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

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

[03:11]  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.

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

[1:44] The 2023 Summer Freelance Summit was a three day event (free for CCA students!) with expert speakers talking about different ways to optimize your freelance business. This episode brings you a sprinkling of some of the key highlights from the presenters!

[4:00] It’s important to calculate prices based on your own numbers, rather than looking at competitors. Cost is made up of three factors: material costs, labor costs, and your time. It’s wise to track your time on every project for the first six months and see how your cost compares.

[8:36] Getting help by outsourcing admin tasks and things that aren’t in your “zone of genius” means you can conserve your energy and focus on money maker tasks like discovery calls, client work, and client meetings. 

[10:55] Using quizzes can help to increase your leads in a more automated way, while still building a really positive, genuine connection with potential clients.

[14:05] To combat procrastination, try breaking down daunting tasks into smaller, manageable chunks and scheduling them on your calendar.

[20:42] If you’re not already capturing your visitors’ emails, consider adding an opt-in incentive to your website. This means you can follow up with them, continue connecting with them, and nurture them into becoming paying customers.

[22:22] When you create your pricing for a particular offer for a specific client, make sure you are accounting for the time and energy you spend on client work outside of the actual project itself (e.g. email/Slack communication, creating proposals and invoices, client calls etc.).

[28:39] Having awareness of money blocks is crucial, as it enables you to recognize and overcome your resistance to financial success.

[34:06] Holistic health practitioner Tara Bianca walks us through a breathing exercise which we can apply during our workday to help calm the nervous system and calm the mind.

Must-Hear Takeaways

“When we understand why we’re charging what we are, it’s so much easier to say that’s what the price is. If we need to lower the budget, let’s take some stuff away. It’s so hard to figure out how to price yourself and as a service-based provider, where your time is mostly what your service is made up of, it’s even harder. The worst advice out there right now is ‘charge what you’re worth’.” – Shanna Skidmore

“You need to be hiring when you start dropping balls, when things aren’t getting done. When you can feel that shame, like when you’re late on a deadline, and when you know that you’re kind of running out of time here, when you’re doing tasks that just are in your drudgery zone, you start dragging your feet on it. When they keep getting put at the bottom of the pile and you’re not ever getting to it, those are good tasks to start outsourcing, to make sure that they get done.” – Emily Reagan

“The first tool is learning how to take those scary or daunting tasks and actually break them down into much smaller, meaningful, less scary bite-sized chunks to get done.” – Megan Sumrell

“Capturing email addresses from your website visitors also means you can follow up with them, continue connecting with them and nurturing them into becoming paying customers. Because stats show that 97% of website visitors aren’t ready to buy, and 33% will leave a website to research competitors. So if you’re not already capturing your visitors’ emails, then now’s the time to start adding an opt-in into your website. It doesn’t have to be crazy hard either. All you’ll need is a CRM or email marketing platform like ConvertKit or Drip.” – Emma Kate Barker

Related Links

• Master Your Money Mindset – With Brie Sodano
• How to Calm Your Nerves for Meetings with Copywriting Clients
• How to Set Your Copywriting Rates
• Business Builder or Time Waster?

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. 158: Set Your Future Self Up for Success Right Now

The post Episode 159: 8 Tips You Can Use Right Now to Step Up Your Freelance Copywriting Game 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

[1:44] Today’s episode is all about how to set your future self up for success by taking certain actions and is a concept that works really well for the Filthy Rich Writer team.

[3:05] Try to give yourself a bit of a buffer when it comes to setting internal deadlines. If a project is due on Friday, you might want to aim to do it by Wednesday so that you have some wiggle room in case something unexpected comes up.

[5:01] As you take on more work, your schedule will become full and sneaking projects (even small ones!) in is difficult. It’s much better to under promise and over deliver.

[6:34] Kate set a boundary for herself to not start working on projects until at least two weeks after the initial call. Having these kinds of rules in place give you some extra breathing room in case other things crop up.

