Full Circle Hustle: How My First eBay Side Hustle Came Back Around (and Why That’s Okay)

In 2001, I was a single mom, figuring things out one day at a time—and one of my very first side hustles was selling on eBay. I listed kids’ clothes, thrift store, and Pottery Barn outlet finds. I was scrappy. I was resourceful. I was determined to make life work. My side hustle allowed us to eat out occasionally, take car trips to see our cousins, and enabled me to invest in ads for my massage business. Building a massage business takes time, and I love thrifting, so reselling with its 100% flexibility was (and is again) a fun side hustle. 

Fast forward to 2025: I’m a business owner, educator, massage therapist, and podcast host—and yes, I’m back on eBay. Not because I failed. Not because I gave up. Because I’m a hard worker who’s committed to doing what it takes to build the future I want. At this phase of my life, I'm not a single mom dreaming of owning a successful business and a home. I'm fifty, and I want a paid-off house and a solid retirement plan. This summer, instead of car trips to see cousins, I have two trips to Europe!

Right now, I’m juggling three jobs.

 My online business is currently in a rebuilding phase. The pandemic hit my little business hard, and I didn't reduce expenses ot pivot fast enough. I love teaching and helping MT's start and grow their businesses, and hosting industry events so I plan to keep going, even if it is a bit of a labor of love at this point. 

 I’m doing massage to pay the bills, eBay to knock down personal debt, and everything I can to keep moving forward. And you know what? It feels like ME. I like to work. I always have. But I’m working smarter now. I have a VA—a house cleaner for three hours a week. I’m choosing to hustle, and it's the right choice for me. 

My massage website is getting traffic, and appointments are coming in! It makes me feel good to know "I've still got it." I like teaching from a perspective of - this is what's working, not this is what worked 20 years ago!

There’s something strangely comforting about coming full circle. That scrappy girl from 2001? She’s still here—but wiser now. With more perspective. More grit. And a whole lot more compassion for people doing their best in a messy, nonlinear journey.

So if you’re in a season where it feels like you’re back where you started, know that you’re probably not. You’re showing up differently. You’ve learned. You’ve grown. And maybe, the "circle" isn’t a loop… it’s a spiral, and you’re rising with every turn.

This isn’t my ending. It’s the middle of a comeback story. And when I tell it later? It’ll have a happy ending because I’m writing it that way.

If you’re hustling, too, I see you. Let’s keep going. ☮️❤️💆‍♀️