What do you do?
I am a full-time freelance writer, editor, and photographer. I spend the majority of my day freelancing through Fiverr as a PRO Fiverr writer and editor. I write blogs posts, press releases, product descriptions, Amazon product descriptions, website content, crowdfunding campaigns and newsletters. I typically work with 15-plus clients per day. I have worked with everyone from a member of the Royal Family to government personnel in the United States.
How did you get your start?
Funny enough, I was working a government job up in Albany, N.Y., when my mom suggested I check out this freelancing platform “Fiverr.” I began editing with a $5 gig, earning anywhere from $30 to $50 per month. I thought it was absolutely amazing, earning some petty cash from my laptop in my free-time. I moved to NYC in November of 2015 to work at a PR firm in midtown. After four weeks, I knew it wasn’t for me and so I quit it. I had no plan of action. I honestly had no idea what I was going to do.
The day I quit, I went home that night after visiting a few museums and having a full-out panic attack, and opened three new gigs on Fiverr. I figured I had nothing else to lose! In just a few weeks, my profile had taken off, and and I was earning close to $100 per day. Addicted to the traction, I continued to open more gigs and slowly raise my rates. Come April 2017, when Fiverr launched Fiverr PRO, everything changed monetarily, and I jumped into the six-figure family.
How do you find customers/clients?
I receive 100 percent of my writing and editing clients through Fiverr. Thanks to my standing on the platform, I am pretty much guaranteed a steady flow of traffic every single day. People are able to view my work, read my reviews and learn more about me without even messaging me. They can either instantly book my services, or private message me regarding their project. On average, I receive anywhere from 20 to 40 inquiries per day.
What are the biggest challenges?
I would say the biggest challenge of working from home on my laptop is the loneliness. I miss having co-workers and being able to share my struggles or frustrations with other like-minded people. When something goes wrong, I have no one to consult on it — no one to bond with over it. I’m also a classic extrovert, so just being able to talk out loud to people is important to me. That’s why I try to stack social activities every night — so I don’t go crazy.
How much can people in this field expect to earn?
There is a huge range of what people could earn working from home. If they are willing to put in 10 to 12 hours per day starting out, with no days off, then in just three to five weeks, they can start crossing the $100 per day mark. But it’s going to take time — it took me three years of hard work on Fiverr for me to earn the PRO label. Now, I earn about $300,000 per year on Fiverr — and I still can’t believe it.
How do you stay motivated?
I am definitely naturally excited by working for myself and making my own schedule, so simply having the freedom to go where I want to go when I wake up gets me excited. But really, to stay motivated I spend time reading about success stories, I check out freelancing magazines, peruse blogs, and so forth. Hearing about what other people are up to really inspires me to get moving.
I also make sure I go to the gym/workout every day. It’s really important for me to still invest in my physical health even though I sit a lot. Many times when I’m done at the gym, I feel more energized than before I walked in.
I would also be remiss if I left out my familial support team – my mom, sister, and I text each other every day about our goals and aspirations. We unconditionally support each other every single hour, and knowing I have that kind of team behind me gets me pumped up.
What does your average workday look like?
I am a very regimented person, so I stick to a pretty strict schedule. I wake up at 7 a.m. each day, immediately opening my email and answering all inquiries. By 8 a.m., I open up Fiverr on my laptop and spend about an hour answering questions and present client inquiries. By 9 a.m., I get to work writing, and will typically write straight until 12:30 p.m. or so. By then, I go to the gym to give my brain and body a break. By 1:30 p.m., I eat lunch and by 2 p.m., I am back to work. I will work again until 6 p.m. or so.
Generally, that should cover all of my writing for the day but if not, I might work until 8 or 9 p.m. even. I also work on Saturdays, and I work for one to two hours on Sundays. I could take weekends off if I wanted to, but then I feel like I am missing out on the action.
How do you handle benefits?
I personally obtain my health insurance from the New York State Marketplace. I have found it pretty easy to navigate all of these years. Other than that, I am looking into hiring a financial advisor this year so I can begin some kind of retirement savings, as well as learn about other options for investing.
