🗣 In this episode of the Dropship Unlocked Podcast, your hosts Lewis Smith and James Eardley dive deep into the world of dropshipping and unveil the one secret to success that often goes overlooked.
It's not about the products or flashy websites; it's about something far more powerful. Join them as they discuss the biggest misconceptions beginners have when starting dropshipping, the incredible value of community, and how mentorship can make a world of difference during uncertain times.
👉 Prefer to watch this on Youtube? Check it out here ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0schygKbBc
🗣 In this episode of the Dropship Unlocked Podcast, your hosts Lewis Smith and James Eardley dive deep into the world of dropshipping and unveil the one secret to success that often goes overlooked.
It's not about the products or flashy websites; it's about something far more powerful. Join them as they discuss the biggest misconceptions beginners have when starting dropshipping, the incredible value of community, and how mentorship can make a world of difference during uncertain times.
👉 Prefer to watch this on Youtube? Check it out here ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0schygKbBc
That was the first lesson that I think I took away from that particular event. Never do what I did. Hopefully, people can heed the warnings and not over focusing on the products and the suppliers that you signed But realising that the difference that for my journey and I know for yours as well, you know, I remember a phone call when I was in a coffee shop in Bali, where the supplier saying okay, so you owe us 20,000 pounds. And just like it taken my breath away, it is scary to think that you could be making big mistakes without even knowing what they are. There's a saying that they say if you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far go together. Just so much more enjoyable as well. You know, not to mention or the fact that you learn quicker and you've got a supportive tribe around you. Sometimes, it might be such a bad mistake that you don't recover from it Welcome to the dropship unlocked podcast your key to unlocking the secrets of high ticket dropshipping. I'm Lewis Smith, founder of dropship unlocked and with me is our Client Success Coach James Eardley. Now when we're not recording podcast episodes, we're running our own e commerce businesses and helping aspiring entrepreneurs launch their own high ticket dropshipping businesses. So if you're ready to learn how to build your own six, or even seven figure business, pick up a copy of my book, the home turf advantage, whether you're looking to replace your income or launch a side hustle. I wrote this book as a roadmap to help you launch a low maintenance high profit e commerce business that gives you the freedom to spend more time with your family, travel the world and work on your own terms. Ready to join us visit HT a book.com To get your copy today. Now sit back, relax and let's unlock your potential with a dropship unlocked Podcast. Today, we're going to be unravelling the number one secret to drop shipping success. And no, it's not the products that you sell. We're going to be diving into for both Lewis and I What was the main reason why we believe our dropshipping businesses were a success. And I can't wait to really dive into this today with the Louis. So perhaps you've been thinking about which trending products to sell or tweaking your website in a certain way that will open the floodgates to sales, in fact, is neither of those options. So let's dive in Louis, first of all, what do you think is the biggest misconception when beginners first get into dropshipping? Yeah, I think many people come into this and including myself initially thinking that it's about the right products to sell, or it's having you know, a flashy website with a great theme like that will be the key to success. But if you think of it this way, having a great product without having the right guidance or the right strategy. It's kind of like you own a supercar, you own a Ferrari without knowing how to drive it, you know, it's kind of worthless. In that sense, it's, it's pointless. Now, of course, there's still be value to having the right product itself. But without the right blueprint or strategy without knowing how to drive, then you are very limited in the enjoyment or the utility you can get out of the product. So in reality, having a community and a mentor as well accelerates that learning. And I guess what it does is reduces the common pitfalls that you'll go through because usually the community and the mentor will have experienced those things already, and can forewarn you about the things that you don't yet know, right? The unknown unknowns, there's a saying that they say if you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far go together. So the journey of dropshipping is definitely definitely best undertaken with guidance and a supporting community, we see it time and time again. And that's the feedback we get from lots of members. And it's certainly the case in my own story. So I first started with just watching YouTube videos, which is well documented in previous episodes, and you get a superficial knowledge of what you need to do. But the community aspect that we're going to dive into today gives you the backing, so when things go wrong, when you've got obstacles and, and difficult hurdles to overcome. You've got somebody else there in your corner. So when we consider community, what do you think is its true value within the realm of