So you want to be a copywriter with Bernadette Schwerdt

One of the biggest challenges facing copywriters is how to increase their income without increasing their workload. There are only so many hours in the day, and if your income is tied to client projects and an hourly rate, sooner or later, you'll hit the ceiling of what you can earn per day.

So what's the alternative?

In this solo episode, Bernadette shares some of the most valuable lessons she uncovered while interviewing more than 40 of Australia's most successful online entrepreneurs for her latest book, Secrets of the New Online Entrepreneurs.

A fascinating pattern emerged from those interviews. The founders who built the most successful businesses didn't necessarily start with a product. They started with an audience.

From Tesla's famous pre-orders for the Model 3 to MasterChef favourite Kirsten Tibballs building a global chocolate empire from a weekend workshop, Bernadette explores how entrepreneurs are validating ideas, building communities and creating products people actually want to buy.

You'll also hear the inspiring stories of actress Adele Samus, who built her own audience long before landing major acting opportunities, and cat rescuer Jenny Fisher, whose passion project attracted tens of thousands of followers and a host of unexpected commercial opportunities.

At first glance, chocolate makers, actors and cat rescuers might seem to have very little in common with copywriters. But scratch the surface, and they're all doing the same thing: building an audience around an idea, a skill or a passion before trying to monetise it. For copywriters looking to create courses, write books, launch memberships or build personal brands, the lesson is clear. Stop making, start validating. The audience comes first, and the products come second.

Most importantly, you'll discover why copywriters are uniquely positioned to benefit from this approach and how your content, expertise and ideas can be transformed into assets that generate income beyond client work.

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This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au

Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Would you like to be paid to tell other people's stories? 

Would you like to learn the systems and processes behind ghostwriting someone else's book? 

Would you like to help business owners, founders and thought leaders share their wisdom, build their personal brands, and leave a lasting legacy?

In short, would you like to become a ghostwriter?

If so, you're going to love this episode of So You Want to be a Copywriter because this time, we're doing things a little differently.

We're flipping the script.

Usually, I'm the one asking the questions. But today, Valerie Khoo, founder of the Australian Writers' Centre, takes over the interviewer's chair to ask me about my latest book, Secrets of the New Online Entrepreneurs, and the unexpected journey that led me from copywriter to ghostwriter.

Together, we explore what it really takes to write a business book and why copywriters are uniquely positioned to become exceptional ghostwriters.

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This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au

Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’ve ever wondered why your email marketing isn’t converting, or why “join our newsletter” doesn’t inspire anyone to join your newsletter, this episode will change how you think about email completely.

Today, I’m joined by Australian copywriter and ghostwriter Katia Spies, who’s built a highly profitable niche by creating a sequence known as Educational Email Courses. These are not your typical lead magnets. They’re structured, strategic, and designed to turn cold subscribers into qualified buyers.

Katia shares how she’s evolved from traditional copywriting into a more personalised, results-driven approach that blends strategy, storytelling, and email automation; why ghost-writing is having a moment, and how businesses can replace tired lead magnets with something far more engaging and effective.

What we cover:

• The difference between copywriting and ghost-writing (and why it matters more than ever). 
• Why personal brands are outperforming traditional brand messaging. 
• What an Educational Email Course is and how it works. 
• Why “join our newsletter” is no longer enough. 
• How a 5-day email course builds trust and warms leads before the ‘sell’. 
• Real examples of EECs in action, including high-ticket services. 
• The structure of a high-converting email course (and what to include each day). 
• Ideal email length, format, and delivery timing.
• Where to promote your email course for maximum sign-ups. 
• Why segmentation is the secret to better email performance. 
• How to clean your email list (and why it actually improves results). 
• The truth about ‘email is dead’ and what’s really happening instead. 
• Katia’s take on SEO and what still works. 
• How AI is changing copywriting and why human editing still wins. 
• Smart ways to use AI as a copywriter without losing your voice.

Read the show notes

This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au

Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you want to learn how to build a successful business, it pays to speak to someone who has seen hundreds of businesses fail.

James Stewart is an insolvency expert. Wait, don’t leave! He’s actually very interesting, and I’ve invited him on specifically for a few reasons.

Firstly, if you want to learn how to succeed in business, you need to know how and why businesses fail.

Secondly, James was a senior partner at KPMG, and they are in the business of selling their services for millions and millions of dollars. I wanted to know how they and he did that. Because at its core, copywriting is no different. It’s a service, and whether it’s a $500 blog or a $500,000 website, learning how to sell your services without selling yourself is a skill everyone needs to learn.

James Stewart has spent 40 years helping companies navigate their toughest moments. From major retail collapses to high-stakes turnarounds, James has seen exactly what works… and what doesn’t.

And the surprising part?

The lessons aren’t just for big corporates. They apply just as much to freelancers, creatives, and small business owners trying to grow something meaningful.

This conversation dives into the secrets of success from some of Australia's top corporate leaders: how to sell without selling, how to become more likeable so people want to do business with you, and how to cope with rejection and stay strong.

You’ll also learn how to:

• Play to your strengths and overcome your limitations 
• Simplify and package up your offering so it’s easier for clients to understand and buy 
• Solve a customer’s problem before you start selling your service   
• Leverage the secrets of success from some of Australia’s top founders
• Set up your own self-employed business (from someone who’s just done it)

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This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au

Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if success isn’t about scaling up… but about scaling back?

In this episode, Sara Howard shares the real story behind closing her writing agency of 18 years and returning to solo work, on purpose. We discuss what’s happening in the industry right now, why there’s more copywriting work than ever before, why this is the year of the freelancer, and how writers can stay relevant (and in demand) in an AI-dominant world. Sara also reveals her lead generation hack that any copywriter, be it a novice or an old timer, can use to source new clients.

