How Cooper Scaled an AI Agency to $30K a Month

TL;DR

Cooper scaled his AI automation agency to a little over $30K per month by prioritizing sales through Upwork and cold email before building a website or filing an LLC. After starting the year unemployed, he joined Maker School around the end of March and generated roughly $25K from his first large client in month one. Read on for his client-acquisition approach, revenue breakdown, and advice on validating a service business.

Transcript

Starting in January, I was unemployed. And it actually got bad that my church community uh did a GoFundMe for my family so that like we could, you know, like keep the lights on. I have three boys and then a wife and, you know, running off trying to do some silly AI thing was uh kind of scary, but I was like, just give me one month. Let me try it ou... Read More

Key Insights

• Cooper is closing a little over $30K this month, made up of about $15K in ongoing custom work for his first large client, $10K on a new voice automation, plus retainers and some smaller clients.
• The first month generated around $25K from a single client, starting as a roughly $20K AI cold email and AI outbound system proposal that grew when Cooper pitched additional automation and sales enablement work.
• Validating that you can sell a service first is more valuable than filing an LLC or building a website, because business paperwork adds friction and you may discover the model does not work two months later.
• A service business website functions like a fancy digital business card, so clients do not care about its polish; the host recalls wasting two weeks on his own site before realizing this.
• Cooper spent 10 years in tech and product management, including roles at Arizona State University and five years at American Express, before being let go in July of last year.
• After a renewed American Express contract was cut short, Cooper became unemployed in January, did Uber and gig work, and his church community ran a GoFundMe to help his family keep the lights on.
• Cooper distrusted many AI automation sellers who he felt were charlatans profiting mainly from educating people, and chose Nick because of demonstrated tech credibility and real building experience.
• Cooper has worked with about four or five clients so far, with several more deals in the pipeline about to close, after coming in with fair pricing rather than lowballing to win relationships.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Cooper scale his AI agency to over $30K per month?

Cooper focused on selling before handling a website, LLC, or other business paperwork. He set up cold email, improved his Upwork profile, and landed a large first client whose project generated roughly $25K in month one; about five months after joining Maker School, he was closing a little over $30K in a month.

Q: How much is Cooper making per month with his AI automation business?

Cooper says he is closing a little over $30,000 US in the featured month. The total includes about $15K in continuing custom work for his first large client, $10K for a new voice automation, retainers, and work for smaller clients.

Q: How much did Cooper make in his first month?

Cooper generated around $25K from his first large client in month one. The engagement began as a roughly $20K proposal for an AI cold email and outbound system, then grew after he proposed additional automation and sales-enablement work.

Q: How did Cooper get his first large AI automation client?

Cooper followed the program's plan by setting up cold email and improving his Upwork profile. He submitted an Upwork proposal for an AI cold email and outbound system, researched fair pricing after the client rejected a low offer, and expanded the engagement into a project worth roughly $25K in its first month.

Q: What services produced Cooper's $30K month?

About $15K came from ongoing custom work for his first large client, while another $10K came from a new voice automation. Retainers from both engagements and projects for several smaller clients made up the rest.

Q: What experience did Cooper have before starting his AI agency?

Cooper had spent 10 years in technology and product management. His background included smaller companies, Arizona State University, and five years at American Express before he was let go in July of the previous year.

Q: What happened before Cooper started the AI automation business?

After Cooper was let go and a later American Express contract ended early, he was unemployed starting in January. He drove for Uber and did other gig work, while his church community organized a GoFundMe to help his wife, three boys, and him keep the lights on.

Q: Why did Cooper delay building a website and filing an LLC?

The approach was to validate that he could sell the service before adding paperwork and setup friction. The host argues that spending days, weeks, or months on an LLC or website is wasteful if the business model proves unworkable two months later, whereas selling first tests the core offer directly.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Cooper, a guest on Nick Saraev's show, is closing a little over $30,000 US this month with his AI automation business, roughly five months after joining Maker School around the end of March. The revenue includes about $15K of custom work, $10K on voice automation, and retainers.

• Before this, Cooper spent 10 years in tech and product management, including American Express for five years, until being let go in July of last year. A renewed contract was cut short, leaving him unemployed in January, doing Uber and gig work while his church ran a GoFundMe.

• Cooper followed Nick's plan: skip the website and LLC, build an Upwork profile, and use cold email. His first client turned a roughly $20K proposal into about $25K in month one, and he stresses validating that you can sell before dealing with business paperwork.