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.

Bao Pham

I remember branching out on my own for the first time, in my newly built studio and was open for my first day of business. I don’t remember being nervous, but confident that this could work for me as a new studio owner and audio engineer in my hometown. The first client I had was an artist that was accompanied by a deaf woman, and she paid for the artists’ studio time, about an hour. Read more>>

Ian Yang

We sold our first product to a customer in New York. I remember it super clearly. I built the original e-commerce website and tested it while in California. We then traveled to New York for a fair, where we’d set up a booth to sell our products. I was so excited to get my first-ever customer, but when they tried to pay, the website wouldn’t work. It kept giving me errors. I felt so embarrassed. The customer was super kind and said they’d come back later while I fixed the issue. Read more>>

Meg Nunes

Whenever you’re starting out in business, it’s so important to continue to make natural connections & relationships. I found myself showing up in spaces amongst various yoga studios & local events to find like minded people. I would offer free 5-10 minute reiki sessions with headphones at holiday vendor fairs; I would add reiki healing to my yoga classes so people could experience the healing benefits in a safe & comfortable space & maybe get them thinking about how an actual in depth session might feel. Read more>>

Raquel Mcdougall-mccown

Word of mouth is the best thing for small businesses, When I first opened BodyByRaquel I was just doing travel massage on the side of working for another company. My first client from that point was someone who wanted me to travel to their house for massage, they recommended me to a friend and so on. Thats not how I got all my clients but the first few absolutely. Read more>>

Rachael Rae Robertson

My first client actually found me! I started my business when I lived in New York. I had decided I wanted to offer personalized, one-on-one pet care with a transparent, detailed and researched approach. I left the daycare I had been working at with half a plan and crossed my fingers that I could make it a reality. I took the occasional job through Wag and Rover, and began prepping business cards. Read more>>

Kaitlyn Holliman

In 2019 my husband and son encouraged me to give my passion for photography a try. I was gifted a camera the same year and decided to begin learning on my own. After hours of research, youtube videos, and trial and error I felt confident enough to try to find a client that was not immediate family or a close friend. Although my first paying client was not a large profit it sparked my love for photography. I felt creative and at ease with the entire process of being a photographer. Read more>>

Janelle Louise

The very first time I booked a client, I was in disbelief—’Someone wants me to take their photo, and I don’t even know them!’ I had the biggest smile on my face and almost shed a tear. It was the greatest day ever; I felt like I had made it in the industry, even though I was just starting out. Before that, I had been doing free sessions with friends and family for a few years, but in 2018, I finally decided to get my business rolling. It was definitely a work in progress to get to where I am now. Read more>>

Jenn Schanz

In 2022, I had the pleasure of meeting local watercolor artist, Ann Thomas, and got to see her teach a demo. She made her gorgeous architectural ink and wash paintings look so easy! I was hooked on the style and decided to try it. I grabbed my sketchbook and painted a cafe in Paris, a few European houses, and cute cottages that I found reference photos for online. One day, I was out for a walk with my husband in our little town and saw the buildings downtown in a whole new way. Read more>>

Dewi Aldrich

My first group of travel guests were guests of previous tours I led throughout the U.S. I put out word that I was starting my own tour company through emails, social media, and general word of mouth, and marketed a San Francisco & Wine Country tour nine months before it was scheduled to run. My very first tour group under my brand had 17 travelers on it! It was very exciting. At the end of the week-long northern CA trip, I didn’t make any money; in fact, I was out $1,000. Read more>>

Jackie Swanson

Our first business client was a stroke of luck wrapped in a bit of craziness! Rick and I were juggling shopping for our new home in Austin with launching our flower truck business in 2021—talk about multitasking! We were working with Tanya Alvarez, the best realtor in town, and as we toured homes, we mentioned our budding flower truck venture. At that point, we only had a beat-up truck named Norma, a rough sketch of our logo, and no website. Read more>>

Dr. Tiffany Purnell

I received my real estate license in October of 2021. After receiving my license, I wanted to get started selling homes. One of my Facebook friends posted a home that was for sale by owner. I contacted the owner of the home and set up a listing presentation. The owner of the home hired me to sell his home. He was my first client, and I was grateful. Read more>>

Thomas Dowd

You must like people, like talking to them and relating to them. People like to work with people that they know & like. Building a network is very important. When I left corporate Wall Street in NYC after 9/11 I needed to reinvent myself. I had a 4 year degree. I had lots of education and training. I was experienced in the financial markets, but getting new clients in a new industry was new to me. So, I threw myself in. I started by going to some business & social events locally and finding out “who” I needed to meet with for advice and direction and “where” would I go to accomplish that. Read more>>