One of the people who taught me a lot about the resale business was my mother, who opened her two shops on Long Island NY, when I was a child. Back then shoppers were familiar with thrift stores, usually located in church basements, but not with consignment shops. My mother spent a lot of time educating her clients, and was often asked “And what charity does this shop support, dear?”

Being a single mother with four little ones, her answer was “The Grauer Home for Children,” said sweetly with her eyes uplifted. If the customer was one my mother really wanted, she’d even gently cross her hands in front of her heart.

It must have worked, because Mom sent 4 kids to college. So what did Mom teach me? Well, it’s embedded in this quote from Dr. J of basketball fame, whose slam dunks were famous. (In fact, I think “slam dunk” was invented by him… or a sportscaster watching his incredible athletics.) And this quote is especially good at this time of year, when all retail is slow and we wish we were at the beach:

Being a professional is doing the things you love to do, on the days you don’t feel like doing them.