As her painful and incurable illness worsened, eBay member bepampered realized she would have to sacrifice her dream career in the movie industry. Like many others, she reinvented her dreams on eBay. This is her story in her own words.

Since the age of 16 I have battled a painful chronic nerve disease for which there is no cure. For a long time my symptoms were mild and still allowed me to live a fairly normal life. I spent several years in Los Angeles working full-time in the entertainment industry. I worked a lot behind the scenes in production for movies. But my heart and focus was on acting, and I was thrilled as acting opportunities steadily began to open up for me. I landed a lead role opposite French Stewart (who played Harry Solomon in the TV show 3rd Rock from the Sun) in a short film that won Best Comedy at four major film festivals and is now eligible for an Academy Award in the short film category.

But at the same time, my illness and chronic pain began to gain momentum. In the world of show business it is a fairly accepted fact that if you expose weakness you will, most likely, be preyed upon. No studio wants to be in production for a movie and find out that one of the lead actors was diagnosed with an incurable illness. For this reason I kept quiet and hid the symptoms as much as I could. Only my family and closest friends knew the struggle I was facing.

No one on the set knew I was sick. During bouts with nausea or intense pain I would lock myself away in a bathroom to cry or call my sister or my mom. My Name Is…, with French Stewart, was the last film I shot before I made the difficult decision to move back to my hometown and begin the long process of treatment and recovery.

From film star to feedback stars
Finally I was back home and began treatment and physical therapy. After my condition had stabilized enough I began to look for work I could do from home. I had used eBay in the past for books, CDs or hard to find items - just enough to learn the ropes and build some positive feedback.

I have always loved Bath & Body Works and other “pampering” stores. So when my favorite fragrance was discontinued, my mom suggested I look for it on eBay. I was surprised to see that not only was my favorite scent up for sale, but thousands of bath and beauty products were being traded on eBay every day. Suddenly I had discovered a world of small business ideas I could try making a success of from home, through eBay. And I was excited!

Research, research, research to gain confidence
Soon I recruited family members to help me look for local retail sales on bath and body products and other beauty items. I wanted to start selling. But I also didn't want to make a mistake and lose a sale just because of ignorance. So I spent those early days doing research, research and more research. I spent hours doing keyword searches for lotion, bubble bath, shampoo, and every other ”bath and body” item I could think of. I printed and studied page after page of successful sellers' listings to see how they brought buyers' attention to their listings. I also spent lots of time researching articles about shipping, PayPal and other critical selling practices. And, incidentally, I went on Half.com and bought several used books about how to sell on eBay.

At the time, my little eBay hobby seemed just that – a hobby. I never really considered I could pull this off as a full-time job and actually build a business. Each week I would buy a few items at sale prices, take pictures of them with my digital camera and put them up for auction. But every week I found myself putting a little more time into my "hobby." And every week, as my feedback increased, so did my sales. I began learning methods that brought more bidders to my listings and saved me money on expenses. Most importantly, I was really enjoying the work and the sense of accomplishment this new career was giving me. Coping with a chronic illness and still trying to make your days feel productive is a very difficult balance to achieve. But after a few months I realized I could actually do this for a living. The idea alone made me feel more confident.

A Store is born
So, little by little, I increased my auctions and got better organized. I developed a budget and at the end of every week I wrote a profit and loss statement. I analyzed what I was spending on inventory and expenses. And once I felt enough profits were coming in every month, I made the jump to getting my eBay Store – The Pampering Store. Starting an eBay Store was the best thing I ever did for my growing eBay business.

These days my Store runs under a well-organized routine. My family often pitches in where help is needed. We ship hundreds of items every week. Our gift services keep us very busy during the holidays because buyers can have an item shipped directly to their gift recipient with a note from them at no additional charge. Most of our customers come from small towns and rural areas with no access to a large retail chain like Bath & Body Works. So they buy from us and have the product shipped right to their front door. We also do quite a bit of international sales as well.

Starting this eBay business not only provided me with an income, it saved my sanity. The idea that I could no longer care for myself and work in entertainment was devastating to me. Now I'm on the road to recovery, although it will be a long and hard one. I know that eventually I will be strong enough to return to California and work in the movie industry again. I definitely haven't given up on that dream! I've just revised a few of the details a little. Now, one major detail is different. Growing my eBay business is a part of my dream too.