Episode 81: Have You Hit The Ceiling?

We love to gain insight about our businesses by measuring and discussing them every time we run across a new yardstick - and Glen’s brought us a new yardstick in this episode! We talk through all six and discuss where to go from here, ceiling or not. Hold your own business up to these six signs you may be hitting the ceiling, and see what you find out! You might be surprised!

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_02 (00:00):
Solar Club Podcast episode number 81.
Drop that beat.
Quick and easy on this intro.

SPEAKER_01 (00:12):
I feel like you're just trying to beat your own PR
for how fast you can say it.

SPEAKER_02 (00:16):
Well that other time that I messed up bad with
recorded like two, three times.
Uh that one I didn't like.
So I'm trying not to repeatthat.
You know, you learn from yourmistakes.

SPEAKER_01 (00:26):
Yes.

SPEAKER_04 (00:26):
So now you're just dropping it a tap.

SPEAKER_02 (00:28):
Yeah, quick, quick, yeah, drop that beat.

SPEAKER_01 (00:30):
Like a hot potato.

SPEAKER_02 (00:31):
Exactly, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 (00:32):
And find the potatoist music you can find.

SPEAKER_04 (00:37):
Every time Glenn, I don't know if he noticed it.
Every time he does it, I putlike a rap metal.
Metal metal hop.
Hip hop metal.

SPEAKER_01 (00:46):
I really liked uh the music you chose for
Rebecca's interview last week.

SPEAKER_04 (00:50):
Oh, you liked it?

SPEAKER_01 (00:51):
It was really nice.
I think it suited her well.

SPEAKER_04 (00:53):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I I try I try to fit the musicto the personality.
Yeah, the bunk.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (01:00):
That's why mine's always like WC or Mozart or
something like that.

SPEAKER_04 (01:04):
Or funky or something like that.

SPEAKER_01 (01:05):
Yeah.
That's true.
I love funk.
I really do.
I do have to punk it.

SPEAKER_02 (01:09):
Something very smart.
Something very smart, Fran.

SPEAKER_01 (01:12):
Or it can be like the Yeah, I was gonna say the
curb your enthusiasm theme songfor one.
Dun dun dun dun dun.
Oh, it's called Brollic.
That's what it's called.
Brollic.
Oh, it's so funny.
It's like the best comedy music.
I love it.

SPEAKER_02 (01:28):
We know it's not comedy.
Sales.
So how are sales right now?
Playing about sales.

SPEAKER_04 (01:35):
Mine's I gotta go first because I I kind of know
what Anna's answer is.
Mine's com mine's comedic.

unknown (01:41):
Oh.

SPEAKER_04 (01:42):
What?
Why?

SPEAKER_01 (01:43):
It's supposed to not be.

SPEAKER_04 (01:45):
Because it it it's the color of the nose of a
clown.
It's red.

SPEAKER_01 (01:49):
Red?

SPEAKER_04 (01:49):
With the red.
All returns, no say.

SPEAKER_02 (01:53):
The charts are red right now.

SPEAKER_04 (01:55):
Yeah, the charts are red.
Um only because well, a big partis, you know, the Q5 was on
fire.

SPEAKER_01 (02:05):
And I sound like a summer slowdown to me.

SPEAKER_04 (02:10):
Oh, it's still spring.
Come on now.
It's more like uh springrebound.

SPEAKER_01 (02:15):
Um, it's June.
June is summer.

SPEAKER_04 (02:18):
Oh, it is?

unknown (02:19):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 (02:20):
Oh, well, it's not and it's that's true, that's
true.
That's true, that's true.
Um yeah, I I would say um, youknow, we we we did a lot of like
l listing and clothing stuff.
Um I think the number ofpackages is the same, but the
value of the products that areselling are not the same.

SPEAKER_00 (02:43):
Because it's so many shorts and stuff.

SPEAKER_04 (02:44):
Yeah, think about you know,$150 jacket compared to
a$30 short.
So I have to like make up youknow five sales.

SPEAKER_01 (02:52):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 (02:52):
And a$30 short, that's like them not trying to
penny pinch.
And that's where like it'sgetting me because people are
like$29 short, they offer you$22, and then you I give them a
dollar, and I'm like, you know,like I'm trying to stand firm.
It's like okay, 10%, you get10%.
But yeah, 10% on a$30 purchase,only three bucks.

(03:14):
I know and then they alwaysclimb it up to$25, and then I
get stumped.
I'm like, if I give them fivedollars off, that's like 20,
like, that's close to 20% off.
I'm like, uh, and I'm like, andI and I tell myself, Ken, here's
two dollars.

SPEAKER_01 (03:33):
Take the sale, you know, like I'm definitely erring
on that side right now, too,where it's like it's close
enough.
A lot of times when I sendcounter offers, I'm like, okay,
like my target for this wasactually this amount.
If you're not willing to payfive more dollars, then maybe
you don't want it that bad.
But on the other hand, I'm like,but am I willing to eat five
more dollars?

(03:53):
Because I want the sale thatbad.

SPEAKER_04 (03:55):
Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 (03:56):
It really depends on the day.

SPEAKER_04 (03:58):
So so that is where I'm at.
Um, but also uh uh part of ourfocus for the next, you know, I
guess this month will be uhrebuilding the inventory, um,
you know, just trying to addmore variety.
Um, I think a lot of the stuff,you know, like the one-offs have
already sold, the ones that arereally good deals.

(04:20):
Uh and maybe again, you know,like like anything else,
everything we always talk about,you cannot just ride on that
same pricing, that salesstrategy.
Um, it's been what five monthsin the year or six months in the
year now, so halfway there.
I think it's a good place tostart auditing and be like, hmm,

(04:41):
yeah, I really you really didn'tget that much interest, you
know, the first half of theyear.
Adidas.
I'm talking to you, Adidasbrand.
Um so I have to like mark down.
Yeah, I just sold some ultravis,so that's why I can sell mine,
and they bought Anna.

SPEAKER_02 (05:01):
So would you say it has to do also with like the
speed that uh clothing isselling?

SPEAKER_04 (05:06):
I think so too.
Like it's slowing down justbecause it's like a general
Yeah, now like now like I'm I'mI'm I'm facing a lot more
competition, right?
Like I I think so.
Um and also too, like I thinkclothing, there's like unless
it's higher end clothing, like astatement piece, if you're

(05:29):
buying a short at you know, subthirty dollars, it don't matter
if it's red or blue, really,unless you hate one or the
other.
Or, you know, black with purpleswoosh or black with red swoos,
you know what I'm saying?
Like the variation is minuscule,and I've noticed it, you know
how people like um uh sendoffers, right?

(05:51):
And then, you know, I kind oflike sometimes forget to respond
or don't accept it, you know,within an hour.
Sometimes I accept one, right?
And then they said, Oh, Ialready found a another pair, or
like I found a cheaper price.
And that just tells me thatthey've been sending offers,
right?

(06:12):
And that dude already took likethe$25 offer and and it was
gray, and mine was like darkgray.
I was like, okay, like cancelyours, you're late.
So that's how I that's how I'mthinking.
Because that's that's I guessfor me, that's how I am as a
consumer.
Um if it's like a you know abasic difference, yeah.

(06:32):
It's not it's it's not likenobody's like, oh man, I like
your dark gray shorts.
I've never heard that referencebefore, you know, like I really
like the black yoga shorts, likethere's really no difference
besides the swoosh facingupwards instead of sideways.
So so that's where I'm at.
So I'm kind of like um, I guesssalty.

(06:56):
Maybe I need to go to the beachor something.
A little salty.

