Dreams DO Come True 🎁 How These 5 Copywriters Built Their Businesses—From Scratch

Hey, posse. Merry Christmas and welcome to a very special holiday episode here on my channel. Whether you are watching this on Christmas Day and you kind of snuck away to get some, you know, you time from your family, or you're just, you know, having a chill day off, or maybe you're watching this in the new year, or maybe you're watching this like a whole year from now. That is okay, because you are going to love this. You're about to hear five incredibly inspiring stories of real life students from my flagship copywriting program, the Copy Posse. Launchpad. Listen. Yes, Even in the age of AI, there are so many copywriters who are creating amazing success right now. Even those who are starting from scratch. The students you're about to meet come from diverse backgrounds, from different countries all over the world. You'll hear about the struggles they endured, the doubts they had, and how they overcame it all to build fun, fulfilling, and lucrative copywriting businesses in less than one year. Keep watching. Hey, bossy, what's up? It's Alex. Now, I am not going to waste any time in this intro because we have five amazing stories that you need to hear, like, pronto. I cannot wait for you to meet these writers and hear their stories, because each one of them are proof of what is possible for you when you have the right guidance, support, and community backing you up. So if you want to ignite your copywriting business in 2025, I am so excited to share that enrollment for LaunchPad Season 6 opens very, very soon. And if these stories inspire you to say F yes to your dreams this year, and if you are ready to get paid to write, make sure you hit that link in the description box below and get on the wait list so that you will be the first to know when doors open. All right, now let's get into these incredibly inspiring stories. So, Shelley, tell the people, where are you from and what season of the Launchpad are you from?

I'm a South African living in Ireland in a tiny little town in the countryside, and I was in season five this year.

Actually, I finished in April, so literally finished in April. So we're just seven months out from Launchpad Season 5, which is pretty cool. Tell everyone. Listening. Where were you when the idea of copywriting popped into your mind? What were you doing before all of this?

Oh, gosh. Before this, I was earning €120 a week, minding three children, ferrying them to and from school. It didn't even cover my petrol. And I was supplementing that income writing lists of dog names on Upwork for 4 cents a word. And actually that was better paid. So I had just had a new baby. I was breastfeeding around the clock. It was chaos. And I actually did another course first and it was just terrible. After spending time doing it, I had no idea how to write copy. I couldn't get any jobs. I'd been a lurker in the posse. Okay, Because I burned from the other course, spending all the money and thinking, oh, you know, this didn't deliver. So I'd kind of been lurking for about two years. And then I phoned my husband. I was like, I did a thing today. And he was like, what? I'm like, I signed up for Launchpad. And he was like, but we were only supposed to do that in 2025. What are you doing?

You're like, oops, I missed the whole year in the calendar.

But the fomo, bam.

I love that. This is so inspiring. You were child minding, which I guess here in Canada or us, we would say like, nannying, like you were watching other people.

Not even, not even as well paid as that. It's a fiver an hour here.

Okay, so like, like maybe babysitting or something. We would call that here. Did you have any experience at all copywriting?

I had been a content writer many, many years ago in South Africa, but I had no experience writing copy sales pages, emails. It was brand, brand new to me and how I managed to do that with my sleep deprived brain is a wonder.

You are a force of nature. So you had zero experience. I want to ask you what were, I mean, aside from obviously the financial investment, which it sounds like was a stretch for you, what were your doubts going in to this? I mean, it sounds like you had taken another program that didn't work out. So you probably had a lot of like, oh, gosh, this is not going to work, Alex.

I'm the queen of imposter syndrome, okay? Like, I have so much self doubt. I was really, really worried that I would be able to handle the workload with a new baby and all the responsibilities that I had to do. One of my worst fears was that I would write the copy and that you'd tell me that it was terrible and to do something else and that I would be stuck child minding for the rest of my life, earning a fiver an hour until I died. And I was so worried because I had invested money before and it was such a scam. Like, I mean, such a scam.

I love your vulnerability and just sharing the doubts you had because I think a Lot of you listen, listening. Who are considering joining the Launchpad are probably thinking like, well, I have zero experience. Sure, so and so can do it. Because, Shelley, your story is so inspiring because you went from babysitting and making a hundred dollars a week to now being a copywriter. What was the deciding factor? And maybe it was just the fomo, the. The famous potty fomo, but what was the deciding factor that made you say, enough's enough, Like, I'm going all in on this and I'm going to join LaunchPad Season 5.

I am actually utterly impatient. I just, I was so sick and tired of struggling with money, saying no to the kids, having to get to the end of the month and be counting pennies to go and do grocery shopping. Things are breaking. You can't replace them. It was just so frustrating. I've got a teen and a tween and a toddler. So the teens and the tweens, like, they want to go places and they want to go to movies and then you have to go, well, sorry, I don't have any money.

Or.

So you can't have that for your birthday because I can't afford that. My husband works around the clock and we're trying to build this now to a place where he can actually be home a little bit with us. I've actually told him he needs to do launch files and get up to speed, so he's starting that in January. Oh, my God, that's so awesome.

I love that.

And we're going to make it a his and hers copy.

