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A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[03:15] If you’ve got a client who maybe doesn’t understand their target audience, as in they think they know their target audience, but they don’t understand their motivations, how do you deal with that?

[04:05] It’s about being as tactful as you possibly can as you guide your client and really make suggestions. It could be something you lead for them and all it takes is asking questions.

[05:44] Testing is always a great way to say, “Hey, I see where you’re coming from, but I think it’d be really great to test this because this could really change the direction and we could get more hard and fast data to make these decisions.”

[06:20] The fundamentals of copywriting: don’t forget to mention the benefit. If we really lean into this audience and understand what they’re thinking, that’s only going to lead to more sales in the long run.

[06:47] You need to do market research with the client. You need to have the client on board with that—and don’t want to spend your time doing it if they’re not onboard.

[09:09] Clients are humans and sometimes they have to learn hard lessons and they have to learn those hard lessons the hard way. Definitely guide and make suggestions, but at the end of the day, it’s their final decision.

[09:44] If you follow up a month after a project and, if the results aren’t what they wanted, it’s a perfect time to re-pitch them. It’s a great way to continue working with them.

[11:53]  With websites, you can do small tests so it’s less dramatic. For example, “what if we test this headline versus this headline?” After that, maybe we’re testing the call to action copy. Test piece by piece so you can really tell which things are influencing the actions people are taking on the page.

[13:06] Microsoft has a tool Clarity where you can enter whatever URL you want to look at, and it shows a heat map. This can show you what people are and aren’t spending time reading or otherwise looking at when looking at a page.

[13:40] You can just start to have some information and data that you can recommend very pinpointed tests that might move things in the right direction.

Must-Hear Takeaways

“When’s the last time we had the opportunity to get on the call with some of our clients and really hear what they have to say.” -Nicki

“Asking questions about what they want, what they need, what they fear, what’s gotten their way, what’s been frustrating, what would life look like if everything were fixed in whatever this arena is. But certainly if you see an opportunity, don’t hesitate to say something.” – Nicki

“When in doubt, suggest testing, depending what copy you’re writing. ” – Kate

“If you wanna do market research, I would absolutely do it with the client’s buy-in because you’re gonna wanna talk to people who have purchased from the client. You’re gonna wanna talk to people who have opted not to purchase from the client.”

“People who are aware of the client but haven’t even yet had the opportunity to purchase from the client, that can be a little bit trickier. ” – Nicki

” At the end of the day, I think you’re putting your best foot forward, right? You’re kind of trying to gently nudge them in the right direction if they ultimately are like, we don’t wanna go in that direction.”

“You can bring it up again certainly as new projects come up and what not and still continue to try to kind of fight the good fight, but at the end of the day, clients are gonna do what they wanna do.” – Kate

Mentioned on This Episode

• What’s a Copy Test?
• Ep. 56: What is a Copywriting Test and Should You Do One?

Related Links

• Why You Need to A/B Testing
• The Most Important Piece of Email Copy
• Top 3 Biggest Email Mistakes Copywriters Make

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

The post Episode BONUS – Laser Coaching: How to (Respectfully) Disagree with a Copywriting Client 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

[02:15] I If you’re freelance, certainly you have the ability to work from different places and that kind of lends itself to visiting loved ones more often. We would like to help you avoid making this mistake thinking that you’ll be able to get the same amount of work and the same type of work done.

[04:31] One of the first tips when it comes to working remotely from a loved one’s house is to really not take on as much work during that time period that you’re visiting as you normally would.

[05:16] You don’t wanna be so pressured to get things done so to add to that pressure by putting the stress on yourself to deliver things like you normally would, it’s just unrealistic. And you’re setting yourself up for not the best at home visitation.

[07:35] You can have a blur on your background so that people can go about their day and not feel like they’re disrupting you. But noise will happen. Save your important meetings for another time.

[09:28] When I break for lunch, that lunch might take a little longer than expected. And I think that’s okay to remember that we do this to have a work life balance.

[10:26] I think when possible too, travel as much as you can take time off. But again, build it into your rates so that you do feel comfortable knowing that okay, I’ve built this into my project rates.

[10:50] How much money I wanna make each month roughly on average. You’ve done that math so that you can take 3, 4, 5, whatever number of weeks off that you’ve kind of accounted for.

