5 Lessons That Took Me to $10k/Month

At my last job (before I became a copywriter)…

I was making about $3,500/month.

Not terrible.

But definitely wasn’t getting ahead in any way (and working 12 hours a day meant I was basically making minimum wage).

So, I went all in on copywriting.

And within a year, I was earning six figures per year.

Since 2020, I’ve averaged over $10,000 per month as a freelance copywriter.

And do it all in about 4 hours per day.

Here are 5 lessons that got me there (and how you can apply them to your business):

#1: No one’s coming to save you

When it comes to your soul, Jesus is the only way.

But, when it comes to your work-life situation, you’ve gotta be the one to take initiative.

Being the youngest of 8 children, I struggled to gain independence.

I always had someone taking care of me. My mom and dad. My older siblings. My teachers in school. My employers out of high school.

Whenever I was doubtful or unsure what to do, I always relied on someone else.

This held me back for years.

The moment I began taking personal responsibility for my life… my income… and my lifestyle…

That’s the moment I became empowered to do something.

When I realized nobody’s going to build my business for me…

It fueled me to succeed no matter what.

#2: Copywriting is NOT a side hustle

I see people all the time.

They talk about “starting a new side hustle.”

“I’m just working on building a side hustle, bro.”

“Is copywriting a good side hustle, Brandon?”

No.

It’s not.

Copywriting is NOT a side hustle. It’s not the kind of thing you can do on the side of your 9 to 5 for years and just bring in a bit of extra side cash.

If you treat it like a side hustle, you’ll never succeed.

If you want to see results as a copywriter…

And start earning $1,000, $3,000, $5,000, $10,000+ per month with your copywriting…

It’ll never happen if you have that “side hustle” mentality about it.

If you want business results, you have to start treating it like a real business.

#3: Write daily or quit

Following up on the side hustle vs. business lesson?

Your writing.

How often are you writing?

Are you writing every day for at least an hour?

Or are you writing every few days? Maybe 5-10 minutes here and there?

I’ll be frank with you…

If you’re spending less than 30 minutes per day writing copy, you’ll never get to $10,000 per month.

I’d be amazed if you even get to $5,000 per month.

Sure, you can eventually build a copy business that nets you $5,000-$10,000/month by only working for a few hours a day.

But you better expect to work plenty of 8-12 hour days on the journey up.

When I started, I was writing for at least 2 hours per day every day.

The result?

I got my first client in 6 weeks, quit my job in 3 months, got my first $5,000 month in 7 months, hit $9,000/month in 12 months, and have been making over $10,000/month average since then.

If you want to convince business owners to pay you thousands, then you need to build a skill that’s worth thousands.

#4: Landing clients isn’t about you

I see new copywriters all the time..

They’re pitching people nonstop.

Outreaching with dozens of cold emails and cold DMs every day.

And they’re making a fatal mistake:

ASKING before PROVING they’re good!

You can’t land a client when you’re new if you have no proof that you know what you’re doing.

People are sliding into the DMs empty-handed, expecting strangers to drop $1,000s of dollars on them.

They’re making outreach all about themselves. That’s entitlement. And it doesn’t work, despite all the guru advice flying around.

Instead, if you want to get paid fast…

Go into the DMs and pitch people to HELP THEM (not you).

Make it about the person on the other end. Give them helpful advice, free copy, whatever.

You’ll catch more bees with honey than vinegar.

#5: Specialize to stand out

I learned quickly early on that if I want to stand out… I have to specialize.

Why?

Copywriting is extremely broad. There are YouTube scriptwriters, billboard copywriters, commercial writers, email copywriters, ad copywriters, and more.

You’ll have a tough time landing clients if you go too broad and generalize.

Go pick a specialty (type of copy) and then pick a niche (industry).

Then practice that every single day. Go make a swipe file with that specialty+niche combo. Study it daily. See what works. And replicate it in your copy.

-Brandon “5 lessons to freedom” Storey

P.S. I want to help you even more (Reply to this email)

What’s your biggest challenge right now as a freelance copywriter?

What do you want to learn more about?

Reply to this email now and let me know what topics or lessons you’d like me to cover in these emails.

It could be a question for me about how I built my business up to six figures in a year… or a roadblock you’re trying to overcome in your own journey.

It could be about developing your copywriting skill, landing clients, or any other aspect of the business.

If you reply, you might just get your answer in the next email 😉 So reply now and let me know!