Seller Club Podcast
Seller Club Podcast
Episode 80: Up and Running with Rebecca Michals
On today’s SPECIAL EDITION pod, we have the pleasure of talking about an amazing opportunity available to eBay Sellers - the Up and Running Grants! We are in the last week of open applications for this, and you seriously don’t want to miss out. Anna, who won one of these grants a few years back, and Rebecca Michals from eBay Seller Community discuss in depth what this program is all about, how to apply, and how much you truly have to gain! The Up and Running Grants are near and dear to both of their hearts, and it’s now in it’s 6th year of funding the growth of small businesses on eBay. There are 50 winners, so if you’ve never won before, now is the time to get in there and apply!
You can apply for the Up & Running grant from eBay HERE, and we STRONGLY encourage you to do so!
We are so proud and excited to officially be Bronze sponsors of eBay Open LIVE IN PERSON in Las Vegas and streaming EVERYWHERE, August 12-14! We will BE THERE! If you want to be there too, whether in person or virtually, register HERE.
If you love podcast content created for eBay sellers, don’t forget to follow us @sellerclubpodcast and @ebayforsellers and @sellerledger on Instagram.
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Thanks so much for tuning in–tell a friend, rate, subscribe, review, and meet us back in the clubhouse again next week!
Hey everybody, welcome to episode 80 of the Cellar Club Podcast. We have a very special episode today, including a very special guest. So before we get started, of course, we are going to have her drop that beat. That was a beat well dropped, Rebecca. Thank you. I hope they put it off. You crushed it. I'm so excited that you're here with us today. Um, this is the wonderful one and only Rebecca Michaels. And Rebecca, I'll let you introduce yourself, though a lot of our listeners probably already know who you are. Just in case they don't, why don't you tell us who you are and what you do at eBay?
SPEAKER_01:Okay, I am Rebecca Michaels, and I am director of community and engagement at eBay for our US sellers. And I am just thrilled to be here. But before we get into that, wait, did you say the 80th episode? Yes. Can you believe that? That's amazing. Oh my gosh, I'm I feel honored to be here today.
SPEAKER_00:I know it's a milestone. I I can't believe we've like, it's just gotten here so fast, it feels like. I mean, we've been doing these every week, but yeah, it just it's flown by. Like we're so close to 100 and 80 just seems like a nice round number worth celebrating. So I love it.
SPEAKER_01:I'm here for the celebration.
SPEAKER_00:For sure. For sure.
SPEAKER_01:Anyway, I'm so glad to be here. I love spending time with sellers, whether it's on podcasts or like at our recent summer seller check-in. I love reading the chat there especially. But let me tell you a little bit about what I do for eBay for those who maybe didn't come to the summer seller check-in and have never met me. So, as director of community engagement for US Sellers, um, you know, I have the pleasure and the honor of knowing so many sellers and representing sellers who are building and running incredible businesses at eBay. And I lead the team that communicates directly with those sellers, like you. Yes. Helping you to thrive and grow. And so we work across all kinds of channels, hosting seller events, both in-person and virtual, and posting on social media on Instagram, plus our own eBay community forums. Let's see, we also support local events that are led by sellers for sellers with, you know, some help from us behind the scenes. Um, and of course, we also advocate for sellers within eBay and champion whatever feedback or priority sellers like you have and like all your listeners.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it's amazing how many things seller community does, and you really are a champion for us, and I appreciate you so much. I didn't even know that you or eBay did any of that stuff until a very certain point in time, which we will talk about later in this episode. But I just want to say thanks on behalf of all the sellers because now I know at least the tip of the iceberg of everything that you guys do for us to help us run our businesses, to hear us, to make changes and improvements, and really just to add value to our experience selling on eBay's platform, which for me is my home base. It's the love of my life. It's my one platform. So, you know, I really, really appreciate it. Um, that is so cool. And just for everybody listening, we usually, or I should say regularly uh encourage everybody and have links in our show notes and everything for all of the seller check-ins. And you will pretty much always see Rebecca at those. So if you haven't been to one, like you really are missing out. There's just so much value that gets packed into those, and they're short events, they're virtual, they're super helpful. So anyway, I'm really glad to have you here. Um, thanks so much for coming to talk with us. We do have a very specific topic today, though. And Rebecca, this is both of our favorites. One of our favorites, right? So we