The First T C I R Rail in 2018

For the 279th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast, we’ve got not one… but 4 guests jumping on the show. You’ll hear the familiar voices of Jude Charles, Justin Blackman, and Ash Chow as they chat about their experiences with both TCCIRL and (N)IRL. Thinking about joining the party? Here’s what it’s all about: The first impression of TCCIRL – are copywriters really weird? The experiences you can expect to have at your first or even second and third IRL event. Are A-listers real people? The importance of being able to build relationships outside of your computer screen. Being introverted and going to a social event… how does it work? First look at topics you’ll be tuning into at this year’s event. How to leverage TCCIRL in your life and business once the event is over. Dealing with burnout at different levels and how to maneuver it. How much can happen in a short period of time and not forgetting to sit in moments of accomplishment. Which guest nailed 57 podcasts because of TCCIRL? How TCCIRL gives you a boost of energy when you need it – even after it’s over. Can you be in the right and wrong room at the same time? Embracing our awkward quirks and being confident in our empathy. Where do you want to be in a year from now? How has the copywriting and marketing landscape changed over the last year? Why is 2022 the best time to be a small business owner in this space? The people and stuff we mentioned on the show: The Copywriter Club In Real Life Event Kira’s website Rob’s website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group The Copywriter Underground Episode 216 with Justin Blackman Episode 217 with Jude Charles Connect with Ash Connect with Justin Connect with Jude   Full Transcript: Kira Hug:  The Copywriter Club in Real Life is coming up fast, in only five weeks. And in today's episode, our guests include this year's presenters and think tank members, Ash Chow and Justin Blackman and returning repeat presenter, Jude Charles. Rob is out of town this week, so my co-host today is one of our team members from The Copywriter Club, Rosie Bynum, our client relationship and event manager. Rosie, thanks for joining me as a co-host today. Rosie Bynum:  Thank you. I'm excited to be here and I'm excited to talk about the next event coming up, our big one for the year, TCCIRL, that is The Copywriter Club in Real Life. TCCIRL is taking over the in-person stage this year in Nashville, Tennessee, March 28 through 30th. And that is coming up pretty quickly. It is a two-and-a-half-day event where you'll hear from other copywriters and marketers about the best tools and strategies you can use to grow your business, skills, and mindset. Getting connected with some of the best minds in the space is the cherry on top. Space is limited, so be sure to grab your ticket as soon as possible. If you'd like more information, head over to thecopywriterclub.com/tccirl-2022. We'll link it in the show notes as well. Kira Hug:  And space is really limited as in we only have a certain number of tickets left because the venue can only hold 200 people. And so, when we say that we actually mean it, is not just marketing speak. So get your tickets if you do want to be there, we want to make sure you have a seat. And now let's jump into the conversation with Jude, Ash, and Justin. All right, today, we're going to kick this off with a very special episode with some special guests. Today we're going to talk about TCCIRL and also the way that the copywriting and marketing landscape has changed over the last few years. And so, I want to kick this off with my co-host and then we're going to go around the room and everyone will get a chance to introduce yourselves. So, Rosie, why don't you kick it off as my co-host today? Because we kicked Rob Marsh out, you are going to co-host. Why don't you introduce yourself? Rosie Bynum:  Hi, everybody. Yes, my name is Rosie. You might know me from emails that have come your way or if you've been in any of our programs, the Accelerator or the Think Tank or in Underground. I've been with The Copywriter Club now for... I think this fall will be my third-year anniversary with Kira and Rob. I started out as a general VA and now I guess I would be a project manager/event manager. I love it, I wouldn't have it any other way. Kira Hug:  All right, thanks Rosie. We're going to just go around the room. If you can just introduce yourself and share your elevate pitch, I don't know. Start with the elevator pitch and we'll go from there. So Jude, can you kick this off? Jude Charles:  Sure. I am Jude Charles. I am the filmmaker who always seems to find his way into The Copywriter Club. So yeah, I'm a filmmaker. I create documentaries for entrepreneurs. I went to the first TCCIRL in 2018, I believe, so I'm in OG, and looking forward to being at the next one in Nashville. Kira Hug:  All right, thanks, Jude. Let's see, let's