Antonio, ant517 on Fiverr®, hails from Clinton, Mississippi, where he just received a master’s degree from Jackson State University.
He’s a talented musician and says his dreams are coming true thanks to the doors Fiverr has opened for him. He works at Mississippi Children Home Services, where he shares the entrepreneurship lessons of Fiverr with many troubled teenagers and young adults, providing positive coping strategies that help them realize they can control the course of their lives.
I learned to play the piano at an early age, but I was also a born writer, and by combining my writing ability with my newfound piano skills, I began to grow as a songwriter. I continued to take lessons, but I didn’t like staying inside the box, so I left structured training and started playing from the heart, using my ear to compose unusual, catchy chord progressions.
“I didn’t know how to share my talent, until Fiverr came along”
I found Fiverr through my research. Signing up was very easy and quick. At first business was slow because people didn’t know me. I was just any other person claiming to be able to write. But soon the orders started rolling in. My first order made me so happy – I imagined I was a music publishing CEO after just two orders! But when customers started returning for multiple orders, I knew I was really on the right track. I had found my place.
I could never have guessed I would be involved in so many projects. My music has been used to teach children songs, and it has been used as a promotional tool for various groups. I recently collaborated with the founder and main writer for the Rock/Electronica Group called Psy’Aviah for their upcoming album, and my writing credits will be listed on Discogs.com. I have also been asked to do songs in other languages, so I’m currently venturing into breaking the language barrier to afford others the opportunity to work with me.
“Fiverr now accounts for 15 to 20% of my income and has made a huge difference”
When I needed money for gas to get to school, testing fees, or unexpected obligations, I could depend on Fiverr as my backup source. Having that sense of security while going through school played a major role in enabling me to obtain a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, which I did in May of 2015.
Fiverr has reshaped my perspective of the music business. I used to want to be a big songwriter for a major company and major artists, but I didn’t consider that there is a price that comes with that. The music business can be full of sharks and faulty “dog-eat-dog” contracts. With Fiverr, I am in complete control of my business and the creative decisions regarding my music. It feels good to have built something I love and nurture it into what I envision.
Now I am faced with “good problems,” such as having so many orders I have to put many of them in a queue. And because Fiverr has helped me find my place in the world, I try to help anyone I can to find theirs, something I regularly do for teenagers and young adults through my job at Mississippi Children Home Services. All this is thanks to the foundation Fiverr made possible, and I’m loving it!
Do you have a Fiverr journey to share? If so, email it to community@fiverr.com.
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