I Made $2.3M Writing Like a 5th Grader

Summary

The video features Mason, a college dropout who transitioned from packing boxes to making $2.3 million by mastering copywriting. It highlights his journey, starting with small freelance gigs and scaling up to a successful email marketing agency. Mason emphasizes the importance of learning copywriting, leveraging AI as a tool, and the vast opportunities in the field due to the high demand for skilled copywriters. The video also covers Mason’s daily routine, his advice for aspiring copywriters, and the significance of perseverance and networking in achieving success.

Takeaways

• 😀 Copywriting is a skill that can lead to significant financial success, as demonstrated by Mason's journey from earning $10 an hour to making millions.
• 🎓 Mason, a college dropout, found success in freelance copywriting and built an email marketing agency, showing that formal education isn't always necessary for success in this field.
• 📝 Copywriting involves creating marketing materials for businesses, and effective communication can greatly impact a business's revenue and customer loyalty.
• 🤖 AI is seen as a tool to assist copywriters rather than replace them, as it requires human input and understanding of copywriting principles to generate effective content.
• 📈 The demand for copywriters far outweighs the supply, with millions of small businesses in the U.S. and only a few thousand freelance copywriters, indicating ample opportunities for those entering the field.
• 💼 Mason's first client was secured through persistence and ingenuity, showing that creative approaches to finding clients can be effective.
• 📈 Starting with a low rate and gradually increasing it as Mason gained experience and confidence, he managed to reach a peak income of $48k a month.
• 🛠️ The tools of the trade for a copywriter are minimal, often just requiring a domain and website, along with tools for tracking email interactions and identifying potential clients.
• 📚 To excel in copywriting, Mason emphasizes the importance of constant writing, reading, editing, and immersing oneself in the world of marketing.
• 🔄 Transitioning from a freelancer to building a larger business involves learning new skills, such as operation and fulfillment, and understanding that higher income levels require building something scalable.
• 💡 Networking and building relationships in the industry, such as Mason's connection with Chase, can lead to opportunities and contribute to business growth.
• 🕒 Mason's daily routine includes writing in the morning to get into the groove, taking calls, creating content, and delegating tasks to his team, demonstrating the importance of routine and delegation in running a successful business.

Q & A

How did Mason transition from earning $10 an hour to making millions?

Mason taught himself copywriting and started a freelance business with zero experience. His income grew to $48k a month at its peak, and he eventually built an email marketing agency that did multiple six figures a year.

What is copywriting and why is it important for businesses?

Copywriting is writing marketing materials for companies, including content for Instagram, Facebook, emails, and text messages. Good copywriting improves communication with consumers, leading to increased sales and customer loyalty.

How does AI impact the copywriting industry according to Mason?

AI is a tool that can assist copywriters by helping them write better and clearer content. However, AI cannot replace the need for a human copywriter who can think on behalf of a business owner and create compelling, converting copy.

What is the current saturation level of the copywriting market in the US?

There are approximately 35 million small businesses in the US and around 4,500 to 5,000 freelance copywriters. For the market to be saturated, each copywriter would need to have about 3,000 clients, which is far from the current reality.

How did Mason get his first copywriting client?

Mason found a music blog on Instagram, identified the founder, and sent a cold email to them. He ended up getting a call and charged $2,500 a month for his services, which was a significant income boost for him.

What tools does Mason recommend for a copywriter starting out?

Mason suggests starting with a domain and a website, using tools like Mailtrack for email interaction tracking, and 100.io for identifying email addresses. These are the bare minimum tools needed to start copywriting.

How did Mason become proficient in copywriting?

Mason immersed himself in the world of copywriting by reading, writing, and editing a lot of copy, as well as consuming content like podcasts and YouTube videos about marketing to improve his skills.

How did Mason meet and build a relationship with Chase, a well-connected copywriter?

