Shahzad Khan's Linkedin Analytics

"Upwork connects are too expensive!" "The platform is putting up too many barriers!" "It's impossible for new freelancers to break in!" Meanwhile, I'm quietly celebrating these changes. And deliberately spending MORE on connects than ever before. Let's be brutally honest about what Upwork's connect system really is: It's a filter that weeds out uncommitted freelancers. And that's exactly why I love it. When Upwork introduced paid connects and raised prices, they didn't just create a revenue stream for themselves. They handed serious freelancers a massive competitive advantage by: ✅ Eliminating drive-by applicants who spray and pray ✅ Reducing the noise of low-effort proposals ✅ Forcing everyone to have skin in the game The math is simple: Fewer competitors = higher chances of winning work. Here's the cold reality most freelancers don't want to hear: Upwork is a numbers game. Someone sending 100 quality proposals has a dramatically better chance than someone sending 20. Most newcomers: ❌ Buy 10-20 connects ❌ Send a handful of proposals ❌ Get no responses ❌ Decide "Upwork doesn't work" ❌ Never return to the platform Their $15-20 "investment" was never enough to yield results. Meanwhile, I'm: ✅ Buying connects in bulk ✅ Sending dozens of targeted proposals weekly ✅ Maintaining consistent visibility ✅ Building momentum through volume I never even think about connect costs anymore. They're just a basic business expense, like internet or electricity. Success isn't about talent... It's about outlasting everyone else. I've seen incredibly talented freelancers give up after 15-20 proposals, while average freelancers land great clients after 40-50 tries. When most freelancers say: 😭 "I'll only use connects for perfect-match jobs" 😭 "I'll wait until I'm 100% qualified before applying" 😭 "I'll send fewer, better proposals" I say: 😃 "I'll increase my proposal volume" 😃 "I'll test different client categories" 😃 "I'll maintain constant visibility on the platform" Stop thinking of connects as an expense. Start thinking of them as an investment with clear ROI.

Every Pakistani Professional Needs an Online Income BEFORE Crisis Hits With tensions rising between Pakistan and India, it's time for uncomfortable truths: Your local job is the first thing that will disappear if conflict escalates. "But I work for a stable company..." "But I've been employed for years..." " But my sector is essential..." These are comforting lies. Major corporations suspended operations overnight ❌ "Essential" businesses closed as supply chains collapsed ❌ Local salaries became worthless as currencies plummeted There are two types of Pakistani professionals during conflict... 👉 The Vulnerable (95%) ❌ Rely entirely on local employment ❌ Income stops completely when operations suspend ❌ No alternative revenue streams ❌ Financial disaster within weeks 👉 The Resilient (5%) ✅ Have established online income sources ✅ Get paid in foreign currency regardless of local conditions ✅ Can work from anywhere with internet access ✅ Continue earning even during regional disruptions We've seen this pattern in every recent conflict zone: Those with established online income sources weathered the storm. Those dependent solely on local jobs faced financial ruin. The time to build your online income isn't during a crisis. It's NOW, while you have stability to develop it. What You Need to Start TODAY is A Marketable Online Skill... ✅Copywriting ✅Digital marketing ✅Graphic design ✅Programming And A Client Base Outside Pakistan... 🔱 Create profiles on international platforms 🔱 Build relationships with clients in stable regions 🔱 Establish a reputation before you need it 🔱 Payment Methods That Work During Disruption Also, don't forget to get access to multiple options for receiving funds and experience using them BEFORE crisis hits. It takes 3-6 months to establish reliable online income. If you wait until conflict escalates, it will be too late. Your local job might feel secure today, but it offers zero protection against regional instability. An online income isn't just a side hustle anymore. It's financial life insurance for Pakistanis living in uncertain times. Take Action Now 👉 Choose one online skill to develop immediately 👉 Create profiles on 2-3 international platforms 👉 Start building your reputation with small projects 👉 Establish multiple payment methods Don't be the person desperately trying to figure out online work AFTER your job disappears. I am willing to do a FREE session if you guys want to help new people out. Be the one who prepared while others ignored the warning signs. Your future security depends on the actions you take today.