SPEAKER_01 (07:00):
I sold some uh cleats, or I I sold them, and
then immediately the personmessaged me, and there's like a
better price.
Well, no, there's like anopposite colorway where it's
like the highlight color on theones that I was selling were is
the main color, you know,switched.
And they messaged me and waslike, Can you please cancel this

(07:21):
because I like the other onesbetter?
I'm like, then why did you buythese?
Like it was just like a buy itnow, even worse.
Okay, yeah, it was just like Imean, I guess good for them for
being honest and not trying tomake up some reason, but I was
just like, that's really lame.
Like, don't do that.

SPEAKER_04 (07:42):
And now, like, speaking of that, I'm more
hesitant accepting multipleoffers from the same person
because it's happened multipletimes.
Like, oh, I like that one andcancel this one.
I'm like, I only accepted bothoffers because it's combined
shipping.
It's a deal, right?
It's a deal, right?
Like, I I wish we could, youknow, but wouldn't be contingent

(08:04):
with these multiple offers.

SPEAKER_01 (08:06):
Yeah, I'm like, our deal see if we could bundle
them, then people wouldn't seepeople wouldn't bundle them if
they were gonna go with one orthe other, right?

SPEAKER_04 (08:15):
Okay, okay, okay.
Well, and how's your sales?

SPEAKER_01 (08:19):
Uh my sales are doing great, actually.
And I do feel like I've at thisis um well, I I guess I don't
officially know the outcome atthe time we're recording this,
but by the time this comes out,we will know if May was in fact
my strongest month of this yearso far.
At this moment that we'rerecording it, we're at the very

(08:39):
end of May, and it's like, youknow, coming down to it to see
is it really going to surpass umthe previous one or not.
So that will be veryinteresting.
Um, I don't know that I've everhad a May be like the highest
month, but also I feel like, youknow, there's some parallels in
how we have bulked up ourinventory this year, but I feel

(09:02):
like I was a lot slower aboutgetting it listed because I'm
one person.
So I think that could be becauseof the trickle effect of me
finally getting everythinglisted.
Um, but I will also say that Ifeel like I'm actually knock on
wood in a pretty good rhythm ofreplenishing inventory, both
kind of thrifty vintage stuffand retail arb stuff, like in

(09:25):
smaller batches.
But um I'm noticing that thingsin general across the board are
selling a little faster.
Um, like my sell through is alittle better.
So that's really good becauseI'm pretty much out of space.
So I need I need that to be thecase.
But it's been it's been prettygood.
Um also I have taken a littlebit of time away from my store

(09:49):
because it was my birthday, Ijust turned 35.
So that's really fun.
And I will always shout from therooftops that I love to have
like the flexibility in my workthat I can take a break when I
want.
And, you know, part of my rewardfor being the birthday girl is
not having to do as much work.
So that was great.

SPEAKER_02 (10:09):
Well, have well, happy belated birthday to you
and tell us what you did.

SPEAKER_01 (10:13):
Well, I didn't do anything yet because it's not
yet.
It's in the in between recordingthis and uh releasing it.

SPEAKER_02 (10:19):
Okay, what do we want to do?

SPEAKER_01 (10:21):
Okay, well, there is a festival in my town that
happens to be on my birthday.

SPEAKER_03 (10:27):
Oh, I live in like festival in the world.

SPEAKER_01 (10:31):
That's the plan.
We we are so now it now this iswe're in a little back to the
future moment because this isthe plan.
It hasn't actually happened yet,but by the time this comes out,
it will have happened and I'msure it will have been really
fun.
But basically, we're pretendingthat the festival is the town
throwing me a birthday party.
Where it's calledSchweitzerfest.
It's like a German-Swiss likething.

(10:52):
Um basically beer.

SPEAKER_04 (10:54):
Oh, it'll be your fans.

SPEAKER_01 (10:55):
It's just like on the square, there's like, you
know, it's a big festival.
There's lots of music and foodand whatever.
Um, and it's really fun.
But it's like a thing that mytown does every year.
Um, and it just happens to be onmy birthday this year, it's not
always.
But it's called Schweitzerfest,so we're calling it Schwanafest,
and a select group who choose toparticipate are going to have

(11:16):
like Schwanafest swag, and we'reall gonna show up on the square
and pretend that the whole thingis my birthday party, which is
gonna be hilarious.

SPEAKER_04 (11:23):
I was gonna say I thought you guys were gonna wear
your face and says AnnaSchweitzer Packer.
It's something like that.

SPEAKER_01 (11:32):
See, the other tricky thing about explaining
this is that I am not privy toall the details because I'm not
the one spearheading theseplans, but I know enough to not
be completely freaked out aboutit.
So I do think it's gonna be fun.

SPEAKER_04 (11:44):
And also it's gonna have to be surprised.

SPEAKER_01 (11:47):
Some of it has to be, right?

SPEAKER_04 (11:48):
Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (11:48):
But a a friend of mine is his band is playing the
the night of the part of thefestival that's my birthday, so
that's gonna be really fun.

SPEAKER_04 (11:57):
I always should add my friends play Bobby's uh
custody at the end, like TrawanaFest.

SPEAKER_01 (12:04):
See?
That's not a bad idea.
Maybe you should do that foryour birthday.

unknown (12:10):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 (12:12):
Oh, oh, my parents might be here for my birthday.
Oh, really?
It might be.
Well, not if it is, it's gonnabe grand only because it's my
mom's birthday two days beforemine.
Oh, nice.
It's gonna be her birthday.
Yeah.
Um, and I owe her a lot already.
Like I owe her like Mother'sDay, I owe her a lot, um,
Christmas.

(12:33):
So you gotta roll it alltogether.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (12:36):
That's called a bulk deal.

SPEAKER_04 (12:38):
Yeah, yeah, bug by, bulk by, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (12:40):
A bundle, a bundle deal.
Bundle.

SPEAKER_04 (12:42):
Yeah, and and yeah, I mean, it's like I always
celebrate my birthday, so youknow it's a lovely deal.

SPEAKER_01 (12:48):
I've been really low key about it, about my own
birthday the last few years.
We've been in the middle of it.
I know, like I actually don'tcare about that.
I expect to live to be ahundred, so I feel like I'm
still relatively young.
Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_04 (13:03):
That's what you want to keep.

SPEAKER_01 (13:05):
I'm like, it's fine.
Like, this is I got a lot morebirthdays as well.

SPEAKER_04 (13:08):
I said only a hundred.
Glenn's trying to shoot for two.

SPEAKER_01 (13:11):
200.
Maybe he'll take a vacationsometime in the next year.

SPEAKER_04 (13:15):
Yeah, the hundred mark.

SPEAKER_02 (13:17):
Well, I don't know what AI is gonna look like by
then, so who knows?

SPEAKER_01 (13:20):
Yeah, indeed.
But it is fun to be celebrating.

SPEAKER_02 (13:23):
It could be like a floating head or something.

SPEAKER_04 (13:25):
That's true.

SPEAKER_01 (13:26):
It's like attached to a tank of ooze.

SPEAKER_04 (13:28):
Yeah, like your spinal cord just goes into like
that's the um that's a referencefrom movie.
Um come on.
I'm still like sourcing Roth.

SPEAKER_02 (13:40):
Dune.
Dude.
I'm still sourcing Roth, justlike my head, and then Yeah, and
then Ross is just gonna bevirtual.

SPEAKER_01 (13:48):
What will the hashtags be at that time?
The Roth hashtags.

