COO @ Kurogo | We Create Thought Leaders Through Personal Branding | x2 TEDx speaker | Advisor, Investor & NED | Law Graduate | I talk about entrepreneurship, agency life and grief

Hey, I’m Lewis! 👋 I'm an operator, builder, and believer in doing work that matters.

For the last 4 years, I helped scale Kurogo, one of the leading personal branding agencies, as Chief Operating Officer, partnering with 300+ world-class founders, CEOs, C-Suite Execs and public figures to grow their influence and impact. I joined in September '21 and within 4 years, we scaled to a 7-figure business, with a global, remote team of 20+. We had clients across the UK, Europe, USA and MENA regions.

I have 5+ years' experience as a Non-Executive Director, particularly within the non-profit and social impact sector. At present, I continue to serve as:

- Vice Chair & Non-Executive Director, Child Action Northwest
- Non-Executive Director, Spring North

Currently, I’m travelling and building quietly behind the scenes - creating space to explore what’s next.

Lewis Alexander Baxter

It’s been a tough week.

And a harder start to 2026 than I expected.

There’s been some personal stuff going on.
Nothing I want to share publicly right now.

I’ve had to pull back on work.

Slow things down. Create a bit of space.

That hasn’t come easily. 

I've talked a lot recently about building work around life, not the other way round.

I guess this is what actually living that out looks like.

It’s been a reminder to keep the people around me close.

Not to default to busyness.
Not to disappear when things feel heavy.

And to come back to a simple, poignant message:

In a world where you can be anything, be kind.

I’ve felt that this week.

From compassionate clients.
Understanding colleagues.
Friends who’ve checked in.

I’m really grateful for it.

Life can feel fragile at times.

And moments like this are an important reminder of what actually matters.

Age 18, I had no interest in a gap year or solo travelling.
 
Age 27, something had shifted.

When I step back, the thing that stands out most isn’t necessarily the places I visited. 

It’s how significant it felt to be away from home, and away from work, for nearly 3 months.

Because as a teenager, it just didn’t appeal to me then.

Not in the way it seemed to for other people.

Several friends had gap years.

They spoke about travelling constantly.

I listened, but honestly... I never felt the pull myself.

From 18 to my early 20s, I had no interest in travelling on my own.

And if I’m honest, I don’t think I even questioned that at the time.

I absolutely LOVE travelling, though.

That came from my mum, predominantly. 

My parents and I went on some great holidays, and I know how fortunate I was.

But, until last year, the idea of jetting off to the other side of the world, didn’t appeal.

Over the last year or two, following Lukas and Ellie (and others), hearing how they’d travelled, explored the world, built space into their lives, planted something.

So spending 3 months late last year across four countries, meeting strangers, having unfamiliar conversations, learning how to sit with my own thoughts…

That version of me wouldn’t have made sense to 18-year-old me.

I was an only child.
I spent a lot of time on my own.
I never had a huge group of friends (only a few close ones, and we often moved in different directions).

So stepping that far outside my comfort zone, even at 27, felt significant.

Let’s not underestimate that.

We’re quick to tell ourselves we’re “late” to things. That we should’ve done them earlier.

That having adventures somehow has an expiry date.

But even at 27, it felt like a big move.

A stretch.

And I don’t think age matters when it comes to travel.

It doesn’t matter if you do it at 18.

Or 27.
Or 46.

It still takes courage.  

In the end, it came down to saying yes. And giving myself the chance to have the trip of a lifetime.

A reminder that it isn’t as out of reach as it can feel.

--

P.S. Have you ever surprised yourself by doing something much later than you thought you would?

P.P.S. Hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. I’m on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that actually matters.

22,000 people have chosen to follow my thoughts on work, life and whatever else I end up thinking out loud here.

So, thank you. 🙏 

I’m not entirely sure why I celebrate follower milestones.

But I do. So… here we are.

Since Jan 1st, this little corner of LinkedIn has grown by almost 2,000 people.

(This feels slightly surreal, given I’ve been on here for 9+ years and for a long time it was mostly me, my dad, a few friends, and the occasional recruiter checking in!)

