Jocelyn Elizabeth

Jocelyn Elizabeth, known as the Crazy Lamp Lady, was struggling financially after the birth of her son. One weekend, her father brought home an old and grubby-looking lamp. Jocelyn was surprised to discover his five-dollar investment was worth seventy dollars on eBay. This moment sparked the idea of thrifting for a profit with Jocelyn–which would resonate for years to come.

In the years to follow, her passion for discovering and reselling undervalued items has evolved beyond lamps. The Crazy Lamp Lady now runs a successful online business, selling to buyers across the globe.

In addition to buying for resale, Jocelyn produces daily video content and shares her shopping adventures on Facebook and YouTube. With the camera at her side, the Crazy Lamp Lady invites viewers to join her in the search for treasures. She regularly interacts with her audience, reading their comments and taking their feedback to heart.

Her family calls it her “superpower”–to see value in things other people overlook. She is often accompanied in her videos by friends, her boyfriend, or her kids. Crazy Lamp Lady explores thrift stores, antique shops, and flea markets, searching for treasures. She lists her finds in her eBay shop or at whatnot shows.

When she is not aggressively hunting for forgotten treasures and vintage valuables, The Crazy Lamp Lady enjoys metal detecting and spending time with her family.

What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?

I always start my morning with coffee, but my days and weeks vary. There are a lot of moving parts to our business. I have an idea of what needs to be accomplished by the end of the week and take one day at a time–whether that be filming content for YouTube, editing videos, pricing items for our antique booth, or listing to eBay.

How do you bring ideas to life?

When I have an idea for something new, whether that be video content or a business idea, I bounce the idea off my partner and close friends. I always value their opinions and feedback, but if I feel that an idea can benefit my business, I just run with it. So far, everything has worked out.

What is one habit that helps you be productive?

I rarely watch television or listen to music. I’d rather be productive with my time.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Don’t wait so long to take that public speaking course in college–you’ll be surprised where it will take you.

Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?

My organized chaos makes a lot of people nutty, especially since I share my business and creative process on Youtube. I have a lot of viewers who offer to help organize and get my warehouse in order, but I thrive in a state of organized chaos and know where everything is.

What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?

Take the weekends to enjoy family and unwind.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?

One strategy that has helped us grow our business is to be in a constant state of learning–both from other antique collectors and entrepreneurs. Granted, you always want to consider your source, but you can learn a lot from others who have paved the way in your industry.

What is one failure in your career,  how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?

I wouldn’t necessarily consider it a failure, but a tough lesson that I had to learn–avoid politics and drama. The takeaway was that I don’t always have to defend myself, and unhappy people will always find something to be unhappy about.

What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?

I share most of my business ideas on Youtube, so there’s really no mystery.

What’s the best $100 you recently spent?

I  bought my mom a necklace for Mother’s Day.

Key learnings

• Starting the day with a clear idea of tasks to be accomplished and taking it one day at a time can help make a day productive.
• Bouncing ideas off trusted individuals and valuing their opinions can be helpful, but ultimately, taking action and running with ideas can lead to success.
• If it works for you, embracing organized chaos can be a valid approach, even if it may not be widely accepted.
• Constant learning from industry peers and entrepreneurs can be a valuable strategy for business growth.