Business

Daniel Stafford and Robby Switzer: Meet the Entrepreneurs Who Help Small Ecommerce Businesses Make Big Money

Published

4 years ago

October 26, 2021

Daniel Stafford and Robby Switzer aren’t your typical e-commerce entrepreneurs. Before 2015, they were fishermen who worked off the coast of their Alaskan home. Since fishing is a seasonal enterprise, both men spent the off-seasons working construction to make ends meet. But life was about to change for the two men, who met on a fishing vessel in 2010.

In 2014, Stafford was the proud new owner of a $300,000 fishing vessel, bought with the dream of entrepreneurship.

“This active, adventurous lifestyle suited us for a long time because we were able to thrive by outworking the competition, which, looking back, was a sign of things to come,” Stafford said. “We’d sometimes skip sleep so we could squeeze in a few more hours of work – even up to 20 hours a day.”

Unfortunately, about three months later, his boat capsized. With the boat being underinsured and losing upwards of $100 thousand dollars, Stafford needed a new plan, and combined forces with Switzer.

Together, two men spent time evaluating their work lives and came up with the same answer: They were unwilling to leave their families for months at a time to continue to pursue a fishing enterprise. With their decisions made, the men decided to work together to create what would eventually become Shopanova.

Building a Successful Enterprise

It took a few missteps for Stafford and Switzer to find their footing as entrepreneurs. They started their business venture by making marketing videos and marketing assets for clients. Still, cold-calling only got them so far, and they were working too hard to be barely breaking even.

Joined by Patrick Schilling, a former member of Stafford’s crew, the men regrouped to form Shopanova. Their new venture was built on the discoveries they made about the power of Facebook advertising. Once they learned the platform’s nuances, they were ready to help others harness the power of advertising for their e-commerce businesses.

“Now, we’ve created our own processes and effective sales funnels to fully leverage the power of advertising online for our clients,” Switzer said. “We are helping everyone make more money than ever, including our growing Shopanova family.”

Prioritizing the Client

Stafford and Switzer built Shopanova around the idea that the client’s vision is of the utmost importance.

“We are always going to prioritize the client’s unique niche and their needs, above all else,” Switzer said, “The customizable plan we put together is specifically tailored to all of these things. That’s what sets us apart.”

With those values, Shopanova has helped over 100 e-commerce stores scale their businesses to new heights of success. How? The duo’s Brand Velocity Framework leverages all of the latest social media platforms, email and SMS marketing, and micro-influencers to help curate a fully customized plan to scale their client’s businesses and increase their ROI on their marketing initiatives. They also offer creative services such as video production and product photography to further enhance their client’s online presence.

The team at Shopanova focuses on a select list of vetted clients. In fact, they vet every client with a three-stage process, making sure they are ready to undertake Shopanova’s 100 percent turnkey operation. Although they receive over 500 applications a month, they only accept 3-5 percent as clients.

“We are pretty selective about our client base because we want to make sure every single client gets the revenue they deserve,” added Switzer.

When a client signs up for Shopanova’s services, Stafford and Switzer’s team goes through an in-depth audit of their online presence and eCommerce systems. Once their evaluation is complete, they can recommend a plan for business growth that is based on the client’s specific needs within their niche areas.

In the end, Stafford and Switzer care about the success of their clients, as much as the realization of their own dreams.

“Every time we hear an amazing success story from a client, we’re thrilled,” Switzer said. “We’ve seen our clients expand by leaps and bounds, and we’re thrilled by those results. That makes all of this worth it.”

“We want to be the kind of brand that creates an impact,” Stafford added. “We don’t want to be recognized just to be recognized. We want to be recognized because of the kind of value we create.”

About Shopanova

Shopanova is a modern growth media buying agency for eCommerce shops. They have been able to grow their clients’ monthly revenues from 5-figures all the way to 7-figures and beyond. Shopanova has been featured in Yahoo! Finance, Bloomberg Business, NBC and more. For more information on how to build a generational online brand and scale your business to millions, please visit https://shopanova.com.

