The Copywriter Club Podcast

One of the “options” for copywriters who don’t want to limit themselves to solely writing for clients is creating and promoting their own products. And for many of the copywriters who take this path, it’s very lucrative. Our guest for the 205th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast is Justin Goff. Justin has created his own offers and in this interview he talks about how you can do the same thing. We also talked about: •   how a gambling debt he couldn’t pay led to his first online product •   his over-the-top reaction to his first ever online sale of $149 •   what he learned working in the gaming niche (as a student) that still helps him today •   the one thing you need to do to be a better copywriter •   how he landed his first few clients as he got into copywriting •   the terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-week that led to his first real success •   how he came up with the Big Idea that launched a 23 million dollar business •   reverse engineering a product to find your own Big Ideas •   the ins and outs of partnerships and how to make one work •   what he’s done to overcome his own money mindset issues •   the only thing that matters when it comes to dialing in a successful offer •   Justin’s advice for raising their prices—what he’s seen that almost always works •   why he believes in masterminds and what he gets from them •   the “have to apply” email trick that keeps his readers engaged and reading •   what he learned about knowing your audience from Tinder dates during quarantine •   how he guards his time to get more done •   why he bothers to dress up whenever he’s around potential partners and clients •   the future of copywriting and how to make sure you’re set up to take advantage We say this a lot, but this is another don’t-miss episode. To hear it, click the button below. Or subscribe wherever podcasts are available. Scroll down for links and a full transcript.   The people and stuff we mentioned on the show: Patriot Greens Stefan Georgi No B.S. Wealth Attraction by Dan Kennedy Adam Bensman Sam Woods Justin's website Kira’s website Rob’s website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group The Copywriter Underground   Full Transcript: Rob:   There's this thing that tends to happen for a lot of copywriters, not all of us, but many, where they ultimately decide that they don't want to work with clients anymore. And at that point, they create their own products instead of helping other people sell their products. It sounds easy, right? But if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. Today's guest, on the 205th episode of The Copywriter Club podcast, is Justin Goff. Just after the worst week of his life, Justin created his first product and earned a little over 100,000 dollars in three months, and then he did it again, earning millions. If that sounds like something that you'd like to do in your own business, then this episode is for you. Kira:   We'll share Justin's story in just a minute but first, this episode is brought to you by the Copywriter Underground, a private membership and community designed to help you hit your business growth goals faster, whether your goal is hitting 10K a month or launching a new service or product, or even just finding your first few clients, the resources in Underground can help with accountability, support, coaching, and a path to help you get out of your own way and build momentum in your business. Find out more at thecopywriterunderground.com. Rob:   There are a lot of ways to succeed as a copywriter, working directly with clients is one and creating your own products is another. Let's jump into our interview with Justin and hear how he has used copywriting to create his million-dollar business. Justin Goff:   I initially got into kind of making websites when I was in college, as the result of I had a $1,200 gambling debt when I was in college, I was probably 20 at the time.

Too many copywriters have a limiting belief around how much they can charge for their services, so our guest for the 204th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast is Jereshia Hawk, a high-ticket sales coach who shared how we can overcome that mindset issue. But that’s not all we talked about. We also covered… •  how she became known for helping clients increase high-ticket sales •  how her “engineering” approach shifts her thinking about products, problems and failure •  overcoming objections—after the sale •  why she carves out an hour on Monday’s for “superthinking” •  her thoughts on building a team (and our role as an “employee” of your company) •  what a personal performance review should look like (questions you can ask) •  the zero sum budget approach to goal setting •  how copywriters can overcome the idea that they can’t make a lot of money •  the first steps toward building a high-ticket offer (like as much as $40K or more) •  the simplicity rule that can instantly help you sell more •  the POP method that helps you synthesize your offer and audience •  her “champagne closer method” that completely changes a sales call •  rethinking the free content you provide and what it has to do •  the one metric everyone with a business needs to know

