Your content is mostly focused on AI and building AI businesses — what advice would you give to someone who's not in the AI space and just wants to start a successful online business? (For context: I've been freelance video editing for 3 years, making about $1,500/month, and my biggest challenge is consistently getting clients since it's custom project work.)
Everything I talk about is immediately applicable to almost any digital business — the common thread is low startup cost (no capital tied up in machinery, trucks, equipment; just a couple hundred bucks a month in software). My advice works especially well in low-barrier-to-entry, competitive businesses, which freelance video editing definitely is — you could copy-paste everything I say about AI/automation client acquisition directly onto video editing. If getting clients consistently is your challenge, that's not one of several challenges — it's your only challenge. Until you're at $10K/month, don't spend a single unit of time on anything besides client acquisition. Start your day with it, spend at least 50% of your day on it, and only fulfill client projects with whatever time is left over.
I can’t walk you through every detail, but here’s a practical roadmap. Start with the Make.com playlist I’ve created – it’s a simple no‑code builder that introduces automation basics. Watch the first 12‑13 videos, then move on to live builds. After that, join Maker School, my day‑by‑day accountability program where I guide you through tasks and check in multiple times a day. Once you’ve got the basics, set up an Upwork profile. Upwork lets you see what clients actually pay for and what problems they need solved, turning you from an academic into a real‑world business person. Browse job listings, apply to those where you have at least a 50 % chance of success, and be prepared to send out 20‑30 proposals before landing a bite. Your first gigs will likely pay $30‑$50 an hour (adjusted for your region). Use the work to understand client needs – usually simple connectors between platforms, data duplication, or dashboards. Keep applying consistently, experiment with the platforms, and schedule calls with potential clients to solidify the work. This approach – Make.com basics, Maker School accountability, then Upwork for real client work – is the fastest way to launch an AI agency as a beginner.
AI will create ads, films, and music videos much faster and for far less money—no production or audio teams needed, as the AI handles scripting and auto‑fixes everything. The output comes from natural‑language prompting; those who know how to prompt the models will do best, though that skill will fade as models become better at prompting themselves. You can definitely earn $10k/month with this right now, maybe for a couple of years. I’m still a beginner in AI automation agencies, but I know some basics and have built a few automations. Your next step is to get in front of paying customers, articulate their needs and problems, and show how your solution helps. There’s no other path—it’s messy, like entering a gladiatorial arena with tigers; you have to win your first fight to earn praise. Start by signing up on Upwork or freelancer.com, treat yourself as a low‑paid API endpoint, gain experience and money, then move to cold email, ads, or other channels to build a sustainable method.
I’ve actually recorded a video that answers that exact question, and I’ve been publishing a new video on the topic every day for the past six days. Right now I’m focused on funnel‑building and trying to reach as many people as possible, so you’ll see a lot of repeated content. Think of it as me consolidating the most important points you need to know to be successful in this niche, rather than just shouting at you. Check out the recent videos for a step‑by‑step guide on launching an automation business as a solo agency owner.
Yes, it’s a good time to start reaching out as a freelancer to scale into an agency. Avoid posting identical content on multiple videos (YouTube removes duplicates). Use a guaranteed‑results model: promise a specific outcome, require the client to sign up for Instantly/email enrichment, buy domains and scrapers (their out‑of‑pocket ~$200), then charge your fee (~$2k) upon delivery. Generally run a managed service—handle everything end‑to‑end—to improve result probability.