If you're a beginner copywriter and not using AI properly, you're already irrelevant. Let me break down the new hierarchy of copywriting as I see it in 2025: 👉 Bottom tier: Beginner copywriters 👉 Middle tier: AI tools 👉 Next tier: Intermediate copywriters 👉 Top tier: Expert copywriters Notice something? AI has already surpassed beginners. As non-native English speakers, many Pakistani copywriters face a brutal reality: Your grammar mistakes and awkward phrasing will instantly disqualify you with clients. Meanwhile, AI produces grammatically perfect copy every time. It might sound "AI-ish," but at least it won't have the jarring errors that scream "amateur." Smart beginners aren't fighting AI - they're leveraging it to: ✅ Fix grammar issues instantly ✅ Create more portfolio pieces ✅ Write across diverse copy types ✅ Produce 5X more work than their peers Clients looking for budget copywriters have two options: 1. Beginners who write slowly with mistakes 2. Beginners who use AI to write quickly with clean grammar This is where it gets interesting. Intermediate copywriters who master AI can actually compete with top copywriters if they use it strategically. While the top copywriters already use AI as their "junior copywriter," letting them focus on: 💪 Strategic angles 💪 Identifying precise pain points 💪 Crafting overarching messaging 💪 Funnel structure and flow Top copywriters are like Virat Kohli - they're the superstars with their faces on billboards. But there's also room for the Rizwans of copywriting: ✅ Solid performers ✅ Consistently good results ✅ Maybe not as flashy, but highly effective ✅ Adding multiple skills to remain valuable The truth? AI helps copywriters climb this ladder faster than ever before. With AI handling the grunt work, you can: Produce more content Take more chances Create more opportunities for a big win Accelerate your journey from beginner to expert

Sometimes I sit alone and reflect on what we've built. It feels surreal. Four years ago, I started The Laptop Living with a simple problem: I needed to hire copywriters for my team, but couldn't find any in Pakistan. None. Zero. The skill barely existed here. So I made a decision that changed everything: If I couldn't find copywriters, I'd create them. What started as a selfish solution to my hiring problem (saw other problems as well... misinformation and low pay) has transformed into something much bigger than me. ✅ Pakistan has a thriving community of copywriters ✅ Brands that never had access to this skill now use it daily ✅ Hundreds of families have new income streams ✅ An entire profession has taken root where there was none Just last week, one of Pakistan's largest e-commerce brands approached me looking for copywriters. Four years ago, that conversation couldn't have happened. The most fulfilling part? Many of my best students now work alongside me. One has been with me for four years, handling copy I'd otherwise have to write myself. Another manages projects I no longer have time for. When I need to expand my team, my first calls are always to my students - people whose skills I helped develop, whose growth I witnessed firsthand. There's no greater professional joy than hiring someone you taught. What truly humbles me is how the knowledge has spread beyond my direct reach. I see copywriters in the Pakistani market who never took my courses but learned from: ✅ Free content I've shared ✅ Concepts I've introduced ✅ Frameworks I've taught 👉 Even other copywriting programs in Pakistan have borrowed structures, delivery methods, and positioning strategies from what we pioneered. We're only four years into this journey. Imagine where Pakistani copywriting will be in ten years? The students we're training today will... 🥇 Build their own agencies 🥇 Create their own training programs 🥇 Develop uniquely Pakistani approaches to copy 🥇 Serve both local and international markets 🥇 Train the next generation of professionals This is how real, lasting impact happens - not through hoarding knowledge but by creating ripples that continue long after your direct involvement ends. If you have a skill, experience, or knowledge that others need: Don't hide it. Share it. When you teach others: 👑 Your own understanding deepens 👑 Your reputation grows 👑 Your network expands 👑 Your opportunities multiply 👑 And yes, your income increases The most selfish thing you can do is be selfless with your knowledge.

You might be unknowingly copying some of these habits too? Let me introduce you to the 7 habits of highly ineffective people: 1. Be Reactive, Not Proactive Successful people take initiative. BORING. The truly unsuccessful have mastered the art of waiting until the last possible moment to do anything. "I work better under pressure" is their battle cry, as they frantically complete in 8 stress-filled hours what could have been comfortably done over 3 days. 2. Begin With No End in Mind Why bother with clear goals when you can just "wing it"? "I'm still figuring things out" remains their status update for years. 3. Put First Things Last The unsuccessful have an incredible talent for working on the least important tasks first. Email inbox at zero? Check. Revenue-generating project? "I'll get to it tomorrow." 4. Think Win-Lose (Or Preferably Lose-Lose) Why create value when you can focus on competition? The truly unsuccessful believe success is a fixed pie – if someone else is winning, they must be losing. 5. Seek First to Speak, Then Pretend to Listen Why learn from others when you can just wait for your turn to talk? The unsuccessful have perfected the art of appearing to listen while actually just planning their next statement. 6. Fear Synergy Collaboration? Teamwork? Absolutely not. "If you want something done right, do it yourself" is their mantra – even when they consistently do it wrong. 7. Never Sharpen the Saw Learning new skills takes time, and the unsuccessful don't have time for that. They're too busy repeatedly doing the same ineffective things. Reading books? "I already know enough." Taking courses? "Waste of money." "Calling everyone manjan sellers." Getting feedback? "Get hurt and rage quit (true story. Saw someone do this 2 days ago)." Look at your day honestly – which of these unsuccessful habits have snuck into your routine? Sometimes recognizing the path to failure is the first step toward success. What unsuccessful habit are you going to drop today?

