“Start Where You Are.” – Elsie, exercise science enthusiast

1. How and when did you make your first dollar online?

I made my first dollar online back in High School when I pretended I was a 20-something Web Developer instead of a 15-year-old who barely knew how to use FTP (FileZilla). I took the advice, “fake it till you make it,” pretty far.

I still do 😅

2. How long did it take between the idea and this first dollar?

It took quite a bit to figure out how to make them the website they wanted, but luckily, it also took them a long time to organize what they wanted too.

There was a lot of back and forth on the content, photos, how many pages, and trying to explain why I needed a PNG of their logo rather than a tiny JPG.

I’ve found not much has changed on that front when I dabble in freelancing these days.

3. What best actionable advice would you give someone who wants to start TODAY?

Start where you are. There is no perfect time or perfect conditions. If you keep waiting for that moment, it will never come.

Just start where you are and take small steps from there toward who you want to be or what you want to create.

My first Youtube Video Essay had terrible sound, basic animation, and just overall was nothing to write home about.

But, it was a launch pad that started a domino effect and allowed me to keep improving.

Now, I’m getting career and networking opportunities from the newer video essays that I otherwise never would have dreamed of if I didn’t just say “ah, fuck it, let’s just have fun with this one and see what happens.”

4. What resources would you recommend to a beginner?

Most of everything I’ve learned has come from Reddit, Twitter, Indie Hackers, and Youtube.

I’m endlessly thankful for the #buildinpublic community on Twitter, especially.

Get involved! We’re a friendly and welcoming group.

5. Who would you recommend to follow?

• @sveta_bay – Marketing
• @tdinh_me – Indie Hacker

About Elsie