[8:29] It can be very tempting to fill up your schedule as you have more clients and work coming in. But remember to give yourself some unscheduled time as you plan out your day so that you have space to concept or take a breather from a project if needed. This also allows you to say yes to the fun stuff or deal with any emergencies.

[12:31] Look at the weather in advance to help you plan your unscheduled time so that you can take advantage of it when you want to and block off vacations early (even at the start of January!) so you can plan around this.

[16:16] Whatever you think you’re going to remember, know that you probably won’t! Try to process handwritten notes immediately and add things to your calendar so that you don’t have to try and hold so much information in your head.

[17:32] You never know when an idea is going to strike you, whether it’s for a client project or a new way to market yourself, so make sure you always have a pen and notecards on you! Let’s encourage those ideas by giving them a place to go instead of trying to hold onto them in our heads.

[19:45] As you look at your process of working with a client, check to see if there are speed bumps anywhere, like sending invoices. Build steps in which will set yourself up to make this important part of the process faster and easier for future you.

[21:03] Set in time to add work to your portfolio once the piece is live and published. Nicki and Kate can both confirm that future you will thank you for not having to update your entire portfolio all at once!

[24:40] Even if you don’t want to put a project in your portfolio, still try to regularly gather your pieces and take screen grabs because it may be useful for a specific client or job role one day.

[28:19] If you work from home and have certain hang-ups like making sure the laundry is done or the kitchen is clean, make sure things are in line before you know you’re going to start working. That way, you won’t end up procrastinating and letting resistance take over!

[29:39] If you have a big client call coming up or a day that you know that you really have to dig into a project that is especially challenging, make sure that you have adequate sleep planned in the night before.

Must-Hear Takeaways

“I feel like we unnecessarily put lots of stress and pressure on ourselves because we say we want to deliver, we want to be the best partner to our clients, and by being the best partner, I can get to them faster. But being the best partner is going to be delivering the best copy possible. And if that means giving yourself lots of time to lower the pressure, and lower the stress level on the whole project, then do that. There’s truly no reason to add that extra layer of pressure for yourself.” – Kate

“So, so many of us, once we’re done with the project, we’re like, ‘Yay, done! Oh, now I have to send the invoice…’ And we procrastinate on sending the invoice, which when you think about it, is just absurd. But that’s what we do (or some of us do). So build in time, build in a step in the process to send your invoice, and build in a step to send an email asking for testimonials and or referrals.” – Nicki

“If there are any places in your life where you think to yourself, ‘why did I do this to myself?!’ that is a prime opportunity to set yourself up for future success.” – Nicki

“It is so much easier to update your portfolio if you’re doing it regularly versus getting to the end of a year versus getting to the end of two years and going, ‘Oh, I need to do this, I have so much work that’s not even on here. I look like a totally different copywriter.’ And then having to track down work, and sometimes having to reach out to previous clients or previous contacts.” – Nicki

Related Links

• 5 Ways Super-Productive Copywriters Start Their Days
• Daily Habits of the Most Successful Writers & Creatives
• What Are Your Copywriting Business Rules?
• 3 Steps to Taking a Vacation as a Freelance Copywriter
• The Right Way to Invoice Your Copywriting Clients

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. 157: Are You Living in the Gap or the Gain?

The post Episode 158: Set Your Future Self Up for Success Right Now 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

[1:44] Nicki and Kate welcome Kaitlyn, the operations manager of Nicki K Media! Her creativity lies in problem solving and executing big projects smoothly.

[5:16] If something is on your to-do list for more than two days, it’s too big of a project. To make it less overwhelming, break the task down into small, manageable bite-sized chunks.

[9:35] Set due dates for every task to stay accountable and recognize when you might be pushing tasks off.

[10:35] Try to balance out the available time you have with the amount of tasks that you assign yourself on that day to avoid overloading your to-do list.