That is so cool. I know. I mean, it's true. Once you discover this skill and how versatile it is, you're like, oh, my God, how did I ever live without this? Like, because even if. And I want to say this too, yes, we all think our goal is, I want to be a full time freelance copywriter. But we have so many Launchpad grads who are like, you know what? I use this skill to get my dream 9 to 5 job, and I'm going to do this for another year or two before I go fully freelance, or I'm going to use this skill to start my own business. Or like, copywriting is truly one of those skill sets that it will always return back to you. Because when is it ever a bad thing to learn how to communicate with more persuasion and to be able to understand marketing? Because I'm not just teaching you copywriting, I'm full on teaching you marketing foundations. Because the difference probably, Shelley, between the course that you took before and I'm not going to have you say which one it was because we don't want to throw anyone under the bus. But so many copywriting programs, it's like, surface level basics. It's like, okay, but how do I become a great copywriter? Well, you have to understand marketing first. And that's why in the launch pad, we don't even get to the writing modules until week six. So I love that you're roping in your hubby now, too, where you're like, we're building a copy empire. Get on board, babe. Like, this is what we're doing. I want to share a quote that you actually shared with me. You said, life was truly sucking hard. I knew I needed the change, but was so nervous to spend the money in case it didn't work out and I'd wasted more money we didn't have on a dream that wasn't looking likely to happen. That gave me goosebumps because it's just so real. Like, life was sucking hard. That's the. Before you joined the launch pad season five, which was just in January of this year, you graduated in April of this year. Share with everybody what your journey has looked like since the launch pad. What are you doing now?

Well, I don't hate getting up in the morning.

That's a huge win. Let's be honest.

I've had so many wins, alex. I had one 5k month in August. And the biggest thing about that wasn't the money. I had always had the mindset. You know, I watched all these success stories and it was like, okay, but that's them. Am I just chasing a dream? And in August, for the first time, I actually believed that I could do it. And for me, I had earned $5,000, right?

Only four months. Can we just say, only four months after the launch pad ended. That is freaking massive.

I'm only working part time because I work in the morning from Hopper's 9 until 12, when I have to fetch my kids. That's all the hours that I actually have to put into it. Like, focused hours. And then the afternoons are spent trying to do it while I'm cooking and cleaning and juggling and I'm thinking about what I can wrap tomorrow.

And here's the thing, right? The reality is, another beautiful thing about copywriting is the flexibility. You get to decide how much you work, when you work, who you work with, what you charge, who you say no to, all of it. And you're making regular money writing, which is exactly what you set out to do. And you only Finish the launch pad in april, and a 5k month is huge. I mean, it's huge. It's huge. Paid for the launch pad twice. Exactly. So, yeah. And I see the business you're building. I see the life you're building, and it's so freaking cool.

Noelle and I wrote a GoFundMe page for an animal rescue where we have raised, in about two months now, nearly £30,000 to get war. It is so incredible that we've done something that has made such a huge difference. I volunteered to work for an animal advocacy charity just straight out of Launchpad. And they've been so happy with me that about two weeks ago, they invited me to join their board. I mean, I'm a board member now.

You're a board member? I'm not even a board member. That's impressive.

And I save animals, drive these projects to save animals around the world. And it's all because of the Launchpad. Because I would never have had these opportunities or been able to follow these avenues through people that I've met to get to where I am now. The confidence that the launchpad has given me. I'm like a completely different person.

I see that. I remember you from the Launchpad calls. And this is one of my favorite things, you guys, is that, like, I have the perspective of hindsight and know what's possible if you're showing up and doing the work. And I saw you showing up every week, and I also heard the doubt in your voice every time we chatted. And it just to see you now, you're radiating your confidence is through the roof. All of these little seeds that are planted is what creates this massive transformation. You are showing up fully differently on client calls now. You are showing up in a completely different energy. And the financial will just continue following that. Imagine, Shelly, one year from now. I can't even imagine.

Alex. I swear to God, I wouldn't even do a video testimonial. When I finished the launch pad, I was so scared to get on camera. My very first call that I had with a client off the posse job board, I spent 10 minutes talking about my sweaty pits, and naturally, I didn't get the job. And now I'm on the board conducting calls with, like, animal rescues, and it's like, it. The personal transformation for me has been the biggest.

So final question. What advice would you give to anybody listening to this who's maybe, like, where you were a year ago, being like, am I going to freaking do this? Do I want to start copywriting? Do I want to join the launchpad. What advice would you give them?

I'd say stop lurking and just dive in. Because there's never, ever a better time than now. And you will convince yourself a thousand times not to do something. But if you are going to do it, give it your all. Because it is what you make of it. And if you show up and you do the work and you trust that process, you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

Shelly, thank you so much for sharing your story.

I mean, Alex, you've created something more than just a course. It's literally. It is a complete all round transformation. It is the best thing I have ever done in my whole life. And I will. My only regret is that it actually took me so long to take the leap.

Bonnie.

Hi.

Hello. So you just, like Shelly, wrapped up just in April?

Yes.

Of this year. So very, very recently. And what were you doing before getting into copywriting?

