Built. Burned Out. Sold for Millions

Most founders obsess over revenue, product, and performance. But no one talks about what happens when the pressure breaks you. This episode is that conversation. In this episode of The Business Strategist, I sit down with Luke Tobin, a three-time exited founder, award-winning entrepreneur, and digital marketing expert turned investor. We go beyond the business playbook and dive deep into the mental and emotional resilience it takes to lead through chaos, recover from failure, and build with an exit in mind.  From losing £26K in his 20s to scaling and selling his agency for a life-changing sum, Luke opens up about identity crises, burnout, panic attacks, and the wake-up calls that reshaped how he leads—and lives. If you're building to sell, wrestling with pressure, or wondering what life looks like after the exit, this is the real talk most founders never hear. If you disappeared tomorrow, would your business survive — or stall? Take the Exit Readiness Assessment to find out. Click here to get your score. Chapters 00:00 The Mental Performance of Founders 02:55 Luke Tobin's Entrepreneurial Journey 06:04 Learning from Failures 09:04 The Impact of Debt on Mental Health 12:00 Resilience and Mindset in Entrepreneurship 15:03 The Importance of Human Connection in Business 17:50 Old School Hustle vs. Modern Marketing 20:56 Balancing Growth and Operational Challenges 24:09 Building a Strong Leadership Team 29:15 The Importance of Capital and Future Thinking 30:07 Navigating Burnout as a Founder 32:27 Recognising and Overcoming Panic Attacks 34:44 The Hustle Culture and Its Consequences 37:41 Strategic Planning for Business Exits 39:15 Building Value for Potential Buyers 44:49 Emotional Journey After Exiting a Business 48:44 Evolving as a Leader and Mentor 51:51 Key Steps to Prepare for an Exit 56:39 Finding Purpose After Success 🙏 How To Support The Business Strategist 🎙️ If this is the first time you’re listening congrats, if you like today’s episode please subscribe, listen and leave a review on 👉 Apple, Spotify ABOUT THE GUEST Personal Website: https://www.luketobin.com/ Company website: https://www.tobincapital.co.uk/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luketobin/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lukettobin/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lukettobin X: https://x.com/lukettobin Newsletter: Join 30,000+ high-performers getting stronger, smarter, and more successful every week — Subscribe here Free Resources: Access powerful eBooks, cheat sheets, and proven strategies used to build and scale multiple 8-figure businesses — Get them here ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices