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.

Jack Eberenz | Business Consultant and Franchise Expert

I bought a franchise and became a franchisee who built the largest unit in the franchise system. Two years later the board of directors of the franchisor called and asked me to become the president of the franchisor. The company was struggling and needed new leadership and in a strange twist of fate the last president was shot by his girl friend. There are a lot of lessons involved in the last sentence. So I moved into the president’s role, sold my franchise and the company started to turnaround rapidly prompting the board to sell the company at which point I resigned. So here I was, two weeks before Christmas without a job, not ideas of which way to go and a family to support. Read more>>

Miesha Jones | Event Designer

In 2017 I had gone out on NYE and had my make up done for the night and purchased an Urban Decay eye shadow. The following Monday, I saw an email from an Urban Decay address and figured it was a promotional email from my purchase over the weekend. “Click”! Into the trash it went. Later that day I received an additional email and urgent voicemail from a UD representative. She mentioned hosting an event at a venue I frequently designed for. At this point I’m super confused and ready to block this spammer. So, I call the venue manager. She confirms “Yes, Urban Decay Cosmetics is hosting and event here. I gave them your contact info, is not junk mail. CALL THEM BACK!” Read more>>

Jess LeDesma | Founder

I used to be a Culinary Instructor for PCI Proffesional Culinary Institue Now The International Culinary Center. Located in heart of Silicon Valley As Instructor Teaching the arts of Culinary and Baking we were accelerated program and only worked 5 hr classroom time..Which left us to be done everyday by 1 pm.We had a lot of companies and individuals coming to school looking for assistant .From start up,menu design,kitchen layout,health regulations so President recommend me and before you knew it Koa Restaurant Group LLC was formed. Read more>>

Heather Bush | Newborn, Children and Family Photographer

One of my very first clients was a wonderful set of twins! They were 1 years old and ADORABLE! I met their mom and dad at the Dallas Arboretum. Like any small children, we did a lot of singing, clapping, anything to get their attention. Oh and a lot of chasing, running around and doing everything we could for them to both look towards me at the same time. We left the session and I felt like I had captured some fun shots! As many photographers know, sometimes parents can leave a session and think…how did we get anything? The twins dad questioned what the heck I was doing and what I could have captured during our hour together. Read more>>

Elizabeth Fried | Executive Coach, Actor/Model

In the acting/modeling field I subscribed to a service that matches me with all available opportunities. I used Backstage.com, Casting Frontier, LA Casting and Actors Access. I also joined San Diego Actors FB Group. Read more>>

Fawn Dellit | Florist

I often think about my first customer. Honestly, I always wonder WHY the heck they hired me, but I’m so glad they did. I started this company after having my first child and wanting a job where I could also stay home with her. We had just moved to Houston, so I knew no one. I had a ton of knowledge about flowers and weddings I just didn’t know how to get my name out into the world. We decided to invest in doing the Bridal Show. Mind you we didn’t have a ton of money to invest in the company at the time. We got the smallest booth they offered and bought what we thought was a ton of flowers. Read more>>

Jax Spencer | Pole Dance Instructor & Performer

I am a self-taught pole dancer for the last 15 years. I started in a club with no prior background, experience or dance knowledge (let alone in heels!) I didn’t know how to dance. I was terrified of being on stage/in front of the general public. I was lost in seven inch heels. Watching the stage while women twirled, strutted, slinked and climbed a 16′ pole was magical and I couldn’t do any of that. I could roll around on the floor and that’s where it all began. Building the fundamentals low on the ground and attempting to lift myself up to spin was comical at best. I was not in shape; over 210lbs, no diet, cardio was only when I was running late and I was lacking in the confidence department. Read more>>

Kyle Thompson | Digital Advisor

Getting my first client was hard work. After setting appointments by phone all morning, I stated my mission thinking how can I get some clients going B2B. All of a sudden, I walked in the doors of my first client. It seem to be easy, cause they needed my services like yesterday. 5 yrs later and 15 plus clients and counting with a new line of products and services we are still here, Thank you! https://www.stentorianweb.com/our-solutions/web-development/our-work. Read more>>

Ashley Poole | REALTOR ®

I earned my real estate license in September 2018. I took the entire month of October collecting my CE hours and educating myself. In November, my first set of clients were family relocating from my hometown Boynton Beach, Florida. They were referred to me by my bonus mom. It was extremely exciting sending over that Buyer Exclusive Brokerage Agreement. I was actually stepping into my career and ready, willing and able to serve. Read more>>

Brian Grasela | Furniture builder

Well like most business’s i started off in a garage. The first customer i got was from posting wood that was for sale on Craigslist. The customer came by to buy the material and then asked if I built furniture, which I did and away I went. Read more>>

