It’s Thanksgiving Eve. I’ve been sitting in my office trying to wrap up a few articles for clients before shutting down my laptop to enjoy tomorrow’s holiday. As I have been happily pounding away at my keyboard, I can’t help but think of how fortunate I am to be able to do what I do every day. 

Yet, I realized that I needed to pause and switch gears. I need to take note of everything that happened in this past year and the years leading up to it that put me sitting in this chair in my home office. I want to show gratitude to all who helped me get here.

Gratitude for Today and All Who Helped Me Get Started With My Copywriting Business

Many of you know that I started my freelance copywriting business earlier this year, Copywriting For You. And if you know how old I am, you probably know that it took a long time for me to get here, even though I’ve had a profound joy in writing since I was a little girl. That said, we all end up (or get to) where we are for a reason. We all have a purpose. Some just have a longer path to serve our purpose than others.

I won’t bore you all with the details, sob story, or trials and tribulations I have encountered during my career. I’d rather tell you all those success stories because everyone helped carve the path to get me to this place. Yet that, too, is a story for another day.

Today, I want to reflect on some things I am grateful for this year.

1. When One Door Closes, Many Doors Open

While I’ve freelanced part-time for several years, it was never more than a side hustle. But at the beginning of this year, I experienced an unexpected job change like so many of you. And it sucked—kind of. I didn’t love the role that I was in. I couldn’t do the things I was great at every day.

So when it happened, yep, I shed a few tears. Over the next two weeks, I picked up a few more freelance gigs while I submitted applications and had countless interviews. But I then had a eureka moment. It happened after just one too many people told me I was overqualified for whatever position we discussed. I had a career path sitting right in front of me! As I sat there looking at the list of jobs in my Upwork queue, I realized I could do this full-time. 

And so, what am I grateful for here? I’m thankful for the unexpected changes in my career that allowed me to follow my passion and calling.

2. My Clients, My Many Amazing Clients

And that all leads me to the next thing I am grateful for—my clients. And if any of my clients are reading this (I sure hope so), they know who they are. They’re the ones who responded with a resounding YES! when I reached out in mid-January 2023 to see if they would double my workload and send me more.

Every. Single, One—of my clients—said YES! Most of them doubled my workload, and some sent me work in triplicate. Others provided beautiful testimonials for me on my Upwork profile. Others helped me forge new connections.

And today, I have over 40 clients! YES! I have over 40 clients and a steady stream of work that keeps me busy (and happily typing away) daily.

So, I am so thankful for my clients who choose me repeatedly and trust me to deliver great content to them every week, month, or whatever our contract outlines.  

3. Those Who Share Their Passion To Teach Others

In late January, I received a Facebook ad from another Upwork freelancer who had started a spin-off of her copywriting business. She was offering training courses to help others get started on Upwork. While I had been using Upwork for years and had already accounted for over 60% of my previous income at this point, she provided a community forum of like-minded entrepreneurs who all craved success.

The enthusiasm was infectious, and it gave me the kick in the booty that I needed to step up my game even further. She provided coaching and context to help me update my Upwork profile (even though it worked for me, it had become stagnant and could have been better). And the cool thing was I immediately made the changes she suggested, and it worked. By the end of February 2023, the trajectory for my monthly income had surpassed what I earned each month at my previous full-time employer!

So thank you, Lisa and Full Thrive Freelancers. You may not know the difference you made in my life—but I hope you do now!

4. Networking Groups and New Professional Relationships

This past summer, in a chance conversation between my sister and a colleague, I got referred to the publisher of the Eagan City Lifestyle magazine. After a brief whirlwind of exchanges between the publisher, Amy Sousa, and myself, I had my first assignment and wrote an article for the August 2023 issue: Ortho Paws. I was given two articles in September and the same for October. And now, I am the Staff Writer writing three articles per month. In fact, on November 17, I was honored at the one-year celebration of the magazine for the article I wrote in the November 2023 issue: The Vikings Table: One Healthy Meal at a Time.

And if all that wasn’t cool enough (after all, that publication is the only thing that gets me out of the house during the day), Amy introduced me to a mastermind who hosts a monthly networking event for female entrepreneurs. I attended my first event in October, and it was amazing. I attended the November event, and now I can’t imagine not having a group of people like this in my life going forward.

So, thank you to Amy, Lisa, and all the amazing women I have met through these relationships. You are all an inspiration and one of the reasons I love getting up each morning!

5. Gratitude for My Love, My Family

And last but not least, yet most important of all, I need to express my gratitude to my friends and family. To my dad and mom, who supported my writing throughout the years. My dad was an early adopter of technology. He brought home one of the first home computers I used to teach myself to type and start writing my first long-form short stories. My mom passed on a love for reading and used to buy me little notebooks that I could carry with me.

To my best friend, who has been my biggest cheerleader. She used to help review my term papers in college and always encouraged me to be my best. 

To my fantastic husband Scott. When I told him I wanted to go solo with my business, was my biggest supporter (and best devil’s advocate to make sure I thought through all the things). To my adult children, Cate and Zach, who have loved me unconditionally, even when I wasn’t at my best. And to my young stepdaughter, who is always ready to hug me when I am stressed or frustrated.

My family and friends are indeed a gift from God, and I am so blessed. My gratitude is towards all of you—always.

2024, I’m Ready!

And while I intended this to be a quick 500-word blog post to express my gratitude, I now see over 1,300 words. So, for those who stuck with me and read this through to the end, I thank you, too. Without my loyal readers, my business wouldn’t have the opportunity to thrive and grow. I am ever so thankful for you, too. And I look forward to wherever 2024 has to take us!