The Copywriter Club Podcast

Seth Godin, renowned entrepreneur and marketer, shares invaluable insights in this podcast, discussing topics such as the two kinds of freelancers, the importance of art, the role of fear in our lives, recognizing genius, and the difference between professionals and hacks. Seth also emphasizes the significance of embracing failure, being a good student, and creating tension in copywriting. This episode is packed with advice for making a change in the world.

Attorney and contract expert, Christina Scalera is our guest for the 114th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. We’re grateful Christina took some time to explain why we (copywriters outside of the EU) might not need to worry too much about stuff like GDPR and what we really should be worried about instead (if you write sales pages, you’ll want to hear what she says). Here’s what we talked about: •  how and why she started the Contract Shop •  the risks of working with generic legal websites or big law firms •  the #1 thing Christina did to grow her business quickly •  the contracts you absolutely need in your business •  what you need to know and what you can safely ignore about GDPR •  what can happen if you don’t have the right contracts in place •  the benefits (besides legal protection) you get from contracts •  the ins and outs of client privacy •  a few things to know about working with affiliates •  legal risks when it comes to sales pages and sharing results • working with subcontractors—what you need to know We covered a lot of tricky topics and Christina helped us understand where we need to spend time reducing our legal risks—and how to do it. Ready to listen? Click the play button below or download this episode to your podcast app. And if you prefer reading, you can scroll down for a full transcript.   The people and stuff we mentioned on the show: The Contract Shop Profit First Lianna Patch Chanti Zak Ashlyn Carter Shades of Gray Frank Kern Amy Porterfield Kira’s website Rob’s website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group Intro: Content (for now) Outro: Gravity Full Transcript: Rob:   This podcast is sponsored by The Copywriter Underground. Kira:   It's our new membership designed for you, to help you attract more clients and hit 10k a month consistently. Rob:   For more information or to sign up, go to 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, and 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 114 as we chat with attorney and founder of The Contract Shop, Christina Scalera, about the importance of contracts, GDPR and other privacy regulations, what we need to know about trademarks, building and growing more than one online business for creatives, and why she collects abstract art. Kira:   Welcome, Christina. Christina:      Hi, guys. Kira:   All right. Great to have you here. Let's kick this off with your story. How did you end up building The Contract Shop? Christina:      Sure, yeah. I got out of law school and I landed my dream job. It was perfect, and it was the job that everybody wanted to get, and I felt so lucky. But unfortunately, a lot of different things were happening at the same time, and I ended up with a couple different health complications and basically had a doctor tell me something had to give. The only thing that I could give was my job. I had to figure out a different way to make a living, and that was where I really stepped into the creative economy that ... Well, not as it exists today, but what we know of it. I decided my first foray into this economy would be as a private yoga teacher, because I had a friend in DC, and she was a former business attorney turned private yoga teacher in DC, and I was living in Atlanta at the time. I was like, ‘Great. I can do that.’ She kind of helped me out with that and everything. But long story short, I didn't make any money. Not a big shocker there. It's hard to make money as a yoga teacher. Not impossible, but difficult. To pay the bills, I kept doing legal work on the side. This yoga studio thing wasn't a total wash. I got a lot of clients that were yoga studios in the area that needed different contracts ...

