The Copywriter Club Podcast

On the 349th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast, Michelle Pollack joins the show to completely shatter your perception of the inner critic and how something as “simple” as values can truly change how you show up in your life and business. Michelle is an Executive and Leadership Coach who shares her expertise in how to give yourself permission to play bigger and live the life you desire. Follow along to find out: How Michelle was able to change the neural pathways in her brain. What to do when the “is this all there is” feeling pops up and how to step out of it.  The importance of values and how to define them for yourself.  Can you have too many values and how to prioritize values for different seasons of life?  Is there such a thing as balance?  How to LIVE within your values once you’ve actually identified them despite life’s responsibilities.  The #1 barrier to facing your own inner critic.  7 ways the inner critic could be showing up in your life. How to create awareness around your inner critic. The critical component of working through your inner critic. What’s a “why” and how do you create one? What does compassion got to do with your inner critic? Why is messy action better than no action? The reality of shifting into new identities.  How are you supposed to sit in difficult emotions? Leadership vs power: what’s the difference? How to lead with your values.  Tune into the episode by hitting play or reading the transcript below.   The people and stuff we mentioned on the  show: The Copywriter Think Tank Kira’s website Rob’s website Michelle's website  The Copywriter Club Facebook Group The Copywriter Underground Free month of Brain.FM AI for Creative Entrepreneurs Podcast Full Transcript: Rob Marsh:  At some point in your business or life you've probably thought a bit about your values. What's really important to you as a human, as a copywriter, maybe as a parent or a friend or a sibling, or any of the other roles that you fill in your life. What's really important? Some of the stuff isn't easy to figure out, it takes time and deep thinking, and that's why we invited our guest for today's episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast to join us, that's Michelle Pollack, and Michelle is a leadership and mindset coach for executives. We asked her about figuring out our values, setting the right goals and dealing with the inner critic that won't leave us alone, and her answers are directly applicable to your business and success. Kira Hug:  But first, this episode is brought to you by the P7 Client Attraction Pipeline, which is our client acquisition system. And anytime we survey our community of lovely copywriters, we ask you what do you want? And you say, I need help finding clients, I need a prospecting system. So we put it together and we continue to improve and add to it so that it works for copywriters based on what's happening in the marketplace today. And inside the Pipeline Prospecting System we have over 21 pitching templates, so there's different styles you can use, different templates you can pull from based on what works for you. There are also different tools and pitch tracking templates that you can pull from so that you… It's really easy to start pitching tomorrow and you don't have to reinvent everything from scratch. And there are also a ton of other templates and tools and resources inside the system that other copywriters have used to find new clients. So, we wanted to make it really easy for you to just get up and running and find those clients, especially during weird recession times like right now, where it feels a little tricky. And so if you are looking for something like that, you can learn more at thecopywriterclub.com/p7. Okay, let's kick off our episode with Michelle.

Dan Nelken is our guest on the 348th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. Dan is a copywriter and author of A Self-Help Guide for Copywriters. If you’re a creative, you may have fallen into the inner critic rabbit hole that keeps you in a cycle of stuck. But Dan gives practical and actionable steps to move away from creative burnout and into a process that helps you turn surface-level ideas into substance. Tune into the episode to find out: Dan’s experience in ad school and how it shaped his expertise and portfolio.  The grind that turned into a sustainable copywriting career. How to come up with ideas without letting self-doubt, inner critic, and the feeling of stuck get in the way.  The bucket exercise – how to trick your brain into creating ideas.  What’s the creative process and what tools are useful? The two reasons procrastination is keeping you from total creativity.  Why you should use AI to feel inspired rather than disposable.  How to create a swipe folder system and maximize it.  Do you have a habit of following through?  How to make your emotions work for you. The variety of work copywriters can do and industries they can dive into.  How to keep your business alive without feeling resentful and burned out.  Creativity outside of writing – how do we do it? How Dan’s been able to scale back his client projects by 40%.  Listen to the episode or check out the transcript below.  