Luke Tobin

Founder of Unusualgroup.com | Follow for posts on Business, Marketing, Investing & AI

Commercial and speaking: sponsorship@luketobin.com

3 exits, different industries, each one bigger than the last. Turned a £100 investment, into an eight-figure agency exit in 5 years. 

I help founders turn self-doubt into leverage, and leverage into exits.

My last business started with £100 and a lot of imposter syndrome. No funding. No safety net. Just a laptop, a tiny runway and lots of grit. Five years later, we sold for eight figures. It was one of the fastest growth-to-exit stories in the UK at that level.

That was exit number three. Before that, I built and sold a hospitality business and an e-commerce brand. Different industries, same scale-to-exit playbook. Build lean. Price for profit. Systemise delivery. Think like a buyer long before you ever meet one.

Now I back other founders and work on fixing what is broken in the agency world.

Current work:

Unusual Group (Founder)
We take minority stakes in agencies and plug them into the capital, infrastructure and operator support they need to grow margins and become exit-ready.

Tobin Capital (Owner) 
I invest in more than 25 brands, including SpaceX, Atom Bank, and Honest Mobile. When I invest, you do not just get capital. You get an operator in your corner on pricing, operations, hiring and exits.

A-Frame Venture Studio (Partner)
We build consumer brands from scratch. Our first brand, Mirth Water, is now live in the United States at drinkmirth.com.

The Success Method Newsletter
Every week, more than 100,000 founders get my breakdown of how to turn self-doubt into an advantage in their business. I share how I structure deals and exits, the pricing moves and margin levers that work in practice.

Book (Q2 2026)
My first book, on how founders can turn doubt into an asset rather than a drag on growth, is coming in Q2 2026 from a major publisher.

In total, I have started seven businesses. Two failed. Three exited. Two, I am still building. The failures taught me more than the exits. Self-doubt never went away. I learned how to use it as a filter to make better decisions in hiring, pricing, partners, and exits. That is what I teach and invest around now.

Today, I share what actually works with more than 800,000 founders across my channels. The playbooks, the red flags, the live deals and the parts of the mental game most people never talk about.

If you are an agency owner or founder who wants to raise, exit or fix your margins in the next 12 to 36 months, send me a DM.

Newsletter (100K plus subscribers): www.luketobin.com/newsletter

DM me about: investments, agency exits, speaking

Investor

The next‑generation personalization AI for e‑commerce.

Success that burns through your mental bandwidth isn’t success.

It’s mismanagement disguised as commitment.

Early in my career, I thought being available meant being valuable.
Every ping got a reply.
Every meeting got a “yes.”
Every spare minute became a catch-up slot.

On paper, it looked like momentum.
In reality, it was erosion.

High performance isn’t about being always on.
It’s about knowing when to switch off so your decisions stay sharp.

These are the boundaries that keep my focus intact:

1. Control inputs.
No phone before strategy, no Slack before thinking.

2. Batch reactions.
Email and messages twice a day, everything else waits.

3. Protect transitions.
Five minutes between calls to reset the brain.

4. Create unreachable hours.
Evenings or weekends when nobody gets access.

5. Guard energy like capital.
Spend it where it compounds, not where it’s wasted.

This isn’t self-care.
It’s self-leadership.

Because success that costs your sanity will eventually cost your results.

Which boundary protects your focus the most?

♻️ Repost to help more leaders build sustainable success.
🔔 Follow Luke Tobin for more personal growth insights.

cc Dr. Carolyn Frost (shout out for the image and powerful message)

3x Exited Founder | Follow me for posts on Business, Marketing, M&A & Success Psychology

Most people are chasing the wrong luxuries.

And it’s costing them the ones that matter most.

The truth is… it’s not about how much money you make, or the brand you wear.

The real luxuries are simple.

These aren’t handed to you.
You have to create them. Protect them.

Because in the end,
it won’t be the title,
the money,
or the status that matters.

It’ll be whether you had peace in your heart,
purpose in your work,
and people to share it all with.

That’s the real richness.

