We had the pleasure of having the wiz kid, Ninos Shamo on the podcast as we discussed how he grew his 6 figure drop shipping business using Shopify. There is a ton to learn from this kid and we get into it on this interview.
Can you tell me the story of your prior successes, challenges, and major responsibilities?
So the way how I got to be able to fund my business was by reffing soccer games. I got my certificate when I was 14, worked for a few months, made about $1000 and invested with that. A few of the challenges and setbacks I faced was getting holds from payment providers. Since dropshipping is a high risk business because your selling products you don’t have any inventory of, payment providers will sometimes put a hold on your money or a reserve. They will eventually give it to you, they just want to make sure that you are legit. Another obstacle I faced was getting scammed a few times. A lot of entrepreneurs get scammed in their journey because there is a lot of cold hearted people out there that will take your money and not provide the service you thought you would receive. Just be careful. When I got scammed it was for $1000 and that was all I had at the time. This was before I succeeded with dropshipping. You just have to push through and not give up no matter what obstacles come your way. A few of my major responsibilities is making sure that my team and my employees are staying on task. If you have a team that is dysfunctional, it will be really hard for you to become successful. One of the main reasons I am so successful at the age of 16 is because I have outsourced a lot of the work that takes up my time and doesn’t make money.
Can you tell me about a time when you almost gave up, how you felt about that, and what you did instead of giving up?
I almost gave up when paypal put a hold to my money because it was $8000 and I needed that money in order to pay for my order fulfillment team and the facebook ads I had been running. This was at the beginning of my journey so it was pretty tough going through it. But, once again you have to push through and keep moving forward! Instead of giving up, I used one of my parents credit cards and made back the money I owed them in less than 3 days. Just remember that for every problem, there is a solution. Stay focused and keep grinding.
I know this is not an easy job. What drives you?
Honestly, freedom drives me. Having the ability to do what I want and when I want is probably what drives me most. Also, helping people does drive me a lot too. When I receive messages like “You changed my life” that makes me extremely happy.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? What lesson did you learn from them?
Yea, so I actually have multiple mentors. I am part of my programs, I have bought many courses and books. So I would say those are mainly the people who have helped me. There really is not one person who has given me all the answers it was many people. I am grateful for anyone who has given me a piece of advice and has positively affected my business and my life. My parents also played a big role in helping me achieve success. I never asked them for a penny because I wanted to make sure that I can earn on my own but they did help keep me focused and stay on track. My mother always tells to keep moving forward. This is something that I will remember forever.
How do you push through your worst times?
That is a great question. When I am going through my worst times I go straight to the gym. The ONLY way to have your money straight is if you have your mindset straight. I want to make sure I am energized and never in a negative mood. You have to stay focused and persistent.
Thank you for taking the time to talk with us.
