💣 Doomsday Prepping to $10+ Million

Plus Agentic AI & personalized shopping experiences will dominate 2025 & how to sell on Amazon, a guide for beginners.

Author

Grant Parker
December 27, 2024

👋 It’s Thursday, and we’re diving into the inspiring story of how one entrepreneur turned doomsday prepping into a $10 million Amazon empire. We’re also exploring how Agentic AI is reshaping personalized shopping experiences for 2025 and sharing a beginner-friendly guide to selling on Amazon. 


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Insider Knowledge

💣 Doomsday Prepping to $10 Million: Dakota Morse’s Stunning Journey

What if I told you that selling emergency food storage & doomsday prepping supplies could grow into a $10 million Amazon empire? It might sound far-fetched, but that’s exactly what Dakota Morse achieved. His journey didn’t start with flashy investments or a foolproof plan—it began with a deep understanding of Amazon’s ecosystem, a passion for camping and preparedness, and a drive to break free from the constraints of a 9-to-5 job. 

The spark for his business idea came during his time working at Amazon, where he witnessed countless brands scaling rapidly through strategic advertising and product positioning. Inspired by what he saw, Dakota took a leap of faith, leveraging his insider knowledge to carve out a niche in the overlooked emergency food storage category. What followed was a whirlwind of learning, risk-taking, and incredible growth.

Let’s dive into his journey and uncover the lessons you can apply to your own entrepreneurial dreams.

The Numbers 

📅 Business Start: Year 1 

💰 First Month Revenue: $31,000 

📦 Initial Investment: $50K in manufacturing 

🛒 First-Year Revenue: $1.1 million 

📧 Shopify Emails Collected: 300,000+

🚀Profit to date: $5 million

Step 1: Finding the Perfect Product Dakota’s background in Amazon Advertising gave him valuable insights into market trends. Using Jungle Scout—a $200 investment—he discovered a gap in the emergency food storage niche. His aha moment? Noticing the lack of strong branding in this category and deciding he could fill that void. By aligning his love for camping and preparedness with a business opportunity, he found his winning product.

Step 2: Building a Brand That Resonates Dakota knew branding was critical. After an initial misstep on Upwork that cost $250, he found an outdoor packaging designer on Instagram for $2,000. This investment helped him create a cohesive brand that appealed to his target audience—doomsday preppers, homesteaders, and outdoor enthusiasts.

Step 3: Manufacturing and Launch Taking a leap of faith, Dakota invested $50,000 in his first production run, relying on Alibaba for sourcing. While this approach came with risks—like trusting a factory he hadn’t visited—it paid off. He shipped a full container of products directly to Amazon’s Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) warehouses, leveraging the platform’s logistics to scale quickly.

Step 4: Early Success and Challenges Amazon’s "honeymoon period" gave Dakota’s products a visibility boost, leading to $31,000 in sales during the first month. But profits were slim after accounting for product costs, Amazon fees, and PPC advertising. Despite these challenges, the early traction validated his business idea.

Step 5: Scaling Through Smart Marketing Dakota embraced influencer marketing, focusing on creators with high engagement rather than just large followings. By targeting camping and preparedness influencers, he drove significant traffic to his listings. Simultaneously, he prepared additional SKUs to keep his product line fresh and relevant.

Step 6: Expanding Beyond Amazon Recognizing the value of customer ownership, Dakota launched a Shopify store in his first month. This platform allowed him to build a direct relationship with customers, amassing over 300,000 email addresses. Through email campaigns, loyalty programs, and exclusive offers, his Shopify store has since generated over $12 million in revenue.

Lessons Learned from Mistakes Every entrepreneur makes mistakes, and Dakota was no exception. His three biggest missteps cost him over $200,000:

  1. Oversized Packaging: Trusting the factory to design packaging led to higher shipping costs. Lesson: Always verify packaging specifications.

  2. Lack of Legal Protections: His manufacturer began selling his product on Amazon. Lesson: Use Chinese NDAs and NNN agreements to safeguard intellectual property.

  3. Delaying His Start: Hesitation to launch earlier cost him potential earnings. Lesson: Start now and refine as you go.

Takeaways for Aspiring Entrepreneurs 

🛠️ Find a niche: Look for underserved markets with high potential. 

📊 Invest in branding: A strong, cohesive brand builds trust and loyalty. 

📈 Leverage multiple channels: Use Amazon for scalability but focus on direct sales to own your customer relationships. 

🚀 Start now: Waiting only delays your success.

Dakota’s story proves that with the right strategy and mindset, anyone can turn a simple idea into a thriving business, if you want a deeper dive check out this video with more of his story here

Recommended Resources

🌐 Free Dropshipping Community: Join Now

💻 Ecommerce Websites - Shopify: Start Free

🚚 Dropship Suppliers - Spocket: Discover More

✉️ Ecom Email Provider - GetResponse: Learn More

💰 Sales Funnels - ClickFunnels: Explore Here

Drop Shipping Suppliers

📦 Dropshipping Suppliers: Finding Reliable Partners For Your Business

Let’s be real—if you’ve set up your dropshipping store and picked a winning product, you’re probably eager to start selling. But here’s the thing: without a reliable supplier, everything can fall apart. Slow shipping, poor communication, or bad product quality can crush your business before it even gets going.

So, how do you find a supplier you can trust to deliver what they promise? Let’s break it down in a way that’s simple, practical, and designed to help you avoid the biggest headaches.

What to Look for in a Supplier

🔑 Great Communication
Your supplier isn’t just someone who ships products; they’re your partner. If they’re slow to reply, vague, or constantly dropping the ball, it’s a red flag 🚩. You need someone who’s clear, quick, and proactive..

🤝 Trustworthiness
Trust is earned, but you can spot early signs. Look for suppliers who are honest about what they can and can’t do. For example, if they’re upfront about shipping delays or inventory issues, it shows they’re transparent and not just telling you what you want to hear.

🚚 Fast Shipping
In today’s world, long shipping times are a dealbreaker. You don’t want your customers waiting weeks for their order while they’re wondering if they’ve been scammed 🤦‍♂️. Stick with suppliers who work with trusted logistics companies like FedEx or DHL and prioritize reliability over rock-bottom prices.

Where to Find Reliable Suppliers

💡 AliExpress (But Be Careful!)
AliExpress is a go-to for beginners, but it has its challenges—like slow shipping and hit-or-miss quality & communication. 

🌟 Spocket
Spocket is a fantastic platform for finding reliable suppliers, especially for dropshippers targeting markets like the U.S. and Europe 

🔍 Private Agents
Once you’re making consistent sales, consider hiring a private agent. These pros act as middlemen, sourcing products directly from manufacturers and ensuring smooth logistics. 

🏗️ Alibaba
If you’re ready to buy in bulk or want customization, reaching out to manufacturers on Alibaba a smart move. Just know this takes patience—they focus more on big orders than dropshipping.

📂 Supplier Directories
Don’t overlook directories like Ecommic.com. They’re like cheat sheets for finding 100’s trusted suppliers in your niche, save you time by providing pre-vetted options and reviews.

Build Long-Term Partnerships

Here’s the secret: the best suppliers aren’t just vendors—they’re teammates. Treat them like partners, communicate clearly, and be upfront about your needs. As your business grows, they’ll play a key role in scaling your success 📈.

Finding a reliable supplier takes time, but it’s worth every minute. With the right partner, you can focus on growing your store, knowing your customers will always get what they ordered.

For more tips and tools to find dropshipping and ecommerce suppliers check out this video on Austin Rabin’s Youtube channel here

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That's it for this week, hope you got some value out of it.

Cheers,

The Dropshipp.com team

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