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Brooke is the gal behind Resale Over Retail (how perf is her name?), and I have nothing but good things to say about her. She’s fun and always up for a good time (I remember her twirling on the acrobat’s hanging ring at PoshFest). She’s clever and creative and has the cutest girly boho style. She’s from Dallas and has a sweet little Southern voice (she says y’all but in this really soft + sweet way).
We began selling on Poshmark around the same time (she’s been selling for around a year) and connected on Instagram. What started out for her as a Marie Kondo clean-out-your-closet turned into an entire side hustle of reselling on Poshmark, and she doesn’t plan on stopping there.
Poshing With A Full-Time Job
Throughout the year, Brooke juggled selling on Poshmark with a full-time job of managing an Instagram account for the boutique Favor The Kind, which has over 50k followers. Brooke was promoted to the position and would curate each post and caption while also responding to comments and DM’s.
We chatted about having a consistent voice and brand-presence on social media. I've heard all the tips about being authentic and open on Instagram, but how can you do this as a brand or business?
Brooke mentioned how her boutique is all about kindness, and having this in mind when creating content and responding to comments helps keep the brand consistent and authentic.
She recommended sharing content that encourages people to open up and have real conversations, rather than just focusing on what looks cute or matches your feed.
Her biggest tip for success on Instagram is consistency: showing up every day to post something and respond to comments and DM’s. This way, people can expect your posts and are more encouraged to engage with them.
I asked her about tips for balancing a full-time job with Poshmark, and the first thing she mentioned was having an entire mind shift. She couldn’t let herself think of her days off from her full-time job as actual “days off”. It's always grind time, ya know?
Another tip she offered was creating a routine for yourself. She has a set day of the week for thrifting, and she also strives to get up early and list her items to sell on Poshmark before she leaves for work .
Selling On Instagram
Brooke doesn’t only sell on Poshmark. Lately, she’s been selling on Instagram through try-on story hauls and has been thriving. Instead of immediately listing all her new items to Poshmark, Brooke will record herself modeling the clothes, pointing out different details, and sharing how the item can be styled.
I tried doing this once, and it was a blast! I didn’t sell as many pieces as I was hoping to, however, so I asked Brooke how she finds success doing this.
Brooke has really set herself up for success by strategically following accounts of people who she thinks could be potential customers.
The whole selling on Instagram started with her friends reaching out to her, asking her to look for specific things at the thrift store. Her friends knew to come to her for deals on cute clothes, and Brooke was able to expand her network of buyers through friends of her friends.
Brooke treats selling on Instagram as a service for her customers. She’ll ask on her stories what customers would like her to look for at the thrift store. She also created a poll to find out which time and day of the week worked best for her to do her try-on hauls, which turned out to be Thursday evenings.
Brooke’s consistency has helped increase her audience and success with her Instagram sales. People know when to look out for her sales, and since it’s first-come first-served, there’s a sense of urgency: you don’t want to miss it.
She also does what she calls “customer outreach”. She’ll reach out to past or potential customers when she has something that she thinks they’ll like. If someone had asked her to look for animal print midi skirts, and Brooke finds one, she’ll reach out and let them know.
Curating A Style
Perhaps the biggest key to her reselling success is her sense of style. Brooke shops for herself. If she wouldn’t wear it, she won’t buy it. Period. And if she’s on the fence about something, she’ll see if she can think of three different ways to style it, and if she can’t, she’ll pass on it.
What I loved hearing about was how she refers to her customers as “my girls.” While sourcing, she’ll think, “Is this something my girls would like?” I had recently listened to a podcast on your Ideal Customer Avatar, and this was it! You want to know who your audience is. Know the kind of person you're shopping for and who you're creating content for.
Brooke has in mind the particular customer she’s shopping for, and I think it’s really what’s made her Instagram sales so successful. She chooses style over brand, always, and will only get something if she’s truly in love with it.
You can really build a consistent closet aesthetic for yourself if you're able to follow this method. And I know--I really know--it is so much easier said than done. Like, why, even when I have this in the back of my mind, do I still bring home things I don't love? Brooke says it will still happen to her occasionally, we're all livin' and learnin'! I'm starting to think of it as a muscle: the more restraint and control you're able to have, the easier it will get!
Connect With Brooke!
♡ Poshmark
