How Zach Zorn Turned a Quick Website Flip Into a Thriving Online Marketplace for Small Business Exits

From College Drone Work to Small Business Marketplace: The Zach Zorn Story

Zach Zorn knew early that working a traditional 9-to-5 wasn't the only path. In college, while most peers dreamed about climbing corporate ladders, Zach hustled as a drone photographer, grabbing gigs with local businesses. But he didn't just snap photos; he made connections. One of those links led him straight into luxury yacht sales—a job that taught him about high-ticket brokering, persistence, and reading the real needs of buyers and sellers.

First Real Flip: Turning $49,000 into $75,000 in Months

Armed with web experience from past jobs and a burning want to skip the line, Zach was ready for risk. While running his first Amazon FBA store after college, he got curious about affiliate and content sites. Instead of grinding away building a site from nothing (waiting months to maybe see traffic), Zach put $49,000 on the table. He bought a drone/tech review blog from Empire Flippers, loaded with reviews of drones, cameras, and other tech stuff.

He wasted no time making changes. Traffic was fine. But advertisers could pay more than AdSense. So Zach hit up companies whose products were already featured. He offered direct banner ads—simple, targeted, and more profitable for both sides. Some said yes, and the site's ad revenue almost doubled. Not bad for a few days of outreach.

He wasn't done. Zach worked with one company to do sponsored giveaways: they'd provide new gadgets, he'd run the promotion and collect leads. He charged a flat fee for the exposure and handed over the lead list. Site revenue spiked again. Less than five months after buying, Zach listed the site back on Empire Flippers. On the first day, three offers came in. He closed at $75,000—netting $26,000 on the flip and making another $13,000 in earnings while he owned it. That's $39K profit in about four months, not even counting fees.

Why Buy Instead of Build?

Some entrepreneurs love the thrill of building something brand new. Zach tried that. But dropping real money on a proven asset hit different. It pushed him to take things seriously—there's no "I'll just get to it later." Plus, buying an established site means you make money from day one. Even small tweaks—or plugging in better ads, smarter affiliate offers, or a cleaner design—can pay off immediately when there's already steady traffic and search rankings.

Fueling the Next Move: Money Nomad's Origin

Profits from the tech review flip didn't go into a new car or apartment. Zach went hunting for a platform he could multiply over years. He started looking for a finance blog—something more evergreen than reviewing the latest gadgets, and broad enough to talk FBA, ebooks, affiliate marketing, and making money online. He bought Money Nomad privately in early 2018, negotiating without a broker to get the best deal possible.

He poured energy into content, but while doing all this, Zach kept building his other career as a yacht broker. It might sound random, but for someone who loves fishing and the ocean, selling sport-fishing boats was half work, half passion. Each job fed the other—the strict timelines and big commissions of yachting meant he knew how to close deals, and the online world meant he could build recurring, somewhat passive, digital income.

Identifying a Broken Market: Nobody Cares About "Small" Sites

The big site brokers like Empire Flippers generally turn up their noses at businesses under $100K. Those sellers are left with unreliable Facebook groups, threadbare forums, or outright scammers. Zach saw the hole and realized he could fill it. Empire Flippers themselves noticed: since they'd brushed up against him already, they reached out in 2019, proposing a partnership for smaller digital business deals.

This was the moment. In 2020, Empire Flippers picked up a minority stake in Money Nomad, and the Money Nomad Marketplace was officially born. Empire Flippers would now kick smaller leads over to Zach, and he'd broker those deals—serving an underserved market and keeping both his and EF's brands strong.

How the Money Nomad Marketplace Works

The process is refreshingly simple. Sellers of digital properties valued at $100,000 or less submit listings. Zach and his select team help evaluate, package, and pitch the businesses to motivated buyers. Typical listings? Content sites, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) businesses, and Amazon Merch stores. Instead of long waits and excessive fees, owners get personal service, a fair shake, and access to a pool of actual buyers—not just tire-kickers.

Why It Clicks: Trust, Speed, and the Right Niche

There's demand. Hundreds of small business owners want to cash out, but $50K exits don't move the needle for most big-name brokers. Zach, having been a seller and buyer himself, knows both sides’ pain. He brings integrity, real experience, and quick turnaround—his personal network and good rep in the space make the flywheel turn. He doesn't try to be all things to everyone—he picks a lane and owns it.

A Look at Growth and What's Next

Now, with years of successful client deals behind them, Money Nomad's role only grows. More sellers are referred over, more buyers step in for site deals they can actually afford to move on. At the same time, Zach continues expanding on the yacht side, adding real locations and salespeople throughout California.

As he puts it, "I look forward to seeing the Money Nomad Marketplace grow so that many more people can be helped. I also plan to expand my yacht brokerage and grow that team to several salespeople and locations."

What You Can Learn from the Money Nomad Story

• Buying a site can force hands-on commitment: big investment, big pressure, big action.
• Tweaking monetization and pitching direct partnerships can rapidly boost revenue—sometimes more than chasing more traffic can.
• There's a real demand for marketplaces that serve the "invisible middle," sites that are too small for giant deals but too big for informal swaps.
• Building reputation and network pays out in referrals—the big boys sent Zach customers once they saw he delivered.
• Passion work (like Zach's yacht sales) and online ventures can feed each other in unexpected ways.

Challenges Along the Way

Not everything’s smooth. Sites get algorithm hits. Some deals fall apart. Sometimes buyers disappear. But Zach's willingness to move fast, learn from stumbles, and keep both feet in real, cash-generating work (not just hype) keeps the train moving.

Final Thoughts

In a space obsessed with massive unicorn exits and million-dollar metrics, it's easy to forget how many would-be sellers just want an honest shot at turning years of work into a meaningful, mid-five-figure payday. Money Nomad Marketplace is one real answer to that problem. With hard-won know-how and a tight, useful model, Zach Zorn’s story proves you don’t need to own a giant platform to make a positive impact—or put real profits in your pocket.