Robert Nikic fled the Baltic War in ex-Yugoslavia with his mother, father, brother, and grandmother. When they first set foot on American soil, everything they had fit into five small suitcases. Though his family was poor and destitute, Robert was enthralled by the idea of the American Dream, and he was determined to see it to fruition.
Robert's Childhood
His family didn't have much money as he was growing up in the United States, but Robert found joy in many different things. Despite his parents' initial dismay for his most beloved hobby - breaking things down into pieces - they quickly discovered that he had a knack for putting them back together again. As a teen, Robert sought work so he could help support his family, and he found employment in luxury resorts. He served as a banquet server, restaurant server, and front desk manager, as well as in other similar roles.
Robert regularly worked double shifts when he could, and he often held down more than one job at a time. With the money he earned, he bought a computer and helped his family pay for internet access, and his love for understanding the inner workings of things extended to the World Wide Web. Robert spent his off time in his room building websites, and during his shifts at the hotels and resorts, he would build his clients' websites.
Something from Nothing
Robert Nikic is no stranger to building things from the bottom up. When he was building websites in his room, he started numerous money-making ventures, but none of them really panned out. Fortunately, Robert has never believed in failure, so he viewed these more as learning opportunities than failures. He met many successful businessmen while working in luxury resorts, and his curiosity and attention to detail allowed him to pick up on many helpful tips and tricks that Robert would later apply to his own websites and entrepreneurships.
As a teen and young adult, Robert often sacrificed everything from evening meals to a pair of new shoes so he could fund his latest business venture. When one idea didn't work out, he simply brushed himself off and moved on to the next. What he lacked in money, he made up for in hard work, often pulling 18-hour days for weeks in a row. To this day, Robert says money, college degrees, and years of experience aren't necessary for success. All you need is hard work, commitment, and the desire to innovate.
Robert Nikic and Why Unified
The Why Unified dropshipping platform was born of the need to change the way entrepreneurs access dropshipping. Years of working with top-level business executives in his resort job and tinkering with websites in his room helped Robert understand the real issues behind dropshipping - and the reasons why so many people struggled to achieve success. The first iteration was introduced in 2011, and the version in use today was made available in 2018. With every passing year, Why Unified continues to improve its platform. Recently, the team announced the addition of an Amazon plan that would allow dropshippers to sell on Amazon using a hybrid fulfillment model - something that has never been done before.
As for the Why Unified team, Robert works right alongside them almost every single day. He still puts in 18 or more hours a day, and there's no such thing as grunt work to him. He's hands-on and in the thick of it with his team, and he is always willing to take on the toughest challenges to support not only the future of dropshipping, but also the team of employees that makes everything possible. In fact, Robert doesn't believe in the corporate $0.50 an hour raise structure. Instead, he gives his staff raises in increments of $20,000 per year, and he's always looking for new ways to keep his team happy and comfortable. After all, they play an integral role in Why Unified's growth.
Living the American Dream
Today, Robert Nikic's American Dream has come true. He lives in the Penthouse Suite while being of 20,000 American Express Centurion Black cardholders, and he owns a breathtaking orange 2019 Lamborghini Aventador worth about $600,000. Only 1005 were made in that year, and only 111,465 cars in the Aventador model line have been made since its introduction in 2011. He married his high school sweetheart of 13 years, and together they have a beautiful one-year-old daughter.
Robert has recently joined the Forbes Council, and he's a Fast Company nominee. He regularly authors content and networks with others on both platforms. He works closely with millionaires and even billionaires to help strengthen his own network and learn more about the very industry that he has set out to innovate.
Despite his net worth, Robert Nikic has never forgotten where he came from, and will never forget the fateful day he and his family arrived on American soil with five suitcases to their names. He donates food, household goods, and everyday necessities to local shelters every single month to aid the community, and he is always looking for ways to help people succeed, whether in dropshipping or in any other area of their lives.
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