Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Reem Abouemera. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Reem, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I like to believe that I’m driven by more than one mission. Since I offer freelance copywriting, content writing, and writing coaching at Reem’s Quill, each service has its own purpose in my mind:

As a copywriter and content writer, my mission is to demonstrate that writing isn’t about stringing words together. My approach is all about injecting personality into every piece to steer clear of the cookie-cutter copy & content we see all around. The result is copy & content that truly resonate with audiences, drive up engagement, and convert into sales in the process.

And as someone who offers these services on a freelance basis, I’m doing my very best to rewrite the playbook on what it means to be a freelancer. I consider each project as my chance to flip the script on the stereotype of flaky freelancers in it solely for the cash. While there will always be freelancers that fit the stereotype, I hope to at least give MY clients hope that reliability, quality, and dedication can be freelancer traits, not just full-timer traits. I try to reshape their perceptions, one project at a time.

Finally, as a writing coach, I’m on a mission to show budding writers that there’s a whole world of opportunity beyond the 9-5 cubicle, especially in developing countries. I wish to empower as many writers as possible to break free from the prevailing notion that corporate employment is the only path to professional fulfillment. That’s, of course, of course while teaching them not just how to write, but how to write with heart and soul—not just spew out AI-generated fluff.

My endgame is building a crew of top-notch writers who share my passion for quality content & copy. Together, we’ll keep the wheel turning, delivering nothing short of excellence to our clients. That’s my 360-degree POV.

Reem, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Reem, a freelance copywriter, content writer, and writing coach from Egypt.

My journey to this point has been well… an interesting adventure.

Originally, I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, with a specialization in Marketing. Writing has been my #1 passion ever since I was a little kid (I remember writing my own Arthur episodes!) but I never quite saw it as a viable career path, except maybe as a journalist or book author (and I wasn’t interested in both).

As such, I never planned on becoming a copywriter or content writer (I didn’t even know what those were when I graduated), but I became them as a result of a happy coincidence. Or you know what, I don’t believe in coincidences, it was 100% fate.

After dabbling with some jobs I didn’t resonate with, I landed a job as a Social Media Specialist at one of the top educational institutions here in Egypt. At the time, they were also hiring for a Senior Content Specialist, so I volunteered to help until the hiring process was over (that’s how much I loved writing!) Somehow, the manager took a chance on me despite that the job demanded nearly a decade of experience (and I barely had 2 under my belt!)

From that point on, the rest is history. I ended up climbing the corporate ladder not only there but also at multiple other agencies, eventually landing roles like Head of Content and Copy Director.

However, I was never quite “satisfied” with my life as a full-timer and was seeking a lot more work-life balance than I was getting. So after much contemplation, I took the leap and quit the 9-5 world to become a full-time freelancer in 2022.

That did it for me! But something was missing: I realized I missed coaching writers, just like I used to in my last couple of years as a full-timer. That’s when I decided to launch my coaching business as well!

So here I am today, offering up my passion for crafting compelling copy and content to clients far and wide. But that’s not all—I’m also paying it forward, coaching aspiring writers on their own journeys to freelancing success.

It’s a whirlwind, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The idea that making money had to be a crazy grind. Like, if it wasn’t super hard, then I wasn’t deserving or must be doing something wrong. It was an ingrained belief. So, when I started freelancing, I carried that belief with me and that mindset led me to overwork myself unnecessarily.

Starting out, I struggled to value my own work and experience properly. I found myself undercharging and taking on excessive workloads just to maintain that perception of constant hustle. But I soon realized that this wasn’t sustainable or necessary.

It took time to recognize the value I bring to the table and the wealth of experience I’ve gained over the years. What I can do now in a couple of hours used to take me ages because I’ve put in the work to get better at what I do.

Now, I understand that I don’t have to be constantly grinding to earn a living. I’ve learned to value my time and expertise appropriately, allowing me to work smarter, not harder, and ultimately enjoy more financial success with less stress. And that’s okay!

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Yes! For a good 4 years straight, I juggled freelance copywriting & content writing alongside my full-time job.

I started freelancing a few months after I landed my first full-time writing job. At the time, my job was very fulfilling on the writing front (I wrote all sorts of copy & content), but it was only in the education niche. I was hungry for more experience in different niches, so I decided to freelance.

I was always on a mad hunt for freelance writing jobs, and took whatever I could get my hands on just to gain experience, build up my portfolio, and nab some glowing testimonials while I was at it.

I just kept at it, never really hitting pause, and I think that’s what scaled things up to where they are today.

There came a point where my freelance income was consistently eclipsing what I was making in my 9-5. That was the lightbulb moment—why keep clocking in at the day job when I could make way more doing my own thing?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://reemabouemera.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reemsquill.freelancewriting/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/copywriter-content-writer-reem-abouemera/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@reemabouemera

Image Credits

Anna Grosheva Photography