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.

Jacki Garfinkel Sousa

I’ve been really lucky that all of my clients have been through connections and word-of-mouth. Then again, as Oprah says, luck is just preparation meeting opportunity. Read more>>

Cchico Bailey

It was 2018 and I had just left the magazine that I had worked for 2 years. My intention was to get started on my own but I wasn’t really sure where to start but my parents always taught me to just figure it out. 2 months after I left the publication I linked with Farrah PR & Consulting who I knew through a friend of mine who also did PR. Read more>>

Ja’Myya Abdullah

In 2021 I received my certification to be a yoga instructor. At the time I didn’t have the funds to finish paying for the course. My yogi was very understanding and really helped me be able to complete payments. Read more>>

Erica Weiss

My first client after opening my own business was a local yoga instructor and her fiance. They were getting married in San Diego, and I offered to be their planner. Read more>>

Christopher Wood

Coming up on five years ago, my business partner Doug and I were finishing up our first location, an old drive thru burger stand now turned coffee shop. Read more>>

Shaqullie Jackson

My first client was R&B Superstar Jacquees. I was introduced to him through my cousin, BPace, who was his personal cameraman. They both loved my work ethic and style so when the opportunity arose for me to travel to Kentucky for a show, I was ready to execute. Read more>>

Haille Norris

When I first started my design business, I knew I wanted to support female entrepreneurs in the health and wellness space. So once I launched my business online, I started following and engaging with a bunch of local and non-local business owners on Instagram that fit my ideal clientele. Read more>>

Hannah Westerman

I met my first client at a concert in upstate New York while I was in college. I had just started my major in Graphic Design and I knew quickly that I was on the right path. Read more>>

Anna Klimmek

I want to tell the story of how I got my first culinary workshop client. I had left culinary for a bit to try my hand as a concierge. I was a concierge for a couple of apartment buildings in Minneapolis as and as such I was a member of a local concierge networking group. Read more>>

Emma Fischer

When I got started with concert photography, I knew I needed a portfolio before I could even think about charging anyone. Some part of me was sure I could do it, but I just needed the work to prove that I could. Read more>>

Tatyana Boswell

My first official client was in 2016, My senior year of high school I did prom makeup for a few classmates as well as my own. Read more>>

Katie Gaw

Well I’ll start with how I got my first curly client since that what I specialize in now and what shaped the way I approach my career now. Read more>>

Luciana Toriello

After baking for a year for friends and family, my sister told me i needed to creat a business selling my baked goods. I was afraid to start another business as I had one very unsuccessful business in the fashion world and was concerned that this idea would also flop. Read more>>

Lauren Irwin

I started by photographing for a friend’s children. I always loved photography and had a good eye for it, so I photographed some actor headshots and modeling shots for them with their camera as I didn’t have my own yet. Read more>>

Yousif Yald

Indeed, the journey to acquiring my first client is a tale where I played both the protagonist and the client, a narrative steeped in desperation turned triumph. Read more>>

Dr. Lin Morel

My first corporate client was Bell of Philadelphia back in the mid-1980s. I was in a mediative place, drinking tea, and an inspiration told me to reach out to Bell of Philadelphia. Read more>>

Jessica Mayer

My first clients were my family and friends. The first paid order I received was from my Grandma, who had asked me to make a cake for her friend’s birthday. Read more>>

Dani Jackowiak

My first client that wasn’t a friend actually came from posting my first install that WAS for a friend. I posted it onto my regular page without even having a business name yet. Read more>>

Catherine Dirks

One of my first clients was actually through some stuff I had posted for sale on Facebook Marketplace. Beer Mitts were the item. They were so excited about them that they took them to a locally owned store who ended up ordering several batches from me. Read more>>

Emma Wuillermin

I was hopping bakery jobs left and right, trying to find my way in this industry – what I liked most? I love being creative and spontaneous, and mix, matching flavors. Read more>>