[12:02] There are also workarounds if you absolutely have to get things done. Make sure there’s a place you can go. The Starbucks; a library near there; if you prefer more silence versus coffee and coffee shop environment, that’s always an option as well.

[13:03] Adjusting your schedule also in terms of when is your peak creative time? My early hours are my best time, I might have to figure out a way to carve some of that out at my parents’ house.

[14:56] The last little point is just make sure that you have a go-to kit of what you will use, what you need to have with you when you travel.

[15:19] You can just grab your travel kit. Things that you might need, earbuds or headphones, chargers for your computer, chargers for your phone, chargers for if you use a tablet or something, chargers, earphones or earbuds or whatever you use.

[17:04] Before you’re starting to travel and you’re making these plans, just have a conversation with whoever you’re staying with, friend, family member. Just setting some expectations to begin with and then not being afraid to remind people of that.

[18:46] We also can spend quality time together and maybe just work it out in advance so that you go in with a plan and then you don’t have to let resentment build or get stressed out.

Must-Hear Takeaways

“It’s not the same as working from your house. even if you tell your parents and friends, even if you carefully explain that when I’m on my computer, I am working. Things just don’t go as plan. ” – Nicki

“If you’re traveling around the holidays, just give yourself a little more buffer than you normally would.” – Kate

“Put yourself in your loved one’s shoes too. Maybe not realistic to make the entire household be silent, is not a great plan to begin with.” – Nicki

“Is it derailing the work that I need to get done? But what’s ultimately more important in our lives? Am I gonna remember the project that I was supposed to be working on when I’m 80 years old in a rocking tree? or am I gonna remember kind of quality time spent with friends and family?” – Kate

“I think that this is part of why we do this to be flexible so if we have the opportunity to focus on our loved ones instead of work, let’s take that. Build that into your schedule” – Nicki

” We should be using these opportunities to go spend time with our families. None of us are gonna be around forever. Our career is flexible and we should be taking advantage of that to spend more time with people we love.” – Nicki

Mentioned on This Episode

• 6 Must-Pack Items to Write Copy Overseas

Related Links

• Is it Really Possible for Copywriters to Work Entirely Remotely?
• 7 Tips to Living the Digital Nomad Lifestyle as a Copywriter
• How Can I Work Remotely from Anywhere in the World?

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

The post Episode 193: Tips for Copywriting While Staying with Friends & Family 😳 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

[03:45] All of a sudden something sparked and I was like ‘I love this! This is so fun!’ and it was an amazing experience to come from something you love and then feeling heartbroken and then finding something that fit the lifestyle that I needed and be fulfilling and earn great money and have flexibility so yeah I don’t regret it, I loved every minute and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

[05:45] When I finished the program, I got my first job and the first job paid off the whole class and I was like oh okay there is actual work out here so I started doing the things, started pitching people and literally had the income that I wanted in the first month or two.

[06:09] The most shocking thing for me was how much work there was out there. There is a lot of work out there and so I had more work than I actually wanted or could do.

[9:08] It was really just about pitching and being brave enough to do that. And I feel like I’ve learned so much and even though this was kind of a stepping stone for me and it’s a side hustle that I’m doing, it translates to so many things and it bettered my career, it just enriched the career that I have now.

[14:10] I think it’s so easy for us to forget to re-pitch our current or past clients when it really is the easiest. People who already love you, who already love what you do and know that you do a fantastic job. It was just about networking. And then once I got my pool of clients and I kept just re-pitching them and it just got way easier.

[17:15]  I made the timeline, I literally had a calendar out where I said I’m gonna do this unit and this unit on this day. And then, I scheduled the breaks in there ’cause I am kind of an all or nothing person. And actually after the first couple units, it’s not as intimidating.

[20:03] The more you write you get better at it. Whether you’re starting from ground zero or you’ve been doing it for many years, we’re all still learning. We’re all trying to get better and everything else. I can appreciate somebody else’s copy just as much now as I did back then.

[21:49] If you’re on the fence or if you’re struggling or if you’re even in a slump of where you feel you can’t get through the course or you don’t have enough work, I would tell you there’s just no substitute for hustle. You go out there and you hustle until you kind of get a breakthrough. And that’s what I would tell them. But, get the course.

