This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Angelina Licari, a 23-year-old college graduate living in Dallas, Texas. Licari earns a regular income as a salesperson Poshmarka social commerce marketplace offering recent and used clothing and other products.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Poshmark. Angelina Licari.
When did you begin your side business and where did you discover the inspiration for it?
I began my Poshmark journey in 2016 as a highschool student saving for college. I remember searching for “best side hustles for high schoolers” and found Poshmark. I believed it could be a fun solution to make money by selling clothes I now not wear. I continued selling on Poshmark in college and had the opportunity to change into a campus representative, which involved introducing other students to the platform. After a few months of navigating college and trying to make a decision what would occur next, I made a decision to take a mental break and give myself some time to process and plan. But I still had bills to pay and I could not go on without an income. I remember wondering what to do when the “aha” moment got here: Poshmark, after all! I made a decision to start out over in August 2022.
What were the first steps you took to interrupt away from the game?
At the starting of my post-grad Poshmark journey, I used to be selling items from my personal closet that I now not wore. I arrange an Instagram account for my business and followed other sellers, and there I started to learn more and more about the possibilities of turning a seemingly easy side hustle selling my clothes into something much greater. In September 2022, Poshmark announced the launch of the Poshmark Live Shows beta and I immediately signed up. I used to be approved to host Poshmark live shows where I could engage with the audience and exhibit items in real time, and I believed it was price a try. After a few performances, I used to be delighted. I saw the potential in building my very own business and never looked back.
What were the biggest challenges you faced in building your side team and how did you overcome them?
After a few consistent gigs, I noticed that if I actually desired to build my very own business, there was a lot of labor to be done. I quickly became a mass seller and only had a small amount of my very own clothing to sell. I needed to expand my product range to supply my customers with the products they were looking for. It was around this time that I began sourcing more inventory from other used clothing retailers. Throughout my side trip, I have undergone many development headaches that included sourcing supplies and returning home only to note stains and/or holes on items that turned out to be unsellable, optimizing my time as a one-man sales team large quantities and generally lower the cost of products.
How long did it take for you to attain stable monthly income? How much did the side hustle earn?
Fortunately, I used to be in a position to achieve a fairly consistent monthly income fairly quickly, but it wasn’t until January of this 12 months that I actually felt like I’d found a consistent strategy that worked best for me. I made a decision to pursue Poshmark full-time and sold almost $60,000, with sales increasing month over month.
What does growth and revenue appear like today?
So far in 2024, my revenue is double what it is at this point in 2023. Q1 2024 has seen over 90% growth in comparison with Q1 2023.
What do you enjoy most about working on this side hustle?
I like the creative freedom that working at Poshmark has given me. Working in the used clothing industry gives me the opportunity to decide on specific assortments based on what my audience loves and current trends, while maintaining their inexpensive price and durability.
What is your advice to others who want to start out their very own successful side hustle?
When you are wondering which site is right for you or whether you need to pursue that random creative idea you had, why not do it? There are limitless possibilities to create anything you wish, even if it seems unattainable. My biggest advice to anyone trying to launch a successful side profession is to remain true to yourself. Follow your heart, trust your gut feeling and play with it. Allow yourself space to feel your growing pains, but don’t allow them to discourage you from getting up and trying again.
This article is a part of our ongoing Young Entrepreneur® series highlighting the stories, challenges and triumphs of being… young business owner.