Before getting into copywriting, I was a security guard driving around, catching people trying to have sex in the parking lot.

Literally. This is. Is this it for me?

This is it for me.

This is it for me. This is the best it's gonna get. I tried New York accent. I freaking love that, though. Like, you were a security guard.

Yeah.

Catching people having sex in parking lots, you said. Eventually it came to a point where I lost my care. I had to become a people pleaser to survive the shifts. My confidence broke up with me. Oh, got goosebumps. And I started losing my sense of self because this industry was the embodiment of Mean girls. Regina George, which awesome little reference there. It was a life ruiner. It ruined people's lives.

Yeah.

Who.

So you were in this career that was sucking the life out of you. And like everyone watching this, Connie has so much freaking life. Like your laugh, your energy. It breaks my heart to even think that you were in this dark place where you felt like you were just having to force your way through it because you're just such a bright light. Seeing you here now is so cool because just a year ago you decided to join the launch pad. What doubts did you have going in?

So, like Shelly, it was those self doubts because I didn't trust myself at the time, which I'm sure a lot of you can relate to. It's a matter of, can I do this? Am I good enough? Can I make a career out of this? Am I going to be a good boss to myself? You know, things like that.

Yeah.

So the make or break for me was when enrollment started, I said, if I don't do this, I'm really afraid it's never going to happen. So I talked with my husband, who's just been incredibly supportive, and he goes, you know what? I'm looking in your eyes right now.

You have to do it. You have to do it.

You graduated Launchpad in April. What has your journey been like since then? What are you doing now?

So my first client came from the job board and actually continually. Well, with the exception of one from the job board. I mean, to hear feedback that they loved it or I did a good job or things like that tells me that this is the direction I'm meant to go in. This is the route that I'm meant to pursue. And it's just been really rewarding from both success and rejection. And I feel like you need both.

I think sometimes we forget that, like when we decide to learn this skill to start a freelancing business. You guys are starting service based businesses and for many people it takes years for a business to get off the ground. And I say this all the time. Like when you're in, never happens fast enough. But then you'll look back a year after, let's say April 2025 will be a year after you graduate and you'll be like, why did I stress so much? Because I'm starting a whole freaking ass business from scratch and you're not having to go through a four year business degree that's going to cost you. I don't know how much it costs in the US to go to business school, but it's a lot. And you said, I just signed third client, 4,500 to 5,000 and have a discovery call later this month. Hopefully with my 4th, I might not have hit those 10k months yet. Keyword yet. So that's huge. And like, hello, you graduated the launch pad in April. So can we just like pump the brakes for a hot second and be like, it's been a few months. And I think that's the perspective shift because again, we think if I don't have a win right away, it means that I've completely failed or this isn't meant for me. Every entrepreneur that you look up to has gotten more rejections than, than yeses. But when you have a community to lean on for support, when you have people who can guide you through it, when you have people who can say, it's not you, it's not meant for you, you know what's meant for you, won't miss you.

I say it all the time. I love this community. This community has given me so much in terms of helping me rebuild myself. And all I want to do is help everyone strive and succeed and to see their growth. And I feel their growth is going to help me grow, you know, and, like, that's.

Yeah, it's like surrounding yourself with people who believe in your new story.

Yes.

Because sometimes when we share our new dreams or our new stories with the people in our lives, even though they're supportive and they love us, they're reflecting back our fear. And they might say things like, are you sure you're really cut out for that? Are you sure that's meant for you? And we know that they're coming from a place of love, but oftentimes, in order to really create transformation in our lives, the first. First thing we need to do is change our environment and change the people we surround ourselves with daily who can reflect back the news story. And that's what you're saying. One last piece of advice. Anyone sitting here listening to this wondering if Launchpad Season 6 is the right move for them?

100%. If you're doubting yourself, if you're wondering, I think the thing at the end of the day is we're standing in our own way. We're telling ourselves no before we can allow life and the experience to tell us no. Stop saying no to yourself, because I think that's the first thing we look to do is say no to ourselves. So if you guys are on the fence, just jump it. Jump the fence and become part of this and see what awaits you on the other side. The posse is just incredible. And, yeah, this community is just something you're not going to find anywhere.

Ashley. Hi, Ashley.

Hey.

So tell everyone what season of the launch pad you're from.

Yeah, so I just finished in April, So season five.

Season five. Season five, baby. And what were you doing before? Before you got into copywriting?

I was hanging out deep in your funnel.

Yeah. You took write, ignite. What were you doing before you discovered the Posse funnel?

I. So my husband and I also own a personal training studio. And before we owned it, it's a franchise. I worked for that studio for like 11 years as a personal trainer. And then I had my first baby in 2017 and my second baby in 2021. So I needed something flexible. So one day, I don't know, I mentioned it to my husband. I'm like, I don't think I can come back. Like, I gotta figure something else out. Anyways, long story short, I decided to do social media, and I built a successful business or so I thought at the time. With social media, I had, like, I think six clients and then realized pretty quickly after probably, like six months that I hated doing social media.

You're like, wait, what have I done?

