Linda M.

Content provider, freelance writer/editor

The Copy Worx

Helping B2B businesses increase conversions through high-converting copy.

B2B Copywriter and Copy Strategist 

Writer

Contributing editor and writer for national, custom, corporate and online publications including TIME, The Huffington Post, Health, MSN, NBC, The Today Show, and many others. Specialties include fitness, health, business/corporate, ghostwriting, nutrition and recipe development.

Ageless After 50

Coaching and online fitness programs and memberships for women over 50

Online course creator / fitness

OC Metro Magazine

I wrote cover stories, features and various columns (including a health & fitness column and another on e-Commerce).

Business columnist and feature writer

Strong, smart messaging for B2B health & fitness brands | Podcast host

I create conversion-focused copy for B2B health and fitness brands, leveraging insider experience from both sides of the industry.

With over 15 years under my belt writing for heavy-hitters like MSN Health, TIME, Shape, Self, Woman’s Day, Men’s Fitness, Bowflex, and HuffPo, I've got a knack for understanding what people really want. Let's chat about how we can make your content resonate and get those decisions rolling in your favor.

My expertise includes:

1. Value Proposition Audit and Strategy Roadmap

Most B2B companies struggle with converting copy that showcases their uniqueness. My proprietary process, based on research, decision-making psychology, analytics, and customer interviews, uncovers what sets your solution apart from the rest. This special messaging audit will give you clarity, attracting more of your ideal customers in less time.

2. Email Marketing

My email sequences get noticed and opened, with clients typically experiencing a 45-50% open rate. By writing in your customer's voice, they trust you and see you as the solution they need.

3. Landing Pages, Sales Pages, Opt-ins, and More

Whether it's a landing page, email, or event brochure, I start with a deep dive into the emotions of your target audience, understanding what keeps them up at night–and what they would pay anything to be free from.

Results of my work include:

➡️ A 5-email sequence that landed a $70k contract 
➡️ A homepage makeover resulting in a 44% lift in page conversions
➡️ A 30% boost in opt-ins for a lifestyle program 
➡️ A 100% boost in sign-ups for a coaching program 
➡️ A 100% increase in Facebook signups for a business coach’s webinar

Ready to achieve similar results? DM me for more details.

Linda
📩 Email: Linda@TheCopyWorx.com
📞 Text/Call: (949) 233-0450

B2B Copywriter and Marketing Strategist

Letting Grammarly edit your copy is like hiring Stephen King to read your kid a bedtime story. 😳 

Sure, he’ll do it.

But little Billy’s gonna be 35 and still sleeping with the lights on.

Because what should’ve been warm and comforting turns into something clinical, eerie... and a little bit dead inside.

Same goes for copy that’s been “fixed” to perfection.
Polished doesn’t sell. Personality does.

A copywriter shared their nightmare scenario in a Facebook group. After delivering polished copy to their client, everything went sideways.

The client ran it through Grammarly.

No big deal, right? What could go wrong?

Since the copy was written conversationally (e.g. like humans talk = how copy converts), the AI flagged dozens of "errors" and the client went nuclear. They didn't even check what these supposed mistakes were.

Here's the kicker:

Those "mistakes" were actually intentional stylistic choices that make copy convert. Things like:

➡️ Sentence fragments (like this one)
➡️ Starting sentences with "but" and "and"
➡️ Conversational language that breaks formal rules
➡️ Punchy one-liners for emphasis

Think about how you talk to your friends. Chances are, you do all of the above.

Because you're not a bot. 

Your copy should sound like a human wrote it. Not like it came from an English textbook from 1952. 

Here's the real deal:

✅ AI tools like Grammarly are great for catching typos
✅ But they're terrible judges of conversational copy
✅ They don't understand the psychology behind breaking rules
✅ They can't measure emotional impact

Bottom line: Use AI as a tool, not the final authority. Unless you want your copy to sound like a robot wrote it. 