How do you attract clients to your business? That’s one of the subjects we covered with Jenn Robbins, the guest for the 203rd episode of The Copywriter Club podcast. Jenn is an expert on funnel strategy and shared the three types of funnels every business owner should have—not right away, but eventually, if you’re going to grow. But that’s not all we covered, here’s a partial list of what we asked Jenn… •   going from 80 hour weeks in accounting to blogger to copywriter •   why freelancers often fail before things work the second time around •   feeling like a fraud and what they says about you •   overcoming the imposter complex—a recurring theme on the podcast •   how Jenn has mixed services with other offers in her business •   making a retainer work—really work—for 9 years •   Jenn’s process for making VIP days work—and her check in “trick" worth stealing •   the 3 basic funnels every business needs •   what she does to make sure her funnels engage her prospects •   her rates—what she charges her clients for the work she does •   the list building challenge she’s sharing with her audience •   the stuff she struggles with in her business •   the biggest changes she’s made to grow her business •   how collaboration has changed Jenn’s mindset as her business has grown •   what she does when things don’t get done as planned •   what we’re really doing as copywriters—it’s not writing words •   what to look for in a course or mastermind before you join Jenn is doing so many things right in her business, you’ll definitely want to hear what she shared about how to do it. To listen, click the button below. Or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. And coming soon to Spotify (hopefully). Prefer to read? Scroll down for a full transcript. The people and stuff we mentioned on the show: Tanya Geisler Sage Polaris Joanna Wiebe TCCIRL Tarzan Kay JennRobbins.com WTFchallenge.com Kira’s website Rob’s website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group The Copywriter Underground   Full Transcript: Transcript is underway...

What kind of a business are you building? The guest for episode 202 of The Copywriter Club Podcast is Amy Posner. Amy’s the first person to be interviewed on the podcast three times—and no wonder—she’s got a lot to share. Amy’s currently rethinking the programs and services she offers her clients and we thought it might be worth talking to her about the process. We talked about all of the following: •   the agonizing journey she’s been on as she’s changing her own business model •   why the process has been so painful and pulling back on doing too much •   the three questions she’s used to figure out what to do next •   overcoming the desire to hide behind other brands •   the new products and services she’s working on creating as she pivots •   the missing career path for freelance copywriters (and how to find it) •  what it takes to be a great copywriter—we all take a stab at answering this •   the process of getting perspective on your own business •   the questions to ask as you think about niching •   what to add to your proposals so clients want to say “yes” •   3 questions to ask before you decide to raise your rates •   why having someone copy chief your writing makes you better •   how to up your client-finding game to land dream and anchor clients •   a strategy for pricing your work to capture the value you create •   some of the benefits that come from acting like a trusted partner •   what keeps Amy engaged and growing •   the third mind and how to get it in your business This conversation with Amy is perfect if you’re thinking about a pivot or change in your business. To hear her advice, click the button below. Or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. And coming soon to Spotify (hopefully). Prefer to read? Scroll down for a full transcript. The people and stuff we mentioned on the show: Joanna Wiebe Kirsty Fanton Amy's website Kira’s website Rob’s website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group The Copywriter Underground   Full Transcript: Transcript is underway...

He’s one of the few copywriters who truly doesn’t need an introduction—Parris Lampropoulos is our guest for the 201st episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. Parris spoke at both of our TCCIRL events in New York City—and it was a discussion at our event that led to this interview. rather than interview Parris about his life, we talked to him about his mentors and what he learned from them. Here’s a sample of what we covered: •   his advice to “newbie” copywriters about who to learn from •   how a fist through a window led to a job as a real estate sales manager •   the “gun to the head” trick for making sure prospects want to get your marketing •   why you need to make theater part of everything you write •   Parris’ copywriting reading list—and why you should read each book 3X •   what he looks for when he’s doing research—his I didn’t know that list •   the mentor who was a former marine with a vulnerable side •   the way most people listen—and how to do it right for better writing •   taking notes on index cards to easily assemble and re-order your copy •   looking for hidden benefits—hot buttons—to share in your copy •   the best—most heartfelt—gifts we’ve ever received from anyone •   the baptism by fire Parris got when he started writing for Mark Ford •   the criticism sandwich that Mark Ford used to get Parris to write better •   the copywriting lesson Parris learned from watching Joel Silver thrillers •   why Parris prowls the stage like a predator when he speaks •   the comparison technique Parris used reading Clayton Makepeace’s copy •   the “you’re doing X anyway, why not get Y” technique that makes you tingle •   the people he spends time with and those he runs “like hell” away from •   how he uses the lessons he learned when he mentors is own copy cubs •   the 3 things you need as a copywriter to make sure you succeed •   the “Bruce Springsteen” process that guarantees you get a good idea As we mentioned in the intro, Parris may be the best copywriter working today. You do not want to miss this episode—even though it’s quite a bit longer than usual. To hear it, click the button below. Or subscribe where better podcasts are shared.  Or scroll down for a full transcript.   The people and stuff we mentioned on the show: TCCIRL The Copywriter Underground Gary Halbert How to Make Maximum Money in Minimum Time The Amazing Direct Mail Secret from a Desperate Nerd in Ohio Influence by Robert Cialdini Gary Bencivenga Trust Me I’m Lying by Ryan Holiday My Life in Advertising by Claude Hopkins Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins John Carlton Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath Ted Nicolas Agora Bill Bonner Mark Ford Gene Schwartz Joel Silver Bo Eason Clayton Makepeace How to Write a Good Advertisement by Victor Schwab Dan Kennedy Jay Abraham Kira’s website Rob’s website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group The Copywriter Accelerator Intro Outro   Full Transcript: Transcript is underway...

