, Luke shares what it’s really like to write a book while building two companies and growing a brand followed by more than 800,000 people. You’ll hear candid reflections on burnout, balance, and staying grounded, plus how he makes space for family, fitness, and rest without losing momentum. A conversation full of honesty, insight, and behind-the-scenes wisdom.Connect with Luke:https://www.linkedin.com/in/luketobin/https://www.luketobin.com/newsletterhttps://www.luketobin.com/https://www.instagram.com/lukettobin/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWceX14aUBA9huJ9TV50FqQhttps://x.com/lukettobin/Timestamps:00:00 – Cold open: burnout, ego, and why Luke started posting01:02 – Intro and welcome01:26 – Meet Luke Tobin: 3 exits, 2 companies, 1 book deal02:14 – How his book deal happened (and what it’s about)03:30 – Writing a book without AI (almost)04:35 – His creative process: gym, dog walks & voice notes05:19 – 85,000 words, 14 chapters, one big deadline06:00 – What audiobooks shaped Luke’s thinking07:10 – His personal AI co-pilot (and how it’s better than ChatGPT)08:47 – Why Luke’s AI is different from generic models10:00 – Why he started creating content in the first place11:36 – From 20k to 800k: 18 months of daily posting12:26 – Monetisation and impact: more than just reach13:16 – Building trust: share what actually worked14:15 – Why being real matters (and why most aren’t)15:28 – Talking burnout and failed exits openly16:09 – Luke’s #1 secret to staying consistent17:01 – Hiring: the key to avoiding burnout18:25 – Why letting go is the hardest part for founders19:29 – The family piece: not always getting it right20:13 – Remember you’re human: how he finds balance21:05 – Meet Harper: the real star of Luke’s LinkedIn21:16 – Off-screen hobbies: hikes, gym, nature22:06 – Living in Portugal, dreaming of South America23:06 – Can he really unplug while travelling?24:24 – Inside “The Success Method” newsletter25:11 – Not everyone should be a creator (and that’s ok)26:01 – How writing the newsletter helped prep for the book27:00 – New project: Why Luke launched Unusual Group28:33 – Why most agencies never sell (and how he’s changing that)29:34 – Healthy soda startup: drinkmirth.com30:06 – What still drives Luke today?31:20 – He wanted to be an actor?!32:21 – Who inspires him (and what he learned from Branson)33:15 – Favourite movie? Think classics.33:43 – Final thoughts + how to reach Luke Connect with Tomas:X: https://x.com/TomasLoucky⁠⁠⁠Stan: https://stan.store/TommenLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomasloucky/⁠⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisistommen/⁠⁠Unproduced:Newsletter: https://unproduced.substack.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unproducednotesSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033Ddo8ibDlLYoaP7FFLIWMore:Links: https://linktr.ee/produced_by⁠⁠⁠Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://producednewsletter.substack.com/⁠The Podcast Club: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/25420030/Tools & gear that support the show:Metricool: https://f.mtr.cool/HRJBZKRiverside: https://riverside.sjv.io/vDnDodFavikon: https://www.favikon.com?fpr=tommenRa Optics: https://ra-optics.myshopify.com/discount/TOMMEN?rfsn=8803777.591d19JamX: https://jamx.ai/podcasters-offer?ref_id=e02d48af-ef66-4e76-b804-c2e8d282a8bfSome links are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. If you find them useful, using these links helps keep the podcast running. Thank you!  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There's a lot of people out there that use it, I think, as a way of building ego. For me, back of my last exit in 2022, I had two periods of really bad burnout in that process and I had a pretty successful large eight-figure exit. And somebody said to me, look, you should be sharing some of these stories because it's not all glamorous. You don't talk about it from a rose-tinted lens. You're actually very honest with people about the kind of trade-off from the pain to become successful.

