“Just start, tell everyone what you’re doing and explain what a copywriter is. Tell people you can write blogs or social media posts for them. Offer to write some press releases for a friend or a local business, start writing some blogs for your own website and just build on it. You don’t need to know everything to start.”
– Angela Pickett
Let’s be honest, being a copywriter can be just a little bit lonely.
Days spent with your computer, and possibly a furry companion.
You try to talk to your friends, your partner, and random strangers.
But who else really understands the deep pain of a client that won’t use track changes? Or is willing to argue back and forth on the merits of semi-colons?
The answer? Other copywriters.
But hey, aren’t they your competition?
Our guest today has made an art of networking, a confirmed introvert who has not realised she’s an extrovert.
She’s going to give us some tips on how to make the most of events, communities and memberships; to bolster your confidence, find new clients and learn more about the wonderful world of copywriting.
Tune in to learn:
- What Angela did before becoming a copywriter
- How being a diplomat influenced her copywriting
- How going to events has benefited Angela’s career
- Memberships – how they can help you feel less lonely as a freelancer
- Angela’s networking tips for other nervous, quiet copywriters
- Angela’s favourite copywriting tool
- Angela’s top copywriting tip
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And big thanks to Kate Crocker for their lovely review:
“Fabulous podcast, filled with achievable copywriting tips, and interviews with real copywriters offering excellent insight and experience. Listening to the podcast is a great way to reinforce the learnings in the Clever Copywriting School. You’ve done it again, Kate Toon. It’s a masterstroke.”
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About Angela Pickett
Angela Pickett is a Barossa-based creator of powerful words and chief cheerleader for female founders and family-owned businesses.
A former diplomat, Angela moved to the Barossa to build a lifestyle that allows her to juggle her business, family and being involved in the local community.
In her spare time, Angela enjoys reading, cooking, CrossFit and writing fiction.
Fun Fact: Angela launched her copywriting career on the back of a blog about her son’s photoshopped teeth going viral.
Connect with Angela Pickett
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Transcript
Kate Toon:
Let’s be honest. Being a copywriter can be just a little bit lonely. Days spent with your computer and possibly our very companion, you try to talk to your friends, your partner, random strangers, but who else understands the deep plane of a client that won’t use Track Changes or is willing to argue back and forth on the merits of semicolons? The answers are the copywriters. But hey, aren’t they your competition? Yes. No.
I guess the day has made an art of networking. A confirmed introvert, who is not, just recently realised she’s an extrovert. She’s going to give us some tips on how to make the most of events, communities, and memberships to bolster your confidence, find new clients, and learn more about the wonderful world of copywriting.
Hello, my name is Kate Toon and I’m the head copybeast at The Clever Copywriting School, an online community and teaching hub, but all things related to copywriting. And today I’m talking to Angela Pickett. Hello, Angela.
Angela Pickett:
Hello, Kate.
Kate Toon:
Oh, it’s exciting. I’m going to tell everyone who you are.
Angela Pickett:
It’s really exciting.
Kate Toon:
Angela Pickett is a Barossa-based creator of powerful words and chief cheerleader for female founders and family-owned businesses. Doesn’t that roll off your tongue? A former diplomat, Angela moved to the Barossa to build a lifestyle that allows her to juggle her business, family, and being involved in the local community. In her spare time, Angela enjoys reading, cooking, CrossFit, and writing fiction. Fun fact, Angela launched her copywriting career on the back of a blog about her son’s photoshopped teeth going viral. Now, I’ve seen you post about this so what happened with the photoshopped teeth?
Angela Pickett:
So he was in about year one, he’d had some teeth taken out and apparently on the day he looked really awkward in the photo.
Kate Toon:
Oh, that’s school photos. We’re talking school-
Angela Pickett:
School photo, yeah.
Kate Toon:
Right, right, right.
Angela Pickett:
So the very well-meaning, very new photography assistant photoshopped his mouth from the previous year onto. So it wasn’t like they just photoshopped by random person.
Kate Toon:
Just a random teeth. Yeah, it was his teeth.
Angela Pickett:
They actually found… It was him.
Kate Toon:
Oh, that’s so nice.
Angela Pickett:
But, yeah. And it was one of those strange things. I posted it in a group. I decided to write a blog. The blogger whose group it was said, “Can I write one too and I’ll share yours?” And then it just went nuts. And I was getting calls from media outlets across Australia and he’s still really upset that I didn’t let him go on the project.
