Shownotes
What a great story. Walk away from an incredibly promising certain future to level up your family commitments. This lady has it straight! Look out into your future, do you see what you are doing right now being the thing you want to do in the future? (Oh and are you happy in that image in the future?) That’s a clue then of where you need to steer your commitments.
Mentioned:
Amazing Freedom- Andy, Liran and Nathans growing portfolio of Amazon related business offerings
Sponsors
Gaye’s Million Dollar Arbitrage List
Transcript: (note- this is a new tool I am trying out so it is not perfect- it does seem to be getting better)
Stephen: [00:00:00] Wanted to take a second and recognize my sponsors this week. You know Gaye Lisby million dollar arbitrage as Edge and list. That’s a mouthful. It is. But guess what. It’s a great opportunity. You know you can build a big Amazon business. You don’t need a lot of capital when you start. I mean we all started you know most of us started selling books and then move into retail arbitrage. That is the place that you can turn your money. The vastness and online arbitrage. And so by having that skill set by learning those skill sets you can get the best bang for your buck. And so Gase group will help you learn online arbitrage. It’s more than just a list service they’re going to give you a whole bunch of actionable inventory every single day. Right. Monday through Friday. However there’s also a mentor ship that goes on and that mentor ship is so important because sometimes it’s great to know what to buy but it’s more important to understand why to buy it. And it’s that you know learning to fish or just getting fed. You know you really want to learn because ultimately you want to strike it on your own. And this is a great way to do it. So how about seven days free trial how about a free trial. Right. Very very cool. So it’s amazing freedom to come forward slashes a mouthful the word momentum carries a hyphen. And you put in the word arbitrage. So it’s amazing freedom does come forward slash momentum dash arbitrage and you’re going to get a free trial in Gase group. You got to tell her I sent you right. I also have the link in the episode.
Stephen: [00:01:38] But it’s such a great opportunity. She is amazing amazing I’m in that group. So you’ll see me there an amazing amazing person who’s there to answer your questions who’s there to help lead you and help guide you and that’s what Kay does. She does it every single day. The testimonials are real. Go take a look. You will be blown away. And again it’s a free trial.
Stephen: [00:01:58] I have the link on this episode. Reachin you know Sellar labs Jeff Cohen and the team they have blown me away with this scope project. We use this all the time for our business. We do a lot of private label we also do a lot of wholesale and wholesale bundles you know or multi packs that kind of thing which a lot of people do but we use scope to help us figure out what are the key words. And so it’s really simple. You basically figure out where you’re going to sell what you’re going to sell what category find that like product. Find the top couple sellers and find their keywords. Boom magic. There you go. You copy the best because it’s working. And guess what. That’s a proof of concept and scope allows you to do that. So it’s Sellar Lapps dotcom forward slash scope Sellar labs dotcom buzzword slash scope use the code word momentum and you’re going to get a couple days free trial and you’re going to save a little bit of money and you get to get some free keywords. It’s worth every penny. I’m in that group. Come and check me out. Celebes dotcom forward slash scope again use the word momentum. Solutions for e-commerce. Karen Locher great great great group.
Stephen: [00:03:11] I’ve been using them for a long time and I guess over 2 years and I’m in there and pages like everybody else. Yes she’s a sponsor of my show but she makes me pay. And I get the same 50 dollar discount that you can get. Oh by the way you’re going to get that through my link and my link only. Oh and you’re also going to get the free inventory health analysis. Great way to start 2018 get your inventory in line and Karen will help you do that. We use it for everything. I mean basically you know long term storage fees coming up. Guess what she will evaluate. She’ll make some recommendations. And also check check check take these out this return blah blah blah blah blah. And magically it’s done. I love it. Love it. Love it. I love the fact that they take and get rid of stranded inventory for me. I see it in there.
Stephen: [00:03:56] And then next time I go in and it’s gone. Love it love it love it. Got an IP infringement. She’s going to help you work your way through that. This is the kind of service that you get from Karen Locher that solutions for the number for e-commerce solutions for e-commerce dot com forward slash momentum. Right. So you got it forward slash momentum and you’re going to save 50 dollars a month six bucks a year by just clicking that link. She pays me. I want to hide that I never do. I’m always upfront about that but it doesn’t cost you anything additional. And you’re going to get that inventory Health Report the only way you get that is through mine link solutions.