SPEAKER_02 (13:51):
Oh, it'll be still the same.
Or an AI version of me is stilldoing sourcing.
None of the fines are real, noneof it really happened.

SPEAKER_04 (14:00):
Oh, you're just doing it for the views.

SPEAKER_02 (14:02):
Yeah, exactly.
Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 (14:04):
I think that's the only way that you would be
caught just doing it for theviews.
If it was all synthetic,virtual, fake version of you.

SPEAKER_02 (14:14):
And then I would just never age.
I'll just be the same.
I'd be like a cartoon, like BartSimpson, just the same clothing,
same age, sourcing every year.
So but back to topic.
Um we haven't even talked aboutour topics.

SPEAKER_03 (14:28):
I was like back to what?

SPEAKER_02 (14:29):
Yeah, talk about our sales.
Um, master consistent is beatthe last two months.
Right now I'm up like twelvehundred more dollars than the
previous two months.

SPEAKER_01 (14:42):
Wow.

SPEAKER_02 (14:43):
But we still have two more days left, so I think I
can I can get 15.
Yeah, 15.

SPEAKER_04 (14:50):
So basically you're up 50 bucks a day.

SPEAKER_02 (14:52):
Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_03 (14:53):
That's great.

SPEAKER_02 (14:55):
Exactly.
So what is that next level?
We don't know.
Which is kind of funny though,because leading into our main
topic, our our main event.

SPEAKER_04 (15:05):
This is where Glenn gets to ask the AI co-host and
how to get to the next level.

SPEAKER_02 (15:11):
Yeah, exactly.
And this is not a really goodtopic because I first saw this
on on Reddit and I read it likea little bit on uh on the title,
and I was like, oh no.
Oh no.
That's not it's this might behope.
Hopefully, this is not what I'mgoing through or something.
Let's see what so let's see whatcan and Anna say.

(15:32):
Um so the question is, which youguys can answer this question
you know, before we begin.
Um so when a reseller saysthey've in uh parentheses hit
the ceiling, what does thatmean?
So that's your question for uhbefore we start.

(15:53):
Yeah, what does that mean toyou?
Um a reseller has hit theceiling.

SPEAKER_01 (15:58):
To me, that means they have reached the maximum
output for their maximum input.

SPEAKER_02 (16:06):
So they're pretty much overloaded, they're self
employed.

SPEAKER_01 (16:10):
Or they're like it's kind of like they have already
uh tried a bunch of things, um,they've changed things even, and
they can't seem to make moreprofit.
Like they've reached the maximumamount of profit that their
activities such that they arecan bring.

SPEAKER_04 (16:30):
Interesting.
Okay, I like that.
I like that.
I'll I'll give the contradictinganswer.
Okay, Kenny.
They've just become become oldand not pliable and not wanting
to change, and this is what Ido, this is all I want to do,

(16:51):
stuck in our ways, don't want totry a different platform, don't
want to try a differentcategory.
I only source here because Iknow the manager, I know the
cashier.
Um, you know, like I'm nottrying to buy a new house, so
why would I hustle more?
Um the fees are going up, that'swhy I'm not making more money.

(17:17):
Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 (17:18):
Yeah, that's what it is.

SPEAKER_04 (17:20):
They hit the ceiling that they built.
That's what it is.
They hit the ceiling that theybuilt when when at first it was
high, and all of a sudden, youknow, they they're on top of
their desk pile or of inventoryand not selling, and they they
hit their head.
And they looked down and I waslike, oh crap.

SPEAKER_02 (17:39):
I mean, your example sounds like a lot of I think
like uh a lot of resell likeexcuses got built up to where
like it just kind of like shovedthem into the top of the build
like the ceiling to where likethey they have no other room to
breathe because the excuses justgot overwhelming.

SPEAKER_04 (17:58):
Yeah, because you have to think resellers or
however you want to call it,we're in a business game.
And when you're in a businessgame, a lot of times, unless you
do federal contracting, there'snot much of a box that you have

(18:18):
to follow.

SPEAKER_01 (18:19):
So you can be pretty creative, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 (18:22):
You can be pretty creative, like right, uh partner
up, um, you know, borrowcapital, um hire people, right?
Like travel further, switchcategory, lifestyle, right?
Like do whatnot, right?
Like uh when me and Glennstarted when we met, our stuff

(18:43):
were almost identical until wewent on whatnot, and I fell off
and he continued.

SPEAKER_02 (18:51):
So I think Anna's well, Anna's uh I guess uh
explanation really made strong.
But here's here's what they likeoh no, what are you about to say
about me?

SPEAKER_01 (19:03):
Here's what they're saying.

SPEAKER_02 (19:04):
Um I know, I couldn't figure out the word.

SPEAKER_04 (19:07):
It's her birthday club.
Come on.

SPEAKER_01 (19:09):
It was, it was, that's fine.

SPEAKER_02 (19:11):
So according to them, hitting the ceiling as a
reseller means that they'vereached their limit of their
growth or earning potentialwithin their current business
model.

SPEAKER_04 (19:20):
That's uh that's that's pretty close.
That's pretty close, yeah.
I think Anna wrote that one.

SPEAKER_01 (19:25):
I feel like the key there is their current business
model, though, and everythingKen is saying is like the people
who are usually uh complainingabout this are not willing to
change their business model.

SPEAKER_03 (19:36):
Right?

SPEAKER_04 (19:36):
Yeah, because you're trying to blame the external
factor rather than internalfactors that we could change.

SPEAKER_01 (19:42):
Quick temperature check though.
You guys tell me this is anexcuse.
Honest to goodness, I was aboutto try for the second time
cross-listing on Poshmark, wasabout to do it.
Okay, and now Poshmark's like onfire.
So I'm like, maybe I shouldn't.
Is this a sign?
Is this a delay?
What do you think about that?

SPEAKER_04 (20:02):
I have uh so this year I've sold like close to
2500 on Poshmark already.
And I've gotten warnings fortaking down listings that I sold
on gold and stock.
Yeah.
So my kind of like strategy nowis I'm just gonna try to cancel

(20:25):
uh to to remove a listing once aday.
And if that still triggers it,so far it hasn't.

SPEAKER_01 (20:34):
Um and if it does, but it's like listings that are
that are already sold, or likeso you're still gambling, they
might sell on the other side.
Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 (20:43):
If they sell and you cancel it, there's no harm to
you.

SPEAKER_01 (20:47):
Yeah.
So except for taking off buyers.

SPEAKER_04 (20:50):
Yeah, that's uh it I could care less because that's
Poshmark's problem.
Yeah, and that's they'remaintaining it that way.
Yeah, they're if you structureit that way that it's Poshmark's
problem to get buyers and toplease their buyers.
Because at the end of the day,if they don't care about us,
they have to care about theirbuyers, at least.
So I think the complaint ofsellers not being heard, you

(21:13):
should just slap it back toPoshmark.
Okay, I'm not gonna I'm notgonna take down listings.
Yeah, I'm just gonna startcanceling orders if I sold it on
a different platform.

SPEAKER_01 (21:23):
Yep.
So I mean that's pretty much thethe thing you have to do.
Yeah, yeah.
Like from what I understand,based on the changes.
But like, but for me, like I'vebeen really reluctant to even
give a crap about Poshmark.
And like the thing that's hardfor me too is like I know a lot
of my friends who have beensuccessful, you know, on there,

(21:45):
whether they have an eBay storealso, or like maybe even they
started on Poshmark and eBay istheir second one or whatever.
But like, yeah, okay.
So say that you sold, you know,just throwing it out there like
$10,000 last year on Poshmark.
But if all that stuff wascross-listed, how do you know
you wouldn't have sold it oneBay?