And I thought, well, you know what, why not? We'll start sharing a few posts. So initially, I was doing a few posts here and there and they would do okay. and I'd get feedback and I started to notice that off the back of that there was more alignment with my audience, but also more opportunities for me to open up commercial opportunities as well. And I thought that was really interesting. So I think the other thing that's become really apparent to me over the last few years is that business brands are much harder to build than ever. You know, demand gen is tough with AI the way it is and

the way people are searching and interacting now. Having a brand and an authentic brand is really important for whatever you. So I kind of learned into it and started posting every day and then Before we dive into today's episode, please hit that subscribe button. Your support helps us grow and inspire more people on their journeys. Thank you. Hello, look. Thank you for joining us today and welcome to the show. Hi, Thomas. Thanks for having me. So look, I know that you've got a big brand. You achieved a lot. You've got multiple ventures. But in case there is still someone who doesn't know you, Can you please introduce yourself? Of course.

So Luke Tobin, I'm a serial founder. I've had three exits. And I now run two businesses. One's an investment firm called Tobin Capital. And the other is a private equity and ancillary service business called Unusual Group. And you also haven't mentioned that you started writing a book, right? If that's not a secret. Yeah, I have.

I signed the agreement the other day with Pam McMillan literally three days ago. So it's all very new. I'm very excited. It won't be out until sometime early 2027. So it's all a little bit hush at the moment with what the topic is. But yeah, I'll release more on that soon. And I understand that you cannot talk about it as much. But is it something that you've been planning to do?

You've been dreaming about or did they approach you? Or how did that happen? Yeah, they approached me actually. It's kind of an interesting catalyst of this creator world that I found myself in. now, you know, I've kind of stumbled into becoming a creator. I was very much an entrepreneur and a business person first and then became a creator, whereas a lot of creators you meet are creators first and later become business people, which is quite fascinating really.

So, yeah, from my perspective, you know, I think building a good audience is open up, loss of opportunities. And one of those is the book. So the publisher reached out and asked whether I had a book in me. And I said, well, actually, I've got two or three ideas. And they said, well, let's start with one and stress tested it. And yeah, we'll see how it goes. I guess it's early question, but does it mean that we may get even more later on?

Yes. Yeah, no, definitely. I think, look, you know, a lot of the topic of the book and the focus will be on how to leverage your own doubt, your own journey, your own kind of, yeah, your own story to your benefit and really leverage the success metrics and the success methods that can get you there along the way. So, yeah, there's a lot more that will come out later. And how do you then find it the process of writing? Because I know that you've got experience from writing your newsletter, for example, but I can imagine that writing a book, it must be completely different story. It's completely different.

And writer's block is actually a thing. I try my best not to go anywhere near AI. So the only thing I used AI for was to help me with the table of contents at the start. I had lots of ideas around structure of what I wanted to say. and then I asked it to kind of help me layer it into chapters. Since then, I haven't opened AI deliberately. I think these days we're so used to using and working with a blend of AI and technology that actually you sit there for the first half an hour, it's quite hard.

But actually, I'm really enjoying it, like disconnecting. And I'm using a pen and paper and just writing. And, you know, it's actually really, really nice. Feels a bit old school, doesn't it? It does. It does. I like it. And the bits that I don't scribble out or rip out or get frustrated.

with, I then type up later and, yeah, it's a nice process, really nice process. And what's actually the process of writing like? Is it, for example, you've got set hours in the morning during the day, Saturdays, because as you said, you are not creative, just, you know, when you say be creative, it just doesn't happen like that. So what is it like for you? Yeah, it's kind of all weird and wonderful times. Whenever I get, you know, an inspiration or an idea, could be late at night, could be in the

morning, could be on a dog walk, could be in the shower, could be in the gym, any of those things. And then I just start writing or voice note myself and then later pick it up. So look, it's an iterative process and I certainly probably am not nailing it. I'm sure there's probably good all that could help. But I think, you know, going for a bit of pain on the first one is what you're supposed to do. So I have to deliver the whole manuscript by the end of April to the publisher. So get some work to do between now and then. And if you can share a bit of behind the scenes information,

when you say the whole manuscript, roughly what's the number of words or pages that we're talking about? It's going to be about 85,000 words. Do you know how many pages roughly it will be in the final book? But it's 14 chapters. I don't know about final pages. I assume it's like a kind of similar books around 300 pages or something. Yeah, around that level.