Mason created a custom onesie for Chase's newborn daughter with a humorous message about email marketing. This gesture initiated a relationship, and Chase eventually gave Mason one of his first gigs.

What advice does Mason give to freelancers looking to scale up their business?

Mason advises freelancers to seek recurring retainers with clients instead of one-off gigs, to provide more value, and to understand that they may need to learn new skills and become an operator to scale their income significantly.

What is Mason's daily routine like?

Mason wakes up late, goes to a coffee shop, and starts his day by writing to get in the groove. He spends his day writing, being on calls, creating content, going to the gym, and delegating tasks to his team.

What advice would Mason give to his younger self based on his entrepreneurial journey?

Mason would advise himself not to procrastinate and not to be afraid of trying new things. He believes that every mistake made has led to his current success and that there's no need to regret any decisions made along the way.

Outlines

00:00

😀 From Zero to Hero: Mason's Copywriting Success Story

This paragraph introduces Mason, a young man who transformed his life from earning a modest hourly wage to amassing a fortune through the art of copywriting. At the age of 21, Mason had already made 2.3 million dollars. The narrator, Pat Walls, reveals that anyone can learn this skill and sets out to explore Mason's journey, from his humble beginnings to his peak earnings of 48k a month. Mason's success is attributed to his self-taught copywriting abilities and relentless drive, which eventually led him to establish a lucrative email marketing agency. The paragraph also touches on the misconception that AI will replace copywriters, but Mason argues that AI is merely a tool to assist human creativity, not replace it.

05:01

📈 The Art of Copywriting: Mason's Path to Mastery

In this section, the focus shifts to understanding what copywriting entails and why it's essential. Copywriting is described as the creation of marketing materials for businesses, encompassing all forms of communication from businesses to consumers. Mason emphasizes the importance of effective communication in generating revenue and building lasting customer relationships. He also discusses the potential of copywriting as a career, dispelling the myth that AI will eliminate the need for human copywriters. Instead, he sees AI as a tool to enhance the copywriting process. The paragraph concludes with Mason sharing his first copywriting client acquisition story, highlighting the importance of persistence and creativity in building a successful freelance career.

10:02

🚀 Scaling Up: From Freelancer to Business Owner

This paragraph delves into Mason's transition from a freelance copywriter to the owner of a successful email marketing agency. He discusses the limitations of remaining a freelancer and the necessity of building a business to achieve higher income levels. Mason shares insights into his learning process, working with various businesses and gaining a comprehensive understanding of different industries. His decision to establish an agency was influenced by his desire to make a significant impact on his audience and to provide value to his team. The paragraph also touches on Mason's daily routine, emphasizing his commitment to writing and content creation, as well as his approach to delegating tasks within his growing team.

💼 The Entrepreneurial Leap: Advice for Aspiring Copywriters

In the final paragraph, Mason offers advice to those looking to elevate their freelance copywriting careers to the next level. He warns against the common mistake of only accepting one-off jobs and encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to seek recurring retainers for more stable income. Mason also reflects on his own journey, emphasizing the importance of not procrastinating and being unafraid to take risks. He concludes with a philosophical outlook on making decisions without regret, as every mistake contributes to personal growth and success.

Keywords

💡Copywriting

Copywriting is the act of writing persuasive content for advertising or marketing purposes. In the video, it is presented as a skill that can lead to significant financial success, as exemplified by Mason's journey from earning minimum wage to making millions. The script mentions that copywriting involves creating content for various platforms like Instagram, Facebook, emails, and text messages, which are all critical for business-to-consumer communication.

💡Freelance

Freelancing refers to the work model where a person offers services, such as copywriting, to clients independently rather than being employed by a company. Mason started as a freelance copywriter with no experience and built his business to a point where he was making a substantial income. The video emphasizes the potential of freelancing as a pathway to financial success and personal growth.

