The Best Investments I Made In My Wellness Copywriting Business in 2019
…and the challenges I faced along the way
Wow, what a year!
My first full-year as a copywriter/business owner is in the books and it’s been a wild and (mostly) fun ride.
Starting a business isn’t easy, and frankly, not something I ever thought I’d do pre-parenthood.
I didn’t think I was cut out for the entrepreneurial existence, how would I figure out all the steps to take? How would I be successful? What do I know about being a business owner?!
What I’ve discovered though, is that entrepreneurship is all about putting one foot forward every day, creating the right relationships, letting sh** go, dropping perfection, and not completely burning yourself out. If you can do all that, it all tends to workout as it should, and if it doesn’t, it wasn’t meant to. Motherhood has taught me that everything is temporary and business is certainly no different.
I never stop at the end of the year to look at what I’ve accomplished and learned, and this year, along with finally sending a GD holiday card of my cute family, I wrote a year in review post.
So, here it is, what went well in my business in 2019, along with the not so pretty challenges and learnings that came with the successes.
1. Setting up a proper workspace
This may seem silly to most people, but I haven’t had a real workspace in years. Even in my full-time roles I worked without the tools I needed to get the job done well. Think books stacked up to create a standing desk, a tiny computer screen, and old equipment that was slow and clunky.
My husband and I have an office in our home, but I didn’t have my own desk. I changed that when Scarlet was about 6 months old by creating my own work space. I have a lovely little nook now that looks out on the Eucalyptus trees and feels splendid to work in.
Near my desk I keep the books I love, an essential oil diffuser, my Himalayan salt lamp, and a little cactus a friend gave me. Most importantly, I have a second monitor which is such a game changer for writing copy and doing research.
Want more productivity? Find a great place to work!
2. Investing in Learning and Coaching
I spent a lot of my revenue this year on coaching and courses, and I have ZERO guilt about it. It’s been a long time since I enjoyed learning something, probably since college when I was all theatre, all the time. I never tire of learning about copywriting, SEO, and email marketing, and that feels exciting and energizing.
By trusting the people I learned from I made some new friends that have been so generous with their time and energy. Endlessly grateful to them!
My top investments were:
Anything I bought from Tarzan Kay. She’s not only a master copywriter and marketer but also an all around amazing person. The value she brings to her students is unbelievable and I aspire to be as confident and fearless as she is! She also became a coach and mentor to me and I got to visit her home in Canada while attending her first live event, which was so magical!
CopyHackers Copy School- Joanna Weibe is a goddess. She and Ry Schwartz bring an insane amount of knowledge and wisdom to this course, I’m constantly learning from it. This one is such a no brainer for anyone who wants to dive deeper in to conversion copywriting.
Marie Forleo and Laura Belgray’s Copy Cure Course- This was the first one I took, technically back in 2018, and it’s pretty basic, but everything that comes out of Laura Belgrays mouth is gold, and it helped me articulate what copywriting can do for any size business.
Kate Toons Recipe for SEO Success Course- Another freakin’ goddess (there are so many out there!). I’m hoping to make SEO a bigger part of my offering in 2020!
3. Setting Better Boundaries + Listening to My Gut
This has been the biggest challenge in my business so far. I want to do everything for everyone, and that has come back to bite me in some big ways. I ignored red flags that were literally smacking me in the face, and I let relationships go on longer than I should’ve. But, about halfway through the year I started saying no, and man did that do big things for my business.
Saying no and a few times letting a client go created space for the right clients to come through my doors. Setting these boundaries made people want to work with me more and I stayed consistently booked for most of the year
This is a huge mindset shift that I know is still a work in progress, but I know how important it is to my success and the success of all small business owners. We have to keep our standards high!
4. Embracing what it means to be a mom and business owner
This one created some tension for me as well. It’s hard to be a working mom, regardless of whether you’re going to an office, or working from home. In fact, I’m in awe of women who have to go in to an office, being a mom requires A LOT of flexibility — things come up all the time.
I can’t stand disappointing a client or pushing a deadline, but Scarlet comes first so sometimes that has to happen. I got overwhelmed several times this year trying to do it all, but reading Kate Northrup's book, Do Less helped me see that I’m enough and I don’t have to do it all the time.
5. Attending Conferences + In Person Networking
I’m love holing up in my home office and writing away (see #9 for the reason why), but I’m not as good at making time to network, but this year I did it and had a great time and realized how important it is to meet other writers and entrepreneurs in person.
Each event I went to was full of learning and connections. I met my peer mastermind group (fellow mama copywriters) at The Copywriter Club IRL and they have been my biggest support system and teachers this year.
6. Hiring help
I didn’t even know what a VA was before this year! I waited until late in the year to hire Steph and it’s been an incredible experience! The things I’ve been putting off for months (like my own lead magnet, and publishing more blog content) are finally getting done, and I’m able to focus on the things that really need my attention in my business, not everything else. This takes trust and good management on my part, which is another great muscle to develop!
7. Niching down
Writing for health, wellness and conscious brands has been a no brainer for me since I started my business, but I’m continuing to niche down in what I specialize in. I’ve loved writing a lot of different types of copy this year (everything from launch copy to emails to websites). 2020 should bring even more clarity around this and hopefully I’ll find my single X factor.
8. Comparison is pointless
I quickly realized this year that staying in my lane was the path to real success. And that success is whatever I want it to be, not another business owner on Instagram who is probably not being genuine or honest about their revenue or lives. I still had an amazing revenue year, but I’m thinking more about bringing the best value and experience for my clients before all else, while respecting my own health.
9. Last but not least, I learned that I’m an Empath
Not necessarily a business-related win per se, but at the same time, knowing more about myself makes me a better business owner.
While I was in Niagara Falls for Legendary Life with Tarzan and Sage Polaris, I got a chakra reading from Tamara Arnold. At that point I was literally shaking, my head was cloudy and anxiety was pulsing through me.
I was blown away by what she said when she held my hands in hers…“Do you know how much of an Empath you are?” My response. “Ummm…I knew I was sensitive, but I’ve never put that label on it.” Since then I’ve learned so much more about what it means to be an Empath and how it shows up in my life. Ultimately, being an Empath is a blessing. I can read people even when we’re not meeting in person, this can be intense, but also helps me make choices in my business. I’m also creative, passionate and able to tap in to the needs of my clients deeply.
In honor of putting my intentions out in the universe here’s what I want to bring forth in in 2020. I will:
Attract + support the right clients
Clients who are serious about creating an impact on the world and ready to make an investment in their business
Learn and grow
This probably means joining a new mastermind. So excited to see what the universe manifests here!
Put my own mental health and wellbeing (along with my role as a mom) first.
If something feels bad, it’s bad, end of story!
My words for 2020 (because what writer can choose just one??)
Ease, trust, confidence
Wishing you a stellar 2020 as well!
Looking for help writing web and email copy that converts in 2020?
Reach out and let me know what you’re looking for!