Tom Hunt

$3.6m ARR. $0 raised. I have no idea what I'm doing.

Jan 2014.I'm walking home from a depressing New Year's trip to Oslo with an ex. girlfriend.It's raining in East London.I made a decision:I would replace my management consulting salary (£42,000) by the end of the year.I had no idea from where, but that was the goal...I just about hit it and left the corporate world.And I haven't been back since.Fast forward a decade and I've:- Tried and failed with 17 businesses- Invested in 11- Learnt a LOTThe one that is finally working is called Fame:- We have a weird culture (in a good way)- We start and grow podcasts for B2B businesses- We are fully remote and have 75 full-time team membersI live for our awesome team at Fame, building businesses and great marketing.And I post about them here 🤗

Founder & CEO

We start and grow the world's most profitable B2B podcasts.

Clients include:

👉 IDEO
👉 Workday
👉 HighRadius
👉 People.ai
👉 Zendesk
👉 Bevy
👉 Circle
👉 Suzy
👉 Mazars
👉 LeanData
👉 CXL
👉 Ramp
👉 Alibaba
👉 Signify
👉 eToro

$4.5m ARR. $0 raised. I have no idea what I’m doing.

“We need to let them go.”

I’m in a 1-1 and a manager thinks someone in their team isn’t performing.

I'm in shock, to me they seemed enthusiastic and a culture fit.


We dug into the details:

- What weren’t they doing?
- Why weren’t they doing it?

The manager thought they either didn't understand or couldn't do the role.

Then I ask:

“How did onboarding go?”

“What do you mean by onboarding?” they reply.


And that's when we found the issue:

We skipped the onboarding process and replaced it with "a couple of calls".


If you’re recruiting right, you owe it to yourself to onboard right.

You can’t expect someone to join and start performing, you need to set them up to succeed.

Onboard right or do it twice.

Agree?

I had a terrible boss.

And I spent more time with them than my partner.
 

They never raised their voice.

They smiled (kind of).

But they also started:

- Passing my ideas off as their own
- Expecting email responses at 10pm
- “Checking in” multiple times per day
 
Again, they weren’t ever aggressive or rude, they just slowly eroded my confidence each day.

I thought this was normal e.g. you get a job, you get a manager like this.
 

And then…

I moved roles and got a new manager, they:

- Stepped in when needed
- Never emailed after hours
- Saved most comms to our weekly 1-1
 

A great manager won’t get you promoted.

They will change the trajectory of your career.

Agree?

My 7 favourite startup lies:


1. We’re scaling
-- No, you still don't know how/if you'll be profitable

2. We’re going viral
-- No, your CEO’s LinkedIn fundraise post got a few more likes than normal

3. TechCrunch picked us up
-- No, your $10k per month PR agency got you featured

4. We’re partnering with Google
-- No, you’re paying Google Cloud for servers

5. The inbound pipeline is strong
-- No, some competitors requested a demo to see what you’re building

6. We have FANG-level talent
-- No, one of your devs interned at Netflix 6 years ago

7. The team are fully incentivised
-- No, they have paper options based on an inflated fundraise


And my absolute favourite:

8. We’re worth $30m
-- No, a hyped up VC gave you this valuation to make themselves look good (so they can raise their next fund)


Thank god we don't have to lie to ourselves.

Here’s to the bootstrappers 🥂

(Exit the hype-train and subscribe to Cash Machines)

I probably shouldn’t share this…

I like to call it the “Pay Rise Formula”.


Most people go about asking for money in the completely wrong way:

1. Pay review arrives
2. “Can I have more money?”

It’s an easy "not yet" from the boss.


But if you follow these three steps, you boost your chances of a pay rise by at least 56%:

(Not a guarantee but it works)

1. 6 months before the pay review ask your boss: “what do I need to be doing in the next 6 months to get a pay-rise?”

2. Write those things down and make a plan to hit them. Work hard.

3. A few weeks before the pay review, show the list (with things ticked off) to your boss in a 1-1 and ask them to confirm if you are actually doing those things


If done right, there is no way a boss can push back on a raise with the "not yet" excuse.

Pro-activity pays.

Agree?

"OK let me get this straight..."

"Because it kind of sounds like you built yourself a job."


It's 11:37pm in 2017 and I'm sat with a good friend enjoying a spicy margarita in a seedy city bar.

He's shouting into my ear because they closed something called a "Series A":

- How their going to change the world
- An upcoming TechCrunch article
- All the people he needs to hire
- Their "enterprise motion"


But something isn't making sense to me:

1. He has to report to the board every month
2. Any cost greater than £25k must have board sign off
3. He can't take cash out whenever he wants
4. Board needs to sign off his salary
4. If he leaves in the next 4 years he only keeps a slice of his own company
5. If they don't sell it for a massive amount he may get nothing
6. To sell it, they need investor sign off


He replies:

"Yeah I see what you're saying, but the reality is the company is now valued at £20m, my stake is £6m, so I'm basically a multi-millionaire"

😳


As you can imagine, it didn't work out well.

Glad I stuck to building Cash Machines.

$4.5 million ARR, 0 raised.

$500 invested.

It’s been a wild ride.


We have built Fame as a service business with mostly intangible assets.

We did it without selling a single piece of equity to venture capital.

But even asset-light businesses get stuck.

You often need to buy speed to hire a star developer, fund a new marketing campaign, or pay a tax bill.

In those moments, I did not want to wait weeks for a bank.

Unless I had another option.

An option like iwoca.


They fund small businesses that move quickly and have already funded 100,000 businesses in the UK. 

They lent £3.3 billion to business owners who need to move fast and build resilience.

You can apply for business finance between £1,000 and £1M in about five minutes.

They typically give you a decision within 24 hours.

Apply here to check your options: https://lnkd.in/euSG4SCm

NOTE - applying does not impact your credit score.

#Ad

Brand partnership • $4.5m ARR. $0 raised. I have no idea what I’m doing.

It felt like the responsible thing to do... 


But then it turned out to be one of the worst business decisions ever.

Depreciating assets hurt the balance sheet, locking up capital that could be used for growth. 

For example... 

We are in a hiring sprint, bringing on 2 - 3 new team members in Feb. 

Old Tom would have dropped thousands upfront for laptops that would be worth significantly less by next year.

That isn’t scaling.

It’s a cash drain.

Instead, we are using Raylo.

It took 60 seconds to set up a subscription for the latest HP laptops, and they arrived the next day.

Here is why I recommend Raylo as an affordable option for small businesses:

- Protect Your Cash: We paid £0 upfront. Every pound saved on hardware goes straight into growth.

- Upgrade Freedom: With the MacBook M5 rumors floating around, I am not worried because we can upgrade the team to the latest models for free with Raylo's monthly rolling option.

- Zero Drama: If something goes wrong with a device during the subscription, Raylo's Lifetime Warranty covers technical faults and they sort it quickly.


Or in other words:

Stop buying "stuff" that rots on your balance sheet. 

Convert your tech to OpEx and keep your capital for growth.

Check out the subscription options for your team here: mdsh.io/raylo-business 

#Ad

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗙𝗙
Our approach to brand and culture works in three parts - you can start anywhere, though we recommend standing up first:

💚 STAND UP – define who you are
We uncover what makes you unique and build the foundations that guide your team and decisions.

💚 STAND OUT – express it with confidence
We shape the identity, positioning, and story that make you recognisable for all the right reasons.

💚 STAND TOGETHER – bring it to life
We align people, behaviours, and culture so your brand is lived through everyday actions and leadership.

---

𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗔𝗠 𝗜?
I'm obsessed with health, outdoor, sourdough and kefir. I LOVE mud runs with my girls. BBQ (and a few craft beers) is my place of zen.

Strategically minded, with a passion for connecting people, creativity and systems. I’ve spent 30+ years in industry, honing my trade running three successful agencies - The Good Stuff being my fourth.

---

💚 GOOD PEOPLE, DOING GOOD WORK, FOR GOOD REASONS
We work with businesses and organisations that care as much about people and the planet as they do about profit. 

Not strictly purpose-led? If you’re good people, we’re up for a chat ☺️

💚 OUR OFFSITES
For founders who know brand matters, but don’t want a drawn-out agency process.

We take you somewhere better suited to thinking clearly – off the grid, out of the office – and create the space to figure out what really matters.

------

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱?
💬 DM me and let's talk through what's troubling you and where to begin.

James Easley

When we started The Good Stuff, Helen Banyard and I vowed to live our values every day, to double down on the experiences we've had and be proud of who we are.

It's been a hard few years. We've turned down work because it wasn't right for us. And we've been at points where we wish we hadn't turned down anything at all. But it's starting to come together in a way that feels a lot more... us.

I truly believe this is because of the people we surround ourselves with. Good people. Good folk. That it's our communities that help us do better. BE better.

They are the stick we measure ourselves by.

So to help us continue our mission - and add a scale we haven't been able to achieve alone - we've started a collective of lovely volunteers, kind enough to donate one of the most precious commodities they have.

Time.

25 incredibly talented specialists covering everything from change management and finance to marketing, websites, design and brand strategy. Every month, they'll each give 3-4 hours, pro bono, to help small charities unlock a specific challenge.

If you're a small charity - under £300k income - visit the link in the comments.

We need to reach as many charities as possible - so if you know one that's stuck, stretched, or needs a bit of specialist support, please share this post.

And don’t worry, we’re still The Good Stuff Group.

But now we’re keeping company with some very Good Folk indeed.
💛✨

Brand Strategist | Co-Host of the Marketing Meet-up | Over 146 Followers | Once Had 27 Likes on a Post

A montage of profile pics, in a 6x8 grid, with a green tint overlaid. And a black circular logo in the middle saying 'good folk' written in a rope like text, reversed out of the circle.

Very very proud of my pardner for doing this. It takes a lot of nerve to jump into something new - especially hosting a podcast! 🫡 Well done H - and what a fantastic topic to kick off with!

In Helen’s first episode as our new host, she’s joined by the brilliant Hazel Cottle - an occupational therapist, mum, and the mind behind the innovative concept of Puddle Parks.

Puddle Parks reimagine how families can enjoy the outdoors even on the rainiest days, helping children connect with nature while deepening their understanding of water, the environment, and their local community.

Tune in to hear how these playful spaces not only boost physical and mental well-being, but also support kids to learn about important issues such as climate change and flooding.

🎧 https://lnkd.in/e-YXZpqk

It’s not often our workshops finish at midnight 🌚😴

But when they do, they’re fueled by the most incredible people.

Thank you Hazel MacTavish-West and team, what a great cohort! Hearing that feedback has made my day/night (whatever time zone my brain is still in).

For a session designed to stretch their thinking, I think we got there.

Even if my final contribution was the technical term ‘thinkening’.

Good night ya’ll 💛

CEO and Co-Founder @ Seedlab Australia I help passionate business founders make their dreams real.

We love working with people who do "just what they say on the tin". Which is why the workshop we had this morning in Seedlab Australia for our Cultivate 12 crew, live from the UK with The Good Stuff Group was so stellar!

Adam from The Four Saucemen Ltd said afterwards: "Both presenters made us think.......... a lot. I won't sleep tonight*"

Dan from Byron Bay Chilli Company said one of his A-Ha moments was: "being forced to identify who my products are not for - this was a really useful way to think about the shoppers around my products and helped narrow down my idea of who my customers are". 

We'd love to hear more from our Cultivators about what they got out of it - but one thing's for sure: Helen and James do just what they say on the tin - they provide Good Stuff!

*Since the workshop was run in our Australian morning, and Helen Banyard and James Easley had to stay up late (and had been contemplating doing the workshop in their PJ's) - we're hoping they DO sleep soundly!

Thanks guys! a job well done!

Kenna MacTavish Russell Smith Chur Bol BBQ Wholly Shrink! Googys Natural Protein Products Ibu Sambal Kiwi Sorbet L'Authentique Melvourni Not Coffee    
#thegoodstuff #brandworkshop

Can a campaign change behaviour when the whole world already knows the problem exists?

This Wednesday at The Marketing Meetup Ashford, Daniel Webb from The Big Plastic Count is going to answer that question — and it's one every marketer should hear.

Here's what you'll take home:

🎯 How to make people care — when your issue isn't new and the noise is deafening, what actually moves people from knowing to doing?

🔄 When to evolve your message — why the bravest thing a campaign can do is pivot, and how to bring your audience with you

🌱 The power of simple — why accessibility and fun aren't the enemy of serious issues. They might just be the whole point.

Drinks, marketing insights, gorgeous Nepalese food(💛) and lovely people. What else do you need on a Wednesday night? 

A big thank you to Think Unconventionall for making this one possible!

🔗 Link in the comments

taplio

The Battle

Tom Hunt

James Easley

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The Battle

Tom Hunt

James Easley

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);}Tom Hunt's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreTom Hunt's LinkedIn Performance