Business

Gen Z Entrepreneur Surpasses the Traditional Education System to Build His Own Empire

Published

3 years ago

November 10, 2021

“Believe in yourself. If you’ve got an idea behind you and enough belief in it, you’ll make it work.”

Such is the advice of 18-year-old Flynn Blackie, specialist in psychological marketing and the founder of MOD Digital Limited. Starting a business fresh out of high school isn’t exactly the kind of plan everybody shares: usually, people gun for an undergraduate degree before pursuing their dreams.

But Flynn had a different outlook on how his life should go. In fact, he left school at the tender age of sixteen before starting his own business.

An Early Start in the Business

Blackie knew for quite some time that he wanted to eventually start a business of his own.

“I was always looking at side hustles and ways to make extra money. I always felt like I was going to be successful,” Blackie explained.

But at first, like most – if not all – of us, he mapped his life out in such a way as to adhere to the traditional education system. He’d planned to get into a university, snag a degree, and then have a high-paying job.

However, it was his initial dabbling in entrepreneurship that changed his point of view. He started off simple: buying and selling chewing gum. What he did was purchase wholesale chewing gum before selling these to the other kids in school. Soon, his small business evolved to include selling rare sneakers for a profit.

All of this was second nature to him. He began to get the hang of how attracting customers and appealing to a certain niche works.

“I kind of saw my potential as an entrepreneur, leading and getting clients and selling – all of these factors that you need to build up your entrepreneurship skills,” he said. “These qualities were recognized within me when I took a step back to look [at myself]. It became very clear that one day, I wouldn’t just work for a company – I would own it. And it turns out, my first employer was myself.”

Taking That Leap of Faith

Of course, Blackie’s idea of ditching the path of traditional education wasn’t met with unanimous support at first.

“I had to make my own decision before I went to [my parents] and tried to convince them,” Blackie said. “It became pretty apparent that if I were to not leave right now, I’d just be leaving one year later anyway. I knew that, no matter what, this is what I wanted to do.”

It wasn’t about taking the easy way out for Blackie. He made the decision to abandon the traditional education system because he knew where his heart lay: in entrepreneurship. He understood early on that no matter what, he wanted to venture into this realm, and his dream would only be put on hold for as long as he stayed in school. There wasn’t exactly a need to pursue a typical education in Blackie’s eyes.

That was the logic he presented to his parents. His father understood rather immediately. However, it was his mother who took some convincing. After all, this wasn’t a typically ‘safe’ path to tread. Every entrepreneur knows all too well how risky the business is. And for someone at such a young age, Blackie had tons to lose.

However, Blackie made it clear to his mother that he simply had to start his own business. “There were going to be bad grades, or my clients were going to have a terrible experience; it was one of the two,” he said.

In 2019, Flynn Blackie decided to drop out of school.

Thus began his endeavor into the unknown. Equipped with a dream and plenty of in-depth research, Blackie took that risk.

Starting Out with One’s Priorities in Mind

When talking about his initial interest in selling gum and sneakers, Blackie compared these experiences to his current niche. “Nothing really captured me like web design. It felt fun, and it felt pretty easy to make and it came really naturally.”

It was the thrill of receiving payment for the first website he built that made him realize this was the model he wanted to base a solid portion of his business upon. Blackie and his team at MOD Digital started out selling web design services. They also branched out to dabble in social media-related projects and several other ventures. However, the team realized that all these extra services didn’t actually bring MOD Digital the results they were gunning for. They soon learned that they wanted to deliver a more results-based service.

So, they went back to basics. Currently, MOD Digital has gone from a humble start-up to a six-figure agency that has garnered over sixty clients.

When Generation Z Delves into the Realm of Entrepreneurship

Blackie credits a portion of MOD Digital’s success to a youthful mindset. “Being my age can play as a good factor,” he noted in an interview.

Any young person, particularly someone who has grown up in this current technological day and age, knows all too well the power of screentime. As an ardent lover of video games and someone who’s grown up in a tech-savvy environment, Blackie’s mind has become accustomed to the lingo of algorithms.

“The second factor [that makes MOD Digital unique] would be that we’ve niched into a specific service. We have our core service, no matter which client we’re working with. We’re more specific about our system.”

MOD Digital puts the value of its service before anything else. In focusing on how they can best help their clients, they put forth a more personal brand, one that markets authentically and attracts loyal clients. Blackie also acknowledged the pivotal role psychology plays in their marketing process. MOD Digital uses subliminal forms of psychological triggers.

Pushing Past Doubt and Breaking Barriers

Despite Blackie’s current success, he’s no stranger to backlash. Some people assumed that being young equates to inexperience.

“There have been sales pitches where they took the meeting, but as soon as you get on [the call], they stop taking you seriously. You can hear it from their tone or the way they pay attention. You feel insulted, being on the call,” Blackie recalled.

Even communicating with a bank was tough. It was difficult to find someone who would open an account for a mere 16-year-old. However, Blackie persisted.

Today, MOD Digital continues to grow. Even with its current celebrated success, Flynn Blackie has no intentions of getting comfortable. To young entrepreneurs looking to build their own businesses, Blackie actually cautions against taking the risk he took unless one is at a level where they can afford to do so.

“The fundamental thing is to make sure you’re actually in a position where you can leave [school]. Work tirelessly to get to that point. And when you’re there, that’s when it’s time to go. You can’t leave because you ‘want’ to do something, leave because you are doing it, and doing it well.”

Flynn Blackie has certainly walked the path less traveled. His story marks as a calling to other young entrepreneurs: be smart, but don’t be afraid to take calculated risks.