This recent growth has come from the hiring posts I’ve been sharing. 

Each week, I share a roundup of genuinely good agency roles across marketing, social and communications. Roles I’d actually send to a friend.

Last week, an amazing copywriter saw one of those posts, applied, and now has an interview lined up. This alone made the whole thing feel worth it!

The goal of my content? 

To provide as much value as I can, share what I’m learning about scaling agencies and operations, and connect great people with companies doing interesting work. 

--

So, if you’re new here, hello! 👋

Probably a good moment to reintroduce myself.

I’m Lewis. Age 27.

A northerner now living in London.
A law graduate turned agency operator.
A believer in doing work that actually matters.

👉 Until Oct '25, I was COO at a leading personal branding agency, helping scale it into a seven-figure, fully remote business working with founders, CEOs and senior leaders globally. Learnt so much!

👉 I love travel (and was lucky enough to spend late last year in Australia, Fiji, Bali and New Zealand).

👉 I’m hugely passionate about the charity sector, and currently sit on two charity boards. 

👉 After my own battles with mental health, and losing my mum aged 21, I talk openly about grief and human leadership (and encourage others to do the same)

Right now, I’m building a few things:👇 

- An operations consultancy, working with agencies on ops, finance & hiring
- FUNC, an online marketplace for functional drinks and better-for-you products
- A new agency in a space I genuinely love (more on that soon!)

And this year, I’m designing work around life, not the other way around. 

More travel, more gym, more life, more 'me time'. 

If you’re here for hiring, leadership, building from 0-1, or the more human side of work - welcome. 

And if you’ve been here a while… thanks for sticking around. 🙏

One of the biggest lessons I learned in 2025:

Under-communication creates more problems than you ever anticipate.

In October, I shared a post announcing I was stepping away from a business to go travelling.

At the time, I didn’t think much of it.

In my head, the plan was clear.

I was still supporting one of our consultancy clients after leaving.

The team knew that.

I knew that.

But the client didn’t.

They saw the LinkedIn post before hearing anything privately, and their first reaction was:

“Lewis has left. Who’s my point of contact now?”

From my perspective, nothing had changed.
From theirs, their point of contact had suddenly disappeared.

Their knowledge gap came down to one thing:

I hadn’t given them the courtesy of a heads-up.

People rarely struggle with your decisions. They struggle with not knowing them.

This year, I'll operate by a few simple rules:

- Send the courtesy message.
- Share context early, not reactively.
- Keep people informed, so they’re not left guessing.

Over-communicating isn’t a weakness. It’s how trust actually gets built, especially as things grow.

When people don’t have clarity, they fill in the gaps themselves.

And it’s usually not the version you had in mind.

So, if you're a leader, manager, project lead or freelancer...

Remember,

Clear communication isn’t optional.

It’s part of the job.

--

♻️ Please repost if this message resonated.

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that matters. I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around.

I’ve been using the phrase “designing work around life, not the other way round” a lot recently.

Partly because it captures something I’m trying to be more intentional about.

And partly because I’m still figuring out what it actually means for me.

It doesn’t necessarily mean working less.
Or escaping responsibility.
Or building some perfectly balanced, always-calm life... (I don’t think that exists).

What it does mean, I think, is starting from a different place.

Instead of asking: “What does my work demand of me?”

I’m trying to ask: “What kind of life do I actually want to live, and how does work support that?”

It’s a small shift, but I’ve noticed it changes how I think about most decisions.

For me, this isn’t a binary thing.

It’s not something you “achieve” and tick off.

It’s a mindset.

A process.

A way of noticing when work is taking over more space than it deserves, and deciding, consciously, whether that’s a trade-off I’m happy to make right now.

Some weeks, work will come first. 

Other weeks, life might take the front seat. For some family time and space to think.

Designing work around life, for me, is about being intentional in those choices - rather than defaulting to work winning every time.

