Are You Asking Your Family for Help?
When you are – or are about to be – a new parent, you get lots of advice from those who have “been there, done that.” At least I did.
Back then, I was the newest member of the “Mommy Club,” and all the existing mommy members made sure I knew what to do and shared resources that would make my “job” easier.
They were my lifeline in those early days. Even now, 11 years later, they are still my extended family … you see, membership in the Mommy Club is for life!
We’ve been talking this week about the parallels between parenthood and a freelance copywriting business, and this feeling of extended family is one of the strongest.
The web copywriters whom I have met are some of the most friendly, supportive, and generous professionals I’ve ever had the pleasure to associate with. Probably because there’s plenty of work to go around, so there’s no need for the cut-throat competition that’s prevalent in other industries.
AWAI encourages this culture of being a supportive extended family by publishing articles like this one, written by our fellow members, and by hosting live events – like Bootcamp and the Intensives – that feel more like family reunions than business conferences (although there’s plenty of good business going on, too!).
Newbies can rub shoulders with veterans and masters of the craft. And there’s always someone around who’s “been there, done that” and who’s willing to give inspiration and insights. Today, that’ll be me. Here’s my advice for those just starting their career:
- Reach out for the support and guidance that many of our peers so generously offer. Why reinvent the wheel when others are willing to share the benefit of their experiences? Ask for help!
- Establish relationships with fellow copywriters. A few places to find them are AWAI forums, live events, and social media channels. We don’t do our best parenting in isolation, and we shouldn’t run our businesses in isolation either.
- Listen to advice, but figure out what’s best for you. Just as there are many different approaches to parenting, there are multiple ways to be a successful copywriter. Find what works for you!
Ours is not a cookie-cutter career path. Our own writer’s life can be whatever we wish.
Ours is a solo profession, but we don’t have to “go it alone.”
We have each other. And like the new parents who reach out and develop a support network, freelancers who actively seek support also thrive.
Tomorrow, I’m going to share five ways you can be a better “parent” to your freelance web copywriting business. I hope you’ll check back in.
But meanwhile, if you have any thoughts on this extended copywriting family of ours — if you’ve benefitted from the support and generosity of a fellow copywriter — please share your own story in a brief comment below.
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Hi, Michelle.
I've got to agree with you 100 percent. Since joining the AWAI, I've gotten more support than anywhere else I've been. I've made some new friends with people who are starting out here.
And what really knocked the socks off me was that many top-level copywriters have given me input. We're talking about some of my heroes in the business!
Steve Maurer
Steve Maurer – November 15, 2012 at 9:42 pm
Such a great newsletter. Thank you. So appropriate and so heartfelt. You have said what I'll bet all of us reading need to hear. Thank you, again! I connected with 2 gals from 2011 Bootcamp and we have stayed each others mentors all year. This year I connected with 5 and we will be having a weekly group. Thank you, again!
Guest (Donna) – November 16, 2012 at 10:45 pm