Yeah. That sounds exciting. Can we expect audio version as well? Audio version, translated version. versions into different languages. Working with a publisher is great because, you know, they guarantee, you know, airport coverage, bookstore coverage, as well as multiple translations. So, yeah, no, it's exciting. I mean, look, it's all very new to me, literally three days. Yeah, yeah, but I'm very excited. And then, because I'm pretty sure that you've read many books before and throughout your

career. So what were some of the books that have been infectful on your journey to you? Wow. So many. I mean, actually, I've got a, interestingly, I've got to talk on this. in a couple of days time. I listen to a lot of audiobooks these days. So actually sitting and digesting content and seems to be my favourite way. I can be on the move, can be in the gym or whatever. And there's been a few. I've been going quite deep on investing lately. So the psychology of money stands out. It's a really interesting book about understanding, you know, how and why we have certain biases and we make certain impulse decisions when it comes to investing. But if I look back over the last couple of years, anything from atomic habits to psychosybermatrics, like I probably digest,

I don't know, two books, three books a month, something like that. So yeah, quite a lot. Yeah, it sounds like great picks for sure. And I like what you mentioned before that, you know, you've got kind of temptation to use AI because it's part of our lives. I would recommend one thing to the audience is to actually have a look at Luke's website because although we haven't spoken with Luke yet, I think there's one pretty cool feature that makes you feel like that we've spoken already. Do you know Luke what I'm talking about? I do. So I used to an LLM for Luke Tobin AI. And it's actually, you know, it took resource-wise, like archive-wise and articles-wise,

nearly 300 videos, all of my e-books, all of my newsletters, a lot of like written and verbal and video content to train the model. But I actually think, you know, scarily, you know, I work with quite a few clients and they use Lutobin AI as part of that cadence when I'm not around. And sometimes the answer is better. You know, then I've done with it. So, you know, it works well. The feedback's been excellent.

And, you know, I've even kind of teased myself a few times when I thought of a thing. I thought, well, actually, I'll ask the AI, see if it thinks similar. It's never two part off. In fact, quite often more concise than I would be. So, yeah, I think it's good. I think it's a really smart idea. Was it your idea to develop something like this? So Bot Dojo, the developers, approached me actually from a creative point of view and we got talking.

I love what they were doing there, like a boutique LLM factory. And I said, look, why don't we partner up and build something that's a bit different? You know, most creators copycat each other, but most don't have the ability to create an AI. So let's do it. Let's be one of the first to produce an AI, which was cool. And, you know, finally something I've done ahead of some of the big creators, which I enjoy. That is true. And I'm sure that I think you kind of answer it.

But in case people are still wondering, why should I use Luke AI instead of other elements like, you know, CheGPT and other? So in case someone still has these questions, what would you answer to them? Yeah, so, you know, it's the tailored approach. So my background having built and solved multiple businesses is the focus that we've got for Lutobin AI is very much that co-founder piece. I've interviewed hundreds of founders and everybody has these kind of periods of burnout, these periods of hitting glass ceilings, not really knowing how to smash through them. And having kind of crawled my way through those multiple times, with lots of different teams,

going in and having a dedicated co-pilot AI that is coming at it from that lens and that viewpoint, not distracted with too gemulous information, I think is really powerful. And certainly the feedback that we've had, you know, so far we've had almost 4,000 users. And the feedback has been, you know, phenomenal. You know, the star ratings are nearly five star,

and we're getting some fantastic reviews. So yeah, it's certainly worth playing with and it's completely free to use. So why not test it? Yeah. Good test would be to test it against GCC to what you get. Yeah. I was going to say that too, that it's for free. It's 24-7.

So in case anyone has any doubts, firstly, have a look at the website because you've got questions and answers. So it gives you the answer. But at the same time, give it a try because it's for free. So why not, right? Exactly. Yeah. Yeah, nothing mentioned, nothing gained. That is true.