dropshipping? Yeah, I mean, you could go much deeper than this, couldn't you and look at the value of community and tribalism as a species, you know, as humanity if you want to really zoom out and get quite meta with it. But community itself is the lifeline of any business, but it's also the lifeline of how we as humans operate. So it's no different in business or in drop shipping, you know, and there was a TV show, I'm sure many people will have seen it called alone, which is really interesting. And I was watching it the other day, and it's where the contestants are kind of put out into the Canadian wilderness with given basic tools but they are on their own like each person's individually on their own. And they face that unpredictability. And the challenge is similar to like we do in entrepreneurship, right where we're, we're going through it and initially we're on our own, you know, like you said, you're looking at YouTube and thinking okay, I've got to navigate this world of In the wilderness of entrepreneurship on my own, but the thing that that happens in that show, which is interesting is they have some initial success. So as they become better with tools, they seem to initially they start to thrive. And they're like, Yeah, I can do this, you know, I've caught a fish, or I've like built myself a little den. And it's the same in business, like, I've made a few sales like this stuff works. And in a sense, that's good, because it kind of gives them that early lead, but then isolation starts to take its toll. And you see that, after a while of watching them in the wilderness, despite the tools and the skills that they have many on that show. It's the mentality, it's the mental load of isolation, solitude, and kind of second guessing and questioning, like what's going on, we'll ever get out of here. But that's what takes its toll. And it's so true in entrepreneurship as well. You could have a great few months, you could make some sales, you could sign some supplies, and be like, I'm doing this, and then you realise, but who do I tell? Or who do i Who Can I ask questions. So what if this happens, or what and you start having these like repeating questions happening in your mind. So it's no different from that. But it's it's like contestant on a show like that. They're in better in a supportive tribe. Imagine if they said, right, you're going in as a group of 10. The entrepreneurs Excel with peers who offer feedback, just like humans excelling in those tribal situations as well. So yeah, try and thrive with a community. Because yes, the right tools might set you apart, but a strong community gives you the not just survival ability, but also to really thrive and you know, whether it has any wild terrains are in the business, landscapers and entrepreneurs. So it's just making sure that you've got that peer to peer feedback. And that real time support, share their experiences, learn from their mistakes, you know, they'll often offer you solutions to problems that not only you may not have encountered, but you might not even realise will ever become problems. And so our communities had so many examples of members helping other people within that community either pivot slightly or adapt their strategies. And it just makes it such a dynamic learning environment. So don't work alone. in isolation, don't be one of those contestants on the game show that gives up because eventually, you realise that the toll of solitude and isolation makes you you know, join a community join a tribe is one of the biggest advantages and it's leaning into the way we as humans have evolved. Right? Exactly. And it's just so much more enjoyable as well, you know, not to mention, or the fact that you learn quicker and you've got a supportive tribe around you, it's a lot more enjoyable when you can share your successes with other people. And also share times when it hasn't gone quite well as well with other people. And they can bring you up until you are back on the right track. And but I liked what you said there about there being a bit of a lag period. I agree with that interesting that we noticed it from people that go out and try and survive in the wild. There's a lag period when you first go out on your own. And it's probably the same with anything you can, you know, you start really fast on your own. But there's a lag period before it really kicks in the drawbacks and the downsides of having nobody else around you takes a bit of time for you to realise that I certainly did in my own story. When I started dropshipping through YouTube content, I got started, I had a business setup within a week or two. But it wasn't until a month down the line. When things were going wrong in the sales were in there. That's when you really feel the effects and there's nobody turn to to ask for help. So it's important to have people around you. But I think also the right people around you. You could have a community, you know your neighbours ever on your street, and you could be telling them about the business landed in yourself and started. But if they haven't got any direct business sort of experience themselves, then you might not be preaching to the right crowd. So how important is it Lewis to not only have a community, but have a mentorship community that also are doing the same sort of, you know, going after the same goals that you have? Yeah, I believe it's vitally important. And the reason for that is if you imagine that you're watching a movie, in a foreign language, right? without subtitles, it's a language that you're not fluent