Motivational Quotes to Get You Moving

Monday, March 26, 2018

Some days, I'm just not in it.  It's so much easier to put my head down on my desk and call it a day; tomorrow I'll restart and everything will magically be completed then.

Yeah, okay.

So what I really do on days likes those, is scroll through my Pinterest Quotes board and find some much needed inspiration and motivation to work my butt off.  Here are a few of my favorites to get me hustlin'!  I also made these graphics so feel free to pin them! :)








Hope you enjoyed and are feeling like you can take on anything!



I Swapped Labels on Poshmark - Here's What Happened

Thursday, March 22, 2018


In July 2017, I started really thrifting and looking for items I thought would sell well on Poshmark - and it took off!  It was exciting to find items that many of my Instagrammer friends were constantly sending the "BOLO" alarm up for.  There really is nothing quite like the rush of finding that item in a thrift store.

I probably sold a few items a week previously, but on that third week of July I was on fire!  A pair of Lulu's pants I purchased on clearance finally sold (they didn't fit and it made me uber sad) along with my first Zara find, a purple paisley sheer top on the same day.


I shipped immediately, happy to see them both go.  The Zara top was going to a buyer who purchased for me previously and I was honestly incredibly excited to have a repeat buyer.  Maybe, I could turn it into a long term thing!

Four days later, however, my repeat buyer reached out to me --
I literally pulled the worst move ever and swapped the labels.  Immediately, I reached out to Poshmark and the original buyer of the Lulu's pants to let her know what was going on....only to discover the next day that the item was undeliverable because she was moving and didn't update her address. (PS -- my original username was shopcousin, I switched it in October!)

My repeat buyer and I worked with Poshmark and she sent the pants back to me with a full refund and loads of apologies from me - but she wanted that shirt.  I promised her I would keep her in the loop and let her know as soon as the item was returned to me, assuming since the package was undeliverable it would bounce back to the return address.

A week went by without an update from USPS.  I called and left e-mails (they got back to me two weeks later!) for the USPS.  I reached out to Poshmark once again and the buyer, who swore it wasn't there...for it to magically turn up in her mailbox hours later, after Poshmark issued a refund to her and my earnings to me.



I e-mailed Poshmark immediately, not thinking it was quite fair that my earnings were released to me when this was completely my error.  As they had already resolved the issue, it was a closed case to them.  There was no way I was getting that Zara top back with Poshmark's help.  At the end of the day, I ended up making more money on the top because the pants sold for more.  I could have left it at that, but my repeat buyer really wanted this top.

I messaged the original buyer of the Lulu's pants, telling her that when she was ready to repurchase the pants I would happily list them for her (again, because she was in the middle of moving she wanted to repurchase when settled and SPOILER: she didn't) and also offered the idea that she could sell the top right away to the other buyer and make some money.  I just wanted to make my repeat buyer happy.

She didn't quite grasp that she couldn't send the top back to me anymore.  I'm not sure what she did with it but she never relisted it which I was kind of hoping she would.  What frustrated me, was that half of the problem was her own because she put down the wrong address.  She wasn't a super active seller, just selling items from her closet, so I don't think she understood that updating her address long after the item went to the post office wasn't going to fix it.  I think the item bounced around in her local PO until they located a change of address file and then delivered.  Sure, this mix-up was 100% my fault, but we would have had an issue with delivery either way.

My repeat buyer was really bummed.  She also really didn't want the original Lulu's pants buyer to get those pants because, in her mind, she was the reason we couldn't simply swap the items.


My repeat buyer actually did purchase from me again, a sweater in the fall, so my label fumble didn't turn her off from my closet.

