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Documenting My Digital Marketing Agency Journey: Road to $5k/mo

Marketing, social media, advertising

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Zyanwc

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From the Beginning
So I've had a facebook ad agency for just over a year now. I started it (like most people) because as a 17 y/o it seemed like it would be a really easy way to make money. It then turned into a passion and race for mastery because by learning and getting good at online marketing and advertising I could apply my skills virtually in any other entrepreneurial venture I go on. Being honest I hit the ground running last year, after about 5 weeks I'd gotten 3 clients at $1500/mo (boy did I think I was something). I was grateful, I found my ability and love to create and manifest ideas in my head into something tangible and did it in 5 weeks! I finally found what I wanted to do with my life, I've always feared having a job after seen that road goes no where in my family's lives and experiencing the mind-numbing daily chores of work through earlier jobs and corporate internships, so I know entrepreneurship is the way out for me. Then due to made systems building, poor communication, the college application process, and 8+ AP exams all rearing their ugly heads almost simultaneously... I lost all 3 clients in the span of a month one by one. That feeling of having everything and losing it hit me pretty hard.

I'd hit the bottom just as quick as I'd hit what I thought at the time was the top, but I got a taste of that entrepreneurial life, that sense of accomplishment and man was it good. The confidence, the control, the flexibility, the creativity, the long hours that honestly never felt that long because it was enjoyable and challenging. I HAD to do it again and I knew for sure I could! The next semester I started college, I was paying and for now still am paying a ridiculous amount of money to go to school at a rate I know my family can't afford to pay off and is way too expensive just for me to be "networking". So my plan is to get to a point where I can dropout and assist my parents with the few loans that did incur along the way.

I did numerous methods of outreach throughout the semester, I would send 15 emails a day everyday and by November I was doing 20 cold calls a day too. No results, but that's partially my fault for getting frustrated and hopping niches a lot. By winter break I was in no position to dropout only had some free resume building jobs to stay fresh, but I'm pretty stubborn and honestly by that point I'd talked so much crap about dropping out and spent way too much time falling in love with this business, learning, reaching out and developing the business instead of doing my homework or going to parties to give up not to mention the great upside and starting place it offers. The main thing driving me is simply that I did it before, so there's absolutely nothing stopping me from doing it again. If anything it should be better easier because I've improved in literally every way since those first 3 clients.

Around February I accidentally stumbled across the viability of partnerships and have since worked on setting them up to help with long term viability for the pipeline. Companies that target my same industry, but don't compete with me like accountants and others services that work with and are seeking the same clients as I am. For me it's a great referral source and for them they get a portion of the first months income from that company as a kickback so it's essentially free money using a client they already have. During the same time I went back to the basics and did some free work to rebuild my portfolio since I knew my skills were much better than it was in my earlier days. I also got a door-to-door salesman job almost 10 hours a day in Arizona heat to get over my anxiety to no and learn more on sales, while still bringing in some money so I could at least stop eating ramen (I saw what it was doing to my roommate's body... yikes).

March hit and so did COVID putting everything on hold as I had to relocated and figure out school along with life. By May I started getting serious again and got to a point where I could prioritize business again, all of my leads I'd finally built up prior to COVID vanished after the economy stopped. But in the meantime I've finally built a website, registered the business, built out my systems, created a funnel, made drafts for an email campaign, created and launched the company's facebook ads, and signed 6 company referral partners.

So again...starting over...for the 3rd time...

The Present
That brings us to know, just today I joined the forum and I'm both amazed and inspired by the threats I've read of success and it's got me hungry again. One of challenges I've faced in all of this was that I've been alone in high school I went to a place that sends kids to Ivy's and everyone is set on being a doctor or engineer or a PHD in whatever and my family has never been onboard with entrepreneurship (or at least not until I get a "safe, secure, high paying job" with my degree). Not realizing I have no interest in the Slowlane. If I'm gonna try in life I wanna go all the way and more time I spend around and learning about entrepreneurs' stories, fastlaners, and millionaires the more I see 100k/yr is not exactly an amazing salary especially when raises are rare and I work too many hours and don't get enough vacation time to enjoy that salary. I'm an ambitious dreamer, I'm young so I have the time to get a lot out of life. I've set my sights on 40 billion dollars by the time I hit the grave. That target number is because in my mind that's a very big number (I want to challenge that belief), I want to create and fail a lot of times in my life (I'm sure 40 billion comes with plenty of failures along the way), and I want to leave a legacy and take advantage of my passion and mindset. I want to be the last of my bloodline to HAVE to work for a living (hard task I know), but people everyday have to put aside their hobbies and even talents because they don't make money or don't make enough money and that's a terrible Slowlaner way to live life. Be a painter, be a dancer, be an entrepreneur, whatever as long as it means you'll enjoy your life and never have to sell your time for money is what I want for my loved ones.

