Sometimes, others’ successes inspire us. But other times? Other times, others’ successes makes us feel like we can’t possibly achieve the same level of success. Here’s the thing: success looks different for everyone, but it can be real hard to shift our mindsets to remember that.
Nicki and Kate are discussing why it’s so tricky to avoid comparison, but how we can’t possibly know what’s going on inside anyone else’s business. If you need to move away from comparison and move toward your own individual definition of success, this episode is for you!
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A Sneak Peek at the Episode
[0:44] Nicki and Kate talk about what success means as a whole vs what success means to you. They explain how defining success can get tricky when you compare your success to others. On this episode, they provide tips on how to shift your mindset to focus on you and your success.
[1:21] Kate explains how this concept of success impacts many facets of life because it is hard to see how others are doing and not feel so far behind, especially if you’re changing careers. For most people coming into the CCA, they don’t have copywriting experience and so you’re undergoing a huge career and life change and you might ask yourself “why am I not there yet” or “why am I so behind” but Kate explains that there is no “behind” because it is your journey.
[3:23] Kate expresses how it can be so hard to go at your own pace. There’s a fine line between finding inspiration out in the world and using it in a positive way and it becoming an unnecessary road block. There’s a certain point where that scale tips into slowing us down where you start to think “I’m never going to be as good as that copywriter” and you start feeling unmotivated. That’s where the danger comes in and you stop yourself from making progress because you don’t see your work as “perfect.”
[5:31] Nicki brings up the popular statement “Don’t compare your chapter 1 to someone else’s chapter 20” but goes further to say don’t compare your chapter 10 to someone else’s chapter 20 or even their chapter 10. They’re going to be completely different because you don’t know what’s in either book. Nicki explains how new CCA students sometimes compare themselves to other students in the CCA but some students have been a part of the CCA for years and some just started, so you can’t put that pressure on yourself to know everything from the start.
[7:48] Nicki discusses how it’s very easy to inflate your success on social media and so when you compare yourself to that, you have no idea what is really behind that post. Kate shares a personal anecdote about when she found herself questioning her website but then discovered that she got caught up comparing herself to someone with different goals because she doesn’t need a social media presence to be successful.
[10:09] Nicki explains how fame is a vanity metric, hearing someone on a podcast or seeing that someone has a lot of followers does not mean the are successful copywriters. “Success” is all relative, you don’t know if the flashy websites and high day rates actually translate to working with a lot of clients or if their clients continue working with them. The idea of having a presence and being famous in a space might be what one person sees as success but that doesn’t mean that is the only way to measure success.
[12:17] Kate explains how she measures success with an income goal and the flexibility to work when she wants therefore, to her she is successful. She dives deeper into other methods of measuring success and the importance of reflecting on what success means to you and how you want to define that for yourself. Nicki explains how to reframe the innate desire to compare yourself to other copywriters and strangers on the internet by comparing where you were to where you are now. When you focus on assessing your progress, nothing else matters.
[18:43] Nicki brings up another important piece of your success-building realistic timelines. Overnight success stories are really inspirational but everyone’s timeline is very different. Even if your goals are the same as another person, each person has different road blocks and other factors that change their path and so your timeline is unique to you.
[23:13] Kate shares how her husband is changing careers and a friend mentioned how cool it is that he has the opportunity and the means to take a chance and pursue a new opportunity. Kate points out how when making a big change, we tend to focus on the end goal instead of slowing down to be excited about this opportunity in the here and now. She reminds you to slow down and be proud of the progress you’ve made.
[26:49] Nicki and Kate conclude this podcast with their final thoughts on how to focus on your business and defining your success. Nicki explains that success should be what you make it and you need to take the time to reevaluate your goals, think about what you are reaching for and why it’s important to you. Defining what success means is the first step in becoming a successful copywriter.
Related Links
Related Links
- Define Your Own Copywriting Success
- How Much Can a Copywriter Earn?
- Beware the Copywriting Influencer Trap (a.k.a. Why You Don’t Need the World’s Most Beautiful Website as a Copywriter)
- Brand New to Copywriting? Here’s What You Need to Know
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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.
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Ep. 61: Juggling Multiple Copywriting Clients
Last Updated on September 10, 2023
