“Know thyself” isn’t just good advice from a self-help perspective. It’s also crucially important when it comes to building a successful freelance business. And a million different “gurus” can give you a million different pieces of advice about the “right” time to get up. (As well as the “right” way to organize your day, the “right” order to accomplish your tasks...) But … [Read more...]
4 Pieces of Terrible Advice New Copywriters Get All the Time
Let’s start out today with a reminder: Just because someone is loud, doesn’t mean they’re right. Also, just because something is prevalent, doesn’t mean it’s correct. We can agree on those, right? Okay, good. Because today we’re going to bust some very prevalent myths and debunk some very popular pieces of advice. Why? Because not only are they wrong, but they’re actually … [Read more...]
Why You Should Love Your Career
How many people do you know who really don’t like what they do for a living? Anywhere from “eh, it pays the bills” to “I fricking HATE it?” Are you one of those people? I was recently reminded of just how many people don’t like their jobs when I talked with a friend. She described all the things she hated about her job and then, when I asked her if she was going to start … [Read more...]
Do You Have the Natural Aptitude to Write Copy?
Likely, you're here because you like writing—you’re a good writer and you’ve been thinking that maybe you’d like to make a living with it. But, as one writer to another, I know that knowing you’re good at something and having confidence that you can DO something are two different things. I want to address something really quickly that may be coming up for … [Read more...]
5 Tips for Getting Down to Your Copywriting Work
I have bad news and good news. The bad news is that once you start taking copywriting clients, it’s not going to somehow get magically easier for you to focus and work. Sure, sometimes you’ll get right in the flow and feel like you’re plugged into a divine download. And, it’s true that you don’t have to deal with a blank page, and that makes everything easier. But…the urge … [Read more...]
The Real Secret to Business—and Life—Success
As long as I’ve been in this business, and especially in the decade that I’ve been teaching copywriting to would-be copywriting pros, I’ve gotten this question a lot: “What’s the real secret to being successful?” Well, I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is that there absolutely is a secret. Well, wait—let me put quotes around that. There is a … [Read more...]
12 Business Books and Podcasts for the New Year
Here are six podcasts and six books you should consider checking now. Each one has been chosen to inspire you and/or educate you as a professional and as a business owner. Enjoy! 6 Podcasts to Listen to Now Mind Your Business Podcast with James Wedmore Breakthrough Success How I Built This with Guy Raz The DREAM THINK DO Podcast Do It Scared with Ruth … [Read more...]
Essential Questions for Planning a Successful New Year!
I LOVE a new year. It feels like a fresh start, an opportunity to reflect on what worked and what didn’t in the previous year, and an opportunity to build on the wins and correct the losses in the new year. I LOVE a new year. I also, as you might expect, love new year planning. Not only is it fun and inspiring, though, it’s also incredibly important. After all, if you don’t … [Read more...]
8 Keys to Closing the Sale With a Potential Client
When we think about landing clients, we tend to think only about the first part: pitching the client and getting them to agree to talk with us. After that, we’re home free, right? Well, not exactly. The next step is a call with your would-be client. That call is a crucial step in the process of getting your client to agree to work with you—in the process of “closing” … [Read more...]
You’re Most Secure When You Take Control
A few years ago, I was talking with a friend who’d lost her job. It wasn’t her fault at all; they were restructuring the company and downsized her role. She kept saying, “I was so loyal to that company! I can’t believe they did this to me.” Here’s the thing: The most important thing for a business is the survival of the business. And that’s not just because they’re … [Read more...]