I want to work at Amazon.com

92 Flares Pin It Share 12 Facebook 42 Twitter 33 Tweet Google+ 5 StumbleUpon 0 Buffer 0 Buffer 92 Flares ×

Yea, I know, I already have a job. But in a way, I’m already a part of this incredible company.

I’m a seller on Amazon.com.

Since April of 2011, I’ve been selling my EasyLunchboxes on Amazon.com. By June of that year, my lunch container sets were the #1 best-selling lunchboxes on the site. And, except for a few sold-out weeks at the end of last year’s explosive back-to-school buying season, that #1 spot has remained mine. 

There are approx. 2 million sellers on Amazon, so I’m still shakin’ my head to think that the story of my little lunchbox biz caught the attention of Amazon’s creative marketing team. They’ve featured me on the Amazon home page, and share my seller success story as an inspiration to those who may be thinking about selling their own products on Amazon. (To which I say, “Just do it!”).

My day in the spotlight

Last week, I was invited to fly up to the Seattle headquarters of Amazon to shoot some video testimonial footage. They wanted me to talk about my experience with selling on Amazon via their Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program. Honestly, it’s hard to get me to stop talking about what a big fan I am of FBA, and the company overall, so their editors really have their work cut out for them now.

I’ve always prided myself on listening to every customer – it’s a big part of the secret of my success, and something that every small business must do.

Last Thursday, I learned that Amazon – a gigantic business – has the same exact formula.

They invited me to meet with them, along with 6 other sellers, including  Samsonite, eloquii, and Streamline Audio Visual. The other invitees are all very big businesses, some with hundreds of employees, so I was doubly honored to realize that they were just as eager to meet little ol’ me, a solo mompreneur. They wanted to hear from all types of sellers, big and small, to get feedback on how to make their FBA program even better.

Now keep in mind, I already thought they were a great company – I was a devoted Amazon customer for many years before I started selling on their platform, and I’ve always been impressed with their service. It’s still my favorite place to shop. (There’s a good reason why the Amazon logo/carton has a smile in the design.)

But they clearly believe in making their great company even greater, and they knew that I’ve gained a profound understanding – through my interactions on social media – of what the individual mom wants, needs, and responds to.

My Opinions Mattered

Before my video shoot, I spent the whole morning in different meetings with about 200 Amazon managers, developers and executives, answering their eager questions on how to make the customer and seller experience even better. And although there’s an atmosphere of passionate exuberance, I knew this was serious business.

In short, Amazon is what it is today because of it’s culture of creativity, and I felt instantly at home there.  As an actress for many years on stage and in film, I’m used to the creative collaboration that goes into entertainment projects. They aren’t producing plays or movies up there at Amazon, but they’re sure producing something for the biggest “audience” on the planet.

It was always my dream to be in a musical at Disneyland, but I never worked there. And while Disneyland may be considered “the happiest place on Earth”, I personally would like to nominate the Amazon headquarters in Seattle. I thoroughly enjoyed “working” there, even if it was for only a day.

Big shout out to Amazon’s Lance Henderson and Steffany Powell for arranging everything and making me feel so welcome. And special thanks to the wonderful Mathew Gibson for his continued support and friendship.

Wanna work with Amazon?

Have you been itching to get started selling on Amazon? There’s no better time than now

I’m very proud to be one of 20 “trailblazers” featured in this new book.
I hope our stories will inspire you. FREE on Kindle

I hope I get a chance to return to Seattle soon (I hear the summers are glorious!). A few of my Seattle-area bento blogging buddies, (Bent on Better Lunches, Biting the Hand That Feeds you, Glory’s Mischief, and Tinkerbean), were thoroughly bummed that I didn’t have a chance to say hi while I was there. I so wish I could have met these great gals in person!

LOL, I found this in my in-box upon my return:

Tagged as: Amazon, Amazon FBA, Fulfillment by Amazon