Copywriter and expert researcher, Hannah Shamji, joins us in the ultra-plush Copywriter Club studio for our 154th episode. Hannah has been making a name for her self doing research for Copyhackers Agency and we wanted to learn more about how she does it. We asked Hannah about:

•  how she went from boring public policy to copywriter and research specialist

•  The catalyst  for making her career change

•  how her previous experience helped her make the jump more quickly

•  the first steps she took as a new copywriter (and started looking for clients)

•  what it feels like to find clients when you don’t know everything yet

•  Hannah’s research process… goals, questions, hypothesis

•  how to define the goals for research so you know what’s most important

•  the kinds of data she looks for as she does her research

•  the one thing she always does when asking questions

•  two things you can do immediately that will help you do research better

•  the mistakes most copywriters make when conducting research

•  the bad questions you probably shouldn’t ask

•  how to get clients excited about research

•  what you don’t know (that you should know) about interviews

Want to improve your research chops. Then add this one to your favorite podcast app. Or click the play button below. If you prefer reading, scroll down for a full transcript.

 

The people and stuff we mentioned on the show:

The copywriter therapist post

Hannah’s website

Kira’s website

Rob’s website

The Copywriter Club Facebook Group

The Copywriter Underground

Intro: Content (for now)

Outro: Gravity

 

Full Transcript:

Kira:   What if you could hang out with seriously talented copywriters and other experts, ask them about their successes and failures, their work processes and their habits, then steal an idea or two to inspire your own work? That's what Rob and I do every week at The Copywriter Club Podcast.

Rob:   You're invited to join the club for episode 154 as we chat with conversion copywriter Hannah Shamji about how she became a copywriter, the best way to get good voice of customer data, how to conduct a great interview, her role at Copy Hackers, and how psychology makes her a better copywriter.

Kira:   Hey, Hannah. Welcome.

Rob:   Hey, Hannah.

Hannah:        Thank you. Hey, guys.

Kira:   All right, Hannah. This conversation has been a long time coming. We've had to reschedule a couple times, but we're really excited to chat with you and really dig into some of your processes around research and experiences. But before we do that, let's kick it off with your story, how did you become a copywriter and researcher?

Hannah:        Yeah, for sure. Well, I'm super excited to be here thanks for having me on. My story is kind of meandering as I feel a lot of folks are. I have a bachelor's in psychology, a master's in public health and jumped into public health policy and research. So pretty heavy in the academic side of research, and kind of government policy development, pretty boring words to most folks, myself included.

And I think it was about like five-ish years ago that I... Maybe four years ago, and I just kind of pump the brakes, looked up the clock. It was 10:08, I remember the time exactly and decided I was just going to quit. So I handed in my resignation the next day and had zero idea of what I was going to do, and I didn't even really think about clearly planning that before. So it was a few hops before I found copywriting. I had my own jewelry business, I did affiliate marketing, a t-shirt business, and kind of just hopped around.

And I started a counseling training program which was a three year program. I just graduated from that last year. And it was on that path that I've always liked writing, enjoyed writing, and came across one of Copy Hackers' blogs. I think it's written by Sam Woods, and it's talking about the theory of copywriters towards therapists, and that blend which was exactly the line I wa...

Conversion content writer, Doug Paton, is the guest for the 153rd episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. We've known Doug since the beginning days of The Copywriter Club, so it's about time we had him on the show to talk about his approach to content writing. We asked Doug all about:

•  his favorite place to fly fish (in British Columbia)

•  how “not wanting to talk to people” led to his career choices

•  why he chose content as his focus as a copywriter

•  his stint writing books for kids—and how he landed it

•  how he applies his experience writing for kids to his work today

•  his process for writing content and how he grabs attention

•  how he pitches new clients on content projects

•  what he done to build his network and the result on his work load

•  what Doug would do if he had to start all over

•  his definition of “conversion content” and how its different from other content

•  what he’s done to land amazing clients like National Geographic

•  what he still struggles with in spite of his recent success

•  how he balances work with being a dad and the other demands on his time

•  what’s next in his business and what the future holds for copywriting

To hear what Doug had to share, click the play button below, or scroll down for a full transcript. You can also subscribe and download this episode to your favorite podcast player (recommended). Don't miss this one.

