How Zee Ali went from selling cigarettes in the hood of Chicago to selling 1+ million products
I’ve got someone who’s been a longtime Mixergy fan who I met in Chicago where I went to speak at Podcast Movement, a conference for podcasting. As I walked into the after party, I met this guy and after we talked for about a sentence or two, I said, “Let’s get out of here. Let’s go talk outside. I want to hear more of what you said to me.”
His story was so freaking fascinating. So much about his life was fascinating–the business that we’re going to talk about is fascinating.
I want to hear how he got started as a kid selling individual cigarettes, how he got started in chef school hustling, selling stuff.
And frankly it’s also a story about depression. He was that open with me that it helped me see a little of myself in what he went through.
His name is Zee Ali. He is the founder of the Zee Group, which makes custom apparel, print and promotional products.
Zee Ali is the founder of the Zee Group, which makes custom apparel, print and promotional products.
Andrew: Hey there, freedom fighters. My name is Andrew Warner. I’m the founder of Mixergy.com. Of course, it is home of the ambitious upstart.
I’m smiling especially big today because I’ve got someone who’s been a longtime Mixergy fan who I met in Chicago where I went to speak at Podcast Movement, a conference for podcasting and as I came into this restaurant where the after party was, I met this guy and I immediately said after we talked for about a sentence or two, I said, “Let’s get out of here. Let’s go talk outside. I want to hear more of what you said to me.”
And the two of us ended up spending the whole night together largely with me doing the kinds of interviews that you’ve seen me do on camera forever, except it was in person because it was so freaking fascinating. So much about his life was fascinating.
It’s the business that we’re going to talk about here today that’s...
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