The people and stuff we mentioned on the  show: The Copywriter Think Tank Kira’s website Rob’s website Dan's website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group The Copywriter Underground Free month of Brain.FM AI for Creative Entrepreneurs Podcast Full Transcript: Rob Marsh:  Creativity is a big part of your work as a copywriter. Whether you're coming up with new angles for leads and headlines or new ideas for content or new approaches for pitches to prospects who you want to work with, creativity plays a big part in all of that, which begs the question, can creativity be systematized? Can processes and formulas help you be more creative? Those approaches feel a little bit uncreative to me, but our guest for this episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast is Dan Nelken, and Dan is here to correct that misconception. He shared several details about his creative process that might help make you more creative too. Stick around for this fun conversation. Kira Hug:  But before we all get super creative here, we just want to share something special for you. We call it the P7 Client Attraction Pipeline, which is kind of a mouthful. You can call it P7 for short. This is our client acquisition system designed specifically to help copywriters create a prospecting habit. So we want to make it really easy for you to fit prospecting into your day so it feels natural. And so, not only do we cover prospecting tools you can use, we give you a bunch of pitching templates and we continue to kind of add new templates that work for copywriters. We also give you industry niches, 293 specifically, so you can figure out which niches you could tap, especially if you feel like the space you're working in currently might be slowing down and not hiring. This is where we can be really flexible and explore other niches to find work. And so, we do all of that inside the pipeline and this program along with supporting you with some behavior shifting that can help you really turn this behavior into a habit so it doesn't become the thing that you try one day and then you stop doing. It does work. We've seen copywriters use these tools and these trainings to gain clients, so it's worth exploring if you don't have a client attraction pipeline in your business. And you can find out more information, thecopywriterclub.com/p7 to find out more information about this client acquisiti...

On the 347th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast, Linda Perry makes her FOURTH appearance on the show. This episode acts as a friendly reminder to take care of your mindset especially in times of financial uncertainty and business (and life) plateaus. Linda shares how we can continue to grow our mindset toolbelt, so we can stop getting in our own way. Here’s how the episode goes: How Linda’s work has changed over the last few years.  Her dream of moving to Europe and how she made it happen.  What’s the challenge with selling something like mindset? The real reason you keep coming back to your mindset struggles.  How finding your why will help you craft messaging and communicate better.  What tools should copywriters add to their business?  Here’s the real problem with continually purchasing courses and programs.  The 5 traps keeping you from business confidence.  What’s the difference between worth base and value base? Are we telling ourselves a story that keeps us stuck? How to focus on what we can control. Can you be the solution AND the problem in your business?  Why Linda paused her podcast and grew her client roster. The importance of having a sounding board.  The simple shift that’ll help you save time and energy in your business.  Why you shouldn’t be afraid to do something because someone else is doing it.  How defining success will keep you from feelings of shame.  Is the Think Tank the right program for you? Tune into the episode by hitting play or reading the transcript below. The people and stuff we mentioned on the  show: The Copywriter Think Tank Kira’s website Rob’s website Linda's website  The Copywriter Club Facebook Group The Copywriter Underground Free month of Brain.FM AI for Creative Entrepreneurs Podcast Full Transcript: Rob Marsh:  Longtime listeners to this podcast will recognize a recurring topic that we revisit from time to time, and that's mindset. Your mindset as a copywriter, as a business owner, as a problem solver impacts everything that you do in your work. It often determines whether you land that client that you've been dreaming of or hit the goals that you've set. And when it comes to mindset, our go-to expert is Linda Perry. She's the guest for this episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. Linda is a mindset coach who has helped hundreds of copywriters deal with the head trash that gets in the way of all of our success. She's a coach inside the Copywriter Think Tank, and we invited her to talk with us about the challenges facing copywriters, content writers, and other marketers today. Kira Hug:  But first, this podcast episode is sponsored by the Copywriter Think Tank. And I'm not going to share a whole lot about the Think Tank because we talk about it with Linda in depth and we talk about a lot of the struggles and wins Copywriter Think Tank members have experienced. Linda is a Think Tank alumni member. So we dive pretty deep into what's possible with the Think Tank in this episode. So stay tuned and if you like what you're hearing about the Think Tank and what's possible, you can learn more at copywriterthinktank.com and jump in there with us. Okay, let's get into our episode with Linda. All right, so let's just catch up real quick because you've had some big life changes that we were just chatting about. I'm very jealous of these life changes that you've made and excited for you. So why don't we just start with how your life and business has changed over the last year. Linda Perry:  Yeah, I could actually just listen to your podcast to track all my changes in life. This would be great. So in the last year, I decided somewhere along the way to pick up and move and leave the States. We now are living in Portugal. I think I've expanded my business as well in terms ...