 

The people and stuff we mentioned on the show:

Justin Blackman

Shanelle Mullins

Jessica Mehring

Kira’s website

Rob’s website

The Copywriter Club Facebook Group

The Copywriter Underground

Intro: Content (for now)

Outro: Gravity

 

Full Transcript:

Transcript delayed but on its way soon...

Continuing what’s been a bit of a theme on the show lately, we invited copywriter Mai-kee Tsang to talk about how to pitch podcasts for the 152nd episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. Mai-kee recently set a goal to pitch 101 podcasts in 30 days, and she joined Kira and Rob to talk about how she did it, what she learned, and the impact the project had on her business. During our discussion, we asked her:

•  how Mai-kee finally listened to her heart and became a copywriter

•  how she applies ideas from psychology and coaching to her copy

•  overcoming fears and how she overcame her fear of acceptance

•  developing a habit of trying things regardless of the expected result

•  the importance of sales—and why copywriters can’t afford not to sell

•  what she did to find her first clients

•  how she announced her copywriting business to the world

•  why hiding until you’re ready is the wrong approach to launching

•  why she took on a “101 podcast pitches” project

•  the biggest lessons she learned while pitching podcasts

•  the terrible first pitch she sent and what she learned

•  the elements of a successful pitch and how Mai-kee personalized each pitch

•  how she finds elements to personalize her pitches

•  the group program she launching to help others get on more podcasts

•  overcoming the idea that you don’t have something to share

•  the impact podcasts have had on Mai-kee’s own business

If you’ve ever listened to a podcast and though you could do better than the person you heard on the show, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. Combine it with our interview two weeks ago with Brigitte Lyons for best results. Click the play button below, or scroll down for a full transcript. Or download the episode to your favorite podcast app and listen wherever you are.

 

The people and stuff we mentioned on the show:

The Copywriter Think Tank

The Podcast Pitching Masterclass

Mai-kee’s Website

Kira’s website

Rob’s website

The Copywriter Club Facebook Group

The Copywriter Underground

Intro: Content (for now)

Outro: Gravity

 

Full Transcript:

Transcript to come...

Marketing strategist and event planner, Patsy Kenney, is our guest for the 151st episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. Patsy is wrapping up a couple of transitions in her business, including combining her event planning business into an agency with two of her best friends. We asked Patsy about all the changes in her life and...

•  how Patsy became a brand and event specialist

•  all the things someone needs to know to be an event planner

•  how to think about the purpose of your event to magnify your ripple effect

•  Patsy’s 4P process for event planning

•  the power of being intentional about everything at an event

•  how to foster more connection at an event (what we try to do at TCCIRL)

•  the part that branding and marketing play in your event

•  when copywriters should consider holding their own events

•  why retreats and personal gatherings are such a great opportunity

•  the mistakes she’s seen others make with their events

•  why she decided to fold her business into an agency with friends

•  navigating business and growing when life throws you a setback

•  what comes next for Patsy and her business(es)

To hear the brilliant things Patsy shared about events and dealing with change, click the play button below, or download this episode to your favorite podcast app. Or scroll down for a full transcript.

 

The people and stuff we mentioned on the show:

Nikki Groom

The Good Life Project

Seth Godin

Vidyard

AndCelebrate.com

TheBrandingEdit.com

Patsy's Instagram

Kira’s website

Rob’s website

The Copywriter Club Facebook Group

The Copywriter Underground

 

Full Transcript:

Rob:   What if you could hang out with seriously talented copywriters and other experts, ask them about their successes and failures, their work processes, and their habits, then steal an idea or two to inspire your own work? That's what Kira and I do every week at The Copywriter Club Podcast.

Kira:   You're invited to join the club for episode 151 as we chat with branding and events strategist, Patsy Kenney, about celebrating something every day, what it's like to start an agency with your best friends, how to know if you should have your own event, and what it takes to make an event successful.

Welcome, Patsy.

Rob:   Hey, Patsy.

Patsy:            Hey, thank you both so much for having me. I'm really excited about this conversation.

