Jennifer McMillian

What is your biggest success so far?

My biggest success in life as a whole are my daughters Jillian and Sarah.  They have both grown into strong, smart, successful women. Jillian and Sarah have been key participants in the development and growth of our business.  Although they will continue to have roles in the business, Jillian is currently attending law school at American University in Washington, DC. Sarah is currently attending Nursing school at Margaret H. Rollins School of Nursing.

What is the biggest challenge in your industry? What are you doing to deal with that?

My biggest challenge in this business includes constantly adapting and changing to everything and being able to make these changes happen quickly. Consumer behavior changes all the time. A single breaking news event can send the consumer into an entirely new direction.  I have to be readily prepared to handle these behavior changes quickly. The complexity of taxation of small business combined with the ability to manage government regulations and requirements is a tremendous use my time and resources. To deal with these challenges I have continue to read publications every single day during any free moment that I have.  As time is limited, I have begun to outsource some of these responsibilities.

What advice would you give to a business owner starting out in your industry that you wish you would have known going in?

I never graduated from college. I also faced many big life obstacles and setbacks in my 20s.   However, I had a job with a solid salary at a local credit card bank. Even though it was a great place to work with a lot of opportunities, I never felt that I belonged. In 2007 after over 16 years with the company, I was laid off and scared and devastated. On the side, I was selling on Ebay as a hobby successfully for years. My husband encouraged me to give it chance full time. I am so glad I listened and I am so glad I was laid off.

My Tips:

1. Make a business out of your passion. In my early days, I met a man who was doing a tremendous business selling antique tools on Ebay.  I went to local auctions and bought so many tools. I rarely used tools. That segment of my business eventually failed.  I had no interest in tools. I tried to copy someone else’s passion instead of my own. If you do what you love and work with your passion, it won’t be a job.
2. There are no shortcuts.   I work very hard even on vacation and even in the grocery checkout line, I work.
3. Avoid Negative People. They are everywhere.  Very few people have supported my decisions and ideas.  I didn’t listen to them. So glad!
4. Change and Adapt Constantly.  If you can’t change everything instantly, you won’t be able to survive in the Ecommerce industry of today.
5. Take Risks.  Every risk you take is not going to work.  Be able to accept that every idea you have won’t sell.  Don’t be hard on yourself. Learn from these mistakes. They will make you better.
6. Accept rejection and “No” with ease. There will be an abundance of no’s and rejection. Be able to accept it. “No” may also mean let’s re-negotiate or tweak the idea a bit.
7. Outsource: You won’t be able to do everything yourself.  Seek out services that will save you time. Ecommerce is highly regulated. Set yourself up with a good accountant and lawyer.

What don’t most people realize about you or your company?

It seems that many people don’t realize how hard I actually work and how many hours I put into my business.  Just because I am not at my warehouse, does not mean I am not working. I don’t just go home at the end of the work day to relax and watch TV. In fact, I rarely watch TV.  I also think many people think what I do is easy. It’s really not. I am not complaining. I am working my passion and love it.