It’s time to celebrate… we’ve reached episode 200 of The Copywriter Club Podcast. This episode marks a tweak to our format and an update to the music we use. And to help us celebrate the changes—and our anniversary—we invited copywriter and marketing consultant Mike Kim to share his story and what he’s learned over the last several years of his career. Here’s a recap of what we covered: •   how he went from marketer to blogger to copywriter •   the importance of professional-grade production—spoiler: it’s not •   the #1 thing you need in your content to get traction •   simplifiers vs. multipliers (and where Mike, Rob and Kira fit in) •   what he did to find his first clients and what he did next •   the present-negative/future positive reason why he left a high-paying CMO role •   the impact copywriting had on sales (when he was a CMO) •   what Mike would do differently if he had to start over •   his personal “code” for investing in coaching, courses and contractors •   the big risks Mike has taken throughout his career (and the results) •   why confidence is a sucker’s game and what you need instead •   Mike’s “made it” moment where he realized things would be fine •   the role mindset has played in his success—particularly his thoughts about money •   Mike’s advice for raising your prices today—he calls it scope-creep insurance •   his experience at TCCIRL as a speaker and attendee •   the one thing he attributes his success to—this might not surprise you •   his prediction for what will happen in the marketing world in the future Mike is a phenomenal copywriter (and human) and this interview is one you won’t want to miss. To hear it, click the button below. Or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher… and soon on Spotify. And if you prefer reading, scroll down for a full transcript. The people and stuff we mentioned on the show: The Copywriter Accelerator Michael Hyatt AWAI Jeff Walker Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks Business Brilliant by Lewis Schiff Mike's website Kira’s website Rob’s website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group The Copywriter Underground Intro Outro Full transcript: Kira:   What does it take to stand out like a snow lynx in a bowling alley and get noticed in today's crowded marketplace. Okay, assuming you're already a good writer and you can serve your clients well, which we can assume because you're listening to this show, how do you actually get people to see that you're extraordinary or extra, extraordinary? If you want it to be extraordinary, you can't do the things ordinary people do. We know this. So you need to take the type of risks others refuse to take. You need to think and act differently from everyone else. Today on the 200th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast, which we're celebrating with lots of Coke Zero, barbecue chips, and peanut butter cheesecake. Rob:   So good. Kira:   We're speaking with one of my D.C. neighbors and new friends, Mike Kim. Mike is much more than a copywriter. He's a former CMO and current podcaster, coach, public speaker, and brand strategist. But maybe, most important of all, Mike is the kind of person who takes the type of risks that can launch an extraordinary career. Rob:   We'll get to all of that in a moment. But first we need to tell you that this episode is brought to you by The Copywriter Accelerator. The Accelerator is a 16-week business growth program designed to help copywriters figure out not only what makes them extraordinary, but also how to be the kind of business or how to run the kind of business that can scale and attract the right clients. This isn't a course, something that you buy and forget in your downloads folder. It's a program that you work through with other students as you master your business mindset, your X factor, your signature package as you price and create processes, work on client management,

This episode is completely different from anything we’ve done before. If you’re here for copywriting and business tips, you might want to skip this one. But, if you want to get a sense of the breadth of musical talent in The Copywriter Club, tune in, because this one is fun. When we announced we were updating the podcast for episode 200 (coming next week), we put out a call for the musicians in our group to let us know what they think the new intro should sound like. We’ve collected the submissions to share with you. What do you think? Did we make the right choice? The copywriters/musicians mentioned in this episode: Mario Bourzac / The Protected Left Jeff Herman / Mind Rock Robin Burke Neil Campbell Paul Hanna/Chad Reisliger Paola / Texxex Daniel Lamb Bill Kernodle Robin Burke Rachael Pilcher Alex Moon Steven Scott Jessica Marshall David Muntner Paul Conners Andre Johnson Addison Rice/The Love Sprockets I’m not sure if we’ve smiled more during a podcast than we did as we put this episode together. Maybe we should do more like this? To hear what these amazing copywriters/musicians had to share, click the play button below. Or subscribe to the podcast on Stitcher or iTunes and never miss another episode.   Other stuff you should check out: The Copywriter Club Facebook Group The Copywriter Underground   Because this episode is mostly music, there is no transcript. Please listen by clicking the link above.

