The Business of Writing Podcast

Adam Hunt is a TV Producer turned Copywriter who specializes in comedic copywriting. He says there’s an art to writing jokes that work for brands – and a science that makes sure the end result is on-brand, on-message and won’t get you cancelled.

Adam brought together TV’s best comedy writers to form his White Label Comedy Hive-Mind.

They, to help brands of all shapes and sizes entertain, engage and sell. Which, he says, was not as hard as it sounds, since they were all in the same branch of Starbucks complaining about the WiFi. He now keeps them in a small bucket on his coffee table, occasionally feeding them episodes of Cheers.

• How Adam convinced a bunch of TV writers to give up their fat paychecks and jump ship and start a copy agency
• Why joke formulas don’t always work in persuasive copy (and the counterintuitive reason Adam still uses them)
• How to find the perfect balance of comedy, psychology, and marketing to write a winning piece every time
• Why you should always start with conversion copy before thinking about the joke
• How to use comedy to get your audience to lower their resistance and be more open to hearing your message.
• The secret to avoiding cringe worthy jokes when injecting humor into your brand
• How to avoid the biggest mistakes newbie writers make when trying their hand at humor
• Adam’s advice for managing (and corralling) a team of writers and comedians

And plenty more along the way. Get the resources mentioned in this episode below.

Justin Goff is well known for helping marketers and business owners scale their offers to cold traffic. He grew his own supplement company from $0 to $23 million in just under three years by focusing on cold traffic growth.

After selling that company in 2017, Justin now runs a high-level mentorship program called Copy Accelerator with Stefan Georgi, where they help business owners and freelance copywriters rapidly increase their revenue.

We’ve crossed paths with Justin at various events and masterminds over the last few years, and he is always warm and generous with his knowledge.

Today we’re excited to share how he created such rapid growth in his business, and how you can do the same to strategically build wealth as a writer.

• The specific actions Justin took to go from dead broke to multi-millionaire in just a few years
• How he finds out exactly what’s working in any given market in real time
• Justin’s advice for how freelancers should handle the corona-crisis right now
• How to tap into what’s at the front of your audience’s mind
• The simplest way to start investing and build long-term wealth as a freelancer
• How to go from “gig to gig” to a bigger, better writing business
• What Justin would do first if he started over from scratch
• How Justin has shifted his business to keep up with the changing times
• What to look for when finding and choosing a copywriting mentor
• Justin’s 80/20 breakdown of what makes great sales copy

And plenty more along the way. Get the resources mentioned in this episode below.

Many industries today - especially online marketing - are so transient and based on “trends.” One thing we want to do here on this show is make sure we’re sharing lessons and insights that will stand the test of time.

Stories to help you build a business without being worn out, stressed out, and ready to quit. Stuff that is sustainable and can help you build long-term growth.

So today Laura and I want to share more about the evolution of our businesses over time, and the lessons we’ve learned that will help you build a business that’s set to thrive through all kinds of ups and downs, and turns of industry so you can always make great money doing what you love.

• The catalyst that caused each of us to launch our businesses
• How we overcame the biggest difficulties as we built our businesses
• The main values we seek out in clients, employees, and business partners
• Our biggest “ah ha” moments over 10 years of working for ourselves
• How we stay updated with new business ideas and strategies
• The secret to finding that work-life balance
• Our best advice for our younger selves if we were to do it all again

And plenty more along the way.

Angie Colee is a heavily-tattooed rocker turned copywriter and entrepreneurial coach. She was one of our very first guests here on the show, and since then she’s made some incredible shifts in her business.

She’s recently said goodbye to most of her client work to focus on her coaching, podcast, and writing a book – All supported by the incredible lessons she’s learned on her journey from cubicle copywriter to badass business owner.

In that time she’s coached hundreds of creative freelancers through finding clients and confidently fulfilling the gig...

Strategized and written multiple multi-million dollar launches, including two during the recent pandemic...

And Generated over $50MM in direct-to-consumer sales with her copy.

Since she walked away from her day job, she’s created strategies and promos for companies like Masterclass, Copy Chief, The Hustle, Rich Dad Poor Dad, and Product Launch Formula.

These days, she’s teaching everything she’s learned in her new business called Permission to Kick Ass. There she provides business and confidence coaching for creative entrepreneurs.

• Why Angie decided to move away from being a copywriting gun for hire
• How Angie manages her creative work while working remotely from the road
• Her superpower that makes her the perfect person to turn to when you need a loving kick in the butt.
• How to have difficult conversations with clients when you need to set boundaries
• The difference between a "red flag" and s "miscommunication" when it comes to managing clients
• How you can use your personality and quirks to attract the right clients
• The filters you should run all prospects through to make sure they’re easy to work with

And plenty more along the way. Get the resources mentioned in this episode below.

So many of our listeners want to market themselves and build great platforms, we want to highlight the kind of person who can really make it happen. So today we are interviewing Laura Valenti, who is the genius behind many of the systems here at the Business of Writing. We could not have made this show without her.

Laura is a creative and dynamic project manager and UX/UI designer freelance. Ever since she was young, Laura rejected the idea that having a job had to be exhausting so she simply decided to build her dream career.

She spent 5 years working in London and a year and a half in Lisbon, before moving back to Italy (where she grew up) and bringing back everything she learned abroad. Right now she is working for multiple clients with different "hats". These days Laura is primarily a designer but she is also a project manager, social media manager and ux researcher.

Today we talk about project management, mindset, and building a business that’s authentically you.

• How to embrace free online learning to change your career (and your life!)
• Laura’s advice for getting paid to learn new skills
• How to see change in your business as healthy and exciting (rather than stressful)
• The first person you should hire when launching your new business
• How to build trust and brand awareness quickly when you’re just getting started
• Which parts of your business you should automate and systematize first
• How to automate more of your writing business so you can focus on the work you love most
• Becoming a collaborator (rather than an employee) when working with clients
• The powerful mindset strategy behind increasing productivity and creativity
• Laura’s advice for fixing an unproductive day
• The 3 lists you should carry around with you daily to consistently move toward big goals
• How to enjoy the “journey” of building your business (and not just the destination)

And plenty more along the way.