Must-Hear Takeaways

 “So because I have repeat customers, it’s a lot easier. So that way, I know hey I’ve got a day here that I’m slow and I could do some copy work then I would go and pitch those people and be like ‘hey I’ve got some time’ and I think getting those repeat customers is really important when you’re trying to balance both because then you’re not out trying to fish for the work and you just know you have your pool of people that you can pitch over and over again so that helps with the balancing and then sometimes they call me like ‘hey I’ve got work, can you do this?’ And then it’s neat where I can say yes or no where I have time or I don’t.” Audrey

“And like I said, I had way more work than I even wanted to which blew my mind. I was like this could be a full time gig, I could hire an assistant. There is definitely work out there so I would say if you’re on the fence just go ahead and do it. Because literally it was the first job I got paid off the course. And there’s very few things I feel like in life where you take a plunge and it pays off with so much and it was so worth it for me. I’ve never had something pay off that quickly.” Audrey

“I felt very prepared after the course too. I just did the program, I did the thing exactly the way you said and it prepared me perfectly. It was great. Actually, now you’re the benchmark for any other class I take.” Audrey

“The community is great. I couldn’t have done it without the community. It’s fun. You get to know people on the Facebook group and it’s always fun to see other people’s progress and their wins and their success stories and I would dive into that.” Audrey

Mentioned on This Episode

• Ep. 5: Why Choosing a Copywriting Niche is Terrible Advice
• Ep. 84: When to Break the Copywriting Niche Rule

Related Links

• Too Afraid to Pitch? Business Owners WANT Your Copywriting Pitches
• The Simplest Way to Start Finding Copywriting Clients
• Find Copywriting Clients by Networking in the Right Places
• Land Copywriting Clients With These 35 Tips
• The Three Steps to Career Change
• Value-Based Pitches, English-Language Nuances, and About Pages

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

The post Episode 192 : This Part-Time Copywriter is Too Busy to Have a Portfolio – Audrey’s Story appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

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

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[1:35] CCA student Lizzie, a former business analyst who always loved the writing part of her job, started freelance writing back in 2020. Last year, she transitioned to full-time freelancing and is seeing great success!

[2:49] Lizzie shares advice on transitioning from a full-time career to copywriting and how networking has played a huge role in helping her land work. 

[5:12] Lizzie recommends more structured networking for people who are introverted because they have a more predictable format which minimizes social anxiety.

[6:06] Switching tasks to maintain productivity and relying on structured working hours and consistent processes have helped Lizzie thrive as a copywriter with ADHD and autism.

[7:00] For Lizzie, not niching down has allowed her to be as productive as she is. Her business analysis background has also been helpful in supporting businesses with strategy around their marketing.

[8:11] In terms of pitching and networking, Lizzie has found that when you focus on giving, it’s a lot easier to build up your client base.

[10:52] Networking can help you reach dream clients by tapping into the six degrees of separation and can lead to a lot of unexpected opportunities. Lizzie has been invited to lots of exciting events like celebrity galas and awards ceremonies!

[12:47] After networking events, it’s always important to follow up. Lizzie does this by asking for one-on-one meetings to understand potential clients’ businesses better. This builds rapport and helps her make effective referrals, increasing her chances of getting future work.

[14:57] Copywriting opportunities are not just limited to where you live—there are a lot of opportunities out there. Lizzie has a diverse client base, ranging from local to international clients, including one in Hong Kong! 

[16:46] Lizzie has been surprised by how often she’s asked to ghostwrite books. Many people have great ideas but struggle to write them down, making copywriters and content writers essential in bringing those ideas to life.

[17:30] If you’re considering going into copywriting, Lizzie encourages you to take the leap! Spread the word among friends, get on LinkedIn, and start networking. You’ll find tons of resources and potential collaborators through making those connections.

Must-Hear Takeaways

 “Absolutely network. Most networks, people are there to help you and want to help themselves, they cant help themselves if they’re not in a group of successful people. So they want to help you be successful because it helps them be successful. So absolutely network your heart out because it also helps you with your cold pitching as well. So you don’t need to do one or the other, a combination of both is always best.” – Lizzie

“I think the reason I’ve got a lot of work is because I don’t put forward that impression of really salesy which is quite hard for people when what we do is selling material. But being free with that information that you have, appearing the expert that you are is really helpful because people go, ‘They clearly know what they’re doing.’” – Lizzie

“People remember you. I’ve now become ubiquitous in my city, everyone knows and is like, ‘Oh it’s you!’ And I’ve literally only been doing it for 8 months, and you get invited to things. I’ve been to more events that I never would have thought I would be invited to in my life before just from starting this and everyone’s like, ‘Oh you’re the copywriter’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I am the copywriter!'” – Lizzie