These are a few of the questions I’ve been asking myself lately, and maybe they’re useful for you too:

- What am I optimising for right now (travel, energy, learning, money)?
- If nothing changed for the next three years, would that be okay?
- What parts of my work give me energy (and which drain it)?
- What does a “good” week actually feel like?
- Where am I saying yes out of habit?
- What am I protecting time for?

I don’t have crystal clears answers to all of these.

Some of them shift depending on what life looks like at the time. But asking them has already shifted how I approach my work, and how much space I'll allow it to take up.

It feels less about getting it right, and more about paying attention as things change.

Curious, what does designing work around life look like for you, in practice?

--

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. Right now, I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that actually matters.

5 awesome agency marketing jobs YOU can apply for this weekend:👇

--

1/ Account Director 
Raptor 
Salary: £55K - £65K (DOE) 
Location: London

Raptor is a culture-led, youth-first marketing agency working across brand, social, experiential and real-world engagement. In this role, you’ll lead 2–3 key client accounts end-to-end, owning integrated campaigns, managing budgets, driving account growth, and leading a team of up to 6 in a fast-paced environment.

--

2/ Content Manager (Executive Thought Leadership) 
Triangle 
Salary: £30K - £35K (DOE) (+ bonus) 
Location: UK-based 

Triangle are a thought leadership and personal branding agency working with an exclusive group of leading CEOs as well as C-Suite executives at billion-dollar companies who want to leverage their own personal voice to transform their business. In this role, you’ll turn podcast-style executive interviews into high-performing LinkedIn posts and long-form content, combining writing, research, content strategy, and strong client communication.

--

3/ Senior Account Executive (PR) 
Citizen Relations 
Salary: £31K - £34K 
Location: London

Citizen are a global PR agency focused on building authentic connections between brands and communities. In this role, you’ll take ownership of client programmes, managing timelines, developing media materials, pitching press and talent, supporting crisis comms, and presenting campaign results, while mentoring junior team members. A great opportunity to grow your career in PR.

--

4/ Senior Social Media Executive
Plus 1 Communications
Salary: £30K (DOE)
Location: Windsor

Plus 1 Communications are a global creative and communications agency working across consumer, lifestyle and culture-led brands. In this role, you’ll lead end-to-end social campaigns, creating high-impact content, running paid social, and optimising performance across Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube and X - helping shift social from reactive posting to strategically led, high-production work that matches the agency’s award-winning creative standard.

--

5/ Podcast Producer (Personal Brand)
7xContent
Salary: £25K-£35K
Location: Remote-first

7X are a specialist video-first podcast agency helping world-leading creators and brands turn conversations into high-impact content engines. In this role, you’ll own the strategy and production of Creator Playbooks - leading the founder’s podcast end-to-end, while also driving the marketing engine behind Callum’s personal brand and 7X’s content funnel across YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram and email.

--

Every week, I share fresh roles across marketing, social and comms. All posted in the last 10 days, with salary shown.

♻️ Repost to share these opportunities with your network.

A lot of people go back to work tomorrow.

The inbox. Client calls. Team meetings. The familiar pace returning.

Before that kicks off, I’ve been thinking about a slightly different question.

Not simply 'what do I want to achieve this year'?
But 'how do I want to live while I’m doing the work'?

There’s something appealing about resolutions. They sound good in theory.

I’ve never been great with resolutions 
(and this will be the second year I haven't set any).  

They're pretty unforgiving. 

Binary. 

You’re either “on track” or you’re not.

And once you fall off, it’s easy to write the whole thing off (and just wait until the next year when you can set them again...)

Values feel more forgiving.

And, I think, more useful.

They’re not a checklist. Rather, they're a way of showing up.

Yesterday, I shared that in 2026 I’m intentionally designing work around life.

That isn’t a goal with a finish line.

It’s a lens I’m trying to come back to.

It shapes:

- how often I spend time with my family
- how present I am in my closest relationships
- how I treat the gym, health and my diet this year 
- how I think about travel (not as a break from work/life, but part of it)
- how I protect space, energy, and attention when everything feels busy

None of that looks especially impressive on paper.

But it changes how the days, the weeks and the months feel.

And maybe that’s the point.

