In this edition of the Posh Spotlight, we meet Christina, also known as @christinachacha.  In a short amount of time, Christina has built her reselling business to an impressive level. Known for her eclectic personality, she willingly shares her finds and reseller tips on social media.  What’s it like to be a full time student and reseller?

 How long have you been selling on Poshmark?I have been selling since 10/15/16. I am also on other platforms (eBay, Tradesy, Vestaire,  and Amazon),  but I started with Poshmark.  I discovered it when I was looking for cheap wedding shoes!
You’re a full-time seller. What does a typical week look like for you?I actually am a student, but I work (resell) full-time because  I work the weekend and the entire day –  morning, noon and night!  I source everyday, including the weekend because you never know when you will find the golden nugget.

On the one occasion that I didn’t feel like I sourcing, I actually found a YSL tribune for $7.  It sold for over $100!    You don’t have to buy every day, but you never know what day you will get lucky.

In regards to my schedule, I wake up to ship in the morning, and that takes me half the day. Afterwards,  I source at thrift stores and  retail stores, like Marshalls. I take photos and list at night when I am with my husband. These activities take up my full day.  After all that, I study for school.
Social media is a big part of your business. What do you recommend to others who are interested in growing this way?

It is important to get more exposure for your business. Marketing is a key tool, and you can use  Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook.  I am a big believer that people want a good product. If they also know the why behind the business,  they are willing to support and pay a little more to a brand they believe in. Many of my followers know that I am a student, and I want to influence other resellers to grow their entrepreneurial skills.

Standing out from the crowd is very important . For example, if there ten Madewell shirts for sale, who would you buy from?   There is a lot of competition in the clothing section, so social media allows you to stand out from the crowd.  I think it’s also important to grow your following by being genuine and adding value to your followers’ lives.  Many people just sell products to customers; why not help your followers in some way other than what everyone else is doing?

In social media, it is also important to use appropriate hash tags. People also love videos. For example, I received the most views (over 3,000) on a video that explained how to remove marker stains from shoes.
Selling full-time had become a goal for many users.What should they consider before doing this?

I think many people don’t know the time, effort and resources it takes to be full-time and make a decent income.  Many costs are associated with it add up, like polymailers,  bins, racks, tape,  inventory and  the space in your home. There is the time spent answering questions, dealing with returns and customer service issues.  There is a toll on your finances because you still have to list everyday and work consistently – even when there aren’t any sales for the day.  This is something that people do not always consider.

I wish I had known all this before I started this journey.  Otherwise, the amount of things your house will make it look like it’s a Walmart.  I have over 1300 items, stored all over my house;  I just never knew that would happen until after I started selling.

Many people do not consider that  you must have money to make money ; if you want to pay bills, you need a lot of capital to keep reinvesting and making smart quick buying choices.  I also don’t think people consider  time it takes to ship items. If you want to sell and make a full-time income,  half of your day might be consumed with shipping.  However, in order to keep the business running, you also need to list many items, and source to keep up the inventory.   This means there’s a lot of investment in buying a high number of items weekly, which is done on a daily basis.  It does gets very tiring, especially on the days you just don’t make any sales. However, as a reseller, you just have to keep going!

You can find Christina on Poshmark here! Visit her closet and check out all of her amazing finds!

Not a member of Poshmark? Join today, and reference jenn_sd for a $5 credit.  You can find my items for sale here!