We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mayra Gomez-Sanchez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Mayra thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

In January 2022 I was feeling burnt out from my job. I didn’t know what path to take but I knew I wanted it to involve helping others in a way that was meaningful. I also knew that I’ve always loved writing. Ever since I can remember I’d have a journal I would write about my day in. That’s when I started Googling ideas that involved writing and helping others. I came across the word copywriter. My next thought was, “What is copywriting?” I have never heard of this so I went down a rabbit hole and learned all I could learn about what a copywriter is and does. If you don’t know, basically a copywriter writes in a strategic and engaging way to make an audience take a specific action. For example, say you’re on a website to buy shoes and the description about the shoes makes you feel like you can envision yourself in them. You buy them. You’ve just participated and taken an action with the use of persuading words.

At first my thought was, “This sounds really sleazy and salesy. I don’t want to be part of sleazy marketing.” But then as I continued to learn, I found out that I could write for brands that want to change people’s lives for the better. That’s where I found my passion. After having a general understanding of copywriting and what I’d like to do with copywriting, I found a course in May 2022 where I learned all the skills needed to have the expertise. I dove deep in the course by not only taking detailed notes, but I also asked questions, engaged with colleagues in my copywriting community, and basically stepped out of my comfort zone.

It felt strange at first to do something I never thought would be possible for me – launching my own business – but now that I’ve been doing this for a little more than a year, I’ve realized that those initial thoughts were due to my limited mindset. I thought that my role in life was to get good grades so I can get a job, do my job from what I studied in college, and basically do it until I retire. Copyrighting showed me how much more I can get out of my life. Not only would it bring me income with writing about things I’m passionate about, but it would also allow me to have more free time to do things that I love, like going on vacation, spending more time with my family, and creating a schedule where I don’t have to work the typical 9:00 to 5:00.

By October 2022 I got the courage to put my website out into the world and created my social media for my copywriting business. That was probably the scariest feeling throughout this journey because people were actually going to see what I’ve been brewing up over the last couple of months. I was afraid of judgment, but now that I look back, I’m happy I did it because I finally did something for me and not anyone else. That felt good.

The next couple of months consisted of reaching out for clients, working on practice pieces to continue improving my craft, and continuing to immerse myself in all videos that is copy. Some days were easier than others – moving forward when you’re all alone at home isn’t easy – but with a supportive community, I kept going.

Finally, in March 2023 I had my first clients – yes, more than one! To top it off, they were dream clients I’ve always wanted to work with. After the initial excitement wore off, I immediately felt imposter syndrome. My thoughts consisted of ideas like “I can’t do this! I don’t know what I’m doing! They’ll find out how unskilled I am!” Before I continued down the rabbit hole of never-ending thoughts, I stopped and something came to mind “But what if all of that doesn’t happen? What if you just try?” So I used that little light to guide me in my first pieces and the rest is history!

Flash forward to today, August 2023, I’ve had a handful of clients whose business foundation is meaningful and genuine. I feel fulfilled knowing that I’m doing something I love and am contributing to the positive in society, even if it’s only a sprinkle.

Mayra, 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?

My name is Mayra. I’m 31 years old, second generation Mexican-American originally from a small town called Wasco California. It’s a rural, agricultural town about 30 minutes north from Bakersfield, California. I lived there for 17 years of my life and then went to school at the University of California Santa Barbara where I studied Sociology and minored in applied Psychology and Education. After graduating from UCSB I stayed a fifth year to get my graduate degree as a Master in Education with a combined teaching credential. I taught for 9 years and then transitioned to being a full-time copywriter.

My services include blogs, opt-ins, landing pages, email sequences, website copy, product descriptions, and ebooks. The problems I solve through the copy I provide include increased visibility to my clients’ brands, as well as conversions that allow their target audience from being an observer to a subscriber and/ or customer. On top of that, I give my clients a peace of mind knowing that their brand vision is in good hands. I value and intake the information they provide me when describing their business goals during our initial call. Overall, I take stress off their plate so they have more time to take care of other aspects of their business and spend time doing things they enjoy outside of work!

I think what sets me apart from others is the niche I felt the calling to focus on. My copy skills are dedicated to writing for BIPOC owned businesses because of the wide disparity in both the revenue and size of BIPOC owned businesses in comparison to other groups. You can see it reflected in lower rates of business ownership among minorities.

BIPOC owned small businesses also have had less access to affordable credit and financial services. This reality is why I create copy for BIPOC brands. Most of these brands aim to target the conscious consumers. Both as business owners and conscious consumers, we have the power to invest money into these communities to encourage growth.

I’m also proud of the foundation of my copywriting business. My parents have always instilled the value of hard work and discipline into everything I do. I’ve seen and heard about their sacrifices in order to create a beautiful life for my sister and I.

Their drive is what I keep at the core of my motivation to live a meaningful life. I know they didn’t get to thrive on some of the things my sister and I have experienced in our short lives, so I want to be sure that my copywriting path not only fulfills me, but also helps me give back to them in any financial manner I can provide.

I want potential clients/followers/fans to know that my copywriting business is aimed at showcasing the dreamers, the change makers, and those who thought they were voiceless – when in fact they aren’t.
I want my copy to be part of the domino effect of businesses who are making others feel validated, confident, and inspired.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

There have been two resources that have really helped me pivot my thinking on entrepreneurship.

The first resource was my writing course, Write Your Way to Freedom. I cannot tell you enough how much this course changed my life — and I’m not exaggerating.

First off, this was something I had to financially invest in for change to happen in my work life. I was scared to put down a good chunk of money because I was taught to always save – porque uno nunca sabe (one never knows). But I knew I couldn’t move forward until I put the money down and started off on the right foot. So I did and I’m soo glad I did.

Not only did I learn the copy and business skills needed to become the copywriter I am, but I also gained so much support in the mindfulness area from colleagues and course leaders.

Some mindfulness highlights include writing down my values and goals, and tying them in with what emotions those values and goals made me feel. This practice helped me create affirmations that directly opposed my fears and negative thoughts around money and learning a new skill.

Once I had a new mindset on my profession and personal goals, I wanted to keep growing. This leads me to the next resource that continues to uplift and motivate me on a weekly basis : The Nopalera Podcast and La Onda Newsletter.

Both of these resources are led by Sandra Velasquez, the founder of Nopalera – a soap and exfoliant Latina ran company that eleveats and celebrates Latin@ culture. Both the podcast and newsletter highlights the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur, along with tips and tricks entrepreneurs use to be successful – from finance to management, you name it. On top of that, listening to business women of color killing it really opened my eyes that being a business owner is possible for me too.

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

I think a variety of factors have helped me build my reputation – Instagram, LinkedIn, my website, and clients all revolve around my “why,” I think people who have come across my presence on these platforms, or have seen the work I’ve done with clients, all see the pattern of creating effective copy grounded in engagement and social good.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mayragsanchezagency.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mayra.g.sanchez/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mayra.g.sanchez.agency/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayra-g%C3%B3mez-s%C3%A1nchez-538532180/