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01 · The Arc

From Humble
Beginnings

The full timeline, the kitchen-table beginnings, the bedroom hustle, the agencies, the founding of Socially Powerful, and the climb to a £40m global business. No filter, no spin.

  1. 1988
    Black and white photo of James Hacking, founder of Socially Powerful, as a newborn baby in 1988, asleep in a cradle with a milk bottle beside him

    Born

    United Kingdom

    Born in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.

    Youngest of five children with three older brothers and an older sister.

  2. 1995
    James Hacking as a young boy in school uniform, crouching in the family kitchen beside cereal boxes in the mid 1990s

    Early Childhood

    Northern England

    My mum was a teacher, and my dad was a businessman. He spent much of his time travelling, working to build a better life for our family. As a child, I didn't think much of it, it was just normal. Looking back now, I have a much greater appreciation for the sacrifices he made.

    If I wasn't at school, I was outside.

  3. 2007
    Teenage James Hacking in a hospital bed with an oxygen mask and monitoring lines after his lung collapsed in 2007, the turning point that ended his football career

    AN UNEXPECTED DOOR OPENS

    Manchester

    Until I was 16, there was only one plan.

    Football.

  4. 2008

    The Football Dream Changes

    London

    When one dream ends, another sometimes begins.

    I couldn't play football.

  5. 2015

    The Video That Changed Everything

    Online

    It was 2014, just before the Brazil World Cup. Pepsi Max wanted to steal attention from Coca-Cola, so we created The Unbelievable Game.

    In less than two weeks, we'd come up with the idea, produced it and launched it.

  6. 2015-17
    Viral Media House logo, the agency James Hacking founded in 2015

    The £500k Failure

    London

    After the success of The Unbelievable Game, I thought I'd cracked it.

    I started Viral Media House with a simple idea: create social-first content for brands and distribute it through publishers at scale.

  7. 2020
    The reply to James Hacking's cold email agreeing to meet for a coffee

    The Email That Changed Everything

    London

    Socially Powerful wasn't the plan.

    In truth, it happened almost by accident.

  8. 2021
    Socially Powerful's first office mid move-in, with flat-pack boxes, packaging and office chairs across the floor

    From One Client To A Business

    London

    Getting the first client was exciting.

    Getting the second proved the first wasn't a fluke.

  9. 2022
    Black and white photo of James Hacking with his co-founder Tassilo in the early days of Socially Powerful

    The Highs And The Lows

    Global

    Growth is never a straight line.

    There were incredible highs.

  10. 2024
    James Hacking holding the LDC Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders feature after Socially Powerful crossed a £40m run-rate

    £40M Run-Rate

    Worldwide

    Crossed £40m in annual revenue with the same founding team still at the table. Started building the next chapter: ventures, content, capital.

    Nearly ten years later...

  11. Now
    James Hacking with his wife and two young children beside a pool on holiday

    The Next Chapter

    London · Dubai

    The target is £100 million.

    Not because the number matters, but because of what it takes to get there. Better people. Better technology. Better decisions.

The next chapter is being written.

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