Creative Director and copywriter, Daniel Harmon is one of the brains behind the popular ads for PooPouri, Purple mattresses, Chatbooks and more. In the 113th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast, Kira and Rob talk with Daniel about The Harmon Bros. approach to creating advertising that’s calibrated to go viral, demonstrate the product, and sell enough to make a lot of money. Here’s what we covered: •  how growing up on a potato farm led to a career in advertising •  using YouTube to sell a tongue brush, air freshener and mattresses •  how a Huffington Post article gave the Harmon Bros. their name •  the creative process that led to working with Golidlocks •  why they hold “writing retreats” as part of the creative process •  how he (and the HB team) knows when something is truly funny •  how they cast talent for their videos and look for the “comedic X-factor” •  the two levels of hell and how to stay out of both (when it comes to casting) •  what ads need to do at the end of the day—even the funny ones •  how the HB formula works for both humor and serious ads •  what it takes to get hired by an agency like Harmon Brothers •  what it takes to turn “gross” into “gold” •  the course they built to share all of their how-to secrets There’s a ton of great advice, stories and ideas that anyone serious about creating compelling ads (especially those that work in environments like YouTube and Facebook). To hear it all, click the play button below, or download the episode to your favorite podcast app. Or scroll down to read a full transcript.   The people and stuff we mentioned on the show: Orabrush Devin Supertramp Austin Craig Poopouri Harmon Bros. The Goldilocks Ad Studio C The Abe Lincoln Ad Hey Whipple Squeeze This How to write ads that sell  (The HB Course) Kira’s website Rob’s website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group Intro: Content (for now) Outro: Gravity   Full Transcript: Rob:   This podcast is sponsored by The Copywriter Underground. Kira:   It's our new membership designed for you to help you attract more clients and hit 10K a month consistently. Rob:   For more information or to sign up, go to thecopywriterunderground.com. 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 habit, 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 113 as we chat with the Chief Creative Officer at Harmon Brothers, Daniel Harmon, about storytelling and humor, what it takes to create viral videos that also sell products, building an agency, and what we need to do to create amazing work like the Harmon Brothers. Welcome, Daniel. Daniel:           Thank you. Thanks for having me on, guys. Kira:   All right. Well, why don't we start this off with your story, Daniel, about how you ended up as the Creative Director at Harmon Brothers. Daniel:           My story actually goes back to when I was born. No. Not exactly. I was born in Idaho, Burley, Idaho specifically, and grew up working on the potato farm. This seems tangential, but it's not. I learned to do sales face-to-face before I ever got into selling anything through video or through social media. What I mean by that is in order to earn money, my brothers and I, we would grab a truck that my uncle had and we would fill it full of 50-pound boxes of fresh Idaho potatoes and illegally, I'm sure, drive it down across the Utah border and go door-to-door or street side and sell boxes of potatoes. We would sell a 50-pound box for $20. Utah was a really good market because it wasn't Idaho where everyone already has potatoes and because there's a lot of families there. We figured out that we could make more money selling potatoes door-to-door and face-to-face than we could if we worked minimum wage job...

Copywriter Chris Orzechowski is our guest for the 112th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. We met Chris through our friend Kim Schwalm after they got in a bit of a fight over the best kind of clients. Needless to say, we're all friends now, but it was touch and go there for a little while : ). Rob and Kira sat down with Chris to talk about: •  Chris’s path from school teacher and wrestling coach to copywriter •  how he “embraced the suck” to make things work as a marketer •  how his teaching and coaching skills make him a better copywriter •  landing his first “real” clients—what worked and what didn’t work •  the moment he knew things were going to work out •  why you need to treat copywriting like a business and outwork everyone •  the #1 thing copywriters need to do in order to truly succeed •  how to find good retainer clients—exactly what to look for •  how to manage the back and forth with a retainer client •  what Chris charges for retainers and how it’s changed

Erika Lyremark, known as the “business whipstress,” is our guest for the latest episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. Like a few of our other guest experts, Erika doesn’t call herself a copywriter, but she has written her own copy (it’s good) in the past and knows a bit about the business struggle copywriters go through. So Kira and Rob asked her about: •  how she became the “business whipstress” •  her red carpet dream and how to find yours •  how to get clarity around “your thing” in your space •  the importance of clearing clutter (real and imaginary) •  the types of clients she works with and the problems she helps them solve •  the three things to focus on when developing products •  Erika’s creation process and how she goes from idea to glamorous products •  why it’s important to get outside of your bubble when creating your brand •  the biggest takeaways from each step of her career path •  how discipline and structure contribute to her success •  why she doesn’t call herself a copywriter even though she writes a lot of copy •  two things you need to do to establish your authority •  how to get better at selling (and why you should) •  boundaries and how to get comfortable with them Sounds pretty good, right? We think you’ll like this one. To hear it, click the play button below, or download it to your favorite podcast app. Readers scroll down for a full transcript.   The people and stuff we mentioned on the show: Think Like a Stripper (Erika’s book) Mark’d Mastery (Erika’s business program) Autumn Thompkins Laura Belgray Sam Horn Cashvertising Hypnotic Writing Tony Robbins Paul Jarvis Erika on Instagram Srini Rao DailyWhip.com Kira’s website Rob’s website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group Intro: Content (for now) Outro: Gravity Full Transcript: Rob:   This podcast is sponsored by The Copywriter Underground. Kira:   It's our new membership, designed for you, to help you attract more clients and hit 10K a month consistently. Rob:   For more information or to sign up, go to 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 are invited to join the club for episode 111, as we chat with author and business coach, Erika Lyremark about how she became a business whipstress, what it takes to truly stand out, writing great copy, even though she doesn't call herself a copywriter and what she has done to up level her business. Kira:   Welcome Erika. Rob:   Hey Erika. Erika: Hello. Kira:   I'm so happy to have you here. You have been a mentor to me for years before I even started my copywriting business so I feel like this is just such a great place to be with you right now. Erika: Well I am very thrilled to be here as well. Kira:   All right. Let's start with your story. How did you end up as a business whipstress? Erika: I don't think that was on my list of occupations when I was a young lady. I wanted to be a race car driver, I wanted to be a doctor, I wanted to be a fashion designer, but I always knew that I wanted to be in charge. Like no matter what I was doing, it's like if I'm not in charge, I actually don't do well. I'm a terrible employee, but if I know that I'm in charge, I actually excel at that. So, I mean, long story short, I'm super nerdy, I love learning. I'm hardcore Type A, I'm super driven. I've always been really really motivated in my life. I'm also highly creative. I've always been really creative. I'm very much left brain, right brain split, so there's one side or the other. It's constantly arguing with the other side. In the 1990s I was a stripper for nine years out in Seattle, Washington, where I live now and in 2001,