have that in common, and I love that I get to talk to you about it today. So are you ready to get into it? I absolutely am. I can't wait. Okay, awesome. Well, our big topic for today is the up and running grant program from eBay. And that's because applications are open right now, and there is a deadline, and a lot of people just have no idea that this exists, even though I feel like eBay does a pretty good job of trying to like let us know, but you know we try to. Yeah, you try. I mean, I can definitely speak for other sellers and myself to say it's really easy to just have your head in the sand when you're running a business. So it's hard to get our attention sometimes. But this is so important that we wanted to dedicate a whole episode to it. So I know a lot about this program, spoiler alert, because I was actually a grant winner in years past and it totally changed my life. Like, not just my business, literally my life. So I will share some of my own story today, too. But really, I want to encourage everybody listening who's selling on eBay to apply for this grant. Like, no matter what, you know, you know, perception you might have about how big your business is or how long you've run it or whatever, like just set all of that aside and you know, listen to what we're gonna say about it today because I bet that it really does apply to pretty much everyone listening. So let's talk about what is the grant program at all. It's the up and running grant. eBay has a partner that helps run this grant, right? Can you just kind of give us the basic outline of what it is?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. So as you said, I'm I love this program. I'm so passionate about it because it really represents the eBay mission, creating economic opportunity for everyone and the purpose behind this grant and what how it represents what eBay is here for. It's what brings all of us, me, all of us, to work every single day. Um, so going back in history a little bit, back in 2020 when the pandemic hit, eBay launched a program called Up and Running. And that was all about helping small businesses, brick and mortar as we call it, you know, make that leap into e-commerce because that's where all of the like economy went at that time.
SPEAKER_00:Right. I'm sure so many businesses were just scrambling to figure out like, how do I, how do I transition really quick to having an arm that's all online?
SPEAKER_01:Exactly. And what we learned through that is one of the biggest hurdles for sellers is having access to capital. So, you know, pandemic now, well in the rear view mirror. Um, what the grants program evolved into now is um we dedicate every year$500,000 to help small businesses on eBay grow. We're now in our sixth year of the Up and Running Grants program. That's amazing. I know, like milestones for all of us.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, seriously. I I mean I could have done the math, but I'm really terrible at year math for some reason. But yeah, that is I can't believe it's six years already.
SPEAKER_01:I think, yeah, I applied the first two or three years, I think. So Oh, that's great. I because I'm I'm totally gonna mention that. Like apply more than once. You know, people actually do get a grant after applying two, three times for sure. For anyway, so the actual grant, what is it? It is um for 50 US-based small business sellers. We um grant them a$10,000 package. It includes cash, there's personalized coaching and a whole suite of business resources to help with scaling and growing. Um, and then also, this is really cool and more recent, um, each winner gets a$500 stipend that they can spend on office tech tools and technology. Um, and that's through the eBay refurbished program. So it's really great that they've come in with us. There's the grants and also um the tech and technology. And between those two things and the education and resources, it's a real powerhouse uh for the grantees.
SPEAKER_00:It really is. I I was gonna say, I know there's been a few changes since the year that I won. So that's one of them. There wasn't a refurbished tech um part of it, but I think that's so cool and so helpful. I'm sure that a lot of people would immediately want to upgrade something, right? Whether it has to do with lighting or their computer or you know, whatever. There's obviously this we need technology to run an internet-based business. So I think that's a really great addition. Um that's awesome. Yeah, and all of the the tools and the training and kind of you know, the cohort of people that I was learning with uh as a result, like the other grant winners, that was so incredibly helpful. Like I can't even tell you. Um I mean, I will tell you. I'll tell you a little bit more about it later. But I don't want to monopolize uh the conversation just yet. I will tell a little bit of my story. But in any case, like like you mentioned and I mentioned, you can apply multiple times. I believe I applied in 2021 and maybe one in 22. I'm pretty sure. So at least two times. Um and I would have applied again, except if you have won, you're not gonna win again, from what I understand. So maybe that is one of the rules.
