How a Mom of 3 has built a 6-figure copywriting business

so ya wanna be a Nov 19, 2020

You've got to see yourself as your future self.

In this episode of So ya wanna be a…, we sat down with Lisa Cumes: a freelance copywriter, StoryBrand Guide, and Mom of three, who has built a 6 figure online copywriting business over the past 3 years. Recently, Lisa also launched a business called Full Thrive where she coaches other freelancers on how to reach their full potential.

You are in for a real treat with this episode!

Not only do we discuss what it’s like to be a freelance copywriter, but we go much deeper than that, discussing things like mindset, parenting hacks for freelancers, how to move from hustling to thriving in your business, how to leverage Upwork to find qualified clients, and so much more!

Lisa also shares with us how in her first year on Upwork, she earned $125,000. In her second year, she made $270,000, and now in her third year, she has been able to hire a team and is about to hit the $500k mark, with 95% of that work from coming from Upwork!

To learn more about Lisa’s copywriting business, be sure to check out Simple Story Solutions, and if you’re interested in learning how to stop hustling and start thriving as a freelancer, check out her other business: Full Thrive. And be sure to follow her on IG @lisacumes for regular tips and inspiration!

Here's what you'll find in this episode...

[:14] Wanna be a freelancer, but don't know where to start with taxes, budgeting, or even which of your skills to market? We have a course for that. "You Can Do This" is a $29 course coming soon!
[4:11] Lisa Cumes has built a six-figure copywriting business, while also being a mom of 3 (did you spit out your coffee? We did.)
[7:46] Upwork had a huge value spike because of the big shift to freelancing (!) Lisa notes how freelancing is a marathon, not a race
[9:13] The feelings are real, people. For many years, Lisa felt like her kids were holding her back, until she reframed it
[11:00] Lisa started her journey in 2008 by literally Googling 'work from home as an assistant' (pro tip: you do not have to have it all figured out to get started)
[13:22] How does Lisa parent while having a business? She involves her kids in the business and helps them understand
[14:40] 3 years ago, she left a full time job working for a nonprofit thinking that she’d get a new job right away. She put out 20 curated resumes and cover letters and nothing. Crickets. So she got on Upwork and just started saying yes to anything that came her way
[16:16] In her first year, armed with a laptop and notebook at the kitchen table, Lisa made six figures
[18:16] Lisa had to tackle the learning curve on finances like we all do, and she definitely recommends talking to professionals, as do we!
[19:37] It's taken Lisa YEARS to build up the confidence to be the freelancer she is today, and notes that it takes time for your internal ways of thinking to catch up to your success
[22:53] Lisa coaches freelancers quite a bit on sales tactics, but they often walk away with major mindset changes on themselves and what they're capable of
[26:06] Tiffany busts the myth that freelancers constantly hustle, and Lisa agrees that you don't have to hustle if you thrive; as she says, work Full Thrive, not full time
[35:16] Lisa did hustle, hard, when she first got started as a copywriter. Now, she barely writes because her business has grown so much and evolved over time
[35:45] Lisa talks about "Building a Story Brand," by Donald Miller, and crafting a story that invites people into that story with you
[39:12] What's the difference between 'copywriting' and other types of marketing writing? Copywriting is words that sell, content writing is words that build trust (Lisa's definition)
[42:39] Lisa has built her entire business on Upwork (future podcast alert! We'll be interviewing an Upwork expert for the Kenza Pod soon!)
[44:03] Don't sleep on Lisa's courses on how to make $1000/week on Upwork
[46:04] Parenting tips from Lisa: let go of the things you don't like doing and hire others to do it, like cleaning the house and driving your kids to and from school/activities. Don't hold yourself back with the "shoulds" and "coulds"
[52:31] Advice Lisa would give herself 3 years ago when she was starting out includes trying to even out your ups and downs, and know that it will all work out; have a longer-term perspective; have a morning routine and take time to center yourself; tackle the big "rocks" before the little "pebbles"
[1:03] Sell your client what they want and then deliver what they need