Because here's what matters:

Your copy needs to connect, engage, and convert. Sometimes that means breaking the "rules" to make an impact.

Want to know if your copy's working? Look at your conversion rates, not your grammar score.

#copywriting #marketing #fitness

Linda Melone

salesdeck-au

the-copy-worx

Talks about #b2b, #marketing, and #copywriting

Copywriter for health & fitness brands | Conversion Copywriter for JRM Web Marketing | Laughter is my love language

Quick copywriting tips to instantly make your copy more relatable, memorable, and... a whole lot less boring.

No elephant in the room, low-hanging fruit, or circling back required.

(Apologies for the typo in the carousel... 🙄  Yup, I'm human.)

#copywriting #marketing #fitness

21 cringe worthy phrases

So this was awkward... and amazing.


I'm on a client call when they mention another copywriter's work that’s "converting like crazy." 

“I’d like you to take a look at the ad and see if you can do something like this,” he says.

Ego = deflated. 

I thought my copy was working well for them. But... hey.

As I'm scanning the "competition's" ads in Facebook's ad library (trying not to cringe), something sounded familiar. 

The voice, the rhythm, the strategic hooks...

Wait a minute. 

"You know what," I say, my Imposter Syndrome fleeing the room, "I wrote these ads!"

My client's response? "Oh, cool! That's great. I didn't know... awesome job! Well, keep doing what you're doing." 

Here's why this matters:

✅ As copywriters, we rarely get to see the long-term impact of our work
✅ Sometimes our best wins come back to us in unexpected ways
✅ Your work can speak for itself (even when you don't know it's speaking)

Day = Made  

In a world where feedback can be as scarce as a summer Arizona day below 110 degrees, sometimes you need to celebrate the wins.

#copywriting #marketing #fitness

My first 3 clients hired me before I’d written a single line of copy. 😳 

🚫 Zero copywriting experience (only magazine article writing). 
🚫 No portfolio. 
🚫 No social proof.

Nope - just a burning desire and the confidence that I'd figure it out as I went along. 

"𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦?" you ask. "𝘞𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯??"

No.

Simple:
They knew me. 
They liked me (what's not to love? 😁 ).

And most importantly… they trusted me.

It wasn’t from an ad, a sales funnel, or some PR blitz.

It was because I’d shown up consistently. 
I’d built real relationships.
 
They’d seen my work ethic in action and knew I’d never let them down.

Subpar quality work is never an option.

And honestly, that’s why LinkedIn is so powerful.

Sure, it's parasocial relationships in most cases (where you feel as if you know someone when you've never actually spoken to or met them)... but your posts and comments allow people to see:

✅ Your mindset.
✅ Your energy.
✅ Your attitude.
... and your value.

And all that, my friend, builds trust. 

No "correct" dash (PLEASE stop!) 🙄, AI prompt, or herbal remedy can hack it. 

#copywriting #marketing #fitness

That teardown thread you loved might be teaching you all the wrong lessons.

Because not every confident critique comes from someone who actually knows what they’re doing. 😳 

Inspired by Jane Serra's post (thank you!), here are five red flags you need to look for when a copywriter critiques or "tears down" another copywriter's work... 

First, critiques like this are a fantastic way to learn copy if they’re done well.
 
But when an inexperienced copywriter takes a red pen to million-dollar copy? 
Things can go sideways fast.

Here’s why: 

1️⃣ 𝐋𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬
 
What looks like a weak headline might have been tested against 50 others. 

Without knowing the strategy or audience data, the critique could miss the mark entirely.

2️⃣ 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞

It’s easy to sound smart while saying something wrong. 

New copywriters may confidently point out “flaws” that are actually 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴.

3️⃣  𝐈𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

Aspiring copywriters who follow these poor teardowns might adopt weak principles, hurting their own work. 

