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Ep. 32: Starting a Copywriting Business with a Chronic Illness – Dorothy’s Story

By Nicki Krawczyk

When Dorothy became disabled by a chronic illness, she not only had to learn to manage her symptoms, but she had to leave her job. That upheaval lead her to copywriting and creating the job she needed for herself.

When Nicki first talked with Dorothy, it was early 2020 when she was just starting to pitch. Then, you’ll hear Nicki, Dorothy, and Kate in spring of 2021. Dorothy catches us up on where she is now and why all copywriters, healthy or not, really need to pay attention to their emotional, physical, and mental energy. Listen in for Dorothy’s tips on how to be intentional when structuring your copywriting businesses for long-term success.

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A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[1:00] This episode begins with an introduction to Dorothy, our guest, and a flashback to her original interview with Nicki in 2020.

[3:00] Dorothy talks about all the things she loves about copy writing. From flexibility in her career, to the mix of creativity and data driven problem solving, she’s a big fan of never having a completely blank page and always having content guidance from her client.

[7:00] Nicki and Dorothy talk about how pitching is setting up work for yourself in the future. It’s rare to have an immediate return on that time invested.

[12:00] Dorothy shares how hard it is, as an introvert and perfectionist, to be okay with not being great at something at first. It gets better over time, but she’s been pushed out of her comfort zone.

[16:00] Nicki and Dorothy chat about how everyone starts small, with little jobs, and it’s important to have reasonable and reachable goals. Those little jobs can turn into something bigger over time, often resulting in return clients.

[19:17] Nicki and Dorothy wrap up their original interview from 2020 and we are brought back to present day with Nicki, Kate and Dorothy.

[20:00] As she has built her copywriting career Dorothy has had to readjust her mindset and work to not compare herself or milestones based on what others are doing.

[23:30] As an introvert, it was scary for Dorothy to build a business and career where her success relies on her putting herself outhere and meeting new people.

[28:00] Nicki, Kate, and Dorothy discuss getting in the mindset that you CAN make copy writing your business with no experience. Most of the members of the CCA do not have a writing background.

[32:00] The conversations moves from copy writing to how important it is to be aware of where you put your energy, something that healthy people often don’t do. Dorothy explains how her diagnosis forced her to change that.

[37:00] Everyone has such a different picture of success. Remember that success is determined by an endless amount of factors and situations personal to YOU.

[41:30] Nicki, Kate, and Dorothy wrap the episode up chatting about energy, time, roles, and responsibilities – and how to balance and fit it all in. Agreeing to do more DOES NOT mean you will magically have more energy!


Mentioned on this Episode

  • Dorothy’s Portfolio
  • Follow Dorothy on Instagram @dorothycopy

Related Links

  • Freelance Copywriting for Introverts
  • Freelancer Self Care: 5 Tips for Avoiding Burnout


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About the Build Your Business Podcast

Nicki, one of the hosts of the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast, sits at a black table with six chairs, four white, two black, as she records a podcast episode with a microphone, laptop, and doughnut in front of her.

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. 31: What Types of People Do Copywriters Work With?

Last Updated on April 24, 2025

Filed Under: Comprehensive Copywriting Academy Student Stories, Podcast Tagged With: career change, success

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About Nicki Krawczyk

Nicki is a copywriter, copy coach and the founder of Filthy Rich Writer. She's been writing copy for more than 20 years.

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