TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[2:08] Nicki and Kate are joined by CCA students and copywriters Cleo, Nicole, and Dorothy, to discuss what it’s like to make a career transition while you’re also in the middle of making a major life transition.

[5:28] Cleo shares her story of starting a business and having a baby during the pandemic, navigating a subsequent divorce, and how freelancing has provided financial stability and flexibility as a single parent.

[8:00] Nicole talks about managing her business during her partner’s addiction and how recovering from the breakup led to significant growth.

[9:30] Dorothy tells us about ending a 21-year marriage, the impact on her health, and how her freelance business helped her gain financial independence and stability post-divorce.

[11:35] Balancing work with the weight of personal life challenges was a learning experience that pushed Cleo to take self-care seriously, accept her limits, and prioritize rest to manage both work and parenting responsibilities.

[13:40] Nicole’s biggest tip for balancing work and personal challenges is to leave yourself white space for big life transitions because they can drain you unpredictably.

[15:26] Dorothy found that leaving a chronically stressful situation freed up her energy for constructive purposes, allowing her brain and body to heal. Freelancing gives people flexibility to take breaks and process emotions.

[19:04] A mindfulness practice like yoga can be very helpful to reintegrate your mind and your body.

[20:42] The end of a bad relationship can often provide newfound energy and focus for building a business.

[23:48] Dorothy stresses the importance of having a supportive network, both personally and professionally, during tough times like divorce or breakup. The CCA Next Level community helped to keep her grounded and focused.

[28:42] Cleo shares how being a freelancer has allowed her to choose clients she enjoys working with and Nicole gives an example of how one client showed empathy during her divorce.

[31:20] Celebrating small wins is important, especially during tough personal situations. Dorothy shares how celebrating income milestones post-separation helped to keep her focused. (She even achieved a 123% increase in annual revenue compared to the year before her breakup!)

[34:23] The panel discusses financial abuse within relationships and how this can impact a person’s ability to leave. Dorothy shares her own experience of financial abuse, while Nicole and Cleo reflect on the newfound financial freedom they gained post-breakup.

[41:53] The panel reflects on when they knew something had to change and how these experiences have influenced their approach to dating. (Fellow freelancers get a big thumbs up!).

[46:32] Journaling can be a therapeutic practice during difficult times and revisiting entries can help identify patterns and gain clarity on personal experiences and emotions.

[48:47] Society often has a negative view of being single or divorced but Cleo reminds us that there can be a lot of freedom, joy, and independence in singlehood.

Must-Hear Takeaways

“Coming out on the other side, it has been amazing and it has just given me so much freedom to build the life that I want and the business that I want, the schedule I want and the lifestyle I want. All of that stuff and I think especially if you have kids, especially young kids, the freelancing makes it so much easier to be a single parent.” – Cleo

“After the breakup, I did feel stronger financially and also being able to make money choices for yourself, you’re not relying on someone else’s income, you’re not trying to take care of someone else. From an income standpoint, you can make decisions, invest in your own business, invest in yourself in ways that you couldn’t before, at least that was my experience. I think in 2023, I had a lot more business expenses, choices I made, coaching, and all of those investments led to an increase ultimately in gross revenue. So the freedom to make choices in money was huge for me.” – Nicole

“I do think the confidence and the amount of growth that I went through being a freelancer and having my own business, I really think set me up to be able to handle that in a way that I wouldn’t have. I just think there’s so much growth in having to take that responsibility for your own life the way you do when you’re a freelancer, having to just build that confidence and that trust in yourself and in your own resilience that really helped when I was going through that situation.” – Cleo

“Your professional community can be really, really awesome and supportive. I know Cleo and Dorothy because we’re all in Next Level and the three of us have been talking about our breakups for a while. Connecting with the two of them has been amazing and so important and we met in a professional setting but when we realized we are going through the same thing, we just starting chatting and getting closer to each other and I love these guys and it’s been such an important part of my healing in life.” – Nicole

“So many lives are just what they’re supposed to be now because this community exists.” – Dorothy

Mentioned on this Episode

• Starting a Copywriting Business with a Chronic Illness – Dorothy’s Story

Related Links

• Copywriting Lets This Mom Live Life on Her Own Terms
• Building a Copywriting Business as a Mom – with Kate K, Dorothy & Jen
• Thriving as a Neurodivergent Copywriter – Cleo’s Story

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

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.