That’s the life worth building.
♻️ Repost to help inspire others.
🔔 Follow Luke Tobin for more mindful tips.

cc Scott Caputo (shout out for the image and the powerful reminder)

We are often told to "play it safe".

But, safety doesn't help you grow.

Here's what does:
1. Taking chances on the dreams that scare you.
2. Betting on yourself when no one else will.
3. Choosing courage over comfort, every single time.
4. Believing in the vision only you can see.
5. Acting on what feels like destiny, even if you're unsure.

The truth is:
Every bold move looks unrealistic until someone makes it real.

Why? 
Because the world has always been shaped by people who were willing to look a little “crazy” in pursuit of something bigger.

The innovators. 
The builders. 
The dreamers.

Fear will tell you to wait.
Doubt will tell you you’re not ready.
But growth only happens when you decide to move anyway.

Reminders when chasing your dreams:
If it feels impossible → it’s probably worth the risk.
If people doubt you → you’re likely onto something powerful.
If it feels like destiny → that’s your sign to leap.

At the end of the day, I've learnt that regret weighs heavier than failure.

And the world needs more people who are brave enough,
to follow the dream that feels like destiny.

♻️Repost to help inspire someone in your network.
🔔Follow Luke Tobin for more personal growth tips.

cc Codie A. Sanchez (shout out for the image and powerful reminder!)

Nothing kills you faster than your own mind.

Don't stress over things that are out of your control.

Most people are losing the game before they even start. 
Why? 
Because they’re obsessed with the "noise." 

Which means that you're wasting your most valuable asset: Your Energy.

If you want to scale, whether it's your business or your life, you need to be ruthless with your focus. 

You have a finite amount of mental capacity every day. 
Stop spending it on things where you have zero leverage.

If you’re ready to stop being a passenger in your own life, start here:

1. Audit Your Inputs: 
- Guard your first 60 minutes of awake-time like your business or life depends on it.

2. The "So What?" Test:
- Next time you’re stressed, ask: "Can I influence this in the next 5 minutes?" If the answer is no, move on. If it’s yes, do it. 

3. Set Non-Negotiable Boundaries: 
- Define when you are "on" and when you are "off." High performance requires high-quality recovery.

4. Master Your Self-Talk: 
- Stop saying things to yourself that you wouldn't let a stranger say to your best friend. 

5. Focus on Output, Not Optics: 
- Stop worrying about how the "brand" looks and start worrying about what the "work" is. 

A gentle reality check: 
Everything out of your control is a distraction designed to keep you average.

High performers don't have "easier" lives. 
They just have a tighter filter. 

They double down on their attitude, their boundaries, and their execution.

♻️Found this helpful? Share it with your network.
🔔Follow Luke Tobin for more on cultivating a growth mindset.

Most people overestimate what they can achieve in a month

and underestimate what they can build in a year.

Progress rarely looks exciting while it’s happening.

It’s not dramatic.
It’s repetition, refined.

The truth is, nothing meaningful scales overnight.
It compounds quietly, in systems, skills, and relationships.

In business and in life, I’ve learned:
Momentum isn’t a spark.
It’s friction mastered.

The days that feel slow, repetitive, or unnoticed are usually the ones where foundations are forming.

When growth stalls, I don’t double the effort, I double the focus.

I look for the one action that will compound over time,
not the ten that just make me feel busy.

Because high performance isn’t about speed.

It’s about stamina.
Anyone can start fast.

Few stay consistent long enough for the results to catch up.

💭 What’s one thing you’re quietly building that will pay off next year?

♻️ Repost to remind someone that slow isn’t failure, it’s formation.
🔔 Follow Luke Tobin for more insights on focus and sustainable growth.

cc Justin Wright (shout out for the image and essential reminder!)

The action you're most scared to take is usually the right one.

Deep down, you know what you need to do.

You've been thinking about it for weeks. 

Trying to convince yourself that you need more time, maybe more information, or just a better moment to make that particular move.

But that moment isn't coming.

Some of the best things I've done in business felt completely wrong at the time. 

And there was always a reason; it was too early or felt too risky.  

That feeling of unease is just part of it.

So whatever you've been putting off, make the move.