in, you don't understand? Well, the information is there, it's been provided to you just not in a format that you understand and can comprehend and can use. And then tour or a community kind of acts like those subtitles that get put on that movie, it translates the complex world of drop shipping this language that you may not yet understand into relatable terms. So I believe it's really important to have not just one mentor but lots of mentors. I've got mentors in several areas of my life, whether that's for health or happiness or business or strictly finances, how to manage finances, but also you know, family as well and balancing that work life balance. So yeah, I think a mentor with their own experiences can often foresee challenges and give you actionable solutions. And I know personally during the initial days of my journey when I first started my mentors provided me not just the kind of tactical like step by step advice, but it was that emotional support as well it was that like, there's light at the end of the tunnel. You know what you're doing well what will eventually work like have faith continue? continue operating the way you are, and you will get there. And just ensuring that I never felt alone in that journey. It was it was vital having that community in that, that mentorship around that area of my life, particularly in the early days of business. Yeah. And it's easy to neglect the emotional support, I think before you first get started, you think I can handle that, for anything like me, you're just looking for the tactical support, you're just looking for the exact step by step guide, you almost neglect the emotional support. And it's like when you go through the art of learning new skills, the first thing you need is just the tactical support, you need to be told exactly what to do. But when you get a little bit further down that arc of learning, you also you still need the tactical sport, you're still new to it. But then you need the emotional support when things don't quite go to plan or when things haven't quite turned out or there's been a little bit of a hiccup along the way. So that emotional support, again, is something you might overlook. And that's perhaps why we don't see the community as valuable as it is until you've gone a little bit further down the line. So that emotional support is something I want to dig into a little bit more loosely. So how did the emotional support around you really help you with your journey? Yeah, well, early in the dropshipping journey for me, I faced a major hiccup poor call it on finances, and one that fortunately I did recover from but I guess it will kind of triggered off where one of our suppliers had sent us through a, like a price list where they dropped a few of the prices, they had some end of line items that they wanted to reduce in price and they wanted us to also reduce in price now, I kind of naively at that stage just thought oh yeah, we'll just drop our prices and it's fine. And I wouldn't check the margin percentages and kind of didn't really look into it enough and just went through the process of like, okay, I'm busy. I've got lots going on. Yep, just update those prices fine. Didn't look into the margins properly. Now, what happened is, there was a sudden upturn in sales for that supplier, and we were making serious sales with them and doing really well. Things looked great as top line revenue, right, as it often does, we seemed to be making money until I found out later that I'd set things up incorrectly, hadn't kept a close enough eye on things. And we hadn't accounted for both the VAT that we owed on that revenue, but also the cash owed to the supplier. And because our margin had squeezed because we hadn't updated the selling price correctly in accordance with what the margin was. And we haven't changed the supplier up to also drop our trade price, I could get that there are certain things now that we would teach within the programme that's just like, just do it this way. Every time a new price list comes through. This is how you need to input it, it gets quite in depth, but basically some initial naivety and oversights that I made. And I take full responsibility for it. But I had some really difficult conversations with suppliers. In I remember a phone call when I was in a coffee shop and barley were the supplier saying okay, so you owe us 20,000 pounds. And just like it taking my breath away a bit because I looked at the bank account, and there were probably a couple of 100 pounds in there because we just paid a massive VAT bill. And I was pretty broken, I was stressed. And the mistake that I had made is I tied my identity to that of the business's success. So when the business crumbled, I started to crumble as well. And that was the first lesson that I think I took away from that particular event. Never do what I did there, never tie your identity so much into the business, that you are at the mercy of the business's success in terms of your personal life, because business is a rollercoaster ride, like no matter what business you're in, there will be ups and downs. And do you want your personal life to be dragged through those ups and downs as well? Probably not. If you can separate yourself from the business and view it as this separate entity, which it is. And just say I'm an entrepreneur, I'm here to help solve problems, add value to the world and get through this and you know, make a difference. I'll write the ups and downs, I'll learn from the downs, I'm grateful for the downs, I'm grateful for the failures, because