Dr. Rebecca Fortgang is our guest on the 346th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. Dr. Becky is a clinical psychologist, an instructor at Harvard Medical School, and a research scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital. Just a light background, huh? Kira knew Dr. Becky had to be on the show after taking her class, and she did not disappoint. Take a peek inside the conversation: Is willpower a muscle? What’s all the debate around willpower?  What do willpower and love have in common? Researching topics with inconclusive and incomplete data – this work has to start somewhere.  Tools creative entrepreneurs can use to be more productive. Why do people really quit on their goals? What to do when lapses happen and what are they trying to tell us? How to avoid spiraling and what we should do instead.  What’s a goal cleanse?  Are you a failure if you quit a long-term goal? How to find alternate goals if you can’t let goals go.  The clear-cut approach to setting goals and achieving them. What is “gripping the table” self-control and how can we do less of it? How your future self can motivate you in completing your goals TODAY.  Is sacrifice needed to attain goals?  Strategies to stop procrastinating and how to tap into your willpower.  Can you convince yourself to be in the right headspace?  How can you prioritize mental health in your life? Tune into the episode to listen to all the insights. The people and stuff we mentioned on the  show: The Copywriter Think Tank Kira’s website Rob’s website Rebecca's website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group The Copywriter Underground Free month of Brain.FM AI for Creative Entrepreneurs Podcast Full Transcript: Rob Marsh:  Most copywriters we know share an interest in psychology and figuring out what makes people tick. After all, if you're writing something to convince your prospect to buy or to take some kind of action, you need to understand them. But our interest in psychology often goes well beyond persuasion tactics and mental heuristics. Our guest for today's episode of The Copywriter Club podcast is Dr. Rebecca Fortgang, who specializes in willpower, goal setting and mental health. Just as a quick side note, she was Kira's professor last year in a class she took, and I like to point out that it was at Harvard University, the CURE Harvard student. We talked with Rebecca about the ins and outs of willpower, overcoming procrastination, mental health, and a lot more. We think you're really going to like this episode. Kira Hug:  But before we jump in, we are going to promote something because that's what we do. So today, Rob, I want to talk about our new-ish course, not like brand new but new as in couple months ago. Our AI for copywriters course, which is available to all writers. And the reason I want to mention it today is because we're adding a certification to it, a prompt engineer certification, because we know as we've been talking to a lot of startups, especially on our new podcast, AI for Creative Entrepreneurs, we're interviewing different startups and they're talking about the need for prompt engineers and that it's hard to find prompt engineers right now, and writers are really set up to succeed in that role because we ask good questions. We think about prompting in a creative way, and there is no university that has a prompt engineer program right now. There's this new need in the marketplace and there aren't enough people to fill that role. We're creating the program that you need to train you to not only provide the training, but also to give you a certification, and that usually means a boost of confidence for you to go out there and maybe even update your LinkedIn title to include prompt engineer and maybe even pitch yourself or go after opportunities t...