“Speak to all your friends, all your work colleagues, tell everyone that this is what you’re doing because it gives you a set of warm leads to immediately go to. Get a profile on LinkedIn, make it clever, make it fun. Don’t be exactly the same as everyone else. Don’t expect it to go viral or anything overnight, mine definitely hasn’t but it’s sort of just building traction. And go and network. If you’re introverted, there are networks out there for you, there are online networks. Go and talk to people because the more you talk to people, they might help you in other ways. You’ll find your accountant that way, you’ll find your web designer that way, you’ll find the designers that you want to work with if you want to get those spec pieces.” – Lizzie

Mentioned on this Episode

• View Lizzie’s profile

Related Links

• The One Question That Makes Copywriting Networking Easy
• Can an Introvert Be a Successful Copywriter?
• Thriving as a Neurodivergent Copywriter – Cleo’s Story
• How to Elevate Your Profile & Land Copywriting Clients on LinkedIn

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. 190: Freelance Copywriting Through Divorces, Separations, and Breakups

The post Episode 191: This Copywriter Books Work 3+ Months Out—Here’s How She Does It – Lizzie’s Story 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] Nicki and Kate are joined by CCA student Kelly, who had been copywriting for a lot of years before she joined the CCA, without even knowing it!

[3:35] Kelly wanted to start her own business and after seeing an ad for the CCA, she knew it would give her the structure she needed to pursue a career in copywriting.

[5:00] Adult learners find it harder to learn without “doing”. That’s why Kelly loved all of the action sheets within the course as she could practice applying her knowledge.

[6:12] After putting herself out into the world through LinkedIn and Facebook, Kelly was overwhelmed by the response from people looking for writers and has been completely booked out with work.

[7:53] Kelly has worked on a range of projects, from video scripting, to brochure copy, and web copy. Most of her work has come through agencies, which Kelly loves because of all the collaboration that comes with it.

[10:48] Kelly is a CCA Next Level member and is toying with the idea of building an agency and niching down her work.

[14:26] It’s easy to get wrapped up in the hustle of doing the work, pitching, and landing clients. But Kelly always maintains a broader perspective, considering how each project impacts not just the organization, but also the world.

[15:31] Kelly’s age has not held her back from pivoting into another career.  She’s found that she has fewer inhibitions and people respect your years of experience, no matter what field you were in before.

[20:58] Nicki often hears from people who are considering getting into copywriting but worried they are too old to make a change.  But in copywriting, it can be a great asset.

[21:53] Kelly encourages people not to be nervous about approaching clients for the first time because you know more than they do. And when it comes to pitching and discovery calls, the more you do it, the easier (and faster and more enjoyable!) it gets.

[25:28] If you’re good at writing and often get tapped for it at work, Kelly definitely recommends giving copywriting a try—many people from diverse backgrounds have successfully made the switch.

Must-Hear Takeaways

“I think it was actually easier to pivot into this kind of job because I had complete control over the decision to go out and start my company, all of the details of my company. I will say I am 53 years old, at a certain point I was sending out resumes and those days where you close your office door and say I’m polishing up my resume, I can’t take it anymore. I had some of those days along the way and didn’t get much reaction. And I think part of that is there’s definitely some agism out in the job market but when you go out on your own instead, especially as an older worker, people immediately respect you for all of your years of experience, no matter what field you were in before.” – Kelly

“There is so much writing work out there for people. I have not met a person that hasn’t said, ‘I need a writer and I haven’t known where to find one.’ There’s such demand, even with AI coming into the picture, there’s still just massive, massive demand for writers.” – Kelly

“I think very quickly, people who go through this program will realize that if they’re in a situation, especially if they are approaching organizations that don’t have a sophisticated marketing program, after just your course, they are the smartest people in the room on the subject of copywriting and marketing. And I think they’ll just be amazed at how much they did learn and it’s a big a confidence booster. You really only need to take one or two meetings before you’re realizing, ‘I know this stuff, I can do this!’ So I would encourage people not to be nervous about approaching clients for the first time because you know more than they do.” – Kelly

Mentioned on this Episode

• View Kelly’s Portfolio

Related Links

• The Three Steps to Career Change
• Changing Your Career to Copywriting While at Your Existing Job
• Best Backgrounds and Degrees for Getting Into Copywriting
• Do You Have What It Takes to Become a Copywriter?