they'll teach me what to do in future. Right. So I've tried to kind of condense as much of that into now helping people who don't need to go through those same mistakes that I did. But I remember back then, at my lowest point when I was really really struggling and thinking, What do I do here? Do I just throw in the towel? Do I take on a load of debt, you know, and just take in dangerous levels of loans that maybe I won't be able to repay? Because I wasn't sure what you do in this area of business at this point. And one of our mentors said, just go back to basics. Keep a close eye on everything, tighten the purse strings on the business, and just build it back up gradually, sequentially. You know what you did? got you to this point. Yes, you had a blip. Yes, he had a hiccup something went wrong. You took your eye off the ball. You've learned from that lesson. This doesn't have to be the end of you in the business. So I decided not to take on a loan. I didn't take any finance. I didn't take any outside investment or any help even though it was offered. I just worked my way back up gradually and I thought no I need to learn this lesson myself the hard way so that I don't forget it in the future. And slowly but surely we made back back 20,000 pounds we pay back the supplier, we pay back the VAT bill that we owed and since then, we're All of my businesses, I've kept a very, very close eye on the finances because of how that event made me feel. And so I guess to tie this back to mentorship, those experiences and that particular event in my life taught me that the value of mentorship isn't just in the success stories. But it's in navigating through the tough times as well, probably more. So. If you're interested in similar experiences, then I'd suggest checking out episode two of our podcast where I shared a story. And I shared that full in depth journey of how that all happened and unfolded, it's called Lewis Smith journey from the nine to five to multimillion pound dropshipping entrepreneur, so well worth a listen to that episode two of the podcast if you'd like a bit more of an in depth view of what happened there. And it is an inspirational story to listen to. And I think somebody will try and paint a bed of roses when they come up from where you started to where you are today. But it's so important to understand that you as well went through difficult times that you learn from and then we're able to get out of that difficult time and then teach others how to avoid that in the future as well. I agree that the value of mentorship probably comes around more. So when times are difficult instead of when times are great. When times are great, you don't feel the need to reach out or ask for help. When times are not so good. That's when you can really lean on others. And you initially you needed the tactical support. And you were given some great advice in terms of like logically looking at your situation, the business is separate to you. This is what's happened to the business, this is how you get out of it. But also the emotional support was there, because they didn't judge you they've just judge what you had done with the business. And that allows you to then work on the business without gain crumbling without falling down further into that stress that you must have been feeling in that situation. So would you say is that was the emotional support or the tactical support that was most value before you in that time? In that moment, it was the emotion of support, because I knew what to do tactically, I knew very quickly realised the mistake that I'd made. And it's one that I was like, I will never make that again. But right now I'm dealing with the consequences of having made it how do I deal with that, personally, how do I take that on board, and it was having someone external, say to me, just because you failed doesn't make you a failure. But the failure is part of the process. It's the learning it's, you know, fail forward. Like they say make sure that you're using the lessons from those failures, to give you momentum to push you forward to make sure you don't make those mistakes again. And obviously, having a mentor and a community allows you to navigate and shine a light on the different pitfalls that may lie ahead. That tells you that actually, this is another thing you might want to watch out for. You may not have encountered this, but I did on my journey. So watch out for it heed my warning. Because sometimes it might be such a bad mistake that you don't recover from it. So you don't want any of those catastrophic mistakes that just end in the complete failure of the business. And so there are those out there. So I think it's vital to get that mentorship and that support of a community. And on the topic of discussion today, we're sort of suggesting that community isn't something you think about, first of all, you obviously didn't know that situation was going to happen when you first started your business. Did you think that community was going to play such a pivotal role when you started your business as well? No, exactly. I certainly didn't think that community would be the the thing that I needed to get through times. And like you said at the beginning, I thought, oh, it's the products. It's the ads. It's the shiny, flashy website that works well. And of course, yes, that builds the foundation of the business. That's the bit that initially gets you traction. But it's what happens when you hit a problem like I encountered then. And you've never faced that before. And you've never felt that