It’s not every day that you see an 18-year-old start their own company. But for Flynn Blackie, age doesn’t determine when someone can chase their dreams.
Blackie’s business endeavors at the age of 18 might not be a completely novel idea. After all, Mark Zuckerberg was nineteen when he founded Facebook. These days, a greater portion of the younger generation has begun to dare to achieve their entrepreneurial dreams at a young age.
But being an entrepreneur comes at a price. And perhaps, becoming an entrepreneur at such a young age demands a greater risk. Someone who already has a college degree or savings accumulated over decades might have a greater advantage than someone who’s just starting out in the world of business with not much to fall back on.
Blackie knew of the risks. But he chose to quit school at the age of 16 anyway, because he knew that the alternative was only going to waste precious time.
“It was a big risk that I was taking,” he said when talking about making the decision to leave school. “We went in for meetings at school. And when [my parents and I] went to see how we could make it work – whether I could [run a business] whilst being at school – as a part-time kind of thing. But at the rate I was going, one thing was certain: I couldn’t do that.”
His reason behind this decision was that he knew that he needed to give his 100% for one or the other. If he couldn’t, he was just going to risk getting bad grades or failing in his business.
So, Flynn Blackie took that leap of faith. He founded MOD Digital Limited, a lead generation agency, and pursued it full-time.
Calculating One’s Risks
Making such a huge decision at such a young age might seem a little simplistic. The truth was that Blackie was well aware of the immense risk it took to drop out of high school.
“I knew that the risk was so great. And I knew that if I’m going to do this, this was a must-work situation because I really was leaving with no grades at all,” Blackie admitted.
Even when asked to advise other young, aspiring entrepreneurs who wish to start a business he did, Blackie cautioned against making any rash decisions. Instead, one should tirelessly work to build their business until they get to a level where they can afford to leave school. This acceptable “level” varies from person to person. Some might think getting their first client would suffice as a successful enough level to delve full-time into their business. Others might think this acceptable level includes earning a certain amount of profit.
For Blackie, he had already started his business before he left school. He made sure he was educated enough to leave school. And once he left school, he knew he had to put in the work.
“I just want to feel like I’m making the most out of every day. I do enjoy a rest, don’t get me wrong,” Blackie said. “But again, if I’m sitting in the house doing nothing, I’ll gravitate towards my work – just because I’m so passionate about it.”
How the Youth Are Going Beyond the Education System
Flynn Blackie didn’t just leave school because he wanted to start his business right away. He left because he knew that the traditional education system wasn’t suitable for someone with his dreams.
For many public schools, there’s a precise formula for all students. Regardless of where a person’s talents lay, intelligence is often assessed via written tests that rely mostly on memory and the ability to regurgitate facts. Many Zoomers and Millennials often complain about the need for reform in the typical education system.
“When you actually leave, you’re presented with mortgages and life skills you’re going to need,” Blackie pointed out. “They don’t teach you anything like that…There are a lot of people at school who aspire to be managers and bosses, but they think that they have to properly spend 15 years to get there. They have to start at the bottom, go through a 4-year university course, incur student debt, join a company with a base salary, work their way up over the next 10 years, and then eventually, they might be able to become a manager in that company.”
Sometimes pursuing a one-size-fits-all method of attaining ‘success’, as our capitalistic world defines it, doesn’t serve certain people’s ambitions.
Blackie knew quite early on that this system wasn’t going to suit his ambitions.
At a young age, he’d already started out dabbling in entrepreneurship. He started small: he sold wholesale chewing gum to other kids for a profit. Then, he progressed to reselling rare sneakers.
“But nothing really captured me like web design did. It felt fun. It felt pretty easy to make and came really naturally.”
One thing turned to another. Today, MOD Digital grows at a relatively fast pace and caters to its clients in a personal, rewarding manner.
Entrepreneurship During a Pandemic
MOD Digital currently thrives despite the lockdowns and cautionary measures imposed in lieu of COVID-19. Even at the beginning of the pandemic, Blackie was able to recruit members who could cope with working remotely. It doesn’t matter where they’re working; to them, the definition of the word “quality” shall always remain consistent.
“I think [the pandemic has] potentially brought more attention to the [digital] market and showed its importance,” Blackie commented. “In terms of demand, I think it still would have been very similar.”
Getting into the digital industry and the likes of lead generation was a good, practical call on Blackie’s part. Today, more and more people are realizing the importance of the online world.
Blackie also emphasizes on applying psychology to MOD Digital’s marketing strategy. To gain many clients is one thing; to appeal to them, to make one’s product applicable and relevant, is another. To Blackie and his team at MOD Digital, scaling a business should be done at a reasonable rate. Growing a company means nothing if the company loses touch with its loyal clientele and relevance in today’s economy.
Most of all, one must be willing to put in the work. Flynn Blackie’s story is testament to the fact that you can never be too young or too old to chase your entrepreneurial dreams. He and many other young entrepreneurs are paving the way for Generation Z to leave their youthful mark on this world.
But it’s important to be prepared to chase one’s dreams. Every risk comes with a price. But if that price is worth paying, then there should be no mountain too high to overcome.