SPEAKER_01:That's right.
unknown:Right.
SPEAKER_00:Which is good because economic opportunity for all, not just for Anna. So that's good. Um That's right. But but that is really good to know if you've applied before. It's a similar process, but you know, it's a slightly new set of questions every year. Um, can you tell us anything about that? Just what the application itself is like?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, well, let me go over the rules real quick first. Oh, perfect. Um the rules are um to be eligible, you have to have um be actively selling within the last six months. You need to be a legal resident of the 50 US states, DC or Puerto Rico. You have to be 18 or older, you have to have a seller rating of above standard or top-rated. And as you said, Anna, you can't have won before. Sad. Sad day. I'm so sorry.
SPEAKER_00:But you know, I do like to you made that rule because of me because I probably didn't apply the next. No, I'm just kidding. That's a good rule.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I mean, it it is good. We love to, we love to share that, share that around. And, you know, as you say, um, you know, apply more than once. If you've applied in the past, you know, you probably get better and better at the application. And I know I have a bunch of of tips that I can share, but and I'd love to, you know, maybe you can start by saying what is it that you learned over applying a few years, like what sort of broke that barrier for you?
SPEAKER_00:For sure. I mean, I think something that was really helpful. So the first year, I was totally, like I said before, I just I had my head in the sand. I didn't know anything about eBay community. I obviously was reached by some kind of communication about the grant. And I was like, oh wow, cool, like sure, I'll apply for this, whatever, like might as well, right? Um, and so, and it was really like easy to do. I feel like the the questions are really approachable and you know, it's not it's not too intimidating to fill out. I'll just say that. But it did, it does make you really think about why, like the why of your story, right? Your bus why you're in business, like how your business interacts with your community and kind of like what your goals are. Like it kind of forces you to evaluate all those things. So the first year, you know, I sat down and looked at the application and just kind of wrote my thoughts and my answers like in the moment. And then by the next year, I was I had thought about it a lot more. You know, I had a lot more clarity about my goals and um also like my business had been running for a whole nother year. So my ideas about what I would do with$10,000 had had changed a little bit. And I do think in some ways it had become more clear. So I would just kind of say that if you, you know, the the deadline is coming up, but if you can take a look at the application and like allow yourself to kind of think about it a little bit and to formulate your responses, like you don't have to sit down and bang at all your answers right then. Um, but I think the more clear you can be about kind of like what what your business is about and what your goals are and where it's going, I think that will help you to to create your answers, you know, and help you to tell your story because really that's what it is. You're you're telling the story of your business and um what your ideas are for like for the future and for growth. And so it helps to be able to articulate that as well as you can.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, you know, I I find that many sellers I hear like it's a good idea to just sit down once a year, reflect on the year past, and think about what your goals are for the next year. Like in the corporate world, we do that every year.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Um, and it's probably a good idea for small businesses. And if the grants are the thing that make that happen for you and writing that application, then that's like an amazing like bringing together of two different purposes. Definitely.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I would say that too. I mean, even if you feel like for whatever reason, I I've talked to a lot of sellers like in person one-on-one and encouraged them to apply. And a lot of them are like, oh, I don't know. I don't know if I'd ever win. My business is just small and blah, blah. You know, everyone has their kind of perception of like, oh, it wouldn't be me. Like, I'm a small potato, but it's still really helpful for you, even if you are a small potato and even if you don't win, to just go through that process. So, but that being said, 50 people win every year, and that's not a small number. So you definitely have a shot.
