How do you turn fast talking into a successful business, a potential career and a way to help others? Eighteen-year-old auctioneer Rachel Gingell can tell you—fast.
Sold Out
Her adventures began with an ugly orange couch. As an auction-savvy 8-year-old, that’s the first item she offered to an audience.
She sold it. But neither Rachel nor her auctioneer dad saw this experience as both starting point and future business name.
“I’m not sure why Dad put me up there to sell that couch,” Rachel says. “But I was willing. I’ve been around auctions my whole life.”
That explains why another auctioneer hired her as his clerk (sales recorder) at age 14. Rachel handled the records—and the pressure—well. To develop her skills, the Michigan native decided to attend an auction school in June 2009. “I wanted to learn the business aspects, not become an auctioneer,” she confesses.
Birth of a Business
So how’d she make the leap from careful clerk to self-assured auctioneer? One word: perseverance. Rachel found herself in front of the class, practicing the rapid singsong chant and receiving performance critiques.
“After the first day,” she recalls, “I was ready to come home.” But with a little parental encouragement and lots of persistence, Rachel became a certified professional auctioneer.
Last November, she took another life-changing step when she attended auctioneer boot camp. Here, Rachel became so interested in benefit auctions (designed to help nonprofit organizations raise money) that she began her own business: She Sold It (www.she-sold-it.com).
Pay It Forward
Although Rachel still auctioneers for farms and other sales, benefit auctions have captured her heart. “They’re a fun, exciting way for people to give generously,” she says. “This spring, my business exploded. God can do exceedingly more abundant things beyond what we ask or think!”
The business major at Cedarville (Ohio) University plans to continue her sales efforts. Auctioneering, she believes, combines well with her studies and future plans. “My mom stayed at home with us,” she says. “I’d like to do that someday.” But Rachel recognizes another key aspect of She Sold It.
“In this economy, every nonprofit organization needs money,” she stresses. “God’s called us all to help. This way, I can give back.”
A successful business, a way to bless others. It comes as no surprise that—as far as benefit auctions are concerned—Rachel Gingell intends to keep talking.
This article appeared in the December 2010 issue of the Susie Magazine. To view the article, go to www.susiemag.com.