"Beta, doctor ban jao. Zindagi set ho jayegi." I disappointed them by choosing engineering instead. Then I disappointed them again by failing at that too. Four years of engineering school earned me: Countless rejections from... CocaCola, Engro, and even a sugar mill in Muzaffargarh. Eventually, a Rs. 10,000/month job that barely covered transportation While people around me landed prestigious positions, I was making less than our household help. When your entire worth has been tied to academic achievement, what happens when that achievement leads nowhere? I questioned everything: Was I fundamentally flawed? Had I wasted my family's money? Should I have forced myself into medicine? In 2017, desperate and out of options, I discovered I could write decent English. My first writing gig paid exactly $3.33. But unlike engineering, writing felt natural. By 2019: I made more from writing than my engineering salary By 2020: I earned more than my engineering friends By 2021: I surpassed the doctors I knew The New Problem: Explaining "Copywriting" "Online likhta hoon" didn't exactly inspire confidence. My mother worried it was haram. My father waited for me to find a "real job." lol Everything changed when I bought my first car – with cash. Suddenly, people who had been sharing those success stories were asking about my "online work." When I did that, my father finally wanted to understand my career. After seeing client testimonials and payments, he said something I never expected: "If I had known there were such opportunities in my time, perhaps I wouldn't have pushed you toward medicine." You see, what built security for our parents won't do the same for us. Skills matter more than degrees today. My engineering taught me how to learn, but self-taught skills paid the bills. My parents didn't understand copywriting until they saw its benefits. Your "failure" might be redirecting you to success Had I succeeded as an engineer, I'd never have found my true path. If you're in that dark place – where your degree hasn't delivered what was promised: The careers that will define our generation aren't the ones our parents understood. And that's not just okay. It's necessary. What unconventional path have you found after a traditional one failed you?

This Japanese proverb is exactly what I live and breathe... But at the same time, it haunts me. Especially when I look around at how unprepared most people are for what's coming. The comfortable lives we've built can collapse overnight – whether through conflict, economic crisis, or personal disaster. And when that happens, the distinction becomes clear: Those who prepared when times were good. Those who didn't. Most Pakistanis live as gardeners in peaceful times: ❌ Dependent on a single income source ❌ Physically weak from sedentary jobs ❌ Financially vulnerable with minimal savings ❌ No valuable skills beyond their specific job When the storm comes – be it financial collapse, regional conflict, or personal crisis – they're instantly overwhelmed. Their comfortable job disappears. Their limited skills become worthless. Their physical weakness becomes a liability. Being a warrior in a garden means being prepared while still enjoying peace: 👉 Physical Preparation ✅Join a gym TODAY, not tomorrow ✅Build strength that serves you in crisis ✅Develop discipline through daily workouts ✅Fuel your body with quality nutrition A weak body creates a vulnerable mind. When everything collapses, physical strength becomes currency. 👉 Financial Preparation ✅ Build multiple income streams ✅ Develop skills that generate money regardless of economic conditions ✅ Save aggressively while others waste ✅ Invest in assets that survive turmoil One job loss should not destroy your family's security. 👉 Skill Preparation ✅Learn abilities that create IMPACT ✅Develop expertise that delivers clear ROI ✅Build knowledge that can't be taken from you ✅Master skills that work anywhere, anytime One skill completely transformed my ability to thrive regardless of circumstances: Copywriting. It's not just writing – it's the ability to persuade, influence, and drive action through words. When jobs disappeared, I could still generate income. When the economy collapsed, I could still find clients. When others panicked, I had options. Copywriting isn't just a freelance gig. It's financial self-defense. It's the ability to: 👑 Create income from anywhere with internet 👑 Generate value for any business in any market 👑 Build assets that earn while you sleep 👑 Connect with audiences who will pay for solutions You can continue being a gardener – peaceful, comfortable, and utterly unprepared. Or you can be a warrior in a garden – enjoying peace while maintaining the strength, skills, and resources to handle whatever comes. The gardener hopes war never arrives. The warrior ensures they'll survive if it does. Which are you choosing to be?