See Previous Episode

Ep. 189: Before Starting a Copywriting Side Hustle … Listen to This

The post Episode 190: Freelance Copywriting Through Divorces, Separations, and Breakups appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[1:39] There absolutely *is* such a thing as too much work, especially when you are a freelancer and it’s all too easy to say “yes” to every project that comes your way. Even one project can be too much if the timeline is tight. 

[4:37] To tackle overwhelm effectively, start by understanding your reaction to it. Are you someone who rises to the challenge or buries your head in the sand? Recognize your cues early on, so that you can take proactive steps to address it and prevent burnout.

[7:35] If you’re looking at your schedule and thinking, “Oh my gosh, I can’t get all of this done”, you have to put the brakes on anything else coming in. But when it comes to pitching, you don’t want to completely stop, otherwise you’ll end up stuck in a “feast or famine” cycle.

[9:55] When you’re busy, it’s a good time to practice saying “no” or propose a suitable start date (include some buffer time). There’s no need to worry about saying “no” as long as you communicate clearly—plus, being booked up shows clients that you’re in-demand!

[12:50] If you’re in doubt about meeting current client deadlines, consider bringing in another copywriter to help you, even if it means you just break even. You *never* want to miss a deadline!

[14:58] Your deadlines should drive your actions, so prioritize by the actual deadline, not by what seems more fun or doable. Breaking your priority list down into smaller steps can make it more manageable.

[18:00] Sometimes we have to deal with the consequences of our choices, like working weekends or canceling plans. But it may teach you a lesson about how you manage your schedule so you make sure it doesn’t happen again in the future.

[21:20] If you’ve built a strong rapport with a long-term client and know the deadline isn’t strict, you could politely request a one-time extension, but only if you’re confident there’s flexibility. Use this sparingly though, as it could impact your credibility. 

[23:45] When you’re faced with a Friday deadline, it’s worth proposing a Monday delivery instead. Most clients don’t work weekends, so those extra days could offer valuable breathing space.

[25:24] Make sure to build in buffer time for each project and aim to deliver projects earlier than the agreed deadline. That way, you have some wiggle room in case life gets in the way.

[27:50] Even if the deadline seems far off, don’t wait until the last minute to start working on it (we’re not in high school any more!). Starting early ensures you have enough time for all aspects of the project, including editing and polishing your work.

[29:19] Having a reliable network allows you to handle unexpected situations professionally. If you are faced with an emergency situation, introduce your client to a trusted colleague who could take over. This ensures your client’s needs are met while you focus on what’s important. 

[31:40] Blocking out time on your calendar for different projects can help you have a better visual representation of where your time is going and how much time you actually have available.

[32:54] Working on your money mindset is also an important piece of this. Saying “yes” to every project out of fear of missing out on income, simply isn’t sustainable. Remember, you have the skills and resources to generate income, so trust in your abilities and follow the steps to success!

Must-Hear Takeaways

“If you’re hearing this and you’re like, ‘Oh, okay, then I should probably also stop pitching. No, scale down your pitching. Don’t be sending out five pitches, but don’t stop. Because as you know, when you stop pitching is when you experience that dry spell. And when you pitch, you’re kind of seeding projects for the next couple of weeks to couple of months. So don’t stop. Dial it back, certainly, but you don’t want to completely stop.” – Nicki

“This is how the feast and famine happens. If you have too much work and then dry spell and then ‘oh my gosh, too much work’, that’s unsustainable to continue working like this, completely stressed out, overworked, too much work to zero. To keep going 0-60 back and forth, you don’t need that and so this process will help hopefully smooth out that process a little bit but to Nicki’s point, continue pitching so you don’t hit the ‘oh no now I have no work!’” – Kate

