True Confession Of A Rat Race Escapee

Two days ago I celebrated my birthday and as usual it was a time of deep inner searching  and reflection for me.  I thought about my journey to the person I am today.  Emotionally.  Spiritually.  Physically.  And financially.  Am I living up to my true potential?  

In 2006 when I graduated from university my goal was to eventually step away from the 9-5 and support myself by owning and operating my own business. It was something I wanted sooooo bad! It was a goal then, but now I can say I am DOING it.  I officially began working from home 7 years ago and never looked back. It was hard, really hard but I had to get off the hamster wheel. I felt so stifled, it truly felt like a  "rat race"

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I made up my mind that I would grind and research and do whatever was lawful to see results!  Along the way I've had epic fails and countless booohooo sessions.  Sometimes I struggled really hard to pay the bills but with the support of my husband, we got through it.  Fast forward 3 years and I found myself separated and alone.  Suddenly I was at rock bottom wondering, now what am I gonna do?  Thankfully I was able to lean heavily on my faith in God which provided guidance and an endless supply of emotional strength. I was also blessed to have support from family and friends and then a little later, God totally restored my marriage.

Out of The Nest

 

Well, every baby bird must leave the nest eventually so 3 years ago year I took a leap of faith.  I moved to a new State, and decided to just do everything in my power to succeed.  I decided go hard with Ebay in addition to my Graphic Design business.  I also set up Etsy accounts as well and created new products.  As time passed my hard work started paying off!  I spent countless hours researching home based jobs, lost money with some of them but learned a lot along the way as well so it was the most beneficial experience as a business person so far.  I regret nothing. 

As I write this, there have been changes yet again in my life. I now reside in my native country. The Bahamas. 

While my location has changed I am grateful that my outlook on life is still the same.  Same Drive. Same Faith. Same Passion to go and get it for myself!

 I am not a millionaire by any standard or affiliate guru or any of those things. I am just someone who learned to support myself from home so I can live the life that feeds my spirit.  Someone who believes any dream or goal can be achieved if one is willing to work at it and above all be honest and diligent. Money can be made and lost in a second but character is the building block of lasting success. 

And so my friends, to your success and mine!

Cherio!

5 Good Reasons To Shop On Ebay

Am not going to lie, it took me a while to really give Ebay a shot.  Having done so though, I am thrilled to say the least.  I never imagined that I could reach power seller and top rated status in less than 3 months.  But I did.  Yay me!  I am no guru yet but I am having fun learning and figuring it out.

Here are some of the reasons that drew me to Ebay.

1.  Bargains!

Hello! There are bargains to be had by all.  From negotiating a lower price directly from the seller to finding that perfect deal, it is all possible on Ebay.  And here is my favorite part, the bargains never stop.  They are 24/7.  Gotta love that.  

2.  Vast Product Selection

One of the things I absolutely love about Ebay is the vast selection of goods that they offer.  You can literally find anything there.  And I do mean Anything.  I have bought books, records, computers, designer handbags, vintage jewelry, collectibles, stuff for my dog and so much more......and I still haven't scratched the surface of the merchandise they offer.  My favorite items to buy on Ebay is vintage jewelry and Art.  I find that there are lots of people selling Estate pieces and one of a kind items that I have never seen any where else.  At unbelievable bargain prices I have never seen.  Ever.  I love that!

Here are a few things I purchased this week.  I collect Cameos so this made me really happy. 

3.  Easy Check Out

No long lines to stand on or tedious filling out online credit card forms.  Ebay connects with Pay Pal so you can check out in seconds.  No worries about being jacked on the net as Pay Pal is one of the safest ways to send and receive money without providing your personal information.  I personally enjoy having that peace of mind.  So far my experience has been all kinds of wonderful.  (Knock on wood.)

4.  Fun!

I know this may sound strange but I have a blast bidding on stuff.  It really feels good to snatch something up in the last few seconds from 10 other hungry bidders.  Kinda like blocking a shot in basketball.  (In my best Matumbo voice) No No No, Not today!  Ha ha ha ha............

