Colden Blades, founder of Blades Marketing, started his entrepreneurial journey during his freshman year at SUNY Plattsburgh. What began as a campus t-shirt business evolved into a full-scale digital marketing agency, now in operation for over five years. In this interview, Colden shares insights into the lessons learned, the importance of purpose over happiness, and his vision of living a life rooted in principles.
1. Colden, what sparked your journey into entrepreneurship, and how did your first business come about?
It all started when I joined clubs, organizations, and fraternity life on campus at SUNY Plattsburgh. I noticed that every semester, these groups were buying promotional clothing items, which gave me the idea to start a t-shirt company. I pitched the idea to my good friend Frank Tricamo during finals week, and he was on board immediately. After Christmas Break, we jumped in and started the business. That first experience taught me so much about running a business, which translated directly into launching my digital marketing company two years later. I’m forever grateful for that partnership and the lesson that surrounding yourself with ambitious people is essential.
2. What has been one of the biggest challenges in your entrepreneurial journey, and how did you navigate it?
The greatest challenge was realizing that, in the beginning, the goal shouldn’t be to build a successful business but to build yourself into someone capable of building a successful business. I learned this lesson the hard way by trying to scale before I was ready—like building a tower on a cracked foundation. It’s only a matter of time before everything comes crashing down if you don’t have the personal growth to support it. That realization made me focus more on developing myself before scaling the business.
3. You mentioned a mental shift that helped you during hard times. Can you tell us more about that?
Absolutely. For a long time, I treated happiness as my North Star. But happiness, like motivation, ebbs and flows. The shift came when I replaced happiness with purpose. I realized that, often, the things that help us grow involve hardship, suffering, or discomfort. When purpose became my guiding force, it didn’t matter if a task made me happy or if I felt motivated. If I believed it would bring me closer to my purpose, I got it done. This shift enabled me to stay focused and push through the difficult moments.
4. What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs about building a successful business?
Surround yourself with people who challenge you to grow. You become the average of those you spend the most time with. Also, focus on becoming the person capable of building and sustaining success rather than just the business itself. And lastly, have a guiding purpose. It will sustain you through times when motivation and happiness might be lacking.
5. What has been your proudest moment so far in your entrepreneurial journey?
My proudest moment has been going from barely being able to keep my own head above water to being able to take care of the people I love. It’s incredibly rewarding to be in a position where I can give back to the people who supported me along the way.
6. What’s your vision for the future of Blades Marketing?
My vision is simple: to remain true to my morals, values, and principles in everything I do. I want to live a life of purpose and die with my boots on, as they say. I hope to show others that you can lead an ambitious life of purpose without compromising your values along the way.
7. What impact do you hope to make through your work and example?
I genuinely hope to set an example for other men that you can pursue a life of purpose and ambition without sacrificing your morals, values, or principles. In a world where it’s easy to compromise, I want to demonstrate that success and integrity can go hand in hand.
Final Thoughts
Colden Blades’ journey from college entrepreneur to digital marketing agency owner highlights the importance of building oneself alongside one’s business. His commitment to purpose and integrity offers valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs.
To learn more about Colden and his work, visit bladesmarketing.com.