There’s a lot of talk lately about money mindset and “blocks” that keep you from achieving the success you want. In this episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast, Kira and Rob talk with the Queen of Passive Income, Colleen Arneil, about money mindset and how to discover the mind trash that is holding us back. We talked about: •  her path from psychology to money mindset coach •  why we don’t finish the majority of training programs we start •  why money mindset is important even if you think it’s woo-woo •  a few of the most common “money blocks” and why we get stuck in them •  some of the questions to ask to figure out your money blocks •  how to move past negative feelings from pressing financial needs •  how Colleen became the passive income queen •  how to build passive income into our businesses •  what she would say to people who think passive income is “easy” •  selling the transformation that a client gets •  how to you earn your authority (it helps to have a niche) •  the importance of “self care” and how Colleen approaches it Some pretty good advice in this one. To listen, click the play button below or download it to your favorite podcast app. Want to read it instead? Scroll down for a full transcript.   The people and stuff we mentioned on the show: Colleen’s website Kira’s website Rob’s website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group Intro: Content (for now) Outro: Gravity   Full Transcript: Kira:   What if you could hang out with seriously talented copywriters and other experts, ask them about their successes and failures, their work process, 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 110 as we chat with course creation expert and money mindset coach, Colleen Arneil about how she became the passive income queen, why money mindset is so important, even if you think that it's a little woo-woo, building passive income into our businesses, and how copywriters can build their authority and expertise. Kira:   Colleen, welcome. Colleen:        Thank you so much for having me. Kira:   We’re glad you're here. It's a pleasure to have you here. We've worked together in the past. I know so many copywriters really are working on their money mindset. Even if they don't know they need it, we know that they need it based on the questions they're asking us on a regular basis. Let's just jump into your story. How did you end up as a money mindset coach? Colleen:        It's actually a roundabout way. When I was younger, I always thought I was going to be a psychologist, so I went to university, I did my undergrad, went onto grad school, did my Master’s in clinical. As I was almost done with my PhD, I had this awakening, at least in the traditional sense of being a psychologist, it wasn't the right path for me. I'd come so far, I just finished out my degree. Then, I launched an e-commerce program online and love customer service, passionate about it. That's where I started in the online field. What I noticed as I was taking courses to learn how to market and grow my e-commerce business was there was some people who could teach programs in an amazing way and other people who had so much knowledge, but they just didn't know how to share that information to actually get people results and help get them transformation. I had spent a lot of years at the university level lecturing and teaching. I just got really inspired to be like, ‘Okay, I need to help people better understand how they can create their curriculums and develop their programs and share their information so that it's a really positive experience and people get results.’ I transitioned out of my e-com business and that's how I first came online and was teaching a strategy part. What I noticed was happening was a lot of my students weren't getting to the end result.