“We think of saying ‘no’ as being so tough, being so mean. No, all you’re doing is communicating. And it can be very, very simple and very pleasant and nice. And just say, ‘Oh, unfortunately I’m booked up for the next however long, the next couple of weeks, but I could get started with it on X, Y, D, Z date.’ Clear communication is key. By the way, it’s a good thing for a client to see that you are booked up. It always kind of makes me do a little bit of an eyebrow raise whenever anyone’s like, ‘Yeah, my schedule is completely open.” – Nicki

“Sometimes we have to deal with the consequences of our choices. And you may be dealing with the short-term consequences and that does sometimes involve working weekends or giving up some plans or that kind of thing. Is it fun? No. But it may be painful enough that it will teach you a lesson moving forward to make sure that you keep an eye on your schedule and you set up the boundaries that you need to set up to make sure that this doesn’t happen in the future.” – Nicki

Related Links

• What Are Your Copywriting Business Rules?
• Amp Up Your Copywriting Productivity With Ultra Scheduling
• When the [ahem] Stuff Hits the Fan
• How Can You Know if a Copywriting Deadline is Doable?

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

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.

See Previous Episode

Ep. 182: What’s the Best Way to Communicate with Copywriting Clients?

The post Episode 183: You Will Have Too Much Copywriting Work … Here’s What to Do appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

Courtney, a mom, copywriter, and Comprehensive Copywriting Academy student, was working seven days a week at one point to make ends meet. Shifting into copywriting has allowed Courtney not only to make nearly five figures each month but to focus on what matters most: her family.

As Courtney said in this conversation, “I really adopted this mindset of ‘If they can do it, I can do it.’ I would go through the Facebook group and look for people’s testimonials and their stories of success and things that the’ve done. I’m like, ‘Okay. I can do it! If they can do it, I can do it! I adopted that mantra wholeheartedly and it really has paid off.”

If copywriting is something you want to do, you CAN do it, too. There’s more than enough work to go around.

Either you start taking small actions today and a year from now you’re that much closer (or potentially already surpassing!) your goal. Or you’ve just spent another year wondering where you could take your life.

Isn’t it time to make a change and take control of your life?

Haven’t started with the free training yet? Check it out.

Check out more videos from moms!

• Raising a Family and Building a Copywriting Business—Peta’s Story
• Building a Copywriting Business as a Mom with Kate K., Dorothy & Jen
• From Financial Professional to Copywriter—Chaundell’s Story

Check out more student videos!

• This American Living in Cyprus Tells Us How She Makes 6 Figures as a Copywriter
• Her Goal Was to Replace Her Teaching Income in 5 Months. She Did it in 6 Weeks.
• See what more students have to say about the Comprehensive Copywriting Academy
• Watch the CCA Student Stories playlist on YouTube

The post Copywriting Lets This Mom Live Life on Her Own Terms appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[1:20] Vacation time as a freelancer is very different than vacation time when you are on staff.

[2:45] As a freelancer you can take as much vacation as you want to, but freelancers are notorious for not taking vacations and working right through, resulting in burnout.

[4:00] Blocking time off at the beginning of the year is key, and give yourself buffer days around that time off. You don’t need to plan the vacations right away, but if you schedule time off you will have the opportunity to take the vacation or “stay”cation that you need!

[8:00] You can’t take an effective vacation if you don’t tell your clients in advanced. You need to prepare them that they won’t be receiving communication from you during that time. It’s wise to send reminders and then be sure to set out of office responders for your email.

[12:30] When creating your out of office responder for your emails keep it short and to the point. It doesn’t need any travel plans or details.

[16:45] Give yourself at least a work day of buffer when you return, so that you can go through emails and catch up on stuff without feeling overwhelmed by clients.

[19:30] As a freelancer, you may feel like if you aren’t working, you aren’t making money. But if you set up your calendar you can plan for this!

[24:00] If you are afraid of not making money when on vacation, and have not factored that into your rates during the rest of the year, you can compromise and work some of the time you are on vacation.

[28:20] While working hard and taking action and moving forward with your career are important, it’s just as important to take time off and give yourself time to relax and decompress.

Want More Ideas for How to Get Away? Check Out These Ideas!

