Episode #16 - AC Hampton

#15MinuteFounder

In this episode of 15 Minute Founder, we dive deep into the mindset of AC Hampton, a serial entrepreneur and founder who has built his business by focusing on systems, not just people.

AC is the founder of Supreme E-Commerce, a company that has transformed how businesses scale by creating efficient and repeatable systems that drive success. From the early days of his entrepreneurial journey to managing a growing company, AC shares invaluable insights on hiring, work-life balance, and the principles that have shaped his path to success.

Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or just looking for some motivation, this conversation is packed with actionable advice that will help you grow and scale your business!

Highlights from the chat

AC, I saw a tweet of yours: “The butterfly effect is real… One day you’ll look back and realize those small actions paved the way to something big.” Let’s go back to that negative one to zero phase. What was your mindset like in the very beginning?

I grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. Single mom, just me and my sister. I tried everything to make money, selling jewelry, mowing lawns, working every restaurant gig. By 18, I had 15 different jobs, even roofing.

I went to Mizzou for marketing and computer science. That’s when a friend told me he could get Yeezys for retail. Everyone was paying 2-3x for them. He asked me to help sell, and that was my first encounter with dropshipping, before I even knew the term.

I created an Instagram page called Sneaker Labs. I’d post shoes, take orders in the DMs, buy from the supplier, and ship directly to the customer. In 2016, I had no idea I was dropshipping.

Then in 2017, I moved in with a friend who started dropshipping fake chains. He did $1K in a day, then $2K, then $55K. That lit a fire. I opened Shopify but immediately closed it, thinking “I can’t build a website.”

But I kept going with the sneaker hustle, still unknowingly dropshipping. After graduation, I moved to Dallas alone. I worked outside sales for a wine company, long hours, barely $2K/month. Then I got robbed. They stole everything, even canned food and my work clothes.

I got fired for missing work and the same day, I saw a dropshipping ad. I decided to go all in. That was November 24, 2018.

Can you define dropshipping in simple terms?

Selling products online without holding or buying inventory up front. You only pay for a product after someone buys it from you. It’s low risk, high potential.

Do you believe anyone can start a dropshipping or e-commerce business?

100%. You just need to be careful who you learn from. Dropshipping teaches so many skills, design, ads, content creation, marketing, product development. Even if you don’t want to dropship forever, the skill set is powerful.

Let’s talk about teaching. You built your own business, how did that transition into helping others?

I didn’t want to teach. I didn’t want to do mentorships or courses. But I listened. People kept asking: “Can you start a YouTube channel? Teach us?” I said, “I’ll document my journey, but I won’t teach until I hit $5 million in sales.”

Once I hit that goal and went to YouTube, the channel blew up. When my first student made $10K in 30 days and told me it changed his life – that was addictive. That feeling made it easy to build Supreme Ecom.

Let’s say someone’s at zero, trying to get to $10K in sales. What’s the biggest mistake you see them make?

They overthink the store and product. I tell my students: content is king, data is queen. Spend 20% of your time on store setup and product selection. Spend 80% on content.

Know your audience, what they do on weekends, their hobbies, who they follow, what music they listen to. Build content for them. Research Amazon reviews, TikTok ad comments, and build personas around real data.

What’s your current method for finding a winning product in 2025?

Stick with Shopify, it gives you control. Here’s my product checklist:

1. Has it worked in the past or now? (Look for scaled ads.)
2. Are others scaling it right now? (Check TikTok/Facebook ad libraries.)
3. Does it solve a problem or add value?
4. Does it have a wow factor?
5. Can I sell it for $30–$150 and get at least a 2.5x margin?
6. Is there an audience my competitors aren’t targeting yet?

If all the answers are “yes,” don’t overthink it. Start selling.

What happens after hitting $10K? How do you scale to $100K?

Paid ads are my go-to for fast validation. Once something works, add organic: TikTok, Instagram, branded pages. Order the product, shoot original content, work with UGC creators.

Hire VAs for customer service and ad moderation. Then reinvest profits into branding, custom packaging, U.S. warehousing, faster shipping. Reuse your data, email list, and pixel to launch your branded store.

What’s the most underrated marketing channel in 2025?

Facebook. Everyone’s chasing the next new thing, but Facebook is still king. It has half the world’s population on it. Master one platform before moving to others.

Biggest mistake people make going from $10K to $100K?

Not reinvesting profits. I’d take $1,000 profit and put $800 back in ads. Scale daily, not weekly. Track margins every night, reinvest every morning.

Also, build a system, a repeatable franchise prototype. Document every process. Know the role before you hire. Don’t step out of a role until the system can run without you.

Why is building a brand more important than just chasing profit?

Dropshipping follows trends. Valentine’s, summer, Mother’s Day. You can make money forever, but it’s high effort. A brand means less effort, more impact. You understand the customer, their habits, their content preferences.

You can sell a brand. Sell the pixel. Sell the data. Build equity.

What’s the biggest failure or lowest moment you’ve experienced?

I’ve lost friends I hired. I’ve hired execs that didn’t work out. I’ve made bad decisions. But I’m addicted to the lows, they teach faster than wins.

The ups and downs are like a heartbeat. If you’re flat, you’re dead. I want to keep learning and improving with every slump.

What drives you today: money, power, pleasure, or fame?

Pleasure. The freedom to do what I want, when I want. Knowing I changed someone’s life. Being able to take my son to the park in the middle of the day. That’s real success.

What’s a belief you hold that most people don’t agree with?

You don’t need highly experienced people to build a great business. I’d rather hire someone with zero experience and give them a great system. I focus on cultural fit and internal drive, skills come from the system.

What’s your daily routine look like?

I wake up at 7:30, pray, and read one chapter of a book, every single day. Then I work out, head to Supreme, create content, have meetings. I’m home by 5 or 6 to spend time with my son and fiancée. At night, I read or catch up on work.

Has any book changed your life?

The E-Myth. It taught me the power of systems. That McDonald’s is the biggest franchise not because of the product, but because of the system. I try to make Supreme work the same way.

Do you believe in work-life balance?

Yes, but only after you’ve earned it. In the beginning, you need to disappear. I worked 80-100 hours a week. You can’t scale if you’re not obsessed. But now? I can go to my son’s games, take time off, I built my business around my values.

If you had a Times Square billboard for aspiring entrepreneurs, what would it say?

You can never fail by investing in yourself. And you’ll never regret where you’ll be tomorrow if you start today.

What would you say to someone dealing with doubt or critics?

Never take advice from someone who’s not where you want to be. Don’t take business advice from people without a business. Your friends and family might doubt you, but if they’re not living the life you want, why listen?

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 – Intro to AC Hampton’s background

01:00 – Building a business with systems

03:00 – Hiring for cultural fit over experience

06:00 – Lowering costs with systems

09:00 – Believing in your system

12:00 – Opportunity for growth in teams

15:00 – The role of systems in business success

18:00 – How systems scale businesses

20:00 – AC’s morning routine

23:00 – Consistency and habits for growth

25:00 – Work-life balance early on

28:00 – Disappearing into the business for growth

30:00 – Investing in yourself

33:00 – Dealing with doubters

35:00 – Perseverance and systems for success