💡Email Marketing Agency

An email marketing agency is a business that specializes in crafting and managing email campaigns for clients. Mason transitioned from being a freelance copywriter to building an email marketing agency that generated multiple six figures annually. This shift illustrates the scalability of a copywriting career and the potential to create a more substantial and sustainable business.

💡Conversion

Conversion in marketing terms refers to the act of turning potential customers into actual buyers. The script mentions that a good copywriter can improve conversion rates by crafting compelling communications that persuade consumers to make purchases. This concept is central to the effectiveness of copywriting in driving sales and revenue.

💡AI and Copywriting

The script discusses the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in copywriting, suggesting that while AI can be a tool to assist copywriters, it cannot replace the creative and strategic thinking of a human copywriter. AI is portrayed as a means to enhance the copywriting process by providing better ideas and clearer writing, but the original copy still needs to be crafted by a skilled copywriter.

💡Scalability

Scalability refers to the ability of a business or process to handle growth, either in size or demand. Mason's transition from freelance copywriting to running an email marketing agency demonstrates the scalability of a career in copywriting. The video suggests that to achieve higher income levels, one must move beyond freelancing and build a business that can scale.

💡Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is a psychological pattern where individuals doubt their accomplishments and fear being exposed as a 'fraud'. In the script, Mason experiences imposter syndrome when he secures a high-paying client early in his career, feeling as though he doesn't deserve the success but ultimately embracing it as part of his journey.

💡Cold Email

A cold email is an unsolicited message sent to potential clients or customers, aiming to initiate a business relationship. Mason used cold emailing to find his first clients, identifying companies from Instagram ads, finding the founders' contact information, and sending them personalized emails. This strategy is highlighted in the video as an effective way to start gaining clients as a freelance copywriter.

💡Retainers

A retainer is a fee paid to a service provider on a regular basis for ongoing work, such as a monthly fee for copywriting services. The video suggests that moving from one-off projects to retainer agreements is a key strategy for increasing income and stability as a freelancer, allowing for more predictable revenue and a stronger business relationship with clients.

💡Networking

Networking refers to the process of building and maintaining professional relationships. Mason leveraged networking by creating a custom gift for an influencer in the copywriting space, which led to a professional relationship and work opportunities. The video emphasizes the importance of networking in advancing one's career and business in the copywriting industry.

💡Procrastination

Procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing tasks or actions. In the video, Mason advises against procrastination, suggesting that it can hinder progress and success. He encourages taking action despite fears or doubts, as this is how one can learn and grow, both personally and professionally.

Highlights

The internet has created opportunities for individuals with copywriting skills to earn substantial income.

Mason, a 21-year-old college dropout, built a successful copywriting career from a humble start.

Mason's journey from earning $10/hour to making $2.3 million by age 21 demonstrates the potential of copywriting.

A laptop and hustle were Mason's initial tools for starting a freelance copywriting business.

Mason's peak earnings reached $48k a month, showcasing the high income potential of copywriting.

Copywriting involves writing marketing materials for businesses, impacting consumer engagement and sales.

AI is a tool for copywriters, not a replacement, as it requires human input to generate effective copy.

The demand for copywriters far exceeds the supply, with millions of businesses needing their services.

Mason's first client was a music blog that paid a minimal rate, but it was a stepping stone to bigger opportunities.

Networking and building relationships in the copywriting space can lead to valuable opportunities.

Mason's transition from freelancer to agency owner required learning new skills and becoming an operator.

Mistakes and failures in early stages are valuable lessons that contribute to later success.

Mason's daily routine includes writing, calls, content creation, and delegating tasks to his team.

Advice for aspiring copywriters includes not procrastinating and embracing the learning from failures.

Freelancers can transition to higher earnings by moving from one-off gigs to retainer-based agency work.

Mason's Copy NBA aims to make a significant impact on his audience and grow his team to new heights.

