The Secret Skill You Need (Entrepreneurs Won't Tell You This)

I remember the first Monday morning after I quit my job.

It was March 2019.

And I was three months into my copywriting journey.

Things were moving fast. My dreams were finally becoming a reality.

For years I struggled to see how it was possible. I hopped from business model to business model like a dumpy tree frog.

I wanted so badly to be able to escape my prison of a 9 to 5.

And then one day…

It finally happened.

“I Quit”

Those final two weeks at my job felt like two decades.

So, back to that first Monday morning where I was free from my 9 to 5 forever…

It was incredible.

Replacing Monday morning dread with seemingly infinite excitement.

I jumped out of bed, dancing, laughing, and screaming – all in my underwear of course. 

My wife thought I was crazy. But, her subtle grin told me she was excited too.

I turned on the coffee pot as I usually do. But this coffee pot was different. 

Why?

I wasn’t in a rush.

I didn’t have to bolt out the door to my car to then try to force myself not to fall asleep again on my 1.5 hour commute in rainy Vancouver.

I was free.

• Free to work

• Free to play

• Free to live

But Then Something Happened…

Something I didn’t expect.

Something that nobody told me about…

Those first few days were absolute bliss.

Feeling that weight fall off my shoulders, and to wake up excited and hopeful for what was to come.

Not having a schedule to attend to. Not having a boss wondering why I’m not at work. Not having to be told what to do and when to do it.

Being able to sleep in, go to a coffee shop, have a mid-day nap, and take random breaks here and there to just soak in some fresh air on my patio whenever I wanted.

But then came that one day.

It was maybe day 3 or 4 of being free from my day job forever.

I woke up, excited to start the day. Grabbed my dark roast and got that pot of coffee going.

A few hours went by.

And then it hit me.

“I’ve Made $0 Today”

I had been sitting on my phone on social media. Playing around on my laptop. Doing “work” but not really doing work.

And since starting my first week, I barely made any money.

I was free. But I was too free.

I was like a wild bird, flying free from the horrors of its cage for years. But I had nowhere to go. No idea where to search for food. No idea how to build my own nest in a safe tree.

My entire existence was built within this system — or framework.

I didn’t have a clue how I’d survive on my own.

Everyone hyped up the “be your own boss” life and the rewards that came with it.

But they never told me about the downsides. 

They never explained that when you become your own boss…

You need to become your own boss.

I thought I just needed to write copy and land clients.

In That Moment I Realized I Was Missing Something Else…

• I didn’t have anyone barking orders at me to get my work done

• I didn’t have anyone calling me if I was late for work

• I didn’t have anyone asking for progress reports

And it was great… or so I thought.

I just had me.

And “me” wasn’t a great boss.

He was a bad boss.

He let me get away with everything.

And he didn’t care about my business.

So, I had to force him to take center stage.

From that day forward, I made a decision…

I Was Going to Learn the Skill of Being My Own Boss

How did I do it?

I created a second position in my company of one.

I already had “employee Brandon.”

But, “Boss Brandon” was essentially nonexistent.

So I hired “Boss Brandon” to improve the business.

From that day on, I had to switch between my two roles throughout the day.

In the morning, Boss Brandon would tell employee Brandon what the schedule was going to be for the day:

• At 6 am, you’re waking up.

• From 8-10 am, you’re going to send x outreaches

• From 10 am - 12 pm you’re going to write this copy for that client

• From 12-12:45 pm you’re allowed a quick lunch and a power nap

• But from 12:45-4 pm you’re back at it with the copy

• From 4-5 pm you’re going to do x, y, z…

At first, employee Brandon was resistant.

He liked doddling around in the mornings without a care in the world.

This new boss was demanding.

But, this boss also had Brandon’s best interests at heart.

And this Boss Brandon ended up making Brandon a lot of money.

And saving him a lot of time.

And ensuring he got a lot done in a few hours.

At first, he was whipping Brandon into 12-hour work days.

Even worse than his previous bosses!

But, eventually, Boss Brandon did a pretty decent job - to the point where employee Brandon was able to make $100,000+ per year in just a few hours each day.

This Boss Brandon wasn’t so bad after all.

My Advice For You?

Hire you… as your own boss.

Because if you don’t, you’ll never reach your goals.

You see, becoming a six-figure copywriter isn’t just about your ability to write great copy or land high-ticket clients.

You can’t survive without the third piece of the puzzle: the ability to be your own boss.

This is a skill that NO ONE talks about. But without it, you’ll fail.

The thing is, you don’t have to wait until you quit your job to build this skill.

You should begin building this skill right now.

How do you do this practically?

4 Quick Tips to Becoming Your Best Boss Ever

1. Create a set schedule for when you work on your copywriting business.

2. Go to bed and wake up at the same time daily.

3. Eliminate distractions at all costs.

4. Set clear rewards throughout the day.

A lot of people get stuck on the 24-hour grind but forget to add in some rest, play, and rewards. I rewarded myself with a nap. I rewarded myself with coffee. I rewarded myself with other little things throughout the day…

And gave myself rewards when I’d complete a copy project.

And I’d give myself bigger rewards when I’d land a client or hit a new revenue milestone.

Those things are just as important.

The “boss” version of yourself also needs to get you to set clear goals.

If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll never get there.

Get clear on what you want. Then, start whipping yourself into shape to get there.

Someone is going to be your boss for the rest of your life whether you like it or not.

So it might as well be you.

-Brandon “Mr. Bossman” Storey

P.S. I might be hosting a live workshop mid-January. I need your feedback.

If I were to put on a 90-minute workshop for $100, what would you want to learn?

The workshop would be a live lesson followed by an open Q&A to answer any of your questions (plus you’ll get the workshop recording forever to go back through whenever you like).