Written in partnership with Synne Lindén
Photo Credit: Instagram (@vithurs)
There is nothing magical or divine about a 23-year-old multimillion-pound-making entrepreneur. It might seem that way to outsiders, who only glance at the success and the achievements, but if you look closer you’ll unveil a strategic and immensely persistent journey. You’ll see that those tip-of-the-iceberg accomplishments are the result of years of learning, exploring, and challenges. To get to where he is today, Vithurs Thiru has gone through immense growth, both personal and professional. The fact that he’s come so far so quickly is down to one thing: his mindset.
Learn, always
Vithurs started young. He was only 13 years old when he first came across the concept of making money online. Since he found himself in a household with little cash to spare, the idea of sitting at his computer, rather than the grit of going to a traditional workplace, was nothing short of mesmerizing. Today he describes it as finding his passion; of being completely hooked and diving into a new world full of opportunity and excitement. Where he had become less and less interested in school, search engine optimization (SEO) and online marketing breathed new life into Vithurs’ drive for learning.
“Because of my family’s heritage, the expectations were always clear: do well in school, study at university, and secure a predictable, steady job. I had seen my father work day in and day out my whole childhood, and while I respected him for it, there was something enticing in the chance of building something of my own. It was new and it was different.”
Before he discovered online business, Vithurs had always been fascinated with figuring out how things worked. If you had asked him before age 13 what he wanted to be when he grew up he would have answered computer or software engineer. When he found something he was passionate about, he became consumed by an urge to learn anything and everything about the subject. It was true then, and it’s true now. This entrepreneur strives to attain new knowledge every single day.
Build something worthwhile
With an appreciation for the fact that you are never done learning, a sense of humility follows. In his early years of success, Vithurs recognizes now that money and achievement were too closely interlinked for him. Largely due to the fact that he had felt a sense of financial exclusion from his peers during childhood, making his own money (and lots of it) became his sole focus. This mindset and approach changed in an instant when Vithurs lost his father to suicide. The event realigned him with his ethos, and solidified a belief that if you build something worthwhile – something that will help others – the money will come. This is evident in the success of one of his latest entrepreneurial ventures, Blessed CBD – the fastest growing CBD wellness brand in the UK.
Photo Credit: Instagram (@blessedcbd)
“Before, I was only driven by money. Then I lost my Dad, and I went through a period of deep reflection around the things that actually matter to me. This has become hugely important in shaping my mindset today; I think longer into the future, and I think about the kind of legacy that I want to leave behind. Not just the ultimate balance on my bank account.”
It’s changed Vithurs’ perspective on business completely. Help people, and the money will come, is his new philosophy. The family tragedy also put him back in touch with the SriLankan values of community, gratitude, and charity that his mother instilled in him from an early age. Vithurs now considers the impact of whichever business opportunity he explores, and he focuses his attention on the projects that can leave something positive behind. In the long run he is looking at comprehensive philanthropic ventures that will further his ethos-driven mindset.
Finding a why with punch
Success is a hugely complex concept. According to Vithurs, far too many young entrepreneurs immediately connect it to financial achievements, but the decade he has now spent as a business owner and innovator has shown him otherwise. Wanting money doesn’t make you rich. You need something substantially deeper and more meaningful to make it as an entrepreneur. Your why has to pack a punch; it has to be strong enough to get you through all those times you will inevitably fall off your horse – and push you to get back up again.
“I remember in high school I used to pass by a quote/poster in a classroom that read: Find a job you love and you will never work again. I think if you can find something to pursue that you never get sick of learning about, and something that you feel excited and good about putting out into the world, you’re set. Stick to that, and you will succeed.”
Vithurs has big dreams and plans for the future. He is inspired by his role models – who are friends of his that also go against the grain and succeed in their own rights – to continue reaching for his goals. One of them is to finance a Bollywood theatrical production, a tribute to one of his favourite childhood memories of going to the movies with his whole family in London. He wants to diversify, to grow, and to explore. Most of all, he wants to keep learning, and to keep developing those projects that are fuelled by deep personal meaning and motivation.
