Episode 34: Poshmark, Poshfest and Merchandising Strategies

Overview

Manal Saad, @stylesjustforu, is a presenter at Poshfest 2021, speaking about merchandising strategies using Poshmark tools for your business.  We talk about Poshmark, Poshfest, and the Seller Community. We’ll also have Seller News and a Seller Shoutout!

The Seller Community Podcast from List Perfectly is the #1 resource for the seller community across all platforms and hub for information on growing your business with List Perfectly. Find out more at thesellercommunitypodcast.com/podcast, leave a message or ask a question at anchor.fm/sellercommunitypodcast, or email us at podcast@thesellercommunitypodcast.com.

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Episode 34 Links

Stylesjustforu Poshmark
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Poshmark Events
Poshfest
Mega Poshfest Virtual Party
eBay Seller Events

Transcript

Intro

Liz:

What’s up, Doug?

Doug:

What’s up, Liz? How’s it going?

Liz:

What did I do last week? Oh my gosh, Doug!

Doug:

What’d you do? Anything fun?

Liz:

Yes.

Doug:

What?

Liz:

Do you remember?

Doug:

I remember! (laughing)

Liz:

Oh, we did our live cast!

Doug:

We did our live cast last week. It was fun. We’re going to do it again. Liz was surprisingly nervous in the green room beforehand, but it was good. And you know, we actually told you guys this, because I think we’re pretty transparent. Liz had a very organized list of bullets and things she’s going to say. I had two random post-it notes, which I could barely read myself, but I think we did a good job. We filled an hour, and we had lots of questions.

Liz:

It was a lot of fun.

Doug:

It was fun!

Liz:

Like you said, I was nervous. I got through it and I enjoyed myself and I cannot wait to livecast again, which will come from Reseller Remix!

Doug:

We will livecast from Reseller Remix.

Liz:

So yeah, that is super exciting. And this week there’s a lot of excitement too, Doug.

Doug:

Is there anything big going on in the Seller Community this week? I don’t know!

Liz:

There is a very exciting event this week. Posh Fest online, or Posh Fest virtual, is happening this Friday. This is going to be their first totally online event. And we were super lucky to be able to sit down and talk to one of the presenters for Posh Fest, Manal Saad. But yeah, and that’s why I am super excited about this episode because we do get to sit down and speak with one of the Posh Fest speakers.

Doug:

And I love her topic because it’s basically on metrics and analytics, what you should look at, what you should make actionable and it’s something you and I talk about a lot and ties back into List Perfectly, but metrics and analytics across the board. So it’s very exciting.

Liz:

It is! What do you say we just go ahead and get started and listen to what our special guest has to say. But first I want to welcome everyone to the Seller Community Podcast from List Perfectly to episode 34. This podcast is brought to you every week by List Perfectly for your enjoyment. And the show notes are found at thesellercommunitypodcast.com/podcast.

Doug:

So let’s get into our conversation with Manal. She’s going to tell us all things, Posh Fest what’s coming. She’s participated before, so she’ll give some insider tips. So let’s learn about Manal, learn more about Posh Fest and about the presentation she’s doing.

Poshmark, Poshfest and Merchandising Strategies

Liz:

We would like to welcome a very special guest today. I am so excited to welcome Manal Saad to the show today. She is a multi-platform seller, Poshmark ambassador, in my mind a Poshmark genius, seller influencer and the main thing we’ll talk about today, and she is a Posh Fest speaker for Posh Fest virtual 2021. Welcome Manal.

Manal:

Thank you, Doug and Liz. Thank you so much for having me. I am excited to join you today.

Doug:

And thanks for coming on. We’re very excited to talk to you. So let’s get started. So tell us how you got started selling on Poshmark and what got you interested in online selling? What year did you start? How did your story start?

Manal:

Yeah, so I think I started like probably how a lot of resellers start, I kind of was doing a little spring cleaning. Mine was more fall cleaning and I had a lot of items just in my personal closet that were really new either. Like I took the tag off for barely wore it once and I wish that I can get my money back, you know, I could donate it, but I really wanted to get other stuff instead, so I’m like if only I can get part of my money back, and then I can, you know, replace that with some other items in my personal closet. So online, I stumbled across Poshmark and this was September, 2015. So just over six years ago. So I started listing some of my personal stuff. You know, my photos were not nice, barely had any of the descriptions, the basics, and lo and behold things started selling, you know, not for very much, but I was surprised that people were actually buying my used items and liked my style. So after a couple of months, I started thinking, Hmm, if people are buying my personal stuff and they’re used, I wonder if people would buy other styles and maybe new items as well. So a few months after that, there was like a local boutique in my area that was going out of business. So they were doing like a 90% off on top of like 25, like crazy sales where each item was like $1 or $2. And I’m like, okay, I think I’m going to get a little bit of inventory and it’s new. So I feel good about that. Cost per item is going to be really low and I’m willing to lose whatever I put in. So I put in $50. I took $50 and I said, I’m going to buy as much as I can with this $50. And if I get zero money out of it, it’s fine. Like this $50, I’m good to lose. So I bought a lot of the items with $50 and I slowly started selling them. So I only had to sell a little bit to make my money back. And then eventually I started making more than the $50 I put in. So that was the beginning of my reselling. And then for the next few years after that, I was solely selling shoes. So I have a few local warehouses in my area. So I purchased shoes in bulk, not really a specific brand, but they’re all new, straight from the warehouse. So every style I get 12 pairs. So first three years I was just selling shoes. I love shoes. And then after that, I slowly started dabbling in clothes and accessories. Still to this day, I mostly sell new with tag items because I have a lot of access to that. And then when I find used items, of course, I like to sell those as well.