Copywriter Allea Grummert is our guest for episode 199 of The Copywriter Club Podcast. Wait… are we really about to cross the 200 episode frontier? Yep, and Allea is the perfect guest to wrap up the last 100 episodes before we make a few changes to the format. We talked to Allea about her processes, her switch from blogging to copywriting, and how she’s made so much progress in the past year. Here’s the breakdown of what we covered: •  the long road from personal finance blogger to copywriter •  her best personal finance ideas for copywriters •  why she waited so long to call herself a copywriter •  how she finds clients today (a lot of them come from conferences) •  the take-aways from Allea’s work as an implementer •  her process for working with clients—the whole thing—start to finish •  what she charges for her audits (and what makes them valuable) •  the differences between the packages she offers to clients •  how she structures the email sequences she writes •  how she segments lists for her clients to be most effective •  the CEO check-in and how it helps her grow her business •  the hard stuff she’s dealt with as she’s grown •  the things and people she’s invested in to take her business to the next level •  her advice to “writers” who aren’t yet ready to call themselves “copywriters” •  the advice from a friend that caused a panic attack •  the mindset shifts she’s made over the past year to move forward •  getting paid in advance for work that doesn’t start for a month or more •  working with a VA and how to do it so the relationship works •  her advice for list building and creating content for your list •  her experience at TCCIRL in 2019 and 2020   The people and stuff we mentioned on the show: Notion Val Geisler TCCIRL Allea's website Kira’s website Rob’s website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group The Copywriter Underground   Full Transcript: Kira:   This episode is brought to you by the Copywriter Underground, the place to find more than 20 templates, dozens of presentations on topics like copywriting and marketing your business, a community of successful writers who share ideas and leads, and the Copywriter Club newsletter mailed directly to your home every month. Learn more at thecopywriterunderground.com. Rob:   What if you could hang out with seriously talented copywriters and other experts, ask them about their successes and failures, their work processes, and their habits, then steal an idea or two to inspire your own work? That's what Kira and I do every week at the Copywriter Club Podcast. Kira:   You're invited to join the club for episode 199 as we chat with copywriter, Allea Grummert about email and why it's such a powerful platform, which email sequences are most important and what they need to accomplish, what she's done to invest in herself and grow her business, and her five-step framework for writing a welcome sequence. Kira:   Welcome, Allea. Allea:   Hello, thanks welcome to you. Kira:   Yeah. Allea:   Welcome to my living room. Kira:   Great to have you here, and let's kick this off with your story. How did you end up as a copywriter? Allea:   So, I started as a blogger. I was a personal finance blogger, and that's what everyone does on a Memorial Day weekend. Yeah, it was just a hobby of mine, and I also have a degree in advertising and public relations so blogging came for me as like a, I called it my digital playground, so I could learn and play. And not just about copywriting. In fact, I didn't call myself a copywriter until this January, but I learned about SEO and content marketing and how online businesses work. So over time though, people would come to me with questions about email marketing, and it was one of those things where it came easy to me and it didn't for others and became a service to them for them to have me do it versus them doing it themselves. Rob:   Before we get into article writing,

Copywriter and Creative Director Sam Pollen is our guest for the 198th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. Sam works in-house at an agency focused entirely on copy—there are no designers—which might be a dream for a lot of copywriters. We asked Sam about the differences between the freelance world and the work his team does. Here’s an idea of what we covered during the interview: •   how Sam went from zoology student to copywriter and creative director •   why Sam prefers to work in-house and leaves the freelancing to others •   how he works with other writers in his role as a CD •   the creative process at agencies and how everyone works together •   how they work with designers and hand off copy to the design team •   this skills and training a copywriter might need to be a creative director •   Sam’s writing process and how he generates ideas for each assignment •   asking “stupid questions” to truly understand the products we sell •   how asking the questions that aren’t in the brief leads to a big idea •   what’s involved in the process of naming •   how Sam and his agency present work to their clients •   the challenges of working on brand voice and brand guides •   writing luxury copy and the different approaches to a variety of products •   why he wrote a book about a boy with anorexia Sam’s story and advice are worth a listen. To hear what he told us, scroll down and click the play button. Or read a transcript a little farther down the page. And if you never want to miss an episode subscribe to the podcast with your podcast app, then leave a review.   The people and stuff we mentioned on the show: Reed Words Sam's Twitter Kira’s website Rob’s website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group The Copywriter Underground   Full Transcript: Rob:   This episode is brought to you by The Copywriter Underground, the place to connect with hundreds of smart copywriters who share ideas and strategies to help you master marketing, mindset, and copywriting in your business. Learn more at thecopywriterunderground.com. Kira:   What if you could hang out with seriously talented copywriters and other experts, ask them about their successes and failures, their work processes and their habits, then steal an idea or two to inspire your own work? That's what Rob and I do every week at The Copywriter Club Podcast. Rob:   You're invited to join The Club for episode 198 as we chat with copywriter and creative director Sam Pollen about working at an agency that's focused on great copy, what it takes to build a verbal identity, his biggest struggle as a creative and as a copywriter, and why he wrote a book about anorexia. Kira:   Welcome, Sam. Rob:   Hey, Sam. Sam Pollen:   Thanks very much for having me, guys. Kira:   Yeah, we're excited to have you today and let's just start this conversation with how you ended up as a creative director. What was that story? Sam Pollen:   I think the story for me is probably the story similar for a lot of people in that position in that I just worked my way up, basically. I did a degree in natural sciences, so zoology and psychology, of all things, so not really related to what I do now at all. Then I worked in photography for a little bit, and then I worked in marketing and sort of fell into copywriting. So copywriting was not a deliberate choice for me, but it was something that I did some of in a marketing job and found out I was good at or good enough at. And then honed my skills and developed and found that that was something I found interesting and had some talent for, and so went from there. About five, six years ago, I had started working with my now boss, Mike Reed, who set up the agency I work for, it's called Reed Words. I was initially hired just to write a sort of, he was starting to build an agency and then we have grown from that point. We have a team of writers and I'm the deputy creative director.

