What is your start-up story?

Hi guys!

I just like to ask if you can share your story on how you started as a successful freelancer? For example, how did you get your first client then the next client after that. What was your strategy and techniques to find more clients. I studies design in school, though you will learn a lot on how to do things to make it aesthetically beautiful and good for the user, they did not really thought us how to have a success business as being a web designer. I'm trying Elance but I guess there are a lot of people who are there already and it seems that everything is bargain. Anyways, I'm interested in your success stories. I know that word of mouth is still the best way to get clients but in the digital age, I would like to know how you also used the Internet as a tool to get more clients.