Ainsley Jacobs | Motorsports Marketing Expert

The idea to start my own business and transition from part-time freelance to full-time self-employed happened fairly organically and took time over several years to truly come to fruition. After graduating, I started out working a regular desk job at an advertising agency to pay off my student loans. I was eventually approached by a company that was a distributor for the company I had worked at while I was in college. While I was earned my Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Communications at Drexel University, I had taken a co-op position at a large company in the automotive industry. As a lifelong racing enthusiast and gearhead, I absolutely loved it and knew that was the industry I wanted to work in. Read more>>

Lisa Sims | Virtual Assistant & Graphic/Web Designer

I got my very first client as I was finishing my Associate’s Degree in college. I really needed some real life experience designing websites so I posted an ad in the school newspaper stating I would design a website for $300 and I got a response from a photographer who lived in Indiana. OMG I was so excited, so I reached out to her and she told me what she showed me an example of what she wanted and I went for it. At the time we were using Dreamweaver and I believe I was using Adobe CS2, which was so long ago! I ran home and got on my computer and designed the best website I could. Her and her husband was so patient and loved the website when I finished. She used it for a long time and we are still in touch to this day!! Read more>>

Alima Blackwell | Family & Newborn Photographer

Becoming a mom changed everything for me. I was an elementary education teacher for a decade beforehand and absolutely loved my job… but once I became a parent, it was tough figuring out how to juggle parenthood, marriage, and time for myself with the increasing demands of my teaching job. When my son was 3 years old, I made the tough and bittersweet decision to leave my job to stay home with my son and figure out a career that had more flexibility, but still gave me a creative outlet and a chance to work with kids. I did a lot of soul searching and asked friends and family members around me what they could see me doing professionally since all I knew was teaching. Read more>>

Fred & Bobbie Becker | Magicians/Entertainers

My first big break in show business came when I booked my first cruise ship. You should know from the start of this story that cruise ships were and are highly desirable gigs for comedy magicians. They are steady jobs with good pay and lots of side benefits. When I was starting out, I set my sights on landing such a booking. Looking back, I don’t think my career should have ever happened. I grew up in a small city in Central Pennsylvania, long before the internet and all the easy access to information we have today. As a young person, I had no real exposure to magic. There were no magic shops or magicians for me to hang out with where I lived. Read more>>

Rebecca Davis | Tax Professional & Boutique Owner

Thinking back on that day, I will never forget, I did taxes for free for 2 years, I wanted to perfect my craft. I could not imagine a paying client at the time. I wanted to make sure I knew everything I needed to6 know to do it correctly. The day I got my first paying client, I got the call and I was afraid at first to tell the client I worked out of my home. Once I revealed that, the client was like ok where do I come ? I was so nervous. When the clients showed up a part of me felt like, This is going ro be my first and last client. I rocked it, everything went so well, that client referred me 4 clients and I have been rocking and rolling every since. since. Read more>>

Lorne Thomas | Web Designer and Video Producer

Oh, good question. I’ve been at this now for over 25 years so I’m going to have to think back. I don’t know if I remember my first client, but among the first with which I began a long term client relationship was a childcare facility franchise that started in Flower Mound, TX and eventually grew to five or six north DFW Metroplex locations as well as franchise locations in other states. I assisted with a wide variety of marketing projects… first with their corporate web-site, then print materials, and we eventually produced a promotional video for them. It was a great experience and I appreciated working with them. I believe that lasted for 5-7 years, then new ownership took over and you know the rest of the story. Read more>>

Eric Sacks | Owner/Director of The Quixotic World Magical Event Space

Before I became an event space, I was just building a unique whimsical art gallery and had multi-media art events. At one of these events a gentleman asked me if I would rent the space out to him so he could have his girlfriend’s 30th birthday party there, and so I did and quickly realized this was a new great way to utilize this space. Read more>>

Randy Downs | Computer repair, SEO, Web Content and Responsive Websites Design

Our first client outside of friends and family was a previous employer. When I left the position of web designer & SEO expert to take a more lucrative programmer job, I mentioned that I do work for other clients in my spare time. Read more>>

Jill Kaye | Hair colorist/ Hair Dresser

I was working a small salon on a cute street on Ft. Lauderdale beach. I Kept seeing this beautiful blonde girl who owned a dog grooming business across the street. I was so nervous to go up to her but, I took a chance! I walked right up to her while she was walking her dogs and said “hi I’m Jill and I would love to do your hair”! She said OK !!!!!! Can you do it tonight? I said yes and she came in that night.I was doing highlights on her and we were talking and definitely connecting. She said I am having a few girlfriends over tonight for dinner later this evening. Would you like to come over? IN conclusion I have been doing Melissa’s hair now for 14 years ,Melissa and I are best friends to this day, we help each other with referral’s all the time networking businesses. Read more>>