The words-only copywriter is dying out. And I need you to understand why, because your entire career depends on it. While most Pakistani copywriters are still perfecting their long-form sales pages and email sequences... The REAL money is shifting to multimedia content. Let me share some uncomfortable statistics: 👉 TikTok users spend 95 MINUTES per day on the app 👉 YouTube reaches more 18-49 year olds than all cable TV networks COMBINED 👉 82% of all internet traffic is now video content 👉 Conversion rates increase by 86% when video is used on landing pages Yet most Pakistani copywriters are stuck in the text-only world of 2015. The Brutal Reality No One's Telling You Here's what's happening behind the scenes with my highest-paying clients: ❌ They're INCREASING budgets for video scripts and multimedia ❌ They're looking for copywriters who understand the video format ❌ They're willing to pay PREMIUM rates for these skills The top 1% of Pakistani copywriters have already pivoted to this reality. The rest are about to experience a rude awakening. Why This Shift Is Happening Now ✅ The algorithms have spoken: ✅ Instagram prioritizes Reels over posts ✅ Facebook rewards video content with more reach ✅ TikTok has fundamentally changed consumer attention spans ✅ Even LinkedIn now gives video content 5X more distribution But there's an even bigger factor at play... AI can now write decent blog posts, social media captions, and even basic sales emails. But you know what AI still struggles with? 🥇 Creating emotionally compelling video scripts that convert. 🥇 Understanding the delicate interplay between words, visuals, music, and timing. 🥇 Crafting narratives that work specifically for video formats. This is where the opportunity lies. The good news? Your copywriting foundation is valuable. You just need to expand your toolkit: ✅ Video script formatting ✅ Visual storytelling techniques ✅ Understanding pacing and timing ✅ Writing for the spoken word (not the read word) ✅ Structuring hooks for short-form video ✅ Creating scripts that work with or without sound ✅ Directing visual elements that enhance the message PS. For now it's not only about copywriting. It's about AI enabled copywriting.

Everyone's binging Stranger Things. I'm binging My First Million Everyone's watching movies. I'm watching Diary of a CEO. Everyone's streaming music. I'm streaming Valuetainment. This isn't about being "productive" or "hustle culture." It's about a deliberate choice that's making me money while others waste their time. The content you consume directly shapes the opportunities you attract. When you fill your mind with: Simon Sinek UpFlip Ali Abdaal Peter Kell Dan Koe Mat Gray You start seeing business opportunities everywhere. Beyond Just Making Money When you consume high-value content consistently, you develop: ✅ Pattern recognition that others miss ✅ Advanced problem-solving skills ✅ A network of mental models for any situation ✅ Conversational topics that connect with successful people ✅ The ability to see trends before they become mainstream This applies to EVERY career path, not just business. But where this approach really shines? When I watch Alex Hormozi break down business models or listen to My First Million discuss emerging markets, I'm not just being entertained. I'm gaining: ✅ Deep market insights most copywriters never access ✅ Business model understanding that positions me as a strategist, not just a writer ✅ Industry-specific language that builds instant credibility with clients ✅ Pattern recognition for what's working across multiple markets ✅ The ability to speak the language of CEOs and founders If you write copy for a living (or want to), this approach isn't optional – it's essential. The most valuable copywriters understand: The business model behind the copy The market forces affecting the client The competitive landscape The economics of customer acquisition THEN the words that convey all of this effectively When a client can tell you understand their BUSINESS, not just how to write pretty words, you become irreplaceable.

There are two ways to send cold emails: 1. The "spray and pray" approach – blast 10,000 generic emails hoping someone bites 2. The targeted sniper approach – send fewer, highly customized emails that hit the bullseye I've been using the second method to initiate conversations with premium clients. Here's my exact 5-step process: 👉 Step 1: Choose Your Perfect Target Niche I focus exclusively on info marketers and course creators. Why? Because I understand their business model, speak their language, and can deliver specific results they value. 👉 Step 2: Find Approachable Prospects on YouTube My sweet spot? Channels with 10K-200K subscribers. These creators are: ✅ Established enough to afford your services ✅ Not so big that they're inaccessible ✅ Still handling much of their marketing themselves Channels under 500K subscribers are generally responsive if your approach is right. 👉 Step 3: Join Their Ecosystem Before sending a single email, I: ✅ Subscribe to their email list ✅ Watch their recent videos ✅ Study their sales process ✅ Purchase their entry-level products (if affordable) ✅ I become their customer first. This gives me insider knowledge no generic cold emailer could ever have. 👉 Step 4: Identify Specific Gaps in Their Marketing After studying their ecosystem for a few days, I look for clear holes in their funnel: ♐ Are they sending infrequent emails? (Once a week is a missed opportunity) ♐ Is their copy generic and uninspiring? ♐ Are they missing a front-end offer before their main product? ♐ Are they neglecting paid traffic? ♐ Is their lead magnet underwhelming? The key is finding specific problems I know how to fix—not vague "I can help you grow" promises. 👉 Step 5: Craft a Compelling, Problem-Aware Email Your email must stand out in a crowded inbox. Boring subject lines like "Looking to partner" or "Marketing services" get ignored. Instead, I use pattern-interrupting subject lines that spark curiosity without being deceptive: "I noticed something about your funnel..." "Quick question about [their product name]" "This confused me about your offer" Asks for a simple next step (not trying to close the deal immediately) I then follow up intelligently—at least 7 touches over 2-3 weeks, each adding new value.

