Five Things to Know About Me
I’ve been talking a lot about “know, like, trust” lately, so I thought it’d be a good idea to share a bit more about myself…practice what you preach, ‘yo!
Here are five things you (probably) don’t know about me, that help me be a great copywriter.
I’m a certified meditation instructor. I am zen AF! Seriously though, my life has a lot of innate stress that, despite what many experts suggest to me, I’m not able to eliminate or reduce.
Meditation is an amazing tool that allows me to be a better human, and it has the side benefit of helping me be a more effective copywriter. Even when the pressure around a project is tip-toeing towards unhealthy levels, you can rely on me to (usually) remain calm, focussed, and methodical as I work through the wackiness to get you the results you need.
I’m an empath. That means I pick up on the emotions of others very easily, and I have compassion and a deep understanding of other’s feelings and struggles. I’m also a highly sensitive person (or HSP), and that makes for an interesting combo…
It can make being around a lot of people, especially in an emotionally charged atmosphere a challenge for me. Its also one of the main reasons I freelance and work from home…being in an office setting actually makes it hard for me to write since I’m forced to deal with office and interpersonal dynamics that can be overwhelming.
I just need to be in my happy office cave so I can use my empath skills to tap into the deepest fears, needs, and desires of your target audience to make sure my copy connects with them and gives you the results you need. It seems a fair trade, and you don’t have to worry about finding me a cubicle. Win win!
I homeschool my kids. Always have, probably always will. Both my wee turkeys have learning differences that’d make public school difficult (if not impossible!) for them. It can be challenging balancing their education with my business, but we make it work. Some days it means I’m up at o’dark thirty, sometimes it means I stay up waaaaaaaay too late, but that’s ok - sleep is for squares.
Homeschooling is 100% copy, all the time. All I do is persuade, change beliefs, or prompt action…”this will be a fun math program, try it - of course you can figure out this science experiment, you are a creative thinker and problem solver - stop calling yourself ‘stupid’ you are frustrated and that’s ok, let’s switch gears and try again later- you better get this last assignment done or no Minecraft this afternoon!” And these are just the statements I’m willing to share with you on the internet. Ahem.
Mostly what I get from homeschooling is a never ending masterclass in patience, collaboration, project management, creative problem solving, perseverance, and knowing when to pivot…these are all traits you need in a copywriter. Thanks for the practice, kids…now go do your spelling!
I read, possibly too much. In case you haven’t picked up on it from all the book recommendations around here, I really, REALLY, REALLY like to read. Most of the books I’ve read lately have been in the business, mindset, or habit building genres, but I love getting into a good novel. I have to be careful though, because if the book is good, I will stop everything I am doing so that I can finish it as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, when it comes to good stories, I revert back to my 12 year old self. That girl was cool (ha - not really!), and she had nothing else to do, so she could just read all weekend long. Now there’s laundry to be done, multiple people who expect me to feed them, dust that comes from god only knows where (I actually do know where dust comes from, but it grosses me out, so I pretend I don’t), and an amazing business I am 100% dedicated to helping thrive.
The cool thing about reading so much, is it helps me form new ideas and connections…that business book I read last week and the novel I’m reading now might just help spark an idea that leads to a new hook for the project I’m working on later today. That synchronicity fills me with joy (and makes me a creative and effective copywriter).
So many markets are near or beyond the point of saturation. Developing these unusual and innovative connections between two random things often leads to concepting a “unique mechanism” or discovering a selling point that helps set my client’s products ahead of the competition, and makes them a top choice. I love that engaging in my favorite hobby can do all that!
I’m a paper planner person. I try to avoid Google calendar or other similar programs…I don’t need more dings and whistles in my life. For me, it needs to be written down in order to happen. With my hands. On a piece of paper.
While to some (many?), this makes me a technophobe, I know its what works best for me, I’ve made peace with it, and I’ve moved on. I understand how my brain works, what it needs, and I’ve found a method that gives me great results.
A large part of being a successful copywriter, or really a successful business owner in general, is knowing what works for you, establishing a procedure around it, and moving the heck on. It also means knowing when things aren’t working anymore, and being willing to adapt and find new methods.
For now, my planner and I are buddies, and together we do some pretty amazing things. Sometimes those things involve stickers and coloring with fancy marker pens, so that’s extra cool…
12 year old Karen with her “novel in a weekend” approach to life would approve.
Are there any “fun facts” about you that help your business succeed? I’d love to hear about them! Drop me a comment below or feel free to email me at karen@karenkossow.com if you’d prefer a bit of privacy…I promise your secret is safe with me!
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