Kira:   Yes, we are excited, and we met ... I was trying to trace it back, but we met via Nikki Groom, who is also on our show, and we met at the Good Life Project, which is such a nice place to meet you.

Patsy:            We did. It was a lovely space, and I just adore that community because it is full of amazing people like yourself who are looking to really get the most out of this human experience that we're a part of.

Kira:   All right, so, Patsy, let's kick us off with your story. I know you've gone through a lot of changes in your business and your life. Let's just start with how you ended up becoming a brand and event strategist.

Patsy:            Awesome. Yeah, so my path has not been a linear one by any means. When I first graduated from high school, I grew up in a small town in Maine, and I knew I wanted to leave the state, at least for those four years of college. I found myself in Rhode Island. When I first started that college pathway, I really didn't know what I wanted to focus on, and I didn't really have a great sense of self.

I knew that I loved learning about people, and I was a decent writer. Those two things as my filter, I eventually found myself pursuing a public relations degree, and quickly, after graduation, found myself in a corporate setting in a marketing department for very well-known brands, but in an industry and space that wasn't exactly what I would call interesting to me. While it was a great foundational place for me to land in terms of learning about how a business works and what it's like to be out in this sort of corporat...

For the 150th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast, we asked public relations and podcast expert, Brigitte Lyons, to talk about the best ways to build authority. Brigitte has presented to our Think Tank and The Underground, but we felt like what she has to share is too good to keep secret. In this interview, we asked her about:

•  her early experiences as a PR specialist

•  how she shifted her business from PR to specializing in Podcasts

•  why podcasting is a powerful medium for building authority (and finding clients)

•  how to get started pitching podcasts—what to think about before you pitch

•  her advice to beginners and those who have “nothing” to say

•  the elements of your podcast pitch—what you need to include

•  what not to do when you pitch (the bad pitches she’s seen)

•  what to do after the podcast goes live to maximize the impact

•  how to make the interview successful—how to prep

•  why you need a clear call to action to direct people to your website

If you've thought of using podcasts to build your authority as a copywriter, you'll want to listen to this episode. To do that, just click the play button below or subscribe with your favorite podcast app. Readers can scroll down for a full transcript.

 

The people and stuff we mentioned on the show:

Creative Live

Entrepreneur on Fire

Lacy Boggs

Zencastr

Sims

CatQuest

Brigitte’s website

Kira’s website

Rob’s website

The Copywriter Club Facebook Group

The Copywriter Underground

 

Full Transcript:

Kira:   What if you could hang out with seriously talented copywriters and other experts, ask them about their successes and failures, their work processes and their habits? Then steal an idea or two to inspire your own work. That's what Rob and I do every week at The Copywriter Club Podcast.

Rob:   You're invited to join the club for episode 150 as we chat with media strategist and podcast expert Brigitte Lyons about building a reputation, tactics copywriters can use to build authority and recognition, what to include in your podcast pitch so the host will say yes and a few details about her new business Podcast Ally.

Kira:   Welcome Brigitte.

Brigitte:         Hi. Thank you so much. Episode 150. I heard you saying in the intro. I feel like that's a milestone episode.

Kira:   This is a big deal episode. Yes.

Rob:   Definitely a big deal episode. And I probably just said the business name wrong too, it's Ally, right? Not Alley.

Brigitte:         Yeah, it's Ally. The naming of the business, that mistake right there was actually my biggest kind of fear. And there's another company that has a pop-up ally and for years I thought it was Ali, so I'm like, it'll just, it'll be what it is.

Rob:   Yeah. My apologies. Everybody check out Podcast Alli and yeah and learn more.

Kira:   So we are so excited to have you here, Brigitte, because you have been in our community, you've already run a couple of workshops for our mastermind group and for our membership. And every time you run a workshop you teach, there's so much you bring to the table and you teach us about podcasting and PR. So we knew we had to bring you on the podcast and I'm personally working with you too. So I'm clearly a big fan. So let's just kick this off with your story. How did you end up in PR?

