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.

C. Reneé Mangum

When I first started my business, I did what most people do. I leaned on my family and friends. However, I did it very intentionally, which is what helped me land my first full paying client. I hand picked 5 people in my immediate circle that needed new websites and help with their social media presence. I completely transformed them, while documenting parts of the process on social media for people to see. Social proof is powerful. Read more>>

Michael Moore

One of my coworkers, saw one of my doodles I was doing. She had asked to make two pieces of Art. One a Lotus flower floating on Water and the other a Scorpion. Though I have been an Artist for many years. I had not worked on my Art for a while. After this I started making more art and someone else suggested I become a vendor at a local Arts and Crafts Festival Read more>>

Nathalia Clariesse

I had just graduated Beauty School and I got a job at Sephora back in 2019, I was a skin and beauty rep at that time and I would simply help create either a Skincare routine or Make up list for my clients.. I have a huge passion for anything in the beauty industry and I truly believed Sephora opened that door for me to not only work for them but also allow me to network and showcase my business.. Read more>>

Monique Rennier

It was June 2020. Spas, gyms, and salons were finally able to reopen. For me, It was going to be my first grand opening! Unfortunately the community must have still felt unsafe because no one showed up to my grand opening. Hoping to ease the anxiety the community was feeling. I turned to social media to share the safety protocols I put in place. I shared my covid procedures, and cleaning routine. Weeks went by and still no potential bookings. But in the meantime I continued showing up on social media and taking family & friends as my models. Read more>>

Jai Parson

I was laid off on my job due to Covid-19. I was applying for job after job until a idea hit me. Why work for someone else when I can work for myself. I sat down and thought what am I good at and what will bring in lots of money. Well I ran into my mother’s kitchen and grab all of her cleaning supplies, made a Facebook status and people began to share my posts and around 5 pm that evening I had my very first client and now she’s one of my primary clients and we’ve even began to build a friendship! Read more>>

Thomas J Yagodinski

In 2014, as a way to explore the medium of stop motion animation, I decided to animate a fan-made music video for the band Mastodon. I’ve had much experience in making music but had never animated puppets at 24 frames per second. The video took 9 months to create and was a huge learning curve. When I posted it to YouTube, much to my shock, it became a minor viral hit with metal music fans and the band itself. Read more>>