Harley Finkelstein: We're Never Going Back

It's no secret that 2020 has shifted how we do business. Businesses, creators, artists and remote workers had to adapt and innovate in new and expanding ways, accelerating innovation, technology and the internet. Ordering take-out, banking, and even counseling online was no longer a nice-to-have, it was do or die.

One person on the front lines of that evolution is my good friend Harley Finkelstein, president of Shopify, where he is building, championing, and helping other businesses grow. Today, Shopify is one of the the world's largest eCommerce platforms. Harley founded his first business at 17 years old, and developed a problem-solving skillset that has been instrumental throughout the last 11 years building Shopify. By disrupting the entrepreneurial space with services and features that were traditionally reserved for large corporations, Shopify is powerful tool for small businesses, artists and entrepreneurs alike.

In this episode we explore:

• [7:17] How supply and demand create an inspiring retail landscape, and the ways in which Shopify is making entrepreneurship accessible.
• [18:04] Entrepreneurship as an accelerant for ambition.
• [32:23] The direct relationship between the creator and the consumer. Learn the history, present, and future of how creators/ entrepreneurs relate to their customers, which creates a better business model.
• [42:37] How the pandemic transformed communities' interest in supporting local businesses and the future of conscious consumerism.
• [50:59] Shopify's goal to support entrepreneurs. Harley shares how Shopify is supporting small businesses with financial assistance, marketing, geolocating for consumers, and offering financial education to Black entrepreneurs.

Enjoy!

Have a question? Text me 1-206-309-5177 Tweet me @chasejarvis

--- Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world's top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.