Success Stories
How a “Failed Freelancer” Built a work-from-anywhere copywriting business
Before
The first time Brian tried freelance copywriting it was horrible. He always undercharged and didn’t even make enough to pay the bills.
Working with Kevin
He learned how to use “Backstage Pricing” to triple his rates and earn what he deserved.
After
Brian was able to comfortably travel the world while freelancing. He’s regularly booked out 3 months in advance and has the freedom to live on his terms.
*DISCLAIMER: These results are not typical and you may or may not achieve the same results. Success as a freelance
copywriter depends on your willingness to put in effort, your attention to details, and various other factors.
“I had to make freelancing work…”
Brian had been an in-house copywriter for over a year.
The company he worked for was remote — meaning he could work from anywhere.
He wanted to make the most of that. And planned to take a year-long trip around the world while continuing to work for that company.
But after he was let go, the only way he could travel was to start freelancing.
He had tried that before, but it didn’t go well. As he says:
“I freelanced the first 18 months of my copywriting career. I worked hard but barely made any money. I didn’t want to go through that again.”
“Why are those copywriters
more successful than me?”
Brian had no clients and was starting from scratch.
But he knew exactly where to go for help.
Brian had been a member of Copy Chief since starting his career in 2014.
Since then, he noticed other copywriters who had the same experience as him were far more successful.
He didn’t think the problem was lack of knowledge about copywriting. He had read all the books, hand-copied countless ads, and took writing courses to improve his skills.
To him, the difference was those people invested in mentoring early on.
In particular, they worked closely with the founder of Copy Chief, Kevin Rogers.
When Kevin opened the doors to his freelance coaching group, which happened the same week Brian became a freelancer, he signed up instantly.
“It was a no-brainer to join.
I saw all these freelancers who got into copywriting the same
time as me who were way more successful than me.
The biggest difference I could see was they worked with
Kevin early on, and I didn’t.”
“I was always undercharging…”
One reason Brian struggled as a freelancer was he was terrified to charge high fees.
He wasn’t sure if his copy was worth it. And was afraid that if he asked for too much, he wouldn’t get the job.
On top of that, he never knew what his fee should be. He would look at what other copywriters were charging, but they were all over the map.
So one of the most helpful parts of the Real Free Life course was when Kevin taught his “Backstage Pricing” model.
Brian learned to focus on what he wanted to earn — not what he thought the client could afford.
Using this, he quickly began to charge three times more than he used to.
And soon, he raised them even more.
“I was always terrified of charging clients high rates. But Kevin
gave me the confidence to do it.
He taught me to stop focusing on what I think the client would
agree to. And instead, focus on what I wanted to earn.”
copywriter depends on your willingness to put in effort, your attention to details, and various other factors.
“I could’ve had this success a
year and a half ago…”
Another trick Brian learned for raising his rates was to pick a specialty.
By specializing in a certain area of copy, he would quickly be seen as an expert. And it would be easier for him to stand out and charge premium rates.
The problem was, Brian had difficulty sticking with a specialty.
He jumped from “avatars” to “case studies” to “the personal development market” to “fitness” and even “product launches”.
Since he kept switching, he struggled to get traction.
“I kept switching my specialty because I thought it wasn’t
working. But I was going after the wrong people. And didn’t
give it enough time.
Had I stuck with one idea and focused on higher-level
clients, I could have had success much faster.”
“I didn’t need as much work…”
Brian finished the Real Free Life course in June 2016. Two months later, he began his trip around the world.
He got clients through cold email, the Copy Chief job board, and referrals from Kevin.
His schedule wasn’t full. But he didn’t need that much work.
Because the course taught him how to charge higher rates. So he could now cover his bills with 1-2 weeks worth of work, instead of needing a month full of projects.
On top of that, since the course taught him to close deals on the phone, he didn’t need as many leads.
For the first 8 months of his trip, he made enough to get by.
“A few times money would get low. Then I’d wake up to an
email that was a referral from Kevin. Or I’d get a job from the
Copy Chief job board or some other random source at just
the right time.”
But soon, all that changed…
Brian’s trip around the world
“I was booked out for four months…”
A little less than a year after graduating Real Free Life, Brian found a post from someone who needed help with a product launch.
He reached out. And used what he learned from the course to quote his highest fee yet.
He didn’t think the client would hire him for this much money.
But then his phone rang. And he was told he got the job.
“It was such a relief. Now I had enough to finish the next 4 months of the trip no problem.
I didn’t have to worry about money. I could go out and eat steak whenever. Or do random stuff, like go play polo in Argentina without worrying about it.”
copywriter depends on your willingness to put in effort, your attention to details, and various other factors.
“I have more work than I can handle…”
After his year-long trip ended, he decided to travel for another year.
Only this time, he was fully booked the entire time — even as his rates continued to climb.
He began to hit the work and lifestyle goals he set in Real Free Life. So he set higher goals, and then began to hit them, too.
Now, his main focus is working less and taking more time to enjoy himself.
“The past few months I’ve turned down a ton of work
because I don’t have time. It’s a great problem to have.”
“It was the biggest
mistake of my career…”
You may be thinking that what worked for him won’t work for you.
Brian used to think the same thing when he read stories like this.
And that thinking led to what he calls “the biggest mistake of my career.”
Watch the video below to see how you can avoid his mistake.
Join Real Free Life Today
Brian knew the fastest way to succeed as a freelancer was to get help from someone who’s done it before.
Using Kevin’s Real Free Life program, he raised his rates, closed more deals, and built a 6-figure copywriting business that let him travel the world.
If you want results like that, Real Free Life is for you.
In it, you’ll discover proven methods to land “dream” clients, charge premium rates, and build a freelance career that gives you the freedom to live the lifestyle you want.
Space is limited. Click below to learn more.
Watch Brian’s Un-Cut Interview Below
Click below to watch the full interview and discover:
- How Brian found time to work while traveling the world (6:55)
- The surprising way Copy Chief saved Brian a bundle on taxes (11:00)
- The mistake Brian made during Real Free Life that kept him from
succeeding even faster (5:30)
copywriter depends on your willingness to put in effort, your attention to details, and various other factors.
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