So before work starts pulling at you tomorrow, maybe take a moment today. 

To decide what deserves protecting this year, even when work tries to crowd it out.

What do you want more of outside of work?

And what values will guide your decisions when things inevitably get busy?

No one’s going to ask you those questions.

You have to ask them yourself.

--

♻️ Please repost if this message resonated.

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that matters.

5 agency marketing jobs YOU can apply for this weekend:👇

--

1/ Senior Account Executive - Publicity (Film & TV) 🎬
Substance Global
Salary: £30K - £34K (DOE)
Location: London (Hybrid)

Substance Global are an independent, insights-led digital marketing agency working across Film, TV and entertainment, with teams in London and globally. Known for their collaborative culture and creative ambition, they deliver high-profile campaigns blending strategy, publicity and innovation. In this role, you’ll support Film & TV publicity campaigns, working on media liaison, client relationships, screenings, premieres and events. A fast-paced role for someone organised, confident and plugged into Film & TV culture.

--

2/ In-House Content Creator
HonestBrands
Salary: £40K - £50K (+ bonuses) 
Location: Remote (UK / Barcelona preferred)

HonestBrands run a beginner-to-advanced e-commerce training community helping people build real brands across Amazon, TikTok and Shopify. Content sits at the centre of growth. Your job is simple: create a high volume of high-quality content that drives demand. You’ll work closely with the founders on organic, paid and long-form content that builds trust, attracts the right audience and scales repeatable content systems.

--

3/ Senior Account Executive (Public Relations)
Group42
Salary: £28K - £30K (DOE) 
Location: London

42 Bruton, part of Group42, are a high-growth boutique PR agency working with ambitious scale-ups and challenger brands across the UK and US. Known for sharp positioning and clean execution, they deliver storytelling that drives real audience and investor engagement. You’ll support PR and digital campaigns across lifestyle, FMCG, travel and tech, working on media relations, content and client comms.

--

4/ Account Executive
adam&eveTBWA
Salary: £30K (+ bonuses)
Location: London

adam&eve\TBWA are a global creative agency built on the belief that emotion drives business growth. As the European hub for one of TBWA/Omnicom’s longest-standing global clients, the London team delivers fully integrated campaigns across ATL, digital, social, CRM, POS and internal comms. You’ll support the day-to-day delivery of international campaigns alongside senior account, creative and partner teams.

--

5/ Marketing Assistant
Signal Group
Salary: £26.6K - £26.8K
Location: Watford

Signal Group are a growing, people-focused marketing organisation delivering collaborative, detail-driven campaigns for a range of clients. They place strong emphasis on developing talent and long-term growth. In this role, you’ll support campaign delivery, brand consistency, research, performance tracking and reporting. A strong entry-level opportunity to gain hands-on experience across marketing.

--

Every week, I share fresh roles across marketing, social and comms. All posted in the last 10 days, with salary shown. 

♻️ Repost to share these opportunities with your network.

PS. Check out my comments section for links to every role.👇

We’re very good at being busy.

But, we don’t check in nearly enough on our energy.

Meetings.
To-do lists.
Deliverables.

Important, yes. But only part of the picture.

Some of the things that matter most aren’t obvious while you’re in the middle of it.

Energy. Presence. How you feel at the end of the day, when the laptop closes.

I’ve been paying more attention to that lately.

Not simply what I’m working on, but how the work leaves me feeling.

Energised. Or, drained.

Because you can be doing all the “right” things, ticking off tasks from your to-do list, and still finish most days feeling depleted.

Intentional life design, I’m realising, starts in these small moments.

In patterns you notice early, before they harden into defaults.

What consistently gives you energy.
What slowly takes it away.
What you’ve normalised, simply because it’s familiar.

So if there’s one thing worth paying attention to this week, maybe it’s this:

At the end of each day, pause for a moment and ask yourself:

Did today’s work give me energy, or take it away?

Answer this honestly.

You could even treat it like a simple energy audit - 'red, amber, green' your tasks, or loosely score them based on how much energy they gave you.
 
(I might write more on this separately).

Because how your work feels, day after day, matters more than we often admit.

