Business

Garrett Atkins: From a Poor Young American to a Serial Entrepreneur

Published

6 years ago

May 12, 2020

Most young Americans are broke. Recent data shows that young people between the age of 18 to 29 years old have $1 trillion in debt. The financial struggles of the modern-day young person are what leads so many to try out entrepreneurship. Millennials are venturing into business at younger ages than previous generations.

Currently, 55.8% of billionaires are self-made. One of the reasons these self-made entrepreneurs succeed is that they identified a market need. We had a conversation with Garrett Atkins, owner, and Founder of VIE media. He shared with us his journey from being 23 and broke to CEO at age 27 years.

Garret Atkins Journey

Garrett Atkins focused on online entrepreneurship and invested in it early enough. He owns VIE media, which is a company in the online/digital marketing space. Headquartered in St.Louis, Missouri, VIE Media specializes in social media marketing, web design, and development, video production, and branding. Garrett is also the founder and one of the Stakeholders of StLouisPodcast.com. StLouisPodcast.com is the only exclusive podcast recording studio in St. Louis, Missouri.

Garrett’s journey began when he was 23 years old. He changed his mindset by realizing that he doesn’t have to be part of the statistics. He doesn’t have to be another young, broke American. “I realized that I could do anything I set my mind to so long as it does not have to do with breaking the rules of science/physics (for obvious reasons, because that is impossible),” says Garrett. Back in 2010, Garrett was working in the mortgage industry. It was around that time that he realized that building a personal brand online is going to be a big deal. That realization is what set him on the path to online entrepreneurship.

The ambitious youth started VIE Media at age 23 years. The company began with three clients in 2016 to over 100 clients within the same year. Also, VIE media expanded its revenue from $1,850 in 2016 to over $1.25MM in revenue in 2019. Garrett’s impressive leadership skills are also evident in Podcast.com. He started the second company in July 2019. At the time, StLouisPodcast.com had 0 clients. But in less than six months, the company had over 35 clients.

Lessons on Entrepreneurship

Garret is a man with a wealth of knowledge. When we talked to him, he said that you are likely to succeed when you stop giving a sh*t about what other people are saying, so long as you know what your end goal is and you know that you want that more than anything else. Garrett took on all the responsibilities of managing his businesses. Of course, like most start-ups, he had to invest vast sums of money and time in his company. Garrett admits that one of the biggest challenges he faced was finding a team that he could work within his ventures. Luckily, he was able to find partners who would work with him towards building a successful business.

Garrett’s success in online entrepreneurship has a lot to do with his character. This young entrepreneur is innovative, hardworking, passionately driven and wise. He discovered a need in the digital marketing space that his competitors were not utilizing. “My brand sticks out because I’m so deeply involved in the technology/digital space compared to my competitors. For example, out of all the CEO’s of digital marketing agencies in St. Louis, I have the largest audience on EVERY major social platform besides TikTok and YouTube. I don’t just own a social media marketing agency. I live and practice it, if you will.” he says.

Through VIE media, Garrett has managed to close deals with popular brand names such as multiple household names such as The UPS Store, Better Homes & Gardens, Metro Powered by Metro powered by T-Mobile, , and Arsenal Credit Union. Currently, this American Entrepreneur recently acquired Crowd Drivers. Crowd Drivers is a marketing agency that has been performing well in the market. On 6th May 2020, Garrett not only acquired Crowd Drivers, but also expanded his team with 10 more talented employees.

It is impressive that in just four short years, Garret has scaled the heights and become a famous public speaker, content creator, and serial entrepreneur. He was a keynote speaker at the Live2Lead event in St. Louis, Missouri, in October of 2019. Moreover, he continues to inspire and share knowledge through his social media platforms. Garrett’s goal is not to be rich and powerful. Instead, his goal is to give back to the community by assisting other businesses to achieve success through digital marketing.

You can expect to see more of Garrett in the coming months as he continues to disrupt the digital marketing space with fresh ideas.

Business

TrueData Solutions LLC Founder Del Andujar Responds to Europe’s Growing Digital Privacy Concerns

Published

4 days ago

May 22, 2026

Matthew Wiles

For years, internet privacy discussions centered around targeted advertising, browser tracking, and social media data collection. But a new debate is beginning to reshape the cybersecurity industry entirely: identity verification laws.

Across Europe, governments and digital platforms are increasingly introducing systems that require users to verify their identity or age before accessing certain online services. Supporters argue these systems improve online safety and accountability. Critics argue they may also normalize a future where anonymity online becomes increasingly difficult.

That tension is now creating new opportunities — and new responsibilities — for cybersecurity and privacy companies worldwide.

Among the firms responding to this shift is TrueData Solutions LLC, a Wyoming-based cybersecurity company founded in 2025 by Del Andujar. The company recently announced plans to expand infrastructure and operations into Europe as digital privacy concerns continue growing throughout the region.

The expansion arrives during a particularly sensitive moment in global technology policy.

Recent discussions surrounding European age verification systems have raised broader questions about how personal identification data will be stored, protected, and potentially shared. Privacy advocates have warned that even well-intentioned verification systems can create centralized repositories of sensitive personal information that may become vulnerable to misuse or breaches.

According to reporting from Tech Policy Press, experts have increasingly expressed concern that identity verification requirements may carry privacy implications extending beyond basic data confidentiality.

For privacy-focused companies, the issue reflects a major transformation in how consumers view digital safety.

Historically, many users treated online privacy as secondary to convenience. But growing awareness around data breaches, identity theft, and public data exposure has changed public perception significantly over the last decade.

TrueData’s business model directly addresses those concerns.

The company allows individuals to search for publicly leaked information connected to themselves and assists users in opting out from data broker platforms that collect and distribute personal details online. Unlike many competitors within the cybersecurity industry, TrueData offers its primary opt-out assistance services free of charge.

That approach has become central to the company’s identity.

While many privacy services operate behind subscription paywalls, TrueData positions accessibility as part of its broader mission to help individuals regain control over their digital footprint regardless of financial barriers.

The company also provides secondary cybersecurity services such as virtual private networks designed to improve browsing security and network privacy.

As Europe continues debating digital identity enforcement policies, cybersecurity providers may increasingly become intermediaries between governments, platforms, and consumers attempting to protect their information online.

Industry observers believe the broader privacy economy could expand dramatically over the next several years as identity-linked internet systems become more common globally.

In that environment, companies focused on transparency and user trust may gain a competitive advantage over firms relying heavily on aggressive monetization strategies or opaque data practices.

For founder Del Andujar, the issue extends beyond cybersecurity trends alone. It reflects a deeper concern about whether ordinary internet users will retain meaningful control over how their information is collected, indexed, and distributed online.

As digital identity increasingly becomes tied to daily internet access, that question may soon affect nearly every user online — not just cybersecurity professionals.