Meet Tom Scourfield | Agency Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tom Scourfield and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tom, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I’ve always had a pull toward starting my own business from a young age. Conventional careers never appealed to me. I liked the idea of following my curiosity and creating something that I’m in control of and has unlimited upside.

Lemon Leverage isn’t my first business. So when it came to starting it, the thought process was a mix of: am I good at this, is it scalable, and is there a need? I could answer yes to all three, so I felt confident to pursue the idea.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business, Lemon Leverage, is a LinkedIn content and branding agency. We help B2B founders, mainly in the real estate and tech space, to create a brand and build an audience on LinkedIn. We help them craft their narrative and produce meaningful content to attract customers, partners, talent, and investors.

I’m proud that I was able to get this off the ground from scratch in the USA while living in London and prove myself right after taking a chance to pursue the idea after leaving a previous business venture. I love that I get to work with accomplished founders whom I may not have had a chance to meet otherwise.

I’m excited to lean more into this space as more and more founders realize the importance of telling their story online, creating media and showing their brand to grow their business. I’m excited to be a part of that and grow the business.

I got the business to where it is through good old cold outreach, as I didn’t have much of a network to lean into. It was just good old-fashioned banging on a lot of doors. I landed some great clients this way early on and soon they would start referring me to their cofounders and friends.

It definitely wasn’t easy. It can be a noisy business with a lot of moving parts and getting a foot in the door with the right people takes a long time. But I’m pretty good at sticking with things, making we offer genuine value and being okay with hearing a lot of no’s before getting a yes.

Everything takes longer than you think, and as a founder, you’re often the bottleneck. Every problem is solvable; you just need to figure out what it is you need to change about yourself first.

Media is the ultimate form of leverage. It’s opened up doors I never imagined for myself and that’s what we help our clients achieve, too.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Depends where! I’ve just moved to Toronto and I’m still finding my way around here. Ossington Avenue is a great vibe espeically when the sun is out. You have to grab a coffee from Forget Me Not and pastries from Dear Grain. Richmond Station is a great dining spot too.

I’m originally from London, so if you’re visiting there, you absolutely have to try the best South Indian food at Tamila near Kings Cross. Be sure to spend a day exploring Hampstead Heath after a coffee from The Nook. Then finish for dinner at 28 Church Row. Walking down through Primrose Hill and Regents Park to find Marylebone Farmers Market on a Sunday is great too. Special Friends is for the coffee snobs out there. Alley Cats Pizza is also a must.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There’s too many people and sources of inspiration for me to list that deserve to be in here.

The first that jumps to mind is Tim Ferriss: The 4-Hour Work Week. A classic I know, it but it gave me my first solid plan for building a business and not having to study to land a 9-5. It helped shape my first business: a real estate management company. Building this I also met my first business partner and now lifelong friend, Harry Bucknell. He didn’t just help me to get my first venture off the ground, but also how to improve myself as a person and reach a higher potential. He’s one of the few who can challenge you and hold you to high standards.

I also have to mention my fiancée Anu, who supports me every day, listening to my stories, encouraging me to do the hard things and making sure I’m looking after myself.

Website: https://lemonleverage.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-scourfield/

Image Credits
All images are my own.