SPEAKER_01:I'm just saying, shoot your shot, you know? I mean, my guess, I mean, from every one of the grantees that I've had the honor to talk to, there's no one who was like, oh yeah, I'm definitely, I knew I was gonna win. Right. So every year, 50 people who didn't think that they were gonna get it, they do because the stories and the way that they articulate their business goals, it like it's amazing. It's inspiring. I think I have the better end of the deal because I get to read everything. But let me tell you, like, what I've learned over the years makes for a great um application. And these aren't rules, these are really suggestions and like helping helper tips, right? So love that. As you said, I think you said this earlier, like being specific really helps. It's it really helps us understand. Like, tell us exactly how you would use the grant. Is it gonna go toward inventory or expanding your warehouse or adding a second garage, upgrading technology, um, hiring a local kid to help with your listings, like hearing the specifics, not just I want to grow, helps us like um understand and like believe in the vision that that you know you have. Um, I think the other thing that I would say is um specifics, like real specifics help. I have a very clear memory and I know this person won. Um I'm not gonna name check them. One amazing grant was said, I'm gonna use 20% to grow my inventory. I'm gonna use 10% on a short-term part-time hire. I'm gonna use 5% on buying a new camera. And that kind of really like um specific planning helps us understand. Like, you you are a great opportunity for lots of growth on eBay. We can really believe in you and where you're taking your business. And we understand, right? You're trying to help bring us along on your journey as you write these applications.
SPEAKER_00:I love that. Yeah, and it it helps to gauge like what is the impact going to be on your business, right? Like, of course, we all want to grow. We talk about growth a lot on this podcast, you know, in and out um throughout episodes. It's a huge through line that we discuss all the time because all of us, you know, all want to grow. And um, but there are like really specific ways where that you could use a specific dollar amount of money to do that. So it's another really good exercise to think about too, because you know, a lot of us, um a lot of small business owners just kind of get in the grind of running their business and they don't, they might set goals, but it's like, okay, what if you had, what if even if you didn't win the grant? Like, what if this helped you to kind of visualize, you know, here's my capital goal to improve to level up my business next year? I mean, even if you're the one who's kind of filling up that bucket with an idea of what you'd spend it on and how that would help you directly grow, like that again, that's such a great exercise for any one of us to do. Um but it's even better. I will tell you from experience, even better when somebody hands you$10,000. So it's even better when you can do it right now and you, you know, it's it's a huge boost for your business. But also, like it's a great opportunity. You have to use it wisely. So you do, you do. Having a plan helps with that.
SPEAKER_01:Having a plan really helps, but you know, it's not just about like the numbers and plan, like there's also that personal story. Like, Anna, you know better than anyone. Every single business is unique, every seller is unique, they have a different reason for doing what they do. Sometimes it's really just to make some money. I say just, it's not just, it's to make money. They they want to pay for someone's college, or they you know, have you know obligation, financial obligations to meet, and they need a little help doing that. Or they always wanted to run a business, or maybe they had a passion for pickleball and realized they want to start selling pickleball equipment because they know a lot about it. Like, yeah, whatever it is, though, it's it's hearing those personal stories that makes this program incredibly inspiring for us at eBay who read all of them, and then and then we get to know people and we get to know sellers and um help you tell your story, which is really the amazing part.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and honestly, like that is that that's really what I mean when I say that winning the grant changed my life. Like$10,000 boosted my business, no doubt. But, you know, eBay, eBay at large or eBay seller community and I had no relationship before that, right? And when I won the grant and I took every single opportunity there was, like when there was training involved and there were like Zoom calls where we walked through kind of best business practices and things like that. And um from that, I got to know not only other sellers who had totally different businesses than me, which is always so interesting to me. You know, over the years of being involved with eBay Open, um, some of the sellers I've gotten to meet through that experience year after year, like are other grant winners. And it's so amazing to me how diverse the businesses are, like whether it's like a really specific niche or not, even if it's not, even if it's another miscellaneous kind of seller like me, our businesses are really different and our lifestyles are different, and it's just so interesting. Like I can never get enough of learning about that, like other sellers' stories and how they have designed a successful business on eBay that fits them. And I just love that so much. But anyway, the grant stuff that came along with the money, basically, all the other stuff was really what connected me with seller community. And like one little thing led to the next. And this isn't necessarily how it unfolds for everybody, but for me, you know, I was in these meetings uh and I was in these trainings, and I was just like soaking everything up like a sponge. And from there, you know, somebody within the grant program asked me, like, hey, you know, would you be interested in like being a guest on the eBay for business podcast? And I was like, Yeah, of course. And I had actually I had a podcast in the past, so I was really comfortable with podcasting already. And I'm like, that sounds great. I would love to share anything I know that would help other people, like, you know, put me in, coach. So that happened. And then kind of like next, then, you know, every little interaction, it's like you get more connected with the community, which is so cool. And I feel like one thing just keeps leading to the next. And now here we are, Rebecca, talking on the Seller Club podcast. So here we are. And last year we, you know, co-hosted eBay Open together. And like that was just fun, yeah. It's amazing, but literally none of that would have ever happened if I had not applied two times for the up and running grant.