5.  Positive Feedback

Since Ebay sellers and shoppers buy from people they trust, positive feedback is like gold on your  Ebay profile.   The more you have, the more confidence people have in you.  Good business etiquette goes a long way.  It is very simple. Ship in one or two days if you are a seller and pay for items promptly if you are a buyer.  Before you know it, you will have great reviews which  =  cha ching!  

And there you have it.  Hope I inspired you to give Ebay a try, trust me, it is well worth it.  I would love to hear from you on this so leave me some Ebay stories or comments.  Have a good one lovelies!

Cherio!

Everything Has A Place

If there is a poster child for stubborn, yours truly would definitely be it.  Am a big girl now so I can finally admit that.  When I dig my heels in, it is over......like no use talking to me anymore, forget about it over.

Well, now that I am in business for myself, I can truly say that being stubborn is a good trait.  Sometimes.   Case in point.  About 10 years ago received an idea that I know for sure was God given for a business.  I have worked on it since then but never felt in my heart/gut that I was ready to launch it until two weeks ago.  In this case my stubbornness paid of.  Now, I can see the level of maturity in my work compared to where I was years ago.  All of the struggle and pain I endured to get to this point has made me a better designer, a better person.  I am more determined and focused than I have ever been.  Ever.

It is so ironic that the catalyst for all of this great introspection and change came from something bad. Well it did.  I have been going through a health battle for almost a year now and it got to the point where I wondered if I would even be here to accomplish any of my dreams.  That was a really low point for me. Fast forward to 2013, to my healthy diet plan, fitness, prayer and other positive changes I made in my life.....changes that made all the difference.   I am feeling better, much better.  I had dug my heels in again and vowed that with Gods help I would get well and do Everything that he called me to do.  This is a promise I plan to keep.  I will keep you posted as I start my journey in the Christian fashion world.  I am sure there will be many challenges along the way but I know that I am not alone. I have the support of so many beautiful people, friends, family, and of course my faith in God and his plan for my life.  The word of God inspires me every day.

              This scripture especially has encouraged me through it all... 

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Hmmmmm, maybe I am not stubborn at all.  Maybe, I am just steadfast.  Ha ha, o-k-a-y, but steadfast does sound a whole lot better.

Cherio!

The Power and Glory of Craigslist!

Listed for less than $50.00 on CL

It is no surprise at all that I have become such a fan of Craigslist.   After all, this site is one ginormous garage sale, and I do love a good garage sale!  What's not to like?  You can find anything on Craigslist, and I mean anything.  Need to hire a clown for your kid's party? Craigslist. Mulch for your garden? Craigslist.......what about a specific style of furniture? done!  You get the picture.  From the refined and expensive to the down right dirt cheap and preposterous, you will find it all on craigslist.  And that's the beauty of it.   Craigslist is there 24/7 in all it's cyber glory churning out new fabulous listings on the minute, and some really strange and ugly ones too............ which makes the searching even more exciting to me.  Kinda like finding a brand new pair of Louboutin's in a box of miscellaneous stuff.  Oh. Happy. Day!!!

Listed for $25.00  on CL

If there is a down side to Craigslist though, it would be arranging the pickup of an item.  My simple rule is never go alone and never let the buyer come to your home.  Always be careful when you are dealing with strangers. It's a rule I practice with no exceptions.

Having said that, my experiences so far has been really good ones. I've even made a few friends in the process so I fully endorse Craigslist to anyone who enjoys garage sales or bargain hunting.  The finds are swwweeeeeeeeet!

All the Above for $500.00 on CL

 Check out the beauties I found today. What do you think?  Do you use Craigslist?

Listed for $100.00  on CL

Listed for $170.00  on CL

Listed for  less than $50.00  on CL

The Best Therapy Ever...

Its been a couple of days since my last post and I have been feeling under the weather, even somewhat melancholy. Its been a slow week as far as business is concerned so what's a girl to do. Well, I decided to paint the blues away. At first, I hated everything I painted, lol, the face was wrong, the nose too crooked, the colors too muddy. Pretty much everything was wrong until I realized this is supposed to be fun. duhhhhh. Anyhoo, after that I just stopped painting faces, relaxed and let the paint talk to me, lol, whatever that means. It sounded good though. Simply put, I had fun.