Success Story with Scott D. Clary

Lessons - How We Rebuilt From Zero | Ilya Fedorovich (Vlog Squad Member)

Date: February 7, 2026

Episode Overview

In this candid “Lessons” episode, Scott D. Clary sits down with Ilya Fedorovich—entrepreneur and Vlog Squad member—to unpack the journey of rebuilding from zero after initial business successes. The conversation focuses on the realities of scaling service versus product-based businesses, the pivotal role of motivation and brand leverage, and Ilya’s experiences launching both a plumbing company and direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands such as Zila (fitness supplements) and Dobrik’s Pizza. The episode is packed with tactical advice for entrepreneurs eyeing their own growth stories.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Challenge of Scaling a Service Business

• Ilya’s Plumbing Business Journey

  • Initial partnership with his father, scaled from $600K to ~$3M annual revenue over six years.
  • Hit growth ceiling due to the difficulty in hiring skilled tradesmen.

  "The number one thing to scalability in the trades business again is tradesmen. When you don't have tradesmen, you can't scale."
  — Ilya Fedorovich (01:16)

• Why Not Scale Further?

  • Lack of available tradesmen capped expansion.
  • Despite potential solutions (e.g., recruitment incentives), Ilya saw quicker returns in alternative ventures.
  • Recognized opportunity costs: his time and energy could yield higher returns in other businesses.

2. Shifting Motivation: From Survival to Impact

• Early Motivation:

  • Initial drive stemmed from a need to survive—earning enough to pay rent and eat.

• Evolving Motivation:

  • Shifted towards opportunities for greater scalability and deeper personal alignment.
  • Ilya’s two current ventures:
    • Zila: Fitness and supplement brand.
    • Dobrik’s Pizza: Restaurant venture launching soon (partnered with influencer David Dobrik).

• Product Choice and Brand Alignment:

  • For Dobrik’s Pizza, the decision to launch a pizza business was intentional for its widespread appeal and emotional connection, aligning with the positive energy David Dobrik brings to his fans.

  "Pizza is a very friendly and overall known as being a product that makes people happy... Whenever someone steps into our pizzeria, I want people to walk out happier than they walked in."
  — Ilya Fedorovich (05:19)

3. The Power and Limits of Influencer Branding

• Leveraging Audience for Launch:

  • Ilya acknowledges the head start a personal brand or influencer alliance can give (both in Zila’s and Dobrik’s launches).
  • Still, true product-market fit and distribution require careful attention beyond social media buzz.

  "We probably shouldn't be focusing on spending marketing dollars at first, being that I do have a following, my friends have a following, and we can utilize that."
  — Ilya Fedorovich (12:31)

• Scaling Without Overstating Reach:

  • Candid about not yet having the massive audience needed for retail leverage, referencing figures like Logan Paul for contrast.

  "The influence is solely based on me and my, my audience is not 3, 4, 5 million people... we're really new. We don't have that power quite yet."
  — Ilya Fedorovich (15:23)

4. Building and Launching a Product: From Manufacturing to Market

• Zila’s Product Development Process:

  • Sampled products from 10+ manufacturers and ultimately partnered with a specialist he trusted.
  • Emphasized quality, authenticity, and solving common pain points (e.g., plant-based protein flavor and texture).

  "I love taking good supplements... most products do have [toxins]. And so I decided to do that because I AM the number one, the number one passionate fitness person out there."
  — Ilya Fedorovich (09:19)

  "After I decided that I didn't like any of these other proteins, I went with [my partner] and he... handles the recipe for formulation, the manufacturing, the packaging, everything."
  — Ilya Fedorovich (12:00)

• Go-To-Market Approach:

  • Launched direct-to-consumer (DTC) using existing online following.
  • Expansion strategy to include paid media and Amazon once brand power is proven in-market.
  • Retail only considered once leverage and volume support favorable terms.

5. The Reality Behind Retail Distribution

• Cautious Retail Expansion:

  • Ilya recognizes the allure of having a product in big-box retailers, but he’s clear-eyed about the financial tradeoffs.

  "The problem with retail is that you obviously sell wholesale to retail. And you know, I'm selling a product at 30, 40 less. So it doesn't really make sense right now."
  — Ilya Fedorovich (14:16)

• When Will Retail Make Sense?

  • Only after proving traction and negotiating from a position of strength.

  "If I were to do something right now, it would really just be a flex because it's cool to be, you know, in a Walmart or 711... But... it doesn't help your bottom line."
  — Ilya Fedorovich (16:27)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Service Business Challenges:

  "When you don't have tradesmen, you can't scale because you don't have enough people to scale provide the service." (01:16)

• On Motivation and Purpose:

  "Motivation that's going to carry you through year one, year two, year five, year 10... you have to maintain that." — Scott D. Clary (04:27)

• On Choosing Pizza for Dobrik’s:

  "It's such a generic thing to do that it's like almost perfect... we're gonna do it the best." (05:18)

• On Zila’s Mission:

  "My motivator for that was getting clean, healthy and tasty protein out to the public, which in turn makes people happy." (10:07)

• On Influencer Marketing Limitations:

  "A person that was able to do that very successfully was Logan Paul in Prime now, obviously... he's much bigger than I am, so he can pull that off and. And I can. I just. I don't feel confident in doing it now." (16:09)

Important Timestamps

• 00:47 – Ilya breaks down the lifecycle of the plumbing business and why scaling stalled
• 03:05 – Discussion on motivations for launching Zila and Dobrik’s Pizza
• 05:06 – Insights on why the pizza business was the right fit
• 08:57 – Deep dive into Zila’s clean supplement mission
• 11:59 – Step-by-step process of sourcing, testing, and launching Zila
• 14:13 – Why retail isn’t the immediate next step for Zila
• 16:09 – Comparing influencer impact: Ilya vs. Logan Paul’s Prime Hydration

Takeaways for Entrepreneurs

• Scaling service businesses is limited by talent availability; product-based ventures can scale faster but require brand, marketing, and distribution finesse.
• Leverage your personal passion and authenticity in brand choices—it fuels long-term motivation and customer connection.
• Influencer status accelerates initial traction but is not a substitute for sustained product quality or traditional business fundamentals.
• Strategic patience with retail expansion can protect margins and lead to better negotiation leverage as your brand matures.

For more in-depth conversations and actionable advice, visit: www.successstorypodcast.com