♻️ Repost if you needed to hear this today. 
🔔 Follow Luke Tobin for more.

cc Justin Welsh (Shout out for the powerful reminder!)

Most founders start the sale process in the wrong place.

Before you think about valuation, you need to answer three questions. 

1. Can someone quickly understand your business? 
2. Are your clients likely to stick around?
3. And if you stepped back, would it still run without you?

If any of those questions make you feel uncomfortable, it's worth paying more attention to that area.

Succeed helps founders get ready, find the right buyer, and manage the whole process, without getting messed around.

Take our free exit assessment:
https://lnkd.in/ey8-zd9G

♻️Repost and save to help other founders in your network.
🔔Follow Luke Tobin for more on agency growth and exit planning.

Asim Khaliq

7 Successful Exits | 25+ yrs of Experience | Transforming Business Consultants into Brand Leaders | CMO & Brand Strategist | Generated $800M+ in E-Commerce Revenue

I help eCommerce brands build, market, and scale profitably.

Alongside this, I’m building a global eCommerce community for founders, operators, and growth leaders who want to scale with clarity, not chaos.

This community exists for one reason:

Too many eCommerce brands fail because of poor strategy, weak systems, and no real mentorship.

My mission is simple but ambitious:
To help empower and upskill over 1 million eCommerce founders and professionals worldwide.

Why Listen to Me?

> Over the last 27+ years
> Built and scaled 7 businesses
> I founded my first company at 22.
> Generated $800M+ in revenue for my clients
> Helped teams scale from 7 figures to 9 figures
> Worked with hundreds of brands across 10+ countries

I have seen every stage of the business lifecycle; from idea to exit, from chaos to scale.

What This Community Is About:

Inside my ecosystem, I focus on,

> Developing leaders and teams, not just brands
> Helping founders think like operators, not firefighters
> Designing systems that scale (funnels, retention, operations)
> Building real eCommerce strategy (positioning, offers, monetization)

Whether you are a founder, executive, or operator, this community is about building businesses that actually last.

How I Help (Beyond the Community):

I work closely with,

> Founders scaling eCommerce brands
> Leadership teams in high-growth environments
> Professionals preparing for executive roles in eCommerce

My coaching and consulting are grounded in real execution, not theory.

Industries I’ve Worked In:

Fashion & Apparel, Beauty, Supplements, Food, Home & Kitchen, Technology, Real Estate, Education, Accounting, HR, and more.

The principles of scale remain the same, only the context changes.

Join the Movement!

If you’re building, scaling, or leading in eCommerce, you are already part of this mission.

Follow along. Learn. Contribute. Grow.

Let’s build the future of eCommerce together.

Asim Khaliq

Member Board of Directors

Sometimes the smartest way to stop the damage is not to fight harder:

I have seen many people stay too long in environments that slowly drain them.

At first, they try to fix things.

→ Work harder
→ Stay positive
→ “Give it more time”

They believe effort will repair the situation.

But in truly toxic environments, effort often turns into exhaustion.

Over time, the signs become clear:

→ Loss of motivation
→ Constant mental fatigue
→ Tension that never switches off
→ Work that follows you home every day

And the hardest part is:

People start believing endurance is strength.

It isn’t always.

Sometimes, strength is recognizing when an environment is burning you out faster than you can recover.

So, step away from toxic workplace.

And leaving doesn’t mean giving up.

It means protecting your ability to build something healthier.

If you find yourself in that position, start planning forward:

1) Rebuild your options:
→ Update your skills and portfolio deliberately
→ Prepare before making any sudden move

2) Expand your network:
→ Reconnect with people outside your workplace
→ Conversations often open unexpected doors

3) Start exploring quietly:
→ Learn about healthier teams and environments
→ Understand what better looks like for you

4) Move with intention:
→ Plan the transition instead of escaping blindly
→ Choose growth, not just relief

Remember:

The move that saves your energy is the move that saves your future.

Save & share this to help someone.

Follow Asim Khaliq for more culture, e-commerce, and business growth insights.