weight or that responsibility on your shoulders. Because up until this point, you've never been an entrepreneur, you've never been a business owner, maybe maybe you have but you've never had an issue like that before. And so when you feel that weight, having picked the right products doesn't get you out of that problem. Having a flashy website doesn't get you out of that problem. It's the support is the mentorship. It's the other people you can say, Guys, I've messed up here. What would you do in my situation? And you will get a flood of support of people patting you on the back being like, I've done it, don't worry, I've been through there. Here's here's the step by step process. Here's how you get out of it. Don't worry, we're all going through this together. It's it's fine. And I think just that level of like, camaraderie that support that encouragement really does help during those times, specifically. So yeah, I'd say it's the community part that I didn't expect, that I would need that actually ended up being the most valuable thing that I could be a part of. It is a surprise, yeah, we go in thinking it's all about the products, all about the suppliers that you sign, but actually having people around you because starting a business, it can be a lonely pursuit, potentially, if you go down that route, and you're the type person that just wants to get your head down and go into monk mode, as they call it and just work on your business without any outside support. That can be a lonely pursuit. But getting around a community is going to make it so much more enjoyable and help out in those difficult moments. So always inspirational to hear about your sort of mentorship stories and the experience that you've had, Louis. There's now a lot of choice for people out there. Want to get started with dropshipping? In the online world that we've got? Now, there's plenty of options in terms of finding forums and communities to get around when you start a business. So how would you advise that people find the right community to join, when they want to start a drop shipping business, when it comes to mentorship and choosing a mentor is a bit like selecting a personal trainer for your own fitness, here's someone who's experienced the grind and knows the journey that you need to take to get to success. And they can kind of help you and hold you accountable to get there in the fitness world. Same is true in the business world, it's not necessarily about who the loudest mentor is out there, or who's the most visible, who has the loudest voice. It's often about who resonates with your journey, who understands your pitfalls, who can guide you, uniquely, who has done what you want to do, and shares the same why I'd advise you to select a mentor or mentors that you feel share that same desire vision, why as what you do, because if they've done what you want to do already, ideally in a similar market, then they can provide you with the roadmap that you're likely going to have to face, right. But also, their reasons for doing it will kind of cool you through to getting your business up and running as well, if they're doing it just for the money and your motivation is about family and freedom, they will eventually there'll be a point of like, I don't really resonate with what they say, or our goals aren't aligned. You know, there's a mentor out there for everybody. But you've got to pick the one that resonates the best with you. But most importantly, if you select someone who's been down the same route that you're about to go down, then they will have already overcome the challenges that you are going to face ahead. So it's like being able to see into the future, they can warn you about them, before you even stumble across them, you might not even know that they're out there. And so that's something to be very, very aware of, it's like having a time machine, you can see into the future, you can shine a light into all of the unknown areas. And so that, you know, okay, this is the path I need to navigate, and here's how to navigate it safely as well. And then the other thing is look at their testimonials, their feedback, you know, that's what is going to be important. Because if you can look at what other clients of theirs have said about working with them, that's going to be really key for you to decide, okay, this is the type of person I want to work with, because all of the clients who have paid them and have worked with them had a great experience. Just be very aware of what people will write about certain mentors or programmes, things like that online, when they're not a client, because it sounds obvious. But there are people out there who have ulterior motives, and they'll write a bad review and say it's terrible. And then conveniently, at the end of that review, it might say, Oh, by the way, do this thing instead. And then there's a strategically placed affiliate link there that points you to, you know, different programmes, it's very self serving, it's manipulative. And the Internet can be a bit of a dark place like that not everybody's motives are pure. So make sure that you're looking for reviews and testimonials from people who've actually paid to become part of that programme, don't believe they're, you know, the noise. Yeah, that happens all the time. So you've just got to take testimonials feedback from actual paying members of a community to really get a real picture of what that community is like. I know before I joined dropshipper, Knox myself, I was keen to find out what other people were saying about