Kate Hollis is our guest on the 345th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. Kate is a copywriter and sales strategist whose alter ego is a librarian, but her skillset doesn’t stop there. Fueled by curiosity, she’s also on track to become a certified Enneagram practitioner. With her “hummingbird” mindset, she emphasizes the value of leading a curiosity-driven life, and how it can lead to a more fulfilling life and business. Here’s how the conversation goes: What’s the bus metaphor and how does it apply to business? Kate’s path to copywriting and owning a business. Why creating connections with others will help you become a better copywriter.  How to create an identity outside of your business.  Is simple messaging underrated? How to build your intellectual and emotional muscles. What is the Enneagram?  How books will help you become a more compassionate salesperson.  The benefits of using the Enneagram in your messaging and how it’ll benefit your ideal audience.  How the Enneagram can influence your sales funnels.  The do’s and don’ts of the Enneagram.  Could you be holding yourself back from essential growth? Tune into the episode below or by reading the transcript.   The people and stuff we mentioned on the  show: The Copywriter Think Tank Kira’s website Rob’s website Kate's website  The Copywriter Club Facebook Group The Copywriter Underground Free month of Brain.FM AI for Creative Entrepreneurs Podcast Full Transcript: Rob Marsh:  What is it about personality tests that draws us to them? From Myers-Briggs and StrengthsFinder to DiSC and the Enneagram and lots more besides those, humans tend to be attracted to tests and quizzes that promise to reveal something about ourselves and the people around us. Maybe it's our innate curiosity that drives this behavior. I don't know. But our guest for today's episode of The Copywriter Club podcast is copywriter and strategist Kate Hollis. And Kate is a certified Enneagram coach who uses that test a little differently than most other people do, as a way to think about positioning your offers. To hear how she does it, you're going to have to stay tuned. Kate also talked a bit about the books that she's read and how to stay curious as a creative. There's a lot to learn from her in this episode, so stay tuned. Kira Hug:  We also talk about poop in this episode, which Rob did not include in the intro, but I think it's the first time that we've ever talked about that. Rob Marsh:  Barely. It gets mentioned. Let's be honest. We didn't talk about it, mentioned it. Kira Hug:  It's the first time we've ever mentioned it on the podcast. Rob Marsh:  I think so. Kira Hug:  So I think it deserves some attention. Also, this podcast is sponsored by The Copywriter Think Tank, which is our mastermind, and I'm going to do something that you're not supposed to do as a copywriter. We're supposed to talk about benefits, but I'm going to talk about features today and everything that's included in the Think Tank. So I'm going to run through it, and Rob, let me know if I'm missing anything. These are the features you get when you join our Think Tank mastermind, which is phenomenal. You get access to our upcoming virtual retreat that is coming up really soon on June 1st and 2nd. It's not too late. You could actually be a part of that amazing virtual retreat that we put together with at least like eight different speakers talking about a variety of topics, talking about how to use AI in a project from start to finish. What other topics do we have covered, Rob, in the retreat? Rob Marsh:  Talking about things like email deliverability, finding clients and how you do that when your business has been going relatively well and then suddenly you hit a tough patch.

Paulo Faustino is our guest on the 344th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. Paulo is a serial entrepreneur and digital marketing expert who shares his experience in building and scaling businesses even in the midst of chaos. From writing 550 articles for $100 to scaling a millionaire-dollar business, Paulo shares insights all business owners can glean. Tune into the episode to find out: How a gut feeling kept him on the path to entrepreneurship. How he scaled his business to a million dollars and why it took an extreme hit.  The pivot he made to save his business and grow his audience.  What is affiliate marketing and how can it benefit your business? How to navigate a financial loss and why fear cannot stop you from moving forward.  This reality of business can make or break you.  The 4 foundational pieces your business need to thrive. Why marketing and authority go hand in hand? When does the sale really start?  The effects of a world-class client experience.  Why it’s not your job to fix all your client’s problems (including money mindset). How to filter the types of clients you work with.  The simpler and faster way to save time and energy in your business.  The ins and outs of Paulo’s social media marketing strategy and how he grew his following and email list to hundreds of thousands.  How to bring aligned content to your audience.  Why you need to focus on value rather than design.  What Paulo would do differently if he could start over. Authority grows when you have these two things.  The current struggles of a high-earning entrepreneur.  Press play or check out the transcript below.  