Digital Social Hour
22-Year-Old CEO Revolutionizes Bar Service | Ethan Karian DSH #1268
Wed, 26 Mar 2025
🚀 Meet Ethan, the 22-year-old CEO revolutionizing bar service with his groundbreaking app, Sips Skip! 🍹 In this episode of Digital Social Hour with Sean Kelly, we dive into Ethan's journey from LSU marketing graduate to tech innovator. Discover how SipSkip makes getting drinks at packed bars faster and how bartenders, venues, and customers all win with this game-changing app. 💡 Ethan shares his entrepreneurial journey, the inspiration behind SipSkip, lessons from self-development books like *Think and Grow Rich*, and his bold move to Austin to fuel connections and growth. From hustling as a "dock boy" to dominating the tech space, Ethan's story is packed with valuable insights and inspiration for ambitious go-getters like you. 🏆 🔥 Don't miss out on this conversation full of hustle, innovation, and life-changing advice. Watch now and subscribe for more insider secrets. 📺 Hit that subscribe button and stay tuned for more eye-opening stories on the Digital Social Hour with Sean Kelly! 🚀 Join the conversation today! CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro 00:28 - What is SipSkip 01:11 - Starting a Business at 22 02:20 - The Power of Self Development Books 05:01 - Today’s Sponsor 06:31 - Making Money with Instagram Meme Pages 07:58 - Monetizing Fortnite Maps 09:43 - Your First Jobs 12:39 - Identifying Your Strengths 13:16 - Lifetime Leagues 14:28 - Moving to Austin 16:53 - Creating an Environment for Success 19:11 - Aspiring to Be a Billionaire 20:39 - Mardi Gras Experiences 22:08 - First Time on a Private Jet 23:45 - Finding Your Disruptor 26:05 - SipSkip 27:59 - Golf Insights 30:18 - Hooping Culture 31:40 - Your Basketball Career Journey 34:54 - GOAT of Basketball Discussion 36:33 - Starting a Tech Company 37:44 - How OSTRYX Stands Out in App Development 38:37 - Finding OSTRYX Online APPLY TO BE ON THE PODCAST: https://www.digitalsocialhour.com/application BUSINESS INQUIRIES/SPONSORS: [email protected] GUEST: Ethan Karian https://www.instagram.com/ethankarian/ https://ostryx.com/ https://www.instagram.com/sipskip/ SPONSORS: KINSTA: https://kinsta.com/dsh LISTEN ON: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-social-hour/id1676846015 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Jn7LXarRlI8Hc0GtTn759 Sean Kelly Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanmikekelly/ #wealthsecrets #financialeducation #businessideas #mobileappinnovation #business
Chapter 1: How did SipSkip revolutionize bar service?
All right, guys, we got Ethan here, CEO of Sip Skip. Thanks for coming on today, man. Thank you for having me. Yeah, can you explain what Sip Skip is for people that don't know?
Yeah, so we're a first-of-its-kind mobile application. We allow users to get drinks faster at busy bars. Basically, walk up to the bar, you buy a Sip Skip, hold it up, and that signals the bartender to come right to you first.
We're actually having bartenders sign up through the app, connecting themselves to their bar, and they earn per skip that they're redeeming, just like a DoorDash driver would.
Yeah, so it's a win-win because the bartender is making more money somehow, right?
Yeah, it's actually a win-win for everybody. So there's a sip skip fee, which goes directly to the bar. And then there's a bartender service fee, which helps the bartender gets compensated for their efforts. So, and then it helps the user as well. So all three parties win.
22.
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Chapter 2: What inspired Ethan to start his business at 22?
Holy crap. So you had this idea super young.
Yes, so I actually went to LSU for four years, just graduated last May, and those bars are super busy, super packed, and I've spent a couple years just waiting there, and one night I was at the bar, a couple of my boys had a pool table reserved, and I was at the bar with a couple of my friends who were just standing there for like 20 minutes, and I was like looking around, and I was just like, there's so much money going through here, like there's got to be a way to stand in front of it, and
And the first idea that kind of came to me the next morning was like, you know, the game like heads up. Yeah. Where you do that. I was like, what if there was something that was like that alluring that draws you in to where you could hold it up to where a bartender can see it. And that was kind of like the first concept behind the Sips Kit Pass.
That makes sense. What did you major in at LSU?
Marketing.
Okay.
Yes.
Was it useful?
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Chapter 3: How do self-development books influence entrepreneurship?
It was. It actually was. Wow. It was. I mean, I mean, I wouldn't say that you learn like entrepreneurship in school. You got to kind of self teach that. But I've definitely taken some like from my professional sellings class and some like digital marketing as well. Definitely helps.
Yeah. And I know you've read a lot of self-development books, right? Oh, for sure. So you were doing that on the side?
Um, yeah. So, um, actually my first book that was handed to me and it was in ninth grade by my father, um, think and grow rich. If you don't have that book, you should go get that book. Um, yeah, I mean that, that really just changes your perspective on life. I mean, there's so many things in there that just shifted my mind, especially as a 14 year old, he was like,
You have to read this four times in your life. And I actually just started it for my fourth time like two weeks ago. And it's just to refresh the mind. And it's just bringing back so many things from when I was younger that I needed to touch up on. And it's just really good stuff.
