Worried about your first clients?Well, it can't be as bad as Kate not showing up for a meeting with a client! I'm not saying that to embarass her (plus, she's sharing all about it in this episode—and how it led to $100K+ worth of work).I'm saying it because we all make mistakes and we live to tell the tales.But we also work things up in our brains.My first clients? … [Read more...]
Episode 293: What to Do When Business Feels Slow
I am not a believer in "slow seasons are a fact of freelancing."I've been doing this long enough (20+ years) to know that 99% of the time, a slow season happens when you stop reaching out to clients (both past and present).Now, some copywriters lean into these slow seasons and enjoy the break. To these copywriters I say, build in your vacations so you're not waiting for a slow … [Read more...]
Episode 292: Copywriting 3.5 Days/Week from Mauritius – Sarah’s Story
Sarah is copywriting 3.5 days/week from Mauritius and here's the thing:That could—and should!—be ALL of us.I don't mean Mauritius (though if you LOVE island living, then ... yeah ...).What I mean is there's absolutely NO reason all of us shouldn't be living the lives we want to live.Yes, there are bills, and kids sports games, and endless laundry loads. But that doesn't mean … [Read more...]
Episode 290: Teaching ESL and Copywriting Around the World – Andi’s Story
This episode isn't really about copywriting. It's about building your career around your life instead of the other way around. CCA student, copywriter, and ESL educator Andi is sharing how she's taking one imperfect step after another to do just that. On this Build Your Copywriting Business podcast episode, Andi is bringing us on a journey from Kenya to … [Read more...]
Episode 289: Comedian, Copywriter, Actor, and Podcaster – Shelby’s Story
Does it ever feel like someone's trying to put you in a box? It can feel ... constraining, to say the least. We all have multiple interests, and as our professional and personal lives increasingly get blurred, it seems silly to try to distill our identities down to a single word. That's why I can't wait for you to hear Shelby's story on today's Build Your Copywriting … [Read more...]
Episode 288: 3 Keys to Unlimited (Really!) Copywriting Success
I know: the 3 keys to unlimited (really!) copywriting success sounds like a big promise. But we (really!) follow through on it. And frankly, these are the steps for success at anything, not just copywriting. Whatever goals you have for yourself, you CAN achieve them. The only way to "fail" is if you don't get started. Or if you stop doing the work.OK, I'm going to stop … [Read more...]
Episode 287: Write Case Studies That Get Clients Clamoring to Work with You
Any guesses on the fastest way to make people believe what you're selling? Show them proof. That's exactly what case studies do. And it's why case studies are one of the most valuable pieces of copy you can write—for your clients or your own business. On this week's Build Your Copywriting Business podcast episode we're talking all things case studies so you can use … [Read more...]
Episode 286: Why VIP Days Make 0 Sense for Copywriters
A client hires you for a "VIP day." Suddenly, you're tasked with: Kicking off the project Writing a creative brief Coming up with a strong concept Outlining the copy Writing the copy (for how many deliverables is another question ...) Getting feedback on that copy Incorporating that feedback Getting final sign off … all in the span of 8 hours. And let's be real: … [Read more...]
Episode 285: She Used Her Pet PR Background to Build Her Copywriting Business – Carol’s Story
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 … [Read more...]
Episode 284: What if Someone Could Find Clients for You?
Time to put on your business owner hat: On this Build Your Copywriting Business podcast episode, I'm not asking you to commit to hiring someone to do any of these things. But I'd encourage you to listen to this episode and explore the possibilities. If you charge your clients $75/hour and you can hire someone at $25 or even $50/hour to do a task better and faster for … [Read more...]