👉 Ready to start your own online store? Start here: https://dropshipunlocked.com/online-event?el=blog-87-why-i-started-dsu

🗣In this episode, James interviews Lewis Smith, the founder of Dropship Unlocked. Lewis shares his personal journey from the corporate world to becoming a successful entrepreneur, and the reasons behind starting Dropship Unlocked. 

This episode aims to inspire you to take control of your entrepreneurial path.

👉 Do you know someone who would love this? Share this video ➡️ https://youtu.be/mla4AsuoXdk?feature=shared

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Links and Resources Mentioned:

Pick up a copy of Lewis’ book: https://htabook.com 

Get Shopify for £1 a month for 3 months: https://www.dropshipunlocked.com/shopify 

Get a free trial with a professional phone line: https://www.dropshipunlocked.com/circle 

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Key Takeaways:

★ Importance of Autonomy: Seeking autonomy and control over one's life can be a powerful motivator for entrepreneurship.

★ Overcoming Challenges: The journey involves facing and overcoming numerous challenges, which ultimately lead to growth and success.

★ Building a Supportive Community: Creating a community around your business can provide support and drive greater impact.

★ Continuous Learning: Success in entrepreneurship requires continuous learning, adapting, and updating strategies to stay relevant.

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Learn More:

 ➡️ When people are ready to create time and financial freedom for themselves, they visit - https://www.dropshipunlocked.com/free?el=blog-87-why-i-started-dsu

 ➡️ Subscribe to The Dropship Unlocked Podcast to stay up-to-date on the latest episodes, and leave a like to help others discover the show.

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Topics Discussed:

In the "Lewis Smith: Why I Started Dropship Unlocked (My Story) | Dropship Unlocked Podcast Episode 87" YouTube video, founder Lewis Smith shares his personal journey and the inspiration behind starting the business. Growing up, Smith was influenced by his parents' strong work ethic and focus on financial security. Despite a successful corporate career in medical devices and diagnostics, he felt a strong desire for more freedom and autonomy. Inspired by the Four Hour Workweek book and the idea of digital nomads, Smith and his fiancée made the decision to leave their stable jobs and start their own business. However, Smith encountered numerous challenges in implementing the dropshipping business model, including long delivery times, poor quality products, and customer service issues. Frustrated and determined to find a better solution, he developed the home turf advantage model, which focused on using UK suppliers and resulted in faster delivery times, higher quality products, and improved customer satisfaction. This transformation led to the creation of Dropship Unlocked, a program designed to help others avoid similar pitfalls and build successful e-commerce businesses. Throughout the video, Smith emphasises the importance of autonomy, perseverance, and seeking advice to achieve success. He encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to view success as a marathon, not a sprint, and to embrace mistakes as part of the learning process. Smith also emphasises the importance of thorough market research and clear instructions to help members make informed decisions. The episode concludes with a call to action, urging listeners to subscribe to the podcast, purchase the host's book, and leave five-star reviews for a chance to be featured on upcoming episodes. Overall, Smith's story serves as an inspiration for those seeking autonomy and control over their time and finances.

• 00:00:00 In this section, founder Louis Smith shares his personal journey and the inspiration behind starting the business. Growing up, Louis had a happy childhood but recognised that his parents' strong work ethic and focus on financial security called the shots in their lives. This realisation sparked a desire for autonomy and control over his own time. After experiencing a significant loss and feeling overwhelmed, Louis drew inspiration from his nan's encouragement and made the decision to leave his stable job and start his own business. Since then, he has never looked back and found the freedom and control that comes with entrepreneurship. Louis shares his story to inspire others looking for their own breakthroughs in e-commerce.

• 00:05:00 In this section, Lewis Smith shares how his privileged upbringing, influenced by his parents' jobs that allowed them to travel the world, broadened his horizons and instilled in him the value of hard work and financial stability. These experiences set him on the path to studying medical microbiology at university. However, despite his successful corporate career in medical devices and diagnostics, Smith felt a strong desire for more freedom and autonomy, which led him to seek something different. His encounter with a group of entrepreneurs in a hotel during a meeting was a pivotal moment that sparked his entrepreneurial spirit and eventually led him to start Dropship Unlocked.

• 00:10:00 In this section, Lewis Smith shares how a conversation with a colleague about entrepreneurship led him to explore the concept further. He was inspired by the Four Hour Workweek book by Tim Ferriss and the idea of digital nomads living and working autonomously. Feeling suffocated by the demands of his corporate job and the loss of autonomy, Smith discussed his newfound interest with his fiancée, who surprised him by suggesting they move their wedding and start a business together. This turning point allowed Smith to prioritise work-life balance and family values over the traditional corporate route, leading him to pursue entrepreneurship despite the financial risks.

