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.

MAI TY

I earned my first dollar as a creative in 2021 when I released my song titled “MAI TY – Options (feat. BIGBABYGUCCI.)” I still earn royalties from that particular track to this day. Read more>>

Eric Finch

Eric first entered the entertainment industry as a Snoop Dogg Lookalike and has since worked on numerous projects as a double for Snoop, including television shows such as “Great News”, “Losing It,”and “Masked Singer”, as well as films such as “Bromates,” “Milford,” and “The Under Doggs.” Eric has also been involved in various commercials, lending his resemblance and voice to brands like Corona Beer, 19 Crimes, G-Star Raw, Bic Lighter, Klarna, Vivint Smart Home Security, and more. He has even appeared in the Super Bowl commercial for Corona Beer, and Pepsi on multiple occasions. Read more>>

Vlad Bazga

The first salary I’ve ever received was actually related to a creative work. I got the chance to play a small part in a comedy TV show in Romania. At that time (2016), it was one of the most popular comedy shows in Romania. I remember that i was so fascinated to be on a set and i really got hooked by the idea of working as an actor. After filming for two days i got payed and i remember that i already knew what I wanted to save the money for: the brand new Iphone 7! After some time, and after playing other roles, this time in theater productions, I bought the phone and I was extremely proud of my work. I knew what I wanted to do in the future. Read more>>

Brandon Juezan

In high school, I started to take dance seriously. I joined the school’s competitive dance team, started training at studios, and joined dance groups to train and perform after school. I was fully enveloped in it at some point, spending the majority of my free time dancing outside of studying. By the time I hit my senior year in 2012, I was a somewhat recognized dancer in the 626 region between various schools and studios (particularly because I had a curly afro all the time). The director of a dance studio called Stylz connected with me at one of the various local dance events and asked if I wanted to become a beginner hip-hop dance teacher and have a weekly slot. They made a flyer and everything. Read more>>

Dolores Cantu

My journey into the creative world began when I was chosen by Eastern Airlines’ board of directors to represent them as ‘Miss Hospitality’ for the Miss USA Pageant. Imagine a young Hispanic girl from rural Texas, gracing the stage of one of the most glamorous events on the planet with unparalleled confidence and grace. My first role on television was alongside the iconic Bob Barker, in front of millions watching the Miss USA Pageant. At 22 the exposure introduced me to the world, it was a crash course in confidence! The experience along with the guidance from my mentor and Miss USA Judge, Bob Lardine from The New York Daily News, enriched my spirit with grace and poise beyond my years. Read more>>

Madison Williams

My first dollar earned as a creative was in my second year of university. Cirque Du Soleil had asked myself and about 9 other dance artists from across Toronto & Montreal to perform at the 2016 NBA All-Star Opening Ceremony. This would be choreographed my Montreal native, Steve Bolton. Read more>>

Jamie Wimberly

I first started showing my work at coffee shops. It actually was a good deal, since they were happy to show the work without taking a commission. I didn’t know anything about the transactional aspects of the art market back then, with seemingly everyone having a hand out for a piece of what you are doing. The coffee shop owner would just hand over a few dollars and a latte. But there is a progression towards a semblance of a career. I then went onto bars and clubs with big opening parties. Joining a co-op with a very nice gallery space was an important step forward. And finally, I had an agent and gallery representation up and down the East Coast. A good agent is key.  I was nominated for the Whitney Biennial mainly because of my agent. Read more>>

Franco Pomponi

I was working a grueling telemarketing job 50+ hours a week and the only time I had to study or take lessons was on my lunch or dinner break because I was so tired when I got home and it was usually after 10pm by then. I had recently done an audition for a local orchestra and at the time, for me, it was a big deal! I got the call at work that I got the part! I was to sing one of the soloist roles in Handel’s Messiah! It was only for $100 but “Hey! I’m now a professional !!” I remember thinking. When I was heading home after work, the night I got the call, I put on the Messiah in the car and I was boisterously singing along with the recording. It came a very fast passage with a lot of “fioritura” and the words “for he is like a refiner’s fire!” Read more>>