What I Learned

  • Own up to your mistakes.  From the very first moment, I was apologetic and willing to fix it by any means possible.  I messed up - this wasn't on the buyers or the Post Office.  When I first realized what happened, I absolutely felt a sinking feeling in my gut of regret and complete disappointment.  I quickly realized that, unfortunately, this is part of the game.  I will make mistakes and all I can do is learn from them and do my best to fix them.  Beating myself up wasn't going to fix the issue.
  • Moving forward, when an item sells, I print out the label and write on the sides what items go in that package immediately.  Until the very last moment when I cut the label and paste it onto the box, there's no way to mix up what's going in it - it allows me to double and triple check.

I was also proud of myself for taking the hits and responding to my buyers promptly and with a calmness.  Growing frustrated at them would have negatively affected my attitude and further worsened their experience.

At the end of the day, those Lulu's pants sold again to another buyer who was willing to pay a little bit more.  And, they were delivered to the right address the first time!

Spring Has Sprung

Tuesday, March 20, 2018


Happy Spring!

IT'S FINALLY HERE!!!

I anxiously await this day at the start of fall.  I love seeing people out on the sidewalks, ready to stretch their legs after staying inside all winter.  I hate crowds but I even love to see stores packed with people who can no longer use the excuse of the weather to stay inside (an excuse I actually appreciated for the first time this winter).

With the leaves on the trees slowly beginning to bud, there's still the threat of a slight frost. Each day seems like a chance at renewed hope (to be overly poetic/dramatic).  Most people like to make their fresh start at the beginning of the new year, but I like leaving winter for introspection with spring marking the start of a new me.  Below are a few "Spring To Do's" to start the season on the right foot.

Develop a new walking routine
Maybe you already do this, but the first day of spring is the beginning of a whole new season.  So why not take the opportunity to observe the world around you?  You could either implement a new walking routine into your daily schedule to take in the rebirth of all of the trees and flowers or maybe refresh you current routine and try a new route.  Or maybe you are a superhuman and run - you could still refresh your route!

Start your garden
I do not like gardening.  I do not enjoy it, but I weirdly enjoy pulling weeds.  I like the act of completion when you step away from the bed and see all of the beauty you've cultivated by removing those pesky weeds.  It feels therapeutic.  If you're normal, however, you could jump-start your garden with a plant you've never grown before.  Go outside of your comfort zone!  I also like to spruce up the fake flowers and plants I have in my home.

Change over to spring decor
This is an easy one for me.  As I mentioned, I swap out the winter faux foliage for spring.  I'm really in tune with the way items around me motivate and inspire me.  Starting over with a fresh view of the way my apartment looks reminds me to be grateful for what I have and to not take it for granted.

Start journaling outdoors
Call me a hippy dippy (my boyfriend and grandpa both do) but there is nothing like writing outside.  Even with a chill in the air, there's something about listening to the birds chirping and the wind whipping through buildings or trees as you dive into your own soul. 

Here's to a fresh and beautiful spring!

50 States Challenge: Delaware

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

November 11 - 13, 2016
Newark

My boyfriend hails from the great state of Delaware.  Or as he may say "The Most Magical Place on Earth"....He's kind of a diehard.  But it took him through a solid year of dating before he was prepared to bring me back; in his own words, he needed to make sure I was worthy enough to touch the land that is Delaware
(insert emoji eye-roll here and the truth that it was his first year of residency so a free weekend was a rarity).

We roadtripped the five hours to Delaware and made it in the early evening to his parents house.  The next morning, we woke up early and my boyfriend and his brother took me to tour the University of Delaware campus where they both went to undergrad.


I took some superb Snapchats that I've since lost.  We walked through the main street of town and imagined life for the undergrads.  It was just about the middle of November, but the weather cooperated with our wanderings.  I saw the dorm my boyfriend once ruled over as the RA (those poor students).

We drove past the grade school he first went to, then his high school, and drove through Wilmington.  It's so interesting to see a place through someone's childhood eyes - the buildings that have changed, the ghost of former friends and classmates.

This trip was also a little anxiety ridden for me.  It was the first time truly stepping on his ground. Pittsburgh was his adopted city and he knew the ins and outs better than me, but it still felt like shared space.  Delaware was 100% his.