Plus, critiquing veteran copy without deep understanding can backfire publicly. And that's never good.

4️⃣ 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 "𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬" 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐲
 
New copywriters often assume polished = effective. But some of the highest-converting copy looks casual on purpose. It resonates because it feels human, not overproduced. 

A teardown might “fix” what was working (I'm lookin' at you, Grammarly).

5️⃣ 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲-𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
 
Just because 𝘺𝘰𝘶 wouldn’t click doesn’t mean the target audience of that copy won’t. Beginners often judge copy based on personal taste rather than behavioral psychology or market research.

So before you take critiques to heart, keep in mind copywriting is part art, part science. 

Make sure the person doing the critique understands both.

Can you relate? Have you followed or heard advice you knew was wrong?

#copywriting #marketing #fitness

I accidentally stumbled on my most successful marketing strategy — 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨.

And it made me six figures. Consistently. 
 
➡️ Without a website.
➡️ Without a big following.
➡️ Without money for ads.

Here's how...

Fresh out of personal training school, I moved to a brand-new state.
No clients.  
No connections. 
No clue on how to get started.

So I did the only thing I could think of. I asked myself, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱? 🤔 

I walked into a local home fitness equipment store and ran this idea past the manager:

"𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘨𝘺𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘰 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵?"

Manager: "𝘠𝘦𝘱, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵."

Me: "𝘐'𝘮 𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘶𝘱...?"

Manager: "𝘞𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘶𝘱 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨."

Me: (In my mind: perfect!)
"𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘪𝘯-𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘦? 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵...
 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 — 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵’𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘳."

He agreed. "𝘓𝘦𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘵!"

I had zero track record — but a lot of hustle.

➡️ 80% of the people I visited signed on for more sessions. Many stayed with me for years. And I built solid trust with that equipment seller.

✅ That's how I went from zero to six figures in a brand-new city.

Moral of the story?

Don't wait until you're “ready” to market yourself.
Start with what you have.
Right where you are.
 
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦’𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮 — 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

The business will follow.

Note: If you’re in the health and fitness world and need help turning your story into high-converting copy — DM me.

#copywriting #marketing #fitness

"𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘶𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺?"

Me: 😳 

'Cause here's the thing: This 'cost-saving' strategy will tank your revenue faster than your spotty Wi-Fi the moment you hit ‘Join Meeting’.

Copy without research is like:
 
😵‍💫 Peanut butter without jelly.
💔 Romeo without Juliet.
🙀 Macaroni without cheese.
🚫 LinkedIn without another post about how to spot AI content (this we could do without)

Research (analytics, customer interviews, social media scraping, etc. etc.)isn't one thing... It's everything when we talk about high-converting copy.

Here's what actually happens when you write copy without research:

1️⃣ You're shooting in the dark
Without customer research, you're basically throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks. Except this pasta costs thousands in lost revenue.

2️⃣ You're speaking to everyone (which means no one)
Generic messaging = generic results. Your ideal customers scroll right past because nothing resonates specifically with them.

3️⃣ You're guessing at pain points
And usually getting them wrong. What you think keeps your customers up at night? Probably not even close to reality.

Here's the truth:

✅ Research isn't a cost - it's an investment
✅ It's the difference between "maybe this works" and "this WILL convert"
✅ It's what separates pros from amateurs

Think about it:

Would you trust a doctor who diagnoses you without an examination and jumps straight to prescribing medicine?

Of course not.

So why would you trust a copywriter who skips research and jumps straight to writing?

The real cost isn't in the research.
It's in the revenue you lose from copy that misses the mark.

Because here's what research actually gives you:

➡️ Real customer language that resonates
➡️ Actual pain points that drive action
➡️ Objections you need to overcome
➡️ The exact triggers that make people buy

No guesswork.
No assumptions.
Just data-backed decisions that drive results.

Want copy that actually converts? Start with research.

Or keep throwing that spaghetti. Eventually something may stick. 

#copywriting #marketing #fitness

After my Stephen King-inspired post about AI (specifically Grammarly) sucking the life out of copy went bonkers last week (130K+ views — 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 4 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴)... it’s clear I struck a nerve.

Here’s the gist of that post:
𝘈𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳 — 𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺. 

R.I.P. Your brand personality, voice, and USP.

Several of you reached out asking:
"𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘐 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘈𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦??"

So I spent the weekend (*cough* workaholic) creating something to help you move fast:

👉 The AI Copy Detox — a mini audit to:
Quickly spot where your copy sounds robotic or stiff
Show you exactly how to humanize it so it connects and converts
Give you clear action steps you can use right away to get better results

✅ $99 — full transparency (a fraction of what it costs to hire me)
✅ No fluff. No textbook grammar rules.
✅ Just real talk that makes your copy better — and your brand stronger.

Ready to breathe life back into your copy?
 
Check the comments for the booking link and details. 👇

Because polished doesn't sell.
Personality does.

#copywriting #marketing #fitness

Back when I was a trainer, nearly every new client asked one or all of the same questions:

❓ "What’s the best time to work out to burn fat?”
❓ "Which exercise flattens abs the fastest?"
❓"Can we work martinis into my meal plan? If not, I’m out." (I did)

Everyone wanted shortcuts. 
Hacks. 
Magic formulas. 
Guaranteed results.

Truth is, there’s no ONE answer. And what works for one person may not work for you.

Fast-forward to LinkedIn, and the questions just got a digital makeover:

“𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘐 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘭?”
“𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘐 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺 - 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘺?”
“𝘋𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘨𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘬 - 𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘦?”

Like so much of the same fitness advice, most is recycled nonsense that keeps you stuck in mediocrity.

You've heard it all before:
"Post at 8 am sharp!"
"Never post on weekends!"
"Comment on 10 posts before sharing yours!" 🙄

After testing ALL the "rules" for over four years, here's what works consistently:

➡️ Show up consistently (whatever that means for YOU)
➡️ Share real value and experiences
➡️ Engage with others 𝘣𝘺 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯

That's it.

Great content finds its audience.
Mediocre content dies in the algorithm - no matter when you post it.

Trust the process.
Play the long game.
Be consistent.

The results will follow.

Same applies to fitness. Just do it.

#copywriting #marketing #fitness

I confess, I was not a fan of virtual summits.... until this interview with summit expert and podcast host, Jennie Wright.

In my mind, summits seemed like a lot of work without much payback.

But I was wrong. In fact, I was missing the boat on every level.

In this week's interview (my last before taking time off) with Jennie, she explains how she works with clients to create summits that not only engage audiences, but how they are an amazingly effective way to attract quality leads.

Here she tells how she builds trust and a relationship with her summit guests BEFORE asking them to participate... (see links to the episode in comments).

Have you participated in a summit or hosted one? 

#copywriting #marketing #fitness #summits

“𝘕𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺. 𝘈𝘐 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴.” 

*loud buzzer* 
Nope.

The truth?

Even experienced freelancers are losing clients right now.

- Companies are using AI to replace their basic copy needs, e.g. e.g. website copy, blogs, emails.
- Budgets are shrinking.
 
And social media keeps shouting, “𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴!” like that solves everything when you can't find clients at your current rates. 🙄  

Here’s what I’m seeing - and what I’m doing instead:

1. 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐈 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 
 
I use it to speed up research, outlines, and drafts. I can then spend more time on strategy - where the real value is.

2. 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐤𝐞.

For me, that’s finding a brand's value proposition to set them apart from competition. AI can only pump out what's already been done. The only message it'll conjure up is one that currently exists. You need unique.

This also includes niching down to a specialty that sets you apart from other copywriters. My sweet spot is health and fitness. I spent decades in the trenches as a trainer - and have been published in nearly every fitness magazine. My health and fitness knowledge is deeper and wider than what you'll piece together using AI.

For you, it might be finance, compliance, brand strategy, or conversion optimization.

3. 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤.
 
Whitepapers. Case studies. Messaging strategy.
Not keyword-stuffed blogs AI can crank out in 60 seconds.

4. 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞.
 Cold pitch with targeted purpose and research. Follow up. Post content that speaks to your niche -not just for vanity metrics and likes.

5. 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲.

Find people who talk honestly about the hard stuff: burnout, dry spells, and ghosted proposals. Support > surface-level hype.

No toxic positivity. Just practical strategy and real talk.

I go deeper in my latest blog:
The Toxic Positivity of Freelance Copywriting Culture (and What to Do Instead)
-- see link in the comments.

What else would you add?
#copywriting #marketing #fitness

Ignoring red flags landed me $42k in debt.

Let me paint you a picture of financial self-sabotage that still feels like I was living in someone else’s body...

Seven years ago, I was drowning in debt. Not from designer handbags and shoes (if only!), but from what I thought was "investing in myself" through business coaching, courses and programs.

Here's the raw truth about what really happened:

I fell for all the fake promises:
❌ "It’s your mindset. Change that and you're on your way to 6 or even 7 figures!"
❌ "You’re 3 feet from gold!"
❌ "You need the next level program for real progress."

The reality? 
I was doing everything they suggested. 
Following every blueprint. 
Checking every box.

Yet my bank account kept shrinking while theirs kept growing. Funny how that works.

And, according to these coaches, it was 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘶𝘭𝘵. 

Here's what I learned the hard way:

1️⃣ ROI isn't a "maybe someday" thing
When the numbers aren't adding up, they're trying to tell you something. Don’t stick with something because of sunk costs (feeling guilty because you’ve sunk so much money into it that it feels wrong to quit)

2️⃣ Trust your gut over their guarantees
That knot in your stomach? It's your internal BS detector working overtime.

3️⃣ "Just one more program" is a trap
If the first five didn't work, the sixth probably won't either.

What actually turned things around:

✅ I returned to my zone of genius: copywriting
✅ Stopped falling for every course that promised “The One Solution!” I’ve needed all along
✅ Built slowly, sustainably, profitably

The biggest lesson?

Success rarely comes from someone else's blueprint. It comes from:
➡️ Testing what works for YOU
➡️ Measuring results religiously
➡️ Pivoting when something's not working
➡️ Building on what actually produces results

Now I help other businesses craft messaging that converts - without the empty promises or magical thinking.

Because real business growth isn't about finding the perfect program.

It's about doing the work, measuring the results, and having the courage to change course when something isn't working.

Have you ever fallen into the coaching and course trap? 

#copywriting #marketing #fitness

I didn’t know I was moving in with a psychopath. Until it was too late.


This is a personal story I never planned to tell. But it’s been 30 years and only now can I talk about it.

(I’ve confided this to a few friends who’ve encouraged me to “get it out there” because it may help someone, so here I am.)

I won’t go into details because they’re unnecessary for the point I’m about to make. And I don’t want to relive this time of my life.

But here’s the gist of it:

I ignored the many, MANY red flags. It was clear I was not making good decisions with this person but he was convincing and manipulative. Because... psychopath.

I was living on the east coast. He moved to the Midwest and promptly had a serious accident. So I quit my job and moved across the country to be with him. After all, he "needed" me.

I realized within days I’d made a big mistake. 
Every time I tried to leave, he’d convince me to stay.

Gaslighting doesn’t begin to describe the situation. 

Keep in mind this was before social media and cell phones. 

I was ALONE. 
No money.
Living in constant fear of what he’d do next.

I literally escaped in the middle of the night by hiding out at a friend of his who knew the real situation. Other people - many total strangers - stepped up to help me. (Angels 𝘥𝘰 exist.) 

