Earning that first dollar is incredibly special and a moment many never forget. We asked some very talented creatives from the community to tell us the story of the first dollar they earned from their creative works.

Alesia Glidewell

Earning my first dollar as a creative was an unforgettable experience. At 12 years old, I had just joined an agency in Miami, transitioning from mall runway modeling and catalogues to auditioning for commercials and films. Read more>>

Andy Pearson

The year was 2008. I was a student at an advertising portfolio school called The Creative Circus. My partner and I just got an email from the organizers of the Cannes Advertising festival congratulating on us winning a Future Lion award. Read more>>

Dawlat Elamin

The first time I got paid to do makeup was magical! It wasn’t just about the money (though that was nice!), it was about getting paid to do what I loved. It truly felt like a dream come true. Read more>>

Joan Hui Ko

One of my very first projects as an independent stop-motion artist was when animation director Javier Barboza reached out to me right before I graduated from CalArts. Read more>>

Mike Bronsky

As a part of building a team in schools, Teresa and I are very sincere about not only the qualifications, skills and abilities of a new team member at our school but 2 other items that we believe can be even more significant. Read more>>

Malvena Walker

I created a formula that relieves eczema flare ups and a few church members noticed, asked me about and bought the product. Read more>>

Bryan Delgado

I wouldn’t be where I am at now if it wasn’t for Google! I went to school to get my bachelor’s in entrepreneurship and Marketing. I knew to be the best I had to roll with the best! Read more>>