Curious, when you think about your last few working days: what’s been giving you energy lately?

--

♻️ Repost if this resonated.

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around.

Today reminded me how much depth can exist in a short conversation.

Even with someone you’ve never actually met.

Earlier today, I chatted with George for 30 mins.

We’d been connected on LinkedIn for about six years.

But until today, we’d never actually spoken.

And as it turns out, I first reached out back in 2019.

Today was the first real conversation.

We started with work.

Marketing. Social media. Creative careers. Where things are heading. The challenges and the opportunities for companies and those looking for new opportunities. 

Then, quite naturally, it shifted.

Mental health and wellbeing - particularly for men.

Grief and loss. Identity.

Family. Relationships. The stuff beneath the surface.

All with someone who, until today, was effectively a stranger.

What struck me most was how easy it felt once we moved past the polite first few minutes.

Many of these topics can feel hard to talk about - especially as men, and especially with people we don’t really know yet. 

There’s often a sense you should keep things light and 'professional'. 

(especially when you've connected originally on LinkedIn)

But when there’s openness on both sides, it doesn’t feel forced.

It feels human.

It was a rich, thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation. 

The kind that reminds you how much depth can fit into a short window of time (if you let it).

One more thing that feels worth sharing:👇 

George has a book coming out next week.

"Be A Man About It: Building a Healthier Idea of Masculinity" (22nd January) (more details in comments) 

After the conversation we had, I’m genuinely looking forward to buying it and sitting with it properly.

Stephen Fry described it like this:

‘An absolutely fascinating enquiry into the nature of masculinity, coming at a time when it's really needed."

If the book carries even a fraction of the openness, depth and honesty that came through in our call, it’ll be an important one.

So, thank you, George. I’m really glad we finally connected properly.

Today made me realise how much we often leave unsaid, and how powerful it is when we don’t.

--

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. Right now, I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that actually matters.

Most people don’t have a time problem.

They have a thinking problem.

Or more accurately, they’re trying to think and execute at the same time.

This rarely works.

One thing I’ve been paying more attention to lately is separating strategy time from execution time.

Intentionally. 

Because when everything is 'execution mode', you default to reacting.

Emails. Slack. Tasks. Requests. WhatsApp messages.

And when thinking time is squeezed into the 5- or 10- minute gaps between meetings, it never really gets the space it needs.

There are a few ways I’ve seen this work well:

1/ A dedicated strategy day each week (I'm trialling next week!)
2/ Every morning (for ~2 hours) as locked-in thinking time
3/ Or, weaving smaller “thinking blocks” into each day

There’s no single right way. Do what feels right for YOU. 

And if anyone tells you that their way is the 'best way'...

Don't listen to them...

I was listening to a podcast clip with Leila Hormozi, and I wanted to share one line with you:

“If your week isn’t planned by Sunday, you have already lost the week.”

And for me, this makes perfect sense.

Not because Sunday planning magically solves all your problems. But because unplanned weeks get dictated by everyone else’s priorities.

Strategy time is where you decide:

- What actually matters this week
- What doesn’t need doing at all
- What can wait

Execution time is where you do the work.

Mix them together, and both will suffer.

So if things have felt busy but oddly unproductive lately, maybe this is the place to look.

Not “how can I do more?”

But: "When is my thinking time?"

--

♻️ Repost to share this message. 

PS. hi, I’m Lewis! 👋 I share reflections on business, life and travel. Right now, I'm on a mission to design work around life, not the other way around. I'm a fractional COO, builder and believer in doing work that actually matters.

Content @ Kurogo | LinkedIn Creator Accelerator

I just moved from Bangalore to London on a fully sponsored writing job. Here's my story so far:

Age 17: did 4 internships in a gap year before my undergrad
Age 18: started writing online on Instagram, Medium, and LinkedIn
Age 19: signed my first ghostwriting client
Age 20: graduated uni with first-class distinction
Age 21: one of the youngest members of LI's creator accelerator, got paid lakhs to write here (wild)
Age 22: beat 700+ people to get my dream job in personal branding
Age 23: dropped out of a Masters degree from KCL
Age 24: moved back to London for work

I've had quite the unconventional story. 

