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.

Isabel Ramirez

I connected with my first client, Sofía, through Instagram. She’s an influencer from Mexico City whose storytelling and content I deeply admired, especially her recipes and creativity to educate her audience. At the time, I was already working with another influencer, but in 2019, I decided to start my own business: a social media agency for businesses and influencers. Sofía was the first person that came to mind, so I sent her a DM. Read more>>

Aracely Neeley, Lcsw

I opened up my practice in Katy, Texas as a grief counselor. One day out of the blue a woman who said she was from Guatemala asked if I could write her a letter for her immigration attorney. I asked her how she found me and she said she had gone to her local public library and asked for assistance on how to find a Spanish speaking psychotherapist and the librarian wrote out my information and gave it to her. That is how I received my first of approximately 11,000 immigration clients I would receive in the years to come. Read more>>

Eliseo Gutierrez

As a first-time business owner with no college degree related to Business, I found it hard to grasp how to start a business. The first thing is coming up with a good quality product that will make an impression on the end user, speak positively about what you make, and return to make future purchases. Read more>>

Camil. Williams

The first person to sit in my barber chair was my good friend from Chicago, Kenya “Felzsogood” Tolbert. Kenya and I met in Chicago on the hip hop scene. She was beginning her career as a music producer and sound engineer and at the time, I was a poet, completing my first poetry book and wanted to include a musical component to the collection. She set up a recording studio in her apartment and we got together to record a live session, featuring an all-woman band. A few years later, we found each other here in Atlanta. Both of us artists, in pursuit. She was working as the studio manager of Triangle Sound Studios and because of a schedule conflict, she invited me down to cut her hair. Kenya always complained that barbers never got her line-up right. Read more>>

Gregory Carlson

I met my first clients by door knocking for an open house. I saw them looking at another house while driving by it and I asked them “Hey, are y’all looking for a home?” They said yes and I walked across the street and introduced myself. From there, we saw about 9 homes then put in an offer! Read more>>

Tessa Pantano

My first client was a former colleague. My business specializes in assisting designers by creating high-quality 3D interior renderings to help them present their designs to clients. With over a decade of experience in the interior design industry and a background working at various design firms, I developed a strong professional network. Leveraging these connections, I reached out to past colleagues and received an overwhelmingly positive response. One designer immediately entrusted me with a rendering project, which led to ongoing collaborations and numerous successful renderings since then. Read more>>

Ashley Vermillion Webb

My first big client came in through our doors right when we opened back in 2005. She was looking for a gown to wear to her daughter’s debutante ball and we worked hard to dress her for the entire weekend. She later told me her husband asked her “Where did you get your gown for the ball? Where did you find your outfit for our date night? Where did you find that dress for the luncheon?” When she told him it was all from Vermillion, he told her “to throw everything else in your closet away. You should only shop at Vermillion from now on.” It is one of the biggest compliments I’ve ever received and she’s still a client 20 years later and just as chic as ever! Read more>>

Maggie Lin

I got my first client from my best friends. They really trust me and my hands because I was always great at makeup. I was that friend in the group that everyone would go to when they needed help with makeup or hair.

When I came back from my training, I posted on my stories, on Instagram to see who would be interested in getting their brows tattooed by me and without hesitation my friends swiped up and volunteered. Read more>>

Katie Downs

I am incredibly fortunate to have had a talented and supportive internship supervisor during the final year in my School Psychology graduate program—shoutout to Del! With years of coaching experience, Del was looking for someone she could trust to refer clients to, as her schedule was booked. She took me under her wing and guided me through her coaching process, using resources and research we had training and access to as School Psychologists. She then connected me with my very first client—an elementary student in need of executive functioning support. I was excited to jump in, providing targeted strategies to reduce his anxiety and frustration with schoolwork, while also easing stress for his family. This experience reinforced my passion for helping students build the skills they need to thrive in a one on one setting. Read more>>

Jonathan Adamu

Interestingly enough my first client was my dad, I’d always been an artist. So I was always drawing for the most part, then eventually I started painting, when he noticed my Paintings he gave me my first commission to paint a public figure. Read more>>

Jamie Sammons-radliff

I have always believed in the line “If you build it, they will come.” …
I stepped out of college with a bachelors degree in plant science with an idea of putting my two loves, floral design and growing, together and making some sort of business out of it. I had worked at a greenhouse and nursery for years prior and really fell in love with growing and watching those baby seeds grow into something beautiful. After attending college, I took a few floral design classes and found I was able to express my love for art through a new medium, flowers. Read more>>

Staci Wanichek

Following our exciting feature in Food & Wine magazine (our very first write-up), I was thrilled to receive a call from the tasting room manager at the iconic Robert Mondavi Winery in the picturesque Napa Valley. The conversation sparked a wave of excitement, leading me to spend the next two weeks traveling from one charming winery to another to present Wine Away directly to the tasting rooms in the valley. It was an incredible experience that allowed me to connect with industry leaders. And the positive response highlighted the potential for Wine Away within the wine community. I was genuinely grateful for the kindness and support I encountered.  Read more>>