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Hit my first 5-figure month as a freelancer 3 years after moving to Denver
Last week I finally cracked $10k in a single month and it felt surreal considering I was barely making rent when I first relocated here in 2022.
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jennybailey15d ago
Barely making rent when I first relocated" - man that hits. I used to think freelancing was just a fancy way of saying unemployed, like a side hustle that wouldn't really pay the bills. But after watching a buddy of mine struggle through his first year in Austin and then eventually hit a similar milestone last summer, it totally changed my perspective. He was crashing on couches and picking up random gigs, now he's got a steady client list and actually takes vacations. Seeing the grind up close made me realize it's not about luck, it's about sticking with it and building those relationships over time.
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sanchez.julia15d ago
@jennybailey your buddy's story sounds a lot like my cousin's experience freelancing out of Portland. He spent two years barely scraping by before a single repeat client opened the door to three solid referrals. That's the part people miss, it's not just the work but the people you keep in touch with that make the difference.
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Oh man, congrats! That's huge. I guess the real secret to freelancing is just surviving the "eating ramen and questioning all your life choices" phase long enough to get those referrals rolling in. @sanchez.julia nailed it with the Portland cousin story, it's like you have to prove you can handle the dumpster fire first before people throw you a ladder. I swear if I hear one more person say "just hustle harder" I'm going to lose it, like no, it's about finding that one client who actually pays on time and then clinging to them like a life raft.
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