Hayley Herms

I’ll never forget getting my first big modeling check. I felt like I was on top of the world. I ended up spending it all on 7 art pieces to start an art collection. I still have the art hung up in my home almost 10 years later and every-time I see it, it reminds me of how hard I worked for that moment and that check, being young, and investing in myself. Read more>>

Gary “Coco” Lira

100%of my first months royalties from my cookbook goes to charity. I throughly enjoyed the process of writing my cookbook Now it feels great to not only share my creative work, but to also give away the profits from my endeavor. Read more>>

Renita Walker

In 2015 I was a second year Chaplain Resident trying to find my voice as a Black woman in a male dominated vocation. Male clergy vastly outnumber female clergy in every mainline denomination and there are still some pretty strong patriarchal ideas about women in ministry. I was also still working through the damage of my evangelical purity culture upbringing on my feelings about my body. I decided to begin making wide leg pants and full skirts out of Ankara fabric to try to hide my body, but also to spice up the traditional clergy collar I decided to wear that year. I started wearing my fashions to work and a coworker asked if I sold clothes. I hadn’t really considered it until she said it. Read more>>

Camden Yacobucci

Going into music my father said something to me that really stuck inside my head. He said if I’m going to pursue my dream, it’s never going to feel like work because it’s what I love to do. Although the money will take a while to arrive, if you are doing something that you are passionate about then one way or the other the money will always come. I was contemplating dropping out of college in Brooklyn NY because I was addicted to performing in the streets and kept falling in love with music day after day. I made money street performing which was cool but I still didn’t commit fully yet. Read more>>

Amy Rowe

I had been earning money as a musician since I was in high school by teaching piano and occasionally accompanying, but the memory of my first jazz gig is more special than earning my first dollar. I was fresh out of high school and decided that I was going to switch from classical to jazz piano. I started learning jazz piano for the first time when I went to college. I joined the jazz combo and big band at Citrus College; that was my first time improvising and learning how to read chords. In my first semester at college I got called to play with the jazz combo at a local soup kitchen event. The caveat about this gig was that the payment was not money, rather, it was a handmade ceramic bowl of our choice and soup (in the bowl we chose) for dinner. Read more>>

Iggy Hogans

My first dollar earned as a creative was actually through merchandising. I started selling T-Shirts to support funding for my podcast and people actually liked them and bought them. That has since led me to creating hoodies, sweatpants, hats and even child wear. It feels good to see other people wearing your T-Shirt around maybe just as good as the dollar you earned from it, Ha. Read more>>

Adam Rothenberg

What was the longest amount of time you worked for free doing what you love? I spent seven years living out my childhood dream before I received my first paycheck. Since 2008, I have been interviewing celebrities from the worlds of Film, Television, Theatre and Music. With over 1,500 interviews under my belt, I get my guests to pull back the curtain on their lives and careers. Read more>>

Benjamin Schnau

I’ll never forget the first big acting job I booked. I played the lead role for a Netflix/National Geographic co-production called ‘Megastructures’; I played the lead role of real person ‘Jupp Klein’ who led his troupe out of Italy to save his men and their families. It was an honor to portrait and tell his story and being able to throw in all my skills as an actor to bring this story to life. The set design and wardrobe were just incredible and everyone around the director and film crew did an amazing job that shows on screen every second. That was the starting point for my acting career which led to many more amazing blockbuster movies and TV-shows to this day. Read more>>

Rachael Becker

My first dollar earned from my leatherwork was on eBay, but true abundance came shortly thereafter in 2008 from my first sale with Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead. He bought my leather guitar straps and continued to do so until his death in 2015. At the Metal Masters Tour in 2008 I waited patiently backstage by his dressing room while Motorhead played. Lemmy’s tour manager inquired about my lurking around and we sparked up a conversation about leather. After the show he walked me in to meet Lemmy and Lemmy looked up at me and said ‘sit down love, let me make you a Jack n’ Coke!’ My palms were sweating and my heart thumping out of my chest but I managed to sit and chat and give him the strap. I stayed for hours in that room, hanging out. Read more>>