In This Episode What does it take to “make it” in business as a creative, and what does making it actually look like? That’s the central idea of this special episode of CCR for a series I’m calling, Paid To Create. A show that explores three phases of a career in creativity: THE CALLING, […]
EP 304: Paid To Create w/ TV Producer David Matthews Read More »
In This Episode In this episode, you’ll pull up a chair next to me so I can walk you through my latest sales letter. This is the kind of “look over my shoulder” insight we rarely get to see in copywriting. I’ll share my process for… Coming up with the headlines and lead (and
EP 303: Coffee w/ Kev – Over My Shoulder Writing A Sales Page Read More »
In This Episode Until now, the only one to hear this conversation was an AI note taker, and it was very impressed! Just look… The meeting was a conversation between Kevin Rogers and Nicholas Kusmich, discussing Kusmich’s personal and professional journey, including his upbringing in an immigrant family, his early calling to ministry, and
EP 302: Nicholas Kusmich – Kill Your Funnel Now Read More »
In This Episode “How the hell did an interview about writing lead to THIS!?” said Marie at one point, throwing her hands up and her head back with laughter. I had a lot of questions or Marie since our last interview years ago, including her take on AI, longevity in business, and why she
EP 301: Marie Forleo “Write it rude” Read More »
In This Episode Fresh off a year-long hiatus, John is introspective and fiery as ever in this sprawling interview that covers his wildest personal adventures, his take on AI as a writing partner, and his best advice for anyone who wants to be a top copywriter. John also shares the “one regret” that would
EP 300: John Carlton: “My only regret…” Read More »
In This Episode You may have heard me obsessing about the Enneagram. It’s an insightful tool for understanding what drives your thinking and behavior. Super important to know as a copywriter and business owner. My guest today, Debbie Owen, is an Enneagram coach who has taken things to another level by incorporating neuro-science into
EP 299: Self-awareness for the win with Debbie Owen Read More »
In This Episode There’s no getting around it, these days you need to be seen and HEARD by your clients and customers. Susan Berkley is a world-renowned vocal trainer. She helps speakers, executives, and every other kind of influencer on how to use vocal inflections to move past nerves and persuade their audiences. In
EP 298: Susan Berkley on shifting your human voice for influence Read More »
In This Episode “Good copy in the wrong voice is not good copy.” – Justin Blackman Wanna know how to stay indispensable as a copywriter? Learn to master copy voice. AI currently sucks at it. Every brand and guru who hires cares about it – A LOT! And, the more people start using machine-generated
EP 297: Justin Blackman – Next level copy voice Read More »
In This Episode If you’ve been serving clients as a freelancer for a year or more and feel like nobody knows your name… today I want to help you fix that. I’ll tell you how I became an “accidental” specialist when I was freelancing, and how it boosted my client rates from $10k to
EP 296: Coffee w/Kev – Yes, you really must specialize. Read More »
In This Episode For my money, there is no better, or more entertaining, email copywriter in the game right now than Daniel Throssell. In fact, he recently TOOK MY MONEY after declaring “war” on me to promote my own course (Escape Velocity) to his list. AND, he did it in less than 48 hours!