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. 187: Change My Mind About Advertising! How to Be an Ethical Copywriter

The post Episode 188: Pivoting to Copywriting Later in Your Career – Kelly’s Story 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

[1:50] 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

“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

• View Rachael’s Portfolio

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

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. 183: You Will Have Too Much Copywriting Work … Here’s What to Do

The post Episode 184: This Copywriter Landed Her Dream Job—And Tripled Her Income – Rachael’s Story 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] Our hosts are joined by CCA student and copywriting coach, Cleo, who tried several other careers before copywriting, including resume writing. 

[4:27] Cleo encountered a lot of messaging about how it’s “impossible to make money as a writer”. But copywriting excited her as it seemed like a viable path for making good money as a writer.

[5:49] Financially, Cleo has been able to support herself solely through copywriting for a couple of years now. It provides 100% of the household income for her and her daughter (while working a heck of a lot less than 40 hours a week!).

[6:48] Cleo was diagnosed with autism as an adult. But working from home as a freelancer allows her to leverage her neurodivergent strengths and be more flexible in finding workarounds for her weaknesses—something that seemed impossible in a normal 9-5 office job.

[10:05] Having a neurodivergent mind has been an asset as a copywriter because she can tap into her creative side a lot more and embrace her ‘busy brain’ through the diverse range of client work she does.

[12:01] A big part of Cleo’s journey has been accepting that the way she works might look different to other people. She has learnt to accommodate her needs and give herself the freedom to explore the working patterns that suit her the most—without any shame attached.

[15:30] Nicki reminds us that, no matter how your brain works, you don’t need to put your pressure on yourself to conform to a way of working that is not natural for you. 

[18:17] Whether it’s therapy, self-help books, or connecting with people who have similar struggles, there are many ways to practice self-acceptance and stop trying to force yourself to fit into a certain box.

[21:07] While there are anxious moments in freelancing, it helps Cleo to know that she is the one who has the power to deal with those problems. But when we work for someone else, we give up a lot of that control. You just have to earn your own trust as a freelancer by proving to yourself that you *can* do it.

[26:10] Sometimes, we don’t realize how much of an impact small things like having control over when you eat or who you work with, can have on our mental health. 

[28:45] Copywriting and freelancing in general can be so much more than a career—it gives you so many opportunities to work on boundaries, which have a wider impact on your confidence, self-acceptance, and self esteem.

[32:32] Cleo is also a creative writer and had a gigantic win recently when her first novel got accepted for publication (after working on it for ten years!).

Must-Hear Takeaways

“When I started out freelancing, I had this idea that I had to be working this 9-5 like a ‘real job’ and that I had to do things a certain way. And I ended up really pushing myself to the point where I had a lot of burnout and overwhelm and really struggled in that first year or so before I realized that I had to do this a different way. And I think that is something that likely going to be common for people who have mental illnesses, disabilities, neurodivergence, is just that you have to accept that you aren’t going to be able to do it in the same way as everybody else is doing it and be able to accept that.” – Cleo

“A huge part of this process as well is the self-acceptance towards the things that are part of my brain and how I work, while also being very serious about tackling those anxieties and figuring out how to deal with them. And the opposite of anxiety is trust and I think that for me at least working for an employer is putting something so important to my life in someone else’s hands and I always feel more anxious when something important is in someone else’s hands than when it’s mine. So while there are certainly anxious moments freelancing, absolutely, I think that it helps to feel like I am the one who has the power to deal with those problems. But that trust takes time to build and you have to sort of earn your own trust and prove to yourself that you can do it.” – Cleo

“I think that being able to work from home and not just work from home but work from home for myself, has just freed up so much my ability to use the strengths the come from being neurodivergent and find workarounds for the weaknesses, and just have that flexibility to tailor my work life in a way that would almost certainly be out of the realm of the possible for most jobs.” – Cleo

“Copywriting and freelancing in general can be just so more than a career and have such a bigger impact on who you are and your overall confidence and self-acceptance and self-esteem.” – Cleo

Mentioned on this Episode

• 5 Books to Read Written by Copywriters
• View Cleo’s portfolio
• Connect with Cleo on LinkedIn

Related Links

• Setting Boundaries as a Copywriter
• Building Your Career for Maximum Flexibility
• Tips for Neurodivergent Copywriters

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. 179: Should You Offer Discounts or Sales on Your Copywriting Services?

