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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.

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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.

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

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[3:32] Whether you want a full-time position or you’re pitching for freelance work, avoid “one-click applications” at all costs! It’s worth doing a bit of research to find out who the hiring manager is as they are the best people to judge your application.

[5:35] Make sure you read through the *whole* job description. More and more companies (including FRW!) are burying little tasks in the application to help them weed out people who don’t read the full description.

[8:45] Don’t be dissuaded by the qualifications you might see listed on a job application. Employers have to ask for *some* level of experience otherwise they’d get applicants with … zero experience. The skills you show in your portfolio are going to have more of an impact—that’s another reason why your application needs to be in the hands of the hiring manager, not the internal recruiter.

[10:45] A lot of agencies ask for agency experience but don’t let that put you off. What they’re really looking for is that you can manage a lot of different projects and clients. And as a copywriter who’s built your own copywriting business, you already know how to do that!

[11:35] Be cautious when describing yourself as “detail-oriented” since employers may scrutinize your application more closely for errors. Instead, Kate and Nicki suggest demonstrating this quality by, ahem, reading the *full* job description!

Must-Hear Takeaways

“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

Mentioned on this Episode

• Ace Your Copywriting Interview (Part 2 of 3)
• Post-Interview Must Dos (Part 3 of 3)

Related Links

• Questions to Prepare For in a Copywriting Job Interview
• Copywriting Q&A: Super-Charged Job-Hunting Tactics
• 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.

The post Summer Rewind: Ep. 52 What to Do Before Your Copywriting Interview 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

[03:11]  You have to like writing, because lemme tell you, there’s a lot of writing in a copywriting career. It’s not all writing, there’s a lot of editing as well, a lot of thinking and brainstorming.

[09:34] Being willing to roll with things, being open to other points of view, as a copywriter you’ll come in and you’ll make recommendations.

[10:18]  The more you’re able to be flexible in dealing with people and how you deal with people, the more success you will have.

[13:00] I would imagine if you’re not hustling, there’s someone else that is more than willing to hustle and do the work. You have to get the job done no matter what. You cannot miss a deadline.

[22:15] Clients don’t automatically know how to evaluate copy. They don’t know how you as a copywriter know that you have structured things in a certain way to affect the target audience in a certain way.

[30:07] The concept of patience and persistence. It’s gonna be rare that you get your first draft and it’s perfect. Even just as you’re writing, it’s gonna take some time to come up with the right words and there is a lot of editing involved in copywriting.

Must-Hear Takeaways

“In order to be a copywriter, you need to get the training to add on to that natural ability to write because there are techniques and skills that you will add on to that natural ability. But that natural affinity for writing is a really important place to start” – Nicki

“My next favorite trait is resilience. Because you might love to write, you might then love some of what you’re writing. When you are facing that feedback that feels like it could be personal or it was just not. But you have that kind of ability to say, it’s gonna improve me as a writer, and it’s gonna improve the final product.” – Kate

“You’re the copywriting expert in the room, but you’re not the copywriting expert in the world. So there’s an element of needing to own the fact that you know what you’re doing and you have a lot of value to provide, but at the same time, being open to the fact that you don’t know everything.” – Nicki

” When you’re sitting down with a group of people in the office. You are all working together. You are collaborating to create the best piece possible. It’s at least 50% editing. You write your copy, you look at it from your target audience viewpoint, and you make your change, you make your tweaks. It’s not an instant process.” – Nicki

Mentioned on this Episode

• 11 Traits of the Most Successful Copywriters

Related Links

• What Does it Take to Become a Copywriter?
• Confused About Where to Start Your Copywriting Career? This One’s For You

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.

Previous Episode

The post Summer Rewind: Ep 15. Traits of the Most Successful Copywriters 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

[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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A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[2:07] How you get and put out energy helps determine whether you are an extrovert or an introvert. Extroverts get their energy from being around other people, whereas introverts receive energy from alone time or in social settings with much smaller groups.

[3:55] A lot of brain power and energy is required to attend client meetings—even highly extroverted people can benefit from taking a moment to relax and collect themselves after a client call.

[5:28] With practice and time, you gain confidence when it comes to speaking to clients. But knowing when to book those interactions is key. For example, you might feel better to get it out the way in the morning so you’re not worrying about it all day.

[6:55] Technology has made life a lot easier for introverts. Previously, you’d have to meet someone in their office, but now you can do it all from the comfort and safety of your own home.