[15:07] Kaitlyn advises trying to figure out when you have the most energy throughout the day so that you know when is the best time to tackle more challenging tasks. It may be better to schedule meetings when you have less energy–for Kaitlyn, this is often in the afternoon!

[18:41] To help your productivity and see what works for you, be willing to try things that seem a bit silly or weird and get you outside of your comfort zone. It might be going to a coffee shop or changing your outfit, but once you can get the train moving, you have momentum.

[22:50] As a freelance copywriter, you have built a career where you have flexibility, so take advantage of it! Try different locations and working times to find what works best for you.

[24:49] The more you carry your to-do list in your head, the less room you have for creativity. Using a digital project management software like Asana is effective for managing projects and setting regular reminders for tasks that help to grow your business.

[32:29] If you’re using a system like Asana, then you can look at your calendar, see how much work you have, and where you have gaps to start work on other projects in advance. You will always thank yourself for getting ahead!

[35:01]  It’s easy to get excited about ideas in the moment but ask yourself how urgent it is and if it will drive revenue. If it won’t make a difference right now, consider parking it in what Kaitlyn calls the “parking lot of ideas”. You can revisit these if it becomes more important in the future and you have more time.

Must-Hear Takeaways

“As a freelancer or just even copywriter in general, if you have too much on your plate, then at some point in the day you will get to the point where you realize that you will not accomplish it, and you will likely shut down and just stop. So then you definitely don’t accomplish it. So break the tasks down into small chunks and pick a number in your head that makes sense. So for me, 15 to 25 minutes per task is kind of my goal. That means that when I look at my list, I have an idea of how many tasks I can actually accomplish in a day.” – Kaitlyn

“I think batching is really helpful because you can take all of the similar tasks and do them together. That helps with the task switching and you’re not losing quite so much time when you’re moving between tasks as your brain is kind of in the same space.” – Kaitlyn

 “It’s normal to have these moments or these days when you just can’t get the train going, can’t get that momentum going, and whether you’re freelancing or you work full-time in an office, that’s normal. So just trying to figure out what works for you to get that momentum back I think is really helpful.” – Kaitlyn

“I am really passionate about not carrying your to-do list in your brain because your brain is not designed to be a storage filing cabinet system. It’s designed to do creative stuff.” – Kaitlyn

Related Links

• Amp Up Your Copywriting Productivity with Ultra Scheduling
• 5 Ways Super-Productive Copywriters Start Their Days
• 4 Tools to Stay On Top of Your To Do List
• Staying Productive When I’m Unmotivated: Pomodoro Technique
• How to Set Up Your Schedule When Working from Home

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. 153: How to Write Powerful Copy (Even When the Product or Service Isn’t Interesting)

The post Episode 154: How Freelancers Can Masterfully Juggle Multiple Projects – with Kaitlyn Spinney 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

[3:07] CCA student Indigo is working as an actor while also doing copywriting. She is finding it difficult to switch her mindset between these two careers and often finds herself putting all of her energy into just one of them at a time.

[4:17] Nicki advises using the techniques she already knows when switching between roles as an actress, and applying the same tactics when switching from acting to copywriting. 

[5:58] To ensure higher focus and productivity, Nicki suggests setting aside dedicated hours for copywriting work based on the time that is available to her.

[8:14] Taking small steps consistently can help reduce overwhelm and make sure that you’re still progressing, even when time is limited. If Indigo has an acting job, Kate recommends setting aside just 15 minutes a day to work on pitching for example, rather than trying to achieve something much more unrealistic.

[10:53] Copywriting is an awesome career but it’s still normal to face some resistance. Schedule time to do it when you are at your freshest and most creative, and commit to the time you have set.

[13:32] It is wise to keep two different careers separate in terms of branding and websites, but it is still fine to use the same name for both. If you are going to use your non-legal name for one of them, bear in mind that you may need to speak to a bookkeeper to ensure you can process payments in that name.