EP 295: How Daniel Throssell declared war on me, and won! Read More »
In This Episode As creative freelancers, selling ourselves and our services feels unnatural. But, it’s a critical part of the gig. There’s no getting around it. So, I decided to interview a licensed psychotherapist to find out… Why do creatives have mental blocks around selling? What can we do to remove the mental stress
EP 294: Stress-Free Selling with Psychotherapist, Leah Benson Read More »
In This Episode The realization hit me like a brick to the noggin’… “Teachers make great copywriters for the same reason comedians and musicians do… they spend a lot of time interacting with a live audience.” I’ve seen the pattern for years in Copy Chief; former teachers getting very good, very fast, as copywriters
EP 293: Why Teachers Make Great Copywriters w/Tania Yeo Read More »
In This Episode Here’s ONE thing everyone in the copywriting industry can agree on (probably the only one)… The best copywriters in the world write in the financial niche. I could list a dozen reasons why that is, but you likely know them already. It really comes down to the fact that… Financial is
EP 292: The secret side-door into financial copywriting w/ Joshua Lee Henry Read More »
In This Episode “I went into a [yearlong] spiral trying to rewrite this thing.” Writing a “book, book” is not for the faint of heart. As writers with lists, we wake up, think of something worthy of sharing, do our best to make it valuable and entertaining, and ship it an hour or two
EP 291: Wisdom Tree: Laura Belgray on writing, and selling, Tough Titties Read More »
In This Episode Here’s something it took me far too long to figure out as a freelancer… How to “wow” my clients through the whole project? As copywriters, we work on different schedules than most people, and it’s easy to get lost in our creative bubbles. Little things we can do for our clients,
EP 290: New Breed: Ben McLellan on “Wowing” Your Clients Read More »
In This Episode How short can you write a great story? Sue Rice calls them “tiny thunder” and they’re incredibly effective at winning attention and compelling your reader to action. Sue and I sat down to discuss her new book, Tiny Thunder (I couldn’t put it down), the power of metaphorical stories, and how
EP 289: New Breed: Sue Rice brings the Tiny Thunder Read More »
In This Episode The only way writers and creatives like us will stay ahead of AI is to create things with MEANING. Today I’m sharing a talk I gave a couple of weeks ago at Brian Kurtz’s Titans Mastermind. The room of about 50 people was packed with heavy hitters, like Jay Abraham, Joe
EP 288: Coffee with Kev: Copy with MEANING (Titan’s talk 2023) Read More »
In This Episode “Were you ever a copywriter?” I had to ask Jason this in the middle of our interview because I rarely hear anyone but us talk so deeply about the levels of customer awareness. Jason is a funnel fixer and marketing consultant for some very high-level coaches and business advisors. He’s created
EP 287: New Breed: Jason Van Orden – The Customer Awareness Spectrum Read More »
In This Episode Kelly Brown was working at a bank and had never heard of copywriting before getting hired at Stansberry Research, where she learned directly from Mike Palmer, and is currently the Copy Chief. Now, Kelly and the team are looking to bring on 5 new copywriters through a bootcamp they’re hosting on
EP 286: New Breed: Kelly Brown – Stansberry is Hiring Copywriters! Read More »
In This Episode One of the most challenging elements of launching a product is getting your audience EXCITED for it. Why do people line up for the new iPhone release? How did Taylor Swift “break the internet” in pre-sale for her latest tour? Sure, they both have massive legions of raving fans, but there’s
EP 285: New Breed: The Art of Anticipation Marketing Read More »
In This Episode Henry Bingaman operated at the highest possible levels of direct response copywriting for nearly 20 years… Working alongside Jedd Canty (one the greatest innovators in the industry) and Mike Ward at Money Map Press, he consistently produced the highest converting “winners” in the toughest game there – financial copywriting. If you’re
EP 284: Wisdom Tree: Henry Bingaman “The threat of the cage” Read More »
In This Episode If you’re a freelancer, or biz owner hiring freelance copywriters, this is a MUST listen because you will learn, from a client’s point of view, what matters most when hiring a full-time copywriter. In this episode we cover… For Freelancers: How to tell a great opportunity from a potential hell gig…
EP 283: Freelancer’s Journey: How to instantly become the #1 choice for a great client Read More »
