Rooted Drawers is a reselling business started by Shelby. She started the business a few years ago with just a bridesmaid dress on Poshmark. She now mainly sells fashion items. But she likes to mix things up with some hard goods and furniture too.
Shelby uses eBay as her main platform and cross-lists her products on six other sites.
Though reselling is the core of her business, it has evolved into much more. Shelby has taken the opportunity to become a business coach. Together with her husband, she also runs a small service that assists clients with downsizing their homes.
These days, she’s making about $4,000 a month in profit. This might not be much but she’s proud of keeping things moving quickly and not letting inventory pile up in a storage unit.
How she got the idea for the business
Shelby had a bunch of different jobs and even a corporate career early on in her life. But none of them felt quite right. She found it tough to drag herself through each day. She constantly wondered, “Is this really what I’m meant to do with my life?”
She wanted to do something on her own, something she was passionate about. So, she kept brainstorming and daydreaming even while she was working.
After she met her husband, they bought a house and settled down. Shelby thought about having kids and still wanting to contribute from home. But she wasn’t looking for just another remote job. She had lots of ideas during this time, thinking each one could be the big break.
It finally hit her after selling that first dress—reselling could be her thing. She had plenty of stuff around the house to get started. All she needed to do was learn to list them on sites like Poshmark.
Initially, she sold items from around her home. As her business expanded, she realized she could find more items at thrift stores, yard sales, and similar places.
She tried buying in bulk for a while but quickly abandoned that approach. Instead, she focused on picking items individually or helping others clear out their homes. This way, she could offer the best prices and quality while keeping her costs low.
How she sells the products
Instead of going to a physical store, Shelby chose to sell on Poshmark. The platform’s user-friendly listing process made it easy for her to get started quickly.
She listed her first item and began interacting with interested buyers. She provided measurements and answered questions. After successfully selling her first piece, she started listing more items from around her home. It didn’t take long for her to gain some traction.
Shelby then expanded to other platforms. Most of her sales now come from eBay, Poshmark, and Mercari. She also sells occasionally on Depop, Etsy, and Kidizen, though these aren’t her main focus.
She only created a website a few years into her reselling journey. Seeing blogs and vlogs everywhere, her husband suggested starting a blog. So, she decided to give it a shot.
Shelby was also social media-free for a long time. She only focused on growing her business on the eCommerce platform. But now, she posts regularly on Rooted Drawers’ Pinterest page.
Most of Rooted Drawers’ growth has been organic. Shelby has spent little to no money on acquiring customers.
How she started offering coaching services
As Shelby’s reselling business grew over the years, she was itching for a new challenge. She felt like there was still more she could offer.
When she started her reselling journey, Shelby had no clue how to do what she’s doing now. It took her thousands of hours of learning, planning, failing, and trying again. That’s why she launched a coaching program. Her goal? To help others like her spend less time failing and more time doing what they love.
Shelby is now making daily sales in the teens to twenties. She’s also helping other small business owners and entrepreneurs find their passion and build their businesses online in the best way possible.
