Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
What is PoshFest?
So, what the heck is PoshFest, anyway? Well, simply put, it’s the best parts of Poshmark all rolled into a 2-day party/conference. While technically a conference, PoshFest is one of the most enjoyable experiences imaginable. It is an event that is about bringing together hundreds of people who love and hold dear the same thing and share in this special bond that is hard to explain to the outside world. And that is the thing: despite the many years I’ve gone to PoshFest, no two events have been even close to the same experience.
For starters, the venue and city/state move every year, making it closer to people in different parts of the country and accessible in a variety of ways. I started going to in 2018 in Dallas, Texas. 2019 was held in Phoenix, Arizona (2020 and 2021 were virtual but still a blast!) 2022 was in Houston, Texas, and now coming up on October 12th and 13th, we will be doing it all over again in San Diego, California. The joy of getting to travel to new places and meet fellow Poshers is just one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences that need to be lived in order to really be understood.
The two-day conference has many layers. It is educational and features breakouts and main stage events that are hosted by Poshmark Headquarters employees and team members as well as many of the fantastic users who are members/sellers from the platform. There is a “Hackathon,” announcement where there is an unveiling of new tech and new features rolling out; there is a State of the Posh Union, which is usually led by the magnificent CEO Manish Chandra, and several other events and talks to learn and evolve as a seller and user of the app. The smaller breakouts are great because during each time slot, as an attendee, you can choose your own adventure and look for the topic you want to learn about, so whether you’re a hobby reseller and it’s your first PoshFest or a veteran who has been going since they started these fun and informative events, there is something for everyone.
My experience at PoshFests past
Last year in Houston, I was given the extreme privilege and honor of being chosen to share my “Posh Story,” on stage in front of all my fellow Poshers. It was a rare and wonderful opportunity to really delve into what Poshmark has meant to me and all the value and change it has made in my life. The impact that Poshmark has on me personally is virtually unexplainable. The friendships, camaraderie, support, and Posh Love have buoyed me during the most difficult times in my life and, subsequently, have given me people in the front row to cheer me on during the highlights. I have been so grateful to find my community within the walls of a little app I downloaded on my cell phone in 2013.
I started using Poshmark as a way to “recycle,” my clothes as my husband puts it. I went on and sold things I was no longer wearing so that I could have funds to get new pieces to change up my wardrobe. Then I fell in love and utilized the app as a part-time job where I became a hobby seller, which pushed me to attend my first PoshFest in 2018 with my best friend, Aarika, who was pursuing it as a second career. I sat in awe during that first PoshFest as I watched amazing people from all over the country share their stories, successes, and areas of opportunity. And then the magic really began. In March 2020, much like many were, I was laid off from my 11-year corporate career and able to really throw myself into Poshmark as a full-time reseller. I remember hanging up the phone with my then-manager, looking at my husband and some of the first words out of my mouth were, “OH MY GOSH, I can do it! I can go full-time on Posh!!” And the rest, as they say, is history.
While the next two virtual PoshFests were unusual and definitely not what I had come to expect from the previous years, it was still so great to see familiar faces, share experiences, and even have a virtual dance party at the end in my pajamas. Because that’s the thing about PoshFest, no matter where it is or how it’s happening, it just brings some fun and fabulous into your life. During the traditional PoshFest, like the one I am lucky enough to be attending in San Diego this year, the culmination of the learning, growing, and networking, comes together as one big old party! There are cocktails, snacks, mingling, and, most importantly, DANCING! A fantastic DJ is always spinning oldies and today’s hits and you just dance, laugh, and spend time with people you had not MET (except maybe online) just two days prior.
Why PoshFest is magical
And there it is, that’s the special sauce. That is what makes Poshmark and its annual conference, PoshFest, so magical. You go into a convention center as a group of mostly strangers and come out as PFFs-Posh Friends Forever! Some of the people I am closest to in this world are people I’ve met at PoshFest (and even some I have still not met in real life and only know through the app itself). Community, community, community is the foundation of Poshmark and what makes it so different from anything else I’ve experienced in this life so far.
Stay weird!
One of the values that Poshmark holds near and dear is the ability to be and stay weird. As a lifelong weirdo, I feel like I’ve found my place, my people, and when we meet once a year at PoshFest’s just like going to summer camp and getting to bond with all those special weirdos once again. If you are a reseller on the Poshmark app (or are thinking about joining) there is nothing that I can express to you more than to go! Don’t walk, RUN, to PoshFest (and if you know me, you know I don’t run unless something is chasing me, so you know it’s a big deal)!! Download the Poshmark app, get a ticket and I’ll see you at PoshFest!