SPEAKER_04 (22:02):
Like 100%.
Yeah.
You don't know.
No, no, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 (22:07):
You can't side by side compare the same exact year
of sales with it and without it.
So that's one reason I've alwayshesitated.
But like I was seriously likeready to try again, to try it a
different way, right?
And like now it just seems likeit would be a waste of time at
the moment.
But if it gets better, then Iwill try it again.

SPEAKER_04 (22:26):
Yeah, 100%.
Like the only stuff that sellsthere are like stuff that
actually like are cheaper.
I sell cheaper on eBay, but alot of them are just brand new.
Like, you know, like likeladies' shorts that I picked up
for two, three dollars.

SPEAKER_01 (22:41):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 (22:42):
I just sold one today for 25 and after a feast I
made 20.
So those are the the kind oflike the the little nuggets that
I can live off of.
And kind of like my structure islike if it can pay for you know,
like my car payment to win.
You know, like that's kind ofhow I see it, but but I I I I

(23:03):
totally believe that unlessyou're like 100% all women's
category, Poshmark is not a uhit's not a viable yeah, you
know, like booster ofinfrastructure.

SPEAKER_01 (23:14):
Which like even in the retail arb world, I have
more women's stuff than you do,I think.
Like I, you know, weight mystuff more heavily towards
women's but than than you, but Istill have a lot of men's stuff
and and unisex stuff too.
But I've also seen I I've heardthat before, right?
Like a lower kind of lower ASPum garden variety stuff, um, new

(23:36):
with tags stuff, right?
But I've also seen I follow afew a few people on Instagram
that I love to follow who umsell only like luxury and they
do pretty well.
Yeah, they do great sales onthere too, but it's kind of like
in between that.
I don't know.
I don't know if a lot sells inbetween that.
So anyway, sorry, I totallydigressed into that, but that is
of the moment.
Hopefully, for everyone's sake,by the time this episode airs in

(23:58):
June, Poshmark will have gottensomething sorted out.
But as of when we're recordingthis at the end of May, it is
definitely not sorted out.
People are livid.

SPEAKER_02 (24:08):
I guess here's her question.
Why would we as resellers needto have a I guess that
possibility of cross-listeningto another site?
What would you say?
Like, why would we need to dothat?

SPEAKER_01 (24:23):
Well, in theory, I I clearly don't care that much
about it because I don't do it.

SPEAKER_03 (24:28):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (24:29):
But but I'm curious about it and I keep coming back
to it and wanting to try itagain because I do think it's a
form of diversification.
Yeah.
I think that people sometimesoverestimate the amount of value
of that form of diversificationjust based on the size of the
buyer base on these differentplatforms alone.

(24:50):
It's like, is it really worthit?
Is it if it was easier, youknow, to sell it on eBay by
running a 10% off sale than itis to have to deal with a whole
other platform and maybe sell itor maybe not?
Like, I don't know.
I I'm like, I I understand thatif you're trying to kind of
protect your business with a lotof different layers of

(25:11):
diversification, like that makessense to me on paper.
But I don't know.
So far, the efforts I'veactually made in real life to
cross-list have yielded mealmost nothing in return for my
time and effort.
So I just don't see it as thathelpful for me.
Like I'm diversified in otherways, and that's good enough for
me.

SPEAKER_04 (25:32):
I I think the cross-listing is a preview of w
what a bigger operation couldbe.
Um, because I I believe is if,for example, in Anna's
situation, um sing one personoperation, right, compared to my

(25:54):
operation, I think the only waywe we we're able to do that
because there's two of us.
So I think that could count inas a okay if I have a bulk
opportunity to buy women'sdresses, luxury, high-end stuff,
and looking at comps, it sellsway better on Poshmark or the

(26:17):
other, you know, ver vista orsomething like that.
There's other like, you know,they're other way
ladies-oriented um platform andlet's just say like 80-90% off,
right?
Like and a lot of people saywould easily say, like, oh, I
can just buy it and wholesaleit, right?
But but we know the profit isnot as much.

SPEAKER_01 (26:39):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 (26:40):
But but if you actually retail it out or resell
it yourself, the profit is somuch more.
So it's kind of like a previewsay, okay, this are the stuff
that are selling uh on poshbased on my current inventory.
So that side of inventory, quoteunquote, doesn't really need to
get listed on posh.
Um but if there's an opportunityto buy that, then I could be

(27:05):
like, okay, this would yield,let's say, you know, fifty
thousand dollars this year.
I can pay somebody twentythousand dollars to to manage
Poshmark part-time and quoteunquote do some shipping for me
at the same time.
So then that's how I see it.
Um, it's just a test.

(27:25):
I don't think it is a in ourcurrent situation, it is a way
for us to really go hard anddiversify because again, that's
just gonna put strain on theoperat of our main operation.
Then I don't want to be likeoverworked too much on
diversification and forget theone main thing.
That's why I've always been likeagainst diversification in the

(27:50):
beginning.
And Glenn's heard me say thisall the time like if you cannot
master eBay, don't even try todo other platforms because that
just gives you the you justliterally lowered the ceiling on
yourself on the next platform.

SPEAKER_01 (28:04):
Right.
Well, I mean, you're spreadingyourself thin.
And I mean, I didn't even in mysix-month experiment of
cross-listing, I did Poshmark,Mercari, and Dpop.
Yeah, and like I don't don'tthink I mastered any of those,
but you know, obviously usinglike a cross-lister helps a lot.
But there were uh there werethings about each of those
platforms that I was like, dang,if I was just starting from

(28:27):
scratch, I don't even I think Iwould look into this if I only
looked at this one platform andbe like, never mind.
Like, for example, even Depop,like at least back then, it took
over two weeks to get paid foran item.
And I was just like, no, likemaybe I'm just spoiled because I
started with what is this,Amazon?
Yeah, it's like forever, youknow, like so.

(28:49):
Anyway, there's things like thatthat I'm like certain platforms
does not encourage me to do it.

SPEAKER_04 (28:54):
There's certain platforms that are built for
like I believe Posh was builtfor like kind of like a
part-time slash social, youknow, literally clearing your
closet.
Right.

SPEAKER_00 (29:08):
That's kind of the weekend.

SPEAKER_04 (29:09):
You know, that's kind of like how it's modeled.
But when you jump to eBay, yes,the the noisy part of eBay is
actually the resellers that youknow are doing a lot of thrift,
a lot of retail art.
But if you think about it, themain pie that they get GMV from

(29:31):
are enterprise sellers that arejust I've I've seen somebody do
like yeah, warehouses.
I've seen I've seen a chart,Glenn, you know, like they see
charts, and I'm like, oh, thatkind of look like mine.
And you go to the very left, andlike each line is fifty thousand
dollars.
They're like, oh you know, I waslike, whoa, you know, like even

(29:53):
if they made 10% profit on that,still five grand a day, you
know.
So I think that's That's kind oflike how the I see the
difference.
So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (30:03):
It's interesting though, like there's so there's
this trade-off, obviously, oflike spreading yourself too
thin.
But I do think that there is adifference talking about
diversifying.
There's a difference, maybe abigger difference between, you
know, listing your stuff, astatic listing on eBay and
Poshmark versus a static listingon eBay or live selling or a

(30:23):
static listing on eBay and abrick and mortar with foot
traffic, you know, like thosealmost feel m even more like
diversification than just likemultiple static listing
platforms.
So, but Glenn, I'm gonna I'mgonna ask you a question about
ceilings.
I know you didn't expect that,did you?

