EVERYDAY PEOPLE - Luke Strochnetter - Overcoming adversity

I have had the pleasure of knowing Luke Strochnetter since he was in primary school. Back then, he was a shy boy, tech-savvy and eager to please. Luke didn’t have an easy time during those years as he was bullied incessantly. I look at him now and see how far he has come. He has gained confidence and is comfortable within himself. He is an entrepreneur, a business owner of two businesses, an event planner and organiser, a public speaker, and a supporter of various charities, and he’s only twenty-two.  

Luke was born in Launceston, Tasmania and has an older sister. At the age of eight, the family moved to Hervey Bay to join relatives and have never looked back. He has a very close relationship with his mum and dad.

Luke has lived in Hervey Bay for fifteen years and did much of his schooling here.

As mentioned earlier, those were tough years.

“I was never the popular kid, especially in primary school. I endured a triple hit of bullying. I was a bigger kid, had buck teeth and a speech impediment.

“I was born without some of my lower tongue muscles, so my tongue can’t do all the movements required for speech. I was the perfect target for bullies.

“As a result, I was very shy and had difficulty making friends and putting myself out there. School was a very lonely place. Things improved a little in high school as I found a great group of people who would encourage and challenge me. They got me out of my shell.”

From the age of twelve, while kids of the same age were out playing, Luke found his own path and spent his weekends walking the streets approaching local businesses and asking for raffle donations, first for the MS Foundation and then for Relay for Life.

“Knocking on doors taught me a lot and took me outside my comfort zone. I look back now, and that period has contributed greatly to where I am now. Without me knowing it at the time, the experience created a springboard to creating my own business”.

That business came to fruition when Luke was seventeen; it was called Out of the Box Promotions. But it didn’t take Luke long to realise that there was not much money to be made from events, and the Covid pandemic compounded this. Luke knew that to stay in business; he would have to adapt.

"It was humbling because I had to go on Centrelink and get another job, but in the background, I worked hard and learnt everything I could about marketing, then rebranded, and 360 Degrees Marketing was born.

“One of our very first clients was Pie and Pastry Paradise. Theirs was the first business whose door I knocked on as a shy twelve-year-old boy asking for donations. So, it was a real full-circle moment for me, and I am forever grateful.”

His other business is Occasions by the Bay, and Luke has recently celebrated two years as the business owner.

Luke has several projects in the works and is also writing a book designed for young people wanting to start their own businesses.

“I want to create a community of young entrepreneurs and spark innovation in our community.”

He is also Vice President of the Fraser Coast Young Professionals and says it is great to be part of a group that gives young people a voice in business.

As mentioned in the May 4^th edition of the Hervey Bay Advertiser, Luke’s efforts have been recognised by becoming a semi-finalist in the 7 News Queensland Young Achievers Awards in two categories.

By Kim Parnell

What’s On Fraser Coast Magazine