You Are Never Alone
You only “think” you are.
Hello Mark,
Thanks for the update! And a special thanks for the refund on the postage.
You are an EXCELLENT eBay seller!
Regards,
Griff
I read this email yesterday and thought to myself, who the heck calls themselves “Griff” when I have no idea who they are. I glanced over at my eBay invoice and the name at the top says “Jim Griffith”.
“Why does that name sound familiar?”, I’m thinking. Then I look under the name and the address is:
eBay Inc.
2145 Hamilton Ave
San Jose, CA 95125
“This guy works for eBay”, I conclude and off I go verify my assumption. Yep…. he sure does. Griff is an eBay instructor who hosts his own eBay radio show.
Each day I process eBay orders for shipment. It can be repetitive and sometimes I feel myself becoming conscious of being “unnoticed” by anyone.
Boo hoo, I’m all alone….no one’s here to recognize me when I do something right just for the sake of doing something right. I’m exaggerating because I do know “someone” is watching me even when I don’t “feel it” but it sure is nice to have an “Aaaa Haaa” moment once in awhile. It does wonders for my weak faith.
I discount shipments on multiple eBay orders. Many times customers go ahead and make payment on their multiple orders paying full shipment for each order. When I’ve got a stack of orders to process it’s a nuisance to get out of my routine and issue the credit to the customer.
The little voice in my head says, “oh don’t bother with this customer, he’s perfectly fine paying for all the shipping. You’ve got a lot to do and besides you can use the extra money. The summer months have been slow and you need the dough.”
That I even hear this voice, no matter how small, gets my Irish up!
I’ve not succumbed one time to cheating a customer out of a penny because whether or not I get an award for being the most honest eBay seller it doesn’t make any difference to me.
I KNOW someone watches me. That IS the reward!
This is the blessing my eBay adventure heaps upon me every day. It is the reason I have decided to slash my own way through the unknown forest of business integrity. Exploration of this narrow, seldom tread path, demands deliberate steps and eyes “wide-open” to the lies marketed as truth to all the “opportunity addicts” seeking riches on the 10-lane super highway called the world wide web.
This is the path I am called to follow…..It demands my “heart”, it demands my “life” to stay on this path each day and that’s just the way I like it. I’m not alone and neither are you.
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Comments
Thanks for the kind words Nance, They are appreciated.
Actually I do enjoy the anonymity. It has a freeing effect on what I think and believe. No one to answer too except my customers. I can handle that all day long!
But the deeper I go into the forest of personal integrity the darker and more dangerous the forest looks. Sometimes I feel like the Cowardly Lion from the Wizard of Oz and need to shout (not literally 
), “just follow the yellow brick road……follow the yellow brick road”.
To consistently maintain a high degree of personal integrity where co-worker accountability doesn’t exist, while at the same time successfully competing amongst the wolfs that inhabit the black forest of business is a challenge.
But no worries. I’m up for the challenge.
Hey Steve, Yep I’m fine.
Just ramping up for the Christmas season. September’s gross eBay sales were $6,400 which I’m grateful for. I’ve added a couple of new lines of products and things are moving along slowly but surely.
I’m getting use to riding the razor’s edge. Success and failure are becoming blurred by happiness. I praise God that all our bills are being paid and I’m doing exactly what I’ve always wanted to do. I get to wake up every morning, make my own decisions and fail or succeed based on my own merits.
I’m just not sure if the “same old, same old”, with regards to my blog posts, isn’t getting a bit boring to those following my adventure.
I’m not into becoming an eBay coach or anything remotely like that. There are plenty of people on the Internet more than willing to share their eBay expertise but I’m learning that I’m not one of them. As my online expertise slowly ripens to maturity one thing I am certain of is that the fruit of my expertise will not be in the form of becoming some kind of online guru to help others succeed. I might spit out my two cents once in awhile if asked, but that’s it.
In the profound words of Bob Dylan..It ain’t me babe…no..no..no..it ain’t me babe..it ain’t me your looking for babe.
When I started this blog it was a novelty and was fun to express the results of my adventure to whomever would listen but I’ve reached a “tipping point” in regards to the purpose of recording my adventure.
I’ve got all I’ve ever wanted in terms of the physical. Man I’ve got it made! I’ve got an absolutely beautiful (both inside and out ) wife who loves the dickens out of me and whom I love more than life itself. I’ve got a beautiful home (better than I thought I’d ever have) and no debts beyond my mortgage payment.
I’ve got three terrific kids and I mean terrific. And I’m actually running a little itty-bitty business the way “I” (with the heavy emphasis and “I”) want to run it.
What the hell more can anyone ask for. Life is good….man!
When I feel like having some fun and sharing some of my tweeked thoughts I’ll share a post or two.
All the best,
Mark
Mark,
I watch you everyday almost. I love to read your writing and watch your progress as you muddy the ebay waters. I, too, have noticed your business practices. I am not surprised. You are as good as a salesman on ebay as you were in the corporate world. Even when you couldn’t sell something, you still brought donuts and a smile everytime you stopped by. Yes, I would have to say, you were our favorite rep. Always honest. People notice the good you do but don’t take the time to say, Thanks. Today, I am taking that long overdue time to say thanks for your goodness, honesty and friendship. I will continue to watch you as you soar.