It started with rejection.
When I applied (and got denied) from my college’s graphic design program, I scrapped the rulebook and built a self-taught portfolio that landed me a corporate gig as a lead designer. When layoffs hit, I waved a peace sign to the 9-to-5 and went all in on freelancing.
But here’s the thing—I hated awkward networking events. So instead of schmoozing my way into opportunities, I built an online presence that did the heavy lifting for me. Before I knew it, my work was landing in front of dream clients like Walmart and Adobe.