Skill Stack to Get Paid Quicker

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I live in Canada.

I love Canada.

But, this weekend was different.

Over the past few days, it hit -30 degrees Celsius.

That’s -22 Fahrenheit.

Where I live, it usually gets to -15 C, sometimes -20 C at the coldest point of winter.

But, not this year.

-30!

I could barely breathe while walking outside. 

The frosty air infiltrated my body like a fleet of tiny icicle ninjas slicing at my lungs.

It hurt.

So, this morning, I grabbed a couple of logs to start a fire.

But…

The thing wouldn’t light!

No matter what I did.

I could get it going for about 5-10 seconds.

And then, it would just go out.

It was so frustrating!

I kept adding tissue paper to see if that would help give it a boost.

But, nope.

Finally, after almost throwing in the towel, I decided I was going to add one more log.

So, I grabbed one piece that looked like it would maybe fit right at the front.

And it did.

So, I tried one last time and lit the fire again.

BOOM.

Right away, the fire was popping and crackling, and making all those nice, cozy fire sounds.

Instant flames.

And I could tell it wasn’t just the tissue fueling the fire.

I knew something changed immediately when I added that final log.

The same is true for you, as a writer.

You’ve been spending countless hours building your writing skill.

But, it’s so frustrating to try and make it work for weeks or months with no tangible results.

• No leads.

• No clients.

• No money.

Sometimes, you just need to stack another skill to make it work.

I share how my writing journey started in January 2019.

6 weeks later, in February, I landed my first client.

In March, I quit my job.

But, there’s one crucial part I didn’t mention.

I had been learning another skill for years.

What skill is that?

Marketing.

Ever since I got married in 2015, I have been reading business and marketing books like crazy.

A switch flipped when I said “I do” to my wife.

And, it wasn’t just my heart fluttering for her.

Something else happened in my mind or my spirit. Something deep inside me.

All of a sudden I realized I was going to have to provide for a family.

For my wife…

And, my future kids.

At the time, I was making $12/hour working at a pizza shop.

I knew that wasn’t going to cut it for much longer.

So, I started devouring every business book I could get my hands on.

And tons of marketing books.

I tried several things over the years: 

• eBay dropshipping

• Bookkeeping

• Web Development

And, I failed at all of them.

But, one thing I kept learning was marketing.

Years before I had even begun learning about writing.

I was fascinated with it.

I was constantly curious.

Something about marketing just seemed so exciting to me.

That’s why I kept learning it.

So, when I finally dove head first into learning copywriting, I wasn’t just working as a copywriter.

I was equipped as a copywriter and a marketer.

I was no expert by any means.

But, it definitely helped me as a new writer.

To understand psychology.

To know the importance of targeting a specific audience.

And crafting your messaging to them.

Capturing their attention, keeping their attention, and serving them.

It also gave me a niche that I felt comfortable in right away: I started with writing business and marketing articles.

It helped me land clients quickly.

And even as a beginner, I wrote with a perceived “expertise” on marketing topics since I had been reading about them for years.

If you’re struggling to take off with your writing…

You might just need to tap on that additional skill.

Just like I added on that extra log to my struggling fire.

Maybe it’s marketing. 

Maybe it’s sales.

Maybe it’s design.

Maybe it’s speaking, or being willing to hop in front of a camera.

That’s a skill too.

It’s super underlooked. Just being willing to throw up a video of yourself teaching your audience in your niche.

Whatever it is, just remember to make sure it never takes over your writing.

Your writing should be the number one craft you work on.

But, maybe you want to tap on another skill.

Think of it like a university degree.

I majored in writing.

And minored in marketing.

I didn’t actually. I dropped out of university when I was 19. 😅

But, you get the point.

Writing and marketing? That combo works wonders.

You’ve got your major in writing.

Find your minor.

It doesn’t have to be marketing (although it is a powerful skill to have on hand).

But find yours.

Work on it. Build it up on the side.

Maybe you already know what it is.

And as you’re learning it, look at ways you can apply it to your writing to make yourself more valuable in the marketplace.

Find that log and throw it on the fire.

And watch as the flames erupt before your eyes.

-Brandon “The fire’s nice and toasty now” Storey

P.S. I just did this poll on X but I want to ask you too!

P.P.S.

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Crucial tips to land your first writing client in under 45 days!