“You’re so lucky!”
Three words that seem so harmless. They’re often said with heartfelt goodwill, but those three words make my blood boil!
Truth be told, I am lucky. Very lucky. This post shares the secret of my lucky, lucky life as a freelance copywriter.
I was lucky to hear about becoming a freelance copywriter
The idea for Copywrite Matters came while I was working as a marketing coordinator for a software company. I went to a sales day presentation to hear a copywriter, Bernadette Schwerdt, talk about writing headlines. At the end of the presentation, Bernadette promoted her copywriting course, which also covered how to set up your own copywriting business.
That concept hit me like a bolt of lightning. You might say I was lucky to hear that presentation right at the time I was considering my future.
What I did next, though, was all me… I took action. I signed up for that course and did it in my spare time while I worked full time. I improved the copywriting I did as part of my day job and started marketing Copywrite Matters in my lunch hours, evenings and on the weekend.
So you can switch “was lucky to hear” for “took action on”.
I was lucky to get my first few breaks
Many copywriters approach me asking how to start getting clients. This is a challenge every business owner faces. Just because you build it, doesn’t mean they will come.
My first few copywriting jobs were thanks to some referrals. Just lucky, you say? Well, no.
While I worked my day job, I was invited to join the Australian School of Copywriting’s Dream Team of copywriters and got some copywriting leads through the school (as well as some expert mentoring). This wasn’t my only source of leads though. I consistently approached printers, graphic designers and website developers and introduced myself. I didn’t do a hard sell. I got to know them and some of them they sent me some work.
Eventually, I decided I needed to commit more if I was going to make my business happen. So I wrote my resignation letter and pitched an idea to my CEO. I could continue writing their marketing as a freelancer copywriter saving them a tonne of money over a year, and they wouldn’t have to bother finding a replacement. And now I had my first regular client!
The theme to my ‘lucky breaks’ is putting myself out there. I got involved. I applied myself. I networked. I asked. I accepted the fact that people might say no and did it anyway.
So you can switch “lucky” for “was prepared to get rejected”.
I am lucky to get a consistent stream of copywriting clients
If you’re just starting out as a copywriter – or any freelancer for that matter – you might hear talk of being booked out for months with feelings of envy.
The consistency of your pipeline of work is directly related to the consistency of your marketing. From the day I registered Copywrite Matters, I have made time for marketing. I have shared information and advice on copywriting and taken part in conversations on topics I wanted to be associated with. I have made time to blog regularly, on my blog and as a guest, and never missed a blogging deadline.
I make the effort to participate in webinars, tweet chats, forums and discussion groups. I meet people. I answer questions. I share what advice I can. I try and be helpful.
So you can switch “lucky” for “consistently marketing my services”.
I am lucky to meet the right people
I have an admission to share. I don’t like networking events. They are usually awkward. I’m usually awkward. Walking into a room of strangers makes me want to throw up.
But face-to-face networking is the unsung hero of marketing. Online networking is good – I’m not knocking it – but getting in front of people is so much more powerful than only ever chatting online.
The same can be said for conferences, a mecca for meeting influential people.
If I have the chance to hobnob with some influential people, I like to start the process on social media. I follow what they publish and look for opportunities to become part of conversations in their space.
When I attend live events, I take a few deep breaths and I introduce myself. The conversations I’ve had with them online, even if it’s just a brief exchange of tweets about an article they posted makes that first meeting a little more familiar and makes subsequent conversations much easier.
The ‘trick’ to it all? Having the courage to get involved and to keep the conversation going. << This last part is where the magic actually happens.
So you can switch “lucky” for “brave enough”.
I am lucky to get great clients
I feel blessed to work with awesome clients, but it’s not all down to luck.
My marketing appeals to a certain kind of business owner. One who likes my style and how I roll and wants a piece of that mojo in their copywriting. There is also a screening process, so when I get an enquiry for a copywriting project I don’t really specialise in I refer them on to a copywriter who does.
It’s all about picking the right people to work with. People you can channel all your awesome skill into and who are good for your business.
The luck? Well, sometimes it’s luck that someone happens to see my social media post with a testimonial that happens to strikes a chord, just at a time when they happen to be thinking about copywriting. But mostly it’s just consistent effort.
So you can switch “lucky” for “organised”.
So what’s the secret to all my luck?
Let’s recap.
Being open to ideas and taking action. Action is everything.
Putting myself out there. Being prepared to be rejected and doing it anyway.
Consistently marketing my services. No excuses.
Having the courage to get in front of people, online and offline.
Being organised and having a process to make stuff happen.
Oh yeah. And bloody hard work!
I am, actually, pretty insulted by the idea of luck. When people say, ‘you’re so lucky’, they are dismissing my success as some kind of whim of the universe.