[10:06] Kate emphasizes the importance of both introverts and extroverts feeling prepared for any call they have scheduled. Having your notes together and knowing what points you want to cover can make a big difference. She also reminds us to treat these calls simply as conversations—they don’t need to feel daunting.

[12:38] Confidence doesn’t come before you take action; it comes from taking action. Yes, preparation is key, but it can only take you so far compared to the confidence gained from actually doing it—showing yourself that you can, and will, do it again.

[14:24] Extroverts sometimes shy away from writing because it’s seen as a solo gig. But there are communities, like–ahem–the CCA group, where you can connect and socialize with fellow copywriters, getting that much-needed interaction and support.

[17:15] For extroverts who miss the office environment, they can try co-working spaces with other freelancers or cafes that welcome all-day work sessions. This setup provides accountability and the opportunity to exchange ideas with fellow workers.

[21:45] Regardless of whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, it’s important to find companies that will suit you best. You might thrive in a larger marketing team collaborating with designers, or prefer the intimacy of a smaller, close-knit group. Choose what feels most suitable for you!

Must-Hear Takeaways

“Because copywriting is a flexible career, you can freelance full time, if you want to. Or if you want an on staff job, you can absolutely get that as well. Or you can contract, where you go into an office. And you can kind of, as you and I have said many times, we’ve bounced around with all of that. I mean, we’ve always freelanced, but we have also been on staff, or we’ve also been contractors. And you can figure out what works best for you.” – Nicki

“You don’t get confident before you take the action. You get confident by taking the action. So you can’t sit there and wait for confidence before you schedule that client call because that’s not how the confidence is going to come. It’s not going to be bestowed on you magically. It will kind of in a way be bestowed on you magically after you take the call, after you go through it, after you push your comfort zone a little bit or push yourself outside of your comfort zone. And then when it’s done, you go, okay, I lived through it. And that makes the next one a little easier.” – Nicki

“You have the opportunity to cater your career and your work opportunities to yourself and your needs and your energetic preferences and all of that. And we’re very fortunate in that sense, so make the most of it. If you are an extrovert, if you are an introvert, if you are an ambivert, the bottom line is that you can make it work. And you can be very successful at it. But it’s up to you to figure out what you need and structure your work experience so that it gives you what you need.” – Nicki

Related Links

• Copywriting Success Secrets for Extroverts
• Freelance Copywriting for Introverts
• Copywriting Success Secrets for Introverts

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.

The post Summer Rewind: Ep. 46 Are the Best Copywriters Introverts or Extroverts? 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

[03:30] It’s really important for people to remember that as much as you may love your full-time job, or as much as you may feel comfortable there, or you may have put in many years there, you may be very loyal to the company. When a company exists, its primary purpose is to continue to exist. And if things get crazy, companies are made up of people, of course, but a company as a physical entity, if they can’t continue to prosper and thrive, then everybody loses their jobs.

[08:50] We teach this in the academy is constantly pitching. There’s more likelihood that more things are coming. And so you have this consistent process. When you’re freelance, really taking those actions is what’s gonna help you get over that feeling of not feeling safe. That’s what’s gonna create your safety.

[10:09] If you want to be a professional freelancer and you wanna be successful at it, you need a system.

[10:37] If you’re busy, then maybe scale back the pitching that you’re doing.

[12:42] I’m gonna get an annual pay bump to cover for inflation, or I’m gonna get an annual raise, quite frankly, which isn’t necessarily a guarantee versus when you’re setting your own rates and you can bump up your work, you do have that control.

Must-Hear Takeaways

“There you offer yourself benefits. I think that’s a great point that don’t go into freelancing without having a plan for it and without having a plan for everything and without educating yourself.

 But at the same time, don’t discount the idea of freelancing without understanding it and without understanding how plenty of people are doing it effectively. And they don’t worry about dry spells or they don’t worry about paying for insurance that they don’t, it’s perfectly a successful way to exist and to earn a living.” – Nicki

“Well, if you have a full-time copy earning job, you can still take freelance clients, but it doesn’t have to be like a full side hustle. You can take a client every once in a while. 

But the nice thing about having a little bit of freelancing is that you can scale it up if things go south at the company, but you can also scale it up if you wanna get out of that company.” – Nicki

“So it’s this idea of reframing, instead of having your eggs in one basket and an employer, you are spreading it among all of your different clients. And if one of those clients doesn’t wanna work with you again, or it’s a one-off project, you still have all of these other balls in play versus if you lose your full-time job, you go from all of the income to none of it very quickly versus even if I lost  a really big client of mine, I would still have a very good income.” – Kate

Mentioned on this Episode

• The Illusion of Safety: Freelance vs. Full-Time Copywriting

Related Links

• Listen: Why Freelancing in a Recession is Wildly Effective
• The New Truth of Today’s Working World
• How to Avoid a Work Dry Spell
• Is It Better to Be an On-Staff Copywriter or a Freelance 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.