Liz:

I will say I know because I peeked your store and I have a couple of things in my cart. Thank you for carrying my size.

Manal:

Yeah. I think that’s really important in reselling to just, you know, you’re a specific size, but then not everybody’s going to be the same size as you. So I try to include a little bit of everything.

Liz:

I love your story and how you just took it and rolled with it and grew and took that gamble. And then here we are today, six years later, over 4,500 active listings on Poshmark, clearly a business woman on a mission. You know, and I think Poshmark has kind of taken notice. And with that, I mean, I think that I could probably talk to you for two hours because I want so much more, but you are a featured speaker at Posh Fest this coming Friday. So how did that come about?

Manal:

So I think Liz, it takes a little bit of time to start, you know, if you’re a little bit new, maybe you’re a little bit scared to get started to speak about your experience or what, you know, but I’ve been a part of the reselling community, including Poshmark and just being on social media for a while now. I was actually a part of the Posh On Campus program when I was in college. I don’t know if you know what that is. So Poshmark has a program that’s called Posh On Campus, and it’s specifically targeted for college and university students. So you can join and be a campus rep. And what that includes is you meet other Poshers on your campus and in your community and you help mentor them and they help you as well, grow along your path. And it’s pretty nice because not only are you meeting other Poshers, but they’re also in your university. You know, maybe they’re studying the same major, or they end up living a few miles away from you and you get to see them more. So it’s pretty exciting. So I was a part of the Posh On Campus program for a few years at my university. And over the years, I’ve just attended a lot of in-person and online Poshmark events like Posh Party live and Posh-n-sips. So slowly just by attending a lot of those a few years ago in person, I applied to speak as a closet consult. So that was like the beginning of me speaking at Posh Fest. And then the year after that, I was like, okay, I think I want to be an actual speaker now. And I applied and I got to speak in Phoenix about data and data analysis in front of like a big group of people. And it was really fun.

Liz:

Wow. Okay.

Doug:

That’s awesome.

Liz:

That is amazing.

Doug:

I am in my closet and there is a chandelier in my closet, so I was hoping that you would be impressed by that.

Manal:

It’s pretty cool. (laughing)

Doug:

It’s very bizarre.

Manal:

I love chandeliers.

Liz:

But, how many of the items behind you are actually listed in your Posh closet, Doug?

Doug:

Well, let’s see what you can see. That’s mostly my wife’s clothes. I have a couple stacks off to the side. As Liz knows, mostly black t-shirts and jeans.

Manal:

Start listing a few of her items and see if she notices. (laughing)

Doug:

So Posh Fest shifted and went all virtual. With that, how have you shifted your approach and your expectations for Posh Fest?

Manal:

I was pretty sad in the beginning to hear that it was shifted from in-person to online, but there’s a lot of pros to being online as well. Before, because Posh Fest is on Friday, Saturday, a lot of people have to take the day off if they wanted to fly and go, and the expenses are a little bit higher. Now being online, everybody is able to join from work or from the comfort of their home. And if it’s in another state, you know, you don’t have to pay for hotel and airline fares and everybody is welcome. So that’s pretty exciting. Something else that you probably have to do on your own is even though you’re going to be listening into the panels and the speakers, don’t forget that part of Posh Fest is meeting other resellers, connecting to the community, learning things from others. I think that’s really important. So don’t be afraid to go out of your way and see, is there anybody in your area that lives close by that you can meet up with them or anybody that you can reach out to on social media? So there’s still the community aspect that you want to stay in touch with. So that’s something that I know I’m going to be doing as well as listening to other panels and speakers.

Liz:

So I know everybody was so excited to go to Posh Fest in person, and that shifted a little, but there were preparations being made and not just the airline tickets, not just hotels. These are true PFFs, so Posh Friends Forever. Did I say that right? So, you know, PFFs, your Posh Friends Forever get together and coordinate. So I know you did some coordination with some of your friends. First tell us what that was and how you shifted.