SPEAKER_01:So usually you know, I do want to say, I do want to say though, um, you don't have to win a grant and you don't have to have a podcast to get involved with the with the eBay community.
SPEAKER_00:I was just especially hard to reach under my rock. So there's a lot of other ways to get involved.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Come out here.
SPEAKER_01:We we have virtual events every every quarter. Um, we also have, I mentioned them earlier, the local buy-seller for seller um in like local meetings where sellers can get together, you know, maybe it's 10 other sellers, maybe it's a hundred, and you can get to know sellers in your area, talk about the the highs and the lows of selling, talk about, you know, getting through your death pile profit pile. And you're like, oh, let me stop myself.
SPEAKER_00:You know, you know.
SPEAKER_01:Um, and there's so many ways to get involved in the community, and it's both the connection and the education. You don't have to win a grant to get all of the education. Yeah. Um, the grant winners get a little more one-on-one, a little more personalized coaching, but all of it still exists everywhere on eBay. So, you know, take a few minutes out of your business and go on a hunt and see where you can learn and where you can connect because it really is transformational for um for many sellers.
SPEAKER_00:It is. And like I again, we're where I feel like we're hard to reach as small business owners sometimes. And um, there's always a lot of you know communications with running a business. So it's easy for us to just like overlook things too. But I feel like I kind of did things backwards because like now, like I was never involved in a local meetup before. And just this year, I finally have gotten involved in the Central Illinois eBay sellers group. And we just, Rebecca had we went to a goodwill bins location and we had brunch at the bins, not in the bins or from the bins, but at the bins. We brushed your hand. We well, we had brunch before we went in. We like tailgated brunch in the parking lot. So for anyone curious, that's how that works. But it was so fun, and like that's one of those things that you know I could have probably been doing the whole time had I been aware of it, but I kind of did do things backwards. So now, now I'm getting involved, you know, the traditional way, I guess. But um, but I'm just so glad, you know, even no matter how you get there, like get there, get connected with the seller community, definitely apply for this grant because you have nothing to lose, nothing at all. If anything, you'll just walk away more prepared and more um understanding of your own business and your own goals. So I just love it.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. Oh, you know, I this is great. I love hearing stories of of all sellers, um, grant winners, especially, and hearing like how it boosted your business. I it's it's the best part of my job. It really is. I'm so lucky. Um, quick plug because applications are open now and they close on June 6th at 6 p.m. Eastern time, and you can apply through hello Alice.com slash grants slash eBay. That's hello Alice, H E L L O A L I C E. They're that partner you referred to earlier that helps us with the grant program.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so you'll you'll apply. The application kind of lives on their site, and you go through them to do the application, which is really great. They make it really easy. Their user interface is great. Um, and we will definitely have this link in our show notes. I'm sure we'll be talking about it on social media. We'll have it in our link tree. But, you know, you can go there your own, like on your own, like Rebecca just said, just go to that address and you can find the application there. And I would encourage everybody to just at least look at it and start thinking about those answers. If you don't want to kind of just write your answers off, you know, on the fly. Like give yourself some time to marinate. Give your ideas time to marinate.
SPEAKER_01:You know, it's a good idea to like write it in a separate document and then copy and paste it in rather than trying to write in the application. I this has happened to me. Like if the window crashes and you're devastated because all your heart and work. Sorry, hello, Alice. It's never gonna do that.
