There are so many varied experiences when it comes to starting a business. From what we’ve seen, there is no one, right answer. Some people found success by writing a business plan, spending months or years perfecting the idea and only then approaching their first client while others found their first client before they had even settled on a name for their business. Below, you’ll find the stories of how entrepreneurs from across industries and markets found their first clients.

Mimo Magri

I was doing readings for my close ones and right when the pandemic hit in early march 2020, I saw a shift around me. People needed guidance and I received a few demands from strangers to assist them. I went from casual readings to actually writing and preparing charts for people all over the globe. It was such a blessing to see how my work was making a difference during this very difficult time. Read more>>

Clint Schwabedissen

Ever since I was a teenager, I was always into doing cold outreach and sales. At 13-years-old, I started “Clint’s Lawn Care Service”. I made flyers, printed them out, and went around all the neighborhoods leaving them on doors. Within two weeks, I made almost $700 pulling weeds. I still remember my parents answering the landline and yelling, “Clint! there’s someone on the phone for you.” Read more>>

Kate Obert

When I first started my business, I struggled to figure out how to use my expertise and create offers. I spent a lot of time consuming information and comparing myself to others, which kept me stuck in analysis paralysis. I finally got fed up, stopped consuming content that made me feel lacking, and focused on my personal development. By showing up daily on Instagram and talking about what I knew and loved, I was able to figure out my personal style and vibe, which illuminated my brand. Read more>>

Aimee Straw

My super-power has always been talking to people. By nature I genuinely care about others and am curious about their life stories, what makes them who they are. Prior to getting into real estate, I had years of experience in customer service, waiting tables, bartending, working retail, and at a doctor’s office. I got a taste for “sales” after all that while working for Vail resorts selling vacation packages to customers at Keystone and Breckenridge that included flights, lodging, ski school etc. Read more>>

Yeosh Bendayan

This is really going to make us seem old, but we found our first client in the Yellow Pages. Like, the literal book… not the online version. To be fair, the yellow pages were super outdated already in 2006, but we literally had no other lead list to work off of. We were just starting out at the time and barely had $500 in our company checking account. So, without much to lose, we opened the yellow pages to the advertising agency section and started dialing. We got hung up on a lot, but we did manage to score two meetings from that. Read more>>

Suzanne Reilley

I believe my first client in this business came about because I’d purchased Jeff Walker’s Product Launch Formula course. I either posted a message in the PLF Owner’s community about wanting to find a mastermind partner (or) I may have responded to an existing post. I can’t quite remember. This was around 2015! Read more>>

Cal Iseminger

I started hosting game nights for friends because I was always a games person. My game nights grew in size and popularity and eventually I had to adjust the format so I could host larger groups. I ended up doing a game night for a friend of mine who was a director on Desperate Housewives at Marc Cherry’s house. Naturally there were some celebrities there. I wasn’t being paid for this first game night I was just doing it for a friend of mine. Read more>>

Rachel Chukwu

After I published my first book on Amazon, I took out time to make series of post everyday in several groups and also short stories on my Facebook timeline. The day he saw some of the post I made on all those groups, he went through my timeline and was captivated with the short stories I posted there. He sent a friend request and when I accepted, the first question was, will you write my book? I will pay you. And that’s it. Read more>>

Michelle Shelton

I got my first client off of social media off my Facebook page. I would post my sets that did at a very low price and I did a lot special back then to bring clients. I was so excited because I was so ready to do other people nails besides my own at the time. I was so thankful that, that person gave me a chance to show off my work on their hands. I was so new at doing nails at the time so for them to give me a chance made my day. It’ll always be a memory I’ll cherish forever. Read more>>

Ebony Belser

Most folks will look at my online presence/content and ASSUME that I didn’t put in to much work to be where I am, or even deserve the accolades I’ve accomplished thus far. Little do most know I actually had to put in an immense amount of work, funds, time and energy to get where I am and to receive what I have received. Let’s just say I took many losses before I got to where I am, and that leads me in to how I made my first $1, $6 to be exact lol. Read more>>

Abby & Jill Severino

My business started, sort-of, accidentally. In September of 2020 I found myself missing one of my many jobs as an artist, teaching. And I knew my students were home from school and likely missing art class as well. So I posted on a community Facebook page asking for feedback! I wanted to know if there was a need or interest for outdoor art classes during the pandemic, and if there was, what exactly were people looking for? At the time, this post became my most commented on content to ever hit my social media accounts! Read more>>

Diana Short

My first client was actually someone I’d gone to for a reading. This was in 2017 and I’d had an experience with a friend where I knew things that she never shared with me. In that moment I realized that I really had the ability to sense energy beyond what was in front of me, so I began to practice to see if it was a fluke or something lasting. I practiced on my husband, sister and with other friends. Once I realized I could tune into spirit regularly I booked a reading with a lady in Australia. Read more>>