Brigitte:         Yeah, well I got into PR really early in my career. When I was in college, I was a creative writing major and of course, like all creative writing majors, I thought I'm going to leave school. I want to do something really creative. I want to write. Of course, I want to write the great American novel, which I haven't done, but there's still time. And I stumbled into PR by accident, while I was still in school, I did an internship for actually a local sheriff's department. It's this crazy story where the sheriff ended up in the hospital. My mom was an ER nurse and they got to talking and she's like, ‘Hey,

This episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast, is all about The Copywriter Accelerator—the 16-week program designed to help "newish" copywriters build the foundations of a healthy business. Kira and Rob talk about what it includes and who it's for in this short, informational episode. The Copywriter Accelerator opens up for new members on August 27 and launches for good the first week of September.

 

The people and stuff we mentioned on the show:

The Copywriter Accelerator

Kira’s website

Rob’s website

The Copywriter Club Facebook Group

The Copywriter Underground

Intro: Content (for now)

Outro: Gravity

 

Full Transcript:

Since this is just a short discussion of The Copywriter Accelerator, there is no transcript for this episode.

Copywriter Lindsay Hotmire is our guest for the 149th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. We’ve gotten to know Lindsay over the past six months as she’s made some big changes to her business—including dialing in her niche and reaching out to a new kind of client. She told us all about the process she has followed as she’s made these changes (funny enough it’s the same process she walks her clients through). We asked Lindsay a bunch of stuff including:

•  how Lindsay went from high school English teacher to anti-hog activist to copywriter

•  how she found her first few clients so she could quit her full-time gig

•  the resources she used to gain traction and reach six figures

•  the “unbranding” transition she’s been going through over the last few months

•  why she applied her three-part client framework to her own business

•  her interest in phenomenology and how that affects her work

•  how developing a framework has changed the way so works with clients

•  the 5 steps of her framework and the questions she asks

•  why pivots are good for your business and why you should trust the journey

•  what she’s done to show up more for her audience—and where she does it

•  what to do if you don’t have anything interesting to share

•  the changes she’s making as she moves her business forward

•  how she gets so much done as a busy mom of four teens

•  what she would do differently if she had to start over

Lindsay offers a calm, collected look at what it means to be a six-figure copywriter—including the struggles and successes. To hear this episode, click the play button below or subscribe and download it to your favorite podcast app. Rather read? Scroll down for a full transcript.

 

The people and stuff we mentioned on the show:

Start with Why by Simon Sinek

Researching The Lived Experience by Max Van Manan

To Kill a Mockingbird

Lindsay’s website

Kira’s website

Rob’s website

The Copywriter Club Facebook Group

The Copywriter Underground

 

Full Transcript:

Rob:   What if you could hang out with seriously talented copywriters and other experts, ask them about their successes and failures, their work processes, and their habits, then steal an idea or two to inspire your own work? That's what Kira and I do every week at The Copywriter Club Podcast

Kira:   You're invited to join the club for episode 149 as we chat with copywriter, Lindsay Hotmire about her framework that helps clients understand how she helps them brand their businesses, her interest in phenomenology, and how that impacts her business, changing niches and focusing on the clients she loves, and the number one thing that's helped her push her business forward.

Welcome, Lindsay.

Lindsay:        Hey, I'm so excited to be here.

Kira:   I know. We're excited too, and we're really grateful that we've been able to get to know you better through the Think Tank, and just chatting with you recently about all the changes you've made in your business and some of the frameworks you're developing. We've got to talk to you about this, and of course, hit record as we're chatting through some of this. Why don't we start with your story? How did you end up as a copywriter?

Lindsay:        Yes, so my story. I always tell people I hate telling my own story. I like to collect people's stories better, but my story really starts, I guess professionally back in 1999. I graduated from college. That was a time where I guess the internet existed, but fairly.

Napster was still a thing. Facebook and LinkedIn, they didn't even exist, and so I knew I loved to write, but I graduated from college with an education degree. I was going to teach high school English. I thought that that's what I wanted to do because I understood even then the power of language to kind of change lives, and I thought, ‘What better place to do that than in a classroom.’ I realized pretty quickly that that wasn't really the place for me. I just ...

