A teenager who quit school at 15 told anyone who failed their A-Levels to not worry as he runs a £1million PR firm.
Oliver Hodgson, 19, left school in Year 10 without any formal qualifications to escape bullies who taunted him.
But against all odds, he went on to start two successful companies in PR and events management during lockdown.
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Now he employs seven team members and the business is on track to hit £1million in sales by August 2024.
It comes as teenagers all over the UK received their A-Level results today (August 17).
As for Oliver, he left school at 16 before he sat any of his GCSEs or A-Levels, but it never held him back.
He opened his first office in May 2021 and next month will host a festival for 25,000 with Sophie Ellis Bextor and more.
Oliver, from Cumbria, said: "That brown envelope, whatever the results students pull out, will not define them.
"Even if people don't get what they hoped for, opportunities will still be out there.
"I dropped out of school at 15 as a result of mental illness, caused by relentless bullying – but I've got graft and passion.
"I knew I wanted to break into the PR and marketing world – so I just went for it."
After "years of bullying" including nasty graffiti on the toilet walls, Oliver's mental health issues led him to quit school.
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He also claimed he "couldn't thrive" in an exam environment and doesn't believe he would have succeeded with GCSEs.
After he left school, he was taught at home by his parents and through online learning.
Oliver got his big break during June 2020, when the height of Covid meant there was a huge demand for healthcare PR.
He registered his own company, Platinum Live, and worked with a home care provider.
But it was his first celebrity client, Gary McKee, known as Cumbria's Marathon Man, who gave Oliver his breakthrough.
"I was Gary's publicist and we completely supported him," he explained.
"He credits Platinum Live as one of the major reasons he got to £1.4m raised for charity."
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Now his PR firm has also worked alongside Porsche, Chris Moyles and Scouting for Girls across the last three years.
Oliver attributes his achievements to his commitment and enthusiasm.
He reckons experience is important within an industry often dominated by academic credentials.
"In the PR industry, there's a prevalence of degrees, and individuals typically invest several years before truly establishing themselves," he concluded.
"What I possess is a combination of hard work and passion."
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