220. How to Have Uncomfortable Client and Work Conversations

Raise your hand if your background has nothing to do with copywriting. 🙋‍♀️🙋🙋‍♂️ That’s where 99.9% of us start, too! Jenny is no different: She spent 10 years as a tennis coach in the United Kingdom, where she’s from, and New Zealand, where she has lived for more than 15 years. After another decade working for Tennis New Zealand, Jenny wondered if it was even possible to transition to another career. Spoiler: Jenny effectively changed careers. On today’s episode of the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast, she’s sharing her tips for what to consider if you want to change careers.  But beyond that, Jenny is sharing how she used her previous career experience to launch her copywriting career—and quit her full-time job after sending her second invoice. If you’ve ever had the thought, “Am I stuck here forever?” you need to listen to Jenny’s story.  Whether you’re looking to transition to copywriting or still exploring your options, Jenny offers inspiration to realize you are never stuck. --------------- Mentioned in the Episode 5 Keys for Getting Valuable Connections on LinkedInUse Copywriting Networking to Help Land More ClientsJenny’s Portfolio – lovegrovecopy.comThe Book: What Color Is Your Parachute?The Book: The 12 Week Year Related Links Ep 140: Traveling Europe While Running a Copywriting Agency—Chris’s StoryEp. 73: Bridging the Gap from Quitting a Job to Full-Time Freelance --------------- Get Free Copywriting Training here

About pages are SO important: They’re often the most visited page after the homepage. But so many copywriters get the purpose of these pages so, so backwards. As CCA students know, we often laugh that the “about” page is not about you. (Or, if you’re writing the page for your client, not about them.) Effective about pages convey to the user what the company can do for them. Why should they go with this business over a competitor? Why should they trust this business to solve their challenge or fulfill their need? On today’s episode of the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast, Kate and I are giving examples of the types of things you might include on an about page and key elements you need consider any time you’re writing an about page. So, if you want to make sure you’re nailing all the key elements of these pages (and what you NEED to consider any time you’re writing an about page), then listen now so you’re prepared to knock your next about page out of the park. --------------- Mentioned in the Episode Creative Brief: The First Step to Any Successful Copywriting ProjectWebsites Copywriters Need to BookmarkHow to Win Trust to Get Copywriting Clients Related Links Laser Copy Coaching: Value-Based Pitches, English-Language Nuances, and About Pages4 Steps to Write a Wildly Effective About Us PageWhy Landing Pages Are the Perfect First Copywriting ProjectsHow to Write a Sales Page That’ll Make Your Client Ecstatic --------------- Get Free Copywriting Training here

AI is coming for your job next 😟 AI is wiping these people out of work 😰 Within 5 years, AI will destroy these careers 😱 People loooooove to click on sensationalist, put-a-stake-in-the-ground headlines. And the algorithm just feeds the drama. No one is clicking on headlines like “AI is changing the way these 5 job roles go about their work.” But here’s the boring truth: AI is a support, not a solution. This special bonus podcast episode is actually a training: “AI & Your Copywriting Career: What You NEED to Know to Use AI to Your Advantage, Wow Your Clients, & Keep Landing High-Paying Work.” In it, Kate and I are are sharing ways you can use AI to work smarter, including prompts that will help your productivity while still wowing your clients. No career field looks like it did 10 years ago—or even 5 years ago. Instagram, TikTok, heck—the internet itself!!—are so new in the scheme of advertising and copywriting. People have had to evolve from expensive photoshoots to more quick-and-dirty content to meet the cadence of the social media cycle.  Copywriting has been around for decades (Google it, and some people would argue *centuries*). Copywriting is not going away, just evolving like everything else. Adaptability will always be crucial in any field. But lucky for us, the core principles of copywriting (features vs benefits, a clear CTA, etc.) remain the same. Ready to start using AI to your advantage? --------------- Mentioned in the Episode Ep. 117: Best Free Software for Copywriters Related Links Can Copywriting Software Replace Skilled Copywriters in 2025? --------------- Get Free Copywriting Training here

