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.

Kim Hopf

I always had a love for photography and taking pictures of everything around me, but I didn’t decide to pursue it as a career initially. I didn’t really consider it as an option honestly- I thought it was just a passion. So I studied advertising and public relations at UW Oshkosh, hoping to enter a field where I could work with creatives and be creative myself. I worked with many different clients at a smaller and then larger advertising agency as an account manager in Florida, getting the opportunity to learn, among other things, many of the Adobe programs I use today. Read more>>

Dawn Fabritz

During the pandemic I was laid off from both of the fitness studios I was running. Just like many others, I had NO idea what was next for me in my life. I panicked because all I had at the moment were memories of what life was like when everything was pretty much figured out for me. One month in to the pandemic and I landed my first client, the one I never knew I was going to have! I didn’t even own a business yet, I was just a former Studio Manager and fitness instructor waiting around for the next move. Read more>>

Jaren Turner

My first ever client was for a one year old birthday shoot. I was super nervous because they wanted it in studio and all of my practice sessions were outdoor photoshoots. I asked my cousin, who is a photographer also to come with me and basically guide me in the right direction. I was super nervous and wanted everything to go perfect, so I was asking him questions every second of the shoot. My clients loved the photos but looking back at them today I was really horrible! Read more>>

Jennifer Rundell

Knowing in your heart that you really love to do something and getting paid to do it are two very different things! However, in a perfect world these two worlds collide in a beautiful, profitable way. And that is my story of how my business got off the ground!! We were living in a condo in downtown Milwaukee at the time. I had officially launched my business, aka, registered my name, set up a website domain and printed off some business cards, but hadn’t really begun any marketing or done any networking to promote what I was doing. Read more>>

Diana Rojas

Oh Gosh! I’d never forget my first client. Her name was Asia and I was SUPER nervous and excited at the same time. I had been in training with another esthetician for about 2 weeks before I took any real clients. I remember being very happy the night before that I couldn’t even sleep LOL. I woke up that morning and was driving to the salon then my stomach was turning I felt as I was shaking! I was nervous and excited all at once. I was nervous because I was doing eyebrow threading and getting paid for it for the first time ever. Read more>>

Erica Otkins

My first client came by word of mouth. I would make uniforms for my industry friends and post to social media. The posts word get lots of shares. Lots of people started following and asking if they could purchase uniforms for their business. Read more>>

Virginia Louise

When I finally left the franchise spa world and opened up my own individual studio, I took a small handful of clients with me. These few individuals have been some of my biggest fans and supporters, but the revenue brought in from these loyal clients wasn’t even covering half my studio rent. Social media was a tool I knew I needed to utilize, but didn’t have much prior experience creating content or comfort around putting my face and personality out there. Read more>>

Nicoletta Ciccia

I think about this quite frequently actually. It brings me so much gratitude remembering who was there to support me from the very beginning and how a lot of those people are still supporting me today. It has been almost three years now that Nic’s Wicks has transpired. I started off by buying a few pounds of candle wax at a time and filling small mason jars for family and friends with the most mediocre candles you could think of! The wicks were not always centered, the fragrances were very minimal, and although they were made with love, they were also made with pure trial and error. Read more>>

Dr. Tracey Hollis-Moore

My very first Mobb girl client reached out to me through Facebook messenger. She has been following my page for the past 3 years. I shared on Facebook the launching of MOBB Beauty Bar and Consulting during a live. She immediately messaged me and asked for booking information. I was truly excited. She stated,”I have a very beautiful smile and gorgeous white teeth.” She wanted her teeth as pretty as mine. Read more>>

Neslene J Sahagun

My first client found me by word of mouth. I remember I was nervous but also excited knowing that someone had heard about me and wanted to come in for a service done by me. I remember triple checking to make sure everything was perfect before she came in. She was the sweetest lady and was also excited because this was going to be her first facial in 15 years. Read more>>

Takisha Miller

This actually is a funny story now that I think about it. I stumbled upon becoming a life coach in 2011 and literally operated as a business without receiving pay until 2016 when I relocated to Atlanta. To me, I was being humble. I wanted to help people, but the audience that needed my help could not afford my services. So from 2011-2016, I was coaching absolutely FREE until a young lady found me through a Facebook Group that we were both a part of and asked if could she call me. Read more>>

Mondrekio Robertson

This story is pretty insane, because my first client was a celebrity and I was so afraid. Also looking back if would be super afraid now and I don’t know if I would actually do the job lol. I can’t name the person because of an NDA, but they are a famous singer and I honestly just stumbled upon the job. I was in culinary school and working 2 jobs, one of which was a catering job for Bold American Catering in Atlanta, GA. I did an even at the world of coke and the clients manager was at the event. Read more>>

Tisha Moses

My first client was my hairdresser and the one who encouraged me to get into product photography! We were talking about her business goals and looked at her Instagram page. I showed her my planner-related page which had staged photos with different themes and feeds. She was impressed with my work, said that I should do that legitly, and asked me to take some pictures for her store. The rest is history! I remember being so excited when I saw my images on her webpage! Read more>>

Benjamin Medina

I got my first client as a designer by posting my style consistently. Giving the following an idea of my style and what I can offer is what helps get booked. Also posting things that are parallel to what you do can also add culture to your brand which is very Important. Read more>>

Bobbie DuFresne

I only had a few face lotions, a body lotion, and some lip balms that I made for myself and my family. I’d share the process of my hobby with my friends on Facebook. When I’d meet up with a friend or needed a hostess gift I’d give her a scented body lotion because I was so proud of it. Then when it was gone the conversation would usually go like this, “Hey I need another one of those body lotions, can you sell me one?” I’d laugh and say, “Are you crazy? It takes 2 hours to make 10 bottles. Read more>>

Debbie O’Connor

Working for start-ups and established companies as an independent contractor, which was not preferred at the time, allowed me to get my first client on my own, simply because they taught me what the classroom did not: How to take my design skill set and apply it in a real world setting. I knew I was good at design, but I had no clue on how to handle the whole process with clients starting out. This included how to find clients, initiate and write contracts, how to charge fairly, and how to set limits. Read more>>