Before he was building complex automations for clients around the world, Joe Zapiain didn’t know the first thing about coding or automation. He wasn’t a software engineer or a systems architect. He was just someone trying to make ends meet—living out of his car, teaching himself how to solve problems one Zap at a time.
Joe didn’t come from a technical background. In fact, he said Zapier stealthily taught him everything he knows about systems, automation, and software. "It meets you where you're at. You can use it day one to build something simple. And then you can scale all the way up to advanced automations with custom code," said Joe.
Today, Joe runs SmartClick Systems, an automation agency that helps founders and lean teams win back their time through scalable systems powered by Zapier.
Joe works with companies of all kinds, from construction firms to creative agencies to ecommerce brands. They focus on one mission: freeing people from the repetitive tasks eating into their workweek.
That approach is now core to SmartClick's services. Joe has built automations for clients that save thousands of hours, unlock new revenue streams, and improve customer happiness.
"With Zapier, I can take big problems and turn them into simple solutions," Joe said. "Zapier makes me feel like I can solve any problem, no matter how complicated it is."
Here are a few ways Joe has helped different industries rethink their operations.
SmartClick Systems’ results, by the numbers:
Tens of millions of dollars in new revenue generated across clients
Thousands of hours saved on repetitive tasks like ticketing, content creation, and scheduling
Doubled production for one client within a month of implementing Joe’s automation system
12x content generation for a client using AI and automation
E-Commerce: Inventory and support automations
One of SmartClick’s clients, an e-commerce company selling thousands of cloaks per week, had hit a scaling wall. Their viral social media success drove massive demand, but manually managing inventory, returns, and support tickets had become overwhelming. Something that's all too common in the world of e-commerce.
"He was being crushed under the weight of his own success," Joe said.
Joe built Zaps to handle order management, returns, and common customer support tickets. He also added a website chatbot to help customers choose their cloak size and even offered coupons to drive conversions.
"After we automated returns, exchanges, and built the chatbot, he was able to scale two times larger in a month. It completely changed his business," said Joe.
Construction: Automating a content engine
Content marketing isn't just for influencers. Joe worked with a construction company wanting to build a stronger online presence, but struggled with ideas and then the bandwidth to complete the ideas.
"They were putting out two pieces of content a week. After we automated the process, they were producing 25 [a week]," Joe said.
The Zap uses AI to generate daily content prompts based on their industry, past customer questions, and web search trends. A team member receives a story idea each morning via email—no need to brainstorm or script. And when it's time to film? The Zap also handles prepping the talking points for them.
"AI helped us frame the questions so the owner could just tell stories. That's where the best content comes from," Joe said. "It led to millions of views and a real spike in leads."
Airline: Automated task prioritization
Automation isn’t just about time savings, it’s about better decisions. Joe partnered with an airline client who was struggling to prioritize tasks across its operations and customer service teams.
Using Zapier and AI, Joe helped surface high-impact, low-effort tasks from incoming data so teams could solve the biggest issues first. The results were dramatic: productivity quadrupled.
"When employees get access to automation, they start solving their own problems. You don’t have to wait on a manager or IT," Joe said. "That speed transforms everything."
Making automation accessible to everyone
Joe found his passion helping others discover the power of automation, especially those who, like him, never saw themselves as "technical."
“Zapier bridges the gap between expert automators and non-technical users better than anything else out there," said Joe.
He's seen and experienced firsthand just how life-changing automation can be. "Zapier played a huge role in building my six-figure business. In fact, I would have no business if it weren’t for Zapier," said Joe.
Joe credits Zapier’s intuitive design and customer focus for making all this possible. "Other platforms just can't move as fast. Zapier lets me deploy 20-step automations in under 30 minutes," said Joe.
With clients ranging from NASA engineers to small business owners, Joe sees automation as a great equalizer.
"My clients have saved tens of millions of dollars with Zapier. Just in revenue, time, and headcount. Zapier helps me help others," he said. "That’s why I’ll never stop using it."
About SmartClick Systems
Company size: 1-10 employees
Industry: Agency
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
