#116: Inspiration Everywhere

“Day after day, day after day, we stuck, nor breath nor motion
As idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean.
Water, water, every where, and all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, every where, nor any drop to drink”
–Samuel Taylor Coleridge,
“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”

In This Issue:

Inspiration Everywhere
by Monica Day

The week after Bootcamp is always dicey for me. The first three times I attended, my income doubled the following year. While I have been challenged on that statement – I stand by it. And I have the tax returns to prove it (um, and the tax bill, but that’s another sad tale for another day…)

But last year, and now this year, my take-away seems different – more complex.

And I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed this yourself…but the minute I start feeling like things are too complex, confusing, or overwhelming – it means one thing: I’ve hit my own resistance.

When I first discovered copywriting, I was sure it was the end of a long journey in finding the right career. Everything fit. I had spent years wanting to be a professional writer. And most of my paid career was spent in either sales or fundraising (which is still sales, by the way). Copywriting gave me the chance to pull all my skills and experience together into something cohesive.

Plus, it satisfied that restless part of me that always craves something new by providing rotating projects on a wide range of subjects. One week I was learning about trading options…the next I was writing about real estate in Honduras…the week after that I got to analyze how the Beijing Olympics was going to spawn a new middle class in China and how it might affect the world economy.

My mind was eating ideas like this for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I was sleeping just four or five hours a night – I was totally stimulated all the time. It was wonderful. Like a virgin on her honeymoon.

But in the last couple of years, I’ve realized that copywriting is still a means to an end for me…not an end in and of itself. And that my days as a freelance copywriter are coming to an end…and my days as a fulltime writer and publisher are about to begin.

If only I would let them.

There was more than enough encouragement and inspiration at bootcamp…

The Coleridge classic I quoted above – “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” – says it best. Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink. It is the avenge of the Albatross – the welcoming bird of good fortune that he slays. And to put it mildly (you’ve got to love the drama of old, epic poems), nothing goes right for the poor mariner until “the Albatross fell off, and sank like lead into the sea.”

I’m sure everyone has an albatross – something that holds you back from success. My neck is so sore from mine, that I’m sure any minute I will have no choice but to free it from its perch and hurl it into the sea. (In fact, even the massage therapist I saw in the spa at the hotel in Delray Beach mentioned it – and he doesn’t know a thing about me!)

What’s your albatross? Where do you wear it – and what is it keeping you from accomplishing?

Personally, I’m giving myself one more week to dump mine – and then, watch out. Care to join me?

Resource Referral: The Next Stop For Six-Figure Copywriters

Don’t get me wrong – I still LOVE copywriting. And I don’t plan to ever stop studying and writing copy. In fact, I expect I’ll be motivated to get better at it than ever…once I’m writing more copy for myself and my own products than for other people.

If you are also excited by the idea of having your own business, you should pick up: Self Publishing: Your Complete Business Plan for Creating a Life Without Borders.

It will give you a step-by-step plan for getting your publishing business going… full or part-time… right away:

I’m sure it’s not for everyone – but I imagine self-publishing is the next logical step for a lot of six-figure copywriters – at least those of us who have set our sights on hitting seven figures next. Check it out and see if it’s for you.

Bootcamp Journal #5: Home Again…Now What?

Ann-Marie Giglio made it through the week. But it’s only the beginning…and she knows it. Here’s what she has to say about bootcamp, safe and sound from home…

I’m safely home, the dust has settled (on everything while I was gone), I’ve done the laundry, caught up on my sleep, and now, it’s time to answer the big question:

Was it worth the money, the chaos at home, the time and the energy?

In a word…yes.

You might recall, I had set some specific goals before I left. They were:

  • gather the guidelines and basics of the copywriting business
  • learn writing tips from the masters themselves…and put them into practice on the spot
  • collect info about niches…and maybe even pick one
  • start or join a group of peers for support and critique sessions that will continue after bootcamp ends

Did I reach my goals? Every single one of them – and then some.

I heard Paul Hollingshead confess that he was not working hard enough! I proudly witnessed a panel of 6 women in powerful positions – and they told us what their pet peeves were. I certainly didn’t expect to hear such insider info – it’s not the usual conference fare.

I also heard very clearly from Marketing Directors what to do and what not to do. And more…

Presenters blocked out work schedules for us, gave us research leads, dissected niche markets, analyzed spec assignments and headlines for what makes them tick—really, the list goes on and on. And it’s all good. It’s exactly what I’d hoped for. But if you buy the DVD, you’ll get all that, too.

What I wasn’t prepared for–and what you won’t get on the DVD–was the intensity and spirit of everyone!

I wanted a jolt, but this energy blew me away. And no wonder. By day two, it dawned on me that I was actually immersed in a Small Business Incubator. Conditions were perfect – back-to-back workshops, presentations, and free-wheeling, random conversations with strangers from all over the country, all focused on one thing: marketing.

Most of us left bootcamp wired and impatient to get to work (and not just a little overwhelmed, to be honest). More importantly, we left with a plan.

Here’s mine:

1) Sift through the ton of materials I brought home – a bit more slowly this time – and find my personal gold nuggets.

2) Commit (in writing!) to re-write the two specs I’ve already submitted, and to write a new one—using my brand new, detailed how-to instructions.

That’s it. It might not be a long plan, but it’s do-able. And, I suspect, life-altering.

My last two goals were accomplished effortlessly. During the presentations, I realized that although I don’t want to write about supplements, I do want to write for the health market. Voila, a niche is born.

More important, I found the peer group I came looking for.

I met the first member in the cab from the airport! How easy was that? And before dinner that first night, I had met the other three. By dessert, we’d made it official. From that moment on, we worked the bootcamp as a tag-team. We filled each other in on workshops and gossip, and planned for the future. We cross-pollinated, commiserated, connected. And we haven’t stopped even though we’re all back home.

Yesterday, I asked my group what they valued most from bootcamp. They said: finding a niche; replacing fear with a renewed fire in the belly; and creating this fabulous group, which was, by far, the best thing.

We already have a chat page bursting with encouragement and ideas. We have fire. We have support. We have accountability.

It’s priceless.

And that brings me to the end of this series of my bootcamp-newbie journal. I’ve enjoyed sharing this journey with you. It’s forced me to articulate things with the same focus I’ll need for my copy—and Monica can tell you, that’s an exercise I can’t do often enough!

I’ll be back in a month or so to report on how I’m doing. It’s scary. I know this is the month where bootcamp attendees succeed or fail. It’s all in the follow-through. So my mantra will be: this is the most important month of my new career.

In fact, I challenge you to do the same – whether you attended bootcamp or not. If you’re like me (I haven’t even finished all the exercises in the course yet), set a one-month goal for yourself. Let’s see what we can accomplish in four weeks. Ready, fire, aim…

Ann-Marie Giglio is an AFAA certified group fitness instructor and a certified ChiRunning/ ChiWalking instructor. She’s written a book called Labor Day. When she’s not writing books and copy and walking fast, she’s taking care of her 2 children, 2 dogs, 2 cats, 4 gerbils, and one husband. She attended her first AWAI bootcamp this year – and Copy Protégé tracked her progress – from the jitters before she arrived, to her experience on the ground, and now her follow-through. Watch for occasional updates from Ann-Marie in the months ahead.