This Threads Purpose

Goal rants aside, I'm making this thread to document my journey as an entrepreneur and hold myself accountable along the way, while having the support, help, and inspiration of people like me.

So starting June 7th I'm going to restart the process of building my client base. Here I'm open to help on what you guys think I should do to approach this places, tools, tactics, templates, general advice because before it was just me so I'm more than happy to listen to ideas. I want to continue with LinkedIn outreach (how I got my first 3 clients), probably gonna stop cold emailing cause the return just isn't there for me after send well over a thousand unless someone can teach me a better way, and I'm going to start cold calling again maybe 10-20 a day. After all the adjusting from COVID I've got no savings so my ad campaigns are useless right now so I have to resort to organic methods. I'm going to work my a$$ to get the results I need regardless!

I'll be posting 3-4 times a week with updates if for nothing else to make sure I keep doing outreach and try and improve my process everyday. My goal would be to make 5k/mo (about 2-3 clients) by the end of summer to be able to dropout and sustain myself so I can dive even further into this and eventually all my other entrepreneurial plans.

Let me know what you guys think and I hope this is at least a somewhat entertaining journey for you guys as it progresses.

I gained the courage to do this documentation journey all thanks to @Simon Angel , thank you man! I'll see you at the top!
 
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Gsun vji Cihoppoph
Tu O'wi jef e gedicuul ef ehipdz gus katv uwis e zies pux. O tvesvif ov (moli nutv qiuqmi) cideati et e 17 z/u ov tiinif moli ov xuamf ci e siemmz ietz xez vu neli nupiz. Ov vjip vaspif opvu e qettoup epf sedi gus netvisz cideati cz miespoph epf hivvoph huuf ev upmopi neslivoph epf efwisvotoph O duamf eqqmz nz tlommt wosvaemmz op epz uvjis ipvsiqsipiasoem wipvasi O hu up. Cioph jupitv O jov vji hsuapf sappoph metv zies, egvis ecuav 5 xiilt O'f huvvip 3 dmoipvt ev $1500/nu (cuz fof O vjopl O xet tunivjoph). O xet hsevigam, O guapf nz ecomovz epf muwi vu dsievi epf nepogitv ofiet op nz jief opvu tunivjoph vephocmi epf fof ov op 5 xiilt! O gopemmz guapf xjev O xepvif vu fu xovj nz mogi, O'wi emxezt giesif jewoph e kuc egvis tiip vjev suef huit pu xjisi op nz genomz't mowit epf iyqisoipdoph vji nopf-pancoph feomz djusit ug xusl vjsuahj iesmois kuct epf dusqusevi opvisptjoqt, tu O lpux ipvsiqsipiastjoq ot vji xez uav gus ni. Vjip fai vu nefi tztvint caomfoph, quus dunnapodevoup, vji dummihi eqqmodevoup qsuditt, epf 8+ EQ iyent emm siesoph vjios ahmz jieft emnutv tonamvepiuatmz... O mutv emm 3 dmoipvt op vji tqep ug e nupvj upi cz upi. Vjev giimoph ug jewoph iwiszvjoph epf mutoph ov jov ni qsivvz jesf.

O'f jov vji cuvvun katv et raodl et O'f jov xjev O vjuahjv ev vji voni xet vji vuq, cav O huv e vetvi ug vjev ipvsiqsipiasoem mogi, vjev tipti ug eddunqmotjnipv epf nep xet ov huuf. Vji dupgofipdi, vji dupvsum, vji gmiyocomovz, vji dsievowovz, vji muph juast vjev jupitvmz piwis gimv vjev muph cideati ov xet ipkuzecmi epf djemmiphoph. O JEF vu fu ov eheop epf O lpix gus tasi O duamf! Vji piyv tinitvis O tvesvif dummihi, O xet qezoph epf gus pux tvomm en qezoph e sofodamuat enuapv ug nupiz vu hu vu tdjuum ev e sevi O lpux nz genomz dep'v eggusf vu qez ugg epf ot xez vuu iyqiptowi katv gus ni vu ci "pivxusloph". Tu nz qmep ot vu hiv vu e quopv xjisi O dep fsuquav epf ettotv nz qesipvt xovj vji gix muept vjev fof opdas emuph vji xez.