The people and stuff we mentioned on the  show: The Copywriter Think Tank Kira’s website Rob’s website Paulo's Instagram The Copywriter Club Facebook Group The Copywriter Underground Free month of Brain.FM AI for Creative Entrepreneurs Podcast Full Transcript: Rob Marsh:  Building a business is hard. Sometimes things go really well. Clients are plentiful. The work is fun and rewarding, and the money comes in, and other times things don't go so well. Laws change or the algorithm changes or the economy changes and the client pipeline dries up. The work is hard and the money runs out. Our guest for today's episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast is Paulo Faustino, and he built a thriving affiliate business that collapsed in less than a month, thanks to a change in the laws. He had just enough money to last four months, which means that he had to completely rebuild his business in 120 days and in this interview, he tells us how he did it, and along the way, he shares a ton of great business advice for anyone who's trying to build their own business. Kira Hug:  But before we jump into this interview, this podcast is sponsored by the Copywriter Think Tank, which is our mastermind for copywriters who want to figure out a new revenue stream for their business and launch something new that can transform their business in the year ahead. We have a retreat coming up actually in a couple weeks. In early June, we have our next retreat, and if you want to be a part of that mastermind retreat where we bring in top speakers where Rob and I teach and share. Well, Rob, what are you sharing? Rob Marsh:  I think we're going to talk about profits, profit margins, and how do you increase the money that's coming in, but we'll cover a lot of other stuff too. We have guests who are speaking about the client buying cycle and how to implement the things that were taught by Eugene Schwartz. We're pulling in guests to talk about all kinds of things like email and such. So, definitely worth tuning in and learning from all of these experts as well as the super smart people that are already in the think tank. Kira Hug:  Yes,

We’re bringing Brittany McBean back for the 343rd episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. It’s been 3 years since Brittany’s been on the show and a lot of has changed for her and her business. From highs and lows of building a 6-figure business, she’s completely transparent in her journey and how other copywriters can use her wisdom to grow their own business. Here’s how the conversation goes:  Why Brittany works on long projects and what it does for her client retention.  The benefits of having a highly-automated inquiry process.  Why she’s not looking for a 500k year but this instead.  The raw and real downsides of business.  Her hiring process – why you need to know what you need and how to hire based on two specific criteria.  The imposter complex pops up even for high-level copywriters? What is a malleable role and how can it fit into your business (with boundaries)? How to be a better leader to your team when things are falling off track. Her process for letting someone go. Why your role changes as you grow into your business as CEO.  How to have humanizing and empathetic conversations with your team. What’s working in the marketing world today and what needs to change? Is your audience jaded?  How to create shifts in your messaging to position yourself as the answer.  What’s the deal with urgency and scarcity? Her process for strategy and writing copy.  What’s the hierarchy of messaging? How to get fewer revisions on the final copy.  How belief can hold you back for far too long.  Tune into the episode by hitting play or checking out the transcript.   The people and stuff we mentioned on the  show: The Copywriter Think Tank Kira’s website Rob’s website Brittany's website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group The Copywriter Underground Free month of Brain.FM AI for Creative Entrepreneurs Podcast Brittany's first episode Full Transcript: Rob Marsh:  Growth and change are a natural part of starting and building a business. And sometimes it all goes smoothly, other times it can be a little bit painful. But, ultimately we have to figure this stuff out in order to succeed as copywriters and as business owners. Our guest for today's episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast is returning once again to share what she's learned as she's built her copywriting agency and helped dozens of high-end clients build their businesses too. Strategist and copywriter, Brittany McBean is here to share what's happened to her business over the last couple of years, why she hit pause on her YouTube channel, the struggles of managing employees, mental health, and a lot more. It's another great interview that you're definitely going to want to stick around for. Kira Hug:  But, before we jump into the interview, this podcast is sponsored by the Copywriter Think Tank. That's our mastermind for copywriters, content writers, strategists, marketers, you name it. If you're a creative and you're building a service-based business and creating scalable offers or products, new podcast, you will be a good fit in this room. Brittany McBean, today's guest is a Think Tank alumni member, so we were lucky enough to work with her in the Think Tank. And we do have a retreat coming up in our Think Tank. It's a virtual retreat coming up June 1st and 2nd. So, if you would like to be a part of that virtual retreat and meet our entire Think Tank crew, it's not too late. You can reach out to us and we can chat about whether or not the Think Tank makes sense for you. One thing I feel like we don't typically talk about when we talk about the Think Tank, Rob, is what new members can expect when they join, and how we help them immediately over the first month. And so, I thought we could just touch on that real quick,