SPEAKER_00:But um No, but I will say I I did that too just be for the sake of like spell check and things like that. Like I wrote it in Google Doc, and that was so helpful when I went to apply the next year because I had a foundation already and I could see how my answers changed, and I could see, you know, maybe how I wanted to tighten them up because at least what I've seen is that um year to year, a lot of the questions are kind of similar, right? It's always trying to get at your story of your business, what are what your goals are, and there's always a little variation, but it would help to um give yourself a starting point, you know, for the next time. And just plan on applying till you win, guys. Like, like I said, you have nothing to lose if you do this, these questions in a Word document, like we're talking about, like that saves you even more time next year if you don't win this year.
SPEAKER_01:So Yeah, absolutely. So, Anna, I just have to ask, what was it like finding out that you had received a grant? Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_00:Well, yes, I was gonna ask you because I was certainly one of those people who did not really think I was gonna win. In fact, I had planned on not winning because I didn't win the year before. So I was like, okay, that was fun, you know. Again, good it was a good exercise. I took that, I took it at face value for that and just kind of like not totally forgot about it. At that point, I think I knew, okay, there will be winners announced, you know, around this time of this month or whatever. Um, and I I do want to ask you if you know or if you can tell us like what that's like now, because I don't know. It's been a few years if that has changed any, like how people find out they win and you know, when that happens. But but for me, I'll tell you my story first. I was um I was like really working my business. I had just moved uh a lot of stuff to storage units for the first time. So I built my business in my garage and I had just transitioned to storage units because I did this big estate clean out. And it made it very clear like now's the time to go to an external storage space. Um and so I just kept my shipping station in my garage, but I had to go out and pull my inventory all the time from the storage unit. And there's a Dunkin' Donuts that I'd always go to on the way to my storage unit. Um, because of course I needed coffee to do all that inventory management. So I was in my car in the drive-thru for Dunkin' Donuts, and I ordered at the window or at the speaker, checked my email on my phone between the speaker and the pickup window, and saw an email that said I won. And I just lost it, you guys. I was crying, like bawling, bawling. And so I pull up to the window, just like completely tear streaked. I was just a normal person 30 seconds ago ordering my coffee, and now I'm like snot, like crying, bawling, and you know, picking up my coffee. And I I think I even said something to the person who was handing me my coffee, like, these are happy tears. Like, I got really good news. You know, they're like, great. But but I was just like, wow, either I don't know, they probably think I had a mental breakdown in that 30 seconds, but actually I had just received like the best, most unexpected news. So I I just couldn't believe it. But I I didn't um I was shocked, I think. I I didn't expect to have that emotional of a reaction, but I immediately knew, you know, it took me right back to when I was pouring my heart into my application and all the things that I was dreaming of doing in my business. And I just right then it was like, wow, your wish is granted. And that was magical. So it was very, very magical experience, even though I probably slightly frightened a Dugged Donuts employee. Such a great story. I love it. I didn't know what to do with myself the whole day. I was like, oh my gosh, what do I do? I'm so excited. I know.
SPEAKER_01:Uh yeah, I I have had the um the pleasure of doing some uh notifications on Zoom, you know, because 50 different locations all on the same day.
SPEAKER_00:You know, it's busy. There was no seller community jet, you guys.
SPEAKER_01:No, definitely not. Um more like seller community sneakers. Um, but anyway, um yeah. Um we're oh, I know where I was. Anyway, uh we like to do them on Zoom because as much as possible, we want to see people's faces. We want you to see our faces and how happy we are for you. And honestly, we like to record it, you know, being able to then use that footage to inspire other sellers later on is you know, it's a great part of being able to tell. Definitely, in a good way, made a few sellers cry over the years by letting them. I mean, I kind of honestly do.
SPEAKER_00:I love it.
SPEAKER_01:I do because you know, it it means that you know, we're on the right track here and we're having the right sort of impact. And and that, you know, like is it at the top? It it's why I come every day, is because I get to talk to sellers like you, hear your stories, um, and do everything I can to help you achieve all the dreams that you have for your business. And, you know, tears are are emotional. I've been known to, you know, choke up a little myself because it is a just such a life-changing before and after moment.