Red hot copywriter Lorrie Morgan is our guest for the 197th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. As a stay-at-home mom she looked for a job that she could do from home. When a client asked for a 52-part auto responder, she knew she had to get serious about the craft. And she shared her decades of experience, as we asked about: •   her journey from actor to copywriter to direct response guru •   what she learned from her mentors (and who they are) •   what it takes to “write fearlessly” … Lorrie breaks down what she did •   the “pain-in-the-butt” writing exercise that makes you into a better writer •   what she did to attract clients when she was just starting out •   what she learned from moving 16 times before she graduated from high school •   how she uses an alter-ego to go beyond her limitations and write copy •   self-care and how Lorrie makes sure she feels good enough to write well •   the biggest mistakes her copywriter clients make •   the differences between writing for men and women •   the “tarket” trick for connecting on a deeper emotional level in copy •   the process of writing her book and why she wrote it •   what’s on Rob’s vision board (and why Kira might need one) •   why Lorrie wears a cowboy hat to events •   what is was like to work on Baywatch—the truth about David Hasslehoff Lorrie shares some great advice to copywriters who want to grow. To hear what she said, scroll down and click the play button. Or scroll a bit farther for a transcript. And if you’re really serious about getting better as a copywriter, subscribe to the podcast (so you don’t miss an episode) and leave a review.   The people and stuff we mentioned on the show: Baywatch Gary Halbert John Carlton Kevin Rogers Pauline Longdon Todd Herman Ignite Your Moxie Ali Brown Andre The Giant Lorrie’s website Kira’s website Rob’s website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group The Copywriter Underground   Full Transcript: Kira:   This episode is brought to you by The Copywriter Underground, the place to find more than 20 templates, dozens of presentations and topics like copywriting, marketing, mindset. A community of successful writers who share ideas and leads and a copywriter club newsletter which is mailed directly to your home every single month. Learn more at thecopywriterunderground.com. Rob:   What if you can hang out with seriously talented copywriters and other experts, ask them about their successes and failures, their work processes and their habits, then instill an idea or two to inspire your own work, that's what Kira and I do every week at The Copywriter Club podcast. Kira:   You're invited to join the club for Episode 197 as we chat with Red Hot copywriter Lorrie Morgan about the differences between writing for men and women, why she wrote her book, Ignite Your Moxie and what it's about, what she's done to create a profitable copywriting business, and how she landed a job working on the set of Baywatch. Welcome, Lorrie. Rob:   Hey, Lorrie. Lorrie Morgan:   Hey, good to be here, you guys. Kira:   Great to have you here, Lorrie. So, let's start. As much as I want to ask you everything about Baywatch right away, I feel like we should wait to hear about that. But let's start with your story. How did you end up as a copywriter? Lorrie Morgan:   Oh yes, everyone has a story. Nobody wants to be a copywriter when they're a little girl, do they? So, I have a journalism degree. But I always wanted to be an actress. So, this is the rambling version, but I'll try to get to the point real quick. So, I moved to California, which is where I live now, to be an actress. We'll jump into the Baywatch a little bit later, too. But I'm a terrible actress, it turns out. I just really like the whole idea of it. So instead, I got married and I had children, which was wonderful. And then, I ended up going getting divorced and had to get a job. Oh, no.