Yeah, that one's a classic. How to Win Friends is a classic. How to Win Friends, yes, sir. Yeah, there's some bangers, man. Especially at that age. Like if you know that at that age, you're just standing out from people your age.
Yeah. And it was actually, it was kind of like a shock. So like I'm like 14, then like 15, I started like getting into doing Instagram accounts, growing though, like little niche accounts, like started getting out of the whole video game aspect of it. And like my mind was like, okay, how do we, how do we get into the world of like the entrepreneurship?
And then I was like 16 and I was like, I was like, let me try drop shipping. Like, let's try some.
That's a classic.
Yeah. Let's try some, some good. Cause this is back in like, like 2017. That's how I started too. Exactly. Exactly. Everyone. So that's how I got into like making websites and stuff like that. And that was kind of like my first preneur, I would say.
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Chapter 4: What are Ethan's early experiences with entrepreneurship?
I'll say that it was like, I would never do it now, but like I learned a lot at the time.
A hundred percent. You learn, you learn like how to find a winning product, how to build a website. I mean, you're not coding it, but you're, you're doing it in a way to where you're putting the pieces together. Yeah. You're optimizing it. You learn the backend of all that stuff.
Yeah. How to market too.
Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Instagram ads, Facebook ads. Um, and I kind of like thinking grow rich teaches you, I kind of learned, I was like, if I fail, fail, fail while I'm in school, I can, I I can front load and kind of find something that's going to be successful early. And that's right. That's what I'm doing.
Yeah. That's why I think it's smart to start businesses when you're young.
Yeah. And it's, there's also some, some downsides, which I mean, if you can take them, you can take them. Um, but it's just like, you're growing up around people that are like, haven't read those books and they're just like, They're just normal kids, you know, and like in your head, you're like, oh, like I have this vision and like they're just like, oh, let's play video games.
And I'm like, like, it's just it's just it's like a battle. But, you know, you got to find that.
Yeah. Did you go through that phase video games?
Oh, yeah. I used to love it. I was playing 2K. First time I read Think and Grow Rich, my dad gave it to me. He was like, you have to read it on paper. I remember me and my friend.
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Chapter 5: How does moving to Austin impact young entrepreneurs?
I mean, dude, I had a girl come on here selling her bathwater. No way. Yeah, you can make money in all sorts of ways.
Especially girls, they can make money really easy.
They make money easier. Yeah, it's a little easier for them. They'll probably hate us saying that, but it's facts. If you're attractive.
Yeah, I mean, if you're a hot girl and you got a little bit of ambition and you... and you want to get on social media, you can really do something.
Yeah, it's easier.
You can really make sense.
If you're an attractive guy, that won't get you like much.
There's a lot more you got to do. Yeah. And it's a grind. It really is. You got to fail for a very long time.
I like it though. I love grinding.
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Chapter 6: What are the challenges and rewards of early jobs?
No tip. And this is like, we work on tips, you know? Oh, so you don't get an hourly? Barely. Like minimum wage? But like these are like, it's a type of business where like you fill someone with like ice chest with a bucket and then they'll stop a hundred in your hand. Like these are big money.
It's like a caddy kind of.
Yeah. These are big money boats. But then they win 1.9 mil and they just push off and they're like, Yeah, and one more thing. Make your slips bigger for next year. And we were like, oh, you guys are crazy. Damn. Yeah, and then I've worked as a bar back too behind a bar and done a little bartending as well.
So I'm happy I work those jobs because now when I go out to restaurants and stuff like that, I know I have to tip those guys because I've been those guys.
Yeah, you could appreciate it, right?
Yeah, and then you can – You can also see the people that have never worked those jobs.
Oh, you could tell.
And it's just like, it's kind of like almost embarrassing to like when they say some sus stuff. And you're just like, bro, you're embarrassing. These guys are just trying to work hard, man.
It's not even in their control when they complain about the food and take it out on them. Exactly. It's the chef.
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Chapter 7: How does environment contribute to success?
School of Hard Knocks.
Yeah, he's coming on the show next week.
Okay, sweet. In Austin. Yeah, that's sick. Yeah, so we were at the bar the other night, and my boy ran into him, and we were just chatting it up.
That dude's built an empire, man.
Exactly, and these are the people you're meeting. I was at the bar one night, and I just walked up to this girl because I thought she was cute, started flirting with her, and she does marketing for this other app in Austin, which is huge. Um, and she runs all our socials and I was like, I'm like, this is a business conversation now. So now I was like, now she's our socials girl.
Like stuff like that. Like you're not, you're not getting that in Destin. Nah. Like in little towns. So like being in those big cities, I would say if you're a young entrepreneur, move to a big city. If you have to do it on a whim, if you have to do it by yourself, you have a friend, it's easier. But yeah, I mean, don't keep yourself in a bubble.
That's how I was in Jersey, man.
Really? You moved out from Jersey?
I had to, man. I was the only one doing entrepreneurship in my town, my whole town. No one else was doing entrepreneurship.
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