• 10 Unnecessary Copywriting Stressors
• Tip for Success: Take a Vacation from Your Business
• Keep Copywriting Fun: 3 Must-Implement Business Boundaries
• Preventing Burnout as a Copywriter

“You don’t owe anyone an explanation. I know sometimes we feel like we have to say all these things to justify our time off. But you don’t.” -Kate

“You do need to take time off. You cannot work constantly. You cannot work every single week. Well, yes, can you? Yes, you can. But it’s not going to last long. You need time off.” – Nicki

“I can’t emphasize how important this is. As much as working hard and taking action and moving forward with your career is important, transparently I struggle to say just as important, but real real close is taking time off.” – Nicki

Mentioned on this Episode:

• Ep. 49: How to Build Your Own Benefits as a Freelancer

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

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.

See Previous Episode

Ep. 121: Writing a Call to Action that Maximizes Engagement

The post Ep. 122: 3 Steps to Taking Time Off as a Freelancer appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[2:00] Kate and Nicki start the episode by discussing gifts to give our copywriting business, and the first one is the gift of time! Do something for your business or help gift yourself time buy outsourcing a task that doesn’t bring you joy. It can be hard to hire someone to do something you are capable of doing, but you are allowing yourself time to work AND providing work for someone else.

[6:15] Your time is money, so while something may seem like an indulgence (paying a fee for a service) you may actually be coming out ahead by creating more billable hours for yourself and creating a better mindset for you to focus on work.

[9:00] Now that you are earning, when you have the opportunity to do a little something for yourself to save yourself angst, do it! It’s important to preserve your mental and physical energy.

[10:00] Nicki and Kate speak about the idea of gifting your business a bookkeeper. It can save stress and time and make life as a solopreneur easier. You don’t have time to play all of the roles.

[11:40] You are your businesses great asset. Self care is important and allows you to take care of that asset! Make time for yourself away from work.

[17:45] Another area from which you can gift yourself and your business is education! From books to professional development growing your education is important for your business!

[26:00] While our hosts normally stress the importance of limiting your business purchases, it’s okay to allow yourself items for your office that bring you joy. You spend a lot of time in your office and it should be a space that helps you create!

[30:30] There are so many different subscription services, and they are the gift that keep on giving! From beauty boxes to the O & H Kringle of the month, treating yourself each month is fun and sometimes a surprise.

[33:00] Treat yourself well! Don’t hesitate to do it. If it’s hard to spend that money balance it out with savings or a 401K contribution.

Mentioned on this Episode

• Calm
• Headspace
• Audible
• Masterclass

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

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.

See Previous Episode

Ep. 57: 4 Ways Copywriters Can Accept Payments

Note: this post contains affiliate links.

The post Ep. 58: Gifts to Give Your Copywriting Business appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Check out the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[1:10] When working a full-time job, there are a ton of things they promise you to ensure that you come on-staff and stay on-staff. Nicki and Kate discuss how they do not miss those benefits, as well as how one of the biggest concerns for freelancers is that they are “giving up their healthcare.”

[2:45] Nicki explains that people should remember that companies are making you pay for those benefits, one way or another. It either directly comes out of your salary or they offer you benefits so that they don’t have to pay you higher as a salaried employee.

[5:12] As a freelancer, you can be both the employer and employee, and this comes with paying for your salary and your benefits. Kate notes that you have to do the math so that you can cover the expenses you need as a business owner, which includes healthcare and more.

[8:02] The key is to do the math. Once you start feeling scared about the cost of healthcare, look at what your on-staff salary would be and look what your freelance salary would be. After figuring this out, you can then know the number of clients and the projects you want to take on so that you can have the cushion to pay for those benefits you would normally have at an on-staff position.

[11:00] Kate dives into the details of opening up a 401k as a freelancer, and all it entails. She also emphasizes to speak to an accountant or taxperson that specifically works with freelancers if you have questions and they can help with the math and planning.

[16:04] Nicki notes that it makes a ton of sense to talk to a financial planner or accountant. As the CEO of your business, you have to ensure that you’re going to be taken care of and become savvy about your finances. However, CEOs don’t always know everything about the financial side of things, which is why they hire others with expertise in those areas to help them out (and you should do the same!).

[19:25] As far as vacation time goes, if you think that you’re going to lose your clients forever because you take time off, that’s not true. People will understand that you have to take time off. Guard your time and value your time. If you value yourself and your time, your clients are more likely to value and respect your time.

