Chidozie ChimaOn May 20, 2017, I took my first step into website design—not with a grand business plan, not with years of experience, but with a Fiverr account and the thought, Let’s see where this goes.
Eight years later, I’ve built websites for all kinds of clients, worked on projects that made me proud (and some that made me question my life choices), and learned lessons the hard way.
This is the journey so far.
The Fiverr Hustle: Learning by Fire
Starting out, I was just another designer in a sea of “I’ll build your website for $5” gigs. That’s what Fiverr was back then—cheap work, high demand, and a brutal race to the bottom.
I charged low, over-delivered, and quickly realised something: cheap clients are the worst clients. They micromanage, they expect miracles for nothing, and they’ll ask for 20 revisions on a project worth less than a coffee.
But I kept at it. Not because I loved it, but because I was learning. Every project—good or bad—taught me something. How to design faster, how to communicate better, how to spot red-flag clients before they wasted my time.
That phase was rough. But it was also necessary.
Lesson learned: You don’t stay cheap forever. You level up, or you burn out.
Breaking Free from Fiverr
At some point during the COVID-19 pandemic, I realised that while Fiverr got me started, it wasn’t where I wanted to stay.
I wanted:
✅ Better clients who understood the value of good design.
✅ Bigger projects that weren’t just cookie-cutter WordPress setups.
✅ More control over my business, pricing, and brand.
So I built my own space. A website. A portfolio. Something that made me look like a serious web designer—not just a gig worker.
And the moment I started treating myself like a professional, others did too.
Lesson learned: Platforms can give you a start, but real success comes when you build your own brand.
Where I Am Now
Eight years in, web design is no longer just a Fiverr gig for me. It’s a business. And my approach has changed:
- I charge what I’m worth. No more undervaluing my work.
- I pick my clients carefully. Some projects just aren’t worth the headache.
- I keep learning. New tech, new methods—staying stagnant isn’t an option.
But most importantly, I run things on my own terms. No algorithm deciding my visibility, no platform taking a cut, no cheap clients expecting the world for pennies. That’s the real win.
What’s Next?
As much as I enjoy designing, I don’t plan to be in the trenches forever. The long-term goal? Grow the business to a stage where I can focus purely on running it—while a team of talented designers and developers handles the actual work.
I want to move from doing to managing—ensuring quality, maintaining client relationships, and growing the business while others take care of the technical work.
And ultimately? Retirement. Early. Not in the “sit on a beach doing nothing” way, but in the “only work when I want to” way.
Happy 8th anniversary to me.