When I first joined Fiverr back in 2015, my gigs were... let’s just say, a little all over the place. My wife Hanifa and I still laugh when we scroll through my early attempts. I was throwing everything at the wall to see what stuck—testimonials, hold your sign, logo intros, random voiceovers, even some experiments I can’t fully explain today. Most of them didn’t work, and I had no problem deleting them and moving on. That was my first real lesson: monitor what’s working, drop what isn’t, and never get too emotionally attached to a “brilliant” idea that just doesn’t sell.
Along the way, inspiration didn’t come just from sitting at a desk—it came from living life to its fullest. While traveling the world, chatting with people in everyday life, or simply observing how businesses interacted with the world, my wife Hanifa and I were constantly soaking up ideas. Traveling the world allowed us to experience different cultures, landscapes, and people—each with their own unique needs and ways of expressing them. Just like a bee gathering nectar from flower to flower, we found ourselves drawing inspiration from every place we visited. Fiverr gave us that freedom—the budget and the flexibility to work as digital nomads, connecting continents while building our business. And that lifestyle became one of our richest sources of creative fuel. Visiting Philippines for two weeks was a turning point for us. That truly is the 'Land of Smiles' as they call it, due to the warm, welcoming, and friendly nature of its people. In those two weeks we knew it's not just about the money, but it is about being human. So we got back home with more clarity than ever. We knew exactly what route we want to take with our Fiverr journey.
We listened closely to our Fiverr Seller Plus agent’s advice, read platform articles, and paid attention to what was trending. All these little moments were slowly filling our creative glass. So when the “big day” came to write a new gig script, we’d lock ourselves in, power down all distractions, make a strong coffee, and mentally sync. It became a ritual—just the two of us, wiring our minds together to create something that could truly serve others and meet real needs.
And through it all, as Jim Rohn wisely said, “On your way to happiness, don’t forget to be happy.” That’s exactly what we did. We celebrated every dollar we earned—whether it was a $300 month or a record-breaking one. Because it wasn’t about the number; it was about the momentum. The growth. The thrill of getting better and offering more value each time. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was our studio—but brick by brick, it came to life.
The Pandemic Shift That Changed Everything
Then 2020 hit, and the world went into lockdown. But while everything seemed to pause, something incredible happened online: businesses—especially small and local ones—had to pivot fast, and suddenly, the demand for digital services exploded.
I realized quickly that this was the moment to lean in. I launched a new gig focused on creating cinematic, inspiring brand videos for businesses trying to survive and “hustle” through tough times: See the gig here. That one gig changed everything. Orders started coming in almost non-stop, and our income scaled almost 5x month after month. It wasn’t luck—it was timing, listening, and delivering exactly what people needed when they needed it most.
The Turning Point: When I Knew I Needed a Team
That “I can’t do this alone anymore” moment came in late 2020, a few months after the hustle gig started gaining traction. At first, I was handling everything—scripts, voiceover coordination, editing, client messages, revisions. But when we've hit 40+ active orders at once, with new ones pouring in daily, it was impossible to keep up without risking quality. So we decided not to become greedy in any way.
That’s when I started by outsourcing scripts and voiceovers to trusted freelancers. Shortly after, I brought on my first video editor—and then a second. By mid-2021, we had a full editing pipeline in place, with me acting as the creative director and quality control. Today, I collaborate with over 15 editors, each one carefully matched to the client’s style and project type.
Where AI Comes In: Supercharging the Workflow
Now, let’s talk about AI—because it’s become a real game-changer in how we operate and it is now deeply woven into our studio’s process. We use ChatGPT during the initial brief phase to quickly brainstorm angles or tone-of-voice options. For example, if a client wants a corporate but inspiring tone, I’ll prompt ChatGPT with examples of previous scripts and let it generate fresh takes. This alone cuts brainstorming time in half.
For voiceovers, ElevenLabs has become essential—especially for quick revisions. Let’s say a buyer changes one sentence in their script. Instead of waiting two days for a human VO artist to re-record, we can regenerate that section within minutes in the same voice style.
And even if they want a real artist, that usually takes 2 to 3 days for a voice artist to deliver. In the 'before AI' era, I had two options during that time: to wait for the voicever delivery before starting the process, or to record a voiceover myself and use it as a draft until I got the voiceover delivered by the artist. But that's not needed anymore now, thanks to tools like AI voiceovers. It’s a massive boost in speed and client satisfaction.
We’ve also started using generative AI visuals for ultra-niche projects—like when a script calls for a “futuristic underwater city” or a “zoom through a digital brain.” Stock footage libraries don’t always cut it, but with AI-generated assets, we can bring those ideas to life while staying on budget. AI helps us deliver faster, smoother, and with more flexibility—without sacrificing that human touch clients come to us for.
Scaling Smarter with AI
AI hasn’t just made our workflow faster. It’s made team management and scaling more seamless. I can now delegate more efficiently, test new gig concepts rapidly, and deliver top-tier work even with tighter deadlines.
The cost-efficiency also allows us to experiment more and reinvest in our growth. We’ve gone from just “doing gigs” to building a real business—with systems, processes, and impact.
My Advice to Fellow Freelancers: Don’t Fear It, Flow With It
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: go with the flow. We’ve noticed the world today is somewhat divided—between those who fully embrace AI and those who fear it might strip away quality or that irreplaceable human touch. And honestly, both sides have valid points. That’s why we position ourselves right in the middle: to understand both perspectives and help them merge. Our goal is to fuse the best of both worlds—efficiency and innovation from AI, combined with emotional intelligence, creativity, and human connection.
AI isn’t here to replace us. It’s here to amplify what we already do well. The line between using AI as a tool and letting it define your work is thin—find it, respect it, and be transparent with your clients about how you use it.
Because at the end of the day, talent, taste, and human understanding
Explore the design expertise behind this piece: Check out Alexx’s Fiverr Pro profile. 