Alyssa Burkus is our guest on the 341st episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. Alyssa is a thought leadership and content marketer. She started her business after being faced with asking life’s big questions after a chronic cancer prognosis but has defied the odds over and over again by building a business that works for her, her health, and her family. While we may not all be faced with life-threatening illnesses, we all face uncertainty and downsides. Alyssa shares the systems she has in place to look after what matters most. Here’s how the conversation goes: How her background in a global change consulting company has impacted her copywriting career.  Why she leaned into thought leadership and authority building as her area of specialization.  What really is thought leadership and how is it different from other forms of content marketing? Is all content marketing created equal? Tools to cope with uncertainty.  The importance of energy management for your personal and business life.  What AI doesn’t have on thought leadership. What’s Alyssa’s strategy for working with a new client on building their authority? How to strategically repurpose content.  Using the “plant and…” approach to pivoting.  How to create writing habits that stick as a writer.  Why it’s a good idea to have a place you can relearn information.  “Write it in your own words” is making a comeback.  How she sold out her first program with no list.  What can you modify in your products or services to make them stand out? The #1 question you need to ask yourself when creating a course.  Why you can’t hustle culture your way through business.  Morning routines vs morning windows… What’s the difference? Press play or check out the transcript below.   The people and stuff we mentioned on the  show: The Copywriter Think Tank Kira’s website Rob’s website Alyssa's website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group The Copywriter Underground Free month of Brain.FM AI for Creative Entrepreneurs Podcast Full Transcript: Rob Marsh:  What does it mean to be a thought leader? What kind of content does a thought leader produce? And maybe the biggest question of all, once you've got good content that reflects your strategic thinking, how do you make sure that the world will even see it? Those are just three questions that we asked our guest for today's episode of The Copywriter Club podcast. Alyssa Burkus is a strategist, a copywriter, a member of the Think Tank and a thought partner for her clients, and she shared how she helps them build their audience with great thinking. We also talked about working through serious difficulties, what to do when change becomes a constant, how to pivot and creating a writing habit that will actually stick. This is an episode definitely worth listening to twice. Kira Hug:  Or maybe three times. Maybe four times. Before we get to the interview though, this podcast is sponsored by the Copywriter Think Tank. That is our mastermind for copywriters and other marketers who want to figure out the next phase of their business. Some things are working well in their business, but they want to figure out what comes next; they want to increase their revenue; they want to figure out new revenue streams, increase visibility and really figure out what their X factor looks like, so they can build a business around that. We actually have a retreat coming up in June. It's a virtual retreat on June 2nd and 3rd. So it's coming up fast, and if you want to participate in that, you can apply today to see if you're a good fit in the Copywriter Think Tank. We also have a retreat that we're really excited about coming up in September in London, and Rob and I are thrilled to have an excuse to fly to London and hang out with copywriters.

Rob and Kira sit down on the 340th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast to chat about a few episodes that have stood out to them over the last 5 years. Yup, they’re jumping all the way back in the archives to tap into what still applies to today’s copywriting arena and how you can use past insight to your business today. Here’s how the conversation goes: The copywriting event happening in London in 2023. The FREE A.I. challenge being hosted THIS week. Rob and Kira’s new A.I for Creative Entrepreneurs podcast. Why Joel Klettke didn’t start with beginner rates and jumped straight into value rates? How to turn mindset and confidence into action. The difference between an employee mindset and an entrepreneurial mindset. Do you need a portfolio to start charging higher rates? How to shift our mindset around the imposter complex. The benefits of imposter complex. The 12 lies of the imposter complex and what to do about it. What is The Stone Soup tale and how does it apply to copywriting? How to become the go-to copywriter in the room. Jereshia’s advice on high-ticket sales as a copywriter. The real difference between low-ticket and high-ticket sales. Are you being a spork? What are the POP and the Champagne Closer methods? How to lead a sales call with authority. Tune into the episode below by hitting play or reading the transcript. The people and stuff we mentioned on the  show: Join the AI Challenge  The Copywriter Think Tank Kira’s website Rob’s website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group The Copywriter Underground Free month of Brain.FM Episode 21 with Joel Klettke Episode 47 with Tanya Geisler Episode 36 with Ken McCarthy Episode 204 with Jereshia Hawk  Full Transcript: Rob Marsh:  Today's episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast is number 340. Not very many podcasts have that long of a lifespan. Most stop a long time before that. In