Our next stop was the DuPont Environmental Education Center of Delaware Nature Society.  It was breathtaking.  There was this adorable wooden walkway that lead to the water.  Both my boyfriend and his brother rowed in high school and college and they knew the ins and outs of the river.

This was probably my favorite part of Delaware.  That night, we got all dressed up and went to a concert in Wilmington with the whole family. I don't remember the name of the band, but it was a well-known Puerto Rican artist and his daughter.
The audience knew all of the songs and it was a really fun environment.

We left the next afternoon after home-cooked meals by my boyfriend's mom.  We went back the following October to visit when his grandparents were in town.  I'm hoping to go back in the summer because I would really love to see the Delaware beaches!

Feelings You Get From a One Star Raing As Told by Mean Girls

Monday, March 12, 2018

That dreaded "@username rated your item" pops up on your phone.

We all know, when you receive a 5 Star rating, Poshmark puts it right there in the header. 
Meaning? If you don't see "5 Star" in the notification...

You open the app, revealing not a 4 star rating...not a 3 star ....not even a 2 star.  You got a ONE STAR RATING.

You feel personally victimized by this specific buyer.

They left no feedback, purchased the item outright, or (potentially worse) lowballed you and you accepted just to get the item out the door - leaving you with ZERO communication to even figure out WHY?!

You wrapped it to perfection, included an adorable handwritten note that included a few drops of blood, sweat, and tears, and shipped it same day.

Your initial feelings?  Well...

Tagging them on the item with a few choice words would feel swell.

But you don't want Poshmark HQ to read those things and influence your chances at being a Party Host one day.

You wonder, is there no end to this type of lunacy?

At the end of the day, it's okay...you know exactly where to vent your frustration.

But while that all feels really ridiculously good, it's not going to get you anywhere.

Time to move on, center yourself, and truly get with what matters in life.

And always remember...

Sales I've Run

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Sales on Poshmark are a difficult tactic.  Who doesn't love a good deal?  Unlike major department and clothing stores, there's no way to send out fliers, e-mails, or truly post an ad for buyers to see.  You could make a sign in your closet announcing your sale.  Most shoppers on Poshmark find an item and purchase that item alone; sometimes they'll sift through a closet looking for an opportunity to bundle and save on shipping, but you have to hope they stop and see a sign mentioning your sale.

I've dabbled with changing my Seller Discount before, but following are a few of the approaches I've taken to snag that sale prior to the release of the Offer to Likers feature.

Sale to Former Buyers
In January, on the exact one year anniversary of my first sale on Poshmark, I reached out to every single buyer who left me a 5 Star Rating in the past year with the following message:

This was a simple sale in terms that I wrote out my message once, then copied and pasted my notice and tagged the buyer.   I would say about 20 of my former buyers liked items after they received my message.  Initially, I was really hopeful on this one. Out of 240 buyers, however, only 4 previous buyers took me up on my offer.  Four.
Positive: I unloaded a lot of stuff that wasn't moving and got my money back for items I deemed mistakes...and a few extra dollars!
Negative: I only had a success rate of 1.6%.  Woof.
Personal Analysis: I think I will definitely replicate this sale in January of 2019, despite the success rate, simply because my former buyers bundled a bunch of items and a lot of stale inventory moved.  I also liked that I wasn't advertising a specific item for sale - it was completely up to the buyer to choose.

Monday Sale
In April of 2017, I decided to run my very first sale which also led me to creating my very first closet sign - something I previously fought against.
I picked a few items that I really wanted to move - in particular, swimsuits.  I'd managed to get my hands on a few new with tag bathing suits.  I wanted to really unload these before the Poshmark market flooded with suits.  I'd been steadily selling them in February and early March, but saw a decline in late March.  I also had these new with tag bralettes and despite Poshmark highlighting the bralette trend, I didn't have one bite. I wrote the above message and tagged every person who liked the item.
Positive: I sold three items.  I got rid of the bralettes and bathing suits.  The buyers all purchased outright with no offers.  It was also a spur of the moment idea, so it did not take a lot of effort and planning on my part.
Negative: It did feel like a lot of work in the moment, but because it was only over the course of one day, it definitely felt manageable.
Personal Analysis: I do like this type of tactic and I think I'm considering doing consistent Monday sales in May.  May through July were slow for me, so I want to find ways to boost traffic and sales.