And I like what you said, Luke, before. when we discussed kind of content creation and entrepreneurship, that you are someone who's successful entrepreneur, and then you became a content curator, and you've amassed large audience. But in the first place, why did you actually decide to become a content creator? It's a good question,

and when I ask myself, I'm the daily, actually. It's a world of creator space. You know, there's a lot of bavado, there's a lot of people out there that use it, I think, as a way of building ego. For me, back of my last exit in 2022, I genuinely, I had two periods of really bad burnout in that process. And I had a pretty successful large eight figure exit. And somebody said to me, look, you should be sharing some of these stories because it's not all glamorous.

You're not, you know, you don't talk about it from a rose tinted lens. You're actually very honest with people about the kind of tradeoff and the pain to become successful. And I thought, well, you know what, why not? We'll start sharing a few posts. So initially I was doing a few posts here and there and they would do okay. And I'd get feedback. And I started to notice that off the back of that, there was more alignment with my audience,

but also more opportunities for me to open up commercial opportunities as well. And I thought that was really interesting. So I think the other thing that's become really apparent to me over the last few years is that business brands are much harder to build than ever. You know, demand gen is tough with AI the way it is and the way people are searching and interacting now. Having a brand and an authentic brand is really important for whatever you do. So I kind of lent into it and started posting every day and then started with LinkedIn

and that's growing fairly successfully. Then lean at Instagram and that grew faster, which is great. And then they touched on all of the others. So yeah, I mean, it's crazy. I'm 18 months into posting every day on these channels. And I think 18 months ago I had collectively like 20,000 followers. And I think today we have nearly 800,000. So it's crazy if you think about such a number. I believe on LinkedIn it's 150. You've got a lot on

Instagram as well and impressive on the newsletter too. Yeah. Yeah. X, YouTube. All of them. We're, we're growing gradually and it starts to produce, which I didn't expect. It's like a nice catalyst of it. It starts to produce revenue as well, you know, sponsorships or utilities. Yeah. And I think also very beautiful thing that happens is the positive impact. you've got. Yes, well that's the main thing, right? So, you know, the newsletter, the success method, I try to really share frameworks and things that have worked for me, like actionable insights. I think a lot of the creators or the information you get out there are just very one-sided. It's like, well, here's the solution. But without any of the background or any of the framework or any

of the knowledge on how do you actually take that and do something with it, I try to be very practical in what I've put out. I think what's important to mention is, for example, these days anyone can find information in, I don't know, with AI, Google or anything, but you are actually someone who's got a rich track record and career and everything. So it's actually speaking of experience and not just putting information from chat GPT or something. Exactly, exactly. That's the thing. I think I always say to people, you know, do your research on creators and business people

to make sure they actually can back up what they're a lot of people. A lot of people sit doom scrolling on social media. And I feel like very responsible for this. You know, if people who are consuming my content, I want them to actually know that it's backed up by someone that's actually been there and done it. You know, but a lot of people get jealous. They worry about comparing themselves to others. But a lot of those people that are comparing themselves who have just built a following,

they actually have got no substance behind it. And that's, you know, something people need to be careful about. Yeah, I agree. And I think also a great point that you mentioned is not talking only about highs. and successes, but you openly talk about failures, failed exits, you mentioned burnout before. So are actually someone who's always been open about this? Because obviously it's not easy to share this type of thing. So what is it like for you?

I think, look, at the end of the day, I never want to be anything but authentic. So I think sharing those things is important. And also, if I can just help one or two or however many people avoid some of those experiences that I went through by sharing content, I think it's great. And if I can support and help more than that, then that's amazing. So, yeah, I've always been very open and transparent about it. You know, in my book, I'm going to be extremely open and transparent about all of those areas and burnout, you know, the self-doubt, the questioning myself.

