Hate Cold Calls? He Never Made One And Still Got His First Client

Most people think getting their first client means cold calling strangers. Michael never made a single cold call. Michael Sacchitello is the Founder and CEO of FatTail Studio, a fractional growth practice providing leadership and execution for investor-facing brands to uncover and communicate the market insights and competitive advantages that drive authority and growth. He spent more than two decades across leading financial and media institutions including J.P. Morgan Asset Management, Oxford Economics, Cantor Fitzgerald, and Investopedia where he built research platforms, shaped market narratives, and led growth focused content initiatives. When he decided to go out on his own he started talking to people to listen and understand the market. No cold calls. No marketing plan. Just conversations with his network. This led to his first paying client. In this episode Michael breaks down exactly how that first client happened, how he priced his services from scratch, and why he says your network is critical if you want to start and maintain your business. What you’ll learn: • How Michael got his first client through his network without making a single cold call • Initially charge less than you think to get practice and refine your prices after • How the barter system is an underrated way to get your first client when money isn’t on the table • Drafting a contract was the first thing Michael worked on when he started FatTail Studio • The importance of understanding your business won’t care that you’re on vacation Chapters 0:00 Introduction 1:56 How Michael Got His First Client Without Making A Single Cold Call By Talking To His Network 2:48 Charge Less Than You Think At First To Get Practice And Refine Your Prices After 5:01 The Truth About Running A Business When You Go On Vacation And Why You Need To Accept It Going In 6:20 The Moment Michael Knew It Was Time To Start His Own Thing 7:09 Don’t Quit Your Job Yet. Build The Business On The Side, Practice, Fail, And Figure It Out As You Go 8:19 Validate A Business Idea By Finding A Problem, Determining If You Can Solve It, And If You Enjoy Solving It 9:10 Drafting A Contract Was The First Thing Michael Did On Day One 10:25 Why Shipping An Imperfect Product That Solves A Real Problem Beats Waiting For The Perfect One 11:47 You Have To Get Out Of Your Shell If You Want To Build A Successful Business 14:27 How The Barter System Can Get You Your First Client When Money Isn’t On The Table 15:06 Where To Find FatTail Studio Where To Find FatTail Studio: • Website: https://www.fattailstudio.com/ • LinkedIn:   / fattail-studio   First Money Stories features real founders breaking down exactly how they got their first paying client, what they tried, what failed, and what finally worked. Want to be featured on First Money Stories? • Email us at firstmoneystories@gmail.com Find us on • YouTube:    / @firstmoneystories   • TikTok:   / firstmoneystories   • Instagram:   / firstmoneystories   • LinkedIn:   / first-money-stories   • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3eOV3V8...