Entrepreneur James Blake: The Face of Online Success

Not only is James Blake blessed with good genetics, he has seemingly created his fortune out of nothing at all. The British entrepreneur from Belfast may only be 28, but he has appeared on and contributed to reputable publications such as Forbes, Yahoo, Irish Mirror, and The Sun and most lately entreprenuer.com.

James Blake Entrepreneur at Vindicta Digital Marketing Agency Head Office Northern Ireland

Blake owns and operates multiple six figure businesses and is an equally successful investor. His company, Vindicta Digital Marketing Agency, is a full service digital agency that endeavours to position itself as the leading authority in a digitised landscape. The company operates as a full service digital agency and offers web development services as well as social media growth, SEO and video/content marketing strategies. Vindicta Digital have impressively managed to generate over £100M in online revenue for their varied client base in the last 5 years.

James Blake Entrepreneur speaking at event

Ad targeting is something that is widely promoted, but not many people know how to fully optimise it in order to convert leads into sales, which Blake has proven time and time again that he has full comprehension of the virtual tools needed in order to break into a market. His insight comes from his five years at one of Google’s biggest UK partners as a digital consultant, before going on to become director for a 15 year old digital marketing firm. It is clear, then, that Blake is also blessed with unprecedented insight into the workings of the digital world. 

When you discover more of his story, you’ll discover just how he was able to beat the odds with brains and strategy. His story began way before his business did, but at 23 years old, he invested £500 into growing his own company in order to achieve financial freedom. What may seem like a tall order flourished before his very eyes. 

2019 was a big year for Vindicta as James went on to be nominated for prestigious awards. The most notable being the finalist for Young Business Person of the Year award. James also snagged a seat on the Forbes Agency Council where you can read interesting insights that the entrepreneur has penned himself. But Blake is not done there, he intends to continue expanding Vindicta until Fortune 500 companies are unable to ignore him, and become a representative of the rising talents that UK has to offer. Currently, Vindicta has a partner company in America, but James has not made it a secret that he intends to open an office in the states.

James Blake Entrepreneur on Instagram (@MrJamesBlake)

Currently, Vindicta has a partner company in America, but James has not made it a secret that he intends to open an office in the states. 

“Go big or go home, right?” Blake laughs as he confirms that he is looking at a global reach. “One of my favourite books is The Secret, and while I don’t believe that imagination can manifest in wondrous ways if you don’t work towards your goals, I do believe that mindset and character is key. Someone might work hard all his life and never get where I am today, because he lacks the mindset. Another person might believe he will become the CEO of a Fortune 500 company while he sits on his sofa, but it’s never going to happen because he lacks action. Contrary to popular belief, fortune does not favour the bold. It favours those who have grit and the ability to look beyond what is right in front of them.” 

Blake has a lot of grit indeed, often starting his days early in the morning with driven team meetings after going through his itinerary for the day with his PA and responding to emails or confirming appointments with clients, who he meets after his daily catch up with his team in order to design bespoke campaigns and marketing strategies. He mentions that most of his work consists of consultations, but he doesn’t let himself get comfortable. 

“The moment you get comfortable is the moment you settle. I’m not going to settle for one office in Liverpool, I intend to conquer the world, to put gently,” His British humor showing, Blake eases into the topic of authoring books. Currently working on his book Dominate – An entrepreneurs guide to success in the modern world, when the world was undergoing a global pandemic, he mentions that there is never a reason to stop challenging oneself.

“They say that the moment a door closes, another one opens. I don’t believe that. I believe that there are numerous doors at any given time, and it’s up to us to decide which to open. Some people go their whole lives and never open any doors for themselves.” Perhaps this insight is a key deciding factor in Blake’s interest in coaching others. “I never intended to be a life coach. I wanted to build companies that provide value, but what provides value more than teaching or guiding others to grow?”

James Blake Entrepreneur at Vindicta Digital Marketing Agency Head Office with Staff

Part of the equation was the pandemic itself. When borders shuttered and business owners were forced to survive without the option of continuing to provide their services, Blake saw that there was a rampant disconnect between the real world and the digital world. People largely saw the internet as a place of entertainment, but as recent years have shown, it is, in fact, a gold mine… If only you know how to tap it. 

Saving businesses is high on his agenda, because without businesses, there would be no economy, no digital marketing firms. And while the creative entrepreneur is confident that he would be able to survive in a world without small businesses that require his magic touch, his heart also goes out to those who have been affected by the pandemic.

In 2020, at the start of the pandemic, he told the Irish Mirror that, “I decided when the lockdown restrictions initially kicked off that I would do whatever it took to help as many businesses as I could, utilising our resources. I am certain adapting and embracing digital will save many businesses. We have given out free website audits and consultancy to date, so hopefully my acceptance as a Forbes Agency Council member will raise more awareness of what I am aiming to achieve. We at Vindicta will use the opportunity to put our business and Ireland in front of successful international companies and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. I am very proud of where I am from and I want to use my success to help other entrepreneurs and SMEs across Ireland.”