Previous Episode

The post Summer Rewind: Ep. 23 Freelance vs. Full-Time Copywriting (a.k.a. the Illusion of Safety Episode) 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

[2:08] 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

[2:45] One of the biggest things to consider when you are doing anything as a side hustle, copywriting or otherwise, is to treat it like a business.

[4:59] Clients will still work with you outside daytime hours. There shouldn’t be too many client calls and you can schedule them during evenings or weekends. Avoid telling your client this is a side hustle as you don’t want to send the message that this work is not a priority.

[8:59] As you start to pitch and get excited about landing clients, it’s tempting to want to say “yes” to every client. But when your hours are limited, you need to be very intentional with how you choose projects and set the timeline for those projects.

[10:10] Nicki and Kate discuss the importance of determining your business boundaries with clients and sticking to them.

[13:00] It’s easy to treat a side hustle as “bonus” money coming in, but don’t forget you still need to pay taxes on that income. You should also track any money that you’re spending for your business.

[14:45] Be realistic about the time you have and the time you want to take off. It can help to visually block time out on the calendar for different activities so you know what is sustainable.

[17:36] When it comes to timing, you also need to factor in the times of the year you might want to work more or less. For example, teachers might want to ramp up their side hustle work over summer.

[19:30] Nicki and Kate recommend starting with copywriting as a side hustle before transitioning to full-time copywriting. Jumping in with both feet can work well for some people, but not others.

[21:17] Knowing your numbers is important to help you understand what you need to make ends meet. You’ll have a better idea of how many clients you need and how much you need to pitch.

[24:43] To make the transition from side hustle to full time a little easier, you’re going to have to dial up your side hustle hours before leaving your full-time job. 

[26:20] Remembering your big “why” can be really motivating in those moments where you’re dialing up your freelance hours and working extra hard. And don’t forget to make it fun, too!

Must-Hear Takeaways

“One of the biggest things to consider when you are doing anything as a side hustle, copywriting or otherwise, is to treat it like a business. Because if you are treating a side hustle like a hobby or like a ‘nice to have’, then you’re not going to see the results that you want to see. If you treat it like a hobby, it will be a hobby. It might be fun, but it might not bring you the income, the revenue that you want to receive. So you have to go into it knowing that it is a business. It’s your business.” – Kate

“You have to take every element of your business just as seriously as if you were doing it full time. And that includes your finances as well. But that also includes tracking any money that you’re spending for your business. If you are buying supplies for your business, track those as well. Treat it just the same as you would if you were doing it full time.” – Nicki

“I think one of the things to note too with client communication is that your client shouldn’t know that this is a side hustle per se. They don’t need to know that this is something that you’re doing extra or on top of a full-time job. They don’t need to know the details of what’s going on in your life beyond that because I think there can be a connotation with some clients of this is just a side hustle, this is just something they’re doing extra on top of a full-time job. You don’t want to send the message that this is secondary. You want to always present yourself as this client is the most, and this project is the most important thing on my plate.” – Kate

“Jumping in with both feet is probably not a great plan for you if you can possibly help it. If you have a full-time job and you’re fine with your full-time job or it’s not making you too miserable, can you build up your side hustle income and build up your client base so that you have an easier transition into full-time freelancing?” “One of the biggest things is knowing your numbers. What do you comfortably need to live month to month to pay the bills?” – Nicki & Kate

Mentioned on this Episode

• Build a Copywriting Business While Working 9 to 5 (with Grace Nelson)
• Copywriting as a Side Hustle – Alicia’s Story
• How to Be a Part-Time Copywriter with a Full-Time Job
• Balancing a Copywriting Career with an Acting Career
• Building a Copywriting Side Hustle With a Full-Time Job – Claire’s Story
• Bridging the Gap from Quitting a Job to Full-Time Freelance

Related Links

• Can Copywriting Be a Side Hustle?
• How to Be a Part-Time Copywriter from Home
• The 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. 188: Pivoting to Copywriting Later in Your Career – Kelly’s Story

The post Episode 189: Before Starting a Copywriting Side Hustle … Listen to This 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.