We caught up with the brilliant and insightful David Justin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, David thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

A few months after graduating college and landing my first ‘real’ job as a public relations associate, I got laid off. It was the beginning of the dot-com crash and I suddenly found myself competing with an army of more experienced PR folks that I couldn’t hope to compete with.

So I accepted a service rep job in the telecom industry. It was supposed to be temporary – just something to pay the bills until I found another PR agency position. I never would have guessed it would last 18 years until – you guessed it – I was laid off again.

But while I had long given up on finding another PR job, I start working a side hustle as a copywriter while working in telecom. For the first few years, the pay was awful – less than minimum wage. But there’s a simple reason for that. I just didn’t know what I was doing. However, as soon as I realized the full earning potential of being a copywriter, I leaned into it.

I started reading books on advertising and blogs about marketing. I spent hours at work listening to podcasts featuring some of the best copywriters in the industry today. And I joined The Copywriter Club on Facebook to start networking with more experienced writers.

Through cold pitches and referrals, I slowly built up my client list. However, it wasn’t until I joined the writing teams of two successful marketing agencies that I finally made a name for myself.

Today, I’m the proud owner of CopyGeek Communications, a copywriting service that focuses on digital marketing for technology and SaaS while providing small to mid-sized businesses with affordable options for converting leads into customers.

If I could go back and start over, knowing what I know now, I’d focus on clients that offer services or products that can be useful in economic downturns or crises. People want reassurance when life gets bumpy and I love working with clients that provide safety and security during those times.

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 background and context?

My name is David C Justin and I am The CopyGeek. I help clients find their voice, connect with their audience and build their authority.

As a geek, I’ve always been fascinated with how things work at their most basic level. That’s why I ask a bunch of questions when I start working with a new client. I want to know your origin story, what your products do, and most importantly, how they help your customers.

By using that information and insight, I create simple, effective content that addresses the challenges your audience is facing, explains what you have to offer and how you can help solve their problems.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I’ve had a pretty diverse career path in my life – busboy, roller coaster operator, waiter, bartender, mailroom clerk, journalist, and service representative. The only thing that ties them all together is the fact that I’ve always worked for someone else. Needless to say, I was completely controlled by having an employee mindset – especially when I worked as a service rep.

This mindset told me I had to work 40 hours a week to maintain my lifestyle or to get ahead. That I had to ask permission to take time off or to deviate from my assigned work hours. Hell, there were times I had to ask permission to go to the restroom.

I can’t tell you how many mornings I woke up dreading going to work or would have mini-anxiety attacks at my desk because I was so frustrated doing the same monotonous tasks over and over again for so many years. And regardless of how much effort I put into my job, how high I scored on performance metrics, or how much revenue I brought into the company, I still made the same hourly wage as the person sitting next to me.

So when I launched my copywriting service full-time, I had to rethink my approach to work. I had to come to terms and realize that my success and my paycheck are dependent on the quality of work I choose to do.

Today, I’ve become my own boss. I get to decide how busy I want to be and who I work with. And while I still have to meet project deadlines, I have a say in setting those deadlines. As a bonus, I don’t dread going to work anymore and I take more time off while making more money.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

There’s not one thing that keeps me top-of-mind for my clients. There are several…

I do what I can to overdeliver on my projects and I deliver them to you on time.

I’m an expert at taking the information you give me, finding the key messages and writing a compelling narrative that tells your story.

And I always focus on writing copy that speaks directly to your customers and focuses on the challenges they’re facing and what you can do to solve their problems.

Contact Info:

• Website: thecopygeek.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/thecopygeek
• Facebook: facebook.com/thecopygeek
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/davidcjustin/