SPEAKER_02 (30:42):
I know, I didn't.

SPEAKER_01 (30:43):
You're like, how could she?

SPEAKER_02 (30:44):
How dare you?

SPEAKER_01 (30:45):
That's what 35-year-olds are like.
You just ask the hard question.
I was just kidding.
Um no, but in terms of ceilings,obviously there was a time
pre-history where you didn't dolive selling.
And then there was there's beena time in recent history and
presently where you are likereally consistent at it.
I would totally say you'vemastered it.

(31:06):
And I wonder if that hadanything to do with feeling like
you were hitting a ceilingyourself, or what were your
motivations for adding liveselling in at the time that you
decided to try it, and thenobviously further decisions to
like stick with it and masterit.

SPEAKER_02 (31:23):
I think with me is like I've always like tried to
do like two things at the sametime, whether I'm doing like
YouTube and eBay, or I'm doingum merch by Amazon, you know,
designing shirts and eBay, orand so I think it's very tough
for me to like really just doone thing.

SPEAKER_01 (31:43):
And I don't know, like is that because you're
bored, or because it feels likenot diversified enough?
Like it's like it's one pillarthat could fall by itself, you
know, or both.

SPEAKER_02 (31:54):
I think or something else.
Yeah, I think it's a combo ofthat, actually.
I feel like I do get kind oflike I feel like things are kind
of stagnant.
Like in even and I don't evenreally do it for that long.
Like I could just focus on eBayand I feel like I should be
doing more.
And then at the same time, Icould be doing Yeah, like

(32:14):
whatnot with eBay, and then I'mlike, okay, so this is going all
in.
Now I'm kinda not really likestuck, but I'm like, what do I
what do I do now to to do more,or should I be doing more or
not, even though I'm kind ofmaxed out in a way.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (32:35):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (32:35):
So I'm kind of like in a weird I don't know.
I don't maybe I just haven'treally rested from even the
YouTube and eBay combo.

SPEAKER_01 (32:47):
Yeah, well, doing the like two things.
I mean, that resonates a lotwith me because but I feel like
for me the two things are likeeBay plus something else that's
usually more project-based.

SPEAKER_02 (32:58):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (32:58):
So that that one changes a lot and rotates.

SPEAKER_02 (33:02):
Yeah.
Or maybe I also feel like I needa backup plan.
Yeah.
In case something does gohaywire that I have no control
over.
You know, you can get kicked offof any platform at any time.
I mean, we would think thatthere would be a certain reason
why you would, you know, fordoing something wrong.
But in reality, I mean, I don'tknow what that would really look

(33:22):
like.
Everyone's situation isdifferent, I guess, when
something like that happens.

SPEAKER_01 (33:26):
For sure.
And I mean, the fact is yoursense of control goes out the
window if that happens for agood reason or a valid reason or
not.
And then even if it's a mistakeor something, it's like there's
a whole process to like gettingit back.
Like that would be scary, youknow, regardless of if it even
stayed like that.

SPEAKER_02 (33:44):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 (33:45):
I like I like scary.
I like scary.

SPEAKER_02 (33:49):
Well, our main topic with the ceiling, though.
There was um, there's actuallysix signs you have hit the
ceiling as a reseller.

SPEAKER_01 (33:57):
Bump on the head.

SPEAKER_02 (33:58):
Oh man.

SPEAKER_01 (33:59):
Blurred vision.

SPEAKER_02 (34:01):
So you don't know where you are.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (34:05):
I'm just guessing.

SPEAKER_02 (34:06):
So these two.
We're gonna debunk this so far.
Yeah, so you're gonna let meknow if uh I'm ready.

SPEAKER_01 (34:13):
Ken's like firing it up right now.

SPEAKER_02 (34:14):
Like maybe Ken and Anna and maybe myself.
What if we fallen these lines?

SPEAKER_01 (34:20):
Like what if we're what if we're like, oh crap, I
identify.
Let's do it.
Why not?

SPEAKER_02 (34:25):
We got to do it.

SPEAKER_01 (34:29):
So what are we gonna do?

SPEAKER_02 (34:30):
Like say yay or nay, or like me or um well I'm gonna
I'm gonna tell you what it is,and then uh you can give me a
little bit of feedback, and thenyou'll tell me how you feel in
the situation, if maybe you'recaught in that or not.
Yeah.
I like that.
Yes or no.
Or how you feel about it.
So um the first one is limitedsupplier margins.

(34:52):
Uh you're getting the bestpossible price from your, let's
say, suppliers or sourcing orwherever, and there's just no
more room to increase profitmargins.

SPEAKER_01 (35:03):
Nah.

SPEAKER_02 (35:05):
So Kenny says no, Anna says no.

SPEAKER_01 (35:07):
Yeah, I say no.

SPEAKER_02 (35:08):
That's uh I say no too, because I feel like there's
wherever you're sourcing from,even if you do meet new
suppliers, um, it's a if asupplier really wants your
business, they're going toundercut the other person you're
getting it from if they knowyou're willing to spend big
bucks.

SPEAKER_04 (35:23):
Yeah, right.
Yeah, that's that's that's theidea earlier of you're just
stuck in your ways.

SPEAKER_01 (35:29):
You know, and also, like we've talked about this for
sure before on the podcast, butlike there are a lot more things
that go into your profit marginequation than just your buy
cost.
So it's like even if youcouldn't get a better deal from
your supplier, there could bestill other things you could do
to increase your profit margin.
Like, yeah, you're probably notmaxed out on literally every

(35:52):
aspect of your profit margin.

SPEAKER_04 (35:54):
And based on experience, the more you spend,
the better the margins are.
Because the more control buyingpower you have.
So unless you're not buying moreand more over time, then if
you've lost the profit marginthat you thought you had,
somebody Glenn already went toyour supplier and said, I'll pay

(36:17):
you cheaper and I'll buy waymore than the next big buyer
here in your house.
That's what it happens.
That's what happens.
It just the the the dog eat dogworld of reality of business.

SPEAKER_02 (36:30):
And sometimes there's people that are like,
Oh, you're selling that for 20?
Well, I'll pay 22.
I'll beat the other people thatwant to make them.
I'll pay a little bit more.
Yeah.
That means I'm gonna get theinventory.

SPEAKER_04 (36:44):
Everything.
Yeah, yeah.
Soul supply, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (36:47):
So what about you, Glenn?

SPEAKER_02 (36:48):
I say no too.
I think that there's right nowthe supply is a little all over
the place, but I feel likethere's there's a way to get
even better to get more.

SPEAKER_01 (37:00):
So this is really good news for us guys because
all of us are at worst justhovering right below the
ceiling.
We already haven't hit it.
We haven't hit it yet.
But let's see how close to theground we are.

SPEAKER_02 (37:13):
Okay.
We're not trying.
Yeah, next one.
Uh saturated market in your umfield.
So you're the market you're inis overcrowded and highly
competitive, making it hard foryou to grow without lowering
prices or spending a lot onmarketing and resources.

SPEAKER_04 (37:33):
Nah, you're buying trash product products.

SPEAKER_02 (37:36):
Market saturation right now.

SPEAKER_04 (37:39):
Yeah.
Market saturation is the otherway of you've joined the the
game of race to the bottom.
And that's never a good game tojoin.

unknown (37:50):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (37:51):
I'm kind of torn in between.
Let me tell you why.
I feel like I'm not saturated onthe whatnot side because there's
other there's other hat sellers,but actually none of them start
them at a dollar like I do.
But also none of them have over200 people at once.
Yeah.
So I don't feel like I'm humblerag.
Yeah.

