When Ashley joined the CCA in May 2019, she struggled to take the steps she knew she needed to take to get her business off the ground. But come 2020, she came back at it determined to use her skills to make a difference for BIPOC businesses.
In this episode, Ashley reflects on how copywriting changed her life, the hurdles she faced as a Black and Hispanic business owner, and inspiring insights she gained as she and her partner navigated her new-found career and ambition.
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A Sneak Peek at the Episode
[1:14] Nicki and Kate welcome special guest, Ashley, onto the show. Nicki asks Ashley to explain her copywriting journey and how she got started with CCA. For Ashley, after changing her major a few times and trying several jobs, she had yet to find a job that brought her joy. After searching for working from home opportunities she found the CCA and was excited about this new career opportunity.
[2:52] Ashley explains how when she first started there were personal obstacles that stopped her from starting her career in copywriting. However, in 2020 she was determined to take her career in this new direction. She completed all the modules and in her heart, she could feel this was what she was meant to do. She always wanted to help her community and she finally discovered how to combine her empathy and career.
[4:57] Nicki asks where Ashley is at now in her freelance journey and Ashley explains how she is still in the learning process although it feels full-time. Ashley is continuously working on better time management skills to increase her productivity.
[7:08] Ashley goes into detail about her daily schedule and how she modified it to match when she is the most creative and productive. She explained how she tends to feels sluggish in the afternoon so she works when her energy is at the highest, which for her is 8am-12pm, and after 4pm.
[9:38] Kate mentioned how Ashley has expressed in the CCA group about the challenges she’s experienced as a black and hispanic copywriter and asks if she can elaborate on that. Ashley explains that although she identifies as Dominican and her race identifies as black, deciding to label herself as a black-owned and Latina-owned business was challenging for her. Ashley explains how internalized racism, self-hatred, racialized self-hatred and imposter syndrome impacted how she felt about her business. However, after 7 months of reflecting and looking within herself Ashley was able to feel liberated and labeled her business confidently to express who she is, as well as who her target audience is.
[15:41] Nicki talks with about connecting with other copywriters and asks Ashley to explain how building a connection with another copywriter has enhanced her experience. Ashley excitedly expresses how copywriting is the first career where she has created a network of more than 50 colleagues that do what she does and how connected she feels. She opens up about how she has overcome mental health issues and chronic depression and how she is a very different person today. Ashley explains how her new behaviors and mindset have created a new universe for her with support systems and guidance and she now has a hopeful direction.
[18:38] Nicki emphasizes how Ashley has given as much, if not more to the copywriting community. Ashley is a support system, inspiration and a valued member of the community. Ashley opens up about how her life has changed and how surreal it feels to bask in this hopefulness.
[20:36] Kate asks Ashley to talk about her goals for her future in copywriting and where she wants to take her business. Ashley explains how she wants to pay it forward and plans to put most of her efforts in client acquisition for BIPOC owned businesses. She mentions how there are so many new businesses opening and they need guidance; her hope is to take on small projects from BIPOC owned businesses in addition to having 3-4 solid clients.
[23:44] Ashley discusses her experiences with partner discrepancies. She did not think that would happen to her and her partner as they started off in the same place with similar financial mentalities. However, as her career grew so did her mindset. She goes further to explain how the way she would approach conversations changed and how that impacted her relationship. Nicki, Kate and Ashley discuss how financial mindsets and spending vs. saving habits can be vary drastically especially when one person starts making more money. Ashley explains the importance of understanding that you and your partner might grow at different rates but this does not mean you love each other any less nor does this mean they are less than you. She emphasizes that there does not need to be a superior/inferior dynamic. At the end of the day, it is a partnership and your successes should be celebrated not lead to competition between the two of you.
[31:22] Ashley and Nicki discuss how when your work schedule gets busier it can lead to having less time and energy for other aspects of your life. Ashley explains how she needs to be mindful of her schedule and create the time for certain habits, even those that came naturally such as introspection because the busy schedule would block those habits.
[33:36] Nicki and Kate conclude this episode expressing how inspiring Ashley is for continuing to persevere and creating the career of her dreams. Ashley plans to continue making a positive impact on the BIPOC owned businesses and her information is below to connect.
Mentioned in This Episode
Related Links
- How to Set Up Your Schedule When Working from Home
- Imposter Syndrome: What It Is and How to Keep it From Derailing Your Copywriting Career
- One Question That Can Literally Change Your Life
- Why Setbacks and “Failures” Don’t Mean What You Think They Do
- Your Goal Should Be to Love Your Career. Period.
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About the Build Your Business Podcast
Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?
Join professional copywriters Nicki Krawczyk and Kate Sitarz to get the tips, tools, and training to help you become a copywriter and build a thriving business of your own. Nicki and Kate have 20+ and 10+ years of experience, respectively, writing copy for multi-billion-dollar companies, solopreneurs, and every size business in between.
Whether you want to land an on-staff job, freelance full-time and work from wherever you want, or make extra money with a side hustle, the best place to start learning is right here.
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Ep. 39: The Creative Project Process
Last Updated on April 24, 2025