In This Episode Brian McCarthy was burned out on writing copy for clients. It figured it must be a mindset issue, so he did a lot of work with personal development coaches to get to the root of it. What he discovered was that what he really loved was helping other people get over
EP 282: New Breed: Brian McCarthy on ending procrastination Read More »
In This Episode Ryan Schwartz is one of the most unconventional copywriters I’ve ever met. From cubicle hell (and praying to get laid off), to optioning screenplays, to writing a book on the challenges and revelations of breadwinning, relationships, and fatherhood (dropping in May ‘23)… and many impressive traditional copy projects along the way…
EP 281: Freelancer’s Journey: Ryan Schwartz on the magic of acting on instinct Read More »
In This Episode Carolynn Ananian did a lot of “bouncing around” as a freelance copywriter before falling in love with financial copywriting and landing her current “Dream Job” at Stansberry Research. Carolynn started out (as most of us do) as a “Path 1”, doing all the jobs to run and grow a freelance copywriting
EP 280: Freelancer’s Journey: Carolynn Ananian – Adventures of a “Path 2” copywriter Read More »
In This Episode The robots have arrived! I’ve been saying this for two years now, but most people shrugged it off as a “someday” problem. Now, “SOMEDAY” IS HERE. Of course, all the overnight experts are parachuting from the sky dressed up in their “special forces” costumes to save the day and cash in
In This Episode I started doing stand-up when I was 18 and was on the road full-time by the age of 20, so aside from a few short-lived stints washing dishes and detailing cars, when I left comedy and needed work, I had NOTHING to put on a resume. And no amount of creative
EP 278: CWK: My bizarre path to copywriting Read More »
In This Episode On the surface, the idea of “thinking big” sounds a bit vague. It’s bound to mean different things to different people based on their current view of reality. So, I pressed Jon on the idea of “thinking big” since that’s how he frames his big promise as a business coach. He
EP 277: Wisdom Tree: Jon Dwoskin on what it means to think big Read More »
In This Episode How do you define a “dream client”? If you said, “someone willing to pay me”, we need to talk 🙂 After 12 years of freelancing, and eight years of recruiting copywriters for all kinds of companies, I’ve learned (all too well) what to look for – and what to avoid –
EP 276: CWK: What is a “dream client”? Read More »
In This Episode Ever freak out over giving a prospect your price? There’s more to it than “nerves”. It’s likely some deep-rooted societal programming from your childhood. Sounds kinda worse than you thought when I put it that way – lol. But, it’s actually good news, because when you recognize what’s at the root
EP 275: New Breed: Patty Lennon – Receiving What You’re Worth Read More »
In This Episode When Tania Yeo was 18 years old she wanted to become a teacher. She found a company that would pay to send her to school overseas, and place her with a company teaching Art and English Literature. “It was a ten-year contract that dictated every step of my life,” she explains
In This Episode What do you do when your personal beliefs are at odds with your copywriting projects? The conflict is real. There are choices to be made. Jamie Ryder was feeling that, so he took his personal life philosophy of Stoicism into his work as a copywriter. The results have been revolutionary, for
EP 273: New Breed: Jamie Ryder – Aligning your personal philosophy with your copywriting Read More »
In This Episode Brandon Roe was a self-described “outcast nerd” throughout his childhood. So, he became fascinated with the psychology around what makes some people part of the “in crowd” and others relegated to being “out”. At first, he wanted to figure out how to switch camps and become more popular… Then, around the
EP 272: New Breed: Brandon Roe on Decoding Consumer Psychology Read More »
In This Episode It took Kyle Jordan two years to find his edge in copywriting. And he was pissed at me about it. Here’s what he wrote to me: Hey Kevin, Two years and one month ago, I graduated from RFL 10. And to be honest with you, when I finished your program… I
EP 271: New Breed: Kyle Jordan – How to explode a famous athlete’s email list Read More »
In This Episode The most organic way to “show your work” as a freelance copywriter is to simply teach what you’re learning. That’s exactly what I did when I started my first blog (The Copywriter’s Edge) back in the day. Teaching what you’re learning is a great way to “find your voice” as an
EP 270: New Breed: Eddie Shleyner’s “Very Good Copy” Read More »
In This Episode Brand advertising often feels like a foreign world to Direct Response marketers. But, they are far more aligned than we think, and that trend will only continue. The big pockets publishers now focus way more effort on video platforms (VSLs, Social Media ads) than on long-form text-only platforms… and building brands