Kate Toon:
Oh, no.
Angela Pickett:
But I had a friend to even travelling in the US and she… It was on the Today Show in the US and so she took a screenshot.
Kate Toon:
Oh, my God.
Angela Pickett:
But I realised at that point, people were actually publishing huge chunks of my blog and I thought, “Well, okay. Well, maybe I should just do some writing of my own.” So, yeah.
Kate Toon:
I love that story.
Angela Pickett:
Kind of I did feature writing and went from there.
Kate Toon:
Isn’t it funny what things capture the media’s imagination? It’s quite a sort of innocuous nonstory, but they can blow anything into anything, can’t they?
Angela Pickett:
Yeah. And it’s still… So actually he might have been about year three, so it’s probably five years ago. I still get people contacting me about it like media outlets. Well, every so often it seems to be one of those… I guess when it’s a slow news day like, “Let’s talk about kids photos being photoshopped.” And I kind of wrote the blog more from a perspective of our kids are watching us now and they’ve got phone, what does it say to them? Whereas, my own school photos are horrific. I had really bad teeth and bad haircuts and braces and all the things. And I kind of like looking back on them to kind of go, “Well, I’ve moved on.”
Kate Toon:
Yeah, I think it’s a big movement at the moment, isn’t it? Well, let’s… We won’t have the whole episode talking about teeth.
Angela Pickett:
No.
Kate Toon:
We’re going to be talking about networking. Now before we do that, I think it’s important to explain to people who you are and what you’ve done. So we don’t need a war in peace, but tell us a few of the key highlights before you became a copywriter, a few of the key jobs that you had.
Angela Pickett:
Yeah, sure. So I basically left uni and went straight into the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade where I was a diplomat for 15 years. I had two postings overseas to Beijing in the early 2000s, and then in Hanoi with my family. So I had a single posting and then I had the mom, husband, two kids posting. And it was during that time that I realised I was doing the same things I’d done 10 years before. And I started… I was about to turn 40 and I was like, “Really? Life’s too short to just keep doing the same thing.”
So we’d always talked about moving to a wine region because my husband works in wine. And so yeah, we decided to move to the Barossa and I really… A lot of people have a career change because they’ve got a burning desire to do something else. I didn’t. I just knew that I had to go away to work. And so I tried trade consulting for a while and set up my own business then I didn’t think I was very good at running a business. And then I worked for a winemaker for about three years doing everything but making the wines. So I was doing accounts, I was labelling boxes, occasionally selling wine, I was doing a bit of marketing. Yeah, and then I kind of fell into copywriting.
Kate Toon:
I love that story. It’s funny, isn’t it? Because when I hear you are diplomat, that’s like a real job. It’s like a proper grownup job. And it seems hard to imagine somebody wanting to give up such a, what seems like a glamorous, serious job, fabulous job to become a copywriter, but I totally get it. And I like the fact that you kind of you chose choose life. Wasn’t that a Frankie Goes to Hollywood song? You chose life and then you worked it out later. So you fell into copywriting partially because of the teeth. But that diplomatic career that you had, I mean it must have been… We often say in The Clever Copywriting School that we mustn’t discount the experience that we had before we became copywriters because it actually makes us all very unique types of copywriter. The commonalities are, we all can write, hopefully. We’ve got a pretty good grasp of grammar, blah, blah, blah.
But the thing that makes us different is everything we’ve done before. So you as a diplomat are going to have a completely different set of skills than somebody who possibly was a project manager before they became a copywriter or an accountant or a farmer. So how has being a diplomat in a former life influenced you as a copywriter?
Angela Pickett:
I think one of the things I love both about being a glamorous diplomat overseas on a posting, which sometimes it was, but sometimes I was just sitting in an office, not talking to anyone all day and dealing with paperwork and bureaucracy. And even in Canberra as a public service, I loved the variety and I liked meeting different people. I liked learning about different things. So in Hanoi, I was dealing with getting Australian products into Vietnam and I was also managing our cultural programme. So bringing Bangarra Dance and bringing Questacon science to Hanoi. So I liked the variety and I think that’s one of the things I love about copywriting now and why for so long I really resisted the idea of having a niche because I did enjoy learning about how different businesses work or meeting different people.
