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.

Lauren Nichols

My wedding journey began when I was in college, looking to step into the wedding photography industry, but I had no idea how to get to step one—booking a client with no wedding experience. Thankfully, I stepped out of my comfort zone and offered my untested skills for free on a community page on Facebook in hopes someone would allow me to see if this was for me. Though it was unconventional, I was really just looking for someone who was sitting on the edge of hiring someone for photos, so I could gain the experience of my first wedding. A few hours later, I was contacted by the perfect first client, and she put her trust in me; together we created memories for her to look back on forever. Her faith in my work, even without wedding experience, was the boost in confidence I needed to slowly build my career in weddings. Through her, I gained so many inquiries that led to bookings, and so many of these people have become friends. It took one person for my whole world to change, and my life has never been the same since I took the leap into the unknown. Read more>>

Alivia Korsun

I have been really fortunate to have people in my life who were willing to give me the opportunity to help them craft their brand’s visual identity and narrative! Honestly, at my last job I was kind of one foot in, one foot out when I realized I was going to have to fully commit to this work sooner than I had expected. My previous role in marketing was for a product I didn’t feel ethically/morally aligned with and the friction came to a head and kind of catapulted things. But if it hadn’t who knows, it probably would have taken me four times the time it took me to get to where I am now with the agency, and I always know that being independent with my time was a top priority to me.  Read more>>

Blair Worthington

When I first started my business, I loved photography so much that I was offering free sessions to anyone and everyone. It brought me so much joy (and still does!) to take pictures that it didn’t feel like work! Over time, I built up a portfolio and built a website. I will never forget running to my husband, who is my rock and total support, to show him that I got my first real inquiry. That inquiry turned into my first booking, which in turn brought me an image that changed the trajectory of my career by getting published. Read more>>

Kimberly Robinson

After several months of promoting destinations & taking my grad cruise I landed a group cruise for 30+ people. I was nervous, excited, anxious & thankful. There were so many highs as well as lows but I look back now & appreciate the experience, opportunity & lessons learned from it. Read more>>

Destyni Jefferson

I started doing my own hair in high school and I was getting a lot of compliments. Some of classmates would ask me who did my hair and when I would say me, they would be shocked! After that happened later on down the line another classmate asked me to style their hair like I had did my own and I did. She loved her hair and it actually looked way better than mines! Even tho I did both lol! From there I began to do other girls hair after school at my home and I was using all my mother’s hair products, she would be so mad. She start making me replace products that I used by taking it out of my allowance every week and I didn’t like that at all. That’s what made me start charging the girls for my work. If I can make your hair look exactly like the style you want then you have to pay me, simple! That’s where it all started at the tender age of fifteen and now Twenty-two years later it’s still a passion and I’m finally a salon owner! Read more>>

Kristin Taylor

Our first client was this wine shop in the Shaw area of DC. We participated in DC Wine Fest where they were the legal party selling the bottles for us as we poured. The DC Community was in perfect form and the wine brand none of them had heard of before was selling cases and cases. We went through every bottle we had brought with us (15 cases) between selling 12 cases and sampling 3! That was the best social proof we could give them and two days later we were on shelves in their store consistently selling out. Read more>>

Ashley Cashon

My first client, and many of the clients I continue to work with today, came from hosting Open Houses. I’ve noticed that many agents often focus too much on showcasing the house itself, rather than building connections with the visitors. I approach it differently. While answering questions about the home is why we are there in the first place, I go deeper and prioritize understanding what the visitors are looking for. For those who are open to engaging, I ask about the type of home they are searching for. I also provide a booklet I make in advance with similar properties in the same price range and offer assistance in arranging viewings or keeping an eye out for new listings. I believe if people sense that you’re trying to ‘sell’ them something, they’ll shy away. But if you genuinely take the time to have a conversation, learn what they need, and help them in their search, they are much more likely to welcome your support. Read more>>

Chloe Legras

I became an interior designer by accident when we got approached to do a TV show showcasing the design aesthetic I had been sharing on my social media personally. My own house had gained recognition from national publications and we were approached to do a pilot TV show featuring my dad and I renovating houses. Through this opportunity, we did a casting call and through that we got our first clients. Read more>>

Christin Suzanne Wurst

My first client outside of friends and family was a local bar in my neighborhood. I had fond memories of it from a year earlier, so I decided to stop by one evening to reconnect with my community. When I arrived, the atmosphere was surprisingly quiet. I chatted with the bartender, who mentioned the bar had recently changed ownership and was planning a complete rebranding. They needed help getting things off the ground, and I immediately felt that I could contribute. I told the bartender I could assist, and he connected me with the owner. After about five weeks of waiting, I kept visiting and getting to know the place better. Finally, I received a call to meet with the owner. Read more>>

Tequila “tee” Hopkins

Ah, my first non-friend, non-family client—that’s a story I love telling. Picture this: I had just launched my consultancy and no one really knew about it–but I needed that first “real” client to validate,so I got strategic. I attended a bunch of local networking event for small business owners. Everyone was exchanging pleasantries and business cards, but I was there on a mission: to show how I could provide real value. As the event went on, I overheard a woman venting about how she felt stuck with her business growth and startegy that she had launched 4 years prior. That was my moment. Read more>>

Alece Plasencia

I started my brand in July of 2018 when I had just returned from Japan and had also just visited my hometown of San Francisco. I was inspired by the vibrant colors of Japan and the diversity of my hometown, so I decided to create a timeless wearable art piece on denim that would be lined with silk and Chinese brocade fabric. As I created each one of a kind, custom denim jackets, they each had a personal story for me, but I had no idea how they would be received by my target market of creatives or how I would go about marketing to them, especially on a budget of $0! Read more>>

Kumar Rajesh

Uff, I was scrolling through Facebook during my night shift at my previous job. I was the only person working at the company that night. Someone posted about website development, so I sent him a DM. He responded quickly—of course, why wouldn’t he, since I was offering him work for free? We communicated about the project and discussed a lot of ideas, which inspired me to plan my own business. As human being we never knows or imagine the plan of God . Read more>>

Destinee Rosemurgy

When I first moved to my current city, my business was just getting started and I was eager to build connections. I started looking for local women’s networking groups and was excited when I saw they had an event coming up that summer. Despite my excitement, I felt really nervous—I didn’t know anyone in the city yet. I remember commenting on one of the event’s Instagram posts, saying how excited I was to attend, and a few other attendees replied, which helped ease my nerves a bit. When the day of the event arrived, I was definitely feeling anxious. As I stood in line, I started chatting with other local women business owners and slowly began to feel more comfortable. Then, I noticed a familiar face—it was one of the women who had replied to my comment on the Instagram post! At the time I wasn’t the type to go up and introduce myself, but I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and said hello. Read more>>

Leigh Mills

It’s an interesting sequence of events that led to my first client. I never really intended to have a business, but had always wanted to learn energy healing and reiki. I read many books along the way until the opportunity opened up for me in 2014 to learn locally from a famous reiki person coming into town. At I was working at a cancer treatment hospital for a few years, and one of my teammates who sat next to me went through thyroid cancer. I too ended up with thyroid cancer as well and got through it but wanted to speak with a functional medicine doctor as well. I asked my teammate who she went to after the surgery for help with the side effects.. She sent me her doctor, Dr Michelle Piper, a nurse practitioner who specialized in this. Highly recommended I went, and she was very helpful to direct me with what I needed for my recovery , etc. But then, she turned to me and said” I hope you take this the right way, I’m also a psychic medium and spirit is telling me that you are a great healer, and you will be a great reiki / energy healer. Read more>>