If you love writing, you’re going to relate to Maile’s story. Maile went to school with the goal to write for television, but as life happens, she found herself in content writing roles.  Unlike most Comprehensive Copywriting Academy students, Maile discovered the CCA when she was already writing for some clients. But these clients were looking to her to write things like email, webpages, and more. On today’s episode of the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast, Maile is sharing secrets to successful pitching, plus offering her take on AI and what she’s seeing with her clients. Whether you’re already a writer or looking to (finally!) get paid for your writing, I know Maile’s story is going to leave you feeling inspired. (Bonus: she shared some *spot-on* tips for setting boundaries to ensure she has time for what matters most: her family.) --------------- Mentioned in the Episode mailetimoncopy.comFeatures vs. Benefits Quiz: Test Your Copywriting Knowledge Related Links What is Content Strategy? And How Is It Different from Copywriting?SEO Copywriting Guide for Search Result Ranking SuccessSEO Copywriting & Strategy 101: How to Write SEOEp 166: How Copywriters Can Add Content Strategy as a Service – with Amanda Hand --------------- Get Free Copywriting Training here

This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/FRW and get on your way to being your best self. Let’s get the “duh” out of the way: with copywriting training you can become a copywriter. But, when you have copywriting skills, there are so many other career and job possibilities. On today’s episode of the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast, Kate and I are first sharing some of the new-fangled job titles to look out for besides “copywriter.” But then, the part that I would encourage you to stick around for, we’re talking about all the doors that you open when you learn how to write copy. Comprehensive Copywriting Academy students prove time and time again that there are unlimited possibilities for copywriters. Carli is a social media manager.Adele is a communications director.Sunny is a marketing strategist.And Kate herself is our marketing manager in addition to writing copy for her other clients! (If you haven’t, check out their stories and so many others on the CCA student stories playlist >) If you’re ready to explore your career options, listen now! --------------- Mentioned in the Episode Ep. 20: Changing Careers to Become a Copywriter – Adele’s StoryEp. 103: Becoming a Social Media Copywriter & Manager—Carli’s StoryEp. 44: Transitioning out of the Military and Building a Copy Career – Tyler’s StoryEpisode 218: Copywriting Opens Doors to Career Opportunities – Sunny’s StoryEp. 4: Meet Our Head Copy Coach, Kate Related Links Which Work-From-Home Writing Jobs Are Real?How to Draw Copywriting Work Opportunities to YouEp 142: On-Staff vs. Freelance Copywriting: Which is Better? --------------- Get Free Copywriting Training here

If your neighbor with a 5-bedroom, 4.5-bath house needs a renovation and your other neighbor with a 1-bedroom, 1-bathroom house also needs a renovation, do you think they’d cost the same price? No way! That’s the same that’s true of copywriting projects. Not all copywriting projects are the same and there’s NO WAY! you can quote an accurate price without understanding the project. Pricing can feel like a chore, but I promise you’re probably overcomplicating it. Today’s Build Your Copywriting Business podcast episode is giving you all the insight you need to come away feeling confident when quoting prices. Kate and I are sharing why you should (almost) never quote copywriting prices when you first meet with a client and offering scripts for how to guide the conversation so you come across as the professional that you are. --------------- Mentioned in the Episode Episode 219: How to Avoid Copywriting Employment ScamsEpisode 201: Top Copywriting Myths, Busted – Part IIGet an Exclusive Bonus Recording When You Review the Podcast Related Links Getting Information From Clients, When to Price Your Services, and Boosting ConfidenceWhat Do You Bill For? (And What Don’t You?) --------------- Get Free Copywriting Training here 

You’ve probably heard the saying, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is today.” And that’s never been more true with anything worthwhile in life: Saving for retirementImprove your healthRestart a friendshipAnd, yes, changing careers In this episode of the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast, Kate and I are exploring the question, “If not now, when?” Turns out, we often have very good answers to that question. I’ll do it when my kids graduate high school. I’ll do it when my bank account hits $2,000. I’ll do it next month, once this current project is out of the way. Any of these sound familiar?  We all do it. Kate and I are sharing limitations we’ve placed on ourselves—and how we’ve started to get real with our actual priorities. Here’s the thing: the difference between people who achieve their goals and those who don’t is the people who achieve their goals start. They may spend 15 minutes a day working toward their goal when they want to spend 2 hours. But the point is, they take action—even if it’s the tiniest action. Because it’s never too late to start. But it’s always too late to wait. --------------- Mentioned in the Episode Ep. 158: Set Your Future Self Up for Success Right Now Related Links Have Trouble Making Decisions? These Questions Will HelpWhen You Need to Get Down to Work: The 5 Second RuleEp. 143: Business Builder or Time Waster?Ep. 154: How Freelancers Can Masterfully Juggle Multiple Projects – with Kaitlyn SpinneyThe System Copywriters Need to Efficiently Get Work Done --------------- Get Free Copywriting Training here

