Danna Crawford - Powersellingmom.com

Through our stages in life, I think we have to look up to someone and admire their accomplishments and hope to learn just a tiny bit from them.

http://powersellingmom.com/

One such person is our friend Danna Crawford better known as Powersellingmom.com.


We met Danna and her husband Jimmy at YABIE’s Kansas Jubilee, an eBay event, in Hays, KS in Oct. 2008. I have blogged about our meeting before but briefly we rode together from Hays to Denver after the event.

And that started our deep and caring friendship.

Danna started her eBay life as a single mom of 3 children - 1 boy and twin girls, selling Beanie Babies. Time went by and her eBay career evolved. She became an Education Specialist, teaching others how to be better eBay sellers and has written several e-books, too. Besides being a teacher she has been a motivator, inspiration and mentor to thousands, not only in her classes and teachings, but by example.

Part of Danna’s career has been to become involved with MissionFish – eBay’s charity arm. Non-profits register with MissionFish and then sellers can donate all or part of the proceeds of a sale to their favorite charity (as long as it is registered.)

http://powersellingmom.com/TwitterWall.php

Not one to be complacent Danna is constantly investigating new ways to promote her teaching,

eBay and the non-profits. Right now her Twitter Wall is hot.

http://powersellingmom.com/radio.php

About 18 months ago she started her radio show on BlogTalk Radio every Friday night at 8 PM ET. 3 out of the 4 weeks she has a guest that she visits with. Everyone who sells on eBay has their way of selling, obtaining product and their own business practices. Danna has a talent for getting hints from these successful sellers. The 3rd Friday is reserved for call in tips and conversation.

In recognition of Danna’s loyalty and commitment to eBay, she was inducted into the eBay Hall of Fame last year at the eBay Live convention in Chicago. Process this thought, there are over 8 Million users on eBay and only 30 or so people in the Hall of Fame.

What an honor! And she really deserves it, especially at this time when so many are branching off and trying other venues or bad mouthing eBay’s policy changes, Danna has remained eBay loyal in word, thought and deed.

In addition to the Hall of Fame she also received an award from MissionFish for not only her work with the charities but with promoting them as well. Picture is at the Kansas Jubilee with Jason Minor (from PayPal) and Joyce Banbury (organizer of the event) with a traveling lab coat that was auctioned for a school that was devastated in a tornado in KS.

http://stores.shop.ebay.com/ASK-DANNA__W0QQ_armrsZ1

Her web site has so many opportunities for sellers to self promote and to learn – all for free. Her slogan is “There is enough eBay for everyone to grow and prosper”. On the web site one is able to find wholesale lots and promotes shipping ‘green’ besides this eBay loyalist loves to blog; is always on Twitter; and has several BUMP opportunities on the PowersellingMom.com home page. (You will have to visit that page to see what they are – fun to do and profitable!)

I love the calendar she sells too. Each month has a featured charity, and there are lists of positive thoughts & phrases and another list of chores to be accomplished that month. She includes a CD with each one that instructs how to make best use of our time and best use the calender.

We were able to visit with Danna and her family when we were eBaying in the RV and visiting Florida last winter. She is really just a down to earth gal who puts family first. She is passionate about helping people and works hard to help everyone.

I am proud to call Danna Crawford friend and learn from her all the time. Her model of no drama in her life has led me away from situations & people that have caused stress in my life and made me so much more productive in our own career. THANK YOU DANNA.

Why Do I Sell on eBay?

Flower, I (Love) You, Butterfly on Rice

I think that of the millions and millions of sellers on eBay, each one would have a different answer.

Yesterday I read a post on message board that got me thinking and validating my commitment to our business.

The poster worked in a 2 person office - her and the boss. She did the best job she could do but as time went on the boss started treating her, as her slave. But to complicate it, the boss also treated her as her best friend. In fact she was hoping her helper would go into a craft business with her.

On Sat. the boss called and asked where the info was for the health insurance company and went on to explain that she wanted to pay it because the end of this month was to be the gal's last day!

The gal is now committed to work eBay full time and to be self employed.

Oh boy how many times have we heard or know of someone going through something similar. It seems the more we give to bosses and companies, the more they take and assume they can demand.

I had my own bad experience in New York. The guy had a Yahoo store and my office was in the basement, next to the washer and dryer. His was solely a drop ship business and in the 1st year he grossed 1.5 million dollars. I was the only employee and at times processed over 100 orders a day.

As business grew I was doing work at home (without extra pay - of course) but having that work done made the job easier so it was in my best interest to do it.

One day after lunch I walked into the office and 'the' wife had hung laundry all over the basement. I told her I was leaving and to let me know when the clothes were down.

After that I knew that I would never work for anyone again. Both Gene and I are retired so our time is our own and we have said, many times, that if we weren't doing eBay http://tinyurl.com/d6qyy6 , craft shows or state fairs, what would we be doing? Sitting around watching TV and getting old? Now we can sell while we are RVing, at home - wherever and whenever we want!!

So what do we do at these shows? We write names or simple pictures on both sides of a grain of rice, put it into a tiny glass vial that then becomes a charm for a necklace, key chain, cell phone fob, etc. I typically do not list these on eBay because each one is custom made and there are many choices to get to the finished product.


At the very least our brains are staying very active and it also gives us something to do that we love.

We have met some fantastic eBayers and other vendors face to face in all our travels and have spent time visiting with them. Without exception every one feels like we have been friends forever and there is never a gap in conversation. In fact there is never enough time to visit!


Why we sell what we sell will be the topic of a future blog. And more about our Rice Necklace business too. So check back often.