Helping eCommerce brands launch, market, and scale profitably | Building a global eCommerce founders & operators community | $800M+ Generated | Marketing Executive & Consultant

know when to step away from toxic culture

One piece of advice changed my mindset, growth trajectory, and career ambitions:

Back then, my environment looked like this:
→ Same friends.
→ Same perspectives.
→ Same conversations.

It felt normal, loyal, and comfortable.

Until a mentor told me something direct:

“Your mind grows or shrinks to match the room you sit in.”

That line stayed in my head.

So I started paying attention.

And I noticed the impact quietly showing up:
→ New paths felt distant
→ My ambitions stayed modest
→ My thinking wasn’t stretching

Nothing felt wrong, but nothing was evolving either.

So I made deliberate changes in my exposure.

I started:
→ Learning from people ahead of my path
→ Entering conversations outside my comfort zone
→ Spending time with people building bigger things

That shift changed more than motivation.

It changed my perspective:
→ My goals expanded
→ My standards went up
→ My decisions got bolder

So, remember:

You don’t grow only by working harder.

You grow by elevating your exposure that shapes your thinking.

If your world feels small.

Look at the rooms you spend time in.

And if you’re serious about building or growing your business.

I am hosting a free masterclass where I break down the same principles in-depth.

Here is the link - https://lnkd.in/gh5DnDUy

how to grow professionally in your career

Busyness has become the most socially accepted form of unproductivity:

Sound familiar?
→ Calendars are packed.
→ Back-to-back meetings.
→ Notifications are constant.

Most people wear it like a badge:
→ “I’m swamped.”
→ “No time to breathe.”
→ “Crazy busy these days.”

You stay active… but not advancing.

Some people are always busy, yet their growth stays flat.

Others handle fewer priorities, but make much faster progress.

That contrast led to one principle:

Focus grows people. Busyness drains them.

Here are six shifts that made the difference:

1) Capacity Discipline:
→ Avoid running at full capacity daily
→ Reserve time for thinking-intensive work

2) Outcome Prioritization:
→ Rank work based on the impact created
→ Eliminate tasks with low strategic value

3) Protected Learning Time:
→ Block weekly hours for skill development
→ Study industry shifts beyond daily tasks

4) Reflection Windows:
→ Review weekly wins, mistakes, and patterns
→ Turn experience into repeatable insight

5) Distraction Control:
→ Reduce context switching across multiple tasks
→ Batch shallow work into focused blocks

6) Strategic Exposure
→ Engage with people ahead of time professionally
→ Join conversations outside immediate function

And the result?
→ Better decision-making quality
→ Clearer long-term career direction
→ Stronger ownership and confidence
→ Faster professional growth trajectory

Remember:

Growth needs cognitive space.

→ Focus compounds.
→ Busyness exhausts.

I’m hosting a free masterclass on how to build and scale your business with structured strategy and communication frameworks.

Comment “MASTERCLASS” or check the link in the comments.

Focus grows people- Busyness drains them.

If early failure was a signal to quit, the world would look very different today:

When Carl Benz built the first motorized vehicle, it didn’t look revolutionary.

It looked strange, risky, and impractical.

People ridiculed it:
→ Fuel was inaccessible
→ Horses were more reliable
→ Breakdowns were inevitable

By early-stage standards, it was labeled a failure.

But Benz was not building for early validation.

He was building for inevitability.

He understood that transformation always looks inefficient before it looks obvious.

That persistence eventually laid the foundation for Mercedes-Benz.

Now a global symbol of automotive excellence.

Here’s why this story matters.

When people start something new, they evaluate long-term outcomes with short-term patience.

When results don’t show up early:
→ They question the idea
→ They doubt the market
→ They doubt themselves

Instead of questioning the process:
→ Was validation deep enough?
→ Was positioning clear enough?
→ Was consistency strong enough?

So when something you’re building feels harder than expected:

Pause before you walk away:
→ Study what isn’t working
→ Adjust what needs refinement
→ Stay long enough to let progress compound

Remember:

Every failure is temporary. Quitting makes it permanent.

Save & share this to help others in their journey.

Follow Asim Khaliq for more e-commerce and business growth insights.

Do professionals need to be great storytellers?