Must-Hear Takeaways

“Let’s say you’re filming a TV series during the day and you’re also on stage at night. You would have to switch, right? So what techniques would you use for yourself as an actor as you already know you have to switch from this role to the other role? And I would use those same techniques to switch from your role as an actor to your role as a copywriter.” – Nicki

“If a task has been on your list for multiple days, then it’s too big. And so I think in your case, this might be a similar thing of instead of writing one pitch, break it down into all the teeny tiny steps that you need to do so that you can just chip away at it and not feel like you have to do this whole big thing. What are the micro steps you can take?” – Kate

“Copywriting is an awesome career. It’s awesome, but it’s still work, which means that there are plenty of days that you are not going to feel like doing it.” – Nicki

“If you know that the morning time is your most creative time, then don’t leave your copywriting until after you’ve done all of the other stuff because you’re going to come home, you’re going to be exhausted and your energy is not going to be there. You’re already exhausted from work and you’re just naturally going to try to fight yourself.” – Nicki

Related Links

• Copywriting as a Creative Outlet for an Actor – James’s Story
• Can Copywriting Be a Side Hustle?
• Ep. 55: Building a Copywriting Side Hustle With a Full-Time Job – Claire’s Story
• Ep. 75: How to Be a Part-Time Copywriter with a Full-Time Job – Catching Up with Alicia

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 BONUS: Laser Coaching – Balancing a Copywriting Career with an Acting Career 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

[3:05]  A copywriter’s day will look completely different from one person to another due to all of the variables, but there will still be some commonalities.

[3:33] The beginning of the day can be a good time to do admin tasks if you prefer to ease into your day, like Kate, and not have to worry about checking emails all day. For Nicki, she is more fresh and creative at this time of the day, so it’s a valuable time for her to work on trickier copywriting projects.

[5:26] Scheduling breaks throughout the day and identifying when you are at your most creative and most focused is crucial for producing quality work.

[8:22] During the times when you know you are less creative, it’s a good idea to schedule client calls or do admin tasks like checking emails or research for pitching. 

[10:04] Kate also likes to use the time when she is less creative to outline her copy doc and add some “low pressure writing” as she calls it. This is a good tactic because it means you have some momentum when you sit down the next day and are not starting from scratch.

[12:33] Nicki advises against sending through copy during wine time. As Hemmingway said, “write drunk, edit sober”!

[14:08] If you’re working on-staff, it can be more of a challenge to choose when you can do your most creative time. Try to block out your creative time and schedule meetings around this if possible–if you’re working for a creative director or a marketing director, they’ll likely understand.

[16:17] It’s important to communicate with all the people on your team, such as designers, to establish when your creative hours are. That way you can book in a suitable time to collaborate on your projects.

[21:20] For freelancers, it can be very easy to forget that you can create opportunities to collaborate as you need or want. Technology makes it so much easier to hop on a quick call with people and still build really fantastic collaborations.

[23:51]  If you’re working freelance and with clients across different time zones, remember to set the boundaries that make sense for you. You don’t have to take calls at 11 o’clock at night! 

[26:34] Nicki and Kate encourage you to do a little experimentation when it comes to when and where you do your creative work, so that you can find out what works best for you.

[29:02] Don’t forget that you can do different things on different days to keep it exciting and interesting. We didn’t get into this job to be bored!

