Have your heart set on freelancing?
A lot of copywriters do. And that was Jen, too. She was freelance or bust.
In fact, the last time we talked to her, she was thriving as a freelancer, making upwards of 10K/month while home schooling her kids.
So, why the heck did she take an on-staff job?!
When you’re really clear on what you want and why you want it, you realize there are multiple ways to get there.
For Jen, flexibility and freedom are the MOST important. But freelancing isn’t the only way to get those things.
If you’ve always felt like freelancing was the only way to hit your goals, you’ll want to listen to Jen’s update. I’ll leave it to Jen to fill you in on the rest …
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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
[03:15] I am currently working as the Communications Manager for an international nonprofit, a role I landed after building my foundational skills as a freelance copywriter.
[05:40] When I first started at the nonprofit, they didn’t really have a cohesive voice, so I was able to step in and apply everything I learned about brand personality and messaging strategy to unify our global communications.
[08:12] The day-to-day is a mix of high-level strategy and execution; I’m managing social media, writing donor appeals, and overseeing our website, all while ensuring we stay true to our mission.
[11:30] The “persuasive” nature of copywriting is actually perfect for nonprofits because, at the end of the day, we are selling a vision and a cause rather than a physical product.
[14:50] One of the biggest shifts for me was moving from being a solo freelancer to managing a small team and working with stakeholders across different time zones and cultures.
[18:22] My background in pitching myself as a freelancer gave me the confidence to “pitch” new ideas internally to our executive director and board members.
[22:10] I love that I get to use my writing to make a real-world impact; seeing a fundraising campaign I wrote actually result in clean water or education for a community is incredibly rewarding.
[26:45] Even in a full-time role, I still keep my “freelance brain” active because it helps me stay efficient and focused on the ROI of every piece of content we produce.
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:
“ You aren’t “selling”; you are offering a solution to a problem your client might not even know they have.” – Jen
“ A project loves processing time for me. we don’t always have that luxury. But when a project gets some overnight processing time from my brain, I feel like it always ends up so much better.” – Nicki
“It’s always about growing no matter what position you’re in your career. ” – Nicki
“Part of what makes copywriting so much fun is that you can work freelance or on staff or this or this.” – Nicki
“Just hold onto to what you value the most and don’t compromise on that and be flexible in all the other areas and you’ll find something.” – Jen
Mentioned in the Episode
- Ep. 51: Working at an Agency & Collaborating with Other Copywriters – Jen’s and Julie’s Story
- Copywriting for Nonprofits: 2 Tips to Crafting Compelling Copy
Related Links
- Ep. 36: From Full-Time, Faith-Based Nonprofit Work to Part-Time Copywriting – Kate’s Story
- Ep. 236: Raising 2 Kids, Writing for Nonprofits, and Going at Your Own Pace – Stevi’s Story
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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.
