Raise your hand if you’ve ever thought any of the following:

• “It’s too late.”
• “I should have done that years ago.”
• “I’m too old now.”

Well, where did that idea come from? If you’ve got 5, 10, 20+ years of a career left, that’s a lot of time to spend doing something that doesn’t make you happy.

On this Build Your Copywriting Business podcast episode, CCA student Carol is bringing the wisdom: it’s never too late.

Carol had a decades-long career in pet PR and she’s sharing how she transitioned to copywriting and the lessons she’s learned along the way.

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Mentioned in the Episode

• SmartDogCopy.com
• Ep. 84 When to Break the Copywriting Niche Rule
• Ep. 130: 4 of the Highest Paying Copywriting Niches
• Should You Get a Copywriting Internship?

Related Links

• Best Backgrounds and Degrees for Getting Into Copywriting
• Ep. 120: Most Common Copywriter Backgrounds

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Time to put on your business owner hat:

• Would you pay someone to clean your house?
• What about do your grocery shopping?
• What if someone could find clients for you? Would that be worth it for you?

On this Build Your Copywriting Business podcast episode, I’m not asking you to commit to hiring someone to do any of these things.

But I’d encourage you to listen to this episode and explore the possibilities. 

If you charge your clients $75/hour and you can hire someone at $25 or even $50/hour to do a task better and faster for you, is that worth it?

It’s all math. 

And it’s worth playing around with the numbers to see what opportunities you might be overlooking.

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Mentioned in the Episode

• BONUS Laser Coaching: Lower the Pressure on Pitching
• BONUS Laser Coaching: Top Tips for Wildly Effective Pitching

Related Links

• When to Be in Client-Finding Mode
• Land Copywriting Clients With These 35 Tips
• BONUS – Laser Coaching: How Do I Find Clients for Freelancing?

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How much does a banana cost for you?

At Trader Joe’s they may be 26 cents (maybe a bit more for organic). 

At Whole Foods they may be around 70 cents.

But a banana costs relatively the same amount wherever you go, right? It’s a difference of a few cents.

Copywriting is a not a banana.

And, even if we agree on that, I don’t think you’re going to like this episode of the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast.

See, we hear all the time, “I found this pricing guide and it’s really helpful!”

But what you may not realize is those guides are actually hurting you. 

It’s presented as an easy solution to a complex problem: how much do I charge for an email? Or a homepage? Or an about page?

I hate to break it: there’s not an easy button for this.

These guides are a marketing gimmick to put $$$dollar signs$$$ in your eyes and get you to click or opt-in or buy the program.

Ready to hear me out?

Listen to today’s episode now before a pricing guide leads you down the wrong path.

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Mentioned in the Episode

• The (Surprisingly Easy) Art of Negotiation for Copywriters
• Copywriting Revision Rounds: How Many Rounds Do You Offer?
• Ep. 17: How to Set Your Copywriting Rates
• Ep. 109: The Right Way to Raise Copywriting Rates

Related Links

• Increase Your Copywriting Pricing Without Burning Bridges
• Why Most Advice About How to Price Your Services is Dead Wrong for You
• How to Price Copywriting Services: By the Minute? The Hour? The Word?

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Do you love a to-do list as much as I do?

I loooove a to-do list.

Well, mostly I love checking things off that list. 

But on this week’s Build Your Copywriting Business podcast episode, Kate and I dug into how we’ve been rethinking the to-do list so we don’t fall into what Kate is calling the “to-do list trap.”

If you ever put things on your list and:

• Feel guilty for every day that an item sits on your list—and you don’t complete it
• Feel like you have to check off every item on your list because they’re there
• Or feel like your list is never-ending (because it literally will never end!)

Then you’ll come away with new ways to look at your to-do lists so you get all the benefits of a list without the burden. 

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Mentioned in the Episode

• Ep. 154: How Freelancers Can Masterfully Juggle Multiple Projects – with Kaitlyn Spinney
• Episode BONUS: AI & Copywriting: Using AI to Your Advantage to Wow Clients and Land High-Paying Work
• Ep. 241: ChatGPT: Friend or Foe? – with Amber Smith

Related Links

• 4 Tools to Stay On Top of Your To-Do List
• Ep. 154: How Freelancers Can Masterfully Juggle Multiple Projects – with Kaitlyn Spinney

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Get Free Copywriting Training here 

Like many Comprehensive Copywriting Academy students, Caleb was a burnt out teacher looking for a different career.

On this Build Your Copywriting Business podcast episode, he’s generously sharing how he made that transition, including how he’s learned to use his ADHD as a strength.

Several people in the community have asked about working as a copywriter with ADHD and, whether or not you are managing it yourself, Caleb’s tips are wildly helpful.

As he says, he can’t just rely on “feeling” like working, but has to set up his environment so that getting started is the easiest thing to do.

And when he’s working, Caleb uses the “sprint” method to avoid the mid-day fog.

Listen to hear him explain these tactics—and others (and let us know if you try any!!).

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Mentioned in the Episode

• Caleb’s LinkedIn
• How to Put Together a Copywriting Portfolio (Even With No Experience)
• Ep. 37: Improve Your Copywriting Productivity and Professionalism
• Ep. 237: AI is Going to Take My Job!!! … But Is It

Related Links

• Finding Your Copywriting Flow State
• BONUS Laser Coaching: Tips for Neurodivergent Copywriters
• Ep. 256: From Teaching to Copywriting While Facing Life’s Biggest Tests – Joanna’s Story

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If you’re in the Comprehensive Copywriting Academy, you know this community is packed with talented, creative, smart, generous humans.

