What a privilege it is that you and I get to exist on the planet at the same time as Joanna. And when you listen to this episode of the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast, I think you’ll get why.
Like many of us, Joanna craved more of what’s most important in life: time with family.
A teacher and mom of three, Joanna is proof that we don’t need more time. We just need to make better use of the time we have.
She joined the Comprehensive Copywriting Academy and started building her business between lesson plans and bedtime routines.
But just as things were taking off, life threw her a curveball: she was pregnant with her fourth child—and diagnosed with cancer.
What could have easily derailed most of us, became a turning point for Joanna. She shares:
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How she transitioned from teaching to copywriting
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What kept her going through life’s biggest challenges
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How she built a business that fits her version of success
And, let me be honest, she’s the inspiration we all need right now!
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Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!
A Sneak Peek at the Episode
[01:48] I was a special education teacher, and they’re always needed. So it was a very stable, consistent career. Come COVID, I was home. Along with half of the world, they questioned all their life’s decisions and how they wanted their life. I knew I loved being at home with my family. And at the time we had three kids.
[02:52] I knew I wanted more flexibility. I knew I wanted to be at home with my kids more. So it really was a personality thing. I wanted to own my own business, and so when I saw the CCA Ad, I jumped in with both feet and never looked back.
[06:00] Just get started. You just gotta push through. Sometimes you’re gonna have clients who aren’t gonna love the things that you write. So you really have to like get laser focused on what you want your life to look like, why you wanna do it.
[07:40] I would be listening to modules on my way to and from school. And then I would do the work and the spec work during lunch or during when I got home. And once I started getting clients, I would be up till 11 o’clock, which is very late for me.
[09:00] So I started CCA in August of 2020. I was doing really, really well. I was getting clients towards the end of the year. The beginning of the year, I had even invested in a business coach ’cause I was in it to win it. I really wanted to expand into an agency.
[09:17] February of 2021, I found out I was pregnant with our fourth, which was fabulous. Four days later I found out that I had thyroid cancer. It halted any progress that I had made. I knew that everything was gonna work out. I had an amazing medical team.
[13:50] December of 2021, I got a four figure client, and then a few months later I get another four figure client monthly. Between those two, I had some smaller clients who had just built and grew from there.
[14:30] Where my business is going now is we’re getting ready to start offering website design, design and development. My favorite type of copy is doing website copy and doing brand messaging calls with clients and helping them figure out, that’s where like I light up when I get to talk to clients about that.
[15:25] What does your team look like? My first team member lives in my home. He is my husband. He has started doing a lot of web design and development and so that’s been really fun. My next hire eventually in the next six months will be a VA.
[16:35] I really do love to learn different things. So when I started with copy, I thought it was gonna be this specific route, and I did a lot of social media captions and ads, website copy, project management and things like that. So I’m very, very grateful to those clients who allowed me to kinda learn while I was on the job.
[19:00] I really wanted to find a way to help other, like moms who are teachers and they need a way out. Maybe they’re not quite as entrepreneurial minded. Train them to do something like this would be fun.
[20:30] Take the leap, make a decision and run with it. I think we just overthink everything. You think just because you buy a course to do copywriting that you are like signing your life away. It could be a huge deal for you and your family if it’s the right fit for you.
[20:45] If you’re not committing yourself to anything by exploring and learning. I do think that there’s a little bit of a danger if you try things out because then you’re not fully committed. I do think my full commitment to this has really benefited me.
[22:05] My day-to-day life is really how I wanted it to be five years ago. I hoped and dreamed it would be, but it certainly is different. I’m doing very different things than I thought I would be doing five years ago.
[23:00] I think the insight there too, that you didn’t necessarily try to force the path to get to where you wanted to be. You got to where you wanted to be by taking the opportunities. Sometimes if we’re too committed to like, this is the way, and then we get frustrated if it’s not.
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 know that when you’re focused, and when you do the hard work, it’s going to pay off eventually.” – Joanna
“Just because you have to take a few steps back doesn’t mean it’s over.” – Joanna
“Teachers have so many wonderful skills. So many are very organized.” – Joanna
“You’ve got to make a move. Sitting and doing the same thing isn’t getting you where you want. But learning more and just one foot in front of the other will.” – Joanna
“My day to day looks exactly how I really want it to look like.” – Joanna
Mentioned in the Episode
Related Links
- Copywriting Lets This Mom Live Life on Her Own Terms
- Ep. 136: Copywriting Transformed Her Quality of Life – Amy’s Story
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About the Build Your Business Podcast
Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?
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Last Updated on November 21, 2025