You know, I think people go through different forms of doubt at different stages in their lives and they go through different forms of imposter syndrome and all of those things. And I think it's a really important narrative to understand that actually that's okay. it's what you do with it and how you learn from it and how you leverage it that matters. I'm very happy that you share it because, for example, when you open social media, whether it's LinkedIn or other channels, you can see people, you know, posting about clients, how much money they made, deals they closed. But when there is actually someone who also speaks about failures, imposter syndrome, burnout,

things like all of us at some point experience, it just stands out and it's more authentic. so I'm glad that there is someone even bigger and successful like you that talks about it. Yeah, it's important to just, I think just be honest, right? Nothing in life that's worth having is ever easy. And anybody that tries to make you feel like things are easy, have either got really lucky or they're lying. Yeah, that is true. Are you struggling to stay consistent on LinkedIn?

Fan post helps you create high quality posts in minutes so you can write faster, show up more, and stress way less. Built by creators for creators is the easiest way to grow your presents without burning out. Try it free at fanpost.com. And we discussed a lot already,

so I'm sure that people must be asking, how do you manage to do so many things and on such a high level, which is actually something I'm curious about too, whether it's your businessists, social media. Now you are writing the book, so what is your secret? The secret is great people.

So hiring for really good people around me to help me. You know, I've tried before to stack too much on my shoulders and that never ends well. That's when I've had those burnout periods and just not enjoyed myself, not enjoyed the journey. And I think I'd rather take a little bit less money or a slower pace these days, slightly slower than maybe I would off historically,

to do things in a sustainable way. So great people is the answer. So, you know, I hire people that are better than me at some of these things and get them to support me. That's the key. I think it's important to be real and realize that we are not the best at everything. And there are actually people who are better in certain things we are. And it might be beneficial to work with them. 100%.

Look, I'm sure there's people that are better than me at most things. It's just about being able to leverage and work with them and hopefully be the glue that supports them and brings the best out in those individuals. well. But I'm sure that when you do things kind of on your own, that first step, actually, to hire someone and delegate things, it might be hard at first. So what does it like for you? And in case there are people who are either at this stage or are going to be at such a stage, what would you advise them or recommend to them? It is hard. And I think, you know, as a founder, one of your biggest bits of responsibility is to hire the right people.

Those first early people, become your tribe. They're like the people that believe what you believe. And I always think the founder almost sits at the center of a whirlwind. And you start creating this energy. And along the way, you pull in other people that create a wider cyclone.

You continue that, continue that. At some stage, you need those people to break off and continue to build. So it's not just all on you. So yeah, make sure you really take the time to find those individuals.

incentivize them in a way that gives them a sense of ownership as well. I always think that's really important. So, you know, key personnel, you know, if that shares, is it, you know, profit share, is it, you know, what is it? But really think about, like, how do you align interests with them so that they have skin in the game. And, you know, I tend to find that people want to overexceed. Yeah, and build trust with them and actually trust those people because it takes time

to build, but it's worth it. It does. It. One of the hardest things is the founder is to let go. And I think the sooner you can do it actually, the better for your own sanity, but also for the individuals, right? You know, most people get, will want to feel a sense of accomplishment. They want to feel a sense of ownership. So give them, give them room to breathe.

I agree. And I think another important part is your family life look, because as I read about yourself, is that on top of everything, it's also important to actually enjoy yourself and time with the family. So as we discuss now with delegation and everything, How do you make sure to actually protect time with your closest ones as well? It's easy to say, but I can imagine it must be hard to do sometimes. Very hard to do. I have to be honest.

I've not always got that part right. So, you know, even now, I just launched this new business again. And it, you know, I'm sat, stood or sat at this desk too many hours at the moment. And it is one of those things. But I have a very supportive, you know, fiancé and we're fortunate in the sense that you know, we've got a little dog that is very hackable, being around our feet all day. My partner works really hard as well. So that does give me a little bit of kind of freedom.

But yeah, it is a difficult balance. I think the key to, again, avoiding too much burnout or overstretching yourself, because I do believe at the start of a business as well, when you're building something, there's no substitute for hard work hard. You've got to work hard. I mean, you've got to do the effort. But always remember to try and, yeah. Remember that you are still a human, and at the end of the day, the work will always be there.