Transcripts

the internet has created a new

opportunity if you can write like a

fifth grader you can make millions and I

just found living proof this is Mason an

average kid who went from earning ten

dollars an hour packing boxes to making

2.3 million dollars by the age of 21 all

by learning one skill copywriting I

think it's something that anyone can do

I flew out to Miami to meet Mason and

ask him exactly how he did it and what I

learned was insane with a laptop and a

lot of hustle he taught himself

copywriting and started a small

freelance business all with zero

experience a few months later he was

already making a doctor's salary we went

all the way to 48k a month in my peak in

this video we're going to dive deep into

his business and show you exactly what

it takes to become a world-class

copywriter and we'll cover what I think

is the number one secret to why Masons

made Millions

of people are using this model to make

money it's the way better way to go I'm

Pat walls and this is starter story

who are you guys or starter story

starters we're here to unveil your scam

operation

it I know this is about the legit

business this is about the scam yeah

yeah this is the crib all right man good

to meet you give us a breakdown of who

Cardinal Mason is and everything you've

built I was a 21 year old College

Dropout they got into freelance

copywriting fell in love with it

basically at First Sight loved it so

much that I grew it all the way to 48k a

month in my Peak wasn't sustainable but

I did anyway I rolled that into building

an agency email marketing agency that

did multiple six figures a year I wanted

to share more about my journey of being

a copywriter because I think it's

something that anyone can do so I turned

it into a program an education company

like we did a milli in 96 days I want to

make as many people very wealthy as I

possibly can what exactly is copywriting

uh why is it so important right so

copywriting is on a high level it's

writing marketing materials for

companies so anything that's spoken or

posted on Instagram or posted on

Facebook or in an email or in a text

message you get it's written by a

copywriter so like basically all of the

communications going from business to

the consumer is written by a copywriter

and the better that that communication

is the more money you're going to make

the more people are going to like you

the more people are going to come back

and spend more money not just like the

first customer or the first touch but

like every other touch after that and so

a good copywriter is is basically like

the the messenger from the company to

the world everyone's like okay wait well

like which company doesn't have that

you'd be surprised it blew my mind to

learn how many business owners like

don't have that or know how to do it

themselves I hear that AI is going to

kill copywriting can you tell me about

the opportunity of copywriting the

reality is the AI is good and it's but

it's a tool people need to understand

it's like AI does not just instantly

know what to do what to write AI is a

tool that copywriters can use to write

better write clear think better have

more ideas like just more Concepts but

the reason someone's hiring a copy is

because they don't even know where to

start right like a lot of business

owners like it's not that they don't

have time or that they just need someone

to do it it's usually like because they

need someone to like think on their

behalf AI can't do that yet and so for

now for AI to actually give you good

solid copy that's gonna convert and make

people like want to hear more from you

it has to be written by a real

copywriter first like any prompts that

AI gets has to be from someone who

fundamentally understands copywriting

like the opportunity here is that there

are 35 million businesses small

businesses in the us alone there's about

45 to 5 000 freelance copywriters in

America so for it to be saturated every

single copywriter would have to have

like 3 000 clients and you only need

four or five six clients to make really

solid money like six figures like

everyone is really lazy and so if you

think that like if I get a video talking

about copywriting and it has a hundred

thousand views for any 100 000 views

that I get there's probably another five

people that are actually trying it yeah

and four of them are going to give up in

like in a month yeah so like if you

actually genuinely want to work then

there's more than enough to go around

you're out of college you're trying to

figure out how to make money online tell

us about how you got first client how

did that work scroll through constantly

just like looking for any type of

company that like would hire me I got

one a music blog they made no money I

think they posted the rate was like 1.5

cents a word which means for a thousand