And so it’s why I do have that mix of some ongoing clients, but I also like meeting with new clients. So I guess that was one of the things that I guess I’ve taken. And it took me a long time to realise that I actually spent a lot of that 15 years writing and writing lots of different things for different audiences so I guess that’s a skill I’ve been able to translate.
Kate Toon:
So variety and writing. But I mean, I guess what I thought what you were going to say was people skills because surely being a bit diplomat is all about people skills. And yet when I first met you, which I think it’s about four years ago now, I can’t quite remember. I think you would definitely have cast yourself as an introvert or you described yourself as quite introverted and now you’ve recently had an epiphany, I think, that you’re an extrovert. Where are you at with this? Because we talk about this so much. Are you an introvert? Are you an ambivert? Where are you on the little spectrum now?
Angela Pickett:
Do you know what’s funny? I think I was always an extrovert, but I don’t think I really understood what that was.
Kate Toon:
Yes.
Angela Pickett:
I am a shy person until I get to know people and it doesn’t take me long to get to know people. And I think the thing is probably what being a diplomat taught me was having to walk into a room and connect with complete strangers and to network with complete strangers. So in Hanoi, I had a group that was the US, Europe, New Zealand, Canada, and we worked a lot together to get our issues dealt with. And so I like that collaborative way of working, I guess. And I like chatting to people, I like meeting people. And for a long time, I guess, I thought I convinced myself I was an introvert and I think that was just so I really had kind of lost myself a little bit.
And it really was… I mean, I think I can say that I think we’ve had a few years of being just in our online communities and sure I’m still being lucky. I guess we haven’t been as locked down here in the Barossa, but I think it was really being at CopyCon and not just being at CopyCon but the week afterwards and still feeling really energised because I was quite convinced I would come away…
Kate Toon:
Feeling drained.
Angela Pickett:
I mean like I didn’t have had any voice, but I thought it would feel really drained and I didn’t and I thought, “Well, isn’t that what an extrovert. They get their energy from-
Kate Toon:
That’s true.
Angela Pickett:
Being with other people. It’s not necessarily being the life of the party. And I think that’s where I’ve started to understand what that extrovert, introvert sort of thing means.
Kate Toon:
Sure.
Angela Pickett:
And sure I love hiding away with a good book.
Kate Toon:
Yeah, but?
Angela Pickett:
But…
Kate Toon:
Yeah, I think that’s-
Angela Pickett:
And maybe I would… Maybe being a parent, maybe a bit introverted?
Kate Toon:
Yeah, maybe. Yeah, sorry. I was just trying to interrupt there. We were cross talking a little bit. But James, edit this out. When I go like that, it just means let me come back in so we can have a bit more of a conversation.
Angela Pickett:
Yes, sure.
Kate Toon:
Sorry, James. Keep going. Yeah, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head there because I think people… Extroverts almost become a dirty word. Everyone wants to be an introvert now because extrovert smacks someone who comes in and goes, “Hello, I’m here.” But it’s not about being a show person, I think you’re exactly right. It’s where you get your energy from what inspires you. And I think for you it’s being around other people. Yes, you need to go back to the cave afterwards and process that and spend some downtime but having that ability, as you mentioned, to walk into a room full of Canadian and New Zealand and American delegates and talk to them, I think has a lot to do with confidence.
And I think confidence and introverts and extrovertism all are wrapped up together. So you mentioned there that you lost yourself and you felt more introverted. It’s a little bit of lack of confidence, I think. And then you get more confident when yourself and where you’re at with your business and who you are and then you’re able to meet people on a level and not always feel like, “Oh, my God. Please don’t talk to me because I don’t know what I’m going to say.” That’s what I’ve noticed about myself. The more confident I’ve come, the more I like myself, the more I’m settled with who I am and not comparing myself to other people. The more and I’m doing air fingers people, the more extroverted I am. I think maybe they’re just not particularly useful terms anymore. And there’s black and whiteness of them is a bit pointless these days. So I don’t know.
Anyway, I follow you on socials. You’re one of the few people I do. I love your posts and I highly recommend that you follow Angela. And when this episode finishes, she’s going to share some links. She does a beautiful newsletter, which I really, really enjoy. But you seem to go to a lot of events. Every time I’m looking I’m like, “Where’s she off to?” Now you’re there, you’re clutching a little bag full of tissue paper, you’re chitchatting with a glass of champagne. How do you balance the events that you… Have I got the wrong idea? Are you going to a lot of events? That’s my first one.
Angela Pickett:
No, I don’t think I-
Kate Toon:
Yeah.