Cool voice guy: [00:04:33] The number for e-commerce dotcom forward slash momentum welcome to the e-commerce momentum podcast where we focus on the people the products and the process of commerce selling today. Here’s your host Stephen Peterson.
Stephen: [00:04:53] Welcome back to the e-commerce and podcast. This is episode 273 Kelly filio didn’t butcher the name.
Stephen: [00:05:01] I got it right.
Stephen: [00:05:04] Get ready to get Spierer. You know I say that after every interview but it’s the truth. I leave these interviews palm jazzed. I can’t wait to go out and work on our business because it’s so inspiring hearing someone who I think I think is a really good example of somebody who’s got it figured out who’s got it figured out. Because I ask her some tough questions about what matters and her answers are so solid her family matters her her her health matters her you know kind of happiness her freedom all that stuff matters because the alternative is an unhappy life one that you’re miserable and that you’re sitting there saying hey why why why. And rather than wait 40 years to say why and then retire and die as opposed to walking away from something that’s doesn’t mean you failed. It’s to me again and I make this point that you made a choice. That’s a win. I mean the fact that you made a choice because it’s so hard to really make a life altering choice. Hence the reason most people don’t. Kelly did. And I just think a great example of someone and again I’m inspired I’m Jast.
Stephen: [00:06:14] Let’s get to the podcast where we welcome back to the e-commerce podcast very excited about today’s guest because she is full of energy. She has pumped me pump Tom literally from the preinterview I’m like ready to do laps. I’m excited. I’m very very excited. Kelly filio do in the last name you did it Steve.
Kelly: [00:06:34] Oh my goodness. Thank God I was so stressed over that. That’s the only thing I stress the curly part ahead down. I was good on that but man I was just going to block on it. That’s a tough one but I’m not the first to say that correct. Correct. Now that I appreciate that.
Stephen: [00:06:49] Well you’re a big seller that nobody knows. Nobody’s ever heard of you. You laid low. You got to kept to yourself and you didn’t know any better. That’s a pretty good description isn’t it. I prefer it that way.
Kelly: [00:07:02] I low I you know I know a lot of people in the space and I love networking and meeting people. But yeah I just I’m focusing on my business and my family and that keeps me busy.
Stephen: [00:07:13] I think that that’s so smart though. You’re not looking for notoriety you’re not looking for dragging you out to do this but yet you’re willing to put yourself out there to meet others and do all those things. I think that’s a hard balance to be right because it kind of came up in the preinterview.
Stephen: [00:07:31] You get a little envious you get a little compares. You said you compare yourself to others. That happens right.
Kelly: [00:07:41] Oh it’s it’s so natural. And you know especially in this space I mean I’m surrounded by you know so many successful entrepreneurs and a lot of them are males you know and they face you know very different struggles that many women do. I think you know as women we have a lot of advantages as we’re just smarter smarter.
Kelly: [00:08:00] I’ve no doubt of course but we’re all about what taskers right you know and you know I always have to remind myself that you know I’ve even I’m always ribbing my husband you know because he’s got a full time career very successful demanding career. And you know he gets to just focus on that. Not that he’s not a great dad and he’s very involved.
Kelly: [00:08:18] But you know when he’s working he’s working when I’m working I’m crying and a lot of laundry I have to go to the grocery store take the doctor to bed you know what a other of a plethora of domestic duties as I like to call them. And yes there’s a lot to juggle. And you know that’s what makes you know being around successful people all the more important. You know it’s just trying to you know feed off that vibe and you know I get jealous when I see them all traipsing off to all their conferences and trips and you know I go on some but you know I have to be selective of where I go and where we spend my time as my primary responsibility as is being here for my clients and the others get jealousy.
Stephen: [00:08:53] You want your kids. Trust me that’s a big deal to a lot of people that don’t have kids or their kids are gone. You know where that empty nest syndrome. Our youngest he’ll graduate from college this year. And it’s like oh my God there’s just two of us now and we’ve been married 31 years and about two months.
Stephen: [00:09:10] And so it’s like wow we’re back to us we’ve had kids for our whole life. Now it’s us.
Kelly: [00:09:16] So I do think about those days some time and I’m in no rush to get there. I mean I love my husband dearly but I love my kids with a passion as most parents do and I just can’t imagine them you know going off on their own some day. But I’m not too far behind you I’ve got to get a teenager and a preteen so you know I that the clock is ticking for sure. So every minute counts.