words I get 15 so that's like actual

like minimum wage I kind of gave myself

a pep talk and I was like all right if

I'm gonna if I'm gonna do this let's

let's do it right but like it can't just

Google companies that will pay me to

write copy for them like you can't

there's no search for that so I went to

Instagram I would just wait for ads so I

would like scroll through every like

three or four posts on Instagram would

be an ad and so I eventually found a

bunch of companies using that I figure

out who the founder is and then figure

out what their email is and then I would

just send them a cold email say I got a

response saying hey Mason thanks for

reaching out I'd love to get on a call

and talk about what this would look like

so I ended up getting on the call I took

it way too seriously I probably could

have been more chill and I dressed up

like I asked my mom I was like should I

wear a tie and she's like I don't know I

think it might be a little bit too much

he was like all right emails ads blogs

they wanted kind of everything for me

and he was like what would you charge

for that and I was like 2500 bucks a

month and he was like all right to me

bro like that was like a year of income

for me I felt like I like snuck in

somewhere and I was like that is

imposter syndrome hey real quick that

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much love and I hope you guys enjoy the

rest of the video peace as a copywriter

one of the most useful tools okay so the

cool thing about being a copywriter is

like you don't really need much I I've

always said that like the bare minimum

that you can do copyrighting with is

like 40 bucks right so if you have 40

bucks to spend congrats you can be

pretty much copyright like it's domain

and a website so domain off Google

demands website off card I know people

that will do it without a website I

don't recommend it I use mail track you

can see people's interactions with your

email you send them one-on-one like if

they open it or forward it or something

right 100.io is good just to figure out

like who people like what their email is

so I mean yeah dude there's not not

really much in it all right so you're

probably one of the best copywriters in

the world whether you like to admit it

or not I don't know at least one of the

fastest what would be your advice to

people that want to get good fast at

copywriting I mean to get good fast like

you just have to write so much like when

I was at my best was when I was like I

said kind of just cracked out just

writing for eight hours a day straight

um again that's not realistic for a lot

of people like some people have jobs

immerse yourself in the world of

whatever you're trying to do so like I

was reading a lot of copy I was writing

a lot of copy I was like editing a lot

of copy for like some of my teammates I

was you know listening to podcasts about

marketing I was watching YouTube videos

on it like dude it was all I did just

have to force yourself to be fast if you

give someone 10 hours to do a task it's

gonna take them 10 hours but if you give

them one hour it'll take about an hour

and so that's what you realize where

it's like you you will just continually

keep adding clients and you think that

if you're currently working 40 hours a

week with like three clients and you add

one more then it's gonna be like 50

hours a week but it's not you're just

gonna my way to squish that in you think

your garbage is full you think your

garbage can is full and you push it down

and realize that it's only like 25 full

it sounds like the well the network was

a big thing for you meeting meeting uh

Chase who is well connected in the

copywriting space tell me a little bit

more about that building your network

Chase had just had a baby and so he

wasn't actually actively working in the

business he was working like on the

business like just trying to do Legion

get clients in but I knew Chase was like

an influencer like I followed him on

Twitter and he was tar and he was famous

to me I I got one of the team members to

give me his address and I went in and

made like a custom onesie for his

daughter on the front of the onesie it

said email marketing is dead and then

crossed out it said Dad email marketing

is Dad and he put it on his daughter he

was like dude who did this and then

someone eventually told him like Mason

did that and so that started like the

the relationship and the interaction I

was I told him I was like dude like

listen like you know not trying to pump

your tires or anything but like I'm a

fan and like I think I could help you a

lot so like if there's anything you need

you let me know and I'll just write it

like blogs emails tweets like I'll do

whatever kind of cool like how like he

hired he gave me one of my first gigs

like he gave me a shot yeah

[Music]