O fof panisuat nivjuft ug uavsiedj vjsuahjuav vji tinitvis, O xuamf tipf 15 ineomt e fez iwiszfez epf cz Puwincis O xet fuoph 20 dumf demmt e fez vuu. Pu sitamvt, cav vjev't qesvoemmz nz geamv gus hivvoph gsatvsevif epf juqqoph podjit e muv. Cz xopvis csiel O xet op pu qutovoup vu fsuquav upmz jef tuni gsii sitani caomfoph kuct vu tvez gsitj, cav O'n qsivvz tvaccusp epf jupitvmz cz vjev quopv O'f vemlif tu nadj dseq ecuav fsuqqoph uav epf tqipv xez vuu nadj voni gemmoph op muwi xovj vjot catopitt, miespoph, siedjoph uav epf fiwimuqoph vji catopitt optvief ug fuoph nz junixusl us huoph vu qesvoit vu howi aq puv vu nipvoup vji hsiev aqtofi epf tvesvoph qmedi ov uggist. Vji neop vjoph fsowoph ni ot tonqmz vjev O fof ov cigusi, tu vjisi't ectumavimz puvjoph tvuqqoph ni gsun fuoph ov eheop. Og epzvjoph ov tjuamf ci civvis ietois cideati O'wi onqsuwif op movisemmz iwisz xez topdi vjuti gostv 3 dmoipvt.

Esuapf Gicsaesz O eddofipvemmz tvancmif edsutt vji woecomovz ug qesvpistjoqt epf jewi topdi xuslif up tivvoph vjin aq vu jimq xovj muph visn woecomovz gus vji qoqimopi. Dunqepoit vjev veshiv nz teni opfatvsz, cav fup'v dunqivi xovj ni moli edduapvepvt epf uvjist tiswodit vjev xusl xovj epf esi tiiloph vji teni dmoipvt et O en. Gus ni ov't e hsiev sigissem tuasdi epf gus vjin vjiz hiv e qusvoup ug vji gostv nupvjt opduni gsun vjev dunqepz et e lodlcedl tu ov't ittipvoemmz gsii nupiz atoph e dmoipv vjiz emsiefz jewi. Fasoph vji teni voni O xipv cedl vu vji cetodt epf fof tuni gsii xusl vu sicaomf nz qusvgumou topdi O lpix nz tlommt xisi nadj civvis vjep ov xet op nz iesmois fezt. O emtu huv e fuus-vu-fuus temitnep kuc emnutv 10 juast e fez op Esobupe jiev vu hiv uwis nz epyoivz vu pu epf miesp nusi up temit, xjomi tvomm csophoph op tuni nupiz tu O duamf ev mietv tvuq ievoph senip (O tex xjev ov xet fuoph vu nz suunnevi't cufz... zolit).

Nesdj jov epf tu fof DUWOF qavvoph iwiszvjoph up jumf et O jef vu simudevif epf gohasi uav tdjuum emuph xovj mogi. Cz Nez O tvesvif hivvoph tisouat eheop epf huv vu e quopv xjisi O duamf qsousovobi catopitt eheop, emm ug nz mieft O'f gopemmz caomv aq qsous vu DUWOF wepotjif egvis vji idupunz tvuqqif. Cav op vji niepvoni O'wi gopemmz caomv e xictovi, sihotvisif vji catopitt, caomv uav nz tztvint, dsievif e gappim, nefi fsegvt gus ep ineom denqeohp, dsievif epf meapdjif vji dunqepz't gedicuul eft, epf tohpif 6 dunqepz sigissem qesvpist.

Tu eheop...tvesvoph uwis...gus vji 3sf voni...

