About this episode
Founder Stories — Episode 24: Luke CopeFrom Zero to £1M: Scaling Bottled Imagination Into One of the UK’s Fastest-Growing AgenciesWhat does it really take to launch and scale an agency from scratch — with no clients, no money, and no safety net?In this episode of Founder Stories, Simon Kallu sits down with Luke Cope, co-founder and Creative Strategy Director of Bottled Imagination, one of the UK’s fastest-growing creative digital PR agencies.Luke opens up about the reality of starting an agency with two co-founders, how they won their first big clients before they even had a company name, and the strategies that fuelled their rapid growth to 14 staff and £1M+ revenue in just their second year.We cover:The leap from employment to launching Bottled Imagination with nothing but belief and driveHow they landed their first clients without even a business nameWhy inbound marketing, awards, and partnerships became their growth enginesHard lessons from Luke’s first failed agency — and how they shaped his second attemptBalancing creativity with business planning, accountability, and perspectiveThe founder mindset needed to scale without losing your sanityThis episode is a raw and practical conversation filled with lessons on resilience, growth, and building hype in a crowded market.Key Takeaways:Do good work → generate hype → build trustAccountability is a superpower most founders overlookFailures can become your best assets if you apply the lessonsRetainers beat projects for predictable, sustainable growthIf you’re building an agency — or simply want to learn how to create momentum, build trust, and retain clients — this episode is a must-watch.About the GuestLuke Cope is the co-founder and Creative Strategy Director of Bottled Imagination, a creative digital PR agency that has grown to 14 staff and £1M+ revenue in just two years. With previous experience running (and failing with) his first agency, Luke brings hard-won lessons on creativity, business growth, and founder resilience.About the HostSimon Kallu is an entrepreneur, business advisor, and host of Founder Stories. As the founder of GrowFactor, Simon helps business owners scale smarter and design the life they want.👉 Subscribe for weekly episodes: https://youtube.com/@founderstoriespodcast🌐 Learn more about GrowFactor:
