u/abduljabbar_r

I need some advice from freelancers who have dealt with something similar.

I was hired by a direct client for a $1,000 project. I completed around 50% of the work and asked for $500 for the work I had already delivered.

After that, the client disappeared.

I followed up several times. Eventually, he came back and said he would pay me on Friday. I thanked him and agreed.
Friday came… and he disappeared again.

The frustrating part is that this isn’t a random client. He runs a fairly large company, and another client of mine actually referred me to him.

I had also worked with him previously on a $1,000 milestone, and everything went smoothly. That’s why I trusted him this time.

At this point, he owes me the full $1,000, and I’m not sure what the best way to handle this is.

Should I keep following up? Send a formal payment request with a deadline? Stop working completely until he pays? Or take some other action?

I’d really appreciate advice from freelancers who have been through something similar. What would you do in my situation?

I see a lot of people asking how to get their first client, and I’m in the same boat.

One thing I’ve noticed is that we try to be everywhere at once.

Upwork, Fiverr, LinkedIn, Reddit, cold emails… and after a while it feels like you’re doing a little bit of everything but not getting good at any of it.

I’m thinking it might be better to pick ONE platform, learn how it works, stay consistent, and give it a proper shot before moving to another.

For people who already got their first few clients, what actually worked for you?

Did you focus on one platform? And if you were starting again from zero, what would you do differently?

Hi everyone,

I am an Upwork freelancer transitionining from Lead Generation to AI Automation. Even though I have built several workflows (using tools like make.com, n8n, Zapier & GHL), I am struggling to land my first real client.

For those who have successfully made this transition or land AI automation clients:

- Where and how do you find high-quality leads or clients?
-How do you structure your Upwork proposals or portfolio to build trust when you don't have reviews in this specific niche yet?

Any advice, tips, or portfolio suggestions would be greatly appreciated!