Angela Pickett:
I don’t think I am. I guess I take opportunities when they come, but I think one of the things I’ve learned is I don’t have to go to everything. And I think that was the mistake I made in my previous business was I went to everything and they weren’t necessarily the right things and then I’d come away feeling…
Kate Toon:
It’s a waste of time.
Angela Pickett:
Waste of time. I’d lost confidence. What was I doing? Whereas now I guess I am a little bit more strategic about what I go to and who’s going to be there. And I think that’s the beautiful thing about social media now is you can kind of suss out who’s going to be at an event and work out whether they’re the right people for you. So I don’t go to events and I think networking’s got such a dirty word as well. And it’s funny because I grew up in a household where my dad who… And it’s actually it’s quite strange, it’s 13 years today since he died. But he was the master of networking, but it was about building connections. So he actually set up a group called Dealer or Connection because he saw the value in bringing people together. So for me, it’s never about me meeting someone and selling myself. It’s always I actually get more of a buzz out of going, “Oh, you know who you need to meet. You need to talk to so and so.” I really, I love that.
So I go to events now with the idea that I go, “I might meet someone and then not necessarily I’m going to sell them. They’re not going to buy from me straight away, but maybe I can learn something from them or…” I go to talks that are interesting. I don’t go to everything.
Kate Toon:
Yeah, no, I love that. There’s so many good little things there. God bless your dad. That’s sad. Sorry to hear that. But yeah, I think that is such the right attitude going into an event, not with a clutch of business cards in your hand, determined to walk away with three contacts. No disrespect to things like BNI, but that feels very sales-driven. You’re there to make a connection, to make money. And I think we have to be it’s more of a soft skill, a soft sell. And you’re actually there to sort of as you said, learn, be inspired, build relationships. And I’m the same as you. I love connecting people, not necessarily myself, but I love going something, “Oh, I know a great graphic designer, you’d love them.” But also it just it’s that sense of community that you build up and you feel like less alone and you kind of…
When you’re following people on social media and you’ve met them in real life, it feels like a deeper connection. I don’t… It’s a weird thing because I got on this journey as well, I’m a bit slower than you. But yeah, it’s taken… I remember when I started my copywriting business, I was like, “I’m not going to anything.” And I didn’t for the first six years and I got very successful without doing anything like that. But I did start online groups. But now, and I think you might be a bit of my inspiration, Angela Pickett. I’ve seen a little event coming up in Sydney. It’s a morning event like 8:00 AM which is a bit tricky for me. And I’m like, “I’m not going to win any business out of there. But I really like the person running the group and I really like her vibe and I think there’ll be interesting people there and it’s something different and it’s a break and… Yeah, I’m going to go. I’m going to go.” So thank you, Angela Pickett.
Angela Pickett:
Go. Go, you.
Kate Toon:
Go me. Now I know as well as events, you’re also in a few different memberships. How have they helped your business?
Angela Pickett:
I think that sense of community. I mean, obviously, and particularly The Clever Copywriting School. I mean the reality is I’ve had jobs from that. I’ve subcontracted for people, I still have some working relationships. But I think what it told me most of all was every time I started to falter that I could see other people who were at the same point and I realised that, I think I thought that you kind of got to a point in business and it was all good and you’d know everything and you’d feel really good. And I think to realise that at every step there will be, you’ll wobble. And I think to see other people wobbling and to see other people early on to be able to say, “Hey, I was there and just please keep going. Please don’t make the same mistakes I made. Just get started.”
And I think and even… And you Kate, you share very openly about your challenges and the changes you’ve made in business. And I think that’s the other thing, realising you don’t have to keep doing the same thing and you can move. And so when you see someone who has been at it longer than you, you’re still having those same questions, you’re like, “Oh, I’m not a failure at this. This is actually a normal part of doing business.”
Kate Toon:
I love that. I do think memberships make you feel normal. I think that’s a huge thing because we can all get up in our heads. As most copywriters are deep thinkers, we are possibly overthinkers, we’re very sensitive creatures, massive empaths as well, and we can tie ourselves in knots and fall down rabbit holes better than anybody I know. So I love what you said though, being inspired and comforted by people who are further and ahead than you that I can’t talk today, but also the ability to kind of reach back and help people who are starting and feeling that you are genuinely helping someone is a beautiful thing. I mean, it’s a form of mentoring in a kind of gentle, less structured way to be able to go if somebody’s saying, “I’m asking the most basic questions,” but that you and four years ago you’d have gone, “I wouldn’t known the answer to this, but now I do know the answer to that and I can actually help someone.” It’s beautiful, right? It gives you a lot of endorphins and happiness, I think so yeah.
