Sure enough, Joel's interest was piqued. "Don't worry, Erica, my feelings are genuine. If you don't believe me, I'll prove it with my actions."
Seeing the determination in Joel's eyes, I knew the fish was on the hook.
During the summer break, I didn't go home. Instead, I embarked on a major venture.
In my previous life, poverty drove me to work harder in my major. My designs were the best in the class, and I even worked part-time at a design company, gaining some experience.
This time, I invested all my earnings from collecting recyclables into starting an advertising design business. I hustled to get clients, did the designs myself, and worked with printing companies, focusing on business with colleges.
Thanks to the knowledge from my previous life, my first project—a promotional booklet for a university—earned me a solid 4,000 dollars.
I quickly built on this success by recruiting a few talented college students specializing in different areas—design, client acquisition, networking, etc. I even bought equipment and worked together with them, leveraging information gaps, and soon took over design and promotion projects for various universities in the area.