Last week, I talked about the computer hardware I use as a Business-to-Business (B2B) copywriter. In this article, I fully intended to write about the software I use. But recently, things happened that changed that.
Don’t worry, I already started the software article and will post it soon. However, events this past week made me think about my dreams of the writer’s life… and the reality of what I’m doing as a writer.
They’re important things… and I wanted to make sure I shared them with you immediately. Because they may give you an a-ha moment too…
Destination or Journey?
At the beginning of the year, I shared with you some of my hopes and dreams and goals as a copywriter. They haven’t changed. I still have plans to leave my full-time job and be a full-time writer.
I’m still striving to live a life as a full-time husband, father, and granddad.
That won’t change. They’re too important to give up on.
But the recent events made me stop and ponder the past few years and understand my progress in this crazy business of freelance writing.
Events that, taken as a whole, made me grasp one important fact: the writer’s life doesn’t need to be a final destination. It can actually be part of an ongoing journey.
I’m already living a big part of my writer’s life… right now.
Wow.
And believe it or not, this realization started with an unplanned trip to the orthodontist.
Yeah… ouch!
Daddy to the rescue!
To some people, it may seem funny that my 31-year-old daughter still calls me Daddy. But, I love it. And Steph will always be my baby girl, no matter how old she is.
So when I came home from work a few weeks ago and noticed Steph’s car was in the driveway, I was concerned. She’d just started a new job and was supposed to be there that day.
Mary met me at the door. Worried, I asked her what was wrong.
“Our daughter is in extreme pain,” she told me. “She has some abscessed teeth. I’ve given her some pain medicine. But, we need to do something… and soon.”
As you may know, abscessed teeth are extremely painful. And, if not taken care of quickly, they can lead to extreme illness… or worse.
Now, I’ve always taught my kids to work hard to stay employed. And they’ve both done quite well.
But, Steph works as a chef in the restaurant business… a vocation noteworthy for not providing health insurance coverage. To top that off, the restaurant she’d been working for over the past year had closed its doors.
So, there was a gap before she was able to start her new job, and during that time, she’d been providing for my three granddaughters with the money she’d saved. Long story short… she was short on cash.
And, orthodontists aren’t cheap.
We made an appointment to find out what needed to be done. Sure enough, those teeth had to come out. On top of that, some bone grafts were needed to prepare for implants several months in the future.
If you don’t have insurance, this office gives you a 10% discount for cash or cashier’s check. They did take off the first visit’s fee when we scheduled the procedure for the following week.
Even so, the bill was going to be well over $1,600 for about two hours’ work!
(Note to self… check into dental school… just kidding!)
The day before the surgery, I went to the bank to get a cashier’s check for the full amount. And, when I took her for the procedure, I handed it over to the receptionist and got my receipt.
Shortly afterwards, Steph was taken back to have the extractions done. As I sat in the waiting room, I pulled out the receipt and looked at it again.
That’s when it hit me…
My clients had paid that bill!
I sat there, stunned.
It suddenly occurred to me how I paid that bill.
My writing income is kept in a separate account for bookkeeping purposes. It’s not attached to my personal account. It’s in a different bank as well.
The cashier’s check was drawn on my business account.
The realization washed over me like a wave on the beach. A few years ago, that outlay wouldn’t have been possible.
We would have most likely scrambled to get a short-term loan for the bill. But that day, I just walked into the bank and strolled out with the money!
A big part of my dream of a writer’s life is helping my family financially. And, my increasing copywriting success was making that a reality, even though I’m not writing full-time yet.
Looking at today with a renewed perspective
After we got her back home, I went to my office to work on client projects. But for a little while, I had to lean back in my chair and think.
I remembered my days as a writer in the content mills and how little that paid. And I thought of the day I decided to strike out and find my own clients.
As time rolled by, the money got better. Much better. And, I was doing less work for more money because I was getting better clients with deeper pockets.
I was smart enough to know I was dumb as a rock when it came to copywriting. And smart enough to find the right people to train me. Sure, I had to pay to get the training. And yes, it wasn’t inexpensive. But, it was a worthwhile investment… one I needed to make.
One I was willing to make.
I’m looking at our lives now, just a few years into this great adventure, and I see how much better life is.
Not perfect, mind you.
But much, much better.
We’ve paid off some debt. I’ve helped out my aging parents with their medical bills. The business events I attend are now paid for by my business money!
And soon, very soon, my combined income from my day job and my writing will be double what it was just five short years ago.
It’s good to think back over where you’ve been. And, to realize where you are now. Even though I’ve set date after date to leave my job — and missed them all — I haven’t failed. I’ve gone further than I could ever have imagined possible.
I still have a dream of leaving my job and living a full and amazing writer’s life.
But, it’s great to realize… I’m living part of it now.
A very important part.
In the comments below, tell us of your journey. Sure, it may not be all fun and games. But talking about it often helps.
And like me, you may have had a few setbacks too. Not moved as quickly as you’d planned.
But, always remember (and never forget) every step forward — and even some of the backward ones — is a step in the “write” direction… if you keep moving toward your dream and don’t give up.
Meet me back here next week. I promise… I’ll clue you in on some of the great software I use to increase productivity in building a business.
Until then… Here’s wishing you the very best of B2B Writing Success!