Comedy writer Eric Cunningham talks about what it takes to be funny with Kira and Rob for the 109th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. A lot of writers dream of working for comedy shows like Saturday Night Live or one of the late night shows. But there’s a lot of competition and success isn’t guaranteed. What does that have to do with copywriting? It turns out, quite a lot. We talked to Eric about: •  the career path to become a comedy writer and what it takes to succeed •  how to deal with the up and down of project work •  what a day in the life of a comedy writer looks like •  how to stand out in a competitive space •  why you can’t wait to be chosen and what to do instead •  what sets the successful comedy writers apart from those who fail •  what does it take to be funny (and what we can do to be funnier) •  why he says “Yes” to lots of things (including condo board meetings) •  why copywriters should use more humor in their copy •  the one thing he has done to up-level his career •  where comedy is headed in the future We had some technical difficulties half way through the show but it doesn’t affect the excellent advice Eric shares about what it takes to succeed in the world of comedy—and copy. Listen by clicking the play button below. Or subscribe on your favorite podcast app (we like Overcast). Prefer to read? Scroll down for a full transcript.   The people and stuff we mentioned on the show: Streaks Eric’s Twitter Upright Citizen Brigade Theater Kira’s website Rob’s website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group Intro: Content (for now) Outro: Gravity Full Transcript: 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 are invited to join our club for Episode 109 as we chat with comedy writer Eric Cunningham about writing for TV outlets like Comedy Central and TruTV. What it takes to stay sharp as a comedy writer, his writing process and what we might borrow from it, and what it all has to do with copywriting. Welcome Eric. Rob:   Hey Eric. Eric:   Hello! Thanks for having me. Kira:   I'm so excited to have you here. I was just telling Rob, Eric is a good friend. He's close to home. He's a fellow New Yorker, and I've known him for a while and he's married to one of my best friends. So, this is a very special interview. I'm really excited that you're here. Rob:   Don't blow it Eric. Kira:   Yeah. No pressure! Eric:   What if this ruins a friendship? A long lasting .. Kira:   Right! Yeah, just to have you here as a comedy writer and someone's who's really outside of our space as copywriters and what we're doing, I feel like there's a lot we can learn from what you do day to day and just your experience so far. So, let's kick this off with your story. How did you end up as a comedy writer? Eric:   Sure, so I was not a funny child at all. I was like a big nerd and, you know, liked politics and all that stuff. And then, in college, I was kind of like looking for my thing and I couldn't find it because my whole thing growing up was being smart and then when you go to college, you're surrounded by all smart people, and then I was like oh, I don't have a thing anymore. So, I was just desperately looking for something that would differentiate myself a little bit, or just like find a home. And, they were taking columnists at the school newspaper and I was like, I don't have the attention span to write a full column, so I'll just write ... essentially this is ... I mean this is how old I am. It was basically Twitter before Twitter was there. It was just like short little one liner observational jokes that were not associated with anything else and just like here’s joke, here's a joke, here’s a joke. And,

Copywriter, coach and former defense attorney, Linda Perry is our guest for the 108th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. Linda’s career hasn’t followed the typical marketing to copywriting track. She’s spent time in prisons and courtrooms around the country, honing her skills for empathy and persuasion. Add in serious training as a coach and she’s got plenty of copywriting advice to share. We talked with Linda about: •  how she went from defense attorney to copywriter •  how her legal background makes her a more persuasive copywriter •  her experiment with life coaching and the impact it had on her writing •  the “suitcase” exercise that helps with the next evolutionary leap •  the “one thing” that has helped her uplevel her career •  the run-down on the StoryBrand framework and how it’s 4x-ed her business •  what keeps her focused and on-message •  a deeper look at her on-boarding process •  what her kick-off calls look like and the information she gets there •  how she’s using Instagram and video to get in front of her clients •  the behind-the-scenes with her video creation process •  the questions she’s asking about where her business will go this year •  what’s working for Linda in social media •  the mindset mistakes copywriters are making today •  the “what-if” beliefs that are real and those that aren’t •  what she’s most excited about in her own business This is not an exhaustive list of all the stuff we covered, so you’re going to want to download this to your podcast player to hear it all. Or just click the play button below. If you prefer reading, scroll down for a full transcript.   The people and stuff we mentioned on the show: Debbie Ford Marie Forleo Amy Porterfield StoryBrand Zoom The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson Tony Robbins Soul Genius Branding Linda on Instagram Kira’s website Rob’s website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group Intro: Content (for now) Outro: Gravity   Full Transcript: Kira:   What if you could hang out was seriously talented copywriters and other experts, ask them about their successes and failures, the 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 108, as we chat with copywriter, brand strategist, and coach, Linda Perry, about why she made the jump from prosecutor to copywriter, the processes she uses to clarify her client's messaging as well as the importance of getting the right mindset and how hidden beliefs can sabotage your success. Kira:   Linda, welcome. Rob:   Hey, Linda. Linda:    Hey guys, thank you for having me. Kira:   I feel like, prosecutor to copywriter that sounds like a podcast. I feel like you should get that started. Rob:   That does sound like a podcast, more than just an interview. Linda:    Right. I hate to burst your bubble guys but I was defense attorney. Rob:   Oh no! We've ruined the intro. Linda:    It doesn't have the same ring to it, too. Kira:   Linda, let's start with your story and how you ended up as a copywriter. Linda:    I definitely don't have traditional path, but I feel like even though I was a defense attorney, the seeds of being a copywriter literally started when I was like six years old. I think I gave every stuffed animal, every Barbie, every car, a story. I was always really wrapped up in the storytelling part of life. I always wanted to be a copywriter but with immigrant parents that we're like, ‘No, no. You need a profession’, I went and became a lawyer. Part of what I loved about being a lawyer was really my paper walk through the door before I did. It was always about telling someone's stories. After 17 years of being a criminal defense attorney, you get tired, you get a little worn out. I really started to think about who is it that I want to be. With a little life coaching background,