the community, while the people were saying about the mentor ship. And that really guided my decision to join dropship or not, and using the masterclass as my springboard to go from trying to do it all myself to having a team around me. And it really felt like a team. And I was reminded of this recently, we met up with some members of the masterclass programme, which was fantastic to meet the guys there. And the girls that, you know, it's a really good group of people that we were able to meet up with. And they were mentioning the fact that they didn't expect the community to have such a big appeal when they first got in. And perhaps they didn't engage very much with the community when they first joined. But when they started to engage, when they started to reach out for support, that's when they realise that they've got a team around them to really support them. And now a lot of people say that the community is actually the best resource that they have access to now at this point in their business now that they're up and running, making sales. So fantastic to hear that that feedback. Yeah, exactly. I'm meeting up with the members of the community was amazing, because it proved to me why we have the selection process that we do to work with us, you know, a lot of courses out there will just say, Oh, just insert your card details here. And you're in and they give you access to some videos. And it's like there's no consideration of who they're letting in. If you want to become a millionaire overnight, and you want us to do that for you. We are the wrong programme for you. Right, you can absolutely get there. And it will be a simple process, but it won't be easy. I'll tell you that now straightaway, right. So if that's what you're looking for, if you just want the easy route, then it is not going to be this way. I don't think that way exists, to be honest. But just making sure that people's expectations are aligned with ours when they first join that they're coming in. They're supportive. They're a giver. They want to be able to help a community as well as get value from it. That's why when we met up with our community, the other Day, I realised these people feel like family, our members are deeply aligned with us on our values, our vision, like why they're doing the business, what they want to achieve from the business, spend time with their family, travel the world help our loved ones, I was like, these are our people, this is our tribe, this is our community. It just really brought it home for me. And I thought, wow, it's great to see this come into life. After all of the hard work we've done in all of the, you know, there's a reason why we have an application process to work. This is because we are selective and we protect our members. So if you become one of our members, you can rest assured we're not just going to let anybody in to potentially come in and poison the well, there is a strict criteria to work with us. And we take it very seriously because we want to over deliver and add as much value as we possibly can, to our community and to everybody who joins us. And so it's only fair to them, that we have that bar set very high. And the end result is that an amazing community that everyone can benefit from is there because the right people are in the community. And it's people from all different walks of life that are part of the community. We had people from Dundee down to Oxford. So the length of the UK, we've had people from all over the UK and further afield as well. And it might look from the outside that there's not much in common between them. But what we all share is to share the same values, the same goals about building lifestyle, businesses with that you can be financially independent, time independent and location dependent. And that's what brings us all together. And straightaway, we're able to have a really common interest. And we're getting on immediately within a few sentences because the shared values, the shared goals were there. So for people that are perhaps on the fence, and not sure whether to invest in themselves, and get mentorship or get around the community, what would you say to those people? Yeah, well, the mistake that many of us make, including myself initially is we think that it's just access to information. That's the answer. But it's not all the information that you could ever want or need is out there on YouTube. That's no secret, right? But the benefit of investing in mentorship is really its focus is a bit like using the noise cancelling headphones that we're wearing. Now, in a bustling, busy, noisy cafe, you go into Starbucks, full of distractions, babies crying, people talking on the phone, like lots going on. But amongst all that chaos, that noise, it's the mentorship that can let you focus on what's truly essential for your business and hear that voice very clearly. So the initial investment into working with mentors is like a drop in the ocean in the long term return that that then provides both financially but also in terms of personal growth. And, you know, I personally pay 10s of 1000s of pounds per year, every year for my own mentorship now, and personal development just to get around the right group of people. Because I know that whenever I have a problem in my life or in business, if I'm in the moment, I have an a serious problem right now that needs fixing. I don't need a YouTube video. I need tried and tested answers from people that I know and trust are credible. But also people who've already done what I'm trying to do. There can be plenty