My Freelance Journey – From Zero to Building and Running My Own Agency
preetsuthar.me
preetsuthar.me
It all started four years ago. Back then, I was just playing around with HTML and CSS, creating simple websites and showing them off to my friends. I had no clue about freelancing. One day, while scrolling through YouTube, I came across a video explaining freelancing—how you could get paid for building websites for others.
That video was a game-changer. I realized there was a world where my skills could actually be valuable. I felt excited and ready to dive in. I started on platforms like Fiverr and Upwork, spending an entire year messaging potential clients, sending emails, and pitching my services.
But after a year, the results were... zero. Zero clients. Zero money. I was frustrated and burned out. So I gave up.
After giving up on freelancing, I spent the next six to seven months playing video games and doing nothing productive. I was stuck, convinced I was done for.
Then one evening, while sitting on my balcony watching the sunset, something clicked. It felt like one of those moments from a movie. I realized I couldn’t just stop here. Giving up wasn’t the answer. I had wasted time feeling sorry for myself instead of working on my skills and doing what mattered.
That day, I made a decision—I was going to turn my freelancing journey around. I went back to learning, but this time I focused on modern frameworks like React.js and Next.js instead of just HTML and CSS.
I joined freelancing communities and Discord servers, shared my work, talked to people, and networked as much as possible. For almost a year, I hustled nonstop, doing everything I could to get noticed.
One day, I received a message on Discord: "Hey, I like your designs and your work. Can we talk?"
That message changed everything. After nearly three years of struggle and self-doubt, I finally landed my first client. I gave the project my all. The deal closed for \$70—not a big amount, but it meant the world to me.
A few days later, the same client came back with another project. This time, I charged \$100. Slowly, through word of mouth, more clients started coming in. I started earning \$150 per project, then \$1,200 over the course of a year.
Fast forward to today—I'm now running my own web development agency called HextaStudio. I’ve also created over 10 startup and SaaS projects. None of them have gone viral or made money yet, but I’m not giving up.
I’m constantly learning, building, and moving forward because I believe hard work never goes to waste.
If there’s one thing my journey has taught me, it’s this—success doesn’t come easy. It takes time, effort, and a lot of resilience. I’ve faced rejection, burnout, and self-doubt. But every setback made me stronger.
To anyone struggling with freelancing or feeling stuck, remember: it’s not about how many times you fall. It’s about getting back up every time. Your hard work will pay off. Just keep going.