Since I began freelancing in 2016, it’s always been just me. I didn’t have any friends who worked from home that I knew of. My social media was empty of people discussing their remote work ethic. When I moved to Taiwan to be with my partner who was there for work, I hardly saw him. He was always at the office or having meetings. I was in a tough situation but I forged ahead.
Riding Solo
My clients slowly trickled in. I did the typical freelancer type of stuff. Worked for free (oh, sorry, for exposure), then started tentatively charging small rates for my copywriting, and finally I began establishing higher rates slowly but surely. I don’t have any formal training as a writer, head’s up, but I didn’t let that stop me. I know writing. And I know words. Since I was a kid, I have always adored the English language and I’ve written st
ories upon stories and multiple blog posts. I’m a grammar freak and used to teach English as a second language (as a volunteer in a foreign country). So I figured I was in a solid place to have people trust me to do their copywriting.
It was mostly ghostwriting for a while. One of my first paying clients was a dating coach in New York. Another was a defense attorney from Portland. And when I began further establishing myself, I also worked with a guy who had a successful Kickstarter campaign to make it easier for people to grow avocado trees from home. And yes, despite having ghostwritten their articles and signing various NDAs, I can still discuss the nature of my employment. So that’s how it went on for a while. I was bent on writing, writing, writing my heart away. And, from where I was sitting, doing it on my own seemed like the best (not to mention only) option.
Social Media to the Rescue
Well, eventually I found solace within a multitude of Facebook groups specifically designed to give support and guidance to solopreneurs like myself. This was an excellent aide! I also gained insight from various YouTubers and other people on social media. And I could see that I wasn’t alone at all, even if I was working alone. I was excited to learn from others who had been doing exactly what I’m doing, but for longer. Way longer. And it was refreshing to see people who would come in and be precisely where I once was: Lost, confused, wanting to start a blog/company/social media account as a remote work opportunity but not knowing where or how to begin.
This is also what prompted my initial plan for Copy Fox Pros. When I first started putting Copy Fox Pros together in May 2018, I didn’t really have a set plan beyond “I want to have writers write about writing”. And as one applicant pointed out, how redundant is that?
Part of a Team
I don’t have a plan when it comes to Copy Fox Pro. It sounds weird to say out loud, but it’s true. When I first started freelancing, I didn’t have a business name. I didn’t have a business. But now that things are coming together, it’s looking pretty different than my original idea. And that’s a good thing!
I decided to add the graphic designer who beautifully created all the graphics on my website to my team. It wasn’t really much of a team, but rather a dynamic duo. I had a creative director and she had someone to send her clients who wanted graphics done.
When I witnessed the awesome writing skills of one of the first applicants for Copy Fox Pros, I felt in my gut that I should extend the same invitation to her. Which is pretty crazy, since I’ve only known her for a couple months. So who knows what could happen? But right now, it’s a win-win situation for us. I have a strong team of incredible women to help me out when I am out of my depth, and they have me… And I know I’m awesome!
So there you have it. I’ve increased threefold and it’s great. My little Team Copy Fox Pro is growing and I love it. At this point, I am also in talks to add on another social media manager (which is a story for another time) and possibly a virtual asssistant so I don’t lose my mind trying to keep track of everything. But all in all, I am happy with where I am! I am comfortable.
But you know what they say. When you get comfortable, you know it’s time to keep moving, changing, and growing! So that is my next step. To reach discomfort and to feel so out of whack that I want to die. But I’m gonna be okay, because I’ve got a pretty sweet team of fellow entrepreneurs. And we’ve got each other’s backs.