Angela Pickett:
And it’s kind of that because I think sometimes your clients go, “Yeah, I love that.” And you’re like, “Yeah, but it isn’t any good or am I really doing the right thing or do you just like me and you just happy with what you’ve got?” But I actually think being in a community where you can see people at all different levels, you actually get to see how far you’ve come.
Kate Toon:
Yes.
Angela Pickett:
And I’ve realised as well that I need to know and feel happy with where I’m at, not listen to whether others are happy about because I for a long time, and I know you’ve spoken about this, Kate, if I got a bad review, I’d take it really, really badly or something went really pear shaped. But then I’d be on a real high if someone said, “Oh, that’s the best thing ever.” And I took that too much and I actually had to go, “You know what? I’ve got to be really happy and really confident with where I’m at. And I’m the only one that can be happy about where I’m at.”
Kate Toon:
Oh, boom! Mic drop. No, that’s a big thing for me. There’s a Rudyard Kipling poem called If that I love that says, “If you can take success and failure and treat those two imposters both the same,” I’ve probably horribly paraphrased that. But yeah, I think that’s super important. And it’s a fine line, isn’t it? Because getting feedback from clients is one thing, “Oh, you know you did a great job.” But we are a horrible thing. Sorry, clients. It’s often the clients who don’t know whether you’ve done a good thing. And so having the respect of your peers feels important. I know that when I was coming up in SEO, my clients were happy, but I felt like I really wanted other SEOs to have respect for me. Not necessarily like me, but have respect. It was important to me. And it’s a fine line because as you said, you can’t have your self run by the opinions of others.
But let’s be honest, of course it affects us. We’re not robots. And so getting a pat on the bottom or some affirmation from a peer feels really powerful and I think that’s important thing to say so I love that. And obviously as well, I think through the memberships, you’ve won some jobs, you’ve built some relationships, you’ve done some subbing, so it’s actually a source of income as well. Has it been a great source of jobs for you?
Angela Pickett:
Yeah, definitely. And both your communities, but also here in South Australia. I mean this is a really tiny little state. It’s quite parochial. A lot of people here-
Kate Toon:
Know each other, yes?
Angela Pickett:
Know each other, they’ve grown up here. And so being part of groups, whether it’s local business networks or more broadly has about being able to establish myself. And certainly within SA Woman, which is another group that I’ve been part of, I have actually had some really fabulous connect from it.
Kate Toon:
You built a profile, let’s be honest. She was on the cover of the magazine, which was very exciting. I thought that was fabulous. We’ll include the link to SA Woman in the notes for this episode so you can check it out. So yes, I think it’s profile, it’s connections, it’s work, it’s all coming together. And it’s also just being happy. It’s an underestimated thing that we should actually be happy in our business. We’re allowed to be happy. You’re allowed to reward yourself after three weeks of hard work for clients with going to a nice fancy lunch. There’s nothing wrong with that. Putting a bit of makeup on and maybe wearing a bra, it’s a good thing. But for some people that would leave them cold. The idea of going to a networking event or a lunch or even copywriting conference for some people it’s terrifying.
We made a lot of concessions at CopyCon. We had different coloured lanyards for whether people wanted to be hugged or not. We had a quiet zone with lots of bean bags where you could still watch the presentations but you could lie down. And we had a Don’t Talk To Me table where if you had sat there, no one was allowed to speak to you. That one didn’t work quite so well, but we’ll try that again next time. And we had gentle networking. There was no forced, “Everyone turn to the person you your left and tell them your bra size.” I’m obsessed with bras. Sorry. So those that was… We are an introvert dream our conference, but for most events aren’t. And so even I had to go to an award ceremony recently. I mean I didn’t have to, I chose to on my own and I as you would say, I’m relatively extroverted and relatively confident, but I was still like, “Oh, my God.”
So what are some tips from your diplomatic career and your copywriting career for nervous types going to networking events? What are some top tips?
