Raise your hand if you’ve ever thought any of the following:
- “It’s too late.”
- “I should have done that years ago.”
- “I’m too old now.”
Well, where did that idea come from? If you’ve got 5, 10, 20+ years of a career left, that’s a lot of time to spend doing something that doesn’t make you happy.
On this Build Your Copywriting Business podcast episode, CCA student Carol is bringing the wisdom: it’s never too late.
Carol had a decades-long career in pet PR and she’s sharing how she transitioned to copywriting and the lessons she’s learned along the way.
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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
[00:00] I spent years in medical transcription and PR, but I always felt like something was missing until I saw an ad for the Comprehensive Copywriting Academy. I decided to take the leap during the pandemic because I wanted to make a real difference in the lives of animals through my writing
[06:40] Re-entering the program wasn’t easy as I faced a cancer diagnosis in my family and the loss of my dog all at once. I had to stop making excuses, simplify my approach, and tell myself that if others could succeed, so could I.
[09:04] Initially, I resisted picking a niche, but I eventually realized my decades of experience in pet health and PR were my greatest assets. I used the Pomodoro method to stay disciplined and began showing up authentically in the pet and lifestyle spaces.
[11:03] I started calling myself a “recovering PR agent” and focused on building genuine relationships on LinkedIn rather than using hard-sell tactics. By answering questions and sharing my wins, I opened the floodgates for clients who already respected my expertise.
[14:31] After a “banner year,” I made the mistake of getting comfortable and stopped pitching, which led to a dry well when contracts ended. I learned the hard way that you must always have a prospecting system in place to ensure a steady flow of work.
[19:57] My efforts paid off when I helped a pet brand secure $1.1 million in seed funding and was hired to fix a rebranding project for a major shampoo brand. These opportunities came because I showed my knowledge and allowed clients to find me through organic search and LinkedIn.
[28:19] I realized that being a copywriter is only part of the job; 60% of my time is spent managing the business end and building systems. Transitioning from an employee to a business owner was a challenge, but owning my time and projects is a dream come true.
[30:56] Taking the chance to become my own boss has paid off because I am willing to put in the work and keep learning. I never expected “business owner” to be on my bingo card, but the freedom to own my time and choose my projects makes it a dream come true.
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:
“Failure wasn’t an option. Just stick with it and you will get to where you wanna go. ” – Carol
“If I ding dong ditch you, you’re not gonna talk to me as much as if I bring you that pie.” -Carol
“ I went back in my mid 50s… you’re never too old for this.” – Carol
“You’re now an entrepreneur and you own it. That was the hardest part for me was somebody’s not gonna bring me the work.” – Carol
Mentioned in the Episode
- SmartDogCopy.com
- Ep. 84 When to Break the Copywriting Niche Rule
- Ep. 130: 4 of the Highest Paying Copywriting Niches
- Should You Get a Copywriting Internship?
Related Links
- Best Backgrounds and Degrees for Getting Into Copywriting
- Ep. 120: Most Common Copywriter Backgrounds
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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.
