My husband had just returned from his second deployment and we were sitting in our new home, discussing what we wanted out of our lives and careers. After some time, I finally told him, “I want to be a copywriter. I want to take this copywriting side hustle I’ve got and go full time.”
“Great,” he said. “Then do it!”
“But, I don’t know how or where to start.”
“All you have to do is ask for help.”
So I approached, Becky, an upbeat business coach I met at my local Tuesdays Together in San Diego and I said, “Look, I’m ready to make this dream a reality. Can you help?”
She said yes and soon I was sitting across the table from the husband and wife business coach duo, Becky and Jesse of Idealust, for our initial four-hour consult.
The VIP Meeting
In those first four hours, I learned just how confused I was. First of all, I didn’t know what type of copywriting services I offered, who I was serving and how much I should charge for those services. They soon sorted me out with discovering my ideal client, pricing, and niche (website copy for creatives.) By the end of the meeting, I set goals for what I wanted to accomplish with them over the next six months for my business. Little did I know, I’d surpass those goals and take my business and confidence further than I had imagined at our initial meeting.
The Idealust Process
After the VIP meeting, I had a call scheduled with Idealust every Tuesday at 9 am for 30 minutes. During these calls, we discussed my goals at a monthly and weekly level and created a list of actionable items. I’d try to complete the weekly goals before each call and present a list of roadblocks, business questions, and emotions I was feeling to discuss. Becky and Jesse were always there to celebrate my wins and come up with ways around the obstacles I was facing for the upcoming week.
One of the most incredibly helpful pieces of my Idealust coaching journey was the “Content that Connects” course. I’d pour over their video modules, taking detailed notes, that I would turn around and use in effective ways for my business.
Photo by Joshua Mitchell
What I Accomplished
Website
I launched my website in three months, which I’d say is pretty fast considering I mapped out the site in WordPress, wrote my own web copy (because that’s what I do best), and did some basic HTML coding. It would have taken me double the time to get my site up had it not been for their wise advice, to not let myself get caught up in the details and just get a basic site, any site, up and running.
I grew my Instagram presence. For a long time, I gave social media a wide berth. But Becky convinced me to take a chance on it again. So I watched Idealust’s “Content that Connects” Instagram module and learned how to write a better Instagram Bio, engage with my community, and use Instagram stories to grow my following. Now, using Instagram for my business is something I really enjoy.
Business Tools
As the months went on I added a few business features to my toolbelt at their suggestion. I needed a Client Relationship Management (CRM) system to keep track of my emails, clients, workflow, books, questionnaires, and contracts all in one place. I did my research, looking at systems like 17 Hats and Honeybook, but wound up going with Dubsado and I am so glad I did. Their support is quick and top-notch.
Then came time for me to create a newsletter for my business. I watched their Newsletter course, then set out to write my first newsletter and create my email list. To send them out I used MailChimp (mail “kimp” if you’re a Serial fan) and though it’s confusing Jesse happily hopped on a Zoom call with me and walked me through the ins and outs of MailChimp.
GIF by Idealust
Confidence
One of the biggest things that Idealust taught me was using affirmations to grow your confidence in yourself and your business. When you believe in yourself you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. I battled a lot of imposter syndrome in the beginning but learned to look back at what I had accomplished and see my worth as a copywriter and entrepreneur.
Once I found my voice, I was able to network with ease at local events like Tuesdays Together and Creative Mornings, as well as conferences like San Diego Startup Week, The Yellow Conference, and Create & Cultivate LA.
If you’re looking for that extra leap to kickstart your business from side hustle to full time, or just taking the next step at whatever point you are in your business, I highly suggest working with Idealust. I’m glad I was able to work with Becky and Jesse from the very start of my business so now I have a solid foundation from which to grow in the future.
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