This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Victoria Carroll, a U.S.-based professional voice actor who created a full-time career with the freelance service platform Fiverr.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Fiverr. Victoria Carroll.
What was your day job (or other sources of income) when you started your side hustle?
I was living abroad in the Czech Republic and working as an actress and filmmaker before I did voiceover work, but my income was always low (and sporadic), so I mainly supplemented it by teaching preschool. I did all sorts of things before becoming a full-time freelancer, though — I was a Disney princess, a promotional model for brands, I gave English lessons to Czech students…you name it!
When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
I joined Fiverr, which is a platform for freelancers of all kinds, in 2018, which I fully credit for my current career. I had just finished my first large voice acting and motion capture project for a videogame (Kingdom Come: Deliverance) that was becoming quite popular and generating a ton of buzz, but I was still living paycheck to paycheck. A friend suggested I pursue voice-over more seriously and mentioned that they had just hired a voice actor through the site. I was really excited to give freelancing a shot. The prospect of being able to work from anywhere in the world and create my own schedule — especially in my field, which demanded a lot of flexibility for auditions and filming schedules — was really exciting.
What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground?
My first step was setting up a professional home recording studio. I bought a fancy microphone and soundproofing gear. From there, I did research on what clients were looking for in a recording artist and how to best set up my profile on Fiverr. This included creating videos and voice reels of my work, writing a good bio and figuring out how to best communicate project details to meet client’s needs.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while building your side hustle, and how did you navigate them?
I poured everything into building my career as a freelancer, meaning I often worked seven days a week. Sometimes my days were 14-plus hours long, too — and I spent the majority of those hours in a small, dark home recording studio. I also worked holidays, and although I saw success with all the time and effort I put in, I definitely got burnt out. After about a year or so of bending over backward to accommodate dozens of clients a day, I began to set clearer boundaries on when and where I was available and for what price. I have a rule about not working on Sundays now — and I try to avoid weekends in general if I can. I’ve also set stronger requirements for what types of projects I’m willing to take on and for what rates.
How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? How much did the side hustle earn?
I hardly saw any revenue for the first six months. Then, I began to make around $1,000-2,000 a month on average, and it slowly increased from there. By my second full year on Fiverr, I made around $70,000 — the most I had made…ever!
What does growth and revenue look like now?
Since I started, I’ve been lucky enough to almost double my monthly earnings each year. Through Fiverr alone, I’m currently able to pull in around $250,000 a year.
You’ve turned your work on Fiverr into a full-time business. What do you enjoy most about this career?
I think time is our most precious and valuable resource, so having the freedom to make my own schedule is by far my favorite thing about this career. I never did well with jobs that required me to show up at the same place every day for several hours a day. Fiverr is incredible from a time-saving perspective because the catalog of your past work is displayed on the site, along with thousands of honest reviews from previous clients to establish trust, so you’re not wasting time auditioning for jobs or seeking out gigs — the work comes to you. It’s fun to wake up each day and see what new jobs I’ll be taking on; it keeps things fresh. It’s also nice not having a boss to answer to! I’m fully in charge of how my business operates.
Last year, I was able to fund and complete my first feature film (a documentary on a shaman that’s coming out this year), which included traveling to Peru to shoot, edit and post-produce the project. I also got married and pregnant — all while working “full-time”!
So, as a filmmaker and new mom, my freedom is absolutely priceless.
What’s your advice for others hoping to start successful side hustles of their own?
Be prepared to sacrifice a large amount of time and effort in the beginning to establish yourself. When I speak to other freelancers about how they got started, they usually say the same thing. I don’t think there’s a shortcut for that. In the beginning, I worked long hours for low pay. But I was able to pay my dues, build up a huge portfolio and forge nice, long-term relationships with brands and companies. If you make that investment by building up a portfolio and client base in the beginning, it will pay off when you’re established.