You’ve heard the saying, ‘you make your own luck’, right? Well, it’s absolutely true. Being lucky means keeping your eyes and ears open to opportunities, taking action and putting in the hard yards to turn them into something wonderful.
So this is what I’d love to know. Are other people lucky? Or are you lucky, like I am?
Belinda
63 Responses
Nice post! Enjoyed it a lot.
Thanks David!
Great post Belinda, it’s come at a great time! I’m in the process of being brave, taking action and making my own luck. Thanks for sharing the secrets to your luck 🙂
My pleasure Kendall. When you have great skill set to fall back on, you have a fantastic safety net. I told myself, I can always go back to doing what I’m doing now. But ‘luckily’, I didn’t have to.
All the best with your leap!
So true. Thanks Belinda!
I nodded as I read every point! I was “lucky” enough to hear about a local business that offered transcription work from home which is how I got started, but the rest has been down to hard work… and lots of it!
Yeah, strike me as the kind of person who gets luckier the harder they work Bridie 😉
It’s a funny one – hearing about great opportunities. I think we’re bombarded with opportunities all the time. We just don’t hear them. And some people have their ears and eyes closed more than others.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing!
Love this Belinda! And yeah… I too recoil when I’m told how “lucky” I am.
Luck takes hard work, determination and risk…. and putting on a brave face to the world when secretly you’re terrified!
You deserve every single morsel of “luck” you’ve had. I know how damned hard you’ve worked for it.
Thanks Anna! Right back atcha.
Loved it. As a relative newcomer to the freelance copywriting life, I’m in the process of being ‘lucky’ myself. And a big part of that is having people like you who are prepared to share their wisdom, knowledge and expertise. You also provide invaluable motivation I’ll need on the way to being as ‘lucky’ as you are! So thanks 🙂
Thanks Shauna.
I remember feeling especially daunted when I started out as I was a teeny tiny fish in what appeared to be an enormous pond. But if you keep at it, the marketing and networking parts especially, it all starts coming together and your ‘luck’ starts paying off.
Thanks again for stopping and saying such nice things to boot.
As a fresh-out-of-agency freelancer, I am really starting to understand that it’s hard work that makes the luck (no-one is handing me work to do anymore!). However, I am a big believer in a certain kind of luck – how fortunate I am to have been born into circumstances that gave me access to education and work opportunities that allow me to write for a living. I am lucky. And I’m going to put that luck to good use by being a kickarse freelancer!
Hey Lisa. Thanks for stopping by!
I agree with you in the sense that we all have things to be grateful for – where we’re born is a big one. I’ve been helping Belinda Bow (from Green Chilli Marketing) create a documentary about trafficked women in Nepal and the big theme is that where you’re born determines so much of your life.
So we are very fortunate. It’s a shame some people around us STILL see others as ‘the lucky ones’. You go and kick arse girl! 🙂
Hi Belinda,
I was nodding all through this but stopped dead in my tracks when I got to “I am lucky to meet the right people”. When I met you, in person, at Content Marketing World I had that cold pit of fear inhabiting my stomach. I had no idea you probably felt the same way. You were friendly, outgoing and had a touch of effervescence about you. I envied how easy it was for some people to walk into a room full of strangers and make new acquaintances. Next time I’m in a similar situation, I’ll remember your smiling face and welcoming handshake when I charge in.
I spent five years selling software and carried a big quota. (I was under no illusion that ‘luck’ has anything to do with success when I started my own business.) Every year when I made my bonus and cashed my big commission checks I would hear grumbling about how lucky I was. And, yet, none of these same people were in the office late at night or early in the morning when I was working on my territory plan or putting together deals. I’ve yet to meet a single successful person that owed their success to luck.
Would you believe I almost turned around half way to the CMI first night drinks?! I was excited but terribly nervous too. What I did know is that it would be a smaller group than the next day and I wanted the chance to meet people in a more intimate setting.
And I’m SO glad I did. I got to know you, Jonathan and the CMI team before it got hectic.
I actually started a networking group in Melbourne to help develop my skills around introducing myself strangers and also the art of conversation with people I don’t know. (work in progress) I feel much more confident now than I did a few years ago but that comes back to the point – outwardly, it seems like I’m just ‘lucky’ enough to have that kind of personality but in truth I’ve been working at it for years. And I still excuse myself to regroup in the toilet at least once an event! haha
To your last point, I think successful people are too smart to acknowledge luck. It’s a self-fulfilling cycle too.. as soon as you start thinking you are lucky/unlucky, you will be. That’s the power of mindset.
Thanks for stopping by and letting me know you were equally as nervous. I never would have guessed.
Thanks for this. It’s inspiring and motivating.
