I would be lying if I said starting a business after I left school was part of my big plan. Starting a business was probably somewhere along my timeline of goals, but at 18 it certainly wasn't.
My intention was to leave school, work for a year and then head off to study Marketing at University. The world of Social Media, business and in particular marketing is something I have always had an incredible interest in and I knew that sometime, somewhere I would want to run a business.
When I left school in May, I also opted to leave my Part-Time job at Tesco [Supermarket Chain] because it wasn't something I enjoyed and I was determined to enjoy what I did in my Gap Year.
I can't even explain how things developed, but eventually, I was deciding to jump the queue. I could work for myself now and not in years to come, I felt confident and comfortable working with Social Media and how businesses could work and enhance their brand and . I had light experience from running a YouTube Network when I was about 15 for decent pocket money and I learned from the Young Enterprise program in Sixth Year.
I ended up getting paid to run a local IT business' Social Media, and from here I developed an idea of what I wanted to do and I picked up a couple more clients and then realistically I had options. I could do what I wanted to do now, I didn't need to wait for a degree - I had the time and ability now to make some money and do what I enjoyed doing.
That doesn't change the fact this was a daunting prospect.
I would turn down the idea of making easy money in a shop or an administrative job and rely on my own ability to make my own money. I was putting the safety net of University behind me too as well as throwing myself into the limelight. This was an idea that always put me off, it scared me that all my old teachers, friends, family and people from across Shetland would become aware that I was starting a business at 18.
It was a worry because I would have so many people judging the idea of what I was doing, while most of it would be positive, there is always going to be people who turn their nose up at what you are trying to do.
For what I wanted to do, I would have to put myself to the forefront - put my name to a blog, and put myself in front of a camera. I couldn't sit in the background and hoped things would work - I had to go make things work from the frontline.
Early on in the process of thinking about Klueless Media, this was a big thing that almost frightened me. However, I knew this is what I wanted to do and realistically if I am so confident of success that any negativity shouldn't worry or affect me.
But what is crazy is that anyone can do it. If you can be bothered with the paperwork and scrutiny, if you have the ability to provide a product or a service then realistically there is very little stopping you from going self-employed and running your own business.
I was lucky enough to have the Prince's Trust incredibly excited by the prospect of what I was offering too and this meant I could really do what I wanted with the business off-the-bat.
My situation definitely helped me out too, things just seemed to click into place and without University this year or a job I enjoyed, there was enough to inspire me to go and do something.
I think there is also this incredible amount of youth success in Shetland too, there are people from all sorts of backgrounds who are going on to do all sorts and with that backing, I garnered a just do it attitude. If there is nothing stopping you, then just do it. Do what you want to do, don't worry about opinions from people who don't matter. There will always be some form of support out there, and you can do it.
In short; be positive. Get passed the paperwork, and be positive about what you are doing and it changes everything. Turn negative opinion, into positivity and be yourself and do what you want to do because it isn't that hard at the end of the day.
Klueless Media launches in a number of weeks, you can follow Klueless Media on Twitter @KluelessMedia or get in touch with Regan at regan@kluelessmedia.co.uk if you want to hear more.