What we cover in this episode:

• Why Sara chose to close a successful agency and go back to solo work.
• The rise of freelancers and why big agency models are struggling right now.
• What “slow, intentional growth” actually looks like in practice.
• The biggest mistake freelancers make with lead generation (and how to fix it).
• A simple 3-part system to create consistent leads and cash flow.
• Why referrals alone are risky and what to do instead.
• The most underrated way to win high-value clients (hint: it’s offline).
• How one conversation at an event turned into $1M+ in business.
• What to post on LinkedIn to stay visible without burning out.
• How to follow up with clients in a way that feels natural, not pushy.
• Where AI is actually impacting writing (and where it’s not).
• Why storytelling is becoming the most valuable skill in business.
• How writers can shift from “content creators” to strategic partners.
• Smart ways to use AI without losing your voice.

Read the show notes

This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au

Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’ve ever thought about starting a podcast but wondered, “What would I even say?”, this episode is for you. Anthony Perl has spent 35 years mastering the art of communication. From building one of 2UE’s highest-rated midnight-to-dawn radio shows to founding Podcasts Done For You, Anthony now helps business owners turn their expertise into influence.

In this podcast, we unpack what most people get wrong about podcasting and how to use it strategically to promote your copywriting business, build authority, attract clients, and move from “best kept secret” to go-to expert. If you want to position yourself as the copywriter of choice, charge higher fees and work with higher quality clients, a podcast can do that heavy lifting for you.

We explore the difference between being a host and being an expert, why most business podcasts fail before episode 20, and how to use your podcast as a long-term brand-building asset (not a hobby that fizzles out). If you want to share your copywriting wisdom with the world, build a following, become the voice of authority in your sector, and build industry credibility that compounds over time, podcasting is one of the smartest strategic moves you can make.

It’s about becoming known before you’re needed – so when a business owner says, “We need a copywriter,” you are the first person they turn to.

What we cover:

• Why most business podcasts fail (and how to avoid becoming part of the 75%).
• The difference between being a podcast host and positioning yourself as the expert.
• How podcasting builds authority for your copywriting business and pre-frames your value before you quote your fees.
• How a podcast helps attract higher-paying clients who already understand your value and trust your expertise.
• Turn your client success stories into podcasting content that promotes you and your service
• How to extract your unique stories and insights (even if you think you don’t have any yet).
• Why over-preparing questions can ruin a podcast conversation.
• How to use a podcast to generate referrals without ‘selling’.
• Smart ways to promote your podcast beyond just publishing it.
• Using your podcast to deepen relationships with existing clients.
• How podcasting creates speaking, partnership and unexpected growth opportunities.
• Why fortnightly beats monthly and what episode length really works.
• The long-term strategy behind becoming iconic in your niche.

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This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au

Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Janine Allis isn’t a copywriter, but if you run a copywriting business, or any kind of business, this conversation will resonate.

In this episode, Janine talks candidly about what underpins long-term entrepreneurial success: doing the right thing by the business, keeping out the wrong people, learning the hard things you don’t want to do, building a culture and asking the questions others are too afraid to ask.

This conversation digs into the realities most founders don’t talk about:

• the loneliness of leadership 
• separating friendship from business
• making tough calls when you’ve hired the wrong person
• raising your public profile
• being taken advantage of and turning adversity into advantage
• why not everyone is cut out to run their own business   
• why the person you marry will be the most important partner you’ll ever have
• how to move past ‘feelings’, and focus on responsibility
• the benefits of having a high profile and how to build a personal brand.

For copywriters and content creators building a new business or growing an established business, this episode is for you.

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This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au

Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Justin Kabbani is an AI strategist, educator, former agency leader and one of the smartest voices in Australia when it comes to making AI useful.

In this conversation, we dive into the real-world side of AI: the failures, the breakthroughs and the new techniques to make using it so much simpler.

We explore how to use AI to write better content, get found on ChatGPT, create better prompts and build agent-based systems that automate the jobs you don’t want to do.

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This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au

Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Lucy Durack, star of Wicked and Legally Blonde, and Elise McCann, star of Mamma Mia and Matilda, talk about how Hey Lemonade grew from two friends swapping pep talks into a motivational app featuring scripts written by some of Australia’s greatest creatives.

This episode provides the inside story of how this app got built, funded, written and brought to life by two of Australia’s favourite actresses, each stepping out of their comfort zone to become tech entrepreneurs.

We cover:

• How a moment during COVID sparked the original idea for Hey Lemonade.
• The writing room process for creating the scripts.
• Why writing, not technology, sits at the heart of the app.
• How they found and briefed Australia’s top creatives to write the pep talks.
• The challenges of writing for an app.
• The role of humour, empathy, and clarity in mental health writing.
• Navigating funding, partnerships, and growth whilst retaining the purpose and friendship that underpinned it.

If you’re interested in writing purpose-driven content and building a tech product from scratch, this episode is for you.

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This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au

Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nat Kringoudis is a one-woman media magnate, and her topic is women’s health and wellness.

She’s got a podcast, a masterclass, a clinic, an online shop, a series of bestselling books, a popular blog, a slew of brand deals, and she helps thousands of women feel better about themselves.

It’s a winning formula that has seen her win a stack of awards and become an influencer with real impact.

Today I talk to Nat about how she built her content empire – the successes, the failures, the online love, the online hate, the court case, the stress and how she navigates it all and turns up smiling every day.

For content creators, we also do a deep dive into the exact formulas, content plans and cadences she uses to manage her content empire.

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This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au

Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.