“Je ne regrette rien” — Oui, after quitting my job I’ve come to realise how much better and more sure I feel about what I do for a living.
I was a bit afraid in the beginning to interact online with experienced freelancers. I guess I feared that experienced copywriters would only ‘hang out’ with their own in cliques and not bother responding to noob queries.
Been proven wrong and I say “Thanks” to anyone reading this who has shared information, tips, warnings, templates etc. with me.
We all remember being there Rhonda! And that’s what I love our about community. It’s very giving.
One thing about cliques is that sometimes they are only look like that from the outside. If you’re prepared to stick your nose in, most people are instantly welcoming. In my experience anyway.
I say most because, well, some people are just jerks 😉 Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
Awesome, awesome piece, Belinda. And so true. While we may look “lucky” on the outside, it comes from hard work. Like a Thomas Edison quote on my site “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like hard work”.
Why thank you Nicole. Tis ‘lucky’ we all look so good in overalls huh?
Awesome post Belinda. A great reminder of what success in this business really takes. Just the shot in the arm I needed this morning.
When I was learning photography my mentor told me: “Luck favours the prepared mind.” From my experience, if you do the ground work and are prepared to hustle, luck will come your way.
Thanks Charles – I’m glad you like the post.
Prepared to hustle – that’s it! You have to stick your neck out now and then if you want to jump into the fast lane. You may well cringe to begin with but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.
Great Post. I am a new reader and really enjoy your style. Looking fwd to reading more.
Thanks Jen. I appreciate you stopping by.
Great blog Belinda. The other ‘lucky’ reality in this is that ongoing business and referral is totally reliant on you being good at what you do. No amount of marketing, consistency or organisation will replace great copywriting. Well done. 🙂
Well, you have a point there Karen! And thank you 🙂
Belinda – I LOVE this article. I don’t have anything useful to add, but I just wanted to “Amen!”. I think you’ve really hit the nail on the head, and what you’re describing puts into words many of my own thoughts, along with sharing some great insights that I will be applying to my own processes. Thanks for being awesome 🙂
Thanks Emily! You’ve warmed the cockles of my heart all the way down to the cockles at the bottom with those lovely words. You can stay!
Wow Belinda, this is one of the most inspiring articles I’ve read and it just shows that with passion and a little bit of hard work you can achieve what you set out to do. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Kare. That really means a lot. I would only change one thing… with passion and a LOT of hard work you can achieve what you set out to do.
Thanks for stopping in!
Yes you are right, a LOT is probably more realistic. Geez, it probably would help if I could spell my name correctly. Cheers Karen
I’ve just started following your posts Belinda, I’m enjoying the ride. I started freelancing over 9 months ago and after a massive, scary dry spell have just surfaced after 4 months of competing incoming work. When I started I was so eager for a sense of community or mentors and didn’t know where to find it. Interestingly being thrown into different copywriting opportunities has opened up where that community and advice lies – and you’re one of those, great tips and a great read. Thank you!
For all our talk of flexible hours and work/life control, the feast and famine is constantly driving us on. It’s probably a great thing to have that early on Melita as it hopefully means you’ll never take it granted. The flip side of that of course is never saying no. It’s hard to turn work away.
Also, thanks for your kind words. Us copywriters are a supportive bunch. You’re always welcome to pour yourself a cuppa and pull up a pew here 🙂
I am lucky because I’ve recently started to build my freelance writing career and amazing stuff like this keeps appearing in my inbox. There is so much out there. Lucky for me there are so many other lucky people too 😉
There sure is so much out there – work and resources alike – if you look and go after it. No ones going to deliver it! Oh, unless you subscribe by email of course 😉 Thanks for stopping by Siobhan!
And here it is! Another little ‘sign’ that is telling me to take the leap. I’ve had so many signs lately I’ve almost got a dent in my forehead. Thanks so much for sharing. A little fish? I’m feeling more like a tadpole 🙂
haha Grow your legs girl and do it! It takes courage to make the leap but if you’ve put in the hard yards to plan and prepare and you keep putting in the hard yards to keep it going, you’ve got a huge chance of succeeding. GOOOOO!
I have nothing new to add but just wanted to say I feel the exact same way as well. I get the “you’re so lucky” line a lot and while I do acknowledge I’ve been fortunate in many areas, it’s the choices I’ve made and leaps I’ve taken that have got me to where I am today, not just some random “luck”. Awesome post, Belinda.
Hey Micky, I think we all have to sit back and be grateful for the good things in our lives but part of that is patting ourselves on the back and saying, “Well done you. You did this.”
I think people just roll out that phrases without thinking. What I try and hear is, “You’ve worked really hard to create this awesome position. I envy and congratulate you.” That’s why I’m nodding and smiling 🙂
Thanks for sharing! (and agreeing 🙂
You clever sausage, this post is wonderful, and sums up everything I feel when I’m told I’m lucky. Apart from the meeting people thing. Ugg, meeting people??
