Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Carina Arrigoni. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Carina, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with a fun one – what’s something you believe that most people in your industry (or in general) disagree with?
You don’t need a routine to be lucrative OR productive.
When I first started freelancing as a copywriter, I joined a high level membership and a copywriting mastermind led by one of the world’s most renowned marketers.
The advice was always the same:
‘If you want to make big bucks and make it to the top, you *have to* have a solid routine.’
The 5AM club was at its all-time popularity high, and as someone who has always struggled with routine (and waking up early – night owl here!) I felt like there was something wrong with me.
So I tried everything I could to implement a routine.
I tried waking up at 7 am…
I tried creating ‘writing’ and ‘admin’ working blocks with specific times…
I tried setting a specific lunch time…
It was hell.
When I had to do creative work, I was stuck half of the time.
And when I had to do admin stuff, my mind was flooded with creative ideas that didn’t let me do my ‘boring’ work without taking forever.
I should clarify that I have ADHD – so the inability to tell my brain what to do and at what time drove me particularly crazy in this attempt to find my routine.
I continued to struggle with this until the day I left my home in Koh Samui and decided to become a full-time traveler. A nomad, some would say.
That day I vowed to try 2 full weeks of no routine and see if I could ‘get anything done’.
Those were the 2 most productive weeks I had in 2 years.
I deleted my phone alarm. I ate only when I was hungry. I wrote when I had cool ideas and I did the admin stuff when I felt like wrapping up the creative time for the day.
Those 2 weeks were so amazing that they turned into 2 months…
The spontaneity of taking random sunset kayak trips, morning walks on the beach, or catching up with friends in the middle of the day inspired me and kept fuelling my creativity, which reached new heights.
I felt better on calls, my brain was sharper, and I came up with marketing strategies that fired up two of my client’s businesses from being stagnant for a really long time.
Now, it’s been a year, and I’m never going back to routine.
My business is the most lucrative it’s ever been. I’m also super happy and enjoying my life every single day.
So even though most people would think I’m insane, or wonder how I can get anything done…
For me, no routine has been the best routine.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m a Certified Copywriter & Storyteller for mission-driven brands. That means I work exclusively with brands that are determined to have a positive impact on this planet and the humans on it.
After working in a different industry for over a decade, I found my jam in marketing 3 years ago when I started working as a copywriter in a female-led business, driven by the founder’s mission to close the gender gap by putting more money in the hands of women entrepreneurs.
That opened my eyes to how much I could help through my work.
Since then, I started my freelance career, where I’ve worked with body positive fitness companies, vegan brands, coaches, keynote speakers, leaders, and high-level marketing masterminds.
My copy, my stories, and my strategies have earned my clients praise… and RESULTS.
Like the life coach that went on to double her previous year’s campaign revenue after my strategy redo and sales copy implementation…
Or the sustainable brand that grew their —small— email list by 100+ people in a day due to a newsletter forwarding campaign. (It was a great newsletter… Really!)
But my proudest accomplishment with small business owners is always empowering them with marketing knowledge. Seeing an entrepreneur who used to blindly follow any self-proclaimed expert’s advice, stand up for herself and be confident in her decisions about her own launch, is what truly gives meaning to my work.
What sets me apart is my knack for storytelling.
With an ever-evolving marketing landscape and the rise of authenticity, stories have become the single most important element for brand building.
Consumers want to get behind a real human, a moving story. And we’re seeing stories become a major driver for sales.
In 2024, I’m focusing on mentoring other copywriters and small business owners not just in marketing, but in the relevance and mechanisms for telling stories that can hook anyone.
Have you ever had to pivot?
On April 11th, 2021, I woke up to 3 missed calls at 8:17 AM.
It was my boss. On a Sunday morning.
At the time, I was working remotely as an architect for a reputable firm. And it wasn’t unusual for him to expect me to be at his beck and call 24–7.
‘I was sleeping.’ I messaged him getting up, still groggy from the Valium I was taking to battle my insomnia. ‘As we discussed in our last meeting, I’m experiencing burnout and need to have weekends to myself to take care of my mental health.’
I was already halfway down the stairs to go get my computer when I stopped in my tracks.
If someone would’ve been there watching me, I swear it would’ve looked like they accidentally hit ‘pause’. I stayed still for a few seconds, feeling my shallow breath pick up its pace.
‘Actually, you know what?’ I typed with shaky hands and a pit in my stomach, ‘I quit. I’ll email you later.’
I ran upstairs and got back into bed like I was being chased by a monster. I turned off my phone. I felt like I was hiding from the world.
I was fully aware that I had just quit my job with NOTHING lined up.
But here’s the thing:
2020 had felt like Groundhog Day all year long. The dreadful conversations with my boss about a miserable raise had been going on for months. We both knew I deserved it, but it wasn’t going to happen. And he had run out of excuses.
To be very honest, I was longing for a change because my job no longer challenged me OR exercised my creativity — 2 things I need to thrive and produce my best work.
So on December 31st, when the third mojito at the beach was kicking in and the fire show had ended, I looked at my boyfriend dead in the eyes and told him that 2021 was going to be the year that I transitioned into my new career.
I had been toying with the idea of copywriting and I had taken a course. But so far, it was just that: an idea.
Little did I know that 4 months later, I’d be working in-house for an agency that would teach me everything I needed to start a successful, lucrative career in copywriting.
Or that pivoting from architecture to marketing would give me the freedom I needed to become a digital nomad and realize my lifelong dream of traveling the world.
I wasn’t aware before I actually took the step of just how off-track my job was throwing me when it came to my vision.
Pivoting and adaptability are in my DNA. I’ve pivoted many times before and I’m sure I will many times again. But this time, it’s safe to say I’ve found the right path for me.
Today, I travel the world while working with clients I love, and I help them bring THEIR vision to life.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Simply put: producing good work.
My main source of client acquisition has always been referrals, and those referrals came from happy clients who loved my work.
Instead of spending time cold pitching or doing outreach, I’ve focused my time on creating A+ work that gets my clients results.
When your clients see you as an asset and they have proof to back up your work, they’ll be proud to refer you to other business owners.
Delivering great work on time and being reliable has opened many doors for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.carinaarrigoni.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.ethicalwriter/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carinaarrigoni/
- Other: https://medium.com/@carina-arrigoni/feminism-saved-my-life-8b759cc26607