One of those humans is Shelby Stockton.

Shelby is a comic, copywriter, and co-host of Herstory, a podcast spotlighting the stories of badas* women throughout history.

So, this week’s Build Your Copywriting Business podcast episode is actually a special crossover episode from Herstory.

Shelby kindly invited Kate and me to talk about how we each got started in copywriting, how I built the CCA, and the realities of freelancing.

We also get into book recommendations, behind-the-scenes stories, and more.

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Mentioned in the Episode

• Herstory Spotify Podcast
• Helping Copywriters Start and Scale Wildly Successful Careers
• The Fastest Way to Grow Your Copywriting Business

Related Links

• If I Make So Much Money Writing Copy, Why Am I Teaching Copywriting?
• Get Your Copy of “Copywriting Strategies” by Our Own Nicki Krawczyk
• Ep. 8: Meet Nicki Krawcyzk, Founder of Filthy Rich Writer
• Ep. 4: Meet Our Head Copy Coach, Kate
• Episode 251: Lessons from Nicki’s New Freelance Client
• Episode 258: From Scarcity to Strategy: An Honest Update on My Money Mindset

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Our feelings on niching have never wavered: niching unnecessarily limits your opportunities, especially when you’re first starting out.

But what if you have an entire career in an industry?

You can—and should—absolutely use that experience to your advantage. 

CCA student and former healthcare worker Molly is sharing how she did exactly that on this week’s Build Your Copywriting Business podcast episode.

Molly didn’t focus her entire portfolio on healthcare copywriting.

Instead, she focused her outreach on the healthcare industry—and turned that into a six figure freelance career.

So, why’d she decide to take a full-time job? Listen to hear Molly explain …

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Mentioned in the Episode

• Molly’s LinkedIn
• The Real Math on Job Bidding Site “Success”
• Ep. 84: When to Break the Copywriting Niche Rule

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Ever wonder what makes a banner ad actually work? 

As in: what separates a scroll-past banner ad from a stop-and-click banner ad?

While Kate and I don’t have the data from these ads, we do have some thoughts on 8 different banner ads. 

Some of these banner ads are single frames. Some are dynamic (meaning, they switch frames every few seconds).

Some have solid messaging.

Some…not so much.

While this is a very visual episode and I recommend watching on YouTube, Kate and I do read the copy out loud so you can listen, too (we know at least a couple of you listen in the school pick-up line; we’ve got you!!).

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Mentioned in the Episode

• What’s a Creative Brief? A Guide to a Copywriter’s Essential Document
• How Copywriting Projects Actually Come Together
• How To Come Up With Wildly Effective Copywriting Concepts
• Ep. 21: How Copywriters and Designers Work Together with Yoav Broum

Related Links

• The Biggest Banner Ad Writing Mistakes

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Get Free Copywriting Training here 

Talking on the phone feels a little old school, don’t you think? ☎️

But guess what?

It’s still how a lot of business gets done.

And one phone call completely changed the trajectory of Victoria’s career.

Victoria went to school for business and launched her business as a VA in 2021. Her clients? They wanted marketing and copywriting support, too.

As she started building her skills, she realized there was so much more she could be offering—and charging.

She’s sharing how she went from VA to sending a $120,000 proposal for copywriting work

She also came to the podcast PREPARED.

Victoria is giving her top five tips for copywriters—and these are tips that are valuable whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been in the game for years.

I can’t wait for you to hear what she wrote on a sticky note and posted on her laptop!

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Mentioned in the Episode

• Victoria Website
• BONUS Laser Coaching: Top Tips for Wildly Effective Pitching
• How to Draw Copywriting Work Opportunities to You

Related Links

• BONUS Laser Coaching: Breaking the Feast or Famine Cycle, Nailing a Discovery Call, and Getting Replies on Pitches
• Ep. 203: Secrets to Smooth Copywriting Client Relations

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OK first things first so we’re on the same page:

A Discovery Call is one of the most important calls you have as a copywriter.

This is where you and a client get on a 15 or so minute call and determine if you want to move forward together on a project.

But what does that look like? And how do you move forward with the project?

In this podcast episode, I’m sharing exactly what I’d say on a discovery call.

Well, if we’re getting technical, Kate is sharing exactly what she’d say on a Discovery Call. As you’ll hear, I’m playing the role of client and Kate is playing the role of copywriter as we discuss a potential project.

Listen in so you know exactly what types of questions to expect from clients and how you can (gently!) steer the conversation in way that makes you look like the pro that you are.

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Mentioned in the Episode

• Ep. 224: Why You Should (Almost) Never Quote Copywriting Prices on a Call
• Laser Copy Coaching: Getting Information From Clients, When to Price Your Services, and Boosting Confidence

Related Links

• BONUS Laser Coaching: Breaking the Feast or Famine Cycle, Nailing a Discovery Call, and Getting Replies on Pitches
• Ep. 45: How to Calm Your Nerves for Meetings with Copywriting Clients
• How To Mess Up a Call With a Prospective Client

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Get Free Copywriting Training here