Starting Over, Losing My Fiverr Account and More...

“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come.”

— Joseph Campbell

You don’t always see it coming but we all go through that moment in our lives where we have to start over. Whether it's a breakup, the end of a career, an unexpected move, it hurts like hell and giving up seems like the best option.

I experienced one of these moments a couple of months ago. I tried my hardest to conceal it but my closest friends could tell something was wrong. I had been freelancing from 2013 and I am grateful for the circumstances that led me to the world of freelancing. The very first site I started working on was Fiverr.com and for 5 years it took me from my state of being broke to being able to live a life where my bills were paid, I could travel, take care of myself and start my online store. Fiverr to me was my lifesaver, like that door that saved Rose after the Titanic sank. So when I got a disturbing email that my account was permanently terminated, I was devastated.

See Fiverr was my main source of income. Even though I started my online store and created my personal website, 5 years worth of reviews, work, clients I built a good relationship with and their contacts were just gone. Just like that. I also wasn't able to access the available funds I had on the site.

I cried like a baby but let me tell you something, crying didn’t help. I knew I had to something. Giving up was definitely not an option.

The Game Plan:

I decided to focus more on my personal website that I was neglecting and put all my focus on promoting myself. Everything isn’t perfect right now but a lot has changed… a change for the better.

1. I work fewer hours now which is just amazing. Earning a decent income on Fiverr required me to work long hours.

2. I can finally charge what my time is worth. Fiverr is an online marketplace where freelancers can offer their services. There are a lot of good freelancers on this site so competition is very high. One of the techniques I used to attract customers was to lower my rates. While it worked I had to work twice as hard.

3. I get to build my brand. Because I have fewer clients, I am better able to focus on my client’s work, putting my best foot forward with every job I do.

My Advice For My Fellow Freelancers...

• Create your own website and offer your services there. Nothing beats having your own website where you have total control over your site and the content you put out there.

• If you are freelancing on third party sites, please record and save client contacts when they give it to you. In the event that your account is cancelled, you'll be able to contact them.

• Build your brand. It helps to have an established brand identity. Most of my Fiverr clients eventually found me by searching google for my name. They were able to contact me through my website and social media accounts.

Here are some things to tell yourself when starting over…

• There is a lesson to be learnt. I don’t think there is anyone on this earth that loves failure. The truth is, we will all fail at some point in our lives. Because it is inevitable, the best way to deal with failure is to take the lesson and learn from it.

• Endings are necessary. With every start, there is an end. Overtime with age and experiences you’ll start to accept this and endings won’t seem so much of a big deal.

• Endings are a chance to start over and do it better than the last. This always gives me comfort when I have to face an unexpected ending.

• Don’t announce that you are starting over. Just do it. The whole world doesn't need to know you're starting over. You don't want that kind of attention on you. Just take the time you need to slowly build yourself back up and then after, when you are more comfortable, you can tell others about your experience. It may even inspire them.

• Recycle what worked. You'll find that somethings worked and some things didn't. This time, you'll know what to do and what not to do.

Hope you found this helpful. Comment below if you have any tips for starting over.