Just a short introduction to The Copywriter Underground and an invitation to join our first-ever hot seat call for members of The Copywriter Club. To learn more, go to thecopywriterclub.com/tcu. Click the play button below. The people and stuff we mentioned on the show: The Copywriter Underground Kira’s website Rob’s website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group Intro: Content (for now) Outro: Gravity Because this episode is simply an introduction to The Copywriter Underground and the special hot set webinar next Tuesday, there is no transcript for this one.

Copywriter Joel Klettke shares his thoughts with Kira and Rob about how copywriters like to show off only the best parts of their business and how that affects other writers struggling to make things work. It’s a great discussion, but we covered a lot more than that. Here’s a look at what you'll hear in this 107th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast: •  what he’s doing and how his business (and life) has changed in the past year •  how audits and research have impacted his business •  what Joel does in an audit and how he prices them for his clients •  how he sells the audit and then hands it off to the client or another writer •  why he’s taking on fewer projects and the season of “no” •  the instagram-ification of some copywriter’s businesses—and why it hurts •  why we end up chasing the wrong goals (and maybe what to do instead) •  what to do if you aren’t performing as well as you think you should •  what is “enough” •  a few ideas for building confidence and the impact on your business •  the biggest mistakes copywriters make that ruin your conversion rates •  his advice to new dads and why you might need “guilt cancelling headphones” To get the low-down on how Joel’s business has changed since the first time we talked to him more than a year ago, click the play button below. Or if you’re the reading type (and lots of copywriters are) scroll down for a full transcript. And you should be able to find it on your favorite podcast app as well.   The people and stuff we mentioned on the show: Joel’s first interview Joanna Wiebe Case Study Buddy Chantelle Zakarisian Val Geisler Laura Belgray Joels’ Conversion Killers Presentation Kira’s website Rob’s website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group Intro: Content (for now) Outro: Gravity   Full Transcript: 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 a club for Episode 107 as we chat for a second time with freelance copywriter and case study specialist Joel Klettke about what he's accomplished in the year since we last talked. What it really takes to grown and run a six figure business, balancing copywriting with building a second business and being a new dad, and the biggest conversion killing mistakes copywriters make. Kira:   Welcome Joel. Rob:   Hey Joel. Joel:   Hey guys, thanks so much for having me. Kira:   Yeah it's great to have you back. All right, so let's kick this off Joel with what you've been working on over the last year. What's changed for you? We know quite a bit has changed for you, but what's changed since the last time that we had you on the show? Joel:   I kind of started off the year, I made the promise to myself I said, ‘I'm going to step back from the copy projects, and I'm going to press into the case study business, and focus on growing that.’ And so, that was kind of my mental goal. I thought, ‘Yeah I need to see what I've got in that.’ And that went well for all of like 10 minutes, and then projects cross your desk, and it's difficult to say no. But, I have kind of stepped back a little bit from writing. I'm taking on fewer but bigger projects now, which was a big goal of mine. But I think obviously the most significant change is now I'm a dad, so I've got a little guy in the house, and learning to work, and live, and adjust my sleep schedules and life in general around this little person, which is pretty interesting. And then the other side of it on a totally different side of things, I looked up kind of midway through the year and realized outside of case studies, and outside of my writing projects I've actually made more money, and had more work on the audits and review side of things,