Author, copywriter and member retention specialist, Robert Skrob, is our guest n the 148th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. We recently invited Robert to present his unique business model to the members of The Copywriter Think Tank and wanted to share his unique approach to marketing his business with everyone who listens to the podcast. We asked Robert about:

•  how he went from working as a book keeper to writing copy for subscription businesses and the advantages his accounting background give him

•  how copywriters make our business more complex than it needs to be

•  why your marketing should be all about the problem you solve

•  Robert’s advice to copywriters choosing a niche

•  how he promotes his business today

•  the unique approach he used to attract his first big clients (this is worth stealing)

•  how he uses his book to attract and qualify clients today

•  the kinds of clients copywriters should be trying to attract (sail fish, not brim)

•  how Robert pitches long-term projects to his clients

•  the mindset issues that keep us from getting the paychecks we want

•  what he learned from Dan Kennedy and Bill Glazier

•  the ideas you can safely ignore when it comes to “the next new thing”

•  positioning yourself as the wizard with the knowledge

•  why there is no future in copywriting and what you need to be instead

Here we go again, saying this is a great interview. But if you want to attract multiple, high-paying clients to your business,  you could do a lot worse than follow the blue print that Robert lays out in this episode. To hear it, click the play button below, or subscribe with your favorite podcast app. Or scroll down for a full transcript.

 

The people and stuff we mentioned on the show:

The Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy

David Deutsch

Parris Lampropoulos

Retention Point by Robert Skrob

Bill Glazier

Perry Marshall

Adam Witty

Travis Miller

The Bonanza King 

Robert’s website

Kira’s website

Rob’s website

The Copywriter Club Facebook Group

The Copywriter Underground

Intro: Content (for now)

Outro: Gravity

 

Full Transcript:

Kira:   What if you could hang out with seriously talented copywriters and other experts, ask them about their successes and failures, their work processes, and their habits? Then, steal an idea or two to inspire your own work. That's what Rob and I do every week at The Copywriter Club Podcast.

Rob:   You're invited to join the club for Episode 148 as we chat with author and copywriter, Robert Skrob, about adopting a unique copywriting niche and positioning himself as the industry expert in memberships and subscriptions, the sales formula to outline his recent book, Retention Point, why people join memberships and why they leave, and what it's like to write a book with Dan Kennedy.

Hey Robert.

Robert:          It's my honor to be here. It took, I guess I'm 148 on the list of the most interesting copywriters to talk to.

Rob:   You're way above that. But, we just haven't been able to get with you. You're so busy.

Kira:   That's true.

Rob:   With a such a great business. It's amazing to have you here though. Thank you so much for being here.

Robert:          I'm honored. I don't hang out at copywriting events or speak at those things, but I certainly see copywriters struggle and become very frustrated. So hopefully, we can share some ideas that can help simplify this whole business for everybody.

Kira:   Sounds great. Well, let's start with your story first. How did you end up as a copywriter?

Robert:          Actually, back in 1993, I was an accountant at a public accounting firm and hated it. I was there three months and left, took a job as a bookkeeper for a company that did consulting with non-profit associations, and I ended up buying that company about five years later.

So, I had 20 associations that I was responsible for doing membership marketing, event marketing, sponsorship sales,

Copywriter Adam Bensman is our guest for the 147th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. We've gotten to know Adam over the past few months and are very impressed with the business he's built. While so many copywriters struggle to find decent paying clients, Adam has built a great business working with a few, high-paying clients—and still has plenty of time at the end of the day for recreation and fun. We asked Adam about:

•  how he went from door to door sales to copywriter (with a few stops in between)

•  how he compensates for the “missing advantages” of face to face sales when you’re writing email (or sales pages)

•  why you need to couple empathy with pain when you “agitate the pain”

•  how to join the conversation in your prospect’s head

•  the template he uses when he sits down to write for clients

•  establishing boundaries and how it can change your business

•  how Adam defines his niche (it’s not the regular way)

•  the connection secret he used to find clients that fit in his niche

•  the value he creates for his clients (and how he presents it)

•  pricing… what Adam used to do and what he does today

•  what a typical project looks like (and what Adam does to complete it)

•  success fees and how it makes it work for his clients

•  how to think bigger about your business

We say this a lot, but this is a good one.  To hear everything Adam has to share, click the play button below or download this episode to your favorite podcast player. Rather read? Scroll down for a full transcript.

