More With Less--Lessons from the Road, and a Parable for the Entrepreneur Scott Bartnick

Scott Bartnick

Before Scott Bartnick was an e-commerce and Amazon expert, he was an engineer who didn't really have dreams of entrepreneurial globe-trotting. This was before he traveled the world, setting up brands and businesses for success, all built on the idea that he could do more with less. He had the time and the talent and only needed the right product or direction.

Says Bartnick of the arc he wanted his life to take, "I wanted my job to be either a passion project or something I did on the side while I lived my life. I didn't want to be an executive for a Fortune 500 company--at least not yet. I wanted a different lifestyle."

The famous parable of the fisherman and the MBA-holder had inspired him to do "more with less"--less strained work, less overhead, and smaller, focused goals that would help him succeed on a one-project-at-a-time philosophy.

"The fisherman," goes the story, "has everything he needs to be successful in his own right while the MBA-holder tries to get him to work himself to death building an empire, only to realize that after a projected twenty years of servicing a brand or product through great means, he would only be accomplishing the tasks of a fulfilled life, that is, doing what he was already enjoying."

This story has opened the eyes of millions of businessmen and entrepreneurs, and Scott takes it to heart. That's why he's built his success on a brand or product at a time, with enough time leftover for himself, and a strict work and play schedule.

After leaving a top engineering firm, Scott traveled half the world, staying in hostels and taking time to explore local beauty. All of this was made possible by a $10-a-day e-commerce goal that he met so he could travel in the first place. Bartnick cut his teeth on the inner-world of social media and e-commerce, setting up clients and building his brand between day trips cliff diving and exploring historical destinations. This kind of thinking and philosophy has set Scott up for success in that his businesses aren't "round trip"--they're open to new flights and destinations, like Otter PR and The Five Day Startup, which offer close mentoring to their clients and complete access 24/7. Both companies have been built on Bartnick's playbook, which covers his past victories and losses--he offers exactly what the client needs from the position of having been there himself in the past few years, and by being attuned to the client's needs and not looking past for the next big fish.

Because of this approach, he's been able to develop plenty of products, five successful brands, and help grow hundreds of companies, seeing more than half a million units sold.

With The Five Day Startup, clients have full access to his mentorship; anyone around the world starting online businesses and setting up third-party e-commerce platforms has Scott on their team, and all of this comes with private consulting, video classes, and project implementation.

Amid all of this, Scott has built a brilliant brand--himself. He offers exactly what is in the best interest of the client, "I've used everything I've learned to really break down the process step by step, and depending where the clients are, we take them through the whole experience, from total cost of launch to supply chain management. I want to be the resource that I wish I had then and even now."

Already an e-commerce and Amazon expert, Scott has shifted part of his work life to other passion projects, namely the Otter PR firm, a great example of current success, where Scott is able to provide services with great teams that are rapidly expanding.

In a world of failed leads and unsuccessful product launches, says Scott, "I've been able to take my experience and build each brand with its own needed world of support without distraction of the next best thing. The thing I'm working on is the best thing, and I make sure I have time "to fish and play" like the fisherman in the story."

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