of experienced people and just other industries that just don't get what I'm trying to do in the type of businesses I have. But I need people who have already walked that path and can say, Yeah, I encountered that. Here's what you do, or you know, don't worry, that's perfectly normal happens all the time. Here's the strategy. So always remember that the costliest mistakes in business aren't those that we make, but it's the ones that we don't even know we're making. Mentorship is like having a torch that lights up those blind spots are those pitfalls in the road ahead, that we can navigate correctly and safely through them. And it's scary to think that you could be making big mistakes without even knowing what they are. And I think that the decision between YouTube and investing in yourself and getting real mentorship, people often over index or over emphasised the importance of cost financially, in terms of what you're paying for, and the fact that YouTube's free, but just because YouTube is free in terms of financial, you actually pay in other ways. So it pays with that your attention, your attention being drawn everywhere else watching ads before videos, or seeing the suggested videos to the side. And all of those distractions take you away from what you're trying to achieve. So they don't pay financially, whatever it is that you pay in other ways without mentorship you pay without having the focus and attention that you need to grow a business that really can change your life. Yes, the opportunity cost isn't it the you are paying financially by all of the money you're not earning because you haven't got a focused strategy. So you are losing money every day by not having that. So yeah, I guess in both senses, you're losing time you're losing focus, but you are also losing money through opportunity costs. Exactly. Yeah. So that those insights those from today's episode, I think, have been absolute gold. And hopefully, people can heed the warnings and not over focusing on the products and the suppliers that you signed. But realising that the difference that for my journey and I know for yours as well, was having community and mentorship and a tribe around you. And that was a difference in my journey to go from no experience to Running a successful drop shipping business. So to wrap up, Louis, think people that are thinking about where to start? Where would you suggest for them to do after this podcast episode? Yes, start by educating yourself, you know, if you were going to run a marathon, you wouldn't just suddenly turn up to the race and just go, Well, you might do but you probably end up pulling a muscle or something, you've got to have the right training, you've got to equip yourself with the right knowledge, and be able to see the steps that you have to take ahead before you can start taking them. Right. So yeah, I think one of the things that can really help you do this is all of the experiences that I've talked about on this episode, and all the episodes that we've done previously, I've put these tips and lessons and guide into my book, the home turf advantage, which is available at h t a book.com. So not only is that the guide, but it also is the ticket to our community. So what we've done is once you grab a copy of the book, you're automatically welcomed into the dropship unlocked Launchpad community. So people were buying the book, and we were thinking, actually, what they think they need is the book. And the book is great, but what really supercharges that book is putting the person who's purchased it amongst other people who have also done that and are on that same journey so that they can help each other. And so yeah, we created that and it's completely free. As a bonus when you purchase the book is a vibrant place that's brimming with like minded entrepreneurs. So if you want to be surrounded by those who are on the same journey, then that is your starting point. HTA book.com. Just a quick heads up. If you'd like to share your questions, stories, successes or challenges, you can email us directly at podcast at dropship unlocked.com. And you never know, we might even feature you on the next podcast episode. Also, if you want access to today's show notes, or any of the resources we've mentioned in the episode today, then head over to dropship unlocked.com forward slash podcast, we also have a small favour to ask of you. If you enjoyed the show so far, you could take a minute to leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice. You wouldn't believe how much your reviews help us grow the podcast, we'll even read out some of our favourites on the next episode. So if you want to be featured on the show, please do go ahead and leave us a review today. Thanks so much for your support. We really couldn't do it without you. And we absolutely love hearing what you think of the podcast. Now let's answer a question that's coming from a listener. Remember, if you want your question answered on the podcast, all you need to do is comment on a YouTube video or email us at podcast at dropship unlocked.com. And that's exactly how Darren has got his question in two days. So thank you for your question. Darren, I will ask it to you now, Louis, so you have a chance to answer Darren's question. So Darren has asked, What's the very first step that you'd recommend for somebody like me? Who's considering starting a drop shipping business, but isn't quite sure where or how to begin? Yeah, thank you for your question, Darren. So first and foremost, the first step is really going to be educating