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This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Victoria Carroll, a US-based professional voice actress who has built a full-time career on the freelance service platform Fiverr.
Image credit: Courtesy of Fiverr. Victoria Carroll.
What was your main job (or other sources of income) when you started your side hustle?
I lived abroad in the Czech Republic and worked as an actress and filmmaker before working as a voice actress. However, my income was always low (and irregular), so I supplemented it mainly by teaching preschool. Before becoming a full-time freelancer, however, I did all kinds of things – I was a Disney princess, an advertising model for brands, I taught English to Czech students… you name it!
Related: This mom started a side hustle on Facebook – now she makes an average of $14,000 a month and can “work from a resort in the Maldives”
When did you start your part-time job and where did you find the inspiration for it?
I joined Fiverr in 2018, a platform for freelancers of all kinds that I credit for my current career. I had just finished my first major voice acting and motion capture project for a video game (Kingdom Come: Deliverance) that became pretty popular and generated a lot of buzz, but I was still living paycheck to paycheck. A friend suggested I get more serious about voiceover and mentioned that they had just hired a voice actor through the site. I was really excited to give freelancing a try. The prospect of being able to work from anywhere in the world and create my own schedule—especially in my field, which required a lot of flexibility in auditions and shooting schedules—was really exciting.
What were the first steps you took to get your side job started?
My first step was setting up a professional home recording studio. I bought a fancy microphone and soundproofing gear. I then researched what clients want from a recording artist and how to best set up my profile on Fiverr. This included creating videos and voice reels of my work, writing a good bio, and thinking about how to best communicate project details to meet the client's needs.
What were the biggest challenges you faced when setting up your side business and how did you overcome them?
I put everything I had into building my career as a freelancer, which meant I often worked seven days a week. Sometimes my days were over 14 hours long, too—and most of those hours were spent in a small, dark home studio. I also worked on holidays, and while I was succeeding with all the time and effort I put in, I was definitely burned out. After about a year of bending over backwards to please dozens of clients a day, I started setting clearer boundaries about when and where I was available, and at what rate. I now have a rule not to work on Sundays—and I try to avoid weekends in general if I can. I've also set stricter requirements for the types of projects I'm willing to take on, and at what rate.
Related: This 26-year-old's side hustle that “anyone can do” now makes him $170,000 a month. Here's what happened when I tried it.
How long did it take you to start generating regular monthly income? How much did you earn from the side job?
For the first six months, I barely made any income. Then I started making an average of $1,000-$2,000 a month, and it slowly increased from there. In my second full year on Fiverr, I was making about $70,000 – the most I'd ever made!
What do growth and sales look like now?
Since I started, I've been lucky enough to almost double my monthly income every year. I'm currently able to make around $250,000 per year from Fiverr alone.
You've turned your work at Fiverr into a full-time business. What do you enjoy most about this job?
I think time is our most precious and valuable resource, so having the freedom to create my own schedule is by far the best part of this profession. I was never good at jobs that required me to show up at the same place for several hours each day. Fiverr is incredible in terms of saving time because the catalog of your previous work is displayed on the site, along with thousands of honest reviews from previous clients to build trust. So you don't waste time auditioning for jobs or looking for work—the work comes to you. It's fun to wake up every day and see what new jobs I'll be taking on; it keeps things fresh. It's also nice not having to answer to a boss! I'm fully responsible for how my business runs.
Last year I was able to finance and complete my first feature film (a documentary about a shaman that will be released this year). This included traveling to Peru to shoot, edit and post-produce the project. I also got married and became pregnant – all while working “full time”!
For me as a filmmaker and young mother, my freedom is absolutely priceless.
Related: This former flight attendant and her roommate started a side hustle with just $2,000 each. Then they made nearly $600,000—and counting.
What advice would you give to others who want to successfully build their own side business?
Be prepared to sacrifice a lot of time and effort in the beginning to establish yourself. When I talk to other freelancers about how they got started, they usually say the same thing. I don't think there's a shortcut to it. In the beginning, I worked long hours for little money. But I was able to pay off my debts, build a huge portfolio, and form nice, long-term relationships with brands and companies. If you make that investment by building a portfolio and client base in the beginning, it will pay off once you're established.
Create your very own Auto Publish News/Blog Site and Earn Passive Income in Just 4 Easy Steps
