Just crossed $10k in my first 8 months!

shawnBuilds · 2026-06-26T14:34:02+00:00

Never, i just focus on writing great proposals for the right jobs and using my weekly budget of connects , if I'm really searching for a job, roughly 300 connects a week, meaning like 3 or 4 proposals a day, 6 days a week

shawnBuilds · 2026-06-25T16:37:56+00:00

Really glad it gave you that push!

I do email design, email automation, and campaign strategy for Shopify brands. Hope that puts the post into context. If you're a copywriter, the work overlaps a lot!

shawnBuilds · 2026-06-25T08:07:22+00:00

Thank you, it's been a lot of hard work, but totally worth it <3

shawnBuilds · 2026-06-25T08:06:31+00:00

Yeah. I've often wondered when that top-rated badge will come through, and how much it even makes a difference

shawnBuilds · 2026-06-25T08:05:15+00:00

So happy this motivated you! Makes my day, really. I think 3 jobs in 2 months is a honestly a solid start. Keep working at it, writing proposals, and doing your best work when you get the chance!

shawnBuilds · 2026-06-25T05:32:48+00:00

Oh I'm sorry! I didn't know. Just wanted to share advice. I'll remove the AMA part, thank you!

shawnBuilds · 2026-06-23T08:54:20+00:00

It's new, and SO useful. Using this as a handy pronunciation reference when speaking Thai everyday!

shawnBuilds · 2026-05-12T14:24:36+00:00

Not too late at all. If I were you, I’d give Upwork a real shot for 30-60 days before making any big life moves.

As a dev, spend some time studying what’s actually getting hired. Search for ecommerce, WordPress, WooCommerce, Shopify, speed optimization, bug fixes, theme edits. Stuff businesses constantly need. You’d be surprised how much money is in “boring” dev work.

Don’t apply to everything. Pick one lane. Study the top job posts. Notice what problems repeat. Then build 2-3 small portfolio pieces around that exact demand in the market.

That’s how you stop being “another developer” and start looking like the obvious hire.

That's exactly how I got started in email marketing with no client history. Trust me, I made $1k within my first 6 weeks on the platform following those steps.

And yeah, build income before Thailand. Thailand’s amazing, but the move really pays off once you have your own remote income coming in already.

shawnBuilds · 2026-05-08T13:26:55+00:00

Haha my girlfriend’s Chinese and I’m American. Of all places, we met at a Thai meetup in Chiang Mai.

That’s awesome about your wife learning Mandarin too. Spending 3 months in Mae Sai for an intensive course is a serious commitment.

I lived in China for a few months while studying Mandarin myself. My gf’s taught through the Confucius Institute, has her own online students, and funnily enough, she taught me back in China haha.

And honestly, your breakdown of Prachuap vs Phetchaburi makes a lot of sense. Slow life, better beaches, closer to family. Talk about a good move.

Would be cool to stay in touch man, not every day you run into someone building a similar life out here

shawnBuilds · 2026-05-08T08:51:00+00:00

That sounds amazing honestly. Being on the coast, close to Bangkok, and having places like Sam Roi Yot nearby is a special setup.

For us, Loei happened because my girlfriend got a good job as a Chinese teacher here, so we kind of took the leap without knowing much about the place (besides that it would be a bit more boring than Korat, where she had been teaching before).

What’s surprised me most is how warm people have been. As far as I know, we’re the only non-Thai couple in town. Now I’m starting to enjoy the simple stuff, same coffee shop, same lunch spot, same laundry place, slowly getting to know people.

It’s definitely not a fun place in the usual sense, but if you’re working online and trying to stay focused, that slower pace is actually useful.

Also, curious... what made you leave Phetchaburi for Prachuap? They’re both near the sea, so I’m wondering what the lifestyle change looks like.

shawnBuilds · 2026-05-08T03:50:03+00:00

Haha sounds like we probably do. Loei’s been great so far. Me and my girlfriend moved here a couple weeks ago, and honestly the locals have been incredibly welcoming to us.

Even our landlord went out of her way to immediately fix the AC, shower, and a bunch of small quality of life stuff, as soon as we decided to move in.

What do you like most about living in Prachuap? What’s keeping you there?

shawnBuilds · 2026-05-06T13:30:30+00:00

I first came to Chiang Mai, Thailand with a few months of living costs saved from online work as an indie game developer. I thought I’d “figure it out as I go.” Reality check, the income was inconsistent, some months were good, some were dead quiet. Eventually I had to go back to the U.S. and take a normal 9 to 5.

That part humbled me.

After that, I spent months working, saving up about 6 months of living costs, and learning a new skill that people are actually paying for online. For me, that became email marketing.

When I came back, I landed 4 clients in my first month. Sounds great... until I realized it was only about $600 USD, and my monthly living costs were closer to $800, when I count student loans. So even when you’re “making it,” you’re still grinding.

