markspray
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You know those moments when your kid surprises the hell out of you? Well, this is one of those stories. My son quit his job and came to his old man for advice. Now, I run a marketing agency and have built my fair share of websites, but I made it clear - this was his journey to figure out, his money to risk.
He had $300 to his name and a determination to make something happen. Here's how it all went down...
Week 1 - The Rookie Mistakes
"Dad, should I learn React? Maybe Node.js?" he asked me one morning over coffee. I nearly spat out my drink. "Son," I said, "you're asking all the wrong questions. You know how many broke developers out there know 10 different frameworks but can't get a single client?"
Instead, we focused on what actually mattered. Built him a dead-simple WordPress site using free Elementor. Nothing fancy - just "I build websites" plastered everywhere. No fluff, no "full-stack development" buzzwords. Just straight-up web design for local businesses.
That first week was rough. He was designing ads that looked like every other web agency out there - all sleek and professional. They just blended into the noise. I had to laugh. "Make them ugly," I told him. "Make them stand out."
Week 2 - The Game Changer
This is where things got interesting. We started running Facebook ads - $30 a day, targeting a 20km radius. No fancy targeting, just local businesses. His ad was beautifully simple (and yeah, kind of ugly):
"Hey [Local Town Name]! Building websites for local businesses starting at $500. Why so affordable? I'm new, building my portfolio, and I want to help local businesses thrive. No agency overhead, just honest work."
Then it happened - his first client. An older guy with an online shop. Man, was that a learning experience! Every minor change, every tiny tweak became a whole conversation. But you know what? That's exactly what he needed. Baptism by fire, I call it.
The Rollercoaster Begins
The real estate agent came next. Then a support worker. Each project getting a bit bigger, a bit better. Oh, and let's not forget the "interesting" coffee shop meeting - this lady spent an hour ranting about being ripped off by other developers before we could even say no. That was a valuable lesson in client screening!
The "Holy Shit" Moment
I'll never forget when he realized he'd made his first $2K in a week. He just sat there, staring at his phone, saying "Dad, this is more than I made in two weeks at my old job, and it's way less work!" That's when it clicked for him - this wasn't just a side hustle, this was a real business.
The Real Lessons
Looking back, what made this work wasn't technical brilliance. It was:
Here's the real talk - you've got to get good at sales. No hiding behind your screen tweaking code endlessly. No overthinking every little detail.
The hard truth? You're going to have to put yourself out there. Take some risks. Run those "ugly" ads that might just work better than the pretty ones. Have those conversations that make you nervous. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't - but sitting there planning it all out perfectly sure isn't going to pay the bills.
Most people get stuck in their heads:
Meanwhile, my son just jumped in and figured it out as he went. Was it messy? Yeah. Did he make mistakes? Plenty. But he was making real money while others were still watching YouTube tutorials about the "perfect" tech stack.
Remember: your first client will probably be a pain (his sure was!). You'll meet some characters along the way (hello, coffee shop lady!). But if you focus on helping real people solve real problems, and aren't afraid to stand out (even with "ugly" ads), the tech stuff figures itself out.
Today, he's still running those "ugly" ads that convert like crazy. Still meets clients for coffee (though he's gotten better at spotting the red flags!). But now he does it with confidence, knowing that sales and action beat perfection every time.
Remember: The person who wins isn't the one who knows the most code - it's the one who gets out there and actually talks to clients.
He had $300 to his name and a determination to make something happen. Here's how it all went down...
Week 1 - The Rookie Mistakes
"Dad, should I learn React? Maybe Node.js?" he asked me one morning over coffee. I nearly spat out my drink. "Son," I said, "you're asking all the wrong questions. You know how many broke developers out there know 10 different frameworks but can't get a single client?"
Instead, we focused on what actually mattered. Built him a dead-simple WordPress site using free Elementor. Nothing fancy - just "I build websites" plastered everywhere. No fluff, no "full-stack development" buzzwords. Just straight-up web design for local businesses.
That first week was rough. He was designing ads that looked like every other web agency out there - all sleek and professional. They just blended into the noise. I had to laugh. "Make them ugly," I told him. "Make them stand out."
Week 2 - The Game Changer
This is where things got interesting. We started running Facebook ads - $30 a day, targeting a 20km radius. No fancy targeting, just local businesses. His ad was beautifully simple (and yeah, kind of ugly):
"Hey [Local Town Name]! Building websites for local businesses starting at $500. Why so affordable? I'm new, building my portfolio, and I want to help local businesses thrive. No agency overhead, just honest work."
Then it happened - his first client. An older guy with an online shop. Man, was that a learning experience! Every minor change, every tiny tweak became a whole conversation. But you know what? That's exactly what he needed. Baptism by fire, I call it.
The Rollercoaster Begins
The real estate agent came next. Then a support worker. Each project getting a bit bigger, a bit better. Oh, and let's not forget the "interesting" coffee shop meeting - this lady spent an hour ranting about being ripped off by other developers before we could even say no. That was a valuable lesson in client screening!
The "Holy Shit" Moment
I'll never forget when he realized he'd made his first $2K in a week. He just sat there, staring at his phone, saying "Dad, this is more than I made in two weeks at my old job, and it's way less work!" That's when it clicked for him - this wasn't just a side hustle, this was a real business.
The Real Lessons
Looking back, what made this work wasn't technical brilliance. It was:
- Making ads that stood out (even if they were ugly!)
- Staying local and being the "neighborhood guy"
- Being honest about being new (people love supporting someone starting out)
- Actually talking to people (not hiding behind emails)
- Learning to say no to red-flag clients (coffee shop lady taught us that!)
Here's the real talk - you've got to get good at sales. No hiding behind your screen tweaking code endlessly. No overthinking every little detail.
The hard truth? You're going to have to put yourself out there. Take some risks. Run those "ugly" ads that might just work better than the pretty ones. Have those conversations that make you nervous. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't - but sitting there planning it all out perfectly sure isn't going to pay the bills.
Most people get stuck in their heads:
- "But what if my website isn't perfect?"
- "What if they ask me something I don't know?"
- "Maybe I should learn one more framework first..."
Meanwhile, my son just jumped in and figured it out as he went. Was it messy? Yeah. Did he make mistakes? Plenty. But he was making real money while others were still watching YouTube tutorials about the "perfect" tech stack.
Remember: your first client will probably be a pain (his sure was!). You'll meet some characters along the way (hello, coffee shop lady!). But if you focus on helping real people solve real problems, and aren't afraid to stand out (even with "ugly" ads), the tech stuff figures itself out.
Today, he's still running those "ugly" ads that convert like crazy. Still meets clients for coffee (though he's gotten better at spotting the red flags!). But now he does it with confidence, knowing that sales and action beat perfection every time.
Remember: The person who wins isn't the one who knows the most code - it's the one who gets out there and actually talks to clients.
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