EP 269: New Breed: Gary Kopervas – How Big Brands Tell Great Stories Read More »
In This Episode Despite becoming a Direct Response millionaire in his 30s, Justin Goff considers himself a slow learner. He spent the first few years online pinballing around from “thing to thing” trying to figure out how to make real money. His parents were convinced he was throwing away his education. His friends thought
EP 268: Wisdom Tree – Justin Goff’s Millionaire Blueprint Read More »
In This Episode Until recently, I never saw myself doing business with Grant Cardone. On the surface, he wasn’t my cup of tea. Now that I’ve had a look behind the curtain, I’m very impressed. The guy we’ve seen posting IG Reels on his private jets is one part of him (you don’t achieve
EP 267: CWK: The Truth About Grant Cardone Read More »
In This Episode “One girl wrote to me angry that I’d ruined her birthday because she spent hours ignoring her boyfriend while reading my emails.” That’s just one of the extreme replies Daniel Throssell has received from readers of his daily emails (get them at persuasivepage.com). His writing is fresh, occasionally angry, and consistently
In This Episode In 3 short years, Brenna McGowan went from full-time Mom, to “accidental” social media manager, to email copywriter, and now the leading expert on Pre-Launch marketing strategy. If you’ve ever felt like “there’s just no time” to do it all, and been stymied by choosing a specialty, today’s episode with Brenna
EP 265: Freelancer’s Journey: Brenna McGowan Is Owning It Read More »
In This Episode I met AJ Harper in the office of best-selling author Mike Michalowicz (Profit First, Clockwork). He introduced her as his writing collaborator – essentially the person who wrote the words I’d been reading intently under his name for years. By the end of the first day of Mike’s workshop, I saw
EP 264: New Breed: AJ Harper on How To Write A Must-Read Read More »
In This Episode This funny thing happens with high achievers (like you?)… As we’re transforming into the best versions of ourselves, we soak up tons of inspiration from self-development gurus (for me it was Jim Rohn, Earl Nightingale, Napoleon Hill, etc.)… Then, once we arrive at success, we tend to stop looking for new
EP 263: Wisdom Tree: Rob Dube on the 10 Disciplines for optimal living Read More »
In This Episode Look, I get it. Money is how we measure success. So, the appeal of a promise that you can “double your (freelancing) income in X days” is a sexy one. We see this promise every day online and, understandably, people fall for it. Here’s the problem: It’s not only UNREALISTIC to
EP 262: Coffee with Kev: The Truth About Doubling Your Copywriting Income Read More »
In This Episode If you thought there was no market for direct response copywriters in the tech space, today’s guest will shed some new light. Karl Hughes was leading high-profile tech teams until the lockdown freed up half his time to do what he always loved: write. So, he started blogging in his conversational
EP 261: Freelancer’s Journey: Karl Hughes – Tech Copywriting Kingpin Read More »
In This Episode Colin Chung admits he is “terrible at small talk”, yet he cites “connecting with people and networking” as the #1 asset a freelancer can have in succeeding in business. In this deep diving Freelancer’s Journey episode, Colin reflects on the work, and the network, that has led to his Phase
EP 252: Freelancer’s Journey: Colin Chung – “Safer than a real job.” Read More »
In This Episode In the trendy, fast-changing world of direct response marketing, staying consistent to your marketing beliefs can be difficult. But if the foundation of what you do is focused on OUTCOMES for your client, digging in and holding steady against the trends in a strong way to position yourself. Kev Kaye
EP 248: Freelancer’s Journery: Kev Kaye “What you actually need is a growth strategy.” Read More »
In This Episode April Dykman has worn your shoes. She struggled up treacherous Mt. Freelance with just a pair of mittens and a pickaxe to start. Met some trusty guides along the way, and did ALL the work to become the independent (and in-demand!) business owner she is today, calling the shots and
EP 247: New Breed: April Dykman – How to land (or lose) the gig Read More »
In This Episode Many freelancers struggle for months to land at first client. … but what happens when you land your first gig before you intend to? That’s what happened to my guest today, Rebecca Rosman. Rebecca showed up to Copy Chief Live to meet friends from the community and get a feel for
Ep 85: Rebecca Rosman – How To Show Up Big On Your First Copy Gig Read More »
