A high school dropout, who once felt trapped in her minimum-wage retail job, now credits dropshipping for transforming her life and career.
Zali Gillings, 25, isn’t just basking in her success; she’s eager to teach others how to replicate it. Initially, Zali began her career at a butcher shop, where she completed an apprenticeship before transitioning to retail.
She describes her retail experience as soul-crushing, often crying in her car before shifts. Discontent with her life’s trajectory, Zali enrolled in a six-week ecommerce course offered by 6 Figure Drop Shipper.
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This business model, known as dropshipping, allows sellers to accept customer orders without keeping stock, purchasing the products at a lower price from another vendor to make a profit. The process is often automated.
Reflecting on her early work experience, Zali said, “I started at the butcher shop doing simple tasks like washing dishes. When my work experience ended, the boss offered me an apprenticeship, and I took it because I had no clear career goals at the time.
Seven years later, I switched to retail and instantly hated it. I would sit in the car park, crying, dreading the monotonous routine. I felt trapped in an endless loop.”
Her breakthrough came nearly three years ago, thanks to a social media post by an old high school acquaintance, Reza Qorbanie. Reza’s posts highlighted the success stories of his dropshipping students, some younger than Zali but earning significantly more. Inspired, Zali reached out to him and enrolled in the self-paced, pre-recorded six-week program while still maintaining her full-time job.
Impressed by Zali’s confidence and personality, the founder invited her to join the team and train others in ecommerce entrepreneurship. “My fiancé was skeptical, worried it was too good to be true, but he supported me. My mum, always encouraging me to seize every opportunity, inspired my decision,” she said.
Since embarking on her e-commerce journey, Zali enjoys the freedom to work from anywhere. The Adelaide native shared, “I help people start dropshipping stores, enabling them to leave unfulfilling jobs and achieve financial freedom. It’s incredible to see others break free from the 9 to 5 grind. I can now live a laptop lifestyle, traveling the world. I’ve recently been to Italy, Bali, and even on a cruise this year.”
Zali emphasized the importance of mindset and the diverse skills she acquired, from marketing and website building to content creation and supplier sourcing.
“I didn’t have formal qualifications in these areas, but now I’m proficient in Facebook and Instagram ads, content creation, and website building. You’d need multiple degrees to learn all this, but here you get hands-on experience,” she explained.
The program Zali now coaches boasts over 7,100 students from varied backgrounds. Although the course is open to anyone, she takes particular pride in helping everyday working-class people, families seeking better lives, and those exhausted by long work hours looking for an escape.
“This work is incredibly fulfilling,” she added. “I get to help change lives every day and work from anywhere. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.”
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