Think about the things you want to create in this world. I try to spend time doing this every single day, and it allows me to refresh my body and soul by flushing out all negative energy and focusing only on positive things.
I had the pleasure of interviewing James Warwick. James is a British entrepreneur who has founded several businesses over the years. His most well-known business is Illuminati Vodka and his most recent business, founded earlier this year, is called 33 Trading.
Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know you’ a bit better. Can you tell us your ‘backstory’?
Thank you. I was born in Bristol, and later moved to Sydney, Australia, when I was 10 years old. A year later I moved back to the UK again. I grew up in Hampsire, UK.
My desire to be a successful entrepreneur started from a young age while I was studying Business Studies. My first business was a clothing company that we featured on Britain’s Next Top Model. This gave me the realization that I always want to work for myself and not be stuck in an employee lifestyle. I realized that there was no value in helping to build someone else’s empire when I can create my own.
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? How do you think that will help people?
I have recently launched an online trading company called 33 Trading. We teach beginners how to trade on the financial markets and become successful traders. I do this by showing people what trades to make on Forex, Gold, and Cryptocurrency. We also give an analysis of how and why those trades are made and also offer training courses that teach people how to become successful traders.
Many people are now unsure about their financial futures and 33 Trading allows people to supplement their income and become financially independent during this time. My mission is to help and motivate people to use this time to learn a new skill and explore other ways to make money. The world has an uncertain future, but by learning how to become a successful investor, everyone has the opportunity to take control of their future
In your opinion, what do you think makes your company or organization stand out from the crowd?
I started 33 Trading with the main objective of helping guide people towards creating a better life for themselves. The opportunities are endless with how much people can make and with 33 Trading our clients have the freedom to earn as little or as much as they would like.
The most valuable thing for me in business is to help motivate and inspire others to build something, allowing them to take control and create a better life for themselves. I believe that true success comes from helping others, and that will always be a core value of what my company stands for.
Ok, thank you for that. I’d like to jump to the main focus of this interview. Has there ever been a time that someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway? Can you share the story with us? What was your idea? What was the reaction of the naysayers? And how did you overcome that?
So a couple of years ago I was running a small bar in Warsaw. When I sold my shares in the bar I was wondering what I should do next with my life. I figured that as I am in Poland, the home of Vodka, I wanted to start my vodka brand.
Many people called me crazy, and they said this was impossible to do. I have always been incredibly ambitious and I am the type who gets more driven when others tell me I can’t do something. Over the next six months, I set out with the mindset of creating the best quality vodka it was possible to produce in Poland. After much testing, I finally discovered the perfect recipe for Vodka partly down to using an ancient technique of aging the Vodka in vats. What resulted was a seven times distilled, super-premium Rye Vodka; Illuminati Vodka.
I built the brand for the next year and sold it in the most exclusive clubs and bars in Poland. I have since decided to relaunch the brand focusing on the UK and US markets. This brand is the best and will stay as the worlds most exclusive vodka brand. Coronavirus has affected the timeline for this plan. However, the brand is ready, and I am preparing for an exciting entry into the most elite level of the market very soon.
With everything I have ever done, I have carved my path and direction through life. At every step along the way, people have doubted me, my abilities, and my visions. I have consistently proven them wrong. It fuels my success. I do believe that once you stop seeing the opportunity for a challenge, you become complacent.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I am thankful to my family. They have shown me what success means and what it takes to get there. Many people think success is about luck or having something given to you, but the reality is that they just haven’t got that hunger inside them to succeed and be special.
Without family guidance and example, I do not think I would have the desire or knowledge to do the things I so in life, so for them I am grateful.
It must not have been easy to ignore all the naysayers. Did youhave any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency? Can you share the story with us?
I was surprisingly shy and quiet as a kid growing up. I was never the most popular kid at school and never felt particularly special at a young age. I think over time, feeling unimportant gave me a lot of time to reflect on my inner being, which then founded my visions for what I want to create out of life. I have since found that those visions become a reality if you focus on them and do not become distracted by external influences. I think that having that isolation and time to myself gave me resilience to distraction.
Based on your experience, can you share some strategies that people can use to harness the sense of tenacity and do what naysayers think is impossible? (Please share a story or an example for each)
Have a vision and stay focused on this. It is the one thing that will keep your mind on track and stimulate new ideas that will help you get what you want. The amount of times I could have given up on my vodka business were too many to even remember. Going back to that vision and remembering the path I am going down kept me going when times were tough. So many times, I felt that things were going nowhere, but I kept pushing on and visualizing my end goal. Out of nowhere, something falls in place and allows you to get closer to your objective. This has always been the case when I keep focused on my end goal. Don’t let any obstacles bring you down. Stay true to yourself. What you want from life is what is right for you. Nobody else has your mind, and whatever they might say, know deep down that you are right. I have been told multiple times by multiple people that I am wrong, or I am doing something impossible.
Remember that other people are putting you down because they have their insecurities and regrets. Instead of using that productively, they are choosing to lash out at those who they see as better than them, or more driven than them. Always remember this. The last and most important is to find time to be self-aware and focus internally. Take away all distractions, switch off your phone, find a peaceful and quiet place, and just focus on yourself. Focus on meditation; think about all the things in life you are grateful for.
Think about the things you want to create in this world. I try to spend time doing this every single day, and it allows me to refresh my body and soul by flushing out all negative energy and focusing only on positive things.
What is your favorite quote or personal philosophy that relates to the concept of resilience?
“It always seems impossible until it’s done” — Nelson Mandela.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
Be kind to others, give out good energy to the world. By helping others you are truly making the world a better place.
Can our readers follow you on social media?
www.instagram.com/james_warwick
James Warwick of Illuminati Vodka: They Told Me It Was Impossible And I Did It Anyway was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.