Like, I really need to comment on people's posts. And I also worked for an agency. And she's like, these are five things that you're allowed to say on everybody's profile. That's all you're allowed to say. I'm like, you have to do 50 comments a day. So here I am on my phone, like, one, two, like, tallying how many comments. I cannot do this, which isn't even.

Really social media management. You're like, okay, I want to be creative. I want to, like, you know, have some strategy here.

Yeah. But I'm like, I do, like, the writing part. I was like, I'm just gonna do it because I hate doing what I'm doing. But I, like, my husband already hired someone in my position, so I can't go back there now. So I gotta figure out. So I took Write and Ignite and, like, literally fell in love. I don't even know. I have zero. Like, let's. Let's go back to the fact that I have zero writing experience and marketing. Zero marketing experience?

Yeah.

So you were kind of in this phase of, like, what's my thing? What am I going to do? Maybe copywriting. Despite having zero experience, you then join Launchpad Season 5, which again, just wrapped up in April. What were your doubts? What were your doubts going in?

My only reservation for Launchpad was I was like, well, am I going to.

Like, learn anything else?

Like, so I was kind of just wondering, like, what am I going to get? I can tell you right now, I got a lot, and I'm still getting a lot out of it. I was actually learning marketing because I had no marketing experience. And then I'm like, wow, like, writing is so different when you actually understand marketing. And because it was such a steep learning curve for me, I mean, maybe there's people taking it that understand marketing, so it's not going to be so steep. But it was a steep learning curve for me. So doing it live was like, game changer for me.

In case there's any parents listening to this. Like, how did you balance all of that with the kiddos, with the business? How did you make the time for something like the Launchpad?

Yeah. So that was hard. My husband leaves the house at five in the morning. He doesn't get back till five at night. So I do all the drop Offs and the pickups. I make all the dinners. And I mean, I had that luxury because I wasn't working. I wasn't transitioning from a 9 to 5. But I got up a lot of mornings early and watched your videos. I'll get up really early, or I'd stay up really late after bedtime, and I'll just do it like I. You just do what you got to do. Nap time there. I call it like the nap time hustle. I would watch the videos. I just made it happen, and sometimes they're on my lap, but I just wanted to be there even if the camera was off and I couldn't, like, take part. Just having it play in the background.

That's what I. I like. I mean, I think about that, right? Like, you know, at the end of the day, like, if you're trying to change your career, change your life, build a business like you. You make, you. You make it work. Like, not saying it's easy, but for eight weeks, you're like, okay, I'm prioritizing myself and I'm prioritizing this, and I'm gonna freaking figure it out and make it happen. And, you know, there's people. I see Jenny's on here now. She didn't attend a single live call during the program. Wasn't able to attend a single live call yet. She was still the first person to graduate from her season of the launch pad. And so you figure it out. You make a schedule. You figure it out. You have your coach, you have your accountability pod, you have the support in the group. You make it happen. So thank you for sharing that. So, yeah, let's. Let's chat a little bit about what you're up to now. I know you've had a bit of a tough year. Obviously, you are also in rain. So we talk all the time.

Yeah, so I had my highest month, which was 15k, which is like, insane for me to even think that that was possible, because, you know when you see all these online things and you're like, yeah, right. I could never make 10k because you're so conditioned that, like, a 9 to 5 job, like, you look at the salary and you're like, it's 60k. Like, that's all I can make. I can't make any more than that, can I?

That's. Yeah, that's the time I have. It's like as soon as you plant that seed of believability, all of a sudden it shifts. You're like, no, wait, I actually can. Like, I was only Confined by my own paradigm of what I thought was possible.

Yeah. So January was launch pad and I didn't have like the 15k months, but it was more like 8, 9k months all kind of through that. And then I got a concussion and it's not even a good story, you guys. And this is one one of the main reasons why I want to, why being a copywriter is so beneficial. I was rushing around the house like trying to flip something on here and get that for my daughter and do whatever and I smoked my head in the kitchen and that was in July. So that really kind of derailed my actual being able to work. But what it did do was give me the gift of thinking about what I want my life to look like and how I want to build my business around that instead of the other way around. So I've just taken actually two more clients, an email retainer and ad copy for an agency. So that's pretty exciting. And then I also have a couple of retainer clients still. The thing is, I get all of my clients from being in groups like the launchpad because the like minded people are together and we refer things around to each other. You lift each other up and you see opportunities for each other and like you're all invested in each other's success. It's not just like about you.

Yeah, exactly. And that, and that's, I think the beautiful thing about being in a community like that is you, you get the friendships, you get the referrals, you get the access, you get the authority of being someone who invests in yourself at that level. But also having that posse power backing you up, you were still able to decide, okay, what do I want my life to look like and how do I prioritize my health? And you were still able to run your business. You just had to scale back. And then the second you were really ready, you're like, hey, I'm feeling like I'm back to myself again. Scale back up. You just closed two more clients. That's the power of working for yourself. I know people often say, what about the consistent income? We have this like belief that getting a pay stubborn every two weeks. Yes, it comes consistently until it doesn't. And we know that people get laid off. We know that people lose their jobs. When you have a versatile skill set that can be transferred to so many different avenues, businesses, employment, there really is so many different directions you can take it. And I remember saying to you when you had that concussion, like the universe is telling you to slow down. We already know you can hit those 15k months. You were on track to hit 20. Like, you have that in you now. Stop for a second and take care of yourself and figure out what you need right now. And it's really cool to see you come back full circle from that and get your business back on track.