[24:15] Kate mentions that when you decide to leave for vacation, in freelance, all of your loose ends can be tied up before you go. When you come back from vacation, you can ease back into work rather than having a ton of built up emails or a boss waiting for you when you come back. The amount of time off is a lot greater than when you’re working salary in an office.

[30:25] Nicki talks about how some full-time offices, especially tech offices, try and replicate the feeling of being “at home” for their employees. However for freelancers, you’re already home. Your home is already as fun as you need it to be, and you’re not having to put in 14 hour days at the office just because it’s a cool office.

[31:30] The hosts wrap up by saying that there are some benefits to working in an office with having that sense of community. As a freelancer, there is a way to work around it. Once we are able to socialize with people, you can meet people for lunch at workspaces. What matters is that you have the ability to tailor your schedule to how you want.

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:

“If you don’t take the job time to read the job description, you do not deserve the job. You don’t deserve an interview. It means you’re not going to take the time necessarily to do the work and to slow down and to give the work the time it deserves. So be thorough if it’s a job that you actually want.” – Nicki

“If you have a great portfolio, I don’t care if you went to college. If you can do the job well, then that’s what I care about. So when you see qualifications, things like ‘must have a bachelor’s degree in this’, same thing with experience, ‘must have two to three years experience’—people put that in there because they have to put something. If this is zero experience, then they’re going to get people with zero experience. And the truth is, CCA students, you don’t have zero experience.” – Nicki

“Along with qualifications, a big one is ‘must have agency experience’. A lot of agencies put that. And it’s kind of a catch-22 if you’re trying to break it into an agency. And literally every agency is like, well, you must already have agency experience.

Don’t let that be a barrier either. I think the big thing agencies are looking for is that you can manage a lot of different projects, potentially multiple different clients. And as a copywriter who’s built your own copywriting business, you already know how to do that. You’re kind of like a one person agency already, right? You’re doing multiple different things, handling multiple different projects, multiple clients, multiple timelines. And so you can speak to that. So don’t let agency experience get in the way.” – Kate

Related Links

• Freelance Copywriter Business FAQs
• The Number 1 Secret to Sustaining Freelance Copywriting Success

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

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.

See Previous Episode

Ep. 48: Mistakes to Avoid When Pitching Freelance Clients

The post Ep. 49: How to Build Your Own Benefits as a Freelancer appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Check out the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[5:00] It can be very helpful to do the same thing each day to help train your brain to know what is coming next.

[6:45] Nicki and Kate discuss how getting out of your house (even if you work remotely) can be beneficial. Drawing on the experience of Sara Blakely, the founder of SPANX, and the importance of her “fake commute” each morning.

[9:00] Nicki talks about how beneficial organizing her tasks for the day with a list can be for her. And the powerful feeling of accomplishment when she gets to cross an item off that list! Kate mentions how much of a mental drain it is to scroll her Facebook first thing in the morning.

[12:10] What works for you may not work for everyone else. But ask yourself, “Is what I am choosing to do beneficial for me physically and mentally?”

[17:45] Nicki and Kate chat about how to plan ahead to make your morning flow smoothly. Consider what the ideal start to your day looks like. What helps you?

[21:30] It is so easy to get distracted or lose track of your goals. Nicki and Kate both agree that their phones are often the culprit, so setting them to DO NOT DISTURB (blocking the fun stuff while still allowing potentially important calls—Hi, Mom!—to come through) is a game changer.

Mentioned on This Episode

• The CEO of Spanx wakes up an hour early to drive around ‘aimlessly’ on a ‘fake commute’ because she does her best thinking in the car
• Find Your Calm (App)

Related Links

• Book Club Pick: Daily Rituals
• Freelancer Self-Care: 5 Tips for Avoiding Burnout
• 6 Habits of Highly Successful Copywriters
• What Does a Copywriter’s Day Look Like?

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

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.

See Previous Episode

Ep. 28: Content Writer Turned Copywriter – Dori’s Story

The post Ep. 29: Morning Rituals to Drive Your Copywriting Success appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

Whether you’re tackling work for clients, learning how to become a copywriter, or any other task that takes up a significant amount of your time, energy, and focus, you need to plan breaks.

