As a self-identifying outsider, I’ve always hated social cliques. Have you ever seen the show Freaks and Geeks? I was the little brother, Sam. Awkward in my skin and want to fit in, but never find a groove socially. I was painfully shy with girls, too. I remember crushing so hard on the cashier at […]
If I were starting out in copy now, this is where I’d focus Read More »
Here’s a lesser-known secret to success in the business world: Learn how to pick up the tab. Notice the wording there. Not, “be willing to pick up the tab”, but “learn HOW to pick up the tab”. Maybe you are a natural at this. If so, congratulations. Just like people with shampoo commercial hair or
You got this? The right (and very wrong) way to pick up the tab. Read More »
[Part 1 of this story is here] My thought as I sat in the far back of the small lounge while the host uttered my bloated credentials to the audience was… “I would pay anyone in this room every dollar to my name (about $65 at that time) to go up there and pretend to
The night I quit comedy – Part 2 Read More »
In the mid 90’s Warner Robins, Georgia was not the part of the state that swings elections. It was the part that makes you drive behind farm equipment on the highway. Where the “good” restaurant is a giant buffet of processed food items simmering in square tins, the dress code is coveralls, and there are
The night I quit comedy Read More »
“How’s that asshat landing all these great gigs!?” Maybe it’s okay to feel jealous. I mean… Yes, of course, social media is a human highlight reel with (very) questionable accuracy. Yes, it’s a waste of energy to “count other people’s money”. And yes, your time is better spent doing your thing instead of wishing you
“How’s that a**hat landing all these great gigs!?” Read More »
Life is going to throw all kinds of shit at us. That’s Life’s job. Like a mean, but well-meaning, older brother… It pushes our faces in the dirt often enough to make sure we learn our lessons along the way. So we can use the wisdom to do better. Learn. Grow. Adapt. And, ultimately, have
There is no “one size fits all” path to freelancing success Read More »
Wow… Last week’s post about being “unemployable” really struck a chord. E Major if I had to name it. Thick, raw, bluesy. I appreciate all the replies. If you missed it, I wrote about all the “no resume” jobs I did after stand-up, waiting to find something new I could do to earn the money
This is how to tell if someone will “make it” Read More »
When I quit stand-up comedy and got off the road, I was STUCK. Ten years of driving all over the United States, sleeping in dingy motels, and talking dirty to strangers for laughs was incredible fun. But, when it was time for me to pull off the road and find a new line of work…
Are you UNEMPLOYABLE? Read More »
I’m still buzzing from our big virtual event last week (Copy Chief Live). I was blown away at how close it FELT to our in-person events. Our community showed up in full, as usual, and brought the sessions and the conversations to the next level. Pondering all we covered in 3 days made me think
Can you write a letter? Read More »
If you’re a copywriter, there are two types of leads you can get all day long with very little effort… The “lowest bidder” leads on freelance marketplaces like Fiverr and Upwork where you’re forced to do a high volume of low dollar gigs. (The only way to “win” this game is by living in the
A coaching student asked me: “How do I know when I’m working ‘too much?’” Good question, actually. The answer is personal… based on what we want – and need – at that time. However, this idea that we should all be “striving to achieve balance” is completely vague and, frankly, WRONG. As a non-conforming, cubicle-shunning,
Those days when the laptop eats your brain Read More »
It’s no secret that a lot of copywriters who attend Copy Chief Live want to find new clients there. So why did one company become worried about their favorite copywriter attending this event? I’ll let Derek explain… “What happened was, they knew I was going to be at Copy Chief Live so basically that became
His client was afraid he’d go to Copy Chief Live…See Why Read More »
I was recently on a Facebook live with special guests… master copywriter David Deutsch, uber-successful entrepreneur, Ryan Lee, and celebrity productivity expert, Adrienne Dorison… Watch the replay to get an actionable preview of the kind of tactics we’ll be sharing at the upcoming Freelancing Transformation Bootcamp in November. Over
Three superstar guests joining me… (guess who) Read More »
A few people have asked… “Why is Copy Chief Live all about freelancing this time?” Good question. Yes, I could have easily made the content for Copy Chief Live all about the “insider secrets” to writing “killer copy”. We certainly have the resources. In fact, several of this year’s speakers are considered the best in
The question to ask if you only have 30 minutes Read More »
Copy Chief Live (the Freelancing Transformation Bootcamp) is all virtual this year, and one of the great benefits of that has been getting commitments from speakers who are typically hard to land because they… a) just don’t like traveling and/or speaking on stage, or b) charge tens of thousands when they do. Mike Michalowicz, who
How we landed speakers who normally don’t speak Read More »
This is a big question: When (if ever) is it a good time to sell all your time to a single client? First off, if you’re being offered this — well done! It means you’re kicking ass in a special way for a client, and they want all the ‘you’ they can get. That’s never
Should you go full time with one client? Read More »
Let’s be real.Freelancing is hard.Especially for creatives. We care – a lot. About the craft.About the client.About the audience. The thing that makes us great at what we do,is the same thing that can sabotage our careers. Our caring nature has our instincts working against us. We…Undercharge for our services.Overthink our specialties. Overwhelm ourselves trying
the starving part of being an artist Read More »
Rejection sucks. But if you think about it, how many times has it turned out to be a gift in disguise? One of the funkier jobs I held between comedy and copywriting was working the overnight shift at a haunted beach hotel. It’s called the Don CeSar. If you’ve ever been to St. Pete Beach,
Rejection turns to flattery Read More »
