Getting your first client is an exhilarating experience, but it’s also an experience that far too many aspiring entrepreneurs never experience. Sometimes, the difference between an idea dying in the idea stage or going on to change the world is getting that first customer – the first tiny win that creates the momentum to make an idea real. So, we connected with some of the smartest folks we could and asked them to tell us the stories of how they got their initial clients.

Trixie Torres

I was a high school teacher at the time and decided that I wanted to start writing for businesses. I made the executive decision of changing my LinkedIn profile occupation from teacher to freelance writer. It was a difficult task to do because who was I to call myself a writer when I had no experience writing for anyone but nevertheless, I believed in myself. Within days of changing my status, I had a client reach out to me via LinkedIn and asked if I was interested in writing their blogs for their immigration law practice. I knew very little about law and immigration but decided to take a leap of faith. We got on a discovery call and that week I landed my very first paying client. Generally, freelancers have to pitch to clients and sell their services, but I was lucky enough to land my first client within days. Read more>>

Sarah Malim

I started working as a bench jeweler at the end of 2015 – which just means I was working for other designers making their jewelry. My first personal client was a wedding band for a close friend in May 2017. It was so exciting to get paid fully for my work, not just my hourly wage! I’m so thankful that my friend trusted me with the making of her wedding because it became the start of my five year side hustle designing wedding and engagement rings for friends and friends of friends. For three years I had no website – it was just word of mouth. This was a very conflicting time for me because on one hand I was supplementing my income but on the other hand I was primarily making the designs that my clients wanted. Read more>>

Jacky Saravia

I got my first client on February 12th of 2023, that was the day I launched my business on social media. I received a message shortly after posting my first cake which was a vintage cow themed cake, and they wanted an exact replica of it to ask someone to be their girlfriend on Valentines Day. I was so happy to be a part of a couple important day! Words can’t describe the excitement I felt when they sent payment to confirm their order. That was the first dollar my business earned, and I used it to continue improving my business. I got a lot of orders following that one because Valentine’s Day was 2 days away. I was so excited to be busy that Valentine’s Day week, I don’t think I celebrated it myself! Read more>>

Cicsley Galloway

All of my beginning clients spun out of word-of-mouth from friends & family, and initially I was totally OK with that happening. Those interactions helped me build confidence as well a some local resources. My first non-friend/family/friend-of-a-friend client actually came about by me! I did the reaching out before being approached. I felt as tough I had to cease my moment and I did. I reached out to a local PR/influencer here in Greenville SC. I emailed her a few weeks later after exchanging information during the meet & great where she was a special guest at a networking event for women that I attended. I offered to style her for Greenville Euphoria. Read more>>

Ayanna Zahra

It’s a juicy one, so be ready… In 2013, I was at a crossroads. I was a mother of a nearly 2 year old daughter, my cheating husband left me, and I had not too long before left my successful career in the Fashion Industry and teaching it overseas. Talk about an identity crisis! I felt as if I lost whatever purpose I had. I was quite depressed, gained so much weight, and felt so alone. On top of that, I knew I had another person depending on me for EVERYTHING, no matter what. So, I laid on my floor and asked my Creator for “purpose”. Days later, I began remembering all the holistic research that built up over the previous 8 years. Minerals, diet, lifestyle, and the notes I took them down in Read more>>

Maddie Moore

I created my Meals by Maddie meal prep business almost by accident ironically, and it all started from meal prepping for my roommate in 2017. My first official client was one of her work friends who saw her meal prep and asked my roommate more about my ‘services’, and that’s where it all started! I originally didn’t even know how to cook food in general, which is why the fact that I’ve been doing this for 7 years now is so crazy. I taught myself everything and used Google/YouTube so much to put together a healthy recipe book for my business. I, later on, decided to also get certified in nutrition so that I could make people meal plans/ preps according to their personal goals and guarantee real-time results. Read more>>

Patty Myasia

How I received my first client, was actually through social media. For a very long time in my creative career, I would just create things for me. In the beginning stages of designing, I didn’t think I was skilled enough to create for the masses. So, I simply made things for me. I received a DM one day on Instagram “you need to start creating for all of us, stop being selfish lol” and—I remember feeling like wow, here I am thinking I’m not qualified and people are waiting on me! It caused me to lift that doubt off myself. Lauryn Hill custom jacket, was my first creative creation for a client, and it boomed from there. Read more>>

Kimberly Robles

My first paying client was a wedding photography client. I was in college in a tiny town where there was a little coffee hut that I used to frequent. I befriended the owner, and one day I came in for my coffee and she asked me “hey – would you want to shoot a wedding?” Her niece was engaged and found out she was pregnant and due on her wedding date, so they decided to move their wedding date up. The family friend who had planned on taking photos for them was no longer available, so I agreed to do it. Their budget was $200. I was SO NERVOUS to be capturing such a significant moment for someone, but so excited that they would trust me to do it. It was such a special day, and the photos actually turned out pretty good in light of me having had very minimal experience. Read more>>

Yarimar Rosario

A few months after i decided to start my photography business i started posting about it on my social media accounts and my post got a lot of attention from friend’s family but also strangers. My very first client messaged me and asked if i could do pictures for her friends baby boy who was turning one year old i right away agreed to do it and i booked her photoshoot that was my first time actually taking pictures of anyone else that wasn’t a family member or a friend at first i was nervous because i never done pictures for anyone else before and i wanted to do a good job but after i got done i was so happy and excited i right away knew i wanted to keep working hard and continue my photography business because capturing peoples special moments made me happy once i delivered their pictures they told me how great the pictures looked and how happy they were and that right there gave me more motivation to keep going and to continue to do something i really loved doing Read more>>

Christine Lan

My very first client happened to be one of my Instagram followers, someone I didn’t personally know. Launching my cosmetics brand was a thrilling adventure, and to my pleasant surprise, there was genuine interest from people wanting to purchase my handmade products. While I’ve been sharing my DIY recipes on social media for a few months, discovering that others were keen on buying them was truly heartwarming. Read more>>