Must-Hear Takeaways

“One of the many great things about this career is that you can kind of figure out what works for you and we would encourage you to do a little experimentation. If you know you always do your creative work in the morning, try doing it in the evening, or in the afternoon. You could discover that you’ve been trying to force yourself into the morning hours, when it turns out you are one of the people who’s just really good in the afternoon or middle of the day. But experiment to figure out what works best for you, as long as you are delivering the best quality copy that you can to your clients and are responding to them in a timely manner.” – Nicki

“I would say one of the things I wish I learned sooner was still having that idea of when my key peak hours were to then be able to better push back against meetings that are scheduled.” – Kate

“Communication, communication, communication. Ask for what you need.” – Kate

“If you’re traveling while you’re working too, then you’re going to have to shift potentially what your ‘day in the life’ looks like. Maybe you want to be out exploring all day and then work at night. And that’s perfectly doable, which is the beauty of this career: the flexibility of it and the flexibility to change what your day looks like, especially as a freelancer. – Kate

 “You can do different things on different days, just to keep it exciting and interesting, and not boring. We didn’t get into this to be bored.” Kate

Related Links

• What Does a Typical Copywriter Schedule Look Like?
• 5 Ways Super-Productive Copywriters Start Their Days

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. 149: The Worst Advice for New Freelancers (And What to Do Instead)

The post Episode 150: A Day in the Life of a Copywriter 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

[01:44] Freelancing is not just about having a skill, but also about developing a separate skill set for all of the other aspects you need to build a business.

[04:46] One of the most important parts of freelancing is having a system for finding and landing clients.

[07:02] There’s a difference between being a producer and a partner with your clients. As someone who wants to go freelance, you want to lean into being a partner to your clients.

[08:15] An important part of freelancing is learning the professionalism that’s required, especially when it comes to setting boundaries with clients.

[10:36] People often make the mistake of quitting their full-time job too soon when they are relying on just one client. Creating a planned transition into full-time freelancing can help minimize risk.

[13:00] Take time to understand your personal response to dwindling finances and whether you tend to panic or take action, so that you can plan for potential possibilities.

[16:50] Being a successful freelancer is a simple process, but the hardest part for many people is overcoming your own resistance and getting out of your comfort zone.

[19:53] Overcoming resistance as a freelancer becomes easier once you continue to take actions and are persistent in continuing to do the things that you know you need to do to become a freelancer.

[21:22] Whenever you do something new, like freelancing, it’s going to feel uncomfortable. But if you continue to commit to it, even when it’s frustrating, you can access the next level of success. 

[23:58] If you’re not finding new clients, eventually those projects are going to dry up.

[25:15] If you want to be a full-time freelancer and make a good income, it is 100% possible. But go into it with a schedule for all the activities you know you need to do to be successful.

Must-Hear Takeaways

“On a site like Upwork, you just become a producer. There’s a difference between being a producer and being a partner with your clients and for someone who wants to go freelance you want to lean into being a partner to your clients, you don’t want to be a producer who’s just handed projects and just pushes them back and frankly you can charge a lot more because you’re adding so much more value.” – Kate

“Overcoming your own resistance and getting out of your comfort zone is, I would say, the hardest part of freelancing for many, many people. And it may take you some time to get comfortable with getting outside of your comfort zone. And this is hands down the number one thing that people don’t prepare for when they say, ‘I’m going to freelance.’” – Nicki

“If you want to freelance, give it a try–but go into it with a plan. Go into it knowing all of the things that you need to do in order to be successful. Go into it with a plan for a schedule of how you’re going to do these things. What time of the day are you going to be pitching? What time of the day are you going to be working on clients?” – Nicki

“It’s a complete mindset shift of ‘just going freelance, I’m supposed to know how to do this’ but no one’s born knowing how to freelance just like no one’s born knowing how to write copy.” – Kate

“Freelance is a verb, it requires action.” Kate

Mentioned on this Episode

• Ep. 73: Bridging the Gap from Quitting a Job to Full Time Freelance

Related Links

• Amp Up Your Copywriting Productivity with Ultra Scheduling
• A Powerful Self-Inventory for Freelance Business Success
• What Are Your Copywriting Business Rules?
• Setting Boundaries as 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. 148: Copywriting Replaced This Teacher’s Income and She Works Less Hours—Jess’s Story

The post Episode 149: The Worst Advice for New Freelancers (And What to Do Instead) appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.