The post Episode 180: Thriving as a Neurodivergent Copywriter – Cleo’s Story 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] Nicki and Kate are joined by CCA student and member of the Filthy Rich Writer team, Rebecca, who was working as a languages teacher when she first learnt about copywriting as a career. She signed up to the CCA in July 2022 while on maternity leave.

[5:22] A career in copywriting appealed to Rebecca as it combined her passion for writing alongside her lifelong desire to start and run her own business.

[6:28] As soon as Rebecca joined the CCA, she prioritized taking action. She began finding designers to work with, started to build up her portfolio, and applied to a position someone had posted in the CCA group, which, to her surprise, she landed!

[10:03] Our hosts remind us that as long as you’re pitching in a way that provides value, there’s never a downside to it. 

[12:45] The work Rebecca did for her first client inspired her next plan of action, which focused on contacting podcasters to offer support with writing copy and creating content for each episode.

[14:17] Initially, Rebecca saw copywriting as a side gig alongside teaching. But within six months of joining the CCA, she matched her teaching salary—with more freedom and less stress! When her maternity leave ended, she decided to go all in on her copywriting career.

[16:10] The flexibility of a career in copywriting has had a hugely positive impact on Rebecca, as she is able to raise a young family with much more energy than she would have had as a teacher.

[17:23] Rebecca pitched the Filthy Rich Writer team to offer support with podcast show notes. She couldn’t believe it when she got a positive response and urges everyone to send those pitches they’ve been hesitating about—you never know what might come of it!

[19:21] Sometimes, pitching is really just a matter of getting your foot in the door and showing people that you’re out there and that you can help them. Now, Rebecca is not just working on show notes, but all kinds of other projects for The Filthy Rich Writer Team.

[22:00] Podcasts are a great resource to help you come up with potential clients to pitch to. Plus, regularly listening to a client’s podcast can support your research and help to nail down their tone of voice.

[24:43] Rebecca’s goals for this year center around delivering more value to the clients she has while building experience writing copy for more diverse types of media.

[26:01] For anyone considering a career in copywriting, Rebecca encourages you to take action, even if you don’t *feel* ready. Whether it’s writing copy or pitching clients, the more you practice, the easier it gets.

[27:49] People often assume that if they have a natural talent for something like writing, it can’t possibly be valuable because everybody else must find it easy, too—but that’s not the case at all!

[30:55] Don’t feel intimidated if you’re thinking about pitching to someone with a background in writing. Their feedback could be super valuable and improve your copywriting skills.

[32:47] Prioritizing value in your pitches is what sets you apart and demonstrates to a client that you have potential to be a team member. It shows them that you’ve really gone the extra mile.

Must-Hear Takeaways

“My top piece of advice for anyone out there, if you’re kind of umming and ahing about pitching someone because you think, ‘well, they probably don’t need my help’, just go for it because it could literally change your life, like you guys have changed mine. You might get to work with your absolute dream client, you might get to have one-to-ones with Kate Sitarz every month and all the amazing things that come with it. So yeah, if you’re thinking about it, just do it because that was the case for me, and it ended up being ‘right place, right time’ with that one.” – Rebecca

“First of all, you don’t need to know everything before going into this. I had a little bit of marketing experience which I suppose gave me a some confidence going into it but you don’t need that. Everything is within the course that you need. So if you think you’re someone that has a passion for writing and this is something that you could get on board with, then just start taking action. That’s the biggest thing I could tell you. Practice makes perfect, just get in there with pitching and don’t be afraid.” – Rebecca

“My initial thinking was that this would be a side hustle, but it turned out not to be a side hustle and I did go straight into it. I did not go back to teaching after my maternity leave. But after landing my first client and getting that confidence, and then I think I got another couple additional clients on top of that, I basically matched what I would be earning as a part-time teacher for a lot less stress and fewer working hours. So it just didn’t make sense to me to go back.” – Rebecca

Mentioned on this Episode

• Rebecca’s Portfolio
• Are You Living in the Gap or the Gain?