(38:11):
Well, I don't feel like I'msaturated, I guess, in that
field.
But on the eBay side, I kind ofdo feel like I'm saturated
because I do have I don't know,items that are not really, I
mean, they are lower cost whenyou really think about it, you
know, between hats comparingthat to shoes.

SPEAKER_04 (38:28):
I mean, yeah, but but also the lower cost creates
more uh competition.
You know, the the the lowerentry products um have more
competition.
And and when you brought up liveselling, they're buying it
because of the brand of theseller, not because of the

(38:48):
product.

SPEAKER_02 (38:49):
And also maybe the entertainment factor.
100%, right?

SPEAKER_04 (38:52):
Like they chose, they like your demeanor, they
like the way you sell, and youdon't yell at them and say like
bit it up, bit it up, man.
I'm losing money on this.
Like whether whether you'relosing money or not, you give
them the same the same response.
Oh, great deal, great price,man.
That's a steal, and happy foryou, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

(39:14):
Like that live sellers don't getit.
That yell, if they get to thatlevel, the amount of loyalty
goes deeper than just theproduct.
So so I I I think that's wherethe big difference is.
And and again, I think if youhave a positive outlook and a

(39:35):
positive demeanor, live selling.
Um and that's why I think Glennmade a comment, it was built for
me, but at the same time, it'snot always me.
Because sometimes I just getannoyed right now, and you'll
see in my face, and I can't riskit yet.
Maybe when I go grow older.

SPEAKER_02 (39:58):
Alright, so you guys said no on that one, right?

SPEAKER_01 (40:00):
Yeah, I feel like my general miscellany kind of
protects me from that one.

SPEAKER_04 (40:07):
Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_01 (40:08):
It's not that's true.
There isn't if I'm reallysaturated in one area, I barely
notice because I'm in a lot ofareas.

SPEAKER_02 (40:16):
Which kind of leads to Anna's the next one, you're
probably gonna be at no, then,because it's like lack of
diversification.
Uh, you're selling the sameproducts as everyone else, and
it's hard to stand out or chargepremium prices.

SPEAKER_00 (40:30):
This sounds boring.
This sounds like someone runninga boring business.

SPEAKER_02 (40:35):
So selling the same products as everyone else is
also very common, let's say, inthe reseller.
I can say probably in like theARB side of it though.

SPEAKER_04 (40:46):
Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (40:47):
More than like the thrifting garage sale.

SPEAKER_04 (40:50):
You could find some random hidden gems, then there's
more variety for sure.
Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (40:58):
On that side of things.

SPEAKER_04 (40:59):
Yeah, I I think I think that is a very good
statement.
Um and also like I think it's abuying, it's a buying failure,
right?
Because at the end of the day,you could have bought a thousand
pairs of the same thing or youcould have said, I'll take a
hundred here, a hundred here, ahundred there.

(41:21):
You know, like like you'veyou've pulled yourself.
And again, when you're dealingwith a deeper quantity and if
you don't account for sellthrough, you're crazy.
You know, like because let'sjust say like you can look at
you know how many it sells in aday.

(41:42):
Let's say if it sells one in aday and you're buying a thousand
of those things, that's athousand days.
You know, like if you don'taccount those, you're a terrible
buyer and you deserve to becrushed because people are gonna
go race down the bottom.
I mean, Glenn has experiencedthis with Amazon, right?

(42:04):
Like whoever gets the buy box,and if that dude lowers his
price to your buy cost, you'regonna be stuck for that uh for a
long time until he sells out andthen you're next.

SPEAKER_02 (42:15):
Yeah.
So I think the crazy thing isthough, is like brand
recognition when you are sellingvery similar products as
everyone else.
Like I can always has broughtout, like, even when we were
first reselling, like Gucci cansell the same products as
everyone else, but the Gucciname and quality is gonna be

(42:38):
different to where they canstill make their money compared
to everyone else that makes thesame item with a different name
on it.

unknown (42:47):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (42:48):
Well, and it's not just even like trusting the
brand for quality, it's like atthat point having their name
associated with you is likegiving you extra value or credit
or whatever.
So it's like that alone just hasso much more value.

SPEAKER_02 (43:04):
Yeah.
Uh the next one, resourceconstraints.
Uh, you had you don't haveenough time, money, staff, or
infrastructure to scale furtherwithout a major investment.

SPEAKER_04 (43:17):
Anna, you'd respond.

SPEAKER_01 (43:19):
Am I there?
I think I am on one hand, Iwould say like maybe there or
like have been close to there,but on the other hand, I'm
willing to actually put in amajor investment.
So it's a pit stop, if anything,I guess.

SPEAKER_02 (43:38):
But I feel like we could all be doing some sort of
investment to like further thethe business if we want to in a
few years.
We couldn't.

SPEAKER_01 (43:47):
That's the question, though.
It's like, do you want to?
Like I feel like I'm getting tothe point where I do sort of
have uh like I find myself moreor less like dreaming about
having like a bigger operationagain.
I mean, and I I scaled my storedown somewhat, you know, in the
last few years, but like so I'veyou know, being in that mode,

(44:10):
it's like I'm kind of switchingback to growth again.
So I'm like, okay, yeah, thissounds exciting again to think
what if I had a big enoughbusiness that I could like
sustain employees again or um orwe have a warehouse space or
whatever, like that that soundssomewhat appealing to me, but
and I and I recognize that if Iwere gonna do that, like yeah, I

(44:30):
I couldn't just magically dothat with what I've got right
now.
I would have to make some bigchanges and that would require
some investment.

SPEAKER_04 (44:38):
Yeah, yeah.
I I think it's risk tolerance.
Um I think what got you here asfar as risk tolerance is not
gonna what's gonna get you tothe next level.
So I mean I think this is kindof like how I scaled to where
I'm at today.
It's just you know, to somepeople it's risky, but if it's

(44:59):
done in calculation and you'rewilling to sacrifice it in the
short term, you know, like I'mnot gonna lie, I've taken really
high interest rate on capitalcapitalization to dump into my
business.
Um and I'm not free I didn'tfreak out about it.
I know it was gonna pan out.
Worst case scenario, I'm gonnabreak even.

(45:22):
And but I got to practice at acertain level and so
accelerating more.
Yeah, yeah, right, right.
Because like worst case scenarioafter everything is said, if you
pay a high interest rate and yougo back to the books, it's like,
wait, I only made 10%.
Cool, but you did move way moreproduct this time, and you've
told yourself and showedyourself that I didn't break the

(45:44):
system yet, or I can hold moreinventory.
You know, like I think the theexercise of that and the the
experience of doing that issuper valuable way beyond the
the money side.
So so I think I'm not there yetbecause to be honest, I'm not
willing to I'm I I'm I'm I'msitting on a really comfy couch

(46:08):
right now.

SPEAKER_01 (46:09):
Well that yeah, that's the thing.
It's like you we also have freewill and free choice of like
when enough is kind of enough,and we're not all obligated to
just keep on growing and scaleup and scale up and scale up.
Like if you like where you'reat, then is that a ceiling, you
know, or is it kind of like yourchosen kingdom?
Like that's yeah, that's thedomain that you want, you know.

SPEAKER_04 (46:31):
Yeah, you're you're fine with this house.
You don't want to get a biggerhouse, you know, like you're
fine with the things that youhave.
Because yeah, I think I think umI think I'm like one foot in
huh?