Angela Pickett:
Look, I think I actually wrote a blog about this because I tried to work out what I’d liked and how. I think one of the biggest thing is pick the right event. Pick something that you actually are really… Whether as you were saying like that one you are looking at, you like the vibe of it, you like the speaker, or you like the person running it. Because at least then you’ll walk away going, “Well, I heard a really great speaker.” And I think the good thing is now you can stalk these events on socials, see who else is going, try and connect with people. I think one of the things… I went to an event earlier this year and there was a group and like what you did for CopyCon where people could actually introduce themselves in advance and make some connections so that you didn’t feel like you were going there on your own. And the other thing I would say is, and this might sound a little bit… I always feel it sounds a bit childish, but take a friend and I think that’s when-
Kate Toon:
What if you haven’t got any friends, Angela? That assumes we have friends.
Angela Pickett:
Well, that’s where you get online and you stalk some people and you make some friends online because I think for someone like me who is inherently shy to start with, social media has been brilliant because I’ve made friends online that I found it easier to have those connections that then when you meet them it’s like you’ve already made a friend. So I think that would be the thing. And I think the other thing is, it’s okay to go to events where you just want to go and listen to the speaker.
Kate Toon:
Yeah. You don’t need to go and come away with 72 business cards.
Angela Pickett:
Yeah.
Kate Toon:
Managing your expectations is huge. Man, that’s really important that you don’t need to walk away with a best friend from every single event.
Angela Pickett:
No, and I don’t think… And you also don’t need to talk to everyone that’s there. But I mean the other things I’d say is, oh, I say wear something you’re comfortable in. I love the fact now that you don’t have to necessarily wear a suit and heels and there’s nothing worse than going to things feeling like you’re dressed up. And I think for copywriters that’s really important. Maybe we have to take the Odie and the odd boots off to go, but no.
Kate Toon:
I wore that at CopyCon and it was fine.
Angela Pickett:
Well, you did? And that’s a great example. You looked amazing and you felt comfortable and it meant you could enjoy it. And I think that’s the other thing. And the other thing I’d say is just practise your elevator pitch. At least be comfortable when you meet someone so you don’t go, “Blah, blah, blah.”
Kate Toon:
Yeah.
Angela Pickett:
That you can at least have that one line that’s a bit rehearsed that you can then just go, “All right, I’ve got through that first drill of the conversation.” Oh, you’re a human being now, let’s have a chat.
Kate Toon:
Yeah, what do you do? Don’t be like, “Well, er, blurgh.” But equally don’t be like, “Hi, I’m Josh and I integrate systems with solutions.” Geez, calm down Josh. A couple of tips from me. I think I actually always wear something quite little bit striking or a bright colour and I often take photos of myself before I go and say, “Oh, I’m going to this event.” and share them on socials so that other people who are going and tagged in the event so that other people who are going will recognise me when I get there and go, “Oh, hey. I saw you posting on socials. Hi, blah, blah blah.” So I think that’s a good idea. Also, my biggest tip is you don’t have to talk about yourself. In fact, most people want to talk about themselves. So just have some questions, but make it a bit less of, “What do you do?”
Try and have some odd questions or questions that are genuinely you. So I ask weird things like, “What is your sport?” “Is your spirit vegetable…” And some people literally obviously just walk away with their mini keys in their hand and never speak to me again. But the people who… And my people generally get really into that. So I have a few questions you can ask, wear something striking, do a bit of pre-prep, but really manage your expectations because I think the biggest thing for me is I feel like everybody else is there making friends and connections and I’m not, but the truth is they’re not. Everyone’s probably just as nervous as you are. There’ll be that one shouty person, but most people are like, “Oh, God. Please talk to me.” or “Please don’t talk to me.” It’s one of those two, isn’t it?
Angela Pickett:
Yeah.
Kate Toon:
All right, well we’ve talked about networking. Let’s just talk about some general copywriting things. As a day-to-day copywriter, what is a tool that you use on the regular?
Angela Pickett:
Asana is probably my lifeline and it’s the reason that I can be a copywriter and still do all the other bits and pieces that I do because one of the reasons I have this business is so that I can do all those other things. I don’t have to wait till I retire to do the fun stuff or the community stuff.
Kate Toon:
I love it. Pick it. I love it. So your project management tool helps you organise your day and your life?
Angela Pickett:
Even assign my husband tasks with our renovation. He now gets Asana task.
Kate Toon:
Does he appreciate that? Or is he like, “What the fuck.”
Angela Pickett:
He does now but the first time he was like, “What’s an Asana?”
Kate Toon:
Yeah.