Manal:

Yeah. So I’ve been to Posh Fest twice in person, online last year, and this is my fourth. So my friend Shelly, who lives not too far away from me in Southern California, we actually first met over Instagram and it turned out we lived so close to each other. And now every few months we just get coffee together and talk about what’s happening and do a little shopping as well. So, because it was going to be her first Posh Fest, we agreed that we take the same flight out that way we got there together, you know, entered in the same, pre party. That way we knew somebody there, which is totally okay if you go and you don’t know anybody, you make friends anyways. But meeting her leading up to October’s Posh Fest. We started, you know, talking about what we wanted to do there and what time we wanted to go to the party. And honestly, we started coordinating outfits and laying out our plan for what we were going to wear Thursday through Sunday. So we were really excited for that. And we started preparing and then as Posh Fest moved online, you know, unfortunately we won’t be coordinating outfits anymore, but I’ll definitely be wearing some of those in the near future. I don’t know. I might still dress up online and take some pictures for social media.

Liz:

I have a feeling that the networking aspect, I mean, the panels are going to be phenomenal. But I have a feeling that that networking is going to be huge. So if you have your PFFs and you get online, definitely network, don’t be afraid. I’ve never been to a Posh Fest before, and I haven’t coordinated with anyone, but the networking part I know from being a seller is so crucial. If you go by yourself, don’t worry. You will leave with a friend. That’s just what we do.

Doug:

A PFF.

Liz:

Yes, Doug, will you be my PFF?

Doug:

I’ll be your PFF. My closet is pitiful, except for the chandelier, but I will be your PFF.

Liz:

As a Posh Fest speaker, please tell us what you’re speaking on. Tell us all about your panel. Well, not all about it, but enough to get us to come because I am so excited to listen to you speak at Posh Fest.

Manal:

Yeah. Thanks Liz. So maybe I’ll give you a little sneak peek and then hopefully everybody joins us. So my panel is titled Merchandising Strategies That Drive Sales and the route that I’m taking my panel towards is what you can do internally and externally to help your business. So I think we already know, and we’re going to listen a lot about like trending brands and styles. So that’s not really the route that I’m taking my panel towards. I’m trying to figure out what part of your business model can you change or can you work on to drive those sales? So is it like communicating with buyers or utilizing a lot of the features that for example, Poshmark has access to like the sales report and the inventory report. We have those two data with us available for free, and it tells us so much information and we really should be looking at them because the information that it tells us, I feel like that will help drive sales. Like I should focus on this category or I’m not doing well in this area. So looking at what we can do internally with the data that we have and the resources that’s available to everybody, as well as looking outside in the community and towards buyers and what we can do with that as well.

Liz:

I underutilized that area of Poshmark. And I’m so happy that you’re speaking on that and I am so excited to learn more how I can utilize that for my business.

Manal:

Yeah. I really love the inventory and sales report. Funny enough, when I spoke at PoshFest in Phoenix two years ago, the inventory report did not exist yet, only the sales report. So they had just announced that they were going to be releasing the inventory report at the time. And then a few months later they released it. So I spoke about how to analyze your data and the sales report. And it’s one of those things, like you said, we kind of ignore for a while, but it’s available. So maybe we just need a reminder, like it’s there, let’s use it. And then you start using it for a few months and it kind of like sits in the back burner and then somebody else reminds you because at first it’s overwhelming, like when you open it to me, I opened an Excel sheet and you know, there’s so much data in there, but I love numbers. I’m a math person. I teach math. So to me, it’s just a joy, but with a lot of the scary numbers comes a lot of useful information to you and that’s golden. And I feel like you can use that.

Liz:

I think that so many users are going to get just a ton of information from your session and really all of the sessions at PoshFest. Especially this, especially for me, because like you said, it can be a scary subject. You know, some people open it up, you could be a brand new Posher. You’re brand new to Poshmark this year. You could have been using Poshmark for 2, 3, 4 years and have opened it, but don’t necessarily know where to go with it. And that’s what I’m excited to learn.

Doug:

And it’s great that you’re talking about metrics and analytics and these numbers, because this is something that Liz and I talk about all the time on all the different platforms and even in List Perfectly, you have metrics and analytics. And what you want to do is at least just take a look, but look at the actionable insights stuff that you can use to put, like you had said, it’s like, what categories are selling. If you see something that’s doing well, do more of that. You see something that’s not doing well, do less of that. But a lot of people don’t even, I think, look at the numbers at all. So it’s great to hear that you are presenting on that. You know, that kind of topic, obviously, besides attending your panel and learning about metrics analytics, what tips do you have for those that will be attending PoshFest virtually.

Manal:

I think Doug, my tip’s going to be split into two categories. So I really want to talk about like new sellers and then maybe seasoned sellers, because I feel like you get a little bit different out of it, which I mean, you should, because you’re at a different stage in life. If you’re new to PoshMark and reselling, maybe this is your first PoshFest, I would probably grab like a notebook and a pencil. And as you’re listening to the panels, jot some things down, you know, maybe terms like, you know, you haven’t heard of PFF before or a shortcut or what is List Perfectly, write some terms down and look them up a little bit later. So there’s a lot of information that’s being given. And as a new seller, it feels like, whoa, this is all really good, but it’s a lot.