Have you ever wanted something desperately, but could not afford it, and thought… “What if I just asked them to give it to me?” There’s a good way and a really bad way to ask for something you want badly. And every year, I hear both versions from people who are eager to attend Copy
How to ask for something big and get it Read More »
I’ve got two teenagers (15 and 17) who are preparing to take on the world, so I think a lot about what I can give them to make the journey ahead a little less treacherous. Sure, I welcome all the ass-kickings they surely will endure – and survive – because wisdom from experience is the
Here’s what I’d teach my own kids about freelancing (3 things in 3 minutes)… Read More »
Tell me if this one rings a bell… You kick royal ass on a project for a client… You get paid on time (great). You get a virtual high five for your excellent work (cool). And a friendly “see you on the next one” to close out the deal. Ok, nice. Feels good. Everything went
Is your client “fading” you? (how to know and what to do) Read More »
Here’s a bizarre story best told through video…It’s six minutes long, which I know is an eternity in the world of 8-second attention spans, but totally worth it if… You plan to have a career as a freelance copywriter… (Especially if you plan to focus on FB ad writing)… You want the world’s best tactic
The best possible way to end a client relationship Read More »
We’ve just opened up a very few spots in my Freelancer’s Journey Accelerator coaching program. Accelerator is my mid-level coaching program where twice a month I host a call and give you 1-1 advice and action plans for… Resolving tricky client issues Raising your fees Specializing your services Connecting with copy-centric companies looking to hire
How to solve ANY freelancing problem in 10 mins or less Read More »
It’s a really good question: “Hey Kevin, if you woke up tomorrow with nothing; no contacts, no experience, no idea how to get paid for writing copy… what would you do to kickstart your career?” I always like this question because it forces me to think back to when I still wore hair on my
If I woke up tomorrow with nothing Read More »
I just finished a call with one of the most in-demand freelancer’s I coach… He’s got a lot going on. Full roster of well-known clients where he primarily consults on, rather than writes, their ads. A suite of training products he sells consistently for thousands in passive monthly income. Paid workshops that fill to capacity every time
The latest (and most ironic) trend in freelancing… Read More »
Today I’m going to show you a super cool (and crazy short) copywriting framework for… Getting super CLEAR on the big WHY behind your business Telling YOUR STORY in about 40 words This is the very framework that helps people like us give some purpose to our passion.It’s what helped a young, rebellious me move
The 40 words that led Branson into space Read More »
Last week a group of us were out at my favorite live music venue here in St. Pete… It’s the Hideaway Cafe, where we held our first ever X-Factor Extravaganza music and comedy show during Copy Chief Live! I love the Hideaway because it is specifically designed for listening to music (not talking over
The joy of mistakes Read More »
This will sound strange coming from a guy who lives in Florida, but… I love the month of July. Yes, it’s stupid hot here. Not fit for humans, kind of hot. Yesterday I saw a lizard wearing a headband. It’s hot, okay? And there are mosquitos everywhere. Big ones. So big they serve you orange
Today is halftime 2021. What’s your gameplan? Read More »
My daughter did a cool presentation for school on the concepts of Uniqueness and Vulnerability. Pretty deep, eh? We started brainstorming, her and I, and we realized that these concepts go hand-in-hand because… … you can only be truly unique when you are willing to be vulnerable. Makes sense, right? It’s one of those
unique vs “you freak!” Read More »
When copywriters join the Copy Chief community, one thing we ask is: “Where does it hurt?” A lot of new copywriters tell us they “feel like a fraud” because it’s so hard to know if what you’re writing is good enough, and none of us can know until the ad goes live and buyers vote
Ever feel like a fraud? Read More »
How ‘bout a little look behind the curtain today? This’ll be revealing to you if… You love copywriting and freelancing… You consider yourself to be a natural teacher… You’ve thought of creating your own courses and products… Many freelancers do, over time. Others don’t. They prefer to hang behind the scenes and produce. Which is
Well, THAT went well… Read More »
A couple years into my freelance copywriting career, I was suffering from serious input overload. You know, that nagging feeling that even though you’re doing pretty good you’re constantly aware of how much better you could be doing…. and you really want to be there RIGHT NOW. It was messing up my mojo pretty bad,
A copywriting crossroads moment (what’s yours?) Read More »
In This Episode If your freelancing business is starting to feel like a sh*tty job… and, worst part?… YOU are the nasty boss! Demanding these long hours, the “working weekends”, and now that you’re thinking about it, the pay kind of sucks, too! Then, we feel you. Every successful freelancer we know has been
In This Episode Sammy Musgrave is a rule breaker. She discovered her love for copywriting before she even knew it was a thing – during a sales presentation workshop… “Looking back, it was all copywriting principles – and I LOVED it.” Against their warnings, she used what she learned in that presentation to update
EP 217: Freelancer’s Journey – Sammy Musgrave, Going full time and loving it Read More »
In This Episode John Lee Dumas is the epitome of self-made success. He started his industry-shifting podcast, Entrepreneur on Fire to solve his own problem… “I’m 32 and I hate working for other people, but I have no idea how to make money on my own.” So he started asking the people who were
EP 216: New Breed – John Lee Dumas’s Uncommon Path To Success Read More »
In This Episode Like so many freelancers, Ross O’Lochlainn was waiting for “just the right time” to quit his job at an engineering firm and strike out on his own full time. Then “fate stepped in” and forced his hand. Dive into this in-depth review of how Ross has gone from nervous newbie (Phase
