Our Story
If we can make $50K in ONE day, you can start making money doing what you love too.
The other half of Start Doing Business: introducing Zach Smith
Marshall truly is a pleasure to work with. The night he pitched his venture to me was also one of the most fortunate days of my life. He is the most honest, straightforward, down-to-earth, principle-based leader I’ve come across. And, I’ve had the privilege of meeting some very influential and successful people. My life wasn’t always this good though. I began my entrepreneurial journey much the same way as Marshall.
Do you know what you want to be when you "grow up?"
I know, I know, who really wants to grow up! I struggled with this concept for a long time. As a student in college, I thought I was going to be a lawyer. I majored in political science. Midway through my studies, I switched to a communications and sales degree. Then, with just a few credits remaining for that degree, I switched again! I got my degree in Accounting, the “languge of business.” I even graduated top of my class as valedictorian. This decision ultimately changed my life. Even though I was committed to the pursuit of excellence in my career, I really didn’t LOVE what I was doing. Yes, business analytics can be fun, but, it was just a piece of what my true passion is. And, who really wants to write legal papers the rest of their life? I didn’t! And I worried about slaving away for someone else the rest of my life…never really having control of what I do, and when I do it. About the same time I was having these worries, something great happened. While investigating other options, I reconnected with someone who was absolutely CRUSHING IT on the internet. Because I’m quite persistent, and very curious, I arranged a meeting with this guy in his mansion. Man, was I impressed! He was young! He had EVERYTHING (Huge 10,000 square foot house, indoor theater room that makes MTV Cribs homes seem like little cottages, fancy cars and an awesome truck, and a view across the valley into The Great Salt Lake that is breathless at night!). To top it off, he was “cool.” Well, one thing led to another and after that meeting, I started hanging out with him and then working with him full-time. Since I was learning so much and getting so excited about the possibilities of making money ON MY OWN TERMS, I worked for free for him for nearly the rest of my time in college.
Do you crave success so bad you can’t sleep at night?
“ Days turned into nights and nights turned back into days again”
About this time, because of my excitement, my diligence, my ability to learn quickly, and my passion for success, he decided to form a company with me. For the next 6 months straight, we worked like never before. I can remember days that turned into nights and nights that turned back into days again where I never even slept! But, why were we working so hard? At this point, I really had not even made any money. Well, here’s the deal: Sometimes “success” as defined by the world (Fancy cars, big houses, and luxurious lifestyles) aren’t really what they seem.
Does debt weigh you down at night?
“ We needed to make $3,600 or we might lose the house…”
You see, my business partner had let his spending habits get out of control and he had amounted MASSIVE amounts of debt that I didn’t know about until about this time. Although he had all of these “things,” and appeared to be “living the dream,” what he didn’t have was freedom. But, I believed in him and I believed in me and what I had learned. We knew “The Big Picture” and before we had even built our software, we had tested our market. After 6 feverish months, we had built the bare bones of a software product and we HAD to sell it. We needed to make $3,600 or we might lose the house… Literally, we HAD to sell our product. His house payment was coming due the next day and we needed to make $3,600 or else. That day and into the night, we wrote the sales copy and polished and prepared our online training presentation. By 4:30 a.m., everything was good-to-go. Our online training would take place in just a few hours. I literally closed my eyes and for just one hour I tried to get some sleep. The next day, as we presented to our first potential customers, everything that could go wrong went wrong. But, we knew “The Big Picture.” Our clients forgave our mistakes and miscues and of the 110 people who were in that online training, 9 of them purchased at $497. We had made $4,473. I had made REAL money on the internet! And, we had enough money to cover my partner’s bills for another month. Things only got better from there.
Have you ever made $63,048 in one day?
Over the next few months, there were days when we made over $50,000. In fact, there was a 72-hour period in September 2011 where we made nearly $100,000! How did we do it? How did a hard-working, never-say-die, full-time student pull it off? Well, you may have noticed I keep talking about “The Big Picture.” But before I tell you about it, I have some bad news to tell you.
How do you go from making $100,000+ per month to breaking up a business?
The success of my first internet business could have been even brighter. After our first successful year together, my business partner came to me and wanted to rework our operating agreement… in his favor. We had built the business together, and we were successful together, but he felt like he deserved more. He gave his reasons and I was obviously very surprised. I tried negotiating and re-negotiating but it got to the point where I realized I just couldn’t stay. We worked out a buyout agreement so he could purchase my ownership in the company. Yes, I learned a lot from him. A lot of the strategies I still use in business I learned directly from him. However, I also learned an important lesson in all of this: It doesn’t matter how much money you make in life. What matters is how much good you can do with the money you make. I may have taken an early exit from a great business. But, in the end, it wasn’t what I loved anyway. And, doing something you don’t truly love, for your entire life, isn’t the way a life should be lived. As difficult as it was, I am better for it. Take a look at what our combined experience has produced:
- We know EVERY aspect of creating, building, and running a successful business and our methods are more refined.
- We have a strong team.
- We have REAL goals and REAL reasons for helping people.
- The atmosphere and business environment at StartDoingBusiness.com is cohesive to our lifestyle and our beliefs.
Can you believe all of this happened within one year?
Just one year later, my decision to exit my first internet business has proved correct! Since then, we’ve created several different businesses, been featured in all kinds of business publications, and I even finished as a finalist in the Utah Student 25. Now, we’ve perfected “The Big Picture” formula. What if, like me, you didn’t even need a product to start? What if you have no idea how to sell or what to sell? What if this wasn’t even a problem? That’s right. We’ve discovered a way to start a business with very little investment and very little risk. That’s how amazing this formula is. And, the results speak for themselves. To learn how you can apply The Big Picture to your business, learn about our Creator’s Club by clicking the button below!