Manal:

So just have a way to look back at them. I would probably also write down who was the speaker for that topic that way, you know, who said what? And you can come back to it later, if you are a seasoned seller. Sometimes for me it feels like, oh, maybe I’ve heard some of the topics in the panels before, but you know, there’s always something new to learn from when I started six years ago till now. I’ve been doing this for a little bit, but things change every year, not just styles, but resources, features on Poshmark. For example, I still think everybody should try to attend as many panels as they can and soak up the information, even if you’ve heard it before it goes back to like the data analysis, right? We know it’s there, but sometimes we need somebody to remind us, like, don’t forget to look at that because that’s really important.

Manal:

But probably my common tip for both new sellers and seasoned sellers is to reach out to the reselling community is really huge. And most people are nice and loving and would just love to help others get on Poshmark and, you know, Instagram and social media and Clubhouse, and listen to those podcasts, reach out to people. If you don’t know something or you need help, most people are willing to help you with nothing in return. And you know, sometimes you can help them out too. I think a big one is to reach out to the community because that’s also a really big resource available to everybody.

Liz:

And we are big on community here. We love our seller community. So what are you most excited for at PoshFest?

Manal:

I probably have a typical cliche answer, which is my same every year, but because we’re online this year, it’s a little harder to pick something else, but it’s the Hackathon. So I just, I mean, come on. How can we not? Yeah. I just love hearing what new features there are. You can actually submit ideas for features that you think would be great for Poshmark. So they usually open that up a few times a year and you can submit your ideas. I like to see if, hey, if anybody’s ideas that I, that told me about, you know, are going to end up making it to the Poshmark platform. So that’s pretty exciting, but honestly, maybe something else that’s not as cliche is like you were saying earlier, Liz, like, even if you’re new at PoshFest, whether it was in-person or online, even if you don’t know anybody, just by the end of that weekend, you end up making so many friends or you end up meeting a lot of people on social media that you stay talking to them after that. So make sure you are not just listening to the panels, but try to talk and meet as many Poshers as you can, because those are the people that you’re going to reach out to during the year.

Doug:

What’s your biggest Poshmark idea that you would like Poshmark to put into place?

Manal:

So a really big feature that I use on Poshmark is the bundle feature. And sometimes I leave somebody a comment in a bundle and, you know, they either don’t respond or they respond and you know, they’re okay. Or, you know, they’re not ready to make the purchase yet. And what happens is a few months later, or even maybe a year later, because I’ve been on the app for a while, somebody will respond back and say, hey, you know, all I’ll do that deal with you. Like the, you know, $20 for the shoes. But what happens is the comment stays. But sometimes like the person has flipped something else in their bundle. Like they’ve added a different item. So I wish that I can edit like a comment that maybe I’ve made or reset the bundle, just because sometimes like there’s a mix up of communication in the bundle feature. So I think that would just be a helpful feature for me, at least because I use the bundle feature a lot.

Doug:

We’ll have to see, we’ll see if Poshmark is listening, right.

Liz:

We’re going to send them a recording of this episode, Doug. I’m pretty sure they listen to us. Oh yeah. One of the things that I think is super cool and I don’t know if it was a, this came about from a Hackathon or if this came from a user or Poshmark just did it. We woke up and Poshmark had 80 character titles and they expanded the characters in the item description. I don’t know about you, but I feel that was such a huge win for sellers.

Manal:

I think it is too. And I think they’re following along because like eBay allows you to punch in more characters in the title and you know, on List Perfectly, you can punch in more characters in the title as well. So hopefully that transfers over really well, but because we have a new feature and it’s so exciting to use it, don’t forget that you can go back and edit your previous listings. So don’t just think about, you know, now in my new listings that creating and posting to make sure you’re utilizing all the characters. When you have time, like, let’s say you don’t have any new inventory to list, go back to your previous listings and edit those, add those extra few words, add those keywords to the title and the descriptions because now more people are going to see it and more people hopefully are going to be exposed to your listing.

Doug:

That’s a great tip.

Liz:

Yeah. I know that I said it was a win for sellers, but really at the end of the day, it’s a win for buyers.

Manal:

Yeah, definitely.

Doug:

Can you tell us a little bit more? You said you’re excited for the hackathon. Can you tell us a little bit more about that and maybe do you have any examples of some stuff that’s come out of that?

Manal:

Yeah. So if you don’t already know I’ll Poshmark Hackathon is where they announce any new features that are going to be rolling to their app, or sometimes even a program or a category. So they release what their plan is for the upcoming year. So like a feature or a button that you’ve always wanted. Like I was saying earlier two years ago, when I attended PoshFest, the inventory report hadn’t existed yet. And that was when they announced they were going to release it. And lo and behold, a few months later it was released. They also announced that they were going to expand their categories like home items and more beauty and pets. And so now they don’t just sell women’s, men’s and children’s fashion anymore. They’ve expanded that. And this year Poshmark has also been expanding to other parts of the world. So we now have like Poshmark Canada, Poshmark, Australia, Poshmark India.