Angela Pickett:
But for my writing-
Kate Toon:
But you have to train him.
Angela Pickett:
I’ve trained him quite well now.
Kate Toon:
Yes.
Angela Pickett:
And from my writing perspective, I use a tool called ProWritingAid, which is a bit like Grammarly. I have it installed on everything because sometimes my mouth and my brain work quicker than my typing fingers and I make mistakes. I might be able to write, but I’m a terrible proofreader so I use that so that I don’t make mistakes while I’m… Whether it’s a Facebook post or making changes on my website or whatever. So yeah, that’s probably that’s all I use the most.
Kate Toon:
I love them. Haven’t heard of that. Well, that’s great. Okay, if we’ve got any newbie copywriters listening, you are a few years and now you’re a salty seadog in the copywriting world, what would be your number one tip to pass on to newbie copywriters?
Angela Pickett:
Just start. It’s no secret that when I first started, I sort of was a bit of a lurker for a while and that you famously told me that if I waited for all my ducks to be lined up, they’d all be dead. So just start, pick, and tell everyone what you’re doing and explain what a copywriter is because so many people don’t actually understand. So tell people you can write blogs for them or you’re writing social media posts, or start with something that’s for media. So if you’ve written press releases before, offer to write some press releases for a friend or a local business, start writing some blogs for your own website and just build on it. You don’t need to know everything to start. Obviously, you’ve got all those great templates and that was my lifeline and I still use them and I know how much work has gone into them.
But just… And you’ll learn if you accept that you’ll learn from every job and not every job will go perfectly, but it doesn’t mean you’re a failure and it doesn’t make you a bad person. You just have to kind of take away with it.
Kate Toon:
Keep on keeping on. Yeah.
Angela Pickett:
And find the next thing.
Kate Toon:
Yeah, yeah. Love it.
Angela Pickett:
You’ll learn for a bit and then move on.
Kate Toon:
Yeah, totally. So listen, if you weren’t a copywriter now, what would you be? Would you go back to being a diplomat? What would you do if you weren’t a copywriter?
Angela Pickett:
No, I love where I live too much. I’d probably just serve wine and work at a tasting room, or run events or something like that. I’ve got a few friends that have got really nice shops and I always said when I first moved here, I just wanted to work in a shop and say hi to people and chat and sell them nice things and then go home and not to-
Kate Toon:
You are such an extrovert. You want to work at a shop and talk to people, good grief.
Angela Pickett:
But otherwise, I think I always said this was the business I was going to have while the boys were at school and until I could write my book.
Kate Toon:
The book. The book.
Angela Pickett:
The book. But now I’ve just decided the book’s happening and actually I want this business to be a bit more than just the sideline thing. So that’s a fairly new revelation, but I’m pretty excited about that.
Kate Toon:
I love that the boys are getting older and you get a more and more time and then you can do the book and have a copywriting business and still network as much as you like. So it sounds good life to me.
Angela Pickett:
That’s the plan.
Kate Toon:
Sounds perfect. So look, thank you so much for coming on the show today, Angela. Where can we find out a little bit more about you?
Angela Pickett:
So my website is angelapickett.com.au and I’m on LinkedIn as Angela Pickett, fairly easy to find. And on Instagram and Facebook as Angela Pickett Copywriter.
Kate Toon:
Fantastic. We’ll include links to all of those in the show notes. Thank you very much, Angela.
Angela Pickett:
Thank you. Kay.
Kate Toon:
So that’s the end of this week’s show. If you want to grab more tips about copywriting, don’t forget, you can head to the Misfit Entrepreneur group on Facebook where I share copywriting tips, business tips, and so much more. Anyway, thanks Angela. And also thanks to Kate Crocker for her lovely review. She said, “Fabulous podcast filled with achievable copywriting tips and interviews with real copywriters offering excellent insight and experience. Listening to the podcast is a great way to reinforce the learnings in The Clever Copywriting School. You’ve done it again, Kate Toon. It’s a master stroke.”
Oh, Kate. Fellow Kate, fellow fringe Kate, you’re a wonderful one. So thanks to you for listening. If you like the show, please leave us a rating or review where have you heard it. We will read details on the podcast and you will be famous. And don’t forget to check out www.clevercopywritingschool.com where you can learn more about Angela Pickett the tools that she mentioned in the useful links, read a full transcript of the episode, and also leave a comment about the show. So until next time, happy writing.
