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How I went from trapped in a deadend job to $10k/mo copy freedom

How I went from trapped in a deadend job to $10k/mo copy freedom

Brandon Storey
October 02, 2025

Pre P.S. Only one spot left in my October 1:1 coaching. Reply with “October” now to apply.

Feeling trapped in your 9 to 5?

No time? No freedom? No flexibility?

And feeling like there’s no way out?

Well, I know exactly how you feel. Because that was me.

That is, until I made my escape.

Here’s how I went from trapped in a dead end job…

To earning $10-15k months in just a few hours a day from home (as a copywriter).

It was 10 years ago.

2015.

I just got married.

Married the girl of my dreams.

But, there was one problem:

I was a pizza boy making $12/hour.

I tried college years before, but ended up dropping out.

Why?

I had no purpose or direction.

I was aimless.

My bank account?

Negative.

My savings?

Non-existent.

My debt?

Racking up daily.

My hourly wage?

Pitiful.

How could I provide for my wife?

And…

How could I provide for kids someday?

I’m screwed.

Something needs to change.

So, I started reading:

Business books
Marketing books
Personal finance books

That's it!

I saw there was a way out of my dead-end job: Start an online business!

So, I tried dropshipping.

And failed.

I tried bookkeeping.

And failed.

I tried dropshipping again.

And failed.

I tried service arbitrage.

And… I failed, yet again.

It wasn’t until late 2018 when I finally snapped.

I couldn’t take it anymore.

Something needed to change.

At this point, I was making more money.

But I felt trapped:

Commuting for one hour to work (and one hour back)
Under-appreciated by my boss and co-workers
Always feeling like a needed a vacation (but no ability to take one)
Promised more money, remote work, and flexibility (but getting none of that)

I had no way out of this trap I found myself in. And if I didn’t do something, the next 50 years would be the same: stuck with no time and no freedom and living in regret.

My brother knew I wanted to start an online business.

I wanted more time

I wanted more money

I wanted more control

I wanted more freedom

I wanted more flexibility

I wanted more from life

So, he gave me the best advice I’ve ever heard:

“Why don’t you learn a skill and offer it as a service online?”

Blah.

That was the last thing I wanted to hear.

First of all:

It sounded boring.

Second of all:

Can you even make good money doing that?

This did not sound like it aligned with my vision.

I wanted to make millions with an ecommerce business.

I wanted to do it now.

I wanted to wake up every day to passive income hitting my bank account.

Then all my problems would be solved...

…Right?

I heard my brother’s advice.

But, I didn’t listen to it for years.

That is…

Until I reached a point of absolute desperation.

So, I found a skill that seemed promising:

Copywriting.

I saw tons of other people online making $10k+/month doing it…

And working for a few hours a day, travelling when they wanted, working whenever they wanted, on their own schedule, setting their own rules.

I wanted that.

I was skeptical about it, but I didn’t have many other options.

So, I dove in, head first:

Every morning I’d write.
In the afternoon, I'd handwrite sales letters
Every night, I’d devour copy books and courses

I even used my commute to work (1+ hours both ways) to listen to business and marketing podcasts.

Learning from other people who had done it successfully was crucial to staying hopeful.

And despite working 12 hour days at my day job…

I always found the time to make it work.

Then…

It happened.

6 weeks after I started learning, I landed my first client.

I couldn’t believe it.

I made my first dollar online.

3 months in, I was making enough, so I quit my job.

And got my wife to quit her job too.

And we moved halfway around the world to chase our dreams.

7 months in, I had my first $5,000 month.

I did it.

It actually worked!

We had enough to survive.

The next month, I made $7,000.

Then $8,000.

At month 12 I made $9,000.

And since my second year…

I’ve consistently made $10-$15k/month…

finalAll while working just a few hours a day (usually done by lunch time), waking and working whenever I want. And it’s allowed me to live and travel around the world to places like Thailand, Australia, Malaysia, Italy, Canada, US, and more.

Just like that.

Within 12 months.

Everything changed.

And I was finally living life on my terms, not my boss’.

For years I watched as my friends: