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 LOT

The 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 members

I live for our awesome team at Fame, building businesses and great marketing.

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

We don't review CVs.

We don't use an ATS.

We don't ask for cover letters.

And we barely spend money on job ads.


Here's our hiring process:

1. Candidates come inbound
2. We review their LinkedIn profile
3. They do a short test task
4. First interview: competency-based
5. Final interview: values-based

That's it.


No six-round marathons
No "upload your resume then retype it"
No AI scanning for keywords


Just people looking at real work and having conversations.

HR SaaS businesses told everyone that hiring needs to be complex.

It doesn't.


You don't need expensive software to find good people.

Agree?

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

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I cancelled a 1-1 with someone on my team.


Why?

- They were thriving
- Their OKRs were progressing well
- I had nothing meaningful to contribute

So why have the meeting?

Why waste their time because I'm insecure about doing my job?


It's called macro-management.

HINT: the opposite of micro-management.


Here’s how it works:

- They work where they want
- You provide the insight, tools and resources
- You remove barriers, blockers and distractions
- They decide the "how"
- You trust them

Put simply:

You enable.
You assist.

Then you stay in your lane...

Not theirs.

Agree?

We hired a project manager for $7 per hour in 2022.

Now he's earning $40K a year.

That's higher than 98% of earners in the Philippines.


We made him a deal:

"Where you are right now limits what we can pay you because you don't generate enough value. But the more problems you can solve for us, the more we can pay you."

E.g. we hired him for what he could become, not what he was.


He got a payrise in year 2, then in year 3, he takes on another role.

Now he's:

- Project manager
- Video editor

Maybe more in the future.


The best hires have the right attitude toward growth.

Skill gaps close with time and effort.

Character gaps rarely close.

No one is clapping when you get the second resignation email of the day.

No one is clapping at 6:37am on a Saturday as you’re combing through the P&L.

No one is clapping when it’s your 17th decision of the day.

No one is clapping when you're the only person around to reply to the angry customer.

No one is clapping when payroll looms and the bank balance isn’t where it should be.

No one is clapping when you can’t think of anything else on a Sunday afternoon.



There’s a lot of hype around starting a business these days…

I’m not sure it’s for everyone.

Most people chase salaries and titles.
Smart people choose who they work with.

Specifically: their manager.

Here's why:

A bad manager...
- Drains your energy
- Protects their position
- Watches your every move

A great manager...
- Explains why things work
- Protects you from politics
- Supports your development


The truth?

You may spend more time with your manager than your spouse.

Choose wisely.

Fame bootstrapped to $4.5M ARR by charging LESS.

Plus we:

- Spend less than 2% of revenue on ads
- Have a 1 person sales team
- Raised $0

How?

By focusing on the one metric everyone ignores...

Retention.


1️⃣ Strong inbound engine

Outbound and ads cost more, both to book a sales call, but also in the skill (and therefore cost) of the person who needs to run the call.

Instead:

- SEO
- Personal brand
- Bottom of the funnel Google Ads


2️⃣ Charge less

E.g. the Amazon model.

The more you charge, the more likely you will be cut when the CFO and CEO review the monthly P&L.


3️⃣ Objective performance metrics

We used to track client happiness, now we track client objectives.

Happy clients churn, successful clients don't.


4️⃣ Build a retention culture

The team laugh everytime I say "retention is the foundation of growth" because I say it so much.

Hire, fire and promote based on retention.



The formula:

1️⃣ Strong inbound engine
2️⃣ Charge less
3️⃣ Track objective performance metrics
4️⃣ Build a culture of retention

And please, say it after me:

Retention is the foundation of growth.

As soon as I met Cristian and Alexandru in person, I knew I had to go.

They are the first reason I'm hosting a panel at Tekpon AI Summit 2025 in Bucharest.


The second reason is that I've spent the last 5 years working in my bedroom (pretty much).

$4.5m ARR from behind a screen.

It's working.

But now it's time to crawl out of the cave, and into real life.


So if you're in Bucharest on November 25th, come say hi.

Let's talk AI.
Let's talk marketing.
Let's talk LinkedIn.

Just let's actually talk.

Be like Taylor Swift...


At least that's what I told the awesome people at the Turing x SYSTM Growth Summit yesterday.


Why?

She nailed The Fame Formula:

1. Make really good content in a specific niche
2. Be seen around other famous people in the niche

First she did it with country, and now she does it with pop music.


It's also what we need to do in B2B.

B2B buyers are only in the market 3% of the time. We need to get them to know, like and trust us during the other 97% of the time.

How?

Two steps:

1. Content Format
2. Content Positioning


1. Content Format

You've got three options:

Social: Easiest to grow, lowest influence. Great for reach, but people scroll past quickly.

Email/Written: Middle ground. More intimate than social, easier to produce than podcasts.

Podcast: Hardest to grow, highest influence, best for repurposing. One episode can become 20 pieces of content.

If I was to start again, I would pick the social platform that I liked best, and start there.


2. Content Positioning

Two parts:

- The Niche

Be as narrow as possible.

If you sell email marketing software, don't start a marketing podcast, don't event start a email marketing podcast, start the open-rate podcast.

- The Edge

The thing a customer would tell their friends. What makes you different? What's your unique opinion?


That's The Fame Formula:

Pick your format.
Nail your positioning...

And be like Taylor.

If you can’t share an agenda for the meeting, we shouldn’t be meeting.

When Taplio was acquired by lemlist, they got:

- $2m upfront
- Another $6m for hitting growth targets


I asked him if it was time for beach and cocktails...

"Absolutely not."

Tibo starting sourcing young, hungry founders to build more products.

He now runs 5 products, each with difference technical founders, whilst he focuses on their growth and building his personal brand.

Now $6m ARR.


The next exit will be much bigger.

Find out how in this episode of Confessions of a B2B Entrepreneur below 👇

One of our team members' machines was compromised.

And a client found out about it.

Somehow their Slack log in was posted in a data dump, which was flagged to a client's security team.

We immediately took the compromised machine offline for deep cleaning and changed a load of other passwords.

In the end, no breach occurred, but it was a scare.

This would likely not have happened if we were using Keeper Security, Inc. 

It’s the highest-rated password manager in the world for a reason. 

It solves both the security and the productivity problem:

- Zero-Trust Security: Keeper built its entire platform on a zero-trust, zero-knowledge architecture so your business data is encrypted on your device before it ever reaches their servers

- Instant Access: The KeeperFill feature automatically enters usernames and complex passwords for you

Keeper is built to scale with your business (securely) from day one.

Check out their Cyber Week offer linked in the first comment 👇

#ad #keepersecurity #cyberweek

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

Referral Program Pros

✅ WHAT I DO: 
Help service-based professionals get new clients through done-for-you outreach using your own unique "Value Offer".

✅ WHO I WORK WITH:
-Client-based B2B service businesses

✅ HOW I GET YOU MORE CLIENTS IN 4 STEPS:

1 | Your LinkedIn Profile Upgrade:
Starting with an optimized linkedin profile is crucial to your success. After all, when someone googles your name, your linkedin profile will be one of the top results. I make sure your profile is ready for prime-time. That means it's clear, compelling, and converts visitors into leads.

2 | Your Audience Strategy:
Engaging the right prospects is a big piece of the puzzle. We will nail down your Ideal Client Profile (or "avatar") so it's crystal clear who we're targeting and what we need to do to engage them.

3 | Your Value Offer:
Consider this a "slice of service". It can be lots of things - a guide, eBook, masterclass, or a video sharing your expertise. The most important thing is that it delivers actual value up front so that you can qualify your leads, demonstrate your expertise and compound your lead list.

4 | Your Messaging:
I will create the messaging and we will ensure your Value Offer gets in front of thousands of your ideal prospects each month.

✅ WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT ME:

🗣️"Tom! You not only delivered way before your promised timeframe, you went above and beyond to connect me to others who may benefit from my services. I will be a life long customer." - Tonia Robinson, CEO 

🗣️ "Referral Program Pros is a great resource for verified leads. Tom Ryan and his team have provided exceptional service and guidance as we started down this path of email campaigning. If you need help sorting out all the new rules of engagement, you'll want RPP on your side!" - Caitlyn Harts, CGO at Structured Cyber

🗣️"Tom is our go-to email guy - we've been consistently booking 400-500 calls every month" - Mark Schnurman, Managing Broker at The Perfect Franchise

BizX

Built the team and tech to help SMBs create and deliver their products and services to 7,000+ members of a digital barter platform.

Chief Operating Officer

Freelance

Helped a number of small businesses surpass their growth goals through referral marketing, product market fit, positioning and sales.

Developed a deep understanding for how to properly leverage networks and relationships to drive fast growth for a variety of businesses.

Growth Marketer

Euroadventures

-Tested and scaled numerous marketing campaigns
-Grew our business from 400 customers per year to 3,000+ customers per year
-Traveled Europe every weekend and had an absolute blast

Director of Marketing And Business Development

Helping service providers & sales teams generate new business by launching irresistible “𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐬” at scale. Join 6k+ others growing their biz with lead gen tips & tactics (link below) ⬇️

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚 𝐁𝟐𝐁 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲?

You've likely heard there's two ways to generate leads:

1️⃣ 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 (LinkedIn outreach, email outreach)
2️⃣ 𝐈𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 (SEO, paid ads, content marketing, referrals)

Outbound, especially LinkedIn and email outreach, is your fastest, most direct path to new business.

✅ 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐄 𝐃𝐎:
We help B2B service-based professionals rapidly attract clients through targeted, done-for-you LinkedIn profile upgrades, LinkedIn outreach campaigns, and email outreach strategies leveraging your unique Value Offer.


✅ 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐒:

1️⃣ 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐔𝐩𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞:
Your LinkedIn profile isn't just a resume - it's your #1 personal landing page on Google. We'll optimize your LinkedIn profile for maximum visibility, keyword relevance, and lead conversion. When your ideal prospects search for someone offering your expertise, you'll be at the top.

2️⃣ 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
We develop a laser-focused Ideal Client Profile (ICP) to clearly define and target your ideal prospects, ensuring every outreach campaign precisely matches their needs.

3️⃣ 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
We craft an irresistible "slice of your expertise" - a guide, report, masterclass, or video that attracts attention, builds authority, and generates high-quality leads.

4️⃣ 𝐃𝐨𝐧𝐞-𝐅𝐨𝐫-𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡:
We design, execute, and optimize highly effective LinkedIn outreach and email campaigns to position your Value Offer directly in front of thousands of targeted prospects every month.

*Or if you just want to start with a done-for-you LinkedIn Profile Upgrade, go here:
https://www.referralprogrampros.com/linkedin-profile-upgrade


✅ 𝐌𝐘 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃:

-Born and raised in Stillwater, Minnesota. 
-Snowboarded (and went to college at Gonzaga) in Spokane, Washington.
-Co-founded a travel company in Florence, Italy.
-Became COO of a fintech company in Bellevue, Washington.
-Started Referral Program Pros and living my passion of helping entrepreneurs grow.

I live in Seattle, WA with my wife and two kids - the 3 people who make me the luckiest guy I know.

taplio

The Battle

Tom Hunt

Thomas Ryan Oakes

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreTom Hunt's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Tom Hunt

Thomas Ryan Oakes

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

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreTom Hunt's LinkedIn Performance