Business

Click for Counsel: YesLawyer Wants to Make Lawyers as Accessible as Wi-Fi

Published

1 week ago

April 1, 2026

Matthew Wiles

Photo Courtesy of: YesLawyer

Byline: Andi Stark

For many people facing a legal problem, the most difficult part is not understanding their rights but finding a lawyer willing to speak with them in the first place. Long wait times, unclear pricing, and administrative hurdles often delay even the most basic consultations. YesLawyer, an AI-enabled plaintiff firm operating across all 50 states, is testing whether technology can shorten that gap.

Founded in 2024 by 25-year-old entrepreneur Rob Epstein, the platform offers free intake, automated screening, and, in many cases, same-day conversations with licensed attorneys. The idea is simple: reduce the friction between a client’s first request for help and an actual legal discussion. In this interview, Epstein explains how the system works, where artificial intelligence fits into the process, and what problems the company is trying to address in the broader legal system

Q: When you say you want lawyers to be “as accessible as Wi-Fi,” what does that mean in practical terms?

A: It’s a way of describing speed and availability. Someone dealing with a workplace dispute, a serious injury, or an immigration issue should be able to move from an online form or phone call to a real conversation with counsel in hours, not weeks. YesLawyer is structured so that a client begins with a free case evaluation, goes through automated conflict checks and basic screening, and, in many instances, speaks with a lawyer the same day.

Q: How does the process work once someone contacts the platform?

A: We use a structured workflow. It starts with a short questionnaire and an initial conversation to capture basic facts. That information feeds into conflict checks and internal review. The system then proposes a match with a licensed attorney and provides a calendar link for a virtual consultation, often within 24 hours. After the meeting, the client receives a written legal plan outlining next steps, deadlines, and estimated fees.

Q: Where does artificial intelligence fit into that process, and where does it stop?

A: AI is used for organizing and routing information, not for giving legal advice. It helps with conflict checks at scale, case categorization, and structured summaries so attorneys can focus on the substance of the matter. Every consultation is conducted by a licensed lawyer, and all decisions about strategy or next steps are made by humans.

Q: What problem is this model trying to solve in the current legal system?

A: Delay and cost are still major barriers. Many civil plaintiffs face long waits just to get a first appointment, along with high retainers and hourly billing that make early legal advice risky. We try to respond with faster consultations, flat-fee options, and financing. The idea is to remove administrative friction so lawyers spend less time on logistics and more time speaking with clients.

Q: Some critics say platforms like this blur the line between a technology company and a law firm. How do you describe YesLawyer?

A: We describe ourselves as a national, AI-enabled plaintiff firm that connects clients with independent attorneys. That structure does raise regulatory questions, especially around responsibility and oversight. We focus on licensing verification, attorney-written case plans, and clear communication about fees and services.

Q: You’ve said the main bottleneck is “systems” rather than people. What do you mean by that?

A: The issue isn’t that lawyers don’t want to help more people. It’s that the systems around them make it hard to scale their time. Intake, scheduling, and document handling take hours. Automating those parts means attorneys can handle more matters without being overwhelmed by repetitive tasks.

Q: Does this model risk favoring only the most profitable cases?

A: That’s a real concern in legal technology. Automation often works best for repeatable, high-volume disputes. Our view is that lowering administrative cost can actually make it easier to take on smaller or more complex cases that might otherwise be turned away. Whether that holds over time depends on the data.

Measuring Impact Over Time

YesLawyer’s attempt to compress the timeline between inquiry and consultation reflects broader changes in how legal services are being delivered. As artificial intelligence becomes more common in administrative work, firms are experimenting with new ways to reduce wait times and clarify costs.

The company’s early growth suggests that many clients value faster access to an initial conversation, even before considering long-term representation. Whether this platform-based model becomes widely adopted or remains one of several emerging approaches will depend on regulatory developments, lawyer participation, and measurable outcomes for clients. For now, YesLawyer’s experiment highlights a central question in modern legal practice: how quickly can help realistically be made available to the people who need it.