When you’re starting a new career in copywriting, you might run into some…less than helpful comments, shall we say. “Copywriting–is that actually a real career?” and “Is that even something you can make money from?” are some of the classics.
But as Taylor Swift so wisely said: “The haters gonna hate (hate hate hate hate)” and you can’t live your life letting other people’s opinions hold you back from your goals. Whether they’re people from your inner circle or strangers online, listen in as Nicki and Kate dig into the best ways to handle anyone getting in the way of your copywriting success.
TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher
Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!
A Sneak Peek at the Episode
[2:05] Today, Nicki and Kate are digging into the topic of how to tackle haters and doubters. They are going to be looking at handling people from your inner circle, as well as people online who you haven’t met.
[3:30] Often loved ones can be fearful about your journey into copywriting because it’s a career that feels unknown to them. While it’s usually well-intentioned, it can still feel disheartening.
[5:15] Nicki advises us not to take copywriting or freelancing advice from someone who has never been a copywriter or had a successful freelancing career–and especially someone who didn’t even know this career existed!
[6:57] Some people are stuck in an old fashioned way of thinking, and believe you can only learn a career in college, not online. But the online training industry is blowing up and is a great way to learn new skills.
[8:48] A lot of people in our lives have had a more traditional career trajectory and lack experience and insight into what freelancing is, so feel more doubtful about it. But it’s not as risky as people think and actually avoids putting all your eggs in one basket.
[11:03] Some people might see us taking this step and wish that they could do it too, but it’s scary. That means they project all of their anxieties onto you, when at their core, they’re actually wishing that they had the confidence to go ahead and do the same.
[12:38] Remember that you do not have the capability to change other people, who may be less supportive. But what you can do is focus on yourself and surround yourself with people who understand what you’re doing.
[14:18] Students are often afraid to tell people that they have started a new career but you can’t assume that people are going to judge you negatively. More often than not, people think it’s really cool–and might even know someone who needs a copywriter!
[16:11] If you’re scared about what you’d tell people if you were to “fail”, know that everyone’s paying much, much closer attention to themselves than they are to you. And the only way you can really “fail” is if you stop.
[19:07] Students often worry about being judged harshly when posting on social media or sending pitches–but if you’re putting valuable information out into the world and someone takes offense, that’s much more of a reflection on them than it is about what you shared (and you probably wouldn’t want to work with them anyway!)
[23:14] One of the things that is likely to bring about negative comments is if you are running ads for yourself (people love to post nasty things in the middle of the night).
[25:17] Whether it’s opinions from loved ones or strangers, it’s important to know how to discern constructive feedback versus wildly unconstructive, unhelpful comments. If there’s something useful from it, absolutely use it or consider it. But if it’s not, you have to let it go.
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:
“People hear writing and think you can’t make money as a writer. Or the handful of people who think ‘well copywriting is such a hard field to get into, how are you going to make that work?’—I think this comes from fear, the unknown, uncertainty, people who genuinely love and want the best for us and they’re going about it in a way that is letting their fear kind of overshadow and take over your hopes, dreams, etc. It’s not coming from a bad place, it’s coming from a very well intentioned place but nonetheless can feel very disheartening. It can drag you down, can bring your energy and motivation level down and can plant a seed of doubt in your mind.” – Kate
“One thing to think about with all of this, with opinions from people who love us, opinions from complete strangers, feedback, all of it—knowing how to discern constructive feedback versus wildly, unconstructive, unhelpful—I don’t even want to call it feedback—just trash really.” – Nicki
“Know that you’re doing something that frankly is very, very brave and a lot of people wish they could do. I think there’s an element too sometimes with loved ones, particularly people who aren’t as close to us, who see us doing it and think ‘oh I wish I could do that, but it’s so scary’ and they project all their anxieties and worries onto you but at their core, they’re wishing they had the chutzpah to go ahead and try something like this and that can manifest in some weird ways where it comes out less than supportive.” – Kate
Mentioned on this Episode
Related Links
- The Worst Advice for New Freelancers (And What to Do Instead)
- Why People Tell You “Copywriting Is Hard to Get Into”
- Which Work From Home Writing Jobs Are Real?
Get an *Exclusive* Bonus Recording!
Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it!
Get all the details on how to get your recording here »
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.
See Previous Episode
Ep. 166: How Copywriters Can Add Content Strategy as a Service – with Amanda Hand
Last Updated on June 11, 2024
