The following is a story written by Candice Potts, a member based in California, PA. She is working towards receiving her master’s degree in school counseling and aspires to be a middle school counselor. Candice loves teaching and working with children of all ages. One of Candice’s favorite activities is sewing, and is fittingly her most popular Simbi service.
The past month on Simbi has been amazing. I first saw an ad for Simbi on Facebook a year or so ago but was afraid to use it. I had been on countless other small business and trading websites, and each time, I’d be burned out by all the rude people or fees on the site within a few weeks. But, I was sent the link for Simbi again by a Facebook friend over the summer when I posted a joke about bartering. The joke was this: I had a friend who wanted me to help her make a costume, but she didn’t have any money. I replied that she should edit my grad school applications and I’d call it even. I posted the statement, “Anything is currency among friends”. My Simbian Facebook friend described this site as being just like that.
I started Simbi thinking that I was going to get a couple weeks of next to no trades before I’d have some crazy level perfectionist write me a bad review for their commission coming in the mail later than they wanted, or something just as trivial and out of my control. This is what had happened on countless other sites before.
I’ve always loved working on people’s unique projects, or helping them learn the skills to do them on their own. Sometimes I’m just as excited about other people’s projects as they are to get help with them. I’m studying to be a middle school guidance counselor. A lot of that profession involves teaching students to make friends, ask for help, and go for their goals no matter what they are. The Simbi community embodies that mentality. Nobody is perfect at everything and the Simbi community really gets that.
I love how on Simbi, everyone really lets their hidden talents show. People don’t hide behind professionalism here. A doctor by day will teach you origami at night. A carpenter by trade will edit your resume. There’s no judgement. Everyone just has a desire to help.
What I’d like to tell new Simbians is, don’t be afraid to post services that you don’t consider yourself an “expert” in. You don’t have to be perfect here. People will really appreciate the effort you put in. They don’t expect you to be robots or manufacturers.
There was a time a few weeks in when I had so much Simbi and didn’t know what to spend it on. I got creative with my needs. In essence, Halloween costumes are paying for Christmas for me. I’ve already traded for so many super unique things that I can’t wait to give my loved ones. I’ve also traded for insight and information. There are goals and dreams we all put to the wayside because they are “too hard” or we don’t know how to start. Here, I get the info I need. I get the answers to those life questions that Google doesn’t seem to know how to answer.
My boyfriend and I are now using Simbi together to reach his goal. We have partnered in finding players and collecting the Simbi capital to get his tabletop system out there, illustrated, technologized, and advertised. It’s a dream he’s been working on for years. But as college students, we never had the time or money to realize his dream. Turns out we didn’t need either with Simbi’s help.
I know that won’t be everyone’s experience but I’m going to keep on here until it this community atmosphere stops—and I don’t think it will. I meet more and more helpful and interesting people as I think of things I could ask for.
P.S. I’m a month in and half way to Centurion. I’ll be so ecstatic when I reach that milestone.
Simbiotic Stories are real anecdotes told by you and other Simbi community members. Tell us about your Simbi deals and experiences with other members. If your story is published, we’ll credit your account with 150 simbi. Submit your entries by starting a conversation with us via this link.