And I’m not just talking taking the weekend off (though definitely plan in days off, whether it’s Saturday and Sunday, or other days of your choosing!) or getting enough sleep (though find out why that is crucial for copywriters right here).

I’m talking planning breaks as part of your work schedule to ensure you’re not racing fast toward burnout and so your brain has time to process everything you’ve been working on (Don’t believe me? It’s been studied.)

Here are some of my favorite ways to build self-care into my routine.

1. Add Mini Breaks to Your Calendar

If it’s on your schedule and includes a reminder, you’re far more likely to take that break than if you just say it in your head or put it on paper. The old-fashioned route of pen and paper is great for goal setting, but it’s not great for remembering to do things you need to do.

I like to schedule three, 10-minute breaks during the day at times I know my energy wanes (if you don’t know when your energy wanes, track your time for a couple of weeks to see where the times is going and note which parts of the day are your most productive).

During these breaks, I do a 45-second plank, 25 push-ups, and 25 squats. The simple act of getting out of my chair and moving in a way that I can’t think about work gives me a true break from whatever it was I was thinking about.

You certainly don’t need to do a workout during mini breaks. Choose a productive activity that you know will take your mind off work. Walks, even short ones around the block, are great for clearing your head.

Stretching, yoga, meditation, reading (non-work material), listening to music (really listening and not multitasking), calling a friend to catch up…there are so many productive uses of 10 minutes that will make you more productive when you revisit your work.

2. Set a Morning Routine…

Getting ready to go into work mode can help you hit the ground running when you do sit down at your desk.

For example, Mondays and Fridays, I like to “commute” to my office. So, I get up a little earlier, I go to a local coffee shop for my coffee, take a walk around the block, and come home to read the paper for a half hour. Just because we work from home doesn’t mean we can’t commute!

Most other days, I get up, make coffee, and listen to a podcast while I get ready. I then look at my to-do list that I’d written out the day before and try to determine which items are best tackled in which part of my day.

Figure out what makes sense for your morning routine.

3. … But Shake Up That Routine

Having a routine doesn’t mean you have to do the same thing every day. Develop a few different routines that allows you to keep things interesting.

Whenever I know I have a particularly challenging day ahead, I build in a “commute” time. It sounds counterintuitive, but the busier or more mentally taxing the day, the more of a need for taking care of yourself.

I’ll also occasionally build in time to pick up lunch from someplace outside the house (usually Wednesdays).

On any given day, challenging or otherwise, I like to have several beverages on hand, too: something hot (coffee or tea), something cold (usually water), and, on Fridays after 4, something bubbly. These beverages act like special treats that keep me going throughout the day.

4. Turn Off

Admittedly, this is the hardest of all for me. As service providers, it can feel like we need to jump as soon as a client says jump. What I mean by that is as soon as we hear a “ding” or vibration of a text, Slack message, Facebook notification, or any of the other bajillion notifications we get each day, we are now conditioned to stop whatever it is we’re doing and address that ding, beep, or buzz.

Schedule time on your calendar to check these notifications (I’m attempting three times: when I first sit down at my desk, around lunchtime, and again at 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon).

All other times? Shut all platforms, apps, and browsers that contain a communication platform. Put your phone outside your office or away from where you work (if you’re afraid of missing important calls, put the volume up).

And, if you’re not setting a hard STOP time to your work (as in, it’s now 6 p.m., I won’t check anything related to work until tomorrow), you’re on the fast track to burnout. I know because I’ve been there with a client who prided himself on answering emails at any hour.

Sleep is critical. Set your “shut down” time and make sure you’re getting sleep.

5. Say “No”

One of the best ways we can take care of ourselves as freelancers is learning to say, “no.”

That may be turning down a project, or letting a client who is pushing you to deliver faster that you have to stick to the agreed upon deadline. Or it may be something else entirely.

The key is being able to say “no” when you really need to.

Think of the last thing you’d rather do in life. Mine is grocery shopping. If I’d rather go to the grocery store than tackle a certain project, then I need to turn it down.