go to Ash. Ash Chow:  Hey, everyone. I'm Ash Chow, and I am a launch strategist and conversion copywriter for online entrepreneurs who want to sell their digital products on repeat. I am based in Melbourne, Australia, so I am super excited to be doing a long haul flight over to the US just for this conference. It's going to be my first trip, so I'm really excited to have my first TCCIRL and my first trip to the States coincide. Kira Hug:  And we are so excited to see you in person Ash, finally, to meet you in person. All right, thanks, Ash. Justin, who are you? Justin Blackman:  Nobody really knows. I am a mystery wrapped in a Kit Kat bar. I am a brand voice expert and overall writer of weird things and analyser patterns. I don't even know what to call myself anymore, but I'm a great big mess. I'm the duckbill platypus of copywriters. Kira Hug:  Okay, well, we'll probably dig into that later and try to dig into the hot mess that you are. Okay, great, I appreciate- Rosie Bynum:  I like it. All right, I think that my first question for each of you is, what was your first impression from your first IRL event. Maybe Jude, since you're an OG, you could start. Jude Charles:  Like I said, I'm the filmmaker that came into the room and it was just like, "Why am I here?" My only experience with copywriters at that time was The Copywriter Club Podcast, and I think my very first impression when I walked into the room is that these people aren't as weird as I thought they would be. No, you guys are very welcoming, and I think even though I felt out of place, I also felt at home. One thing I loved about the first TCCIRL that I had never experienced at any other conference, and I had gone to conferences before then, was that during lunchtime there would be a group of us... Each day was different, but there would be a group of us, five, at the most maybe six, where we would have lunch together and then we would get to know each other better that way, and I really like that. I think there was even one night, might have been the first night, that we did dinner together, and I enjoyed that as well. And so, I think for me, the first TCCIRL was all about feeling welcomed into the community. Of course, there was learning. I had been hearing about Parris Lampropoulos for such a long time, but then finally got to see him in person. He's such a great presenter too. And yeah, those were all my first impressions. It was an amazing experience, and that's why I haven't missed one ever since. Rosie Bynum:  I love that. I do think the community is one of the first things that made me fall in love with The Copywriter Club as well. Justin, also OG, would you like to tell us about your first impression? Justin Blackman:  Yeah, I was blown away by how accessible everybody was. My first IRL, I was a nobody. Well, I had written a headline project, so I had some cred, but not compared to the A-listers that were walking into the room. I remember just being in the hotel lobby just hanging out and all of a sudden Joanna Wiebe and Ry Schwartz walk in together. I was just starstruck. Went over, said hi to Ry, and he's like, "Yeah, cool. No, awesome, let's go have a beer." It was just immediate bonding. There was no attitude. Everybody was just on the same level and happy to be there and excited to meet new people. And some of those people to this day are still great friends and I never would've ever thought that I would be on their level. Rosie Bynum:  That's so cool. Hey, Ry. You want to get a beer? Man, so neat. Ash, I know your first one was last year with things being a little bit different in 2021. We went virtual for the first time. Can you tell me a little bit about what you thought about, I guess, that conference and that experience? Ash Chow:  Yeah. So like you said, my first IRL was a lot different than Jude and Justin's. It was virtual because we were all still navigating post pandemic life. I think I personally was in the middle of a lockdown as well. So it was really great to have that virtual opportunity because I was still able to meet a whole bunch of copywriters, just not literally in real life but still across the screen. I remember there was a speed networking session at the start. So it was literally like speed dating for copywriters, and then we would all have 15 minutes before someone would press a button and we'd all get randomly matched with someone else. I have to say, even though that was low-key overwhelming for an introvert like me, even just spending those 15 minutes with some existing faces that I knew and even some new copywriters really did help me make a lot of connections with people I wouldn't have otherwise. And also, being on the other side of the world, the conference literally happened overnight for me, like during my overnight for three days. So I was so excited for it, I prepped by sleeping all day so that I could stay up all three nights, but it was so worth it,