Plan in place, I asked my parents to send me money for plane fare.

(Side note: Psychopaths are geniuses at convincing others they’re kind, caring people and the actual victim is crazy. So I was seen as “the crazy one.”)

I hid out overnight in this person’s house, afraid he’d return. I left the next morning before he could catch me.  I returned back to the east coast where I had to rebuild my life completely over.

It didn’t end there, either. 
He followed me.

But at that point I was in control. I called him out for all the awfulness and revealed all the lies he’d been telling me. He eventually left me alone, but it could’ve ended very differently. 

I'm lucky to be here.

I tell this story because when you go through something like this, it’s pretty hard to get upset because your emails aren’t converting.

Or a client ghosted you.
Or something else you’ll forget about in a month rears its ugly head.

I’ve been through hell and bounced back. 

Through it all, I maintained my sense of humor.
I’ve since forgiven him - for my sake, not his.
And I learned a ton about people.

I also had some pretty crazy spiritual, ‘woo-woo’ things happen to me during that time that I interpreted as signs I’d be okay.

So if em-dashes are your biggest problem in life right now? You’re doing all right. 

#resilience #copywriting

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms. 

I miss my mom every day. ❤️ 

(Here she was at her favorite Japanese restaurant for her birthday... and the other was taken at a mall 10 years ago.)

On the subject of: “What else can humans do that AI can’t?” 

...so you can stop fearing AI more than finding a Huntsman spider in your bathroom (look it up, you'll never sleep again).

Here's what:

✅ Talk to people, human-to-human
✅ Express true understanding
✅ Show emotional intelligence

All of the above are essential for uncovering the emotional triggers that make someone feel seen and understood.

Because here’s the thing:

🚫 ChatGPT can’t build trust
🚫 It can’t read body language to see if you're clicking with someone
🚫 And it definitely can’t show the kind of empathy that gets people to open up

➡️ That emotional intel? It’s your human advantage in writing copy that actually connects - with other real humans who buy from people they trust.

We’re talking psychographics, my friend.

AI can scrape demographics.
But only a real convo gets you the psychographics.

Here’s how… 

#copywriting #marketing #fitness

How to Use Psychographics

How can 85 million monthly visitors be wrong?

🤔 😳 

I'm talking about whatever black magic BuzzFeed uses to lure people to click on their headlines.

Who can resist headlines like:

"34 𝘗𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘭𝘭 𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘚𝘢𝘺 '𝘞𝘢𝘪𝘵... 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘐 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵?'"

Here's the thing about BuzzFeed's headline magic:

They break every "rule" in the copywriting playbook... and still convert like crazy. 

Let's break down why these seemingly chaotic headlines work (and how you can ethically steal the same tactics): 

1️⃣ They Tap Into Raw Curiosity
❌ Traditional headline: "Tips for Better Sleep"
✅ BuzzFeed style: "𝘐 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘞𝘦𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘚𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘏𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘚𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘛𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳"

See what they did there? They didn't just inform - they made you wonder.

2️⃣ They're enticingly specific
❌ Generic: "Money-Saving Tips"
✅ BuzzFeed style: "29 𝘙𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘚𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘏𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘭𝘭 𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘈𝘴𝘬 '𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘋𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘈𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘛𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘔𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴?'"

The specificity makes it feel more achievable, more real.

3️⃣ They create FOMO without overdoing it
They don't just promise information - they promise belonging to an in-group who "gets it."

4️⃣ They talk like they met you in a bar
No corporate speak. No jargon. Just human-to-human talk that feels like your best friend sharing a secret.

Here's the bottom line:

Great headlines aren't about following rules - they're about understanding psychology. BuzzFeed gets this at a DNA level.

Want to write headlines that actually convert? Stop trying to sound smart and start being human.

Because at the end of the day, even B2B decision-makers are just people (most of them, anyway...) who can't resist a good "𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘞𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘏𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘹𝘵!" hook.

What's your favorite clickbait-y headline that actually delivered?

