Web Dev Apprentice Program

Sorry Im a little late with writing a review because I forgot. Just a bit of background of me: Ive took 1 bootcamp, 1 coding program, and self study apps such as Codecademy. I was still working a full time while raising a family with little to no support. I still didnt feel as confident or let alone know what Im doing. Zach has been in the game for a long time and he truly knows his stuff. Bootcamps are ok, but not as effective as joining Zach's program were you are working under Zach's wing. You will be working with him on PAID contracts, and you will be getting PAID!!!$$$$

He is literally with you every step of the way so you don't feel stuck spending hours trying to figure it out yourself. I think this is where most schools and bootcamp fail. Once you graduate you are left on your own to figure things out. I first took one of his monthly webinars. Next, i did a consultation with him about joining his apprenticeship program. After joining his program we did a kickoff meeting were we discussed the project we will be doing together.

Things turned out quite interesting with this project we did together. Suddenly the client was hiring a Project Manager to handle the website once its done instead of the client handling herself because of this there were some delays getting this project done. I have to reiterate that It wasnt our fault. We were just waiting on the Project Manager. The delay was because of not being notified in time we were going to be working with a Project Manager and we hadnt heard from the Project Manager when the changes started.

Zach truly handled this situation like a pro while I learned under him. I learned this hasnt happened a lot with him but as a the true Shopify vet he is, he made this a good learning lesson. As a developer in general, you have to adapt and communicate properly. He was very adamant and initiated a lot communication with this one client and Project Manager making sure we are all of the same page and there will be no other sudden changes. After we got this squared away, Zach gave me some guidance on the work he wanted me to do on my own because he had other projects and other apprentices to help out. He took care of the hard parts of the project while I handled the easier ones (at first it was difficult and a little daunting).

If I remember correctly he had 30 something projects going on by HIMSELF, mentoring a few of us, and working his REGULAR job all at the same time. Even though he was really busy, his communication was superb and always made time for me. We almost communicated everyday via chat giving him small updates about the project, my progress, and things to improve on. In addition to our daily little communication, we met up once a week for 1+ hours (his usual 1 on 1 meetings are 1 hour long). Here's a tip, when your doing your weekly meetings, make sure to record your meetings with Zach because there is a lot of gems he drops.

We talked about the progress of the project, things that I learned while working on the project, how to get better at shopify building, improving my profile, ANY questions I had including life, family, etc we discussed. As a beginner to this, He basically made the beginning learning curve of my shopify dev journey shorter. I learned so much in on one month: using apps for the first time, themes/layouts/features, using the shopify interface, kick offs with clients, how to work with clients, communicating with clients, what to show to clients, what not to, etc.

Zach truly cares for the students he works with. Because of my job and family commitments, i was able to work on our project from 10pm-12am sometimes until 1am!. He asked more than a few times to make sure if I was ok working at those hours which I was at the time.

You can learn a lot in 1 month just as I did as long as your willing to learn, have a good/positive attitude, take constructive criticism, work hard (but smart), manage your own time, self starter, and a have sense of humor. If you can demonstrate these things, then his program is definitely for you. As the title of the review, this was a game changer for me. After one month, I felt more confident and already started building my own demo stores. One store I basically changed the entire theme, and the other store I optimized, made it cleaner, and more functional. I havent built anything myself since I graduated from bootcamp years ago.

Zach is the true Shopify Ninja wizard, he has a knack for this stuff. You truly get the best of both world working with a pro and teacher like Zach, this was fun. If you can afford it you should do the 3 month program. For me, I opted to do the monthly contracts because of my job and family, so i needed the flexibility. One month isn't enough. If your serious with this, 3 months might be the sweet spot for you. This was more than a 5 star experience.

Mahalo Zach for everything!

Zach is the GOAT when it comes to freelancing on Upwork. He's all in on this platform and takes his work seriously. I've learned so much about sending proposals and had several ah-ha moments that helped me gain visibility. Working with Zach on my first Shopify assignment was a blast!

I was really new to the IT world and badly wanted to change my career. Zach is a very patient and kind person for sure with great skills in development. He taught me the things I needed to do step by step and would always find time to answer immediate concerns. It's only been a few months into training but I already actually found a job in Japan. I never would've been where I am today if it wasn't for Zach and I will always always be grateful to him. Seriously people, Zach is the real deal. Having him as your mentor is soo worth it! Thanks so much Zach!

Zach is an honest and hardworking person. Over time, he’s become someone I trust deeply—not just as a mentor, but as a role model. He’s taught me a lot, not only about freelancing and Shopify development, but also about Japan and the kind of values that shape a sustainable, self-driven life and career. Many of those values have stuck with me.

I first came across Zach through one of his YouTube videos, where he talked about his apprentice program. At the time, I had already been out of work for a year and was still figuring things out in my career, so I decided to give it a shot. Initially, we mapped out a plan to pursue a web development job in Japan. But as I started learning more about web development, I realized it wasn’t the path I truly wanted. Zach understood completely and helped me pivot toward freelancing instead—which turned out to be a much better fit.

Now, I’m at a stage where I’m landing my own clients and negotiating contracts. Overall, it’s been an absolute pleasure and a blast working with Zach—I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor.

I recommend Zach’s services wholeheartedly to anyone looking to break into current job market or level up their career. I can’t thank him enough for all he’s done!

I had been trying to find a job in Japan for a couple of years, trying all the well-known recruitment platforms like Wantedly and LinkedIn, and connecting with over 30 recruiters without much success. I've also tried to apply to the surface level Job listings on japan-dev & Tokyo-dev, career cross etc. I could never get past initial stages with HR or hiring personnel.

Zach’s mentorship was a game-changer. His insights into the Japanese job market and his commitment to helping me prepare were invaluable. He didn’t just offer advice; he walked me through each step, from interview strategies to industry-specific knowledge, always providing support and guidance on every round of interview. Thanks to his dedication, I have finally landed a position in Japan, and will be moving soon, something I had almost given up on.
Also given that I come from a developing country, my income has increased almost 5x.

Another great perk of working with Zach is that he provides access to freelance gigs to help cover the cost of his mentorship fee. Though I didn’t take this route myself, it’s a fantastic option for anyone looking to gain experience and income while working towards their next job.