Manal:

There’s a few aspects of that. It’s cool because now we can reach out to other parts of the community. But something else to think about is we should probably start also stocking items that are maybe from some of the other countries like styles and inventory and brands that, you know, maybe something works really well in the U.S., but different brands work really well in Australia. So just a few different things to think about. And I’m definitely excited for the Hackathon this year to see what other new features come out, because I feel like they come out with so many each year.

Liz:

You are a Poshmark, super seller. You are, I mean, I look at your closet and I look at the aesthetic and I draw on this is what I feel that Poshmark closets, like one day I want my Poshmark closet to look like that. But I know that since you started on Poshmark six years ago, since that time, you’ve kind of expanded a little to a couple other platforms. What platforms have you expanded to?

Manal:

Thank you so much for the kind words Liz, I think I’m up to like maybe six or seven now . So yeah, I originally started out with Poshmark and a way to expand as you know, not just to get new inventory, but to have those same listings available on other platforms because you’re getting more exposure. So I can still have a hundred items, but listing them on seven platforms, seven times more people are now having access and are seeing your items after Poshmark. I started listing on Mercari, and I liked that as well. Just following a lot of people on Instagram. I heard that eBay does really well. When I first started eBay it took me a while. There’s just a lot of different fields. So I kinda like stopped for a few months and then I was like, okay, I need to get back at it. And List Perfectly has really helped me do that because I already had a lot of my listings posted on Poshmark. So really all I had to do was crosspost them and maybe fill in any extra fields that eBay had and slowly just by practicing and persisting on eBay, eBay is now my second best performing platform after Poshmark.

Liz:

Wow. No, yeah. eBay’s like probably out of all the platforms, probably the hardest one to get ahold of, which is funny. I started on eBay and like you, I actually gave up on Poshmark like two times before I really got the hang of it. And I know some people there, people that are on Poshmark, they’re like, how did it take you that long? It’s easy, but I think it’s the same. We get used to what we know and then we’re learning a new product. And now, you know, I’m like now Poshmark is my second best performing platform. So I think that’s really funny and you really hit it. You know, there’s eyes everywhere. You have more eyes on your items and some buyers just prefer certain platforms over others.

Manal:

That is true. And that is pretty crazy to hear that everybody, you know, they have a different best-selling platform, having access to a lot of the platforms. You do get more access to buyers and more eyes on your items. Something that I’ve also learned along the way is to know what, like maybe a specific niche for every platform. So I tend to list a lot of like my boutique shoes on Poshmark. I’m also on like Tradesy and Depop and on Tradesy. I try to list some of my higher end items because I feel like that’s what really sells on that platform on Depop a lot of like vintage or more unique prints. So maybe if you don’t have time to list on seven, eight platforms, be strategic with your items, if they’re all on one platform, look at the different platforms that are available to you and see, okay, you know, what specific category or style can I just take those 20 listings and populate them on that specific platform, because those are going to do really well for me there. And then see how that goes.

Liz:

I love that, back to the analytics and analyzing the data. Right. And that’s what makes good sellers.

Doug:

Actionable insights.

Manal:

Yeah. I’m actually a full-time professor at a university. I teach math. Yeah, but I love it. So yeah, people that are like, “oh, why don’t you quit your job?” And I’m like, “but I can have two. And I like both.”

Liz:

So thank you so much for all of your insights today. So many great things are happening with Poshmark, with PoshFest, the speakers. Tell us when we can listen to you.

Manal:

Yeah. So my panel on Poshmark’s merchandising strategies that drive sales, that’s going to be on Friday the first day of PoshFest, I believe at 12:00 PM Pacific. So I’m kind of a little bit after the morning rush. When they start their individual panels, Poshers that attend PoshFest can choose which panel to attend. So take a look at the list before you pick one, see which topic you feel like is going to strengthen your business and drop into that. Hopefully I see you all there and in my panel and I see you joining other panels as well.

Liz:

I’m so excited to see you and all of the many speakers at PoshFest this year. Outside of PoshFest and Poshmark tell our listeners how they can find you.

Manal:

Yeah. So on Poshmark, I am under the handle stylesforu, the letter U and then on Instagram, I’m under the handle stylesjustforu, the letter U at the end please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you ever have any questions or just want to talk or want to join in on a weekend Posh N Sip. I love to hear from you either a tip you have to share or a question you have to ask, but don’t be afraid to reach out to me and other resellers in the community because it’s really the best resource that you can ask.

Liz:

And we will take all of those links and put them in the show notes at thesellercommunitypodcast.com/podcast. So make sure to follow them and all I’m just going to give you a plug really quick. Last week, we talked about branding your e-commerce business. I just want to tie that into your Instagram account, because when we talked about branding last week, your Instagram account, we should have used you as a model. It is amazing.

Manal:

Oh, thank you, I’m totally working on that.