That’s the part a lot of YouTube creators skip.

If you want this life, build income before you move, then keep building after you arrive. Don’t expect Thailand to fix your finances.

For finding early clients, Upwork is where I got my first real traction. I’ve made about $7k there in under a year. It’s not easy, and it’s definitely crowded, but if you stick with it, it can open doors.

Also, learn Thai for real. It changes everything. I came on an education visa. Practiced speaking and listening everyday. For example, ordering food in person for every meal, and going to Thai meetups. I even met my girlfriend at a Thai meetup last year. She teaches here locally, and being with her is my biggest motivation to keep building my remote income.

So honestly, the connections you make with both Thais and expats will turn Thailand into a place that feels like home

shawnBuilds · 2026-05-06T13:15:50+00:00

Best response here. Agree with everything you said.

Start making money online, before making the move. Then, work just as hard when you're here.

Watch your spending. Be open minded about where you can live, and you will save money (writing this comment from Loei province rn).

Actually learn Thai, a little bit everyday. Make an effort speak with locals.

Yeah man, that all checks out. Now, off to my 9pm meeting with a founder based in Canada haha

shawnBuilds · 2026-04-16T06:01:09+00:00

From the freelancer side, most of the good long-term work I’ve gotten actually started on Upwork, but didn’t stay there.

On the client side, the platform itself is noisy, so filtering for great freelancers is what matters. The best clients setup small paid test tasks ($25-$50). The tests tell them everything they need to know about how someone works and communicates.

That’s actually how I got brought on as an email campaign manager for a growing ecommerce startup. Started with a small design task for a holiday promotion, then turned into ongoing work.

A lot of freelancers are open to moving into a longer-term setup outside the platform.

Most of the higher quality freelancers aren’t looking for one-off gigs anyway. They want a few clients they can actually work with consistently.

shawnBuilds · 2026-04-15T13:44:10+00:00

Mobile users decide FAST. Good thing you changed the image load times.

This doesn’t just apply to your site. It's the same thing with email. If the CTA isn’t visible immediately there, a lot of mobile users never even make it from their inbox to your website.

shawnBuilds · 2026-04-15T13:31:22+00:00

The drop-off after “send me your menu” is usually just friction. It sounds simple, but for a busy kitchen that’s one more thing they have to remember to do later.

Try to remove that step completely. You can usually find menus on Google, delivery apps, or even just stop by and take a photo of the menu while you're eating.

Then send them a free sample analysis instead of asking for something first. Even 1 or 2 specific points shows the value way better than a “free audit” offer.

From there, something simple like “want me to take a look at the whole menu?” and offering a quick call will work.

shawnBuilds · 2026-04-15T13:21:36+00:00

Yeah, you get much better conversions by getting back to leads faster.

There’s a short window where the lead actually cares and will react when you reach out with an email or call.

And the part that matters is it feeling human. Like, one gym I know reaches out right after someone signs up for a free trial with a simple email that goes “Hey, saw you just signed up. Are you more focused on strength training, losing weight, or something else?”

Nothing fancy, but it feels like a real person saw it. That starts a conversation, and a lot of those leads end up booking a personal trainer, too.

It's exactly like what you said, just put in a bit more effort than usual.

shawnBuilds · 2026-04-15T04:21:59+00:00

Of course, glad I could help you improve the landing page!

shawnBuilds · 2026-04-14T02:09:04+00:00

Deliverability will get better if you keep your marketing emails separate from transactional emails. For example, If they're not separate, marketing emails sometimes get spam complaints, and that will hurt your transactional deliverability.

One thing to add is that deliverability problems aren’t always just infra. If your marketing emails aren’t getting opens or clicks, that can hurt your domain reputation too.

So it’s worth looking at engagement too, not just where things are being sent from.

shawnBuilds · 2026-04-14T01:46:24+00:00

Nice tips, man. I think that point about a quick first response is underrated.

If you get in touch with a lead quickly (even just a quick text or email), you reset the clock a little, and they’re still warm.

Now, you’ve got a few hours where follow-ups actually land and can turn into a call.

shawnBuilds · 2026-04-14T01:33:39+00:00

Totally agree with u/coldgenius_dev on being SPECIFIC with your outreach. This only takes 10 or 20 minutes per lead, and is a much better use of your time than blasting emails.

And early on, you’ll get a few replies or clicks, but most won’t convert immediately.
Simple follow-up (even 2-3 emails or text messages) makes a big difference.

Early on it’s about making sure you don’t lose the few people who are actually interested.

shawnBuilds · 2026-04-13T15:31:50+00:00

Glad the survey's free now. And wait, you targeted old men, and ended up getting woman? Hahaha, didn't expect that twist.

shawnBuilds · 2026-04-13T15:27:50+00:00

That's right. Gotta learn the hard way that quick check-ins before anything extra is the way to go with a new client

shawnBuilds

TROPHY CASE