There'll always be something more to do. Tech and ringfrench your time. Yeah, I agree, and I like it. And as you mentioned, the dog, I think actually it's a great idea because you post photos on LinkedIn with your dog. And as we discussed authenticity before, I really like that you post photos like this. Not only, of course, I like dogs as everyone else, but it actually shows the human side. You know, there is, for example, not look as speaking on stage or entrepreneur or something, basically Luke with the dogs, which shows personal side.

Yeah, yeah, no, she's great. I mean, she's the star of the show, for sure, Harper. No, she's brilliant. And what are some of the activities or the things that you do outside of work, maybe outside of family life, when you want to switch off? What are some of your hobbies? Yeah, I love to travel. I go to the gym quite regularly, so, you know, gym is kind of a sanctuary for me.

If I didn't do that, I feel pretty rubbish. A lot of travel, I mean, you know, as I've got older, you know, kind of even this sounds really basic, but I love to go on heights and long walks and, you know, get out in nature as much as I can, trying to skate the screen, basically. Yeah. Yeah. Speaking of travel, what's your favorite place you visited and what's a place that is still on your travel list that you want to visit. Well, interesting, in April this year, I moved to Portugal.

So I now live in a place called Kashkei, which is near Lisbon. It's beautiful. And even today, which is unusual for me being a Brit. It is the 12th of November. And it is bloody sunny outside. It's so. Oh, really? Oh, my.

T-shirt. So on. It's unbelievable. This is a whole new thing for me. But favorite place, I mean, I've traveled a lot. I love so many different places for different reasons. Southeast Asia has a. special place in my heart for, you know, those backpacking years. I lived in Australia for a few

years. I like North America for its kind of size and craziness. Yeah, so many different things. I mean, yeah, travel is my, as soon as you get the travel bug, I think it never goes. That is true. And what's then the place that is still on your travel list? Oh, I've been to Brazil, but I'd like to do a bit more South America. I'd like to go down to Argentina. I'd also like to spend a bit more time traveling Brazil. I only did Sao Paulo and a bit of South, South Africa. So I'm, my grandma was born in South Africa. I need to get over.

I've got some employees there as well. So that's on my hit list this year. Actually, well, start next year. So yeah, no, um, that look, there's loads. If I could see everywhere before I die, I'd be extremely grateful or at least as more as possible. Yeah. Yeah, I agree.

And when you travel, I're actually able to switch off from work or do you work kind of as a digital nomad still on the go? Yeah, most of the time I would still be doing something. Yeah, even if it's just checking in with my teams or whatever. But I do try to make sure at least once a year I have like a proper break and, you know, go somewhere where I can just leave my phone for the day. It's difficult. You know, if you run your own businesses, you are going to check and I'm, you know,

I'm an investor in a lot of companies, public listed and not listed. So you find myself, you know, it was a bit of a hobby, checking markets, like whatever. I was to find it quite enjoyable. maybe not on terrible correction days, but generally I find it quite enjoyable as well. And, you know, so yeah, I try to get as much downtime as I can, but I would be lying if I said I don't check and do the odd bit here. Yeah, no, but it's still great that you find time to travel to even with this despite busy schedule. And you mentioned before, look, that you also write a newsletter. And of course, there are many newsletters out there, but to tease it somehow

and market for people, what is your newsletter about? Tell us just more about it because I think it's a great newsletter. Also on the website, you provide some very helpful resources. So can you tell us more about your newsletter? Yeah, of course. So it's called the success method. I believe that having been through these three exits and four failures, by the way, for failed exits,

I've tried to reverse engineer and go back and kind of hack what works and what didn't work. And then I built this 100-part framework, basically, which is the success method of like how you can build scale, and exit a company. But outside of that, I've also tried to then put in some principles about life and, you know, how you can leverage doubt, how you can look at yourself and your own personality and also understanding that not everybody is the same and that's okay as well. Like things can be different and not everybody should go on and be an entrepreneur.