(And why most people get this completely wrong.)

Many people assume storytelling belongs to fables, movies, or article writing.

But in business, storytelling is how ideas get expressed, understood, and adopted.

When you:
→ Build a brand
→ Pitch investors
→ Deliver a speech
→ Present strategy
→ Communicate challenges
→ Align teams around solutions

You are telling a story.

And the professionals who persuade most effectively are the ones who structure their narratives best.

Here are 6 you can start using immediately:

1) Before – After – Bridge:
→ Use for consulting, product marketing, solution selling

How to use:
→ Define the current struggle
→ Paint the desired future
→ Bridge with your solution

2) Problem – Agitate – Solution:
→ Use for sales messaging, ads, and landing pages

How to use:
→ Identify the pain point
→ Amplify the stakes
→ Present the solution

3) Freytag’s Pyramid:
→ Use for case studies, campaign stories, brand narratives

How to use:
→ Set the business context
→ Build tension around the challenge
→ Lead to a decisive turning point
→ Close with results & resolution

4) Golden Circle:
→ Use for brand positioning, vision communication

How to use:
→ Start with WHY you exist
→ Explain HOW you differentiate
→ Then present WHAT you offer

5) 5 C’s Framework:
→ Use for strategy storytelling, transformation narratives, leadership communication

How to use:
→ Context — Set the background
→ Conflict — Define the tension
→ Catalyst — Trigger the shift
→ Change — Show the action
→ Conclusion — Deliver the outcome

6) Pyramid Principle:
→ Use for executive decks, investor communication

How to use:
→ Lead with the main answer
→ Support with arguments
→ Back with evidence

Remember:

Storytelling isn’t optional in business.

→ It’s how strategies get funded.
→ How brands get remembered.
→ How decisions get made.

If you want to go deeper into building persuasive brands, positioning, and growth systems.

I’m hosting a free masterclass on how to build and scale your business with structured strategy and communication frameworks.

Comment “MASTERCLASS” or check the link in the comments.

Storytelling Frameworks for Professional Growth

One question instantly exposes whether a company truly respects work-life balance:

Many organizations proudly talk about balance.

But day-to-day reality looks different:

→ “Urgent” becomes routine
→ Late messages expect replies
→ Weekends become overflow time
→ Availability becomes performance

So people adjust.

→ They stay online longer.
→ They respond faster than needed.
→ They protect perception… not well-being.

On paper, balance exists.

In practice, pressure decides.

The truth is simple:

If saying “not now” feels risky, balance isn’t real.

Therefore

Real work-life balance shows up differently:

→ Leaders respect offline time
→ Output matters more than visibility
→ Recovery is seen as performance fuel
→ Boundaries are modeled, not requested

Remember:

Culture isn’t what companies announce.

It’s what employees feel safe doing.

And sometimes, one honest question reveals everything.

Can employees refuse after-hours work without consequences?

Interested in joining my Free masterclass on how to build your next business?

Comment “Free Access” and I will provide you with the link.

why work life balance is critical to business growth

The most common reason organizations lose top clients is the quiet loss of their top people.

This happens far more often than leaders admit.

→ Revenue appears stable
→ Operations seem fine
→ The brand looks solid

But inside the organization, something is eroding.

→ Top performers disengage
→ Ownership weakens
→ Energy levels drop

And eventually, clients feel it.

A healthy workplace culture is not a slogan.

It shows up in every customer interaction.

→ In every decision
→ In every response time
→ In every moment of care or lack of it

Here’s what a healthy workplace culture actually looks like:

→ Leaders create psychological safety
→ Accountability is clear and consistent
→ Growth is supported and intentional
→ Communication is transparent and respectful

When culture works, performance compounds.

→ People who feel supported think better.
→ People who feel heard act stronger.
→ People who feel valued stay longer.

And when retention strengthens, client experience strengthens.

Save & share this to help your network.

Follow Asim Khaliq for more business growth insights.

Some people build businesses, others keep building ideas, only one sees real outcomes:

I see this all the time.

Someone lands on a strong idea.