That's the thing, is you can make as little as you want or as much as you want, but for me, the biggest thing is not feeling that sense of overwhelm. Not waking up in the morning, be like, I got to do 50 comments today. Not waking up, hating your job and hating your life. Being able to, like, set your phone on, do not disturb until 9. Because I'm focusing on my kids. I just really needed to slow down and figure out a way, like you always say, build your life around your business.

Build your business around your life. Yeah.

Not, like, trying everything around, right?

Yeah, exactly. It's so important. It's so important. And you're doing it. You're doing it. So what advice would you give to anyone who maybe like you is, like, telling themselves, I have zero experience as a marketer, as a copywriter, Is this really something that I can do?

Follow your dreams, because ain't nobody following them for you. So if you just continue to do the same thing that you do, you're going to continue to do the same thing that you do. And I know it's scary and it costs money and, you know, all the things. I'm sure we all have the same fears and objections, but if you don't do it, then how will you know what you can actually do? Like, I tell this to my daughter every day. I'm like, whatever you want to do and whatever you want to be, you can. There's nothing holding you back. Except for you.

Robbie in the house. What's going on? Where are you from? What season are you from?

Robbie? And from the Netherlands. And I'm from Launchpad Season 3.

What were you doing before you discovered me on YouTube?

I was figuring out who I am, what I want to do, who I want to become. I'm still in college, and before I jumped on Launchpad, I was in college as well, failing. And I Already knew your YouTube from a year back, but gave my trust to a social guru and bought his program. And it was just like, it was the same investment, but it was like the biggest fail of the year at that moment. And then a year after, when I saw. When I saw your face again, I was just like, okay, this is actually my lowest point. Let's do it, let's go all in.

And this is what I think is so cool and, like, why I love to showcase these different stories. You're still in college, but you were working two jobs. You were working at a restaurant, and you were basically flunking college, failing college, and you were looking for a way out, something that you could do to kind of take control of your life. I think you had said something in your notes, like, I realized that nobody else was going to do it for me and I had to do it for myself.

Yeah, yeah. It was like, at one moment, it was just overwhelmed with all the tasks that all the things that were happening at the same time. And I always had a dream of, like, okay, I want to travel around the world and I want to do my own stuff. And that's the moment I decided, okay, I choose for myself. And the second thought I had was like, okay, I need to have a skill that helps. Helps me make money. And I tried the entire online marketing spectrum. I tried social media marketing, affiliate marketing, selling third party, like, on Amazon, and nothing really worked. And I remembered you all from YouTube and I was just like, okay, this is the next step I should take.

I love that you're talking about all the things you tried before, because I think that's a reality. Like, when we're in this community plays in our lives where we're like, I want to create more income, I want to have more freedom. I want to be able to control my schedule. There's a million opportunities that come across your feed. You could say online, and in order to do any of that, well, you need to know copywriting. And so whether you learn copywriting skills, become a freelance copywriter, and that's what you do forever. Great. Or you learn the skills that then all of a sudden transfer into any of these other online marketing modalities or methods. And I just think it's interesting and not surprising that you tried these other things and they didn't click right away. And then you're like, okay, I guess I trust Alex. I'm gonna join the Launchpad. And doing it all while in school. Like, to me, that's so freaking amazing. Balancing college work while taking a program. You said in your notes that you didn't attend a single live call, and it wasn't necessarily because of your schedule. You said you had major imposter syndrome and you weren't sure if you belonged. Can talk a little bit about that and the doubts you had going in.

Yeah, of course. It was like when joining Launchpad and you see all these amazing people. Some were already sharing amazing wins. And I remember the first welcome call and saw everyone's faces, and it was like, look, I'm in the beginning of my career. I didn't even get much experience with working, of course. And I was just like, okay, hey, I'm just starting out. I don't belong here. But I had a really great accountability partner because I love doing the work by myself and accountability partner, that I would do my job, that I would write my copy. And I had someone who has experience as copywriter check my copy. So that's my confidence. Yeah, there's a lot of girls who are just like, no, they were no go for me. Team Replay.

I think it's what I love, and thank you for sharing that. It just really goes to show, doesn't matter who you are, what age you are, where you come from, everybody has doubts if you're older, you think, it's too late for me. I should have done this when I was Robbie's age. If you're Robbie's age, you think, this isn't for me. I don't belong here. I'm not ready for this yet. Nobody's gonna take me seriously. So I remember not really knowing you that well through the launch pad because you didn't come on a single live call. So I was like, oh. And I remember seeing your name, and I'm thinking, did I meet him? Like, who is Robby? And it was really cool. Obviously, it's been extremely cool to watch your growth since then. Do you want to share a little bit what you're up to now, what. What you're doing, what goals you've hit and where you're headed?

