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

Hi Lauren, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

From a young age, I knew I wanted to be a writer (even if “copywriter” wasn’t in my vocabulary yet).

It started with writing and illustrating stories in composition notebooks, then “selling” them to my family through a little shop in my bedroom. I continued writing in middle school through “dear diary” entries. And by high school, I started sharing my work publicly (though anonymously) on Tumblr.

But for me, writing was never presented as a *viable* career path. It was something you did as a hobby. Something you turned to on hard days. It was something to love, not to build a life around.

Even though I graduated from college with a degree in Journalism, I didn’t know what job I *really* wanted to do.

Thankfully, I had secured a full-time, post-grad administrative role, but I also knew that, with an admin position, I’d need a creative outlet. So, I chose to pursue a creative passion on the side.

At the time, it started as a virtual assistant and social media support business while I was still determining which tasks I excelled at. Eventually, it evolved into designing brands and websites for small businesses.

Yet, writing remained the *true* passion, and the internal pull wasn’t something I could continue to ignore.

I remember sitting in a therapy session, completely at a crossroads. I was no longer feeling fulfilled by the work I was doing as a designer, but I wasn’t entirely sure what other option I had.

She kindly walked me through alternatives, asking about my hobbies and interests, as well as which parts of the business I *did* enjoy.

And writing was the one through line connecting it all.

I imagine she could feel my pause, my hesitation. Although I *wholeheartedly* knew writing was the answer, the thing I wanted to pursue, I was still holding myself back, retaining the perspectives I had grown up hearing.

The “starving artist” narrative.
That passion didn’t pay the bills.
That writing was a hobby and nothing more.

But my therapist challenged me to see things differently. If I could make a full-time income doing something I enjoyed, what would it look like if I pursued something I *loved*?

And that one little reframe was all I needed to officially shift into copywriting.

All this to say, choosing to pursue copywriting didn’t originate from a single idea. It’s always been there, brewing as a passion until I was ready to give myself permission to claim it professionally, too.

As for why I believed I could succeed, I’m honestly not sure. It came so naturally to me that I couldn’t imagine an alternative where it *didn’t* work.

And when you’re pursuing something with *that* much passion and perseverance, I truly believe others feel that too.

Lauren, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Lauren, the writer behind With Lauren Elaine, where I collaborate with small businesses, creatives, and lifestyle brands to translate their experiences into messaging that feels like home to the people it’s meant to reach.

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember—stories in composition notebooks, diaries and journals, Tumblr and Wattpad. Writing has always been my passion, before I understood it could become a career.

I started my business in 2019, and after a few natural pivots, I found my way back to writing. Today, I work as a brand strategist and website copywriter, helping my clients find the words they’ve been trying to say in a way that feels like someone finally understood them, even before they had words for it themselves.

Empathy is at the heart of my approach. It allows me to view the world from my clients’ and their audiences’ perspectives, helping me create copy that feels less forced and more story-driven. My goal is always to create something that feels familiar and like home — like a space someone can settle into — rather than something that feels overly “marketed.”

I feel so lucky that something I’ve always loved doing now supports someone else in pursuing what they love, too.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Transparency.

There’s a lot of pressure, especially online, to appear further along than you are. To “fake it ‘til you make it.” And while I agree with the “fake it ‘til you make it” mentality to a degree, I don’t think it validates being dishonest or deceitful about your experience. Plus, with AI making it easier than ever to say the *right* things, it’s also become easier to say them without having the experience to back it up.

When I began focusing specifically on copywriting, I was very aware I was stepping into a new space. And instead of being embarrassed or trying to mask that, I leaned into it.

I was open about being a beginner. I was happy to share the “messy middle” of figuring it out. And I think that honesty in itself created trust with my audience.

I also wasn’t afraid to share my perspective.

I spoke about my stances and perspectives openly, especially regarding the use of AI in copywriting. It wasn’t intentionally for a strategic purpose (I didn’t realize the opportunities I’d receive because of it), but I was just naturally participating in online conversations.

And because of that, I’ve been invited to collaborate, guest post, and connect with creative partners who share my same viewpoints.

Having said that, building my reputation came down to showing up as myself and trusting that being honest about where I was and what I believed would resonate with the right people.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

My favorite marketing story happened when I was still working as a designer, but it’s still something I think about often when I need a reminder to be myself.

I was at Target in the stationery aisle, trying to pick out a new journal. As a self-proclaimed journal aficionado, this wasn’t a situation where I could walk into the aisle, choose the first one that caught my eye, and walk away.

No, this was a *process*.

How thick was the paper?
Was it wide-ruled or college-ruled?
Did I like the cover enough to look at it every day?

While I was browsing, another woman stood beside me, doing the same thing, also trying to find the *perfect* journal.

We started chatting, laughing about how *serious* we were being about something that others found simple. And somewhere in that conversation, we realized we were both business owners! We exchanged Instagram handles, went our separate ways with our perfect journals, and, not long after, she reached out and hired me to design her brand.

I loved that, just by being myself (someone who takes journal selection *very* seriously), I was able to create a genuine connection with a small business owner.

Looking back, I think about how, if I’d tried to act more professional or reserved, I don’t imagine I would’ve had the same experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.withlaurenelaine.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/withlaurenelaine/
• Other: https://www.threads.com/@withlaurenelaine

Image Credits

Sealed with a Kissell Photography