Doug:

Thanks Manal, for coming on, we’re looking forward to merchandising strategies that drive sales and I love metrics and analytics. Sorry, not math so much, but I do like metrics and analytics. Definitely. You know, so you can, again, the actionable insights, but you’re a numbers person. That’s great. So we will find you there, find you at PoshFest, maybe in math class at school, and then, definitely follow you online. Liz is jealous of your closet and your Instagram. So we’re looking forward to all that, but thanks for coming on the show.

Manal:

Thank you everybody.

Seller News and Seller Shoutout

Liz:

So, you know, Doug talking with Manal really actually got me excited for Posh Fest and to be a Poshmark seller. Actually, I’m going to my very first Posh Fest. So this Friday and Saturday. And I can’t wait to hear more from her and really all of the speakers at Posh Fest.

Doug:

And that’s great. I’m glad you’re going. You had said that the inclusion of Google and TikTok pushed you over the edge.

Liz:

Yeah, I think that’s actually what pushed me over the edge was seeing Manal’s topic and talking to her.

Doug:

Well, and what I like, she brought this up and like, obviously I’m familiar with the concept of hackathon, but I guess PoshFest does this every year, they have a hackathon and they want to hear your ideas directly. So they’re totally listening to the user community. I love that kind of thing. It’s like, well, what are your ideas? And then they take them in. They listen and a lot of them do get put into place apparently.

Liz:

Yeah, I’m excited for that. I’m excited, just really to join in on my first Posh Fest. I have done a Posh-n-sip right before we could no longer do in-person stuff. I went to a local Posh-n-sip, and I actually met a lot of great people that I got some great tips from for Poshmark. And these are happening again, live. So if you’re new to Poshmark or if you’ve never been to a Poshmark event, you can join Posh-n-sips. Just go to events.poshmark.com/posh-n-sip. We’ll put a link in the show notes because that’s a mouthful. But if you’re ever interested in going to an in-person Poshmark event, they’re all local, kind of like an eBay meetup.

Doug:

And that is interesting that you should mention that, Liz. Well, first of all, can you sip anything you want?

Liz:

Wherever you’re at, as long as it’s legal at the venue.

Doug:

Okay. All right. That’s good to know. Liz made a great point. So a Posh-n-sip is basically like a meetup event. There’s tons of those that go on. You know, obviously eBay meet-ups, seller meetups, and I would imagine a Posh-n-sip is a little more related to Poshing and sipping, but Liz, you run meet-ups. So, you know, it’s basically the same concept. You get together, you connect with your community and, you know, trade tips, trade secrets.

Liz:

Well you really just get to trade information from the most experienced Poshmarkers in your area to somebody like me. When I went to my first Posh-n-sip, I only had, like, I was still trying to figure out what the heck a bundle was and why I’m sharing stuff. Like, I didn’t understand that. And I was able to openly ask these questions and be like, “Hey, teach this old eBayer something.” And I actually connected with a lady that is in my local area and she and I go back and forth on Instagram. We’ll DM each other and follow each other. We haven’t done any local, I haven’t done any local Posh-n-sip events lately, but as a meetup coordinator, local meetup coordinator through eBay, although we talk all platforms, we’re not going to say you’re not allowed to talk about anything, but eBay. We talk about all platforms. We’re doing our first in person meet up tomorrow in Colorado Springs.

Doug:

All right, I’m coming out.

Liz:

All right, come on.

Doug:

I’ll get on a plane now.

Liz:

It’s not our first one, but it’s our first one live since almost two years ago.

Doug:

Where are you doing it in Colorado Springs there?

Liz:

We’re going to do it at the C 21 library. The same library that you and Brian Burke flew in to host our very first in-person meetup.

Doug:

Yeah, that was lovely. But it was a little chilly.

Liz:

If you’re interested in any eBay events, you can go to sellerevents.ebay.com and see if there are any local meetings in your area.

Doug:

Stop the show.

Liz:

Oh no.

Doug:

Liz, I’m going to tell you, you’re going to flip out. I think we’re almost like two years, like to the day.

Liz:

Oh my gosh!

Doug:

No, I’m not kidding you. I’m not joking you. Actually, it was right here within a couple of week period, but have fun. Maybe I should drop. Am I invited? Can I drop in virtually?

Liz:

Yeah, you can go to sellerevents.ebay.com. You’ll see the Colorado Springs one, right at the bottom of your screen when you hit seller events. And there is a link.

Doug:

So all the information is at poshfest.poshmark.com and apparently tickets are still available for the virtual event. I really like this concept of making it virtual. So it’s available to everybody. Obviously we all want to see eBay Open comeback, but I would love to just see them do a virtual option as well. And just make it a little bit different. Make it, you get different swag, maybe there’s, you know, different stuff you can see, different ways to interact, but give both of those options. But we’ll see who knows.

Liz:

Yeah, no, I love the idea too, a virtual, especially for those that can’t make it in person. I personally love the in-person events if given the opportunity, I’d rather do in-person than virtual, but sometimes we simply cannot do it. Whether it’s cost prohibitive, it’s time, prohibitive, family prohibitive, whatever it is. I think that virtual is here to stay. No matter how we look at it.