Not everybody should. And that's absolutely fine, you know, not everyone should be a creator, although it feels like the whole world is trying to be. That is true. No, true. So, you know, basically unearths and challenges the status quo around some of those principles and those ways of thinking. And we share weekly insights and frameworks, books of the week, like different ways that you could train and nurture yourself. We always share PEF downloads, which I've created.

And then if you go to the website, the Lutobin.com website, on there, you find lots of free resources you can download as well. And obviously, access to the free AI. So I try to give as much away as I can. really charge for anything unless people work with me directly through consulting. Yeah. And I can also imagine that experience with writing a newsletter has been kind of great preparation for a book writing now, although it's obviously kind of different, but still definitely helped, didn't it?

It's definitely helped. Yeah. Yeah. I think just the discipline of sitting down and having to write that each week is definitely useful. And I think sometimes you don't know what you know until you teach. And actually, I think that's really. So when you sit and you think about actually, how can I get this story or this narrative over in a way that's going to be easy for somebody to digest and take them five minutes to try and understand and move on?

Because let's be honest, we're all getting bombarded with newsletters, you know, chasing our attention. So if we can try and make it as concise as possible, you know, three or four minute read, that's what I try and do. That is true. There are things that you know that are kind of automatic and simple further, but then try to explain into someone who has no idea or never heard of it. So I completely agree. Yeah, nice, good. Then Luke, what are some of, obviously, we discussed the book, all that you're working on, but still have you got any plans for the future?

Any, if you manage to squeeze into your time, any upcoming projects or anything that the audience can be expected? Yeah, so I just launched two months ago, unusual group. An unusual group is effectively an investment vehicle to invest in creative-led businesses. So we look at the creative world at the moment. It is going through seismic change because of AI. So think about agencies, marketing, creative branding, sales agencies. They're all panicking.

I've spoke to maybe 120 agency owners in the last couple of months. All of them are like, what do we do? How do we become tech enabled? How do we leverage the opportunity but not get completely pushed out of market? So helping them with positioning, but also giving them some growth capital where needed to help them scale and bringing the right discipline. In my last exit, I saw that there was a really tried and tested method for scaling these service-based businesses. And even with the world changing a bit and the creative industry becoming tougher, there is still ways of making it work for you. And I believe that, you know, we can add a lot of value.

So we launched, yeah, just over two months ago. We now have eight agencies already that we've invested in, that are our partners, that we're growing. We have ambition to grow that to about 50 agencies in the next few years. and then we'll look to do some sort of collective exit at that stage or continue to incubate great agencies and sell them. You know, only 4% of agencies ever sell, which is a scary statistic. And out of that, 50% sell in distress because they're either burnt out, they're at a point where they're retiring, or they just run out of steam, whatever it is,

or the business is struggling. We want to reverse that for our agencies and make sure they have a sustainable exit and outcome. Yeah. I was actually about to ask why did you decide to start it, which is great what you said. And also before, when I was doing a bit more research about yourself, there was no unusual group back then. Then I did research a few months after I saw unusual group. And a few days ago, I saw the book. So I was waiting.

If I wait like a few more months, what else is going to appear on profile? Yeah. And then look, just to be aware of time, can you please? Of course, we discussed it, but can you summarize where people can find you, follow you, and promote any of your services? Yeah, absolutely. So I think just one of the product that's worth mentioning is mirth. So we've launched a small scale at the moment, but a product in the US market called drinkmurf.com. And it's a really beautiful carbonated water drink that has 87 different profit, but are properties in it from probiotics, prebiotics, all of your kind of vitamins and minerals that you use.

need. And we analyze the entire US market, of which 98% of all fizzy drinks on the market are full of B numbers and full of crap. So we've basically created something that is extremely good for you, even against all the water alternatives that are often dressed up as water, but you go look at the sugar content or, you know, the favourings that they put in and they are just so bad for you. So they're definitely like checking that out. But outside of that, you can find my website, which is loot toving.com or Luke Tobin on all of the. the main social networks. And as always, I will add any links to the show notes.