SPEAKER_02 (46:43):
You're one foot in like one foot in.
I would because I feel like I'mgonna max the storage unit like
the way Ken maxed the apartment.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 (46:53):
And when it gets to that point, then I'll Yeah,
you're you're just you're justtrying to like buy five when you
sell five.
You know, you can't buy tenmore.
Right.

SPEAKER_03 (47:03):
That is that.
Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 (47:05):
That's like sourcing with a uh minivan full.
You know what I'm saying?
Like um, there were times thatyou know the pairs really sat on
JC's lap, and it's like two morehours, we'll be fine.
And she and and she wanted tobuy some like bulky items.
I'm like, no, and it's like wecan't fit in there.

SPEAKER_01 (47:24):
That's when you gotta get the the rack carrier,
right?
Yeah, I know.
For the top.

SPEAKER_04 (47:28):
Because and also like you this is that point that
you just have to commit and renta trailer and rent another
minivan.
You know what I'm saying?
Like, okay, like hop off, get aminivan, we'll fill the minivan
out.
But again, that's really thatlike Glenn said, are you really
gonna cross that line?
Um, which is so many factors.

(47:50):
Yeah, I know for a fact if Icross that line, my health gonna
go my health.
There will be sacrifice.
Sacrifice again.
Yeah.
Again, right?
My you're just mental mentalhealth gets sacrifice again.
Quality time with family getssacrifice again.

(48:11):
You know, and and um how manymaybe we can take one every five
years, but can you take oneevery other year?

SPEAKER_01 (48:19):
Well, that's something I really appreciate
about having a business that hasboth expanded and contracted at
this point over the course ofits lifetime so far.
Is like I feel like way moreinformed about if I'm going to
start growing again, knowingupfront what it's gonna cost me.
Not that it will even beidentical to the last time, but
like I love what you're sayingabout that.

(48:41):
It's like, okay, I know it'sgonna cost me some of my
physical and mental health.
Am I willing to pay that?
You know, that's a way moreinformed choice than just like
being really excited and doingwhatever it takes, which is
great, but like isn't the onlyway, right?

SPEAKER_04 (48:56):
So, Glenn, are you willing to cross the line?

SPEAKER_02 (49:02):
And I'm uh I think I mean I definitely want to you
know have a different storageand get to that point.

SPEAKER_04 (49:12):
A bigger, yeah, a bigger.

SPEAKER_02 (49:13):
Um I just have to figure out how I how I would
want to do that though, becauseI don't want to I guess pay for
something I'm not really gonnaown as far as like having like I
might as well have a storefrontif I'm paying super high rent or
something like that.
Like the storage unit is finefor now.

(49:34):
Um but yeah, I don't know.
It would it would have to,there's some little factors.

SPEAKER_04 (49:39):
Sounds like you need like uh uh get a house that has
a land and build a uh uh kind oflike a warehouse, like uh a man
shed that's like 40 foot by 60foot.

SPEAKER_01 (49:51):
Yeah, you'd be so that's called a barn, Ken.

SPEAKER_04 (49:53):
Right, right, right, barn.
Yeah, a warehouse barn.
I mean, I I think that is theultimate goal of where I want to
be.

SPEAKER_02 (50:02):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 (50:03):
And I've said this to JC one day, and she looked at
me like I was crazy.
We were driving, and I said, youknow what, babe?
I want to sell in a differentcategory.

SPEAKER_01 (50:20):
She's like, She's like, We've been on the road too
long.

SPEAKER_04 (50:26):
Yeah, she's like delusional.

SPEAKER_01 (50:29):
I know.

SPEAKER_04 (50:30):
You know, and then all her answers are like, what
are we gonna do with this?
We're gonna do with that.
Like, I'm like, I'm not likesaying like forget all of that.

SPEAKER_01 (50:37):
Just tell her you want to sell postcards.
Uh yeah.
They'll just all fit in like abookshelf.

SPEAKER_04 (50:43):
I really want to sell on eBay Motors and um you
will need a barn for that.
Do what I did here and uh buildlike an Instagram account for
that, and then uh get invited toF1.
I think that's what I I thinkselfishly I that's their only
reason why I want to do it.

SPEAKER_01 (51:02):
You just need to go job shadow our dear friend Alec
Larson.

SPEAKER_04 (51:06):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (51:06):
See how he runs all his stuff.
He's amazing.

SPEAKER_04 (51:09):
Or or I'm just gonna be like, hey, I just uh fran I
I'm just gonna cr run afranchise of your business
strategy here.

SPEAKER_00 (51:17):
Seriously?

SPEAKER_04 (51:18):
From this, we've literally had the conversation.

SPEAKER_00 (51:21):
Have you talked about it?

SPEAKER_04 (51:22):
Yeah, we've talked about it.
He he already has he we we'vewe've talked about his um system
and software that he has nowmore than ever, it's way easier.

SPEAKER_01 (51:32):
Wow.

SPEAKER_04 (51:33):
Yeah, so I just Glenn, I just have to cross.
I just have to cross, but I'mlike I'm gonna get fat again.
So we're like dollarcheeseburger again.

SPEAKER_01 (51:45):
I feel like this is the closest we've all been to
the ceiling, as far as on thison like this question.
We're all the most like, eh,kinda.
Not entirely, but kinda.

SPEAKER_04 (51:55):
Yeah, we'll see how our our listeners uh feel about
this.

SPEAKER_01 (51:58):
What was that, like four?

SPEAKER_02 (51:59):
Yeah, there's two left.
Okay.
Um platform limits.
Uh selling on eBay, let's saytheir rules, fees, or
competition may restrict furthergrowth.
Nope.

SPEAKER_04 (52:10):
No.

unknown (52:11):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 (52:11):
eBay wants you to list four million.

SPEAKER_01 (52:14):
Yeah.
Yeah, let me go look at what mylimit is right now.

SPEAKER_02 (52:17):
Yeah, my limit is ridiculous.
These million.

SPEAKER_04 (52:20):
Yeah, didn't they like race it to 20 million one
day or something that everybodygot the whole limit?
I don't even know where to findit now.

SPEAKER_01 (52:27):
Currently, I have my premium premium store
subscription, 10,000 fixed pricelistings, plus additional fixed
price free insertion listings ina couple of select categories,
and there are 50,000 of those.
So I'm up to 60,000 listingsplus 500 auction listings.
So yeah, I don't think I'm gonnabe maxing that out anytime soon.

SPEAKER_04 (52:50):
The monthly limit they gave me is I can sell 49.6
million more.

SPEAKER_01 (52:58):
They put way more limits on T issue.

SPEAKER_04 (53:00):
10 million more items.

SPEAKER_01 (53:02):
Is that like because of promo like category project?
I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 (53:06):
It has to be like Because what store subscription
do you have?
No, no, it's no no, it's notbased on store subscription.
You're still gonna have to pay,but you know how many of them
you hear.

SPEAKER_01 (53:14):
Oh, I was talking about the ones include.
Okay, okay.
You're looking at differentthings.

SPEAKER_04 (53:18):
Yeah, because like you like store subscription can
be upgraded, right?
Like that's not the equipment.

SPEAKER_01 (53:23):
Like an enterprise store.
Yeah, you can see away like amillion or something.

SPEAKER_04 (53:28):
Because when you're starting, they block you, you
know, each each step of the wayto kind of like gain your trust.
It's actually on your uh uh onyour uh seller hub.

SPEAKER_01 (53:38):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 (53:39):
In your very bottom on your monthly limits.

SPEAKER_01 (53:41):
I think the only time the only time I encountered
that that I can even recall isuh on Poshmark when I tried to
cross list there.
And I was like, yet anotherreason to not love this.

