I joined Fiverr eight years ago. I was pregnant, hormonal, and jobless. I had just left a fancy design career where I was the boss and creative director at a studio, saying things like “brand positioning” in meetings with people in blazers. I had just moved to a new country, and the thought of going back to an office made me want to cry.
I couldn’t do 12-hour workdays, six days a week anymore (spoiler: you can still do that from home). What I wanted was freedom. Flexible hours. Messy buns, naps, and ice cream. I wanted to build brands in sweatpants with a baby on my hip.
I thought freelancing would be a step down. (Spoiler: it wasn’t.)
I thought I’d earn less. (Spoiler: I made 5x more freelancing than running a design studio.)
But the start? Absolutely laughable. I charged almost nothing — like, "do I even need a calculator for this invoice?" levels of nothing. But it worked. I learned the platform, built up reviews, and quickly got pulled into Fiverr Pro. Back then, the program was brand new—just a handful of sellers—and a Pro team manager reached out and encouraged me to apply. I was hesitant. Joining meant giving up my existing gigs, reviews, and momentum. I’d have to start from scratch. I wasn’t even sure the program would take off. (I don’t know how you kids apply now, but it was a leap of faith back then.) Still, I went for it—and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made on the platform. Suddenly, I had more work than I could handle, was charging what I was actually worth, and was fully back to working full-time... except now with a baby, no boundaries, and a laptop in my bed at 2 a.m.
When Freelancing Took Over
By the time I was pregnant with my second daughter (yes, I’m that kind of overachiever), and then my third, I was drowning in work and in denial. COVID hit. I had two babies and a newborn in a two-bedroom apartment, no daycare, a husband also working from home, and no help from family or nannies because of lockdown. I was going B-A-N-A-N-A-S.
Somehow, by the grace of whatever cosmic chaos runs the universe, I managed to take a short trip with a friend once restrictions eased. I wanted to pretend I was a digital nomad. Two weeks. Sans kids. Sans husband. What could go wrong, right?
Well... I was in Bali. My laptop died. Burned. Gone. Cue panic. Tears. Full tropical meltdown.
I messaged a designer I admired on Instagram for help. That’s how Ari joined my life. She picked up some of my projects, we clicked instantly, and now she’s one of my closest friends and full-time collaborators. We’ve worked together daily ever since, visited each other across continents — it was creative love at first sight. How Bold Was Built
Since then, I’ve grown the studio to include three full-time team members and a rotating crew of eight freelancers. I learned how to let go. To trust. To outsource. To lead again. Some of my team I met on Fiverr. One of them — hi Michael — has been with me for seven years. We’ve never met in person. Still, we just get each other. It’s weird, magical, and wildly efficient. The biggest shift for me? Learning to delegate without micro-managing people into misery. These days, I don’t just design visuals — I design teams, processes, and systems. I spend less time doing the work and more time making sure the work gets done — properly, quickly, and without drama.
After years of full-blown workaholism, I finally scaled back. I now work just a few hours a day. I earn a bit less (because salaries), but I’m way happier. I go to Muay Thai. I spend time at the gym. I travel. I have actual weekends. I even do things like read... menus slowly.
What I’ve Learned Along the Way
Here’s my advice if you’re at that painful "too many clients, no life" tipping point:
- Hire before you lose your mind. Will you hire wrong sometimes? Absolutely. Fire fast and move on. There are plenty of talented fish in the sea.
- Don’t be cheap. The good ones cost more for a reason.
- Ditch the ego. Stop thinking you’re the only one who can do it “right.” (And yes, I still struggle with this.)
- Touch grass. You are not your ChatGPT window. Take breaks. Go outside. Be human.
- Don’t just aim to get by — aim higher. Don’t compare your work to the freelancers around you. Compare it to the best in the industry. Then go take their clients. Nicely.
I’d love to end on a purely optimistic note, but the truth is our industry is shifting fast—especially with AI changing the game in ways we’re only beginning to understand. I think the real key to success, on Fiverr or anywhere else, is learning to adapt. Be excellent, be consistent, enjoy the ride—but stay flexible. What works today might not work tomorrow, and that’s okay. Just keep moving.
Check out Mijal’s Fiverr Pro profile to see how her studio, Bold, helps brands bring their identity to life with strategy, personality, and clarity. 