The fact I'm the proudest of isn't any of the "achievements" but that I did it all my way.

I write mostly to my younger self. 

My journey is an example of how your life can change if you refuse to conform and earn the right to play your own game.

Today, the clients I work with at my job are multi-millionaires dominating their industries. I'm lucky I get paid to learn from them everyday.

If you'd like to get in touch with me, email me at varunkhadri@gmail.com.

Varun Khadri

Luxuries most people don’t realise they have:

1. Having your parents still alive
2. A partner who always backs you
3. A full belly
4. Clean water running through your taps
5. Enough in the bank to not worry about rent
6. Your limbs work flawlessly
7. Doing work you like
8. Paid time off

We’re all luckier than we realise.

3 simple rules I’ve set for myself for a good year:

- With a good habit you’re trying to adopt, never miss two days in a row. Once is a mistake, twice is a pattern, thrice is a new habit.

- Do what you say you’re going to do. Forget about other people, this is how you teach YOUR own mind that you’re someone worth talking seriously.

- If anything harms my health, I want no part of it. “You only live once” should never be an excuse for unhealthy coping mechanisms. You get one life, so take care of yourself.

What’s one rule you’ve set for yourself in 2026?

The older I get, the more I realise that my parents were right all along.

A good life to me today is:

- Eating more home-cooked food
- Reading/learning continually
- Playing every evening
- Using my phone less 
- Drinking less soda
- Going to bed early
- Working hard
- Being honest

All the things my parents tried to get me to do as a kid.

Funny how life comes full circle!

The superflu is no joke.

Last Tuesday, I proudly announced to Sam G. Winsbury  “I’m going to try to not take a single sick day in 2026”

Next day, I got the flu and had 104 degree fever for the whole week.

I couldn’t get out of bed for days.
I lost 4 kgs in 6 days.
I didn’t have enough strength to even stand in the shower.
I dissapeared from LinkedIn for the first time ever.

All this isn’t to say “wow pls cry for me”.

The point is that you can have the best of intentions but…

When your health breaks, when life comes for you, every plan goes out the window.

Then, you gotta adapt and readjust.

Life will never follow your script, but hey - isn’t that what makes it worth living?

14: Wrote my first words online (WordPress blog).
15: Quit my pursuit of professional Badminton in Bangalore.
16: Started making money for the first time, working for myself.
17: Did 35 model UNs in one year, won at some.
18: Took a gap year to do internships and get formal work-ex.

19: started writing on Instagram.
20: miserable in undergrad, being taught outdated stuff.
21: started writing on Medium and signed my first ghostwriting client.

22: somehow graduated with first-class distinction.
23: LinkedIn paid me $2500 to write on the platform, wild times.

24: got into King's College for post-grad and moved to London.
24: was disappointed at the calibre, dropped out, and moved back home.
24: ended a long-term relationship I knew was wrong for me.
24: started working my dream role at my dream company.

25: moved back to London for work on a sponsored visa.

29/01/26 - writing this post at 6 am before starting work in one of my all-time most hectic weeks.

Growing up, all I heard was:

"Writers are starving artists"
"Stop posting everything online"
"You'll never amount to anything if you don't study".

I begrudgingly listened for a few years.

Then I realised:
If I don't want their life, why am I taking their advice?

The takeaways from my journey:

1. Try lots of things, something is bound to stick.
2. You can have the best plan, but life will still surprise you.
3. You're capable of building the life you want - if you put in the work.

Tell me in the comments - what's the most interesting part of your story?

Every single positive outcome in my life was born out of a single decision I made.

From the job I work to the city I live in to the people I know, 

It was all shaped by one choice:
Building my personal brand.

Most people think a personal brand is about followers.
It’s not.
A personal brand is leverage.
And leverage touches every goal in your life.

➡️ Career?
Your brand speaks before you enter the room.
Opportunities find you - jobs, clients, partnerships, because people already trust your thinking.