When Kate and I first talked to Charlotte, she shared how she replaced her teaching income with copywriting within 6 months of joining the Comprehensive Copywriting Academy (you can catch that original interview right here!). It’s been more than two years (!) since that conversation (Kate is still hung up on the fact that it’s been that long …). So, we figured we were long overdue for a catchup. And a LOT has happened: Charlotte is now leading a team of copywriters!  In this conversation, she shares why she transitioned from freelance to a full-time job, what she’s learned, and what advice she has to copywriters earlier on in their journeys. --------------- Mentioned in the Episode Ep. 115: This Teacher Wanted More Work/Life Balance…and Found It with Copywriting – Charlotte’s StoryEp. 98: Why Freelance Copywriters Should Still Apply to Full-Time Jobs Related Links Ep. 51: Working at an Agency & Collaborating with Other Copywriters – Jen’s and Julie’s StoryEp. 148: Copywriting Replaced This Teacher’s Income and She Works Less Hours—Jess’s StoryEp. 160: How This Teacher Doubled Her Salary and Decreased Stress—Amanda’s StoryEp. 206: From Monk to Teacher to Copywriter – John’s StoryEp. 16: Freelancer to Full-Time Remote Copywriter – Karisa’s StoryEp. 191: This Copywriter Books Work 3+ Months Out—Here’s How She Does It – Lizzie’s Story --------------- Get Free Copywriting Training here 

This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/FRW and get on your way to being your best self. Do it! Just do it!" That's often what I find myself yelling at my computer screen when I don't want to do the task that I know I need to do. Now, I'm the first to admit that I'm not the most productive person in the world. But there are a few tactics that I use to get stuff done—even when I'm not having my best day. On this episode of the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast, Kate and I are sharing our best tips for how we get work done when we are dragging our feet and would much rather stay on the couch. If you're avoiding certain tasks, listen to this episode now and you'll come away with tactics you can immediately use to do the things you need to do. --------------- Mentioned in the Episode Get Things Done Book3 Simple Tools To Help You Stop Procrastinating and Start Doing with Megan Sumrell (note: must be logged into the CCA to access)Episode 158: Set Your Future Self Up for Success Right NowStaying Productive When I’m Unmotivated: Pomodoro Technique5 Tips for Getting Down to Your Copywriting Work4 Productivity Tactics Related Links Daily Habits of the Most Successful Writers & CreativesAmp Up Your Copywriting Productivity With Ultra SchedulingWhen You Need to Get Down to Work: The 5 Second Rule5 Ways Super-Productive Copywriters Start Their Days4 Tools to Stay On Top of Your To-Do ListStaying Productive While Working From HomeThe System Copywriters Need to Efficiently Get Work Done --------------- Get Free Copywriting Training here 

It’s SO much easier to avoid difficult conversations. (Frankly, sometimes I’m so tired, I want to avoid conversations all together!) But, *sigh*, that’s not the way to be a professional. On this episode of the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast, Kate and I are sharing examples of client conversations that you might be tempted to avoid, but absolutely need to have. I can guarantee that 99% of the time these will be 5-minute conversations that will help you avoid major hassles—like migraines or extra edits (or both!). Listen now for how to handle these conversations like the pro that you are. --------------- Mentioned in the Episode What Are Your Copywriting Business Rules?Episode BONUS – Laser Coaching: How to (Respectfully) Disagree with a Copywriting ClientEp. 182: What’s the Best Way to Communicate with Copywriting Clients? Related Links Why Your Copywriting Clients Need Your GuidanceThe Huge Benefits of Writing for Clients that Don’t “Wow” YouLearning to Effectively Communicate as a CopywriterHow To Develop a Thick Skin5 Things Clients and Product Managers Wish Copywriters KnewEp. 203: Secrets to Smooth Copywriting Client Relations --------------- Get Free Copywriting Training here