While all of these self-care tips can make you feel like you’re slowing down, they’re only doing so in the short term. In the long term, they can help increase your productivity by giving you the fresh energy you need to tackle your to-do list.

And having a long, successful freelance career is what we all want, right?

Avoid the Self-Doubt Slump

One component that can lead to burnout is self-doubt. If you start to question your expertise and skills, then it will slowly erode your confidence.

You may have heard the common term “imposter syndrome.” But how do you recognize and stop those thoughts from interfering with your work? Learning the skills to overcome the emotions associated with imposter syndrome can help you streamline your success.

In this episode of the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast, Nicki and Kate provide three tips on combatting imposter syndrome and how to fuel confidence rather than doubt.

Your Turn

How do you build self-care into your routine? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Freelancer Self-Care: 5 Tips for Avoiding Burnout appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

If you’ve been a part of this community for a while, you might have read that headline with one eyebrow raised. After all, I tell you again and again that the key to your success is taking action consistently and persistently.

(And that is still VERY much true. Write it down somewhere you’ll see it every day. Get it tattooed backwards on your forehead so you’ll see it in the mirror. Make it your mantra!)

But I will also tell you NOT to try to work for three or four hours a day while you’re going through the Comprehensive Copywriting Academy course and beginning your learning. And I’ll heartily tell you to take a couple of days off (a.k.a. a weekend) each week.

Why? Because it’s easy to burn out, and burnout sneaks up faster than you’d believe.

Learning Something New Is Hard for Adults

When you’re learning something new and/or taking on a new venture like copywriting, it’s taxing on you mentally, physically, and emotionally.

Now, don’t get me wrong: It’s absolutely WORTH it. All of the best things in our lives, all of the things that make our lives better, generally start out being at least somewhat mentally, physically, and/or emotionally taxing. But you get through it and you reap the benefits.

But, as adults, it’s not often that we learn something genuinely new, and so it’s a little extra tiring for our brains to process and retain the information. It’s also not that often that we call on ourselves to do something new, and that’s emotionally exhausting. And, frankly, sitting down and getting our work done can be physically exhausting!

Again, consistency and persistence are key…but while working a half-hour or an hour each day on learning and building your business and then taking the weekend off is heading in the right direction, trying to cram in hours’ worth of learning and practice day after day after day is heading in the wrong one.

“Powering Through” Doesn’t Work

When you try to power through without taking a break, you don’t give your brain the valuable time to learn and assimilate the information.

Have you ever been doing a crossword puzzle, been utterly stumped on a clue, set it down to do something later, and then come back to it to have the answer “magically” come to you?

Yup, that’s how your brain works. When you’re learning or practicing your copywriting skills, or when you’re writing for clients for that matter, your brain is working hard when you’re actively engaged in that task.

But it’s also working while you’re not engaged in that task. It’s taking new things you’ve learned and creating neural pathways to make it permanent. Working through problems or challenges to come up with the solution. Generating new and creative ideas.

You need to take time off.

Taking Time Off Makes You MORE Productive

And, believe me, I say this to you as someone who is NOT great at taking time off. I know that I operate so much better as a writer, as a coach, as a business owner, and as a person, when I take a weekend away at least once every six months. (Six months has come and gone since my last getaway.)

But I know that I don’t do anyone any good when I don’t get time off. When I’m away is when I come up with new ideas for ways to support our students, new ideas for ways to grow our business, new ideas for ways to help my clients, and new ideas for ways to grow and improve as a person. Without that time away, I stagnate as a writer, a business owner, and as a person.

So, I often try, at least once a year, to take a weekend alone so that it’s just me and my thoughts.

Yes, you need to take action and make progress consistently and persistently, but you also NEED to give your brain a break. If you happen to have the opportunity to take a weekend getaway by yourself, go for it.

(For other tips on maximizing your time off, check out our blog post here >>)

Go Somewhere You’ve Never Been Before

Go somewhere you’ve never been before. If you can, go for at least two nights. On the first night, you’ll think you were stupid for taking time away from your life to do this. But by the second you’ll have decompressed and gotten into your groove. And bring snacks. (Brie, apples, and good bread are my go-tos.)