Before it’s tested or validated, they are already thinking about:

→ The next feature
→ The next product
→ The next expansion
→ The next “bigger” opportunity

Ideas alone don’t move businesses forward.

Execution does...

Execution is a structured movement from thought to reality:

→ Converting ideas into hypotheses
→ Testing real problem–solution fit
→ Validating demand signals
→ Building minimum viable versions

Inside organizations, it looks familiar:

→ Whiteboards are full
→ Roadmaps are heavy
→ Progress is light

Ideas create the illusion of motion.

And execution creates traction.

The shift happens when you stop asking:

“What else could we do?”

And start asking:

→ What are we validating right now?
→ What moved forward this week?
→ What did we test in real conditions?

Remember:

One executed idea outperforms ten untested ones.

If you feel stuck in cycles of ideation,

Advance the one you already have.

That’s where businesses are actually built.

Do you want to learn how to build a business and advance your professional growth? 

Join My Free Masterclass, Link is in the comment section.

After years of working inside leadership teams, I have realized something uncomfortable:

Most cultural breakdowns come from beliefs that sound right on the surface.

But shape very different realities inside organizations.

Here are six leadership myths and the realities:

1) Myth: Leaders must always have the answers
Reality: Teams stop thinking independently and wait for direction.

Action Steps:
→ Frame the problem before offering solutions
→ Invite perspectives before setting direction

2) Myth: Speed is the ultimate performance indicator
Reality: Decisions get rushed, and diagnoses get skipped.

Action Steps:
→ Build reflection into decision timelines
→ Review thinking before approving action

3) Myth: Collaboration slows productivity
Reality: Silos grow stronger, and insight stays fragmented.

Action Steps:
→ Reward cross-functional problem solving
→ Align teams around shared outcome

4) Myth: Emotions don’t belong at work
Reality: Pressure stays buried, and issues surface too late.

Action Steps:
→ Acknowledge stress signals early
→ Encourage constructive dialogue

5) Myth: Accountability means blame
Reality: Ownership drops and risk-taking disappears.

Action Steps:
→ Evaluate systems, not just individuals
→ Focus reviews on corrective learning

6) Myth: Top performers don’t need support
Reality: Excellence plateaus and disengagement build quietly.

Action Steps:
→ Offer stretch opportunities
→ Provide strategic coaching exposure

Leadership culture is shaped by the beliefs leaders normalize through behavior.

When myths go unchallenged, performance, trust, and ownership shift with them.

Recognizing these gaps is where cultural correction begins.

Save & share this to help others in your network.

Follow Asim Khaliq for more e-commerce and business growth strategies.

Follow these six leadership shifts to future-proof your career in modern organizations:

In today’s work environments, authority alone doesn’t create influence, alignment, or performance.

The professionals who grow the fastest are those who transition from command authority to shared accountability.

Here are six shifts that define that transition:

1) Ownership Creation:
→ Don’t just assign tasks.
→ Align people to outcomes they feel responsible for delivering.

2) Thinking Enablement:
→ Stop being the answer hub.
→ Build teams that can analyze, make decisions, and solve problems independently.

3) Learning Reviews:
→ Replace blame conversations with system diagnosis.
→ Focus on what failed, not who failed.

4) Responsibility Visibility:
→ Authority shows who approves work.
→ Accountability shows who stands behind the results.

5) Pressure Absorption:
→ Leaders protect team capacity.
→ They don’t cascade stress downward.

6) Commitment Building:
→ Compliance gets tasks done.
→ Commitment builds discretionary effort and innovation.

Remember:

Command authority may drive short-term output.

Shared accountability builds long-term leadership credibility.

And in modern organizations, credibility compounds faster than control.

If your goal is career longevity, not just positional growth:

Start shifting how ownership flows around you.

Save & share this to help your network.

Follow Asim Khaliq for more e-commerce and business growth insights.

Why teams comply under bosses but commit under leaders

taplio

The Battle

Luke Tobin

Asim Khaliq

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreLuke Tobin's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreAsim Khaliq's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Luke Tobin

Asim Khaliq

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

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);}Luke Tobin's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreAsim Khaliq's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreLuke Tobin's LinkedIn Performance