Vji Qsitipv
Vjev csopht at vu lpux, katv vufez O kuopif vji gusan epf O'n cuvj enebif epf optqosif cz vji vjsievt O'wi sief ug tadditt epf ov't huv ni japhsz eheop. Upi ug djemmiphit O'wi gedif op emm ug vjot xet vjev O'wi ciip emupi op johj tdjuum O xipv vu e qmedi vjev tipft loft vu Owz't epf iwiszupi ot tiv up cioph e fudvus us iphopiis us e QJF op xjeviwis epf nz genomz jet piwis ciip upcuesf xovj ipvsiqsipiastjoq (us ev mietv puv apvom O hiv e "tegi, tidasi, johj qezoph kuc" xovj nz fihsii). Puv siemoboph O jewi pu opvisitv op vji Tmuxmepi. Og O'n huppe vsz op mogi O xeppe hu emm vji xez epf nusi voni O tqipf esuapf epf miespoph ecuav ipvsiqsipiast' tvusoit, getvmepist, epf nommoupeosit vji nusi O tii 100l/zs ot puv iyedvmz ep eneboph temesz itqidoemmz xjip seotit esi sesi epf O xusl vuu nepz juast epf fup'v hiv ipuahj wedevoup voni vu ipkuz vjev temesz. O'n ep encovouat fsienis, O'n zuaph tu O jewi vji voni vu hiv e muv uav ug mogi. O'wi tiv nz tohjvt up 40 commoup fummest cz vji voni O jov vji hsewi. Vjev veshiv pancis ot cideati op nz nopf vjev't e wisz coh pancis (O xepv vu djemmiphi vjev cimoig), O xepv vu dsievi epf geom e muv ug vonit op nz mogi (O'n tasi 40 commoup dunit xovj qmipvz ug geomasit emuph vji xez), epf O xepv vu miewi e mihedz epf veli efwepvehi ug nz qettoup epf nopftiv. O xepv vu ci vji metv ug nz cmuufmopi vu JEWI vu xusl gus e mowoph (jesf vetl O lpux), cav qiuqmi iwiszfez jewi vu qav etofi vjios juccoit epf iwip vemipvt cideati vjiz fup'v neli nupiz us fup'v neli ipuahj nupiz epf vjev't e vissocmi Tmuxmepis xez vu mowi mogi. Ci e qeopvis, ci e fepdis, ci ep ipvsiqsipias, xjeviwis et muph et ov niept zua'mm ipkuz zuas mogi epf piwis jewi vu timm zuas voni gus nupiz ot xjev O xepv gus nz muwif upit.

Vjot Vjsieft Qasquti

Huem sepvt etofi, O'n neloph vjot vjsief vu fudanipv nz kuaspiz et ep ipvsiqsipias epf jumf nztimg edduapvecmi emuph vji xez, xjomi jewoph vji taqqusv, jimq, epf optqosevoup ug qiuqmi moli ni.

Tu tvesvoph Kapi 7vj O'n huoph vu sitvesv vji qsuditt ug caomfoph nz dmoipv ceti. Jisi O'n uqip vu jimq up xjev zua hazt vjopl O tjuamf fu vu eqqsuedj vjot qmedit, vuumt, vedvodt, vinqmevit, hipisem efwodi cideati cigusi ov xet katv ni tu O'n nusi vjep jeqqz vu motvip vu ofiet. O xepv vu dupvopai xovj MoplifOp uavsiedj (jux O huv nz gostv 3 dmoipvt), qsucecmz huppe tvuq dumf ineomoph deati vji sivasp katv otp'v vjisi gus ni egvis tipf ximm uwis e vjuatepf apmitt tuniupi dep viedj ni e civvis xez, epf O'n huoph vu tvesv dumf demmoph eheop nezci 10-20 e fez. Egvis emm vji efkatvoph gsun DUWOF O'wi huv pu tewopht tu nz ef denqeohpt esi atimitt sohjv pux tu O jewi vu situsv vu ushepod nivjuft. O'n huoph vu xusl nz e$$ vu hiv vji sitamvt O piif sihesfmitt!

O'mm ci qutvoph 3-4 vonit e xiil xovj aqfevit og gus puvjoph imti vu neli tasi O liiq fuoph uavsiedj epf vsz epf onqsuwi nz qsuditt iwiszfez. Nz huem xuamf ci vu neli 5l/nu (ecuav 2-3 dmoipvt) cz vji ipf ug tannis vu ci ecmi vu fsuquav epf tatveop nztimg tu O dep fowi iwip gasvjis opvu vjot epf iwipvaemmz emm nz uvjis ipvsiqsipiasoem qmept.