Yeah, of course, in the. I think the two and a half years I can call myself a Cooper Rider, I traveled to at least 20 countries around the globe. So that's something I'm really proud of. I'm working really closely with three amazing clients. I'm making around between 3 and a half K and 5K US dollars, and I think my highest month was between 5 and 7. But I guess the most transformational thing about this entire journey, I know what I want. I know my shit. And now it's time to expand.

It's the power of finding your lane and figuring out your thing and going, this actually is for me. And when you're in that alignment, the journey becomes fun. And now watching you grow, I mean, gosh, like, I have no doubt in my mind that you will turn this freelance copywriting business into so much more because you're so hungry and determined. And to see you pulling in three and a half to 5k months, making up to seven, traveling the world, doing everything that you set out to do when you started this journey is really cool. It's so cool to see.

Yeah. And I want to add something because I'm still in school.

But you're gonna finish, right? Are you gonna finish?

I'm gonna finish it.

Amazing.

At least I try to finish it.

You're balancing a lot. Like, and again, that's the thing, right? Whether it's kids, whether it's school, like we're starting businesses, it's freaking hard. But you've got the posse backing you up. And you've become such an incredible support in this community as well, which I love to see you go from being like, I'm not even going to attend a call because I don't feel like I belong here to now being a mentor in the community and supporting our launch patterns. It's truly incredible to see. And I, I cannot wait to see where you go next. Robbie, what advice would you give to everybody listening who's like, I don't belong here.

It's slow and steady always wins the race.

Yeah.

A lot of times we think it's a sprint. And that's something that was stuck in my mind as well. It's like, okay, I've got to do this fast and I have to do this perfect and create the best amazing portfolio ever. And no, you just start, start writing, get better first, and then over time, you get better by doing it and slow and steady, you won't burn out.

That's such good advice, Robbie. Like, I need to take that advice. And I have had to have a talk with myself because I realize in my own business growth, I've been holding myself to these completely unrealistic standards of growth. And then I've seen, seen people like you and many other people in this community where every month it's about those incremental improvements. That's how you build a business that truly stands the test of time. Because in those months, you're learning skills that can never be taken away from you. Your confidence grows by a little bit. You're showing up differently on phone calls, you're showing up differently in the community. And of that has the stacking effect. And so I know we all want this like, two week transformation. I graduated the Launchpad. Where's my 10K client? Does it happen? Sure, it's happened. Does it always happen? No. But what does happen is, Lee, if, if you do the work. Leaving with an asset, skills, and a new level of confidence that, oh, my gosh, where can it take you? There's absolutely no end to that. Robby, thank you for sharing your story. And last, last but not least, we have Ann Marie coming up here. Ann Marie, hello.

Hi, everyone.

So tell everyone where you're from, where you are now, because, girl, I've been following your ass all around the globe. I don't even know where you are now and what season of the launch pad you were in.

So I'm from England, from London. Right now I am in Puerto Escondido in Mexico, and I did Launch Pad Season three.

I love that I am getting flashbacks to you sending me a DM message on Instagram. I guess it would have been like, right at the time that Launchpad Season 3 opened, and you were like, I'm in the UK, I work at a hotel doing sales, and can I really do this? And it's so cool now, like, full circle moment, to be able to share, really, this incredible journey you've been on in the last couple of years. So share with everyone what were you doing before you got into copywriting and started the Launchpad?

So, yeah, you're right. I was working in the hotel industry for, like, nearly 20 years in sales. So I started out when I was just 17 years old, and I just kind of got dragged into sales. It wasn't actually my intention, but I just was offered a job and then I was good at it. And then I kept kind of getting promoted, and I just sort of realized, like, is this actually what I want to do or did I just kind of get snowballed into this career? And I didn't. I didn't hate my job. I had a good job. I worked for an amazing company. Lots of people would want the job that I had, which kind of made me stay for so long.

Right.

But I was not loving it at all. I was just kind of going through the motions. And as soon as I started to think, I'm going to do something else, I think, what will that be? And I can't just suddenly do something else. I need to train in something. But what if I spend money training in something and then that's not the thing? And so I would just end up doing nothing.

Right.

And more and more time would go, yeah, I love writing, actually. And someone said, well, yeah, have you looked at copywriting? So, and that's how I found you, because I just kind of put copywriting into YouTube and found your channel.

I love that. That so much. And I think what you said is so relatable. Like, how many of us have ever in our lives been in a situation where we're going through the motions and you're like, wait a second, is this actually what I want? Or am I just doing it because I've always done it and I'm good at it? And then the added guilt of being like, but this is a good job. Of course, we hear stories of, I hated my job, I needed to get out, and I. That's what drove me to find this new thing. But it's almost scarier when you're in a place of just sort of complacency and going through the motions and. And then that realization of, like, if I don't do something now, like, what is my thing? And so I'm so glad that you found me. I was so glad that you found the posse and that you joined Launchpad. What doubts did you have? Were you skeptical?