➡️ Money?
When people know what you stand for, they’re willing to pay for your perspective.
They’re more willing to pay not just for your time.
But also your point of view.

➡️ Freedom?
A strong personal brand gives you options.
You choose who you work with, what you say yes to, and where you spend your energy.

➡️ Confidence?
When you articulate your ideas publicly, you stop second-guessing yourself privately.
And clarity creates confidence.

➡️ Impact?
Your experiences don’t just stay experiences.
They become lessons that help other people move faster, avoid mistakes, and believe in themselves.

But here’s the real truth most people miss:
You already have a personal brand.

The only question is - 
are you shaping it intentionally…
or letting others define it for you?

So build your personal brand.

Not for attention.

But for everything else - better career, higher income, more freedom, and deeper relationships, that visibility unlocks.

No alternative text description for this image

As a young person, you have two choices.

Live it up in your 20s.
Travel. Party. Say yes to everything.
Stretch adolescence a little longer.

Or put your head down early.
Work when others are playing.
Build skills, discipline, and direction while you still have the most energy to do so.

Neither path is WRONG.
But they do compound very differently.

One optimises for memories now, and optionality later - often with more pressure, more catching up, more trade-offs in your 30s.

The other delays gratification.
It looks boring from the outside.
But it buys leverage: confidence, competence, and freedom that most people only start chasing a decade later.

What people don’t say enough is this:

You don’t magically “figure it out” with age.
You inherit the consequences of how you spent your time.

The real question isn’t fun vs grind.

It’s: WHEN do you want life to feel lighter?

I’m choosing to build early, so future me doesn’t have to sprint forever.

What are you choosing?

You trust the bartender to not spit in your drink.

You trust the pilot to not crash the plane.

You trust the doctor operating on you to not be a fraud.

You trust your barber to not mess up your hair.

You trust the barista to make your coffee properly.

Then tell me, my friend, why do you refuse to trust that you're capable of more?

Why do you refuse to believe you can achieve your wildest goals?

If you can trust strangers blindly, you can back yourself to build the life you want!

♻️ Share this with a friend to remind them to believe in themselves.

A day in my life as a 25-year-old in London (21/01/26) 👇🏻

- Up at 7 am, usually an early riser but it’s my first winter here and it’s been harder to wake up early lately.

- Coffee, quick meditation, and at my desk by 8.30 am

- Start my day by writing my LinkedIn content before anything else and commenting on the team’s posts

- Leave from home as we’re having a co-working day in Paddington, 35 mins on the tube door to door

- Get to the coffee shop at 10 am and meet a couple of colleagues, we work remotely, but it’s always nice to catch up in person, the vibes are good, plus working in person pushes me to work harder

- I’m nervous to take a client call at 11.30 because it’s a new client and I usually avoid doing meetings when I’m working out of public spaces, thankfully the cafe wasn’t too noisy so the call went well

- Break at 12.30 for lunch with my colleagues, over lunch we talk about workout routines, the company's 2026 strategy, a few problem clients, and where we see the industry heading - we’re all obsessed with what we do

- Back to work at the restaurant we were lunching at, it’s a nice quiet spot and we were the only ones there, so it was the perfect spot to work from

- Around 4.30 pm we wind up for the day to avoid the rush hour on our way back home, on my way back I do a food shop because the nice supermarket I like getting my groceries from is closeby. I also grab a quick pain au chocolat as a pre-workout snack

- Back home an hour later, quick call to catch up with family and then it’s time to get a lift in with my friends, it’s super convenient having a gym in my building so no excuses of “I’m too tired to get out of the house”.

- Dinner at 8 pm, my friend made curry so I shamelessly steal some from her and heat up frozen naans

- 9 pm: I do the dishes, watch a little bit of Netflix (just finished a show called Run Away), and in bed for 10 pm

📷 On days that I feel a little homesick, happening days like these make me glad I took the leap of moving away from my hometown. Still hard being away from my loved ones though.

But that’s a day in my life, what do your days look like?

A perk of my job is I get to pick the brains of the top 1% performers daily.

