An Honest Snapshot into My Business

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It was August 2020, and nothing seemed more unattainable than becoming a highly-paid writer. I had no professional experience, zero bylines, maybe 12 Twitter followers — and my inbox was full of rejections confirming my inadequacy. 

If I wanted to become a writer, I couldn’t hold my breath for BuzzFeed or Vox. Screw waiting around. Screw automated email rejections. Screw playing nice. It was time to become a freelance writer.

The only problem was that I was hilariously out of my league. I was 23, and my main “professional experience” was wiping pizza grease and churning vodka sodas (shout-out 310 Bowery Bar). 

Copywriting, contracts, clients: It all seemed so grown-up, reserved for buttoned-up professionals with manicured nails and 401(k)s.

Meanwhile, I felt like a chimpanzee armed with a keyboard. 

Then I found Eva. 

Eva Gutierrez was earning ~$10,000 a month as a freelance writer, running her business from Paris, Thailand, and Los Angeles. I drooled at the possibility of having her lifestyle. 

Eva was offering a program called The Client Acquisition System. It cost $1,500. I’d never spent that much money at once before and to put it towards an internet stranger scared me shitless. 

But I took the jump. And I’m so, so glad I did. 

Eva helped me skip the metaphorical line in freelance writing. Instead of learning the rules of freelancing over months — retainers, pricing, cold pitching — I learnt them in weeks. 

I followed Eva’s teachings like they were the gospel. I posted on Twitter religiously once a day. I kept pitching. And slowly, surely, things started to mix and manifest in my favor. 

Fast forward to today. It’s been four years since I found Eva. By all accounts, my freelance writing business has been a success: 

• I made $49,000 my 1st year → $65,000 the 2nd → $86,000 the 3rd → (4th year TBD) 

• I collaborated with dream clients on awesome projects: 

  • Matt D’Avella’s Snail Mail, a 65,000 subscriber newsletter.

  • Miss Excel’s The Workbook, which just celebrated 100 editions and 314,000 subscribers. 

  • Hanah Williams’ Salary Transparent Street, a newsletter educating people on pay transparency (14,000 subscribers). 

  • I’ve written for On Deck, Every, Zapier, The Daily Beast, and countless more. 

• I build my business while sauntering across Brazil, Bali, Paris, and Portugal. 

But the business isn’t working anymore. 

***

Okay, that sounds dramatic. I’m not quitting my clients (I ❤️ them!) but it is time I expand my services. Here’s why: 

1. I’m unspecialized. 

This past year, I’ve written everything from YouTube scripts for restaurant software companies to blog posts on artificial intelligence.

This has its pros — I’m nimble and a Rolodex of information (great for parties) — but this attitude of “I’ll write about anything!” isn’t letting me get great at one thing. And if you’re not the go-to for one problem, your leverage stalls. 

This ↑ is probably why I’ve been stuck at the $5,000—$8,000 a month mark for years now. 

2. I’m craving something bigger. 

I started freelance writing because I wanted the freedom to travel the world while helping clients tell their stories. But I was 23 then — I’m 27 now. 

Now, I dream about creating something — a mission, a movement — that can help people at scale while preserving my creative integrity.

And after years of building my business online, I’d love to do things in-person. 

Could that be presentations? Retreats? Unclear. All I know is I miss being outside and meeting people.

What Now? 

Here’s the thing: What got me from 0 to 1 isn’t going to get me from 1 to 2. If you want to enter new territory, you’re going to need a new map.

The problem is I have zero freaking clue how to go about this. 

So just like how I hired Eva when I knew nothing about freelance writing, I’ve hired a new coach to help me get to the promised land. 

What is the promised land? While things are unclear, it means no longer “just” being a freelance writer. It also means being the go-to person for a specific (and emotional) problem.

There are a handful of writers who’ve executed this brilliantly:

• John Bonini, founder of Some Good Content. The problem: SaaS content shouldn’t suck. The result: Closed two $15k deals in one week.

• Erica Schneider, founder of Content Sparring. The problem: Experienced solopreneurs are stuck in a content plateau. The result: 15 clients and a new $200K ARR revenue stream.

As for me? I’m still in brainstorming mode. But I keep thinking about 23-year-old me. What if she’d waited forever for The Atlantic or Business Insider to give her a chance?

None of this would’ve happened.

How many other people are not realizing their potential because they’re waiting for permission? Because they’re following “the rules”? Because they think writing is solely for professionals?

Helping people unlock that would be special.

Anywho, I’m babbling at this point. If you’ve read this far, I appreciate you!

And if you have any suggestions, message me – I’d love to hear from you. ❣️

✍️ Quick Writing Tip

Use the Rule of 3 for persuasive and memorable writing. That’s because 3 is the smallest grouping for pattern recognition in the human brain.

Once you learn the Rule of 3, you’ll start seeing it everywhere.

• Just Do It

• Blood, sweat, and tears

• Goldilocks and The Three Bears

 💊 Brain Vitamins

^{*I’m changing this section’s title from ‘Content Diet’ to ‘Brain Vitamins’ because 1) it’s clearer and 2) more importantly, it sounds cuter. :)}

• I Blew Up My LinkedIn as Fast as I Could by Lara Acosta — Lara went from 0 to 100,000 LinkedIn followers in just one year. No previous professional experience. No paid ads. Now, she’s generously sharing her hard-earned knowledge in bite-sized YouTube videos.

• BYU 2020 Creative Writing Class Series by Brandon Sanderson — The internet is a magical place brimming with free information worth thousands – and Brandon’s YouTube is in that category. I love this guy. He teaches the nuts and bolts of writing while offering creative encouragement.

• The End of Our Extremely Online Era by Tommy Dixon — Have you noticed that more people are questioning the status quo of being plugged in 24/7? (I know 3 people who deleted Instagram from their phone last week.) Tommy’s piece suggests we’re at the precipice of a new era – one where we’ll see social media as harmful as cigarettes and heroin.

• Why Are You Postponing Yourself? by Accepting the Universe – I can’t stop thinking about this video. I won’t explain it. Just watch it. I promise it’ll change your life.

Thank you being here!

I hope you have a beautiful week, wherever you are.

Stay Creative,

Alice

P.S–This newsletter, according to my Clockify, took 5 hours and 24 minutes. :)