Ezra Firestone

Serve The World Unselfishly and Profit.My secret is that I’m consistent. I show up everyday enthusiastic and ready to put attention on my goals, both in my personal life and my business life. That’s how I went from starting from scratch in 2007 to bringing in $40+ million in yearly revenue.Most beginning entrepreneurs are chasing greater freedom — financial freedom, freedom of time or location, etc. — and I was no different. I wanted more time to spend with my loved ones, and the opportunity to focus on what I found meaningful.Building this was a lot of work, but I kept at it. And I have two pieces of advice for entrepreneurs:1. Don’t give up. Everyone has ups and downs, but the people who make it are the ones who keep at it.2. Don’t burn out. This is the most common reason people fail in this business. They work themselves into the ground. This game is about consistency, not intensity.After a couple years running a profitable ecommerce store, I systematized the process well enough that I had time to start another. In 2010 I created what would become my most successful brand, BOOM! by Cindy Joseph.As I continued to develop strategies for growing my business, I became more connected with the greater ecommerce and marketing community, and wanted an outlet to share with them what was working for me. Thus in 2013, Smart Marketer was born.In addition to providing the community with content on growing an ecommerce business, I also wanted to share my experience with developing a healthy, balanced life as an entrepreneur: how to have your personal relationships and interests flourish; how to grow a happy, effective team; and how imbue your business with integrity and purpose, and how to keep yourself healthy and feeling good in your body.And while developing new strategies to grow my several businesses, I would occasionally come across problems with no solutions…So in 2016 I created Zipify Apps, a SAAS company focused on Shopify.I now have a team of over 111 employees all over the world, and businesses that generate over $40 million in revenue. I have found incredible joy in creating products that provide people with value, in working with a team of close friends and family, and by participating in a community of amazing people.And in addition to teaching I’ve also learned a lot, which prompts one final piece of advice: Find a mentor, and learn everything you can from them. You don’t have to blaze a whole new trail when there’s so much valuable information out there to help you succeed. Best of luck — thanks for reading!