Seven years ago, I opened a laptop and created a blank Fiverr account.
No reviews. No portfolio. No clients.
Just a passion for web design and development — and a quiet determination to build something real.
I had no idea that journey would one day take me from a completely blank freelance profile to a giant billboard in the heart of Times Square, New York City.
My name is Ishan Umayanga Jayathilaka. Most of my clients know me as iJay. I’m a website designer and developer based in Australia, originally from Sri Lanka — and in October 2025, my face and profile appeared on one of the most iconic billboards in the world.
This is that story.
From Blank Profile to Fiverr Pro: The 7-Year Journey
Going from a blank profile to a globally recognized freelance career doesn’t happen overnight.
The early years were about one thing: earning trust. Every project was a chance to prove that a professionally built website means more than good looks — it means fast load times, clean code, mobile responsiveness, and SEO-ready structure that helps businesses grow.
Over seven years, working under the name Ijay, I refined both sides of the craft — the creative, design-led side and the technical, development-driven side. That consistency earned me the Top Rated Seller badge on Fiverr, and eventually the Fiverr Pro designation — one of the most selective tiers on the platform.
The Email That Changed Everything
On a quiet Tuesday morning in October 2025, I received an email from the Fiverr team.
I had been selected as one of only six global winners for Fiverr’s International Freelancer Day campaign — out of millions of freelancers worldwide.
Fiverr would be featuring my profile on a giant live billboard in Times Square, Manhattan, New York City.
It didn’t feel real.
From Blank Profile to Times Square — October 30, 2025
On October 30, 2025, the billboard went live in Times Square, NYC.
Because I’m based in Australia, I couldn’t be there in person. The Fiverr team captured the moment and shared it with me. Seeing my name — Ishan Jayathilaka, known professionally as Ijay — displayed in one of the most iconic locations in the world was surreal.
The billboard featured a live QR code linked directly to my Fiverr website design and development profile, generating a wave of global profile visits, messages, and new project inquiries from clients around the world.
Beyond the professional achievement, this moment carried deep personal meaning. Building a global freelance career from Sri Lanka requires persistence that goes beyond skill. Opportunities aren’t handed to you — you create them, project by project, client by client, year by year. As one of the very few Sri Lankans ever featured on a Times Square billboard, I hope this moment is proof for every designer, developer, and creative professional in Sri Lanka that geography is not a ceiling.
A blank profile. Seven years. Times Square. It’s possible.
You can read the official campaign announcement on the Fiverr Community Forum.
7 Lessons from 7 Years — What the Journey Taught Me
1. Great design requires great development. A beautiful website that loads slowly or breaks on mobile delivers no real value. The strongest results come from combining design and development as one unified craft.
2. The internet has no borders. It doesn’t matter where your desk is. I’ve built websites for clients across continents — from a home office in Australia, originally from Sri Lanka.
3. Consistency compounds. Freelancing is not a straight line. Growth happens through showing up daily, solving problems, and genuinely caring about the clients who trust you.
4. Your reputation is your portfolio. Reviews, results, and repeat clients matter more than any single flashy project.
5. Invest in both skills equally. Whether it’s UI/UX design, front-end development, site speed, or on-page SEO — every skill you add multiplies the value you deliver.
6. Patience is the strategy. Seven years. One day at a time. No shortcuts worth taking.
7. Where you come from doesn’t limit where you can go. From a blank Fiverr profile. From Sri Lanka. To Times Square. Proof enough.
The Journey Continues
From a blank profile to Times Square — that milestone is one I’ll never forget.
But the real joy of this work still comes from the everyday process. Sitting at my desk, sketching layouts, writing clean code, and building websites that help businesses grow.
That part never gets old.
To every client, collaborator, mentor, and supporter over the past seven years — thank you. This milestone belongs to all of you too.