Stephen: [00:09:37] And then the grandkids and we have got three granddaughters. Oh my god I can’t wait to see him. I mean literally we’re almost every other weekend with them because it’s lives and their girls and they love their grandpa. And I just love it. But you know anything they want and I have a weapon that is full of toys. I’m like the best grandfather in the world. It’s like what do you want. Take whatever you want. They’re like you don’t run it through the police. So anyone know about me. So. What are the questions I want to ask you. Because you come from. You have a legal background so you’ve been in corporate America and you’ve done a bunch of things.
Stephen: [00:10:08] This one is this question of front. I had someone on interview while back and she made this statement that Amazon is one of the selling on Amazon and you also have your own Web site but selling and e-commerce will say it that way is one of the most even things you could do.
Stephen: [00:10:25] Nobody cares if you’re a man or a woman you’re black or white older your own. All the other myriad of possible differences. It’s one of the most even. Has that been your experience too.
Kelly: [00:10:39] Absolutely I couldn’t agree with that more. I mean with everything we have today with the power of the Internet and all the things we’re able to leverage and just in my short stint as an e-commerce entrepreneur it’s been about three years now.
Kelly: [00:10:53] What has happened not only in the Amazon landscape but just you know the internet in general is just mind boggling and it really does level the playing field so you know there’s no better time. I mean I think we hear this all the time but really there’s no better time to be an entrepreneur. And in my opinion e-commerce entrepreneur you know I can be in my yoga pants and go out harana comeback or you know gross and get to work and nobody cares.
Stephen: [00:11:17] Thanks for the vision. So it’s funny. You know you just made the statement. There’s no better time. But but wait. I missed it Kelly. Have I missed it. Am I too late to the game. You know you know somebody has already invented everything that’s ever going to be invented. Can I be that guy to my past my prime. The answer No.
Kelly: [00:11:39] Absolutely not. We hear that all the time. And you know it really I mean it starts first and foremost with your with your mindset and your mentality and if you don’t have that straight then and no business venture is going to work.
Stephen: [00:11:52] And what does that mean. So tell me what you mean what that means to you.
Kelly: [00:11:55] Well it means that the first of four mostly active Believe in yourself and you have you can’t be afraid to fail. And you know I know we hear that all the time as well. It sounds cliche at this point but you do have to feel that that’s proof that you’re doing your job as an entrepreneur. And believe me I have failed and I continue to fail.
Kelly: [00:12:12] I mean I can probably rattle you know five to 10 things. On any given day that are going wrong in my business. But I keep pushing forward and learning from my mistakes and it’s going to make me a better entrepreneur.
Stephen: [00:12:24] But how do you not end up in the corner sucking your thumb. I mean it did and it did happen. I mean the first time that failure happened all my life is over dumb terrible back to a job.
Kelly: [00:12:35] Never. Never. Life is over not. Not that bad. I have had some major challenges especially over this past year. And there were some stressful times but I know that you know I’m going to get through it and no matter what I you have to be grateful and you have to live at this daily appreciation for what you have in her life.
Stephen: [00:12:55] That’s a big statement.
Kelly: [00:12:57] It’s true. It’s true. And any time I’m feeling you know that I’m entering into a pity party zone you know I’m thinking about what’s truly important is my life with my family. The times that we get to spend together the freedom and the flexibility and the independence that I have to do whatever I want whenever I want with my kids and my husband. That’s priceless.
Stephen: [00:13:17] Well let’s talk about that because you have this fancy education you’re not just undergrad you got a law degree. So you went all the way and you were going to be this spectacular where you’re going to make the world a better place right. You were going to be a Supreme Court justice someday. I don’t know what you’re going to be maybe president right. But you are going to be all those things but they come with trade offs big tradeoffs specially you know when it comes to family I mean you know at least my experience in my professional life which I’m now retired from it. You had to give it all up if you really wanted to go for the brass ring and I assume in the law profession that’s pretty much the way it is there too.
Kelly: [00:13:56] I absolutely saw it that way and I realized that even early on in my career when I was single and in my 20s and was able to put in 160 billable hours a week when I got off my career basically the only life I had was the way to work and working out. That was my life. And I remember vividly thinking then how am I ever going to do this and have a family. Like what.