SPEAKER_00:It is. It's it's wonderful. I know I've seen some of those kind of compilation videos of of the grant, you know, um, year over year. And it's it's always so cool to see. I I wish I could go through and like tally like what are the common phrases, right? Like, are you kidding me? Are you serious? Maybe an expletive here and there, who knows? But those ones probably don't know. We cut those out. We cut those out. But I'm sure they happen, you know. But I love that. It's like what a wonderful surprise, you know? Like, yeah, you just like can't beat that feeling. It's so good.
SPEAKER_01:That's great. Well, I'm glad that you were able to have that moment. I hope that there are plenty of people out there listening and envisioning their moment. Because I am sure with 50 grants, someone out there in the audience listening today, there's a winner out there. I know it. And you just have to believe in yourself, have that vision, take a minute to write it. And um, it literally could be you.
SPEAKER_00:Definitely. And the only way that you know you won't is if you don't apply.
SPEAKER_01:So get in there and apply. This is very true. Very true. So June 6th at 6 PM Eastern. Um, not too much time left, but you know, that's like um a little bit more than a week. And I think you can do a lot of thinking and writing in a week. So I can't wait to read all of the applications. For those wondering, we read hundreds. Like your application is not going into a black hole. I read so many of them and not just skimming, like really thoughtful taking care, reading them carefully. Because if someone took the time to, you know, pour their heart out onto a you know digital page, I'm gonna take the time to read it and think carefully about it and really try to understand that seller and what they want for their business. Um and so like take the time, write it, it will be read, and um, yeah, just take a chance. It's it's it's gonna be worth it.
SPEAKER_00:I feel like the application is really well balanced. Like it it's kind of short answer, you know, thorough enough that you can give a really vivid picture of your business and your goals, but it's also like obviously real people are reading them. Like they're short and they're concise enough that it's like obviously these are getting processed, you know. It's it's not just um being skimmed or something. That's not how it works. And I love that you guys just do your due diligence on all of that and um really appreciate, you know, everybody like pouring their heart into it. It's really cool.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. And I mean, try and write a great application, but look, this is this is not English class, like you know, right? Like it does not have to be perfect grammar. You just needed to get the story across. It doesn't have to be perfect spelling, just do your absolute best. Um, and your passion will shine through, even if you like misspell a word here and there. So even if you don't feel super confident as a writer, you should feel really confident in your story and in your ambitions for your business. So I again I would just encourage no one to tell themselves, no, I can't do this, because you can.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, you definitely can. Well, speaking of ambitions for your business, we have a very exciting large conference coming up this summer. And I know you know stuff about it. So can we talk about eBay Open a little bit?
SPEAKER_01:I would love to. So eBay Open 25 is coming up August 12th through 14th of this year, and it is our biggest US seller event of the year, and I just can't wait. Oh my gosh, I'm so excited for this.
SPEAKER_00:This is gonna be so next level. I can't wait. We will be there. So we already are just you know planning our outfits. No, maybe some of us are planning our outfits. No, but I am so excited. I can't wait to see who's gonna turn up and all you know, everything that's gonna be available. It's gonna be so cool to be in person. I know a lot of sellers have been to eBay events in person before, like eBay open before COVID, you know. But I wasn't because I wasn't involved yet until after the whole grant situation. So I have never done this and I can't wait for this to be like my first time. And it is a big milestone anniversary. So that's really exciting. Um that's made our 30th. Yeah. So what, yeah, what is there any little tidbits you can share about uh just anything about it, really programming or things you're looking forward to?
SPEAKER_01:Well, you want to know a secret? It is my first in-person eBay open as well. We need like rookie shirts. That would be really funny. Um, so first of all, I want to say that there's actually two different ways to join. There is the in-person component in Las Vegas, um, but there also is the live stream, just like we have done over the last years. Um, we have all of the same content. There's keynotes, there's topic sessions, networking opportunities. Um, and so whether or not you can make it to Vegas, eBay Open is absolutely a great use of your time. Hey, you know, if you're on the live stream, you can be listing and I mean focus on the content exclusively, of course, but you can be listing or packing shipments or, you know, doing some work in the background while also absorbing all of the great content. So I mean, there's a benefit to being, you know, cozy at home and also getting all the great content.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it really that is such the best of both worlds. I mean, I've enjoyed that every eBay open I've been part of so far that has been virtual. And I feel like you guys have done such a great job of giving us a lot of value virtually every year. So, you know, this year will not be an exception to that. It'll just have the in-person side of it too. So I'm really excited.