• 00:15:00 In this section, Lewis shares his motivations for leaving the corporate world in search of a more autonomous lifestyle. Inspired by Tim Ferriss' "The Four Hour Work Week," Lewis sought to travel and earn money simultaneously. However, he was unsure of how to implement the dropshipping business model mentioned in the book. Lewis delved into the world of YouTube tutorials to learn about dropshipping, but was met with conflicting advice and a lack of clear guidance. He eventually found a channel demonstrating the process, which involved setting up a Shopify store, sourcing products from websites like AliExpress, and running Facebook ads. Lewis launched his store selling men's ties, but encountered numerous issues, including a customer receiving the wrong discount and receiving a low-quality product with long delivery times. Despite making his first sale, Lewis realised that the dropshipping model was flawed and resulted in a loss rather than a profit.

• 00:20:00 In this section, Lewis shares his struggles with various online income models before discovering dropshipping. He explains how he was disappointed with the lack of ownership and instability in affiliate marketing and print on demand businesses. Lewis also discusses his apprehensions about Amazon FBA due to the high risk and thin profit margins. Feeling overwhelmed and disheartened, he was starting to lose hope when he stumbled upon the concept of high ticket dropshipping. This model appealed to him because of the reduced risk of paying suppliers only after receiving customer payments. However, Lewis faced challenges in implementing this model in the UK market and encountered personal setbacks, including his grandmother's illness and eventual passing. Despite these challenges, Lewis found the determination to push forward and make the call to a potential supplier, inspired by his grandmother's words of encouragement.

• 00:25:00 In this section, Lewis recounts the pivotal moment when he secured his first supplier for his e-commerce business. He describes the initial call as nerve-wracking but was pleasantly surprised by the supplier's positive response. However, adapting the business model to the UK market presented challenges, including finding suppliers, understanding regulations, and taxes. Despite these hurdles, Lewis persevered, driven by his nan's encouragement and the belief that there was a large customer base in the UK. The most significant challenges came from the flawed model of sourcing products from China, which resulted in long delivery times, poor quality control, and customer service issues. Lewis eventually shifted to a new approach, the "home turf advantage model," which focused on using UK suppliers and resulted in happier customers and a more enjoyable business to run.

• 00:30:00 In this section, Lewis shares his dissatisfaction with the traditional dropshipping model, which he found to be flawed due to long delivery times, low-quality products, and the stress of managing a business that wasn't sustainable in the long term. He then introduces the concept of the home turf advantage model, where partnering with UK suppliers ensures faster delivery times, higher quality products, and no need for upfront payments. This transformation led to improved customer satisfaction, better reviews, and rapid business growth, ultimately allowing Lewis to quit his job and start a new life.

• 00:35:00 In this section, Lewis Smith shares his decision to leave his job and become a digital nomad with his wife. After feeling unfulfilled and craving autonomy, they made the nerve-wracking move to Thailand. However, they soon realised they needed to celebrate their newfound freedom and marked the occasion with a sushi dinner. This experience allowed them to travel and live in various countries, ultimately leading to the creation of Dropship Unlocked to teach others how to build successful dropshipping businesses and find fulfillment. Smith explains that his motivation was not just for additional profit but to help others achieve the same freedom and autonomy he experienced.

• 00:40:00 In this section, Lewis Smith shares how his experiences and challenges in starting an eCommerce business led him to create Dropship Unlocked to help others avoid similar pitfalls. Initially starting with a small group of people over Zoom and a Facebook group, Smith refined the program until it became a successful business that has helped thousands of people in the UK build their own freedom businesses. He now aims to empower as many people as possible to achieve the same level of autonomy and control over their time. Smith advises aspiring entrepreneurs to view success as a marathon, not a sprint, and to embrace mistakes as part of the learning process. He also encourages starting now and adjusting along the way, and emphasises the importance of seeking advice and taking action to achieve success.

• 00:45:00 In this section, titled "Why I Started Dropship Unlocked (My Story)", Lewis Smith answers a listener's question about whether the dropshipping model will work for them, as it has for others. Smith emphasises that many people have succeeded with their home turf advantage model, from beginners to seasoned entrepreneurs, and that their community provides a step-by-step program, clear instructions, and support at every stage. He also mentions that they teach thorough market research and have a nine-point data validation system to help members make informed decisions based on solid data. Smith encourages listeners to apply to Dropship Unlocked if they want to learn more about how the program can help them.

• 00:50:00 In this section, the host expresses gratitude for a recent positive review from a listener named Silbert Swing Golfer. The reviewer shared that the podcast provided inspiration to start a drop shipping business. The host encourages listeners to leave reviews for the podcast, as it helps keep them motivated to produce high-quality content. The episode concludes with a call to action, urging listeners to subscribe, purchase the host's book, and leave five-star reviews for a chance to be featured on upcoming episodes.

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FOLLOW:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dropshipunlocked/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DropshipUnlockd 

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/dropship-unlocked 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/dropshipunlockedlewissmith 

Website: https://www.dropshipunlocked.com/ 

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★★★Dropship Unlocked - Lewis Smith★★★

How to Launch a UK Dropshipping Business Offering Next-Day Delivery...

...Even If You Don't Yet Know Which Products To Sell

🌏Watch Our Free Training ➽ https://www.dropshipunlocked.com/free?el=blog-87-why-i-started-dsu

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