AT THE GUILD HOTEL   |   SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

I’m currently sitting in the San Diego airport (and now on the plane) fleshing out this post while everything is still fresh in my mind.

If I had to sum it up TCC IRL 2020 in one sentence, I’d simply say:

The past 4 days have been a total gift.

Just from passively participating in The Copywriter Club Facebook Group, led by Kira Hug and Rob Marsh, and listening to a few podcast episodes, I knew this was a special group.

But meeting these people in real life?

I was blown away.

Observing other people’s businesses from a distance causes us to play some seriously weird mind games at times.

Yet, when we meet face-to-face and have a simple conversation as peers, as humans, and as friends…all of the noise disappears.

This leads me to my first takeaway…

 

Takeaway 1:

You can have the exact same job title as someone else and have totally different interests, passions, sweet spots, goals, and desires.

This is why imitation, imposter complex, jealousy, comparison…it’s all a waste of the valuable mental energy we could be expending to forward ourselves and our clients. (As real as all of those things are for all of us!)

I loved hearing other copywriters talk about the type of copy they most enjoyed writing, who they loved working with, and how they planned to grow and diversify their business.

Because the thing is, 99.9% of the time, it was completely different than what I would have said. In fact, sometimes I was like, wow, I would absolutely not want to do that. But I’m so glad I now know someone who does.

No one has your exact same background, make-up or journey to where you are right at this moment, so naturally, it makes sense that we’re all going to be drawn to something slightly different; regardless of how slight that difference may be.

Marcella Allison led us through a beautiful free writing exercise answering the prompt, “I come from…”, based on a fuller poem.

A few brave souls then read their answers aloud and I honestly felt a bit teary-eyed. The answers were so insanely unique and descriptive and it truly revealed how distinct we all are.

 

Takeaway 2:

Take action. Test, tweak; repeat. Pivot when necessary.

Pivoting seemed to be another big concept throughout the conference.

Building on the idea that what works for one doesn’t necessarily work for another means sometimes the only way to really know if something works is to take action and find out.

Part of that includes taking smart action by doing as much as you can to research on the front end, verify your ideas, and ask your audience / target audience about your offer.

The better you listen and the more information you have to begin with, the more effective you will be.

That being said, at some point in your business you may find yourself with an offering that works well and you used to enjoy doing it (i.e.: 1×1 client work, group training, courses, a membership program, etc.), but now, you’re basically dreading it.

Speakers like Jamie Jensen and Jasmine Star really hammered home the idea that it’s okay to pivot and move in the direction of what lights you up.

You don’t have to do something just because you see somebody else doing it.

Figure out the approach that feels right and work to package it up in your own way.

Side note: Jasmine Star was an incredible speaker that lit up the entire room. (Keep reading to find out how you can hear more from her presentation!)

 

Takeaway 3:

Diversify & Build an Ecosystem.

It seems the smartest – and to quote Rob Marsh – “recession-proof” businesses are the ones who have created multiple offers, gotten smart about how to frame their business, and have built a network.

By diversifying your products and services, you’re not limited to one thing all the time. You’re not left feeling stuck or lacking the momentum and cushion you need to pivot…whenever that time may come.

Kira Hug and Sam Woods talked less about “scaling” your business and more about creating an ecosystem for your business.

Essentially, the goal is to create a “closed-loop” system, where each component feeds on the other to produce a greater output.

 

Takeaway 4:

Embrace Collaboration and Community.

These themes are not new to anyone that’s been around the online business world for any amount of time. And admittedly, sometimes they’re a bit easier to hashtag than they are to live out.

But when we do?

Man, do good things get so much better.

I had to leave the final, VIP Implementation session a bit early so I didn’t get to hear all of the “Hot Seat” rounds but I loved the activity. The idea is, one person sits up front and shares a question or challenge they’re having in their business and then everyone helps them work through it.

This is so powerful and we can do this with each other all the time, not just at events. Whether it’s a paid mastermind or a group of peers who’ve decided to gather and embrace collaboration, all for free.

 

The Verdict

If you have the desire and the opportunity to go to TCC IRL 2021, do it. (In fact, grab your ticket here.)

I even met a conversion-focused designer, Facebook ad expert, and Online Business Manager who recognize the value of copy in their own business and decided to attend.

 

Wishing You Were in the Room?

I’m sure you’re getting the idea that I could go on and on about the amount of valuable content, connection, and community that was created from Wednesday to Saturday.

And because you may even be feeling a bit of FOMO at this point, I took detailed notes from start to finish and have packaged them up for the taking. Fo’ free, I might add.

Each attendee easily paid 4-figures to be at this conference between admission, travel, lodging, and dining. (At least, I know I did!) So, this is not your average opt-in.

In fact, it’s 37-pages of notes from literally some of THE BEST & BRIGHTEST minds in copywriting and marketing.

I hope you make the most of this treasure trove of information, generously shared by each speaker, and of course, Kira & Rob.

 

 

With the craziness of COVID-19 spreading around the world and creating chaos, it was even more special to all be in the room together.

A big closing thank you to The Copywriter Club and much love to everyone I had the pleasure of meeting this past week.

You all made me fall 10x more in love with writing and become 10x more excited about the future.

‘Til next time!