Related Links

• Transitioning Out of Teaching to Copywriting – George’s Story
• Her Goal Was to Replace Her Teaching Income in 5 Months: She Did It in 6 Weeks
• Great Summer Job for Teachers: Copywriting
• Too Afraid to Pitch? Business Owners WANT Your Copywriting Pitches

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. 175: Career Resolutions to Make Right Now

The post Episode 176: How This Ex-Teacher Joined the Filthy Rich Writer Team—As a Copywriter – Rebecca’s Story 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

[03:03] CCA student Shelby had always wanted to be a writer but didn’t know where to go after graduating with a degree in journalism. When the pandemic hit, she began researching copywriting and managed to land a copywriting internship before discovering the CCA.

[4:58] After working through the CCA, Shelby took a bit of a backseat for a few months, before landing an entry level job in corporate communications and social media, followed by a role as a marketing assistant—both of which allowed her to build up her experience and her portfolio.

[6:51] Shelby was laid off from her job as a marketing assistant and started applying to roles on Indeed and LinkedIn. At the interview for her current role, she brought her printed portfolio and asked for spec work, standing out and securing the job!

[8:16] Shelby never thought she’d land a job with such a big corporation. But it’s a reminder that we never know what opportunities will come up and what we’ll learn from them!

[9:10] Despite changing careers, Shelby was still able to use her previous experience in the restaurant industry to help her land the job as a junior copywriter.

[10:07] There have been lots of opportunities to work on different and exciting projects, including writing a new slogan for a hotel!

[11:20] Shelby enjoys how collaborative this role is and that she gets to work with lots of different people, from designers to brand managers. 

[12:02] When you’re intimidated about a new job, it’s easy to just focus on yourself, and forget that all of the other people in the office want you to do well. Shelby would advise someone to go into it with a willingness to ask questions and be open to learning.

[14:10] Sometimes, working for big corporations can be advantageous because they often have a better understanding of your role and don’t expect you to do work that is outside of your realm of expertise.

[15:28] One of the great things about copywriting is how flexible it can be. Shelby didn’t have to throw her career in the restaurant industry out the window and jump into copywriting. She could build things up gradually until she felt ready to let it go.

[16:23] Shelby landed one of her freelance clients as she got the job as a junior copywriter. It’s fun working on something a bit different to her day-to-day work and has allowed her to add SEO to her skill set!

[17:45] The big goal for Shelby is still to be a freelancer so that she has more control over her income and schedule. Pitching is at the heart of freelance success.

[19:15] If you feel like you’re a creative person, and you like to write, Shelby advises signing up for the CCA. Don’t feel like you have to know everything to begin—just start pitching because you’ll learn so much on the job.

Must-Hear Takeaways

“I kind of feel like getting the job was the hardest part and once you get there, people are going to be nice and help you and help you learn. You just have to ask a lot of questions and I’m really lucky, the place I work at, everyone is just really nice and really helpful. No one’s intimidating, everyone is just really nice and really educated, so I guess everyone you’re working with, they’re just people. You just have to put yourself out there.” – Shelby

“One of my first big projects was a rebrand for a hotel in the Hamptons and they actually picked up one my slogans and they might use it for the number one slogan, so that was pretty cool. That was my first project.” – Shelby

“I know people get really scared about working for big corporations, but it’s actually been way less scary to work for them than say a small business owner because when I walk into the corporation, they already have the tone guide, they have the process, they have everything and I just have to do my little job and just complete it. But the small business that I worked for, they wanted me to know everything, know how to do social media, know how to do PR, administrative assistant, all these kinds of things so it can actually be easier to get your foot in the door at a bigger corporation because there’s more structure.” – Shelby

“I wish this had been a class in my college, I’m like, ‘Where has this been all my life?!’ My life would have been so much easier! So yeah, definitely sign up for the CCA and then don’t feel like you have to know everything to get started. And just start pitching. You’ll learn on the job, you can’t know everything before you do your first job so just get started.” – Shelby

Mentioned on this Episode

• View Shelby’s portfolio site

Related Links

• Can Copywriting Be a Side Hustle?
• 1 Year to a Senior Copywriter Promotion – Kelsey’s Story
• Why Freelance Copywriters Should Still Apply to Full-Time Jobs
• How To Prepare for a Copywriting Interview
• Ace These Copywriting Interview Questions to Land the Job

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. 171: Help! My Client Wants to Test My Copy!