Keep the TV Off

Reading is fine, but watching TV isn’t going to rejuvenate you in the way you need. It turns out, you’re still exercising your brain when watching TV. And scrolling your phone on social media can lead to feeling worse.

Get Outside Your House

If you don’t have that luxury to get away for a couple of days, carve out even just a few hours for yourself if you can. The ideal is a few hours by yourself (again, not watching TV–it doesn’t let your mind rest in the right way) outside of your house. I have friends who make a deal with their spouse for a few hours alone and just hop in the car and drive to a nearby park to read for a few hours.

Or, even if you REALLY can’t get time by yourself at all (please try), spending time with people you enjoy can be recharging. (No TV!)

You need a break, I guarantee it. A real and true, high-quality break. Give your brain a chance to do what it does best and let it assimilate and create and ideate while you put your attention elsewhere. Both you and your career deserve it.

Learn more about how to take a vacation as a freelancer >>

Watch More: How To Take Time Off as a Copywriter

A huge perk to being a freelancer is that you can work when and where you want. But even with that freedom freelancers are notorious for not taking vacations and working right through, resulting in burnout. As a freelancer you may feel like if you aren’t working, you aren’t making money. But if you set up your calendar properly you can plan for it! In this episode of the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast, Nicki and Kate share real-world advice for freelancers struggling to take time off throughout the year.

Your Turn

How are you going to give yourself a break? What will you do and when? Let us know in the comments below.

The post Tip for Success: Take a Vacation From Your Business appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

Ambition and hard work definitely have their place in building a career…but so do contemplation and rest. If you’ve been pushing, pushing, pushing, it may be time for you to plan a little time for reflection. And, at the very least, time to ensure you don’t burn out.

Burnout comes from burning through all of your available mental (and, sometimes physical and emotional resources). You’ve pushed as hard and as far as you can push.

Get Away to Avoid Burnout

One of the best recommendations I have for avoiding burnout in both career and in life, in general, is to take a weekend solo retreat. You go off by yourself for a weekend, Friday evening to Sunday afternoon, and just spend some time alone by yourself reflecting and relaxing.

You don’t need a schedule or have a plan and, in fact, you might even have a better experience without one. What you do need to is to stick to the following:

• Go somewhere you’ve never been before; unfamiliar surroundings encourage a fresh mind
• Stay for two nights; one isn’t enough
• Read whatever you want (in print) but don’t watch any television or go online
• Treat yourself to a dinner out one night (by yourself), but stay in the other night
• Bring notepads for taking notes of revelations or ideas you happen to have—but don’t pressure yourself to have any
• Spend a little time thinking about a few questions like, “What’s going well in my life?” “What’s not going well?” and “How could I change that?” (among other deep-thinking prompts)
• Interact with other people as little as possible (in person, via text, and via phone—in fact, if possible, leave your phone off all weekend)

Where Should You Go?

You could stay in a hotel or a bed and breakfast; either one is fine as long as you can spend time by yourself without being disturbed.

The first night it’s very likely that you’ll think this whole thing is stupid and regret spending money to go away somewhere on your own when you have plenty of other ways to spend that money and plenty of things you could have gotten done that weekend.

But by the second night, all of that noise in your head starts to calm down and you start to reconnect with yourself in a deep and important way. You get insight into yourself, your choices, and your life and, by Sunday, you leave with a fresh perspective and a renewed vigor—along with (maybe) some ideas or plans for what you do and don’t want to do moving forward.

For some people, getting a weekend away will be tricky: there are kids, there are commitments, there are expenses. For others, the idea of spending an entire weekend alone is awful.

The Benefits of Getting Away

But the benefits of a solo retreat are completely worth making the effort to make it happen—and playing by the rules. You won’t get the same benefits if you go with someone else, if you cut it short, if you try to do it at your own home or another place you’re familiar with, or if you want some TV. The rules can be a little tough, but that’s part of the point.

Getting some time with the quiet, deeper voice inside of you takes a little bit of effort, but it’s well worth it. You’ll leave feeling reinvigorated, inspired, and ready to dive into your next project.

Your Turn

Have you ever taken a solo retreat? Or are you inspired to take one now? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Retreating to Move Forward in Your Copywriting Career appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.