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You know that with copywriting training you can become a copywriter. (Duh!)
But did you know copywriting can open doors to so many other career opportunities?
Kate and I got to sit down with CCA student Sunny to hear how (spoiler!) she went from designer to copywriter to marketing strategist.
Sunny went to school for graphic design … but didn’t love design.
As some of her clients asked her if she could write copy, Sunny said, “Sure!” But realized two things:
- She enjoyed copywriting more than design.
- If she was going to offer copywriting services to clients, she needed more formal training.
In this episode of the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast, Sunny shares her story and tips for other copywriters, including how within 3 months of joining the CCA she was able to quit her serving job, what she’s charging clients, and how she feels copywriting helps with all areas of her life.
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Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!
A Sneak Peek at the Episode
[02:30] I was doing web design work and while I was doing that, a lot of clients were asking me to write copy as well. I didn’t really know it was a thing that people did as its own profession. I liked this way more than doing design work.
[03:57] I decided to pivot, it was mostly through podcasts like yours that I gained more confidence. If I’m gonna do this more seriously, I should maybe just do some sort of learning or training. I just wanted something more structured.
[05:49] I felt kind of sleazy about pitching and I felt weird about it, but you guys taught really well to actually find a pain point that they can benefit from.
[07:30] When I was doing design work, it felt like I was always hitting a wall and it was very difficult I think to find a way to sell myself and to buy a new client. Ever since making the pivot, taking the course, It just went at a rate that I wasn’t quite expecting in a very positive way.
[08:00] I bought the course maybe in October, and then I definitely started before getting through it just because I had already been freelancing a little bit. I wanna say from January onwards, I quit my serving job. It was just like a fully functional operation.
[09:32] I had basically moved to Vancouver, so I moved cities and I just wanted to change everything. So I quit my job. It was helpful to have, like I served on the side as well, so a little bit of a backup while I tried to figure things out.
[10:41] I think a lot of the times your full-time job can feel a little bit stagnant and there’s like not as much room for growth. I guess with freelancing, it just felt like there was a lot more opportunity to work harder and to work smarter and to make more money.
[11:23] I do believe in charging what you are worth. After the course, I feel like with it, there is this added confidence. I would just say throughout, I would make I think the first year I maybe made 70K full-time, which is just how much you would make kind of at a regular job.
[13:00] I was much more comfortable with doing more network event things that had a more natural interaction. I guess in those off months, I think I probably would just put more of an effort to pitch more.
[14:22] I also feel just getting into copywriting helps literally everything and anything. It’s like a communication thing. The communication style that I just feel through the rest of my career and even my personal relationships that it’s really helped with.
[15:30] Someone actually reached out to me on LinkedIn offering an interview. A CEO of the company that I work for now. So they’re hiring for a strategist who is also familiar with copy to maybe go back and forth with the copywriter role as well. I started working there in May of this year. It’s been really great.
[17:22] My days will consist of taking client meetings, so doing discovery calls with clients, which is something that you do a lot in copy. Asking the clients for more background, trying to understand their products. We do brand messaging, brand strategy work. In the beginning, we’ll do sort of market research, competitor research, all things that again, I did doing copy as well.
[18:53] I would say just to get started as soon as you can. Because some of the things you can only learn in a project or by working with people. The sooner you just get started and not think too much about have I finished every single thing? Have I checked everything on mental box?
[19:40] You can use the basics that you’ve learned in the course or other concept. The biggest thing that I learned in your course, and in copywriting in general, is to think about the other person that you’re speaking to as much as you can.
[20:25] The Facebook group was really helpful as well. It was really fun, kind of connecting with people and just seeing what other people are doing and having a little community that’s really nice. I would recommend it.
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:
” I was just listening to some podcasts and then deciding that I needed something a bit more structured just to get started.” – Sunny
” Knowing that there’s more opportunity and that you could keep creating that opportunity for yourself versus working in a full-time job.”
” I just feel it opened a ton of doors that it felt very stuck slash linear before and then now it’s through the lens of being a better communicator, you can really just do so many different roles.”
” You can just become an expert. I’ve only been doing this for three years at this point, and it’s really exciting to be like, what else can I do in four years?” – Sunny
” We provide that easy and quality solution for them by showing up and offering value in their inbox.” – Nicki
Mentioned in the Episode
Related Links
- BONUS Laser Coaching: Why Copywriting is a Recession-Proof Job
- Ep. 175: Career Resolutions to Make Right Now
- Ep. 110: What’s Your Copywriting Career Path?
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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.
