Why 80% of Freelance Copywriters Stay Broke

Most freelance copywriters don’t view themselves as a business owner.

They say things like:

“It’s just a side hustle”

Or…

“I’m just a freelancer”

It might seem harmless… but the issue runs a lot deeper.

It runs at the identity level.

And the reason it’s an issue is because not only does it put a ceiling on what they’re capable of accomplishing,

It stops them from seeing real business success in general.

I get it if you started because you just wanted to write.

You thought freelancing was all fun and games and easy.

You might be thinking “I don’t want to run a business”.

But this line of thinking is the root reason most freelance copywriters stay broke.

Because instead of building a business around their writing…

They try to just write.

And doing this means they lose:

• Income

• Respect

• Control

I want to be clear on something before we go further…

Having a business owner identity doesn’t mean you have to give up your creativity.

It’s actually the opposite.

It’s how you write on your own terms and protect your freedom.

It might seem scary at first.

It might feel overwhelming because you don’t know where to start.

But I want you to know it’s not about doing more…

It’s about thinking different.

And if you think this is just mindset fluff and mumbo jumbo…

You have to realize that identity isn’t just theory.

It’s your foundation.

Every decision you make, every price you set, and every sales call you do starts with how you see yourself.

And it WILL show itself in all those scenarios.

My business didn’t change until I changed this first.

Prior experience doesn’t matter here.

You don’t have to have 10+ years in the game to believe you run a real business.

What matters is ownership.

When your potential clients see you take pride, responsibility, and set standards for your business, they respect you.

When you do this…

You no longer wait for permission.

Think about it as showing professionalism.

You don’t have to be arrogant or egotistical…

You have to be committed.

Believe it or not,

When you make this switch in identity, it actually makes your business more flexible.

Because you control your time.

So you don’t have to worry about ‘being a business owner’ meaning long rigid hours.

Because you get to choose your hours.

Which is the reason most copywriters start freelancing anyway.

So now let’s talk about how to do this.

How to actually make this internal identity shift.

How to go from “I’m just a freelancer” to “I run a real successful business”

There are 3 key steps to make it happen:

1. Create a new identity

Think about this as who you are becoming.

You want to get clear on this new version of you’s:

• Traits

• Habits

• Mission

• Purpose

• Vision for the future

Go deep here.

Don’t rush this. Get as detailed as possible.

I’m serious when I say my business didn’t take off until I started with this.

2. Let go of your current identity

These are what’s holding you back from making real money as a freelance copywriter.

You need to think about the:

• Habits to let go of

• Beliefs to let go of

• Thought patterns to let go of

That your current self has.

Be honest here.

Nobody is going to see this but you.

It might suck seeing these flaws and negative sides of yourself…

But awareness is the first step to change.

3. Put them both in a document and read it daily

This is going to train your subconscious mind to change.

Here’s what you need to do:

• Create a Canva or Google slides document with everything above written out

• Once you’re confident it describes who you want to become and who you’re letting go of… print it out

• Read it every morning and night

I like to read mine right after I wake up and right before bed.

This primes my mind for the day and then also for my sleep.

And there you have it.

I know it sounds simple.

It might even sound a bit ‘woo woo’

But I’m telling you from experience… this is where the change needs to happen first if you want to make money and build a real freelance copywriting business.

Change doesn’t happen by accident.

You have to do things different.

This is where it starts.