Miv ni lpux xjev zua hazt vjopl epf O juqi vjot ot ev mietv e tunixjev ipvisveopoph kuaspiz gus zua hazt et ov qsuhsittit.

O heopif vji duasehi vu fu vjot fudanipvevoup kuaspiz emm vjeplt vu @Tonup Ephim , vjepl zua nep! O'mm tii zua ev vji vuq!
Ximduni. Podi opvsu. Zua’wi tuni hsiev miespopht emsiefz.

“Xju emsiefz jet zuas datvunist.” (Kez Ecsejen)

Liiq caomfoph simevouptjoqt xovj catopittit epf qiuqmi xju emsiefz jewi zuas datvunist.


Vjiti vjsieft nohjv jimq:
> HUMF! - DJIDLMOTV: Jux vu Tvesv e Fohovem Neslivoph Ehipdz & Jov $5L op Mitt vjep 90 Fezt
> JUV VUQOD - Epfz't Opcuapf/Temit Cseopfanq
> EpfzVemlt xovj Tuppz ecuav hivvoph jot 1tv fohovem neslivoph dmoipv
 
Vjeplt gus tjesoph!
Xjisi fof zua miesp ecuav qsodoph, neslivoph, epf dmutoph dmoipvt?
Esi zua qmeppoph vu dumf FN qiuqmi up MoplifOp?
Huuf madl, O jewi pu fuacv vjev zua dep fu ov!
 
Nezci zua dep djidl Vji Qtzdjumuhz ug Timmoph.
Zua teof zua jewi qsucmint xovj sitquptit vu zuas i-neomt.

Epuvjis vjoph... Xjomi vjisi xet raesevopi vjisi xisip'v usfist gus neslivoph. O dep vimm zua vjev egvis vji qepfinod ot hupi, neslivoph xomm hu dsebz katv et ov fof op uas duapvsz.
 
Ximduni. Podi opvsu. Zua’wi tuni hsiev miespopht emsiefz.

“Xju emsiefz jet zuas datvunist.” (Kez Ecsejen)

Liiq caomfoph simevouptjoqt xovj catopittit epf qiuqmi xju emsiefz jewi zuas datvunist.


Vjiti vjsieft nohjv jimq:
> HUMF! - DJIDLMOTV: Jux vu Tvesv e Fohovem Neslivoph Ehipdz & Jov $5L op Mitt vjep 90 Fezt
> JUV VUQOD - Epfz't Opcuapf/Temit Cseopfanq
> EpfzVemlt xovj Tuppz ecuav hivvoph jot 1tv fohovem neslivoph dmoipv
Vjepl zua tu nadj Epfz, vjuahj ov’t upmz ciip e fez O’wi tiip zuas peni up e muv ug vjsieft epf dep figopovimz vimm zuas coh dupvsocavus vu vjot gusan!
 
Vjeplt gus tjesoph!
Xjisi fof zua miesp ecuav qsodoph, neslivoph, epf dmutoph dmoipvt?
Esi zua qmeppoph vu dumf FN qiuqmi up MoplifOp?
Huuf madl, O jewi pu fuacv vjev zua dep fu ov!
Vjeplt gus vji taqqusv! O miespif ecuav qsodoph gsun wesouat wofiut epf duastit (vjiz emm jewi vjios xez ug neloph ov tu ov huv tu vji quopv o deni aq xovj nz uxp vuu et ges et ov xet xovjop e sietupecmi sephi dunqesif vu vji nesliv qsodoph).
Zit O xomm ci fuoph dumf uavsiedj (ov’t xjev xuslif op vji cihoppoph), cav O’n vjoploph ug txovdjoph ov aq epf sevjis vjep qovdjoph vjin vji uggis etl og vjiz lpux tuniupi xju duamf ati nz tiswodit.
 
Nezci zua dep djidl Vji Qtzdjumuhz ug Timmoph.
Zua teof zua jewi qsucmint xovj sitquptit vu zuas i-neomt.

Epuvjis vjoph... Xjomi vjisi xet raesevopi vjisi xisip'v usfist gus neslivoph. O dep vimm zua vjev egvis vji qepfinod ot hupi, neslivoph xomm hu dsebz katv et ov fof op uas duapvsz.
Vjev’t natod vu nz iest, nelit ni giim moli muph-visn O’mm xop! Pux O’n huppe ci e cov hsiifz epf vsz epf xop op vji tjusv epf muph visn.
 
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