Rob Thacker | The Room | Punk Rock Media

Who's already in the room. "I work in a very sensible, vanilla industry. But that doesn't mean I have to be." — Rob Thacker, Founder, Sona Insurance. I want people to come to work with character, be themselves and enjoy what they do. Life isn’t about being squeezed into a box. Building his own business For Rob Thacker, founder of Sona Insurance, The Punk Rock Playbook® for Business Misfits struck a chord with his own approach to business: challenging convention, trusting your instincts and building a company where people are encouraged to be themselves. Having spent his career working as an insurance broker, both national and local organisations, Rob became increasingly frustrated with the culture he encountered. He knew there had to be another way of doing things. In 2019, with his children growing up and leaving home, he decided the time was right to establish his own business. He wanted to create something that reflected his values, gave him greater control over his future and allowed him to put his energy into building a different kind of insurance brokerage. Six years on, Sona Insurance has grown to a team of 18, supported by a loyal client base and a reputation built on long-standing and trusted relationships. If someone had told me when I started that this is where we’d be six years later, I’d have been amazed. But that’s what happens when you choose to grow and go for it. You take opportunities, build relationships and keep moving forward. When Rob met Stephen Norris he immediately connected with his approach to doing business. Coming from a working-class background himself, he also recognised elements of Stephen’s story. And while insurance might not be the first industry associated with punk rock, Rob has always enjoyed it and always had a rebellious streak. I’ve always liked punk music and that sense of rebellion. Insurance is a very sensible, vanilla industry, but I’ve never found the work boring because of the clients. You have to think outside the box and think like a businessman, not just an insurance broker. Finding your people, rather than pleasing everyone One of the ideas in the book that resonated most strongly with Rob was the importance of finding your own audience rather than trying to appeal to everyone. For him, it reflects the way he has built Sona Insurance, focusing on long-term relationships with clients who value the team’s approach. The bit that really resonated with me was about ‘your audience finding you.’ You don’t need to worry about everyone else. Eventually, you’re left with the people who genuinely want to be there, and they’re the ones you would want anyway! Some of Rob’s client relationships stretch back more than 20 years. He adds: Our clients are complex, and that’s why they need brokers. We deliver something valuable that works for them. I sometimes ask clients what they would do if they didn’t have insurance. It gets them thinking about what they really need to protect against. For Rob, it’s about building a business around the right relationships, rather than trying to be everything to everyone. Creating a culture where people can be themselves Perhaps the strongest connection Rob found with the book was its celebration of individuality. Having experienced corporate environments where people were expected to conform, he was determined to create a different culture at Sona Insurance. I want my staff to come in with character and use that. I don’t think life is about being squeezed into a box. I want people to be themselves and enjoy what they do. He believes that individuality is a strength, particularly in a business built on personal relationships. If that means having fun and building rapport with clients, that’s brilliant. I don’t want everyone to be the same. What fun would that be? His philosophy is straightforward: look after your people, and they will look after your clients. It’s an approach he developed during his time as a branch manager, when he began to recognise just how much a company’s culture influences its success. It took me a few years to realise that managing a business was really about managing its culture. It’s all about people. If I look after them, they’ll look after the clients. I’ve carried that into my own business, and for me, that’s one of the overriding themes of the book. Making a difference, not climbing the ladder Rob also identifies with the book’s challenge to conventional ideas of success and leadership. He has never been particularly interested in corporate politics or progressing through an organisation simply for the sake of promotion. He adds: I’m much more interested in taking action that makes a difference. That philosophy extends beyond Sona Insurance. Rob also chairs Home-Start in Suffolk, supporting an organisation dedicated to helping families through challenging times. For him, business and leadership should ultimately be about the positive difference you can make to other people. It’s also why he considers himself a Business Misfit. Yes, I think I am a misfit in my specific industry. There’s a lot of the same thinking in insurance. I like to bring a different perspective. Rob’s verdict For Rob, The Punk Rock Playbook® for Business Misfits reinforces the value of building a business on your own terms, surrounding yourself with the right people and refusing to lose your individuality along the way. And in an industry not necessarily known for its rebellious spirit, Rob is happy to be doing things a little differently.