SPEAKER_01:Exactly. And no matter what way you join, you're gonna hear from leaders, you're gonna grow your skills, you'll find new strategies to take your business to the next level, just like we were talking about with the grants. Well, this is the education content that I was saying that everybody has access to. Um, and you know, you might meet some cool sellers to make friends with as well. Like, Anna. You might. You definitely will. If you show up, you will, I think, you know. Yeah. And and as you said, um, 2025 is eBay's 30th anniversary. So we're gonna have some celebratory moments too. Um, more to come on those during the live stream. We're gonna probably keep a few surprises.
SPEAKER_00:Awesome. Yes, and registration for that is open as well. We have links to that everywhere as well. And you know, there's a little more time to look into that. But I know that um you guys are making it, you know, as as as doable as possible for sellers to fly to Vegas if they're not local to Vegas. And although there are some really cool sellers I know who are in Vegas already. So hopefully you'll be there too. Yeah. But um, you know who you are, you cool people. But yeah, it it is uh really a cool time to focus on on your business and just like for me, like selling on eBay is much more than a business, it's kind of a lifestyle. And this is like my favorite time of the year in my business because I get to kind of relish that and also focus on growth. And I definitely find myself uh every year around eBay Open, like evaluating my goals and things because I'm learning all this new stuff and I'm deciding, you know, what am I gonna implement right away or what's something I should consider that I haven't done before. So it's always like there's so much opportunity to do that and to kind of uh refocus on your business in a really fun way. You know, it's not it's not like a boring conference, like a work conference that I think a lot of other people in other industries have to just deal with. Like we get to have an absolute blast. So take full advantage of that.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, absolutely. And yeah, I have to say, because everybody always asks, yes, there will be swag. Um yes, I love it. Um, there's gonna be stuff both um at the at the Las Vegas conference, and then there's gonna be the same stuff for people who join virtually, plus some limited edition goodies for people who are watching the live stream. But we know everybody loves swag. So we're gonna we're gonna try and fulfill on that on that piece of the excitement. But look, I can't wait. We're gonna have all sorts of speakers. Jamie Iannoni, our C CEO, is gonna come talk. Jordan Sweetham, who is the chief commercial officer, will be on stage. Don Block, my my uh manager, will also be on stage. And then um we're gonna have leaders of categories from collectibles to fashion and motors and PA. But it's not just about, you know, those big, those big keynote moments. We also have so many workshops, some led by eBay experts, you know, like on shipping and other fundamentals. Some are gonna be led by sellers actually, explaining how to, you know, if you're earlier in your business, uh, some of those foundational pieces, we'll have stuff for people who are super experienced. So you can kind of pick your own adventure on the content that matters to you most. Um, and we're really trying to build it so it works for absolutely everyone, no matter how you engage with the event.
SPEAKER_00:I love that. Yeah, I I always love the kind of spread and diversity of especially like those breakout type of sessions where you can really just choose a path that makes the most sense for you. And it's it just gets to become a really customized experience. So that's so neat. Well, Rebecca, we will definitely have to talk more about some of those updates as they roll in. But thank you so much for joining me in the clubhouse today. It was so fun having you here. I hope we'll have you again sometime soon.
SPEAKER_01:Well, thank you for inviting me. This was this was a delight. I really appreciate it. Thanks for giving me a chance to come and encourage everyone to apply for the up and running grants, talk a little bit about open and spend time with you. This has been a really fun morning.
SPEAKER_00:I'm so glad. I'm so glad. Yes, and I am right there with you, encouraging literally every person listening to this. If you have a business on eBay already, please go apply. How big or small, doesn't matter. You know your story, and it's worth the little bit of time to fill out the application and do it. You have nothing to lose and so much to gain. So, with that, we will see you on the next episode, episode 81. Bye.