How Andrew Carpen Earned $100,000 in his first year on Fiver

Good Afternoon ☕

Andrew made over $100,000 in his first year selling on Fiverr. Now, I want to share his inspiring story how he achieved this feat. I hope it inspires and supports sellers like him.

The beginning

In January 2020, he received his first $200 order. He was thrilled about making extra money in his spare time, especially since he already had a full-time job. Completing the order led to his first customer review. He felt nervous but eager to see what the customer thought of his work, understanding how vital feedback is for business. The joy of receiving a 5-star review was overwhelming, and it motivated him to seek more success.

That month, he only made $200, but the idea of being able to support himself began to take root. Inspired by success stories shared on forums, he wondered, "Why not me?" In the following months, he worked with a variety of customers, including some who became repeat clients. Helping these businesses succeed made it easier to get more work and positive reviews, which improved his visibility in the marketplace.

He still remembers the excitement of getting his first $10 tip, no matter how small it seemed. By the end of March 2020, his earnings had surged, matching his full-time job's monthly income. This achievement nurtured his belief in self-sufficiency.

Covid

When the global pandemic hit the UK, the world as he knew it began to change drastically. He had been a frequent traveler for his job in Global Sales, flying over 40 times a year around the world. Suddenly, his travels ceased, events were canceled, and he faced the unsettling reality that his once stable career might not be as secure as he thought, nor could he continue advancing up the corporate ladder as he had planned.

The national lockdown became a turning point for his personal and professional growth, especially as a seller on Fiverr. Being confined to his home almost all the time allowed him to focus more intensively on his work during weekends and free time, aiming to enhance his profile on the platform.

Level 2 seller & Fiverr’s choice

Achieving Level 2 status and being recognized as Fiverr’s Choice were significant milestones for him. It took about seven months of dedicated effort to reach Level 2, a level that added an extra layer of trust and expertise to his services. His orders increased steadily each month, although he encountered various new challenges along the way.

The day he received an order marked with the “Fiverr’s Choice” badge was unforgettable. He had never seen this before and discovered his gig had been selected as a Fiverr’s Choice service. Overjoyed that both customers and Fiverr acknowledged the quality of his work by awarding him this prestigious badge, he felt immensely proud and committed to maintaining high-quality service for his customers worldwide.

Deciding to quit his job

He always dreamed of running his own business and being his own boss. This goal was very important to him.

Before he was 30, he achieved a lot of success in the corporate world. This experience helped him grow quickly and learn many skills. He was very thankful for this because it was a chance not many people get. These skills were very useful when he started working on Fiverr and doing freelance work.

But, the more successful he became, the more he wondered if he was really doing what he valued. Even though he was doing well in his job, he felt like he was working for someone else's dream, not his own. This made him think hard about what he really wanted to do.

Finally, he made a big decision. Even though the economy was very uncertain, he decided to leave his job and work full-time on Fiverr. This was a huge step for him, but he was ready to follow his dream.

Challenges

He faced a lot of challenges in the past year. It wasn't always easy, and he had to deal with some tough situations.

• One of the hardest moments was his first experience with a chargeback. After completing a project that earned a 5-star review, a customer decided to file a chargeback months later, causing him to lose thousands of dollars.

• He also dealt with several instances of "endless extensions" where customers would take up a lot of his time without moving the project forward. Sometimes, these situations even ended with the customer canceling the order.

Another big challenge was losing his rank on the gig platform. This issue is widely discussed in the community, with a lot of different opinions. He noticed a significant drop in his gig's performance around November 2020. Trying to improve his situation, he used the promoted gigs feature and updated his gig too often, which ended up making things worse. His gig impressions dropped dramatically from 1000-1500 per day to only 5-10.

He decided to stop making frequent changes to his gig and focus on delivering excellent work to his customers. Even though it felt like a setback when his gig was not getting much visibility, he believed that focusing on quality would pay off in the long run.

His advice

He wants to share that achieving success might seem quick to some, but it has been a long journey for him. It took about 10 years of learning various creative and business skills to succeed in a competitive field.

Here are some important tips he follows:

1. Treat business as an art and always give more than what's expected to your customers. Going the extra mile brings great rewards.

2. Offer exceptional customer support, even with challenging customers. He learned from a Fiverr seminar that "the customer is not always right, but they are always the customer." This approach not only improves reviews but also reassures potential buyers that you'll support them through anything.

3. Be a great salesperson. Being able to sell yourself is crucial for making money. He developed his sales skills from different life experiences, including working as a waiter.

4. Work hard and be dedicated to your craft. Success requires effort and sometimes sacrifices. Running a business is stressful, and you need to set priorities.

5. Learn from your mistakes, but don't repeat them. He's made many mistakes, but they've helped him grow.

6. Enjoy what you do. Life is short, so do things that make you happy and put passion into your work. Being content with who you are is more valuable than any amount of money.

I hope this story inspires you.

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