How I will be "starting over" copywriting in 2025
What actionable steps I am taking this year to free myself from the niche I backed myself into
First, I want to share my personal vision board for 2025 before I begin this long post. I also would rather this picture show up for this blog post than the stupid picture I’m about to post after this one.
My 2025 exists with dreams and manifestations of making close to $30k for romance writing (my pen name is Lola), more fishing, spending time with my grandmother, and playing some of my favorite games that lower my blood pressure.
Now onto the other meat and potatoes of this post.
This is an ode to the shittiest, most sexist, most ridiculous industry niche I have ever worked in.
And I am not going to be quiet about it.
I will be as loud and obnoxious as Palo Alto Networks using women as lamps during a 2024 cybersecurity conference. *The* Palo Alto Networks claim they are a leader in cybersecurity protection and software. Palo Alto Networks leadership and marketing team decided this was an EPIC WIN LOL idea.
Here is the image of Palo Alto Networks marketing at said conference:
Can you tell I’m a little salty about Palo Network Networks?
Moving onto way more important things…
This post is packed with actionable steps for any of you to use this year if you are unhappy or stuck.
Copywriting is flexible. Words give you wings. And you are not a tree with roots.
It is time to get up and leave for me, ladies.
I hope you learn something great from this post, but I also want to say…
There are almost 300 women/people reading these posts! But I never hear from anyone. So I hope these posts are helpful, real… and I’d love to get to know who is reading.
Can you comment on these posts?
Because if you’ve ever been stuck in copywriting before, I’d love to hear about how you got out, too.
A brief overview of why cybersecurity/IT was the most ridiculous fucking niche I have ever worked in:
Me when I was a little girl: Wow, science is cool! The universe is incredible! I can grow up and do ANYTHING.
Cybersecurity: No. Women suck ass. The end.
Do I really want to breathe more about the number of times during a freelance interview, I was told I was immediately to replace another woman who was about to have their baby?
Or more about the lampshades.
Or about the CEO’s bro brother who said during dinner “Damn, can’t believe I’m having a girl,” with disappointment and then turned to me and said, “Oh, sorry.” Lmao.
Ladies, this industry is FUCKED.
I got 1000000% more support as a woman technician working in aerospace at OneWeb Satellites and Jacobs.
Please do not go into IT or the cybersecurity niche as a writer. You will be better elsewhere for so many reasons.
Switching gears when you’re in so deep is scary af
I have spent the last two years learning about IT and cybersecurity. I worked hard to get the clients that I did. The ones who I did get paid well. I had a year-long freelance client who carried me over a layoff that sent me into a 12-month “unemployment.” (Note, I was focused on finding another full-time job rather than freelancing.
The network I’ve built is in this niche. The people who I know are in this niche.
But I am just so over it. There is nothing left here for me anymore that money will fix, so it is time to move on.
I am not using LinkedIn to find freelance clients in 2025, here’s why:
I am LEAVING LinkedIn in 2025. For real. It sounds extreme. Because it works well for some women who make well over $100k freelancing (healthcare niche.)
I was hemming and hawing over whether to run LinkedIn ads to a company page for my business. Maybe it would have worked well. But in my 4 years of copywriting, I’ve never needed to spend money to make money in copywriting. Not LinkedIn ads level of money, either.
But I have concluded that I have zero desire to be personable and ~authentic~ to people on LinkedIn. It doesn’t feel good when I log on. I wrote a book about why it can really suck sometimes as a platform. And I’ve moved on to spending more time on Substack and Bluesky.
While I do not post here to find clients, I do have a really good time when I make these posts. And that says a lot more than what LinkedIn gives me nowadays, which is a bunch of negative feelings.
Every time I log into LinkedIn, I always see the most ridiculous shit lmao.
The actionable steps that feel more real, realistic, and like ME (and no one else):
My goal is to make $2,000 USD/month freelancing.
I am returning to Upwork.
I am spending less than 1 hour on Upwork in the AM.
Less than 1 hour on Upwork in the PM.
Testing being more active and having real conversations on Bluesky.
Making a new full sales page on my website for non-tech businesses that need great copy.
Maybe: Start posting videos on Instagram.
Perhaps x2 blogs a month on my personal site to also share on Bluesky or IG.
… More might be added to this list when I think of the ideas. This is still a work in progress, but I’m also trying to prevent myself from doing too much unnecessary work.
And thanks for reading about my crazy career path!