now tell me about how your experience

freelancing in those first few years has

now translated into this bigger business

that is I guess a derivative of this

hard work that you put in those days can

you tell me about that and then what

those businesses look like today you're

probably not going to be a freelancer

for like the rest of your life like some

people can do that if that's like what

they want to do but like what I see a

lot is people will sort of reach the top

of like freelancer income which is

around 30 to 40K a month but like if you

want to get to like 100 200 500k a month

like you kind of have to build something

else because you have to hire people you

have to learn new skills you have to

like learn more about fulfillment you

have to become an operator like it's all

kinds of different skills instead of

just like trying to like squeeze as much

juice as they can out of being a

freelancer they'll usually work with

like a couple dozen companies over the

course of like two or three years that

they're doing it but with those people

they'll learn from them what they're

doing so like I work with a lot of

agencies I work with a lot of info guys

I work with a lot of e-commerce Brands I

kind of have my pick I was like I know

how all these businesses kind of work I

really like the idea of an agency and so

like that was why I chose to go from

freelancing agency and it made it way

easier for me to learn how to do that I

still have a couple freelance clients

that I still work with just because I

need to stay sharp I still write for

Chase like I still like do some stuff

for him I have a series called Alex in

my inbox with him I know that actually

yeah so everyone kind of knows at this

point like I'm Alex that's awesome I

didn't know that you didn't know that I

didn't know that was you yeah that's me

that's awesome my main sole Focus the

only thing that I genuinely like want to

grow and get the only thing I care about

is copy NBA I think it's the best

opportunity to make an impact on my

audience I think I can make a big impact

with the people that choose to be part

of my team and we have an opportunity to

hit some stupid numbers you were in this

space where you're making a few thousand

with your freelancing work some people

watching this might also be working as a

freelancer and trying to take it to that

next level like you did so what would be

your advice to people to go from small

time freelancer to Big Time like what

you're doing it's such a silly mistake

basically what people do is they don't

understand that they can get like

recurring sort of like agency style

retainers two three four four grand a

month to work with a client and they

just do these one-off gigs and they

write 100 product description and they

get paid a thousand dollars to do it and

then they're on the chase for the next

client obviously that's not the right

way to go you don't need to do that

hundreds thousands of people are using

this model to make money it's the way

better way to go like if you're only

doing like one email a week and they're

paying you 800 bucks a month like I'd

say that's probably kind of fair like

you should do more stuff provide value

dude like that's all you have to do all

right what does a day in the life look

like for you dude my days are very like

poor I wake up late around like nine I

usually stay in bed until like 9 45 I'll

walk to the coffee shop get a coffee say

what's up go back upstairs lock in

usually I'll start the day writing

something just to like get in the groove

I think it's a good habit to like write

every morning gets the brain flowing a

little bit so yeah I'll write an email

on my list or you know a long messaging

slack to my students or like some of my

team or something something usually on

calls in the morning because I have a

lot of energy and I can talk about stuff

most of it is content too so I'll

probably go live once or twice I'll make

a video yeah for tick tock usually just

like talking to students or being on

Tick Tock like that's all my job really

is I go to the gym but like I'm super

under optimized I like to walk around

like I like to get eight to ten thousand

steps a day solid feels good and at this

point my team is big enough where I can

kind of just like think of stuff and

then be like Abby do this or Ali do this

or Griff do this or Ben do this whoever

is in charge of that thing will just

like take it and run with it and I'm

just like sit with my aquapona all right

well the last question we ask for all

entrepreneurs is if you could go back

and sit on Mason's shoulder will be some

things that you would tell him that

you've learned along the way don't

procrastinate who's as a big one don't

be afraid of what you think is going to

happen just try it and see like

nothing's ever that bad like you're

never gonna make a decision that

completely just derails everything and

the grand scheme of things is never that

big of a deal I made a lot of mistakes

obviously as everyone does in the early

days but I would never change anything

the regret of sending the wrong message

to a client or Prospect the regret of

you know working with someone that I

probably shouldn't have worked with like

every single thing that I've done has

led to this exact moment which I'm I'm

happy that we're here I like hanging out

with you so I wouldn't change anything

it makes the L's really easy to handle

when you have the mindset of in 10 years

I'll never regret anything that I'm

doing right now every yeah every mistake

you make is going to end up being all

right all right