How I Turned Amazon Return Pallets into a Successful Online Business

Lizeth Cuara’s journey from buying her first pallet of Amazon returns in 2015 to launching her successful retail business is a true testament to the power of hard work, determination, and entrepreneurship. Cuara, the CEO of Misty Phases, a luxury postpartum wear line, shared her inspiring story in a conversation with Business Insider, detailing how she turned a $5,000 investment into a thriving business that brought in $5 million in sales last year.

Growing up in Compton and living paycheck to paycheck while working in property management in LA, Cuara felt undervalued in her job and was seeking a way out. It was a friend’s suggestion to try flipping Amazon return pallets as a side hustle that sparked her entrepreneurial journey. With $10,000 in savings, she took a leap of faith and purchased two pallets filled with customer returns like shoes, electronics, and lotions.

Cuara’s initial foray into flipping pallets was a steep learning curve. Sorting through the pallets with no prior knowledge, she relied on YouTube tutorials to guide her on how to list items on eBay, photograph products, and handle shipping and payments. Despite the challenges, Cuara’s persistence paid off as she quickly started making sales and earning a steady income from her eBay store.

The unpredictability of the pallet business didn’t deter Cuara; instead, it motivated her to scale her operations. By purchasing larger pallets of repetitive items and identifying profitable white-label goods, she honed her business acumen and set her sights on creating her own products. Using the money she generated from eBay sales as seed money, Cuara launched a line of lotions, teas, waist trainers, and sauna belts, which garnered attention from media outlets and performed exceptionally well.

Through her experience with the pallet business and product development, Cuara gained valuable insights into pricing, demand, and customer behavior. Armed with this knowledge, she ventured into launching Misty Phases, a luxury postpartum wear line inspired by her own traumatic birth and recovery. The brand’s success, with over $5 million in sales in 2024, is a testament to Cuara’s entrepreneurial spirit and dedication.

Cuara’s story is a reminder that taking risks, betting on oneself, and putting in the hard work can lead to incredible opportunities and success. Her journey from flipping pallets to launching a successful retail business is a testament to the transformative power of entrepreneurship and the resilience of the human spirit. Cuara’s story serves as an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs, showing that with dedication and perseverance, anything is possible.