Business

13 Reasons Investors Are Watching Phoenix Energy’s Expansion in the Williston Basin

Published

4 hours ago

April 23, 2025

Matthew Wiles

As energy security becomes a growing priority in the United States, companies focused on domestic oil production are gaining attention from investors. One such company is Phoenix Energy, an independent oil and gas company operating in the Williston Basin, a prolific oil-producing region spanning North Dakota and Montana.

Phoenix Energy has established itself as a key player in this sector, expanding its footprint while offering structured investment opportunities to accredited investors. Through Regulation D 506(c) corporate bonds, the company provides investment options with annual interest rates ranging from 9% to 13%.

Here are 13 reasons why Phoenix Energy is attracting investor interest in 2025:

1. U.S. energy production remains a strategic priority

The global energy landscape is evolving, with a renewed focus on domestic oil and gas production to enhance economic stability and reduce reliance on foreign energy sources. The Williston Basin, home to the Bakken and Three Forks formations, continues to play a critical role in meeting these demands. Phoenix Energy has established an operational footprint in the basin, where it is actively investing in development and production.

2. Investment opportunities with fixed annual interest rates

Phoenix Energy bonds offer accredited investors annual interest rates between 9% and 13% through Regulation D 506(c). These bonds help fund the company’s expansion in the Williston Basin, where it acquires and develops oil and gas assets.

3. Record-breaking drilling speeds in the Williston Basin

Phoenix Energy has made significant strides in drilling efficiency, ranking among the fastest drillers in the Bakken Formation as of late 2024. By reducing drilling times, the company aims to optimize operations and improve overall production performance.

4. Expansion of operational footprint

Since becoming an operator in September 2023, Phoenix Energy has grown rapidly. As of March 2025, the company has 53 wells drilled and 96 wells planned over the next 12 months.

5. Surpassing production expectations

Phoenix Energy’s oil production has steadily increased. By mid-2024, its cumulative production had exceeded 1.57 million barrels, outpacing its total output for 2023. The company projected an exit rate of nearly 20,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by the end of March 2025.

6. High-net-worth investor offerings

For investors seeking alternative investments with higher-yield opportunities, Phoenix Energy offers the Adamantium bonds through Reg D 506(c), which provides corporate bonds with annual interest rates between 13% and 16%, with investment terms ranging from 5 to 11 years, and a minimum investment of $2 million.

7. Experienced team with industry-specific expertise

Phoenix Energy’s leadership and technical teams include professionals with decades of oil and gas experience, including backgrounds in drilling engineering, land acquisition, and reservoir analysis. This level of in-house expertise supports the company’s ability to evaluate acreage, manage operations, and execute its long-term development plans in the Williston Basin.

8. Focus on investor communication and understanding

Phoenix Energy prioritizes clear investor communication. The company hosts webinars and provides access to licensed professionals who walk investors through the business model and operations in the oil and gas sector. These efforts aim to help investors better understand how Phoenix Energy deploys capital across mineral acquisitions and operated wells.

9. Managing market risk through strategic planning

The energy sector is cyclical, and Phoenix Energy takes a structured approach to risk management. The company employs hedging strategies and asset-backed financing to help mitigate potential fluctuations in the oil market.

10. Commitment to compliance

Phoenix Energy conducts its bond offerings under the SEC’s Regulation D Rule 506(c) exemption. These offerings are made available exclusively to accredited investors and are facilitated through a registered broker-dealer to support adherence to federal securities laws. Investors can review applicable offering filings on the SEC’s EDGAR database.

11. Recognition for business practices

As of April 2025, Phoenix Energy maintains an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and is a BBB-accredited business. The company has also earned strong ratings on investor review platforms such as Trustpilot and Google Reviews, where investors often highlight clear communication and transparency.

12. A family-founded business with a long-term vision

Led by CEO Adam Ferrari, Phoenix Energy operates as a family-founded business with a focus on long-term investment strategies. The company’s leadership emphasizes responsible growth and sustainable development in the Williston Basin.

13. Positioned for long-term growth in the oil sector

With U.S. energy demand projected to remain strong, Phoenix Energy is strategically positioned for continued expansion. The company’s focus on efficient drilling, financial discipline, and structured investment offerings aligns with its goal of building a resilient and growth-oriented business.

Final thoughts

For investors looking to gain exposure to the U.S. oil and gas sector, Phoenix Energy presents an opportunity to participate in a structured alternative investment backed by the company’s operational expansion in the Williston Basin.

Accredited investors interested in learning more can attend one of Phoenix Energy’s investor webinars, which are hosted daily throughout the week. These sessions provide insights into market trends, risk management strategies, and investment opportunities.

For more information, visit the Phoenix Energy website.

Phoenix Capital Group Holdings, LLC is now Phoenix Energy One, LLC, doing business as Phoenix Energy. The testimonials on review sites may not be representative of other investors not listed on the sites. The testimonials are no guarantee of future performance or success of the Company or a return on investment. Alternative investments are speculative, illiquid, and you may lose some or all of your investment. Securities are offered by Dalmore Group member FINRA/SIPC. Dalmore Group and Phoenix Energy are not affiliated. See full disclosures.

This article contains forward-looking statements based on our current expectations, assumptions, and beliefs about future events and market conditions. These statements, identifiable by terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “intend,” “may,” “expect,” “plan,” “should,” and similar expressions, involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Factors that may impact these outcomes include changes in market conditions, regulatory developments, operational performance, and other risks described in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and Phoenix Energy undertakes no obligation to update them except as required by law.