Cameron Hodder

WORK HISTORY

SKILLS

ABOUT CAMERON HODDER

If I’m honest, I’m not entirely sure how I got here.It wasn’t the conventional route.School was tough. People aren’t always on your side.Then, during my GCSE years, I was in a car crash that damn near killed me.After that, education lost its appeal. Eyes opened, I’d seen beyond the veil - our one, finite, wild and precious life.University was never on the cards (I had no idea what I’d even study), but one thing I did have was a strong work ethic and a desire to get out into the world.So I did.I spent my final years at school hustling - selling things (legal!), working evenings and weekends, learning how people tick.College didn’t go much better (confirmed the university decision!), but work did.Retail. Then hospitality.I worked relentlessly and was rewarded for it.By 19, I was managing a group of retail stores.By 27, I was General Manager of luxury hotels and Michelin-star restaurants.I worked for some brilliant people.I learned standards, pressure, leadership, and what excellence actually looks like when it’s lived - not just talked about.But there was always an itch I couldn’t ignore.I wanted to build something of my own.With encouragement from a close-knit few, the end of a work contract, less than £500 in the bank, and a handful (three!) maxed-out credit cards, I took the leap.Risk feels different when you don’t have much to lose.I bootstrapped everything.Coded my first WordPress website. Learned Liquid to launch a client’s Shopify store. Studied relentlessly - from Google Garage and Mailchimp Academy to the best marketing books I could get my hands on.Taught myself by learning, doing, failing, fixing, and repeating.Slowly, and organically, the work grew.Then did the team.I’ve always hired incredible people - people who are far cleverer than I am. My role is simple: engineer an environment where they can thrive. Clients find us because they see what we can do and want to work with us.The rest is history. But people often ask where the name Dirty Martini comes from.It’s an ode to the journey - and a nod to the hospitality industry I’m still deeply in love with.It stands for shaking things up.Not following the conventional. Not being chosen by everyone (and being okay with that!). And having a great time when you are chosen.Timeless, provocative, and a little unexpected.It’s about taking the work seriously - but not ourselves.Cheers.