She left her hairstylist job one day … and landed an agency copywriting role the next.
Her portfolio when she landed the job? 100% spec ads.
She’s never stepped foot in an office.
And right now? She’s working remotely from Morocco, contracting with agencies around the world.
To say we’re in awe of Katherine’s path is an understatement.
After more than a decade behind the chair, she knew it was time to make the emotional decision to move on. And if you’re feeling that same pull—even if you love your current career—Katherine’s story is one you need to hear.
Katherine was kind enough to spend some time sharing her story on the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast, including the strategies that helped launch her copywriting career.
As someone who loved her job, she’s offering deep insight into how she knew it was the right time to make a change.
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Prefer to watch the episode? Hit play below (plus, hit “cc” to toggle on closed captioning!).
A Sneak Peek at the Episode
[02:08] I was a hairstylist for like 11 years. And did that all throughout COVID. For me it ended up being pivoting into something new, which is copywriting’s completely opposite to hairdressing.
[03:09] I was always the one that was like respond to this email, write our website. So I was always doing copywriting and I always had dreamed of having a career as a writer. I came across CCA and I went for it in must have been late 2020 because it was after COVID.
[03:51] Do you remember what it was that made you decide to go with us? One of the biggest draws was the Facebook group ’cause I think that was a really good resource. I learned it was really helpful to be able to go back and forth with other students and participate in conversations and stuff.
[08:18] The day that I left my salon job. It’s a very emotional day, wrapping up a huge chapter. The following day I ended up getting a job with an agency. They had an ad for a junior copywriter. Luckily it was very seamless and I was with them for about a year and a half.
[10:53] Did you have your portfolio together at that point or not yet? Yes. like very basic and it was all spec. All of my spec stuff that I was so proud of and looking back, I’m like, oh God. But it did the trick.
[13:48] How has your career progressed since the agency? I actually prefer to contract with different agencies. And I really like doing that ’cause I get a fantastic variety of work. I get to collaborate with so many different kinds of people and more senior people and get to mentor newer people.
[16:10] How your contracts look like? I have had other clients where they’re a bigger chunk of time, like 30 hours a week for a couple months. It’s a little bit of a mixed bag, but I think that’s a good thing.
[17:26] We worked on media plans, script writing, organic social, paid social email, direct activations, which was an interesting. And then in terms of industry, I’ve worked with small solopreneur, health coaches, luxury luggage, e-commerce, health supplements, wellness, finance, like so a little bit of everything.
[17:49] What is an activation? one that is like copywriting adjacent. A fun idea to try to come up with these really big, fun advertising campaigns.
[20:51] Maximize all of your resources. The Facebook group is such an invaluable resource. And also there’s tons of free stuff online. I am a huge Reddit fan, I’m so into Reddit. I use it for market research for clients, seeing what people are talking about.
[28:11] I get bored very easily. I like to explore. So, it’s just in my blood, as corny as that sounds. And this has just been really like a godsend and it’s just afforded me such freedom and flexibility and has been the dream.
[28:42] Where you wanna go after Morocco? So I am very consciously trying to just be present and be here and enjoy where I am. So I haven’t thought too much about that. Very proud of myself ’cause it’s a struggle. But I’m enjoying it. It feels good to be here, so as soon as it stops feeling good, I’ll move on.
[34:32] I just remember there came a part in the course where you need to tell everyone you’re doing this. For so long I was still like, oh, I’m a hairstylist. And I was like, oh no, you’re not. You’re a copywriter. Just do it. And I was very positively received, which was good. I wanna make sure that I’m committing to it.
[37:04] How did you get yourself to follow through? I remember it was really important to me to get my website looking nice and legit. I’m much more proud of where it is now, but at the time it was very important for me to at least have some work, make sure it looks nice.
[39:22] It felt like letting go end of an era, just a big change to be made, but it was necessary and it’s always something that I can go back to. There was a lot of relationships that I had to leave behind, but that experience, has served me really well in this new path.
[40:27] It’s definitely like psychological. Some of the tips and tricks you can use in all different facets of life. Being a hairstylist and copywriter, there’s actually a really, really big overlap, which absolutely are very helpful.
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 transparency, I think they found that valuable. I was just honest and I didn’t wanna oversell myself, but I didn’t wanna sell myself short either.” – Katherine
“Spec work counts. It still demonstrates your skill.” – Nicki
“Copywriting is not just about making money and freedom and fulfillment. It’s also about sometimes writing lines that make you think to yourself that you are a little bit of a genius. ” – Nicki
“I need something flexible. I want to be self-employed. So that was another huge, huge draw. That was definitely the top reason why I ended up making the leap to copywriting.” – Katherine
“It’s not perfect, obviously there’s many challenges, but that’s okay. It’s worth it.” – Katherine
“I want my website to be indicative of me. That doesn’t to seem like I’m trying to be something I’m not. I want it to be authentic.” – Katherine
“So it is very much about curating your plan for someone and thinking about how you’re going to speak to them, what’s important to them. So it really is not so different.” – Katherine
Mentioned in the Episode
- Ep. 100: Take Advantage of the Digital Nomad Lifestyle
- Portfolio Examples That Wow Clients
- Break Into New Copywriting Industries Using Spec Ads
Related Links
- Ep. 232: From Copywriter to Product Marketer (And Homeowner in Spain!) – Alba’s Story
- BONUS – Laser Coaching: How Can I Work Remotely from Anywhere in the World?
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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.