SPEAKER_02 (53:56):
So we had one left, which is uh maxed out sales
volume.
You've sold as much as you canin a given uh given in your
resources inventory or time.
Increasing volume further wouldrequire major change uh changes.

SPEAKER_01 (54:11):
Like you're shipping 12 hours a day.
Yeah, you have no time to listanything new.

SPEAKER_02 (54:16):
Yeah, inventory time.
It's probably like another onewhere I'm like one foot in.
I mean, I could do more as faras like probably hiring and
training someone to do somethingelse, for example.
But um I feel like if stuff wasselling well, that's a funny
thing, though, is like stuff cansell even faster if I wanted it

(54:37):
to.

SPEAKER_04 (54:38):
Yeah, but you might just have to take lesser
margins.

SPEAKER_02 (54:41):
Yeah, exactly.
It would go for even less andless.
Like if I started off at 8 a.m.
and I'm going until 5 p.m.

SPEAKER_04 (54:47):
Oh, there's like accounts that do that, but at
the same time, was like, dude,like those shorts that they're
selling for five bucks, I'mselling for 25.
Yeah, you know what I'm saying?
Like, but they're just going forthe volume.
Um again, that's like again,Glenn, like you said, that's
like, are you willing to getthere?
Because you can get there.
I I don't think yeah, like justthe power of life selling, you

(55:08):
can sell anything.
Like, if my buy cost foreverything was a dollar, I'd be
live selling all day.
So if you're a supplier, ifyou're a supplier that can
provide me a dollar items, brandnew with tags, preferably Nike,
I'll even take Adidas.
Preferably Nike get with me, getwith me.
I'll give you 10% on all profit.

SPEAKER_01 (55:31):
10 cents on the dollar, baby.

SPEAKER_04 (55:33):
Yeah, well, and again, it's like daily.
That's daily.
That's way better than any stockmarket.

SPEAKER_01 (55:38):
This goes.

SPEAKER_04 (55:39):
And I'll get fat for that.
I'll get fat for that.

SPEAKER_01 (55:43):
Great.
We can watch your progression onyour live shows.

SPEAKER_04 (55:47):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (55:48):
Um, no, but I was gonna say this again goes back
to are you willing to actuallychange your whole business
model?
Yeah, right.
Like that's the context of allof these, is like within your
current business model.
Um and technically, Glenn,you're the only one of us right
now at the moment who has liveselling in your current business
model.
But even to fully shift intothat would change your business

(56:08):
model.
But I feel like the only hardand fast um limits in that
regard are like your time andliterally your inventory.
Like, can you imagine thatyou're just selling every single
item you have listed and now youhave nothing listed because you
I don't think it I don't thinkthat's a possibility.

SPEAKER_04 (56:26):
With the power of what not getting paid the same
day, you can go and buy the samething.
Right.

SPEAKER_01 (56:31):
It's like you that's a choice at that point, right?
Yeah, you could have more stufflisted.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 (56:35):
Yeah, I I think the biggest the biggest decision for
that kind of like shift is ifyou want more people.
I mean, we've seen it over andover again.
The people that have scaled itbigger, that have streamed more
hours are the people that werewilling to hire more people, and
that's it.

SPEAKER_02 (56:50):
And you what are they usually doing?
Shipping.

SPEAKER_04 (56:53):
Yeah, literally, like right, like there's there's
accounts that as soon as yousell it, there's somebody that
ships it right there.
Yeah, you know, already gettingit ready.
Yeah, and and that's why theydon't bundle shipping because
they get it out the same time asafter it sells, exactly so so we
should do you know what the theone way that we all get to solve

(57:16):
this is we all go operate andconsolidate our business into a
ginormous business.
Yeah, and and we know and thatand that is my biggest
hesitation.
The only reason why I'm notwanting to get it bigger because
I know somebody's gonna care wayless.

(57:36):
That's why I feel like thepeople that have that have done
it way better are the peoplethat have partnered with people
and have like equity in thecompany because they're not
gonna drop the ball, you know.

SPEAKER_01 (57:49):
Like I think that's getting in the game, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 (57:51):
Yeah, yeah, you have to.
And then maybe you'll you know,like I'll still be the shipping
department guy and still hirefive people, but I'm gonna be on
top of that, you know, like butyou cannot just like hire 10
people and then just paysomebody, you know, minimum
hourly and expect that it'sgonna be done to at least close

(58:14):
to your you know your standard.
Yeah.
Which is that's the hard part,and I think kind of like Glenn
knows because he's you know beeninvolved to like into like
working with people that are notpulling their weight, and he has
to do it, you know.

SPEAKER_02 (58:28):
Not naming any names, but so I don't know if we
have a topic for next episode,but there is um things to do
next if you did hit the ceiling.
Like what are your next things?
I I don't want to hear that.
I'll I'll be here.

SPEAKER_04 (58:42):
I won't be here that I'll be working out.
I'll be working out.

SPEAKER_02 (58:47):
So that was it for this episode, though.
Um the six signs that uh you'vehit the ceiling as a recent.

SPEAKER_04 (58:54):
This was good.
I think it boils down.
I think our general consensus iswe're not sure that we're
willing to put the sacrifice onwhat it takes to get there.
Because we've made somesacrifices, yeah, and we know
the next level of sacrifice willbe uh not possibly not greater,

(59:18):
but a different kind ofsacrifice than what we did.

SPEAKER_02 (59:20):
You know, it doesn't have to be a financial right.

SPEAKER_04 (59:23):
No, no, not not at all.
Like, you know, and and that'sthat's I guess the older we get,
the more chicken we become.
Oh no.

SPEAKER_01 (59:33):
The more chicken we become.

SPEAKER_04 (59:35):
No, no, no.

SPEAKER_01 (59:36):
Oh, I don't know about that.

SPEAKER_04 (59:37):
No, no, no.
That might that might be atopic.
You know, we might have toswitch the topic to that one,
Glenn.

SPEAKER_01 (59:43):
This is a good, it's a good like reality check,
though, I think, for anybodylistening to, because you know,
running a business can feel likea grind.
But like for me, hearing a lotof these things, I was like, oh
wow.
Like, no, I'm not anywhere nearthat.
And that's kind of a relief,right?
It goes back to kind of youryour situation.
Subjective feelings about howyour business is doing or your

(01:00:03):
ability to grow are not alwayslike the best gauge of your
actual ability to grow, right?
Like this is a good reminder.
And it's also a good wake-upcall if you are checking all of
those boxes, but you're toilingaway and expecting to get a
better result from yourbusiness, you know.
And yet all these things aretrue for you, then maybe you
need to like realize that, youknow, what you're expecting

(01:00:26):
might not be realistic, and youmight need to raise that ceiling
very intentionally with somekind of a change or some kind of
an investment in your business.

SPEAKER_02 (01:00:34):
Exactly, exactly.
So that was a great episode.
Nice little topic right there.
Anything else before we go?

SPEAKER_04 (01:00:43):
No, we just want to give a shout out to our
sponsors.
Uh make sure you guys followeBay for sellers.
There's so many good thingsthat's coming up.
eBay open is coming right up.
Registration is open.
Links are gonna be in our bioand show notes.
Make sure you follow them onInstagram at eBay for sellers
and also get your bookkeepingright, plain and simple.

(01:01:04):
Make sure you follow at CellLedger.
Try their software for a monthfor free, no credit card
required.
And we will see you in the nextepisode.
Peace.
See ya.

SPEAKER_01 (01:01:16):
Bye.