A surprising pattern I’ve noticed in them is:

They have ridiculously boring habits.

They do the same things over and over again,
Longer than would be considered reasonable by most others.

The top 1% prioritise the simple things like being up early, reading, exercising consistently, and so on.

From the outside, it’s easy to assume your idols live a super happening, exciting life.

And maybe they do - at times.

But most of their days, and how they got where they were in the first place, is by doing the boring things right consistently.

Excitement is overrated in the pursuit of excellence.

I’ve never been told by someone more successful than me to have more work life balance and take it easy.

I’ve never been told by someone fitter than me that I need to let loose and eat out more and drink more with them.

I’ve never been told by someone wealthier than me that I need to buy more designer brands and spend more than I make.

Coincidence? I doubt it.

I can’t believe I’ll log into work on Monday and not see a familiar face.

We’ve never agreed on everything but we’ve never had to.

I’m going to miss us bickering so much!!! 🫣😆

We’re sad to be losing you Megan Bishop but also so happy for you as you head off on your next adventure. You’re doing something equal parts terrifying and exciting. We know some days are sh!t and chaotic but we’re so proud of you - now and always ❤️

This isn’t goodbye but an “until next time” 🥂

The fastest hack for behaviour change is controlling your environment.

If you don’t get liquor home, you’re less likely to drink.

If your friends work out, you’re more likely to go to the gym.

If you hang around smokers, you’re more likely to smoke.

Control who and what you allow around yourself.

Behaviour change is downstream from the right environment.

I’ve been so much better with my habits once I got clear on what my bare minimum looks like.

When I’m sick and can’t get to the gym, I try going on just a short walk after a meal.

When I’m unmotivated and don’t feel like creating content, I fire off a quick tweet and I’m done for the day.

When I’m tired and don’t feel like doing my skincare routine, I just put moisturiser and call it.

When I’m lazy and don’t feel like working, I do the tasks that HAVE to get done that day and finish up.

The goal isn’t perfect consistency.

It’s to have no zero days.

What version of the habit can you manage to do even on your worst days? 

That’s what you’ve to figure out to make a habit stick.

📷 - is it socially acceptable to still use Christmas pics?

Sunday reminder: do hard things to feel good about yourself.

My 2026 motto: say yes more.

Last year was a lot - I moved countries, juggled a demanding job with hobbies like sports and content creation, as well as maintained my existing close relationships.

As a consequence, however, I said no to most other things.

Going to events, meeting new people, travelling more, new interests - everything took a backseat.

And I’m glad I did that and narrowed my focus to prioritise the most essential.

But saying no to everything won’t serve me well in this next phase.

I didn’t move to London to be in a shell.

So I’m saying “yes” more this year.

I’m realistic though, as an introvert, most things still don’t appeal to me.

I like my own little world and simple daily routine.

But every now and then, I’m pushing myself to do new things, meet new people, and have new experiences.

I’m more open to widening my perspective and changing my opinion on things.

Let’s see how it works out.

What are you saying yes to more this year?

Being healthy is actually really simple: 

Sleep enough, drink less and don’t smoke, eat nutritious food, do work that fulfils you, and stay away from toxic people. 

Doing just these basics right will already put you ahead of 99% of the crowd. 

Don’t overcomplicate it.

📷 - having an active Sunday here in London, what are you doing today?

January was the longest 6 months of my life.

I start every week by studying virality on LinkedIn.

Every Monday on our team standup, Bruce Martinus and I break down a high-performing post for the rest of the team.

We do this because:

- It teaches the rest of the team at the agency how to reverse engineer viral content, even if that might not be their core role.

- It keeps us sharp and helps us keep our ears close to the ground.

- Social platforms are constantly evolving, what worked last week might not work this week, so if you're not keeping up with the platforms, you'll get left behind.

I've been in the personal branding space for years and have written thousands of posts, hundreds of viral ones.

Yet I still learn new things about LinkedIn every single day.

Always a student of the game :)

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The Battle

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Varun Khadri

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The Battle

Lewis Alexander Baxter

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Lewis Alexander Baxter's LinkedIn Performance

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