We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ronen Hirsch. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ronen below.
Hi Ronen, appreciate you sitting with us today. Maybe we can start with a topic that we care deeply about because it’s something we’ve found really sets folks apart and can make all the difference in whether someone reaches their goals. Self discipline seems to have an outsized impact on how someone’s life plays out and so we’d love to hear about how you developed yours?
From a young age, I learned the value of a strong work ethic and getting compensated for hard work. My first job was delivering newspapers at 5am! I would wake up on school days, rain or shine, and deliver papers from my bike. My parents always supported my desire to work.
I now work from home and despite others always saying that they find it difficult to focus on their work at home, I never had this problem. I love what I do and in general enjoy working. I’m always eager to solve new problems and deliver the best websites to my clients. So I think that’s where this self-discipline comes from.
Of course, there are days that you don’t have the energy or desire to get out of bed, but somehow I just do, drink my cup of coffee and get started. Within an hour, I’m totally into it!
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My journey began in high school with my fascination with computers during the early 90’s when the internet was just getting warmed up and taking root. I vividly recall the days of dial-up modems and online “bulletin boards” where people could connect, play games and share content.
Fast forward a few years, I pursued Industrial Design in The Netherlands, honing my skills in product design and nurturing my creative instincts. During this period, I discovered my passion for 2D design and animation while creating digital presentations to complement my work. Once my studies were complete, I decided to showcase my portfolio by crafting my own website. Surprisingly, this endeavor not only gained attention from a few friends but also revealed a potential for generating income.
And so, Studio Umbrella was born. Since 2005, I have been at the helm of this web development and design business, crafting unique websites for diverse industries and utilizing various technologies to achieve their unique goals. I have always been passionate of creating unique and custom websites and not using cookie-cutter templates to get the job done. Over time, I delved into the realm of e-commerce platforms, particularly Shopify, continuously expanding my knowledge and refining my skills.
Currently, Studio Umbrella remains a modest enterprise, mainly consisting of myself and a dedicated developer. However, when necessary, I collaborate with web designers and other developers to deliver comprehensive solutions. While our primary focus lies in website development, we gladly undertake complete projects that include designing the site as well. Our preferred platforms are WordPress and Shopify.
In addition to my holistic website development endeavors, I have also launched an online store called qwiqode (https://qwiqode.com) that offers flexible and highly customizable pre-built “section” templates for Shopify websites. These “sections” serve as the fundamental building blocks for any webpage in the platform. Specifically designed for Shopify e-commerce stores, they enhance functionality and eliminate the need for coding, saving valuable time, money, and frustration for web designers and merchants alike.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Eagerness and curiosity to learn. I’m a completely self taught developer that always needs to find the best solution for any problem. I would sometimes work days to make a certain animation or functionality work correctly. And being a perfectionist (which can sometimes be a liability!), I would stubbornly work until the goal was met.
For those just starting their journey, I would recommend that you should be curious at all times. You should want to make something look and function in a unique way and get inspired by what you see.
Learn, learn and learn more. Today, there is an endless amount of content, tutorials and courses to learn and advance your skills. Take advantage of it and enjoy it too!
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I’m always looking to meet new people in the field. Whether they are fellow web developers or designers who can help with projects and expand what we can offer. For instance, Shopify Apps is something that I’m only getting into recently. On the business side, sometimes I consider partnering up with someone to help run and grow my business. Someone who can take care of the business, sales and marketing side of things which are more of my weaknesses.
Anyone that’s interested in reaching out, please feel free to shoot me an email to studio@studioumbrella.com!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://studioumbrella.com and https://qwiqode.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studio.umbrella/ and https://www.instagram.com/qwiqodeforshopify/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/web.umbrella and https://facebook.com/qwiqode
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/studioumbrella and https://www.linkedin.com/company/qwiqode-shopify-sections
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@qwiqodeshopifysections
- Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/qwiqodeforshopify/ Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/qwiqode