90 days ago, I did something that would have been professional suicide just a year earlier: I handed over my copywriting to AI. Not just drafts or outlines. The actual client deliverables and some of my personal projects too. My hypothesis? AI might be good enough to handle 80% of the work. The results? 900,000 impressions on LinkedIn and a completely transformed business approach. For 90 days, I used AI for: ✅ Client email sequences ✅ LinkedIn posts ✅ Sales page drafts ✅ Video scripts ✅ Ad copy ✅ Reel scripts I tracked performance metrics, client feedback, and my own workflow efficiency. Here's what I found... 1. AI + Me > My Entire Team 2. Ideation Accelerated 5X 3. Script Development Became Effortless My content production increased 3X without sacrificing quality. AI wasn't perfect. It consistently struggled with... 👉 Strategic innovation 👉 Deep psychological insights 👉 Understanding context 👉 Delivering consistent quality over time After 30 days, I didn't go back to my old ways. Instead, I developed a new workflow: 🤑 First drafts of all copy 🤑 Research synthesis 🤑 Structure and formatting 🤑 Variation generation 🤑 Technical editing What I Keep for Myself: 🔱 Strategic direction 🔱 Key emotional hooks 🔱 Cultural contextualization 🔱 Adding depth and flow 🔱 Client relationship management No matter what you do, AI should be part of your equation now. The question isn't whether to use AI. It's how to use it as a multiplier rather than a replacement. The copywriters who thrive won't be those with the best writing skills. They'll be those who best understand how to direct AI to achieve strategic outcomes. They'll be directors, not writers. Strategists, not technicians. The future belongs to those who partner with AI rather than compete with it. Are you still writing everything from scratch? Or are you ready to embrace the hybrid approach that's defining the future of this industry?

The greatest joy comes from watching others grow alongside you. Instead of hiring strangers, I empowered the people already in my life. 👉 When I started copywriting, my English wasn't client-ready. I needed an editor, but instead of outsourcing to a stranger, I looked within my family. My sister with her English and Psychology degree became my first hire - editing my work before client submission. As I grew busier, her role expanded to handling client submissions too. This solved my business problem while providing her with income and valuable experience. 👉 When launching The Laptop Living, I needed someone to handle sales calls. Instead of hiring a professional sales team, I brought in my friend Waqas. 16 cohorts later, he's still with me - making calls, liaising with students, and helping drive business growth. He solved my immediate need while building his own career alongside mine. 👉 The breaking point came when hundreds registered for a special workshop offer. I was completely overwhelmed with no bandwidth to manage access and onboarding. My solution? I hired my brother Shahbaz. I still remember him "slaving away" (his words, not mine) creating accounts and sharing access - turning a potential disaster into a smooth operation. 👉 When I launched another brand, I brought in my youngest brother Abdullah for support. The true power of this approach isn't just solving your immediate business needs. It's creating a pathway for others to develop their own expertise. Today: ✅ Abdullah has learned SEO ✅ Shahbaz has mastered marketing and launched his own offers Both come to my office daily, but are building skills beyond support roles They're moving from working IN my business to building THEIR OWN futures. 👉 Last summer, three of my cousins approached me for internships. 🥇 One wanted to learn web development. We gave her real projects to work on, building her portfolio while solving our development needs 🥇 Another wanted to try copywriting. Within two months, she landed a $1,000/month project using the skills she learned. 🥇 The third, still in 8th grade, showed tremendous potential. The early exposure to professional skills has shaped her educational path. Here's how you can implement this approach... ✅ Identify gaps in your business operations ✅ Look for aptitude within your circle ✅ Start with defined projects, not vague roles ✅ Create learning paths, not just jobs ✅ Allow for evolution beyond support Working with family and friends is super helpful because you trust them and they have your best interest at heart.

Copywriting pays for everything I do. My car. My office. My team. My travels. My investments. This skill is so overpowered that it teaches you how to sell stuff. Once you have that on your side, there's no stopping you. Here's how I did it: 1. Got proof of concept that copywriting works and it can pay me "some" money every month 2. Didn't care about my experience or fulfillment of projects and just started looking for work 3. Got work, did it myself and kept going 4. Once I had some success, I invested in a course and that helped me see my own potential 5. I doubled down, got severe burnout and moved away from Fiverr/Upwork 6. I then joined high-level masterminds and coaches to help me get to $50k/month 7. Now, I work with a select few clients and have different ventures/offers You see, starting a business is like pushing a stationary train. It takes all of your effort in the beginning, but once it’s got momentum, it becomes way easier to make it go faster.

Most People Buy Courses to Learn. I Buy Them to Get Paid. I've spent thousands of dollars on courses, masterminds, and programs over my career. But I've never lost money on a single one. Why? Because I follow a simple principle: I try not to invest in education unless I can see a clear path to immediate ROI. Early in my career, I developed a counterintuitive approach: ✅ I'd land a client project requiring skills I didn't fully possess ✅ Quote them a price that included my "education budget" ✅ Find the best course on that specific skill ✅ Complete the course while working on their project ✅ Deliver excellent work and pocket the profit A client asked me to write an advertorial. I had limited experience with this format. Instead of turning it down, I: 👉 Quoted a price that covered both my work and a learning investment 👉 Found a specialized advertorial writing course 👉 Studied it intensively 👉 Applied what I learned directly to their project 👉 Delivered quality work that satisfied the client Result? The client got great work, I got paid, AND I acquired a valuable new skill I could offer to future clients. My second strategy for skill development was simple but powerful: I wrote and wrote and wrote – without worrying whether it was "good" or "bad." This constant production built my writing muscles, developed my natural voice, created pattern recognition for what works, and generated real-world feedback. Only when I hit a clear ceiling did I invest in formal education to break through. Fun part was when, sometimes, clients actually purchased access for me: When they needed a VSL, they bought me the best VSL course in the world When they wanted upsells, they got me access to an elite copywriting mastermind Why would they do this? Because the investment in my education directly benefited their business. They weren't being generous – they were being strategic. Now, before investing in any course or program, I run it through this filter: 1. Expert Credentials 2. Peer Recognition - What do other experts at THEIR LEVEL say about them? 3. Student Outcomes 4. Future Alignment 5. Personal Case Studies

Your freelancing skills aren't as valuable as you think (here's what clients actually pay for) I'm about to shatter a painful illusion most freelancers live under... Your technical skills – the ones you spend countless hours perfecting – aren't what clients value most. I've worked with thousands of clients over 8+ years, and here's the uncomfortable truth: Clients aren't buying your ability to write/code/design. They're buying something else entirely. Most freelancers think: If I become a better writer, I'll make more money If I learn more programming languages, clients will pay me more If I master more design software, I can charge premium rates So they: ❌ Take endless courses on technical skills ❌ Focus on certifications and badges ❌ Obsess over tools and techniques ❌ Compare themselves to more "skilled" freelancers Yet they're still stuck charging the same rates years later. Why? What Clients ACTUALLY Pay For After analyzing my highest-paying client relationships, I've discovered they value these 7 things far above your technical capabilities: ✅ They're not paying for copywriting – they're paying to eliminate worry about their marketing. ✅ They're not paying for web development – they're paying to focus on their core business while you handle the tech. ✅ They're not paying for your design skills – they're paying for simplicity in a confusing process. ✅ They're not paying for your output – they're paying for where that output will take them. ✅ They're not paying for deliverables – they're paying for how those deliverables make them look to others. ✅ They're not paying for your service – they're paying to minimize the chance of failure. ✅ They're not paying for execution – they're paying to have someone else lead a challenging area. Look at who earns the most in your field: Is it the most technically skilled person? Or the one who best communicates these higher-order benefits? The highest-earning freelancers I know are rarely the most skilled. They're the ones who understand what clients truly value. Once I understood this principle, I changed my entire proposal approach. Instead of selling "expert copywriting," I started selling: ✅ "Stress-free marketing that generates predictable results" ✅ "Strategy that eliminates the guesswork from your campaigns" ✅ "Done-for-you services that include everything the client needs" And it landed me a decent contract right away. Nothing about my technical skills had changed.

