This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Hey, what's up? It's Chris Guillebeau. Let's go to Bali. Let's go to Bali, at least for today's episode. I'd like to go to Bali for real.
It's been a long time since I have been in any part of Indonesia, whether it's Jakarta or over in Bali or somewhere else. But well, at least we're gonna talk about it. Okay, so that's a start. I should get working on my travel plans for the summer. All right, enough about that.
Let's talk about you and this episode. Today's episode is part of a feature we call your first $1,000. And as you might guess, or as you might know, it's all about how somebody made their first $1,000. So what's the Bali connection? Well, it's because today's feature comes from Jack in Bali.
Jack moved from his native Australia to become a digital nomad. And this is the story of his first $1,000 working as a freelance copywriter. So let's hear it from Jack. I'll come back at the end with a quick wrap up. [Music]
I graduated with a degree in English, but I'd always dreamed of being a digital nomad and traveling the world.
So after graduation, I packed my bags and set off for Bali, Indonesia. I had a goal of earning at least $1,000 a month within a month of arrival. When I first arrived, I felt a bit overwhelmed. I didn't know anyone and I wasn't quite sure how I was gonna get started, but I was determined to make it work. I spent my first few weeks exploring the island, meeting some new people and just trying to find clients.
One day while I was sitting at a coffee shop in Ubud, I overheard a conversation between two women. They were talking about their business and how they needed help with their website. I knew this was my chance. I approached them and I introduced myself, explained that I was a copywriter looking for work. They were impressed with my portfolio and hired me on the spot.
Although they didn't mention anything about money. So that was probably my mistake. The website copy was for a luxury villa rental business. And I had to make sure that the tone was just right. Elegant, but not too stuffy and focused on attracting potential clients.
Over the next few days, I worked tirelessly on the copy. I put all of my energy into making sure it was perfect. And when it was finally finished, the women were thrilled. I was worried that they wouldn't pay since we hadn't talked about money, but they did. And they even gave me a referral to one of their friends.
That referral led to another project as well. And before I knew it, I'd earned my first thousand dollars as a freelance copywriter. I couldn't believe that I'd actually made it happen. I'd proven to myself that I could live and work as a digital nomad in Bali. Or at least I could for a few weeks.
Naturally, I needed more clients. So I kept hustling. I also learned that humor is a great icebreaker. One day when I was meeting with a client, I made a joke about the way the client's website was designed. It was a bit of a risk being so forthright, but when the client laughed, I knew that I was about to close a deal.
This client ended up being my best client in Bali. In the end, I'd achieved my dream of being a digital nomad. Or if nothing else, it got off to a strong start. I felt proud of myself and knew that I had the skills and determination to make it as a freelancer in Bali or anywhere else. Next, I'm exploring fulfillment by Amazon and preparing to start my own e-commerce brand.
Thanks so much to Jack for telling us about his first $1,000. Jack, congratulations. I hope you get many more thousands of dollars. And listeners, I hope you found it encouraging. If you have a question or an update for us about your hustle, sidehustleschool.com/questions all week long, every single day, new episode.
Taking questions, looking at case studies, tips, different ideas for your next side hustle or small business, such as the case may be. Or you don't even have to think of it as a big thing. You can just think of it as a way to make extra money without quitting your job. Anyway, today's notes, sidehustleschool.com/2249. I hope you'll join me again.
My name's Chris Guillebeau. This is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
- From the Onward Project.
