Since she was old enough to hold a pen, Comprehensive Copywriting Academy student Rachael Kelly has been writing and telling stories. But figuring out how to turn that passion into a well-paying career? That was the part Rachael struggled with—and crummy job-bidding sites like Fiverr and Upwork were (ahem, unsurprisingly) *not* the answer!
In this interview, we find out how the knowledge and support Rachael gained from the CCA course gave her the much needed confidence to push herself out of her comfort zone and start landing clients. Listen in to find out how Rachael has shaped a copywriting career that means she never has to “work” a day again and the exciting new role which has not doubled, but TRIPLED her income!
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A Sneak Peek at the Episode
[1:50] CCS student Rachael always knew she would be writing in some capacity for her career, but had no idea how to make a living out of it. After having little success with crummy job-bidding sites like Fiverr and Upwork, she signed up for the CCA.
[6:68] Although she faced some resistance when it came to pitching, Pitch-A-Palooza helped Rachael get out of her comfort zone and start pitching. Every client she’s landed has been through LinkedIn.
[8:48] Imposter syndrome was responsible for holding Rachael back from taking action. But after landing her first client, she gained confidence and work started to snowball.
[11:16] Rachael reminds us that we gain confidence by taking action and the first step is always the hardest step. What’s the worst that could happen by sending out a pitch?
[13:53] There’s no “one-size-fits-all” route into copywriting. If one way of pitching feels impossible to you, then you find the way that feels a little bit less impossible and try that!
[15:48] Rachael has just landed a dream position as a content writer for a global SaaS company. In her non-working hours, she will also be able to continue freelancing for a global media company and teaching creative writing.
[19:36] When you’re working on something that you really enjoy, it never feels like “work”.
[21:05] It’s important to choose what’s going to work for you—you don’t have to bust a gut doing things like social media if you don’t want to. As an introvert with social anxiety, Rachael has tailored her career to suit her personality.
[22:33] Sometimes there is a misconception that copywriting has to be very salesy. For the most part, it’s actually just about finding connections, telling a story, and providing a solution for people’s problems.
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:
“Honestly, I’ve done quite a few of these online courses and various different things and this is by far and away the most comprehensive one I’ve ever done. The follow up care and the amount of information that’s on there, you guys have literally thought of everything we could possibly need and you’ve put it there for us. Absolutely life changing. I was talking with my husband recently and he said, ‘that was the best decision you’ve ever made, wasn’t it?’ and I was like ‘yep, absolutely was!'” – Rachael
“Pitch-A-Palooza” happened which was exactly what I needed to kick me out of my comfort zone and then I started pitching. But the more pitching I did, the more confident I felt in my ability.” – Rachael
“I was pretty confident in my copywriting skills, I suppose. But I was worried that people wouldn’t have the faith in me when in fact the problem was that I didn’t have the faith in myself. Because even when I had just one client behind me, I felt like I had a right to call myself a copywriter, which I know is ridiculous because nothing substantial changed between not having a client and having a client, I was still the same writer.” – Rachael
“I think there can sometimes be a misconception that copywriting has to be very salesy and very extroverted and pushy but that’s kind of the antithesis of what it is. If somebody feels like you’re trying to sell to them then you’ve probably lost them. For the overwhelming most part, it’s just about finding connection and telling a story which is like the opposite of being salesy so the sales skills are there but you’re not deploying them in a pushy or extroverted way.” – Rachael
Mentioned on this Episode
Related Links
- The Real Math on Job Bidding Site “Success”
- How NOT to Pitch Potential Copywriting Clients
- Overcoming Copywriter Imposter Syndrome
- How to Optimize Your Copywriting LinkedIn Page
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Last Updated on June 10, 2024