Rachel Ezzo

I can’t remember who my first paying client was. I do remember moving 2 years after I opened my business and needed to start all over in a new location. My kids were young at the time and I would take them to a local park to play. I would start chatting with local moms at that park that also had little kids, and ask if I can give them a family session in return for sharing their images online and for telling their friends. It was all in an effort to try and get my name out there. Read more>>

Skye Becker-Yamakawa

This story highlights the concept of being prepared for an opportunity and hard work. Back in the 90s, I graduated college with a Bachelors in Fine Art, and procured employment as a graphic designer. In my off time, I painted in the evenings and during the weekends, to build a body of work. At one point, I was evicted from my living space and was looking for a new place to live. Read more>>

Chloe Grabenhorst

My business made its first dollar of revenue by helping a small business switch their website from one hosting platform to the next. Which the work itself, but the story behind it is what makes it special. Back to the beginning, the idea of Stera Marketing was floating around my head for a few months with progress being put into creating the business, but I couldn’t settle on a name. How can you start and grow a business without a name? I was throwing ideas out to all of my friends that I have told my business plan to. Read more>>

Chasidy Criswell

I got my first client while I was in massage school during our year end school clinicals. At the time, I was also a hostess at a restaurant. My managers were so supportive of me being in school, that they allowed me to place my clinical appointment cards with the other businesses displayed in the front. One customer at the restaurant was eating lunch and saw that I was studying note cards. Read more>>

Bill Humbert

I began professional recruiting in 1981 and was successful in working for several other recruiting firms through the 1980s. In 1990, I decided to form my own recruiting firm, The Humbert Group. My decision was based on a new model that attracted me – work with one client at a time and charge a flat monthly fee. This would enable me to focus on that company and its recruiting needs as a Recruiter and a Talent Attraction Consultant. Read more>>

Bea/Laura Wright/Semko

Any wedding related business is a little tricky to get rolling. Most clients won’t need to book you again and it’s takes a lot of trust to choose someone to help make your once-in-a-lifetime day just right. When we first opened, we were very fortunate to have a small network of friends and family who referred clients to us. It was extremely exciting when we got our first inquiry from someone who had no idea who we were! Her wedding coordinator had done a little research and we were the closest alterations shop to where the bride lived. Read more>>

Chris Hennessy

A business coach I was connected to on LinkedIn asked me to speak to her group coaching class about Livestreaming. She Livestreams and knew how effective it is at getting your message out there and was wanting her clients to start doing it. I remember being nervous because I had just decided to move from livestreaming for fun to actually try and make it a business so I had all the imposter syndrome. I don’t know what I’m doing, who’s going to listen to what I say, all of it. Read more>>

Pamela Fletcher

Our first customer was Brewing Market in Boulder Co. I went to the coffee shop with my 2 year old daughter we walked in with gluten free coffee cake on a paper plate from Costco wrapped in Saran Wrap. I asked to speak to the manager and a wonderful woman named Pat came out to talk to me. I offered her the cake to try and sell it , fortunately for me she was Celiac herself and she was super excited to try something like this! She took the cake wrapped up the precut slices and sold them all! She called me the next day to start to officially order our Cinnamon Coffee Cake! That was an excited day! Read more>>

Chris Collado

Growing up with a dad who was a wedding photographer was an interesting experience as a child. Throughout my childhood, my dad would often take me on various wedding photography assignments. There I would watch my father in action and watched in awe how he effortlessly did what he loved. It was fascinating to observe him set up his camera, lighting equipment and simply just watch him capture moments and turn them into stunning images. As a young child, I wasn’t able to appreciate his work in its fullest extent. I was too young to understand. Read more>>

Pam Weiser

I was working a full time W2 job when COVID hit, and I wanted to do something to keep my brain going, instead of watching TV or painting rocks, when we were quarantined, so I reached out to friends and family to ask if anyone had any projects or work that needed to be completed. I had a couple of takers (a friend who is a photographer and a friend who worked for a non-profit). I ended up doing the part time side gig for about 6 months, and then lost my W2 job, took another job that didn’t work out and decided to take my business full time and here we are. Read more>>

Daniel Zivetz

I started my computer support carrer at a local computer training school where we studied Windows and prepared to take the Microsoft certification exams. I was attending for a few years and the owner of the school noticed that I was a good student and had a good feel for computers and networkng. So he referred me to one of his personal friends who needed computer support Read more>>

C.L. Suggs

My first dollar in my business was special because it came from the very first book I had written. In 2020, I published the book “Unlocking Mysteries in the Kingdom”, and the first client was someone that had heard of the book and was willing to purchase it. Matter of fact she DM me regarding how she was able to purchase because the name really meant a lot to understanding the mysteries of heaven. She didn’t know me personally but saw my post from someone on her page. Read more>>

I have been active on social media since I have joined this company and keep posting my views on facebook, instagram, linkedin. People always liked my comments and that is how I have made connections and started sending DMs and start introducing our work to the new potentional customers and showed them what we do. Finally one of potential customers got impressed and sent new orders. I have got this achivement after a lot of hard work and dedication. Read more>>