The post Episode 172: Taking Action in the Face of Imposter Syndrome – Shelby’s Story 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

[2:37] Our hosts are joined by CCA student Kelsey, who has always wanted to be a writer. After spending nearly 20 years in the bar and restaurant industry to pay the bills, she used her expertise to create a column as a stepping stone into professional writing. Despite getting published consistently, Kelsey was never able to make it a full-time gig.

[7:42] One of the biggest wins from copywriting is that she’s no longer living paycheck to paycheck, in fight or flight mode. This has had a huge impact on her mental and physical health.

[8:38] Kelsey first began copywriting—although she was unaware of this at the time—when she started a nonprofit organization in the pet industry. She was writing the website, email, and social media copy and developed a brand voice.

[10:30] Kelsey vowed to change her life financially in 2022 and figure out a way to write full time. She started the CCA course in January that year, finished it by May, and launched her portfolio site in June.

[13:24] Even before Kelsey launched her site, she had paid for the course with copy work! She started telling everyone about what she was doing and hit the ground running.

[14:21] Kelsey wanted to have three months of all her expenses set aside ready for when she quit her full time gig. She was exploring different brands on LinkedIn and came across a fitness supplement brand that excited her. Not long after, they posted a job for a copywriter!

[15:43] Kelsey’s original goal was to freelance full time but she applied to this role (despite not feeling qualified) and they offered her the job! She’s been there for a year now and recently got promoted to a senior copywriter.

[17:30] Kelsey loves working in a team full of creative and talented people and still does some freelancing when her bandwidth allows– although she’s a stickler on work-life balance now.

[19:55] You don’t have to have a certain number of years of experience in order to be a senior copywriter. It’s really down to your level of skill. And you can develop that skill very quickly if you’re willing to put in the effort like Kelsey has.

[20:52] Kelsey’s openness to opportunities has played a big part in her success. It would have been easy to close herself off at certain points in the journey but her willingness to explore paid dividends in the end.

[22:00] When it comes to new opportunities, like the senior copywriter role that came out, Kelsey’s default is “well, why not?” This attitude has served her incredibly well and even if she hadn’t landed the role, what’s the worst that would’ve happened?

[26:41] Kelsey encourages us to have a strong financial plan in place when taking the leap into full time copywriting, and to honor your needs and not be afraid to say “no” sometimes.

[29:56] Having a strong community around her and a partner who had total confidence in her goals has been a massive source of support in Kelsey’s journey.

[33:44] All of Kelsey’s editorial journalism work helped lay the groundwork for being an efficient and effective copywriter.

[36:00] The company that Kelsey works for has given her the opportunity to work on some very exciting brand collaborations–they recently ended up landing a partnership for an energy drink flavor with Kim Kardashian!

[39:42] If you’re interested in getting into copywriting, Kelsey reminds us that doing it alone is hard and unnecessary. Make sure you have a community that you can lean on and folks that you can reach out to as that helps you realize that you have the power and the skill to do it.

Must-Hear Takeaways

“I was consistently getting published and really enjoying flexing that creative side of my writing but was never able to make it a full-time gig. I constantly had to be working a full-time job in another facet of my life and then be writing on the side and I was just constantly burning the candle at both ends. And It’s something that I haven’t actually realized until recently how I was constantly in that fight or flight mode and now that I’m not, I’m just resting all the time and it is so amazing. That’s one of my biggest copywriting wins is just getting out of the stress and trauma of living paycheck to paycheck and trying to figure out how to get by.” – Kelsey

“Some of the experiences that I’m having are really laying a path for me to dream so big and just see where it takes me.” – Kelsey

“Being able to really reach those emotional benefits is something I think I’m strong at and I think my editorial work helped lay the groundwork for that. I can transfer those skills in a really easy way and make it work towards my benefit and produce better work in that way and faster.” – Kelsey

“We get so used to thinking, “well, you have to have a certain number of years of having done this in order to be a senior copywriter.” And that’s not the case. It really is a level of skill. And you can develop that skill very quickly if you’re willing to put in the effort the way that you have.” – Nicki

Mentioned on this Episode

• Kelsey’s portfolio

Related Links

• Building a Copywriting Side Hustle With a Full-Time Job – Claire’s Story
• Build a Copywriting Business While Working 9 to 5
• Journalist Turned Copywriter – Dori’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. 167: How to Deal with Haters, Doubters, and Anyone Getting in the Way of Your Copywriting Career

The post Episode 168: 1 Year to a Senior Copywriter Promotion – Kelsey’s Story appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.