#copywriting #marketing #fitness

The entrepreneurial rollercoaster once again rears its ugly head. 🙄 

A large project I was so excited about - perfect fit, fun brand, etc. - is now on pause due to the client's sudden funding shift. (Totally understandable, but still disappointing.)

The silver lining? I now have unexpected availability to take on a new copywriting project.

If you've been secretly mulling over the idea of reaching out to me (I'm feelin' those vibes...) to help kick your conversions in the caboose, now's your chance.

Maybe your website homepage needs a big conversion hug, or a lead magnet onboarding series is off track, or you just need a pair of non-AI, experienced eyeballs to update a lead magnet - this could be your sign. 

Feel free to DM me or tag someone who could use a copy refresh. 📞 

#copywriting #marketing #fitness #b2b

Which one of these options would you least enjoy:

1️⃣ Swim with sharks - without a cage
2️⃣ Zipline over a pit of irritated rattlesnakes
3️⃣ Send a cold email 

It's 3 for me. 
 
It's why I rarely do it. But it's also a necessity if you're a newbie copywriter, which I was back in the day.

Because unsolicited emails never work.

Except… when they do. 

A few years ago I landed a multi-multi-million-dollar client doing this, my least favorite, most frightening thing.

While I can’t name names, here’s exactly what I did (and why it worked):

1️⃣ I USED THE PRODUCT.
 I knew it. Loved it. Big fan vibes.

2️⃣ I SPOTTED A MESSAGING GAP.
 Fun product. Snooze-worthy website copy. That disconnect? An opportunity.

3️⃣ I DID MY HOMEWORK.
They were scaling like crazy pants. Clearly, they’d need some messaging muscle.

4️⃣ I GOT PERSONAL + FUNNY.

 I opened with a real-life story involving their product. Dropped in stats that took actual digging. I wanted them to know: 𝘐 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶.

5️⃣ I ASKED FOR A MEETING.
 
I didn’t expect much. Honestly? I just had fun writing it.
I sent it straight to the President (yes, it took brass ones).

One follow-up later: reply from the Pres himself. 
Meeting (starting with this from him - paraphrasing, "I never respond to these emails, but I could tell you did your homework. And it was a great pitch.")

Boom.
 
Landed a project. 

If your cold pitches are going nowhere, borrow this approach. 
It works.

Need help with your marketing emails? DM me. We'll chat.

#copywriting #marketing #fitness

Unpopular opinion: Write your headline / subject line last.

Why? 
Because 80% of your audience won’t make it past it. 

So it must be scroll-stoppingly strong and captivating enough to tear them away from cute kitten videos. 

Yes, THAT strong.

#copywriting #copywriter #marketing #fitness

I was bullied as a child. One reason (of many): I laughed a lot.

Kids called me the "laughing hyena." 🙄 Yeah, original.
 
Even teachers tried to get me to simmer down.

The joke's on them, because my friends love me for it now. And I credit my sense of humor with helping me through some really rough times.
 
It’s how I cope.

It’s not about turning everything into a joke.
It’s about not taking the little things so seriously.
 
About keeping perspective. 
Zooming out. 
Seeing the bigger picture.

We’re beings on a tiny rock flying through space… 🌍 
 …worrying about why our lead magnet's not converting.

And if we ever needed to find ways to laugh, it's now. 

It might actually be the thing that makes people trust you. 

In fact, studies show: 

✅ Humor creates relatability and signals there’s a human behind the screen.
✅ Research shows that humor increases brand recall and message retention.
✅ It builds trust (when done right).
✅ Humor shows confidence and authenticity. It says, “We’re not trying too hard.”
✅ It breaks down resistance.

If you're dealing with objections, skepticism, or an over-saturated market, humor can be the Trojan horse that sneaks your message in.

What makes you laugh?

#copywriting #marketing #fitness

Taplio

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