I think what I was most concerned about is I can be a bit of a sucker for bright, shiny things, and I just had to stop myself and think, well, actually, hold on, hold on a minute. You know, is. Is this just some kind of. Not. I didn't think it was a scam, but just, you know, selling a dream, that's unrealistic. And is it possible, all these people talking about, you know, making X amount of money, like, really, you know, so I. I was kind of really doubting that. And obviously, the launch pad, it's not a cheap course, right? It's not cheap. So it's. It's a real investment. And I was like, oh, God, you know, am I going to spend all this money and then feel like this actually isn't at all what I wanted and I'm not getting anything from it?

And I think it's normal that we all feel that way. Absolutely. Which is why it's so important to hear other people's stories, because I can tell you all day long, like, I pour my heart and soul into this program, do everything I can to have to help you succeed, but to hear it from you and. And to hear those doubts, I think it's just really real. Like, it's just really real. So you joined Launch Pad Season three. What was that experience like for you? I mean, you're in the uk, so balancing the live calls, working full time, taking the program, kind of share a bit about your experience there.

So I think, if I remember rightly, the calls for me in the UK were in the evenings, so it worked out quite well, because I would finish work and then I would just block off that evening. And then at the weekend, I just kind of dedicated my time to doing my homework. Honestly, I loved it so much. For me, I need things to be kind of broken down into, like, bites size, digestible segments. And the process of the course was just perfect. And the pace of it, the timing, all of it, and it covered everything because I didn't know anything. Yeah, like, I went into the course knowing. I mean, I'd watched some of your YouTube videos, but I didn't know anything at all. And I think I was worried about being overwhelmed, but it was so. It was so digestible.

I take a lot of pride in my teaching style and the way that I share content. So to hear you say that really is awesome. Okay, well, let's get to the juicy stuff. What are you doing now? I mean, you're obviously not in London anymore. You're in Mexico. Tell us a little bit about your business now and what that looks like.

So after the launch pad, I. I just want to say I loved doing it every week. Like, I just enjoyed it so much. And I came away with my portfolio and I was so proud. And I was like, I'm going to be, you know, a copywriter. But I was. I think I kind of left the course and I think I maybe. I think I maybe did a couple of cold outreach. I didn't really try very hard, if I'm honest. And then I got sucked back into my normal work life and I was just making excuses. I think it was just a lot of. It was imposter syndrome. I am terrible for self sabotaging. And so I didn't really do anything for like a year. And I paid for this course.

I've done it.

I really enjoyed it. I think I was really good at it.

I.

Why am I not doing anything with it? And it was. It was kind of frustrating me, but I got sucked back into the same cycle. And then last year, so a year after I graduated from the launchpad, I just was like, you know what? I've got to do something drastic here because this is my life and I have to do something now. So I just. I just quit. I packed up my flat in London and I bought a flight to Bali and I just left. And. And that was it. Yeah. I was like, I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know how long I'm gonna go away for, but I just need some freedom. That's what I. That's what I was craving I was like, I need to be free.

Yeah, you need to breathe.

Yeah, I need to breathe. I need to just get away. You know, I'm, I'm not married, I don't have children. So I was free to do that, obviously. Appreciate that. It's not something that everybody can do, but that's just what I needed.

Yeah.

And so I just, I just left. And for a few months, I didn't do any work. I was just kind of traveling around. And since then, that was just over a year ago, and I've been to 17 countries in the last year. I spent eight months around Southeast Asia. I was in the Philippines, Thailand, Bali, Sri Lanka. I went to, to Hong Kong. I did summer in Europe and now Mexico. I've done some of the US I'm going to spend the next few months traveling around South America. And I started putting myself out there and saying, oh, I'm a copywriter. Anybody who's a copywriter. And I threw a recommendation of a girl who used to work for me actually at the hotel in the hotel industry. And she said, look, I work with this, this media and communications agency. They're looking for somebody to do their social media captions for just a couple of hours a week. I was like, yep, I'll do it. I started doing that and after about a month, they asked for a meeting with me and I thought, well, they're gonna, this is it. Oh, well, had a good run.

Yeah.

And then like, you know, we just love your writing and our full time copyright is leaving and we were just wondering if you would take over. And I was like. And so I said, I would love to, but I don't want to work full time, so I'll do it, but I'm only going to do a few hours a week. And they said, fine. So they are now my retainer client. And since then I've taken on smaller other projects. All of them have come from me. Either it's word of mouth or me being at events. But my main retainer client, I've just put my rates up for them for next year and they send me consistent work every week.

Amazing. Yeah, that's incredible.

I'd love to keep traveling around the world and just enjoying myself.

That is so, so amazing. I think it goes to show too. You never know where opportunities are gonna come from. Like oftentimes we think, oh, well, I'm leaving this job over here, that's like an old life. No one over there knows what I do. So many times you start letting people know, hey, I'm a copywriter. And these little, all of a sudden relationships that you, you know, had on Facebook or people that you worked with are like, oh, I think I know someone. And it really does become this kind of web. But it really starts with getting clear and owning who you are and what you do. It's been so cool seeing your Instagram and watching you travel and be like, you did it. Like, I remember when you messaged me that one day, and you were like, I just want to travel. I want to write. Can I do this? I'm like, you can. And then the day that you left for Bali or around that time, you messaged me again. You're like, I'm doing it. You're like, I. I don't know how, but I'm going to do it. And now seeing your growth over this past year has been so freaking cool to see. You've shifted your entire career in a year.