I'm an overnight success. This is what most people think when they see me. Below is me riding a rented bike. For 4 years, I would travel via local transport because I couldn't afford to buy a bike. I was broke. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, life punched me in the face (physically). I had... ❌ No company wanting to hire me (Engro/Coke/Even a sugar mill in Muzafargarh) ❌ To go through a rough patch because of my health ❌ Loads of mental stress because of peer pressure ❌ Lost all my self-esteem because I thought of myself as a failure ❌ Given up hope for a brighter, happier future I tried many things to fix it but nothing worked: -Going for a masters degree -Being a commodity broker -Joining my family business -Considering Dubai for a job -Begging my friends to refer me somewhere But nothing worked. Then, I stumbled upon copywriting. I'm sharing my journey here so you know how long it actually takes: 2014: Started writing online but quit after making only $3.99 2015: Graduated and started looking for a job 2016: Got hired to teach at $100/month and started a side business 2017: Sold my new business and got another job at $50/month as a mechanical engineer (took a paycut on my already low wage lol) 2017 (end): Quit that job and started getting small writing gigs ($5-$10) 2018: Started making $200/month 2019: Moved to Fiverr and the ball started rolling ($500-$600/month) 2020: Things really grew big ($1.5k/month) [Launched Laptop Living] 2021: Started slaying ($2-3k/month) [Started taking Laptop Living seriously] 2022: Had no ceiling (multiple 7-figures a month in PKR) + My own offers 2023: Scaled further, faced burnout (decreased the number of clients and made sure I only work with people who can pay well) 2024: The year life humbled me again - started 3 ecom brands but couldn't make any of them successful. One of the toughest years of my life, but Allah helped me through it. 2025 has taught me many profound lessons. I've realized that life is much more than just work. I've started prioritizing: Health Family Friends I'm now looking to settle down too. But at the same time, work-wise things are moving in the right direction. We are expanding, and the tough times last year have given me incredible clarity on what we need to be doing. I'm grateful to Allah for all HIS blessings. Excited for what this new year will bring. This story is still being written. The "overnight success" continues, one day at a time. What's your journey looking like? PS. If you're starting your copywriting journey or want to start it with me, I invite you to join my Ultimate Copywriting Workshop... https://lnkd.in/de2Es2Zt

One decent Fiverr gig can make you big money (but it won't happen through fake reviews or VVROs) ✅ A single solid Fiverr gig can generate MILLIONS in Pakistani rupees. ✅ I'm speaking from experience after 3,200+ projects on Fiverr. While everyone's out there pushing: ❌ "Get fake reviews to boost your profile" ❌ "Buy fake orders to look established" ❌ "Create multiple accounts to game the system" I've built a genuine business that Fiverr actually REWARDS instead of BANS. The secret? 👉 One good gig 👉 One solid delivery mechanism 👉 One reliable client communication system That's it. Simple, but not easy. These "gurus" selling you on fake reviews and multiple accounts? They don't have an actual BUSINESS. They have temporary profiles that: ❌ Get created ❌ Get fake reviews ❌ Grow artificially ❌ Get banned by Fiverr Repeat the cycle Notice they always talk about "their 15 profiles" or "their 10 accounts"? That's because they can't keep a single account running long-term. They're constantly starting over. When you build a GENUINE service on Fiverr, something magical happens: Your account grows to a point where you literally cannot handle the volume of orders. I never needed fake reviews because real clients were ordering faster than I could deliver. The scale becomes so massive that you're no longer hunting for clients – you're trying to figure out how to serve them all. After 3,200+ projects, I can tell you what actually works: ✅ Identify a skill you genuinely possess ✅ Create a gig that solves a specific problem ✅ Deliver exceptional value every time ✅ Communicate professionally and promptly ✅ Scale through systems, not shortcuts Will this make you rich overnight? No. Will it build a sustainable business that generates millions over time? Absolutely.