 

The people and stuff we mentioned on the show:

Joseph Sugarman

Sales Email Formula

Adam’s website

Kira’s website

Rob’s website

The Copywriter Club Facebook Group

The Copywriter Underground

Intro: Content (for now)

Outro: Gravity

 

Full Transcript:

Rob:   What if you could hang out with seriously talented copywriters and other experts, ask them about their successes and failures, their work processes, and their habits, then steal an idea or two to inspire your own work? That's what Kira and I do every week at The Copywriter Club Podcast.

Kira:   You're invited to join the club for episode 147 as we chat with copywriter Adam Bensman about his approach to finding high-paying clients and building a business to support his lifestyle, making the time to value switch, how he finds the right clients and prices his projects, and what all copywriters can do to think bigger about their businesses.

Kira:   Welcome, Adam.

Adam:            Hey. Thank you, Kira and Rob. It's great to be here.

Rob:   Yeah, it's good to have you here.

Kira:   All right, Adam. So let's start with your story. How did you end up as a copywriter?

Adam:            My original background was in psychology and natural medicine, and when I moved to Madison, Wisconsin to pursue that venture, I was making no money in that field. And I set out to put food on the table, literally. I mean, I was that broke.

So, I fell into door-to-door sales selling roofing, and from there worked my way up to be the COO of a multi-state roofing and storm restoration company. And when I left that space from burnout, I started in the consulting world. And I was writing all of our direct mail at that company when I was COO, and then when I was doing consulting, I was providing some of those service for clients, not really even understanding that there was a copywriting profession in existence.

And I went on to co-found kind of an email marketing-type SaaS for the niche that I came from. And we went six months with zero sales. It was me and one partner. And I was sending emails out to our list that I had built, to past clients. I was posting on LinkedIn, posting on Facebook and engaging all the Facebook groups. We literally went six months with zero sales.

And when I kind of reached this breaking point, it was like, we needed to turn the ship around. So, I found an opportunity to joint venture with someone in our space,

Copywriter Adam Bensman is our guest for the 147th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. We’ve gotten to know Adam over the past few months and are very impressed with the business he’s built. While so many copywriters struggle to find decent paying clients, Adam has built a great business working with a few, high-paying clients—and still has plenty of time at the end of the day for recreation and fun. We asked Adam about:

•  how he went from door to door sales to copywriter (with a few stops in between)

•  how he compensates for the “missing advantages” of face to face sales when you’re writing email (or sales pages)

•  why you need to couple empathy with pain when you “agitate the pain”

•  how to join the conversation in your prospect’s head

•  the template he uses when he sits down to write for clients

•  establishing boundaries and how it can change your business

•  how Adam defines his niche (it’s not the regular way)

•  the connection secret he used to find clients that fit in his niche

•  the value he creates for his clients (and how he presents it)

•  pricing… what Adam used to do and what he does today

•  what a typical project looks like (and what Adam does to complete it)

•  success fees and how it makes it work for his clients

•  how to think bigger about your business

We say this a lot, but this is a good one.  To hear everything Adam has to share, click the play button below or download this episode to your favorite podcast player. Rather read? Scroll down for a full transcript.

 

The people and stuff we mentioned on the show:

Joseph Sugarman

Sales Email Formula

Adam’s website

Kira’s website

Rob’s website

The Copywriter Club Facebook Group

The Copywriter Underground

Intro: Content (for now)

Outro: Gravity

 

Full Transcript:

Rob:   What if you could hang out with seriously talented copywriters and other experts, ask them about their successes and failures, their work processes, and their habits, then steal an idea or two to inspire your own work? That’s what Kira and I do every week at The Copywriter Club Podcast.

Kira:   You’re invited to join the club for episode 147 as we chat with copywriter Adam Bensman about his approach to finding high-paying clients and building a business to support his lifestyle, making the time to value switch, how he finds the right clients and prices his projects, and what all copywriters can do to think bigger about their businesses.

Kira:   Welcome, Adam.

Adam:            Hey. Thank you, Kira and Rob.