Daily Sale
Based on the success I had in April, I decided this past October to jumpstart my closet and fall by performing a daily sale.



Beforehand, I opened up a Google Spreadsheet and determined items I thought really needed to get out that door!  I wrote up a script each day so I could simply copy, paste, and then tag every person who liked the item.  I also chose October because it's my birthday month and I thought that might entice buyers or at the very least some extra shares from kind Poshers.
Positive: It was way easier to know ahead of time which item I was featuring and the majority of the work the day of was accurately typing out usernames.  I did this from a computer (my setup is two-monitors) and it was easier to copy and paste.  I also found the most success and traffic the earlier in the morning I announced the daily sale.  I sold 4 items through this method!
Negative: How does a whole month of daily sales feel?  Eh, exhausting.  Some days I woke up late and I wasn't notifying buyers until later on in the day and I think I lost ground that way.  Also, when you look at the statistics, for 31 days, I only sold 4 featured items which means my success rate was 13%.  Better than my January sale, at least!
Personal Analysis: I liked the planning ahead.  I hate routines though (*working on it!*) so I think that's what made this feel exhausting.

Looking To The Future
I would definitely like to try out different sales strategies.  Here's a list of sales ideas I'm interested in pursuing:

  • Direct Sharing to buyers who like an item over a specific amount of time (a day, a week, a weekend)
  • A 40% off sale
  • A 50% off sale
  • Sales on specific items (tops or dresses, most likely)
Buyers don't seem to be as enticed by a free item as I hoped.  One of my biggest struggles is that I'm an awful shopper/buyer and I'm targeting the me's of the world (read: cheapos).  We aren't buying as much, as often, or at a truly profitable level, so my goal throughout 2018 is to shift the focus to true buyers and not pain's-in-the-but like moi.

Have you run any types of these sales or a different variation?  Did it work or bomb? I'm all for input and sharing experiences.  Leave me a comment here, comment on this Instagram post, e-mail me, or slide into my DMs on the 'gram.  

January & February Reads

Monday, March 5, 2018

I'm a readaholic.  If you've perused my About Me section, you'd know that I majored in English in college simply because I love to read. Here is a list of the books I read in January and February!

Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up
by Marie Kondō 
This one is kind of rough to go through.  To start, I didn't read her first book so I think that if I had, maybe I would have been able to fully buy in.  Kondō also warns the reader that it might be a struggle to read this book if you haven't made your way through the first, so I was aware going in. Either way though, I did find a lot of insightful nuggets that I put to good use when sorting through sentimental items recently.


You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life 
By Jen Sincero
This is the type of life changing book I needed to start 2018.  It's a must read.  I thought about reading it for years and honestly, I wish I read it so much sooner.


Bonfire
By Krysten Ritter
Over the past few years, I really feel myself drawn to thrillers.  I'm a fan of Krysten Ritter - long live The B in Apartment 23!  I truly was not disappointed with her debut novel.  Admittedly, it did feel like a few loose strings within the plot (or maybe I missed things in my rapid reading) but that truly did not detract from the experience.

The Cuckoo's Calling
by Robert Galbraith
Again, another thriller! I've always been interested in reading J.K. Rowling's other work and I decided to give Cormoran Strike a shot.  It felt slow going, but I was intrigued.  It's completely opposite of any Harry Potter expectation you could have.  I would definitely check out other titles by J.K. Rowling--whether under her pen name or her own.

Follow me on Goodreads; I love to see what other people are reading and get suggestions!

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