I think that whole lucky to work for yourself is another point – replace lucky with disciplined or something. It’s damn hard not to wander off and watch Game of Throne or wash the dog, when you should be working. No?
Oh great addition Kate. I usually find people say I’m lucky to work for myself when I talk about being in control of my time and being able to do this and that during the day, but it’s often followed quickly by, “but I couldn’t do it.”
As you said, it’s all down to discipline. I think I might have slacked off more when I worked in an office. I really like control I have over my work environment now. I’m much more productive (she says faffing about on social media instead of writing)…. I’m not sure I could go back to working with other people!
But when the sun in shining and the copy deck is dull, it’s hard not call time and go out to play.
Thanks for stopping in. It’s always a pleasure 🙂
I have just handed in my resignation and am about to embark on freelance education consultancy … this post came into my inbox at the right time – LUCKY! But it has given me a whole load of practical strategies to get my new business venture out there. Thanks for sharing!
Janice
http://www.janiceatkin.com
That sure is lucky! Or is it down to your pure awesomeness for subscribing? 😉 Either way, I’m glad it’s a timely post Janice.
All the best for your new life. It’s hard work but totally worth it.
I too get incredibly insulted with the “you’re so lucky” line. I am thrilled that you have packaged all of the angst and emotion into one helluva blog post girlfriend. Love your work!
Why thank you Belinda! I knew you’d feel the same as we’ve talked about this many times.
I’ve started to reply, “Yes I am fortunate, thank you, but not lucky” before walking away to get another drink!
Lovely post Belinda, and I really enjoyed reading through the many comments as well (44!). I too have been recently experiencing the “you’re so lucky” line – particularly in reference to being a mother of young children and being able to have a flexible career. I consider myself “lucky” because being a writer was my dream from a young age and now I make a living writing, yet there’s been late nights, weekend work and sacrifices behind the scenes to allow me to get where I am today – and none of that happened because of luck (more like blood, sweat and tears!).
Thanks Michelle 😀
I mean we are fortunate, there’s no mistaking that but we’ve made our lovely bed so we get to enjoy it! Thanks for stopping in and confirming I’m not alone 😉
Brilliant Belinda, as usual. I’ve just printed off the ‘So What’s the secret to all my luck?’ recap paragraph and have pinned it next to my desk. You are always inspring 🙂
Ah thanks Mel! That really means a lot. Keep looking at the list to give yourself a kick up the bum when you need it.
Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
Thank you for such a thought-ful and thought-provoking post, Belinda. I would just like to add that being lucky also means giving your clients what they need plus a bit (note I say a bit!) more that exceeds their expectations and gives you the personal satisfaction of knowing you have done your best possible work. I do feel incredibly fortunate that the diversity of my clients and project load give me the opportunity to learn something new every day! That is such a blessing.
Thank YOU Carole. That’s a great addition. Aligning your skills to your clients so you can consistent produce great work is definitely part of the process of being awesome and it takes thought and effort.
I love the use of the word fortunate. That’s the word. Thanks for commenting 🙂
LOVE this Belinda. Think it’s my favourite post of yours. These reminders are inspiring, especially the one to get networking. So easy to stay at home with a pot of tea when you live in a regional area. Also the reminder that what you put in and the choices you make really determine the outcome. No luck about it. 🙂
Favourite post? WOOHOO. Thanks Elizabeth.
Social media is bit of a fooler when it comes to networking. You’re connecting and building your network but the face-to-face time can yield so much more. If nothing else, I look at it as a chance to practise my conversational skills.
Thanks for taking the time to stop in and make my day!
Thanks for a super post, Belinda. I am grateful for its timing. Reading it at this moment when transitioning to freelance copywriting full-time has given me great courage to go for it! 🙂
GO YOU Wesley!
Hy belinda, i really agree all your points. Even i want to become a copywriter as you. You are an awesome copywriter & so hard working, i am 19 years old now so can you please tell me that how much time will be needed to become a good copywriter or some tip you want to give.. I hope you will stay happy and always smile🙂
Great question! I don’t have an easy answer I’m afraid. Like any craft and career, the more time you invest in mastering it – the faster you become a master. I would jump into the Hot Copy podcast — my podcast with Kate Toon — read about copywriting and learn about marketing. As much as you can!
Such a wonderful post. I really enjoyed reading it and very much agree with your attitude and approach. In other words, Opportunities + Great courage + I’m worth It- Attitude + Hard work = Good Luck. As the saying goes, ‘By their fruits, ye shall know them.’ Wonderful and inspiring, Belinda. Thank you for sharing.