Meet Nikolai Shapkin

We were lucky to catch up with Nikolai Shapkin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nikolai , so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

Even at 36, I’m still not sure I’ve found my purpose or what I’m meant to do in life. Everything changes so quickly—and things I loved two years ago don’t mean much to me anymore.
When it comes to business and making money, I did the math and realized I’ve tried around 50 different jobs and business ventures over the past 15 years. I was always juggling a few things at once, and that really helped me grow in terms of experience and knowledge.
I get bored doing just one thing—which is both a blessing and a curse. It’s great because I get to explore a wide range of areas, but the downside is there’s no clear focus, no one path where I could’ve maybe achieved something bigger. But I’ve made peace with that—it just feels more natural to me this way.
The more things you try in life, the quicker you’ll find a goal—or at least a direction.
For now, I’d describe my life goal like this: to be as happy as possible and to visit every corner of the world.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I came to the U.S. four years ago, and for more than six years I’ve been working in e-commerce—selling a variety of products and services online. It all started with reselling other brands on Amazon, and now we have several of our own brands selling on various marketplaces in the U.S. and beyond. I also share free e-commerce content with my audience of over 100,000 followers across different platforms and offer consulting and educational services.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Delegation, Marketing, and Personal Branding
I believe these three skills are fundamental for any entrepreneur today, and the sooner you learn them, the better!

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

The very first business book I read was Rich Dad, Poor Dad. It helped me understand how the world works, what a business mindset really means when it comes to life and investing—and after reading it, I knew for sure I’d never work for someone else.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shapkinnikolay