Yeah.

Your whole life. Yeah.

And I.

And I.

And I realized that that's what I was craving. That's what I wanted. You know, I don't want to work for somebody else. I don't want to have to ask to have time off. I don't want to have to be told what to do. I. I hate that. And that's what was making me feel like. Like, this is just not. This is just not for me. Whereas now, you know, I. I literally do whatever I want all the time.

And I love. Like, this is the life I want. Yes, please. Thank you. Question from Jackie. She said, what. What niche are you writing in? Like, is. Is your client in hospitality or.

No, and honestly, I don't write anything that I thought I would want to write at all.

Yeah.

So I had this big dream. I was gonna write in the paddle. Personal development space. I like the idea of maybe in travel or in something like sexual wellness and relationships. Like, I had all these cool ideas.

Yeah.

But no client that I work with, they. They work with a variety of different clients. Most of them are in the technology, science and innovation space.

Oh.

Most of the time, I write about stuff that I have absolutely no idea. Like, it's just really cool, interesting stuff. But, yeah, again, you told me, like, a year ago that's what I'd be doing. I'd have been like, I don't want to do that. And I really enjoy it. It's so interesting.

Yeah.

And it's. I learned a lot.

That's such good advice, though, too. Like, going in and we talk about this a lot in the launch pad where, you know, you you'll have an idea of the kind of niche you want to write in. But I always say to everybody, like, be open to dabbling in a lot of different things because it will surprise you what you actually enjoy writing about and what you enjoy writing and who you enjoy working with. And sometimes we just automatically think, oh, it has to be something that I'm personally really passionate about. It doesn't. And so be open to exploring different opportunities and to like, see where it leads. And how cool is it that you were like, you were in hospitality, you thought you wanted to write in personal development and sexual wellness or, or travel, which to me I would be the same. It's like, yeah, same girl. Those sound fun. And then writing in tech, you're like, well, wait a second, this is different. But what a cool, like, learning opportunity. Who knows what doors that's going to open?

So you don't, you don't need to immediately start doing what you think you want to do. You know, there's so much that you can learn.

Say yes to.

Yeah, say yes to every opportunity and figure it out. Absolutely. Any final words of wisdom to share with everyone?

You know, I would say, okay, two things. Number one, don't get carried away thinking about things that aren't really that important. Them straight away. Like, I'm not kidding you, I cannot tell you how long I spent trying to come up with a cool Instagram handle.

Right.

So my copyright Instagram. Like, I'm not, I've spent so long doing it and it was like, just, just do your portfolio first. Finish the course.

Yeah.

Like, I do not have a. I don't have a copywriting Instagram now. I have one for my travels.

Yeah.

Which has a bit. I could talk about my like, freelance work, I guess, but not really. It's nothing to do. But I was so hyper focused on that. Like, I was going to make a really great Instagram page and suddenly have millions of clients. Like, I don't know what I was thinking, but I wasted my own time. And thing is, don't compare yourself to everybody else because that's another thing I was seeing. Like people would maybe write in the group. Like, I've tried cold outreach for X amount of time and I'm not getting anywhere. Or this hasn't worked for me, or this hasn't worked me. And I would think, oh, wow, it hasn't worked for them. So I'm not even going to try it because it won't work for me. I don't know who that person is. I don't know what their experience is. I don't know what their writing is like. I don't know whether they've really learned and from the course.

Yeah, I don't.

What they're doing is nothing to do with me. So don't even, don't let that, you know, sway you either. We all have our own style and what works for somebody else may not work for you and vice versa. So just, you know, just focus on what you're doing.

And yep, I love that advice. And that comes up so much in the Launchpad. Like, guys, stop worrying about having a website. Like so many of our Launchpad coaches who are now rainmakers making 10k plus months, they don't have a website. I didn't have a website for the first six years of doing freelancing. It's so much more about showcasing your work in a portfolio and building that web of connections which happens through time and as you've so beautifully described. So thank you for that advice. How incredible were those stories? If you are ready to take control of your freedom, your time, your schedule, and learn the proven copywriting and marketing strategies that these students learn to build the businesses and create the lives of their dreams this year, join the wait list for Season six of the Copy Posse Launchpad. I have had thousands of students go through this program and every year we see incredible success stories just like these. I hope to be sharing your story next year. Click the link to join the waitlist for the Copy Posse Launchpad now and Posse. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and of course, Happy New Year. I will see you in 2025 with a brand new video. I cannot wait for all of the amazing stuff I have planned for you next year. If you want to keep tabs on what I'm doing in my marketing and copywriting strategies, if you want to see how I'm shifting and simplifying my business, you know what to do. Subscribe below. Don't forget to hit that bell to be notified when my next video goes live and I will see you January 1st. Until then, I'm Alex. Ciao for now. All right guys, if you enjoyed that video, make sure to check out the next one from me right here and you can click right here to get a free gift. This easy five step formula has already helped thousands of new and aspiring copywriters land their very first first client and continue to consistently get more clients after that. So if you are looking to launch your copywriting business this year, keep watching.