Doug:

If you did eBay Open online and you do Posh Fest, let us know what you thought between the two. You know, I was a little nervous for eBay Open online 2021, but I thought they did an amazing job. They really had that connection level, that networking level. And then they really focused on seller panels, which it seems that Posh Fest is doing as well. And so I want to see what the balance is between the two and Posh Fest tickets still available. It’s $49. And again, you can go to poshfest@poshmark.com. And then also quickly related Liz, I know you did the TikTok virtual event last week. How was that ?

Liz:

TikTok hosted what was called TikTok world. Apparently it was so popular it broke the internet.

Doug:

There you go.

Liz:

Okay. So maybe not the entire internet, but it kind of busted their servers. They had a lot of great information out. They actually, because the live event wasn’t available to everybody, they actually sent me a link so I could watch it. I’ve only watched a couple of segments. I need to catch up on that, Doug, you know, in all of my spare time.

Doug:

Yeah, exactly.

Liz:

I’m not a TikTok-er. I’ve got, what did I say? Like 30 followers on TikTok and like maybe six videos…

Doug:

You’re doing well.

Liz:

But I love learning about it. And I love learning the science behind how TikTok is working and how it TikTok is embracing and leaning into the business aspect of TikTok. On LinkedIn I follow TikTok for business, and that is where I’m getting all of this information. The one segment that I did watch that I want to go back. I started, it was chef Jose Andreas, with his charity and he utilizes TikTok a lot. But really they have some really big key players in there talking about TikTok, TikTok for business. And I mean really on not just a small scale, but a large scale too. So what that tells me is they’re thinking small businesses helping them grow into big businesses. And that’s the aspect that really, really catches my attention.

Doug:

I’m not great on TikTok, but I love TikTok and I’m not going to go into it, but I’ll put a little teaser out. We are working on a TikTok episode.

Liz:

We are?

Doug:

Yeah, dude! We talked about this.

Liz:

You didn’t tell me because I was scared, right?

Speaker 2:

I did a TikTok video and I tagged you in.

Liz:

Oh, I haven’t been on TikTok for a couple of weeks!

Doug:

Maybe I shouldn’t mention that. I mean, no, I didn’t do a TikTok video.

Liz:

Oh, I was like, what? you did?

Doug:

I guess we’re kind of working on it. I’ve been thinking about it. I’m thinking about TikTok. A TikTok episode, Liz. So it’s in my mind.

Liz:

So to wrap that all together, I know we got off on our little TikTok tangent.

Doug:

I like it. That’s a whole episode.

Liz:

TikTok tangent. And I actually said it without stuttering, but to wrap it all in and talking about Poshmark, Posh Fest, just virtual events altogether. There is the Mega Posh Fest virtual party that more tickets opened up last week, go to tinyurl.com/megaposhfestvirtualparty and to nab your ticket to the Mega Posh Fest virtual party. We’ve talked about it before. We won’t go into it. $5 gets you into the event that whole $5 will be donated to charity. You will be entered to win games, trivia, there’s mega prizes galore from List Perfectly to include Gucci bags, laptops, Dymo printers, Poshmark shopping credit, and just a whole lot more. There’s going to be 30 winners. Make sure you show up, participate. If you can’t make the Posh Fest, we will be getting updates from day one. So we kind of know what happened in a quick little nutshell during this Posh Fest, Mega Posh Fest virtual party.

Doug:

And I’m going to answer the question. You’re all thinking. Liz and I will be there. Ladies and gentlemen. Liz, and I will be there. I know, I know what (applause) I know, but you gotta stay back. Don’t crowd me. I don’t want some Justin Bieber moment.

Liz:

You’re going to have a Snoop.Dougie moment.

Doug:

Hopefully I’ll be recognized. I do love it.

Liz:

It’s ok Doug, people are not showing up for us. I’m going be a quiet participant just sitting in the corner. I want to take it all in and just take it all in to figure out this Poshmark business.

Doug:

I’ll wear my red carpet gown.

Liz:

I cannot wait to see that. Or you can save it for the Boss Reseller Remix red carpet, or you can repurpose your remix.

Doug:

And by the way, I’m still looking for a suit made out of red carpet. I haven’t been able to find it. All right, Liz, I’m going to take advantage of your seller knowledge and experience. There’s this question floating around. Apparently, it’s Q4. We’re into Q4. Everybody’s all riled up. Everybody’s all excited. Liz what’s Q?.

Liz:

So we get this question a lot. Everybody talks about Q4! Q4! And then there’s the one poor person going, “Um, what’s Q4?” We get so immersed in our business. We just start throwing around all these acronyms and things, but really Q4 is the fourth quarter or quarter four. And that is the last three months of the year, October, November, December. Why is this so important to resellers? And why do we talk about it a lot? It’s because this is typically the biggest shopping and selling time of the year. So people are out buying and if you’re a seller, you need to be out selling. This is kind of going to be the theme of our meetup. And we’re just going to get together and share ideas on how to have a successful fourth quarter as a reseller, selling on marketplaces and platforms.