yourself, like I said, with there's a whole sea of information out there. So I just suggest starting with resources that offer both in depth, actions, but also that authenticity, someone who's going to tell you the real story. So as I mentioned, my book, the home turf advantage combines everything that we've had from every episode of the podcast along the way with real actionable insights that you can follow along step by step. So it's not just about the what to do, or the why we do it, where we explain why we do the steps. But it's also about the how we do it, we dive really deep into the implementation and the actions and the dropshipping strategies. The next as you said, as well as the power of community, as well as Never underestimate the strength that you can draw from being part of a like minded community of others who are on the same path. As you. It's the topic, obviously, we've talked about in today's episode. And because a great community can offer that guidance and help you share experiences with others. They can also keep you motivated during those inevitable tough times that I talked about earlier, just one example of many tough times in business. So we know this very well. Right. So what we've done is combined the community that we offer with my book, so when you pick up a copy of my book at HTA books.com, you're automatically invited into the dropship unlocked Launchpad community. And I really can't stress enough the difference that that community makes. So the last thing to mention is while it's essential to have the right technique and the community the mindset that you go into this with will be key so get crystal clear on what you want to achieve with this structure and venture but also dig deep to understand your why figure out your why your reason why the core reason whether that's financial freedom, but even if it's financial freedom, what does that then mean? What does that enable you to do? Is it time with your family? Is it supporting loved ones, parents, partners, children? Is it something else you know, whatever it is for you? Is it the freedom to just travel the world? Because that's what will pull you through the obstacles and the dips in the roller coaster. That's what will get you to the peaks again. It's the thing that will get you past the challenges that come your way. Fantastic. Thanks, Lewis and thanks for your question. Darren, I look forward to speaking with you inside the launchpad community and instead of highlighting just the one review, today, we're going to be highlighting two short reviews. They've come in from Costea. And Andrew. So thank you very much both for the reviews that you've left. And both of you left the reviews or read them out now. So Costea said, Hi, guys, I enjoy the podcast very much. And Andrew, as you simply said, great content, guys. So thank you both for your reviews. Yeah, I can't emphasise enough how much I love reading your review. So it really keeps us going. And it's a big reason why we've continued to power ahead with this podcast. So thank you to Costea and Andrew, really appreciate that. I'm really glad to hear that you've been enjoying the podcast as well. If you found any value in today's episode about the community, or if you found it helpful, or if you found any value in any of the episodes that you've listened to from this podcast. I know everybody says this. But do you think you could take five seconds to leave us a quick review on whichever podcast platform you're listening to us on right now? What might seem like a tiny little gesture to you that you do quickly and then forget about means a huge amount to us. And the more reviews we get, the more time and resources that we can continue to pour into making this podcast the best that it can possibly be. So let us know if it's working. If it's resonating. If anything we've ever said has really hit home with you, then please leave us a quick review on whatever platform you're listening to us or watching us on right now. And if you are on Youtube, then drop us a comment below. Let us know because your feedback not only fuels our passion for doing this, but we'd also love to feature your review on an upcoming episode too. And if you've been inspired by today's discussion on the transformative power of mentorship and community, why keep it to yourself. share this episode with a friend or family member who knows it might spark their curiosity about the exciting world of E commerce under the promise of living life on their own terms. Thanks for joining us on this episode of the dropship unlocks podcast. We hope you found the discussion both inspiring and entertaining if you're ready to begin your own high ticket dropshipping journey and here's what to do next. I've taken all of the years of my own experience both of running my E commerce businesses and teaching hundreds of others how to do the same and I've condensed it all into my book, the home turf advantage. It's your comprehensive guide designed to help you create your own e commerce business and you can grab your copy today at H T A book.com. Stay connected by subscribing to the podcast. This way you'll never miss an episode packed with valuable insights. And if you've enjoyed what you heard today, please leave us a review. Your feedback motivates us and we love sharing our favourite reviews on future episodes. And thank you for deciding to spend your time with us today. We really appreciate you and we look forward to sharing more high ticket dropshipping insights with you on our next episode of the dropship unlocked podcast.