There's one dreaded question I get asked at every rishta meeting. "So beta, what do you do for a living?" When you work a conventional job, the answer is simple: "I'm a doctor at Agha Khan" "I'm an engineer at NESPAK" "I work at HBL as a manager" But try explaining: "I write words on the internet for people I've never met" And watch the confusion spread across their faces. I still remember my first rishta meeting. The girl's father – a respectable government officer with a 30-year career – looked at me expectantly. "I'm a copywriter," I said with forced confidence. His response? "Copy...writer? You make photocopies?" I knew at that moment: I needed a better way to explain my unconventional career choice to traditional Pakistani families. Over several rishta meetings, I tried different strategies – all disasters: Approach #1: The Technical Explanation "I write persuasive marketing content that helps businesses sell their products and services." Result: Glazed eyes. Confusion. The suspicion I was involved in something unethical. Approach #2: The Vague Answer "I run an online business." Result: Immediate assumption I was doing something haram or illegal. One uncle actually asked if I was "one of those Bitcoin people." Approach #3: The Income Focus "I earn in dollars and make more than most local corporate jobs." Result: Interest, but followed by skepticism. "If it's so good, why haven't we heard of it?" None of these approaches worked. But everything changed when I started explaining my work through familiar concepts: "I run a small marketing agency that helps international companies sell their products. We specialize in writing that persuades people to buy." Instead of seeing a questionable "online job," they saw: ✅ A business owner (respected role) ✅ Someone with international clients (prestigious) ✅ A marketing professional (familiar concept) ✅ A stable income source (family security) I developed a simple framework for explaining freelancing to traditional Pakistani families: 1. Start With the Familiar - examples of brands they might have seen 2. Emphasize Stability and Growth - years you've been in the game 3. Use Physical Proof - office and team When I used this framework, the entire dynamic changed. The father who once looked confused now nodded with understanding. The mother who seemed concerned now asked interested questions. Some even look me up before coming and have questions from their family members they want to ask me lol. You see, the older generation isn't against unconventional careers. They're against UNCERTAIN futures for their daughters. When you present your freelance career as: Stable Growing Respectable Understandable You transform from a risky prospect into a desirable one.

90% hunting clients. 10% actual work. My first 90 days as a freelancer weren't glamorous. They were brutal. And everyone needs to hear this because the Instagram freelancing "reality" is pure fiction. I sent 90 DIFFERENT proposals before landing a single client. Not 9. Not 19. NINETY. This is where most people quit. They send 5-10 proposals, get no responses, and decide: "Freelancing doesn't work" "The market is too saturated" "I need to try something else" Then they pivot. And pivot again. And again. They become professional pivotors instead of professional freelancers. Here's something that might shock you: I started with ZERO portfolio pieces. Not because I didn't know better (I actually didn't), but because I wanted the MARKET to train me. It took 90 proposals for someone to finally take a chance on me. Maybe they hired me because they thought I'd be cheap. Maybe they felt sorry for me. Maybe they just needed someone desperately. The reason doesn't matter. What matters is that I KEPT GOING until I got that yes. My first client needed 100 blog posts rewritten from their website. They gave me a week to complete 5 posts. I finished them in a single day. Then I asked for more. They wouldn't give me more until the following week because of their budget constraints. So what did I do during the remaining 6 days? I kept sending more proposals, because I knew one client wasn't enough. This cycle continued for weeks: Complete assigned work in 1-2 days Wait for more from the same client Keep hunting for additional clients in the meantime Rewriting 100 blog posts might sound boring, but it gave me something priceless: Writing stamina. I've never experienced writer's block since then. The market trained me to write on demand, about any topic, at any time. Success in freelancing isn't about: Having the perfect portfolio Knowing the right people Having the best skills Finding the perfect platform It's about PERSISTENCE. Sending that 90th proposal when the first 89 got rejected. Completing work quickly and asking for more. Using downtime to hunt for the next opportunity.

The day I woke up crying... Was the day when I realized freelancing couldn't be my forever plan I had promised my family a trip. A simple day out to another city. No big deal, right? Except I had 8 different client projects due on the EXACT SAME DAY. I pushed myself until 3 AM, working frantically. Eyes burning. Brain foggy. Typing away. But I still had 6 more projects to finish before the deadline. I went to sleep thinking, "I'll just cancel on my family. Work comes first." Then something happened that had never happened before... I woke up CRYING. Not figuratively. Literally sobbing. My first-ever panic attack hit me like a truck as the impossible situation sank in: ❌ 6 unfinished client projects ❌ A promise to my family I was about to break ❌ Deadlines closing in from every direction No way to be in two places at once I chickened out. I told my family I couldn't go. But then it hit me: What good is being "the most highly revered copywriter in Pakistan" if I can't even manage my own life? What's the point of success if it means constantly disappointing the people I love? If I couldn't handle 6 projects without a breakdown, what would happen when life got REALLY complicated? I made a last-minute decision. I asked my brother to drive while I worked frantically from the passenger seat. During the two-hour journey, I knocked out 3 projects. On the way back, I finished the remaining 3. I kept my promise to my family AND delivered for my clients. But at what cost? That day changed everything for me. It wasn't a victory. It was a WARNING. Freelancing at a very high level isn't sustainable long-term. I couldn't keep trading time for money My brother helped this time, but what about next time? That day was the beginning of my transformation... From freelancer → business owner I started building a team. I began creating systems. I focused on scalable solutions. This wasn't just about making more money. It was about building a life where success didn't mean sacrifice.