fact, I've heard some people say that the average podcast lasts about 12 to 15 episodes. I'm not sure how correct those numbers are. But we are fully committed to keeping this podcast going because talking to copywriters, content writers, and other marketers isn't just a learning experience for us, it's fun. You are our people, and talking to copywriters is honestly one of the most enjoyable things that we do every week. Having said that, there are a lot of great episodes you probably haven't listened to yet, especially if you've only been listening to the podcast for the last year or so. And even if you've heard every single episode, I'm tempted to wave at our mothers here, Kira, although my mom has passed, but your mom maybe is one of the few that's listened to every episode. Kira Hug:  She has not listened to every episode. Rob Marsh:  She should have. But if you've listened to every episode, you've probably forgotten some of the phenomenal advice that we've heard over the years. So we thought today we would share just a couple of clips from our back catalog so you can go back and check out some of these amazing interviews. It's a bit of a best of show episode for you today. Kira Hug:  But before we jump into all those episodes, this episode is sponsored by the Copywriter Think Tank, which is our mastermind. And we have a retreat coming up pretty soon actually, in June. Early June, we have a virtual retreat with all of our Think Tank members. It's one of my favorite parts of this mastermind and being a part of the Think Tank. It's also my favorite part of being in other masterminds that Rob and I are part of. The retreats are where, it's really cheesy, but that is where the magic happens. Because there's collaboration, you're talking about ideas, and you bring in brilliant people who can teach you something new that you can implement right away in your business.

Dave Harland is our guest on the 339th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. After starting a career as a soccer (or should we say football) reporter in Manchester, Dave shifted to the world of copywriting where he’s known for coming up with big ideas and a method to execute them. In this episode, you’ll find out exactly how he makes it happen. You’ll also learn: How Dave improved his copy skills with limited technology capabilities. Why he branded himself using “word” rather than “copy.” How he organized his portfolio when he first started his business. A typical day in the life of Dave and how he balances client work with his own business goals. Why writers need time to simmer in their thoughts and why they shouldn’t rush the critical thinking process. How to get bigger brands to notice you. The 3 question test Dave uses when coming up with a big idea. How many projects are too many projects? His method for attracting clients and building his brand using LinkedIn. How to find your voice, break the rules, and connect with your audience. Dave’s path to becoming the “copywriting comedian.” Why you need to create a connection in anything you write. How he uses AI as a firestarter and as a means to eliminate the most common ideas. Why he believes ChatGPT won’t replace dedicated, skilled copywriters. Tune into the episode by hitting play or reading the transcript below. The people and stuff we mentioned on the show: Join the AI Challenge  The Copywriter Think Tank Kira’s website Rob’s website Dave's website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group The Copywriter Underground Free month of Brain.FM Full Transcript: Rob Marsh:  There's a saying among copywriters, especially online conversion copywriters that goes back to Eugene Schwartz. He put it like this: sales copy is not written, copy is assembled. And of course that's true. The messages that customers relate to best are assembled from interviews, surveys, and other research. But in subscribing to this idea, a lot of copywriters have inadvertently lost the connection to creativity and copy. After all, what's the point of being creative if the words are in the survey responses? Our guest for The Copywriter Club podcast today takes a more creative approach than many copywriters we know. Dave Harland, also known as the word man, walked us through his 10-step process for coming up with big, compelling ideas. And he shared three questions that he asks every time he comes up with a good headline or a good idea, to make sure that it is good. He also talked in-depth about his unconventional approach to posting on LinkedIn, one that has attracted a lot of great clients for his business. If you want to be more creative in your approach to copywriting, this episode is for you. Kira Hug:  But before we get to the interview, this podcast is sponsored by the Copywriter Think tank. That is our mastermind for copywriters, content writers and other marketers who want to figure out the next thing in their businesses. That could be anything from creating a new revenue stream or a couple new revenue streams to launching a new product or a subscription service or a membership or podcast book. You name it. Our members are doing incredible things and we actually have a retreat coming up in early June. It's a virtual retreat and in-person retreat in London in September. And so we are really excited to add a couple of new members to the Think Tank before the retreat in June. And if you think that could be you, visit copywriterthinktank.com to apply. Let's kick off our episode with Dave. Dave Harland:  Probably like most people fell into it completely by accident. My, no, my background is journalism, so I did a journalism degree. I mean, before that, I loved writing as a kid,