And look, what is it actually that still, let's say, motivates you? Did you still keep pushing, created new things? Because you already achieved a lot. But as we discussed, new things keep appearing. So what is it that drives you, pushes you, and is your motivation? I think I'm a sucker for punishment, obviously. Honestly, my fiancé says that to me all the time. I just think I get a lot of my purpose and my reason for being out of creating things.

I love building stuff and I love trying to solve problems. And, you know, the unusual is a good example. Right now, most people are running away from the creative service business in the industry. And I'm like, okay, cool. Let's go in and run into it and see if we can help, you know. So I like trying to solve problems. And I think, you know, what else would I be doing? I'd be sat, bored, you know, and only go to the gym anytime.

You can only go to the beach so many times. I'd rather make an impact. That is very true. And I like that mindset and thinking. And actually, the question that I wanted to ask you in the beginning and did not ask you is, what did you want to become when you were younger? Did you expect for yourself a career like this? Or what did you want to become?

So I had this period where I wanted to be an actor. And then I realized. Oh, I wasn't expecting that one. Yeah, it's a bit. I was, I think I was pretty good when I was younger. I was in like the National Youth Theatre and did some plays. And then I went to drama college and enjoyed that, then realized very quickly that it wasn't for me.

So came out of it and then took a gap year. I wasn't sure what direction to go and then just fell in love with everything, kind of business and commercial. And I've always been entrepreneurial. So I think I grew up in a in a household where my dad was always very entrepreneurial as well. I think it just encouraged me. But yeah, you know, I left home early, 16, and kind of, benefit for myself. And I think just having that that drive, I realize entrepreneurship was a way that

you could, you know, you could achieve outsized returns if you did it well. And that's what I wanted to do. And who are some of your, let's say, like inspirations or motivations from intrepcionary world, such as any business people or people that you just look up to? Yeah, I think growing up, I always had a, you know, I was always impressed with Richard Branson. I think I was sharing my age now, probably. I mean, there's so many how, you know, I think it's really, from a personal brand aspect of taking it back to creators, I think it's amazing how the big CEOs of all the main businesses that you can think of, whether it's, you know, Amazon or Apple or all the big tech companies have built these huge personas alongside the businesses. You almost know the CEOs more than you know the businesses. You know, I've always found that really fascinating as well. Like, you know, they've been doing that for years, years before anybody thought about what personal. brand was they've been doing it and I think that's inspirational and I think that's given me a bit of a drive to keep pushing on the branding side yeah yeah I like it and as you mentioned that you wanted to become actor then I'm curious to ask you what's your actually favorite movie

oh now you're testing um it's really difficult I mean if I go if I go kind of old school a little bit Pulp Fiction Godfather Quentin Tarantino amazing amazing, amazing. Probably, probably one of those two, I would say. Yeah, I like it. And then, Luke, before we finish, is there anything you would like to share with the audience? Are there any question that I should have asked you and did not, or anything to finish with? Great question.

I think we've covered everything extensively. And, you know, I think if anybody has direct questions or they want to reach out, feel free to DM me under Luke Tobin channels or drop me a note. I mean, I read all of the messages that come back in response to the newsletter. often respond to people with questions or specific concerns that they have or things that they're trying to challenge and work through. So yeah, reach out that way. It would be great. Or I would encourage people to go talk to Luke Tobin AI. Yeah, do that. Go and check it out. Try and break it. See what you can get and let me know.

Again, feedback is so critical. So yeah, I'm always open. And it's amazing resource, of course, because it's for free and it's very helpful. So look, then I want to say a huge thank you because I really appreciate your time. As I've been following you for a long time, I really enjoy your content. I enjoyed our conversation. So once again, thank you. And I will be very excited to see your book when I'm at the airport. And I'm checking one of the stores and I see your book there.

So thank you for your time, look, and wish you all the best. Thanks for having me. Cheers. Thanks for listening to Produce by with Tom. Check the show notes for all the links. and don't forget to subscribe, like and share your feedback. Speak soon.