Doug:

And you know, I kind of hate to say it, but you probably should have been planning for Q4 already. But Q4 is so big, there’s still time to get in. Probably some stuff you have to think about. You see it in the news. There are some supply chain issues. Shipping rates have gone up. You’ve got to think about that. But then again, when people can’t find stuff in the stores, they’re going to go online. So if you’ve got any, there was a major headline, a CNN alert over the weekend. Some stuffed unicorn is going to be scarce. So you’ll have to look online for your stuffed unicorns.

Liz:

But that is exactly what this is about, is finding those unicorns. Literal or not.

Doug:

Liz, speaking of awards, recognition and unicorns, we’ve got a little guy that’s really been stepping it up in the community and he got some recognition.

Liz:

A little guy.

Doug:

You know what I know? I’m giving him some quotes. You know, this guy, we’ve got our eyes on him. He’s a leader, he’s sticking out. He might have potential for upper management. So you know who it is. Yes, that’s right. So our friend Stewart White has been awarded the seller community spirit award from List Perfectly. (applause) Congratulations, Stewart. And Liz tell us what he’s won!

Liz:

So first List Perfectly awarded Stewart this award based on a couple of things. I mean, he’s really active in the Facebook group, always helping out both new and seasoned sellers. You know, he shares his experiences with List Perfectly selling on multiple platforms and selling in the collectibles category. He’s attended Office Hours that Theresa Cox runs every Tuesday and giving his input there. He’s active on Instagram, social media, and he’s even gone so far as to like do a little bit of mentoring with sellers that needed that extra little push on social media. Congratulations Stewart on your award! He got a List Perfectly actual award. He’s also won three months of List Perfectly and List Perfectly swag.

Doug:

And the cool thing too, is Stewart also participates in the live casts. But he’s really risen pretty quickly. He’s a big fan. He’s a great resource for the seller community. Congratulations, Stewart of Franklin Hill Ventures. If you, too, are interested in winning a List Perfectly community spirit award, participate in the community, participate in the Seller Community, participate in the List Perfectly community, which is the Seller Community. Give back to others in the community, tell people about List Perfectly, bring them to the resources, tell people about the List Perfectly group, tag List Perfectly in all of your social media. That helps you get recognized. But listen, here’s the deal. It’s not about List Perfectly. It’s about being a resource and helping the Seller Community, which is part of the goal of List Perfectly. They’re a seller community resource. They are also a cross listing tool, but they’re a seller community resource. We help the entire Seller Community. So that’s really the point of this community spirit award.

Liz:

It is. And that is so awesome. Congratulations Stewart. And we’re going to see you in Vegas for the Boss Reseller Remix!

Doug:

And then one thing Stewart and I have bonded over our love of obscure movie quotes. So we’re fans of Fletch, we’re fans of other movies, but yeah, so apparently he’s an obscure movie quoter as well. So I’m really gonna have to bone up on my movie quotes for Vegas and dig deep. I’ll make up some stuff.

Liz:

Oh dear.

Doug:

Fletch, Big Lebowski, Anchorman. What else do I quote, Vacation? You know.

Liz:

I can see this as being your own little podcast.

Doug:

I know. Obscure movie quotes with Stewart and Doug.

Liz:

Doug, what else do we have this week?

New Speaker:

I think that’s it, Liz. That’s all that fits.

Outro

Liz:

So that is a wrap. I loved speaking with Manal, listening to her talk about her journey with Poshmark. This wraps up episode 34 of the Seller Community podcast from List Perfectly.

Doug:

And, you know, we slipped in some news. We slipped in a seller shout out, and then obviously, great talk with Manal Saad. She’s a math teacher too. I wanted to ask her, “Do you really need math after school?” Apparently you do, Liz.

Liz:

She’s a professor.

Doug:

A professor, oh yeah. To help you with your metrics and analytics. Thank you for listening. You can find us at thesellercommunitypodcast.com/podcast. Leave us a message or ask a question at anchor.fm/sellercommunitypodcast. We’d love to hear your voice. If you call in, you can record your voice. You can email us if that’s your thing at podcast@thesellercommunitypodcast.com. You can post a question in the List Perfectly Facebook group use the hashtag seller community podcast and mention Liz or Doug.

Liz:

You can listen to us anywhere you listen to podcasts and be sure to subscribe and tell your friends. We would love it if you could leave us a review if you listen on Apple Podcasts. Make sure to follow us on Instagram. I am ColoradoReworn. Doug is Snoop.Dougie and of course be sure to follow @listperfectly.

Doug:

And I think we’ve got to add, follow us on TikTok now every week. So follow Liz on TikTok at ColoradoReworn, follow me at Snoop.Dougie. You can also follow Albums That Saved Us, my music podcast, and of course, follow @listperfectly.

Liz:

And stay tuned for more live casts on the List Perfectly YouTube channel and in the List perfectly Facebook group.

Doug:

That’s right. We will…

Liz and Doug:

See you next week!