If you’re in the Comprehensive Copywriting Academy, you know this community is packed with talented, creative, smart, generous humans.
One of those humans is Shelby Stockton.
Shelby is a comic, copywriter, and co-host of Herstory, a podcast spotlighting the stories of badas* women throughout history.
So, this week’s Build Your Copywriting Business podcast episode is actually a special crossover episode from Herstory.
Shelby kindly invited Kate and me to talk about how we each got started in copywriting, how I built the CCA, and the realities of freelancing.
We also get into book recommendations, behind-the-scenes stories, and more.
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Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!
A Sneak Peek at the Episode
[00:00] Today we’re sharing a special re-broadcast of an interview Kate and I did for the Herstory podcast, hosted by our student, Shelby. This episode explores building a business as a woman and the nuances of the copywriting industry.
[02:13] Shelby introduces us as the creators of Filthy Rich Writers, where we’ve spent over 15 to 20 years in the copywriting field. Our business really began to scale in 2018 when I started treating it as a primary income source.
[03:25] Shelby shares her personal story of being an English teacher who felt “tethered to her desk” and craved freedom. She was frustrated by books that never explained how to do copywriting until she found our academy.
[06:07] My path started in high school when my dad, a marketing director, gave me writing work and provided professional feedback. After a period of “flailing” in my early 20s, a book my mom sent me sparked the realization that I could do this for a living.
[08:20] I studied publishing and literature, initially thinking I’d be a copy editor or journalist to make ends meet. Everything changed when I met Nicki at a travel company and realized marketing writing was far more exciting than standard editorial work.
[11:30] The CCA grew out of a “crash course” I developed for junior writers I had poached from other teams at our company. In 2012, I launched CCA to provide the high-quality, professional training that didn’t exist in traditional colleges.
[15:38] We discuss why many beginners fail: they treat it like a “get rich quick” scheme and quit before the momentum kicks in. Success is individual, but the only true way to fail in this business is to stop showing up.
[19:44] We break down the variety of roles available, from being on-staff at an ad agency to working in-house for a single brand. Whether you choose full-time or freelance, copywriting is a “word puzzle” that blends creativity with strategy.
[25:04] Our decision to offer lifetime access and constant course updates, such as our recent LinkedIn training refresh. We want to support our students throughout their entire careers, providing the help I wish I had when starting out.
[27:01] The biggest hurdle isn’t just learning the craft, but battling the internal voice that says “you can’t do this”. I believe that helping students navigate this mindset shift is just as important as teaching them how to write a banner ad.
[35:15] People often ask exactly when they will land their first client, but success is highly individual and depends on how much time you can invest. I always remind our students that momentum builds slowly at first, like pushing a snowball up a mountain before it finally starts to cascade.
[35:42] Copywriting isn’t about being a “talented artist” in the traditional sense; it’s about strategic problem-solving. We teach it as a “word puzzle” where you have a specific objective and you use your skills to weave a solution together.
[42:18] Even though I run the academy now, I still periodically take on clients to stay sharp and “in the weeds”. Kate, who is our marketing director, is also actively copywriting, which allows us to bring fresh, real-world examples back to our students.
[48:38] Here’s some of the books that have shaped our thinking recently, like The Psychology of Money. We reflect on how important it is for women in business to find their voices and not let resentment build up by staying quiet.
Must-Hear Takeaways
As with every episode, we highly encourage you to listen to the entire conversation! But here are a few of the highlights:
“ The only way to ‘fail’ is to quit. If you just keep doing it and keep showing up, things are going to come through for you.” – Nicki
“I don’t feel like we’re doing our jobs if we’re not updating things… we want to make sure that we could support people throughout their career.” – Nicki
“It’s so flexible in a way that so many other careers can’t be, and I think that’s a big appeal for a lot of people.” – Nicki
Mentioned in the Episode
- Herstory Spotify Podcast
- Helping Copywriters Start and Scale Wildly Successful Careers
- The Fastest Way to Grow Your Copywriting Business
Related Links
- If I Make So Much Money Writing Copy, Why Am I Teaching Copywriting?
- Get Your Copy of “Copywriting Strategies” by Our Own Nicki Krawczyk
- Ep. 8: Meet Nicki Krawcyzk, Founder of Filthy Rich Writer
- Ep. 4: Meet Our Head Copy Coach, Kate
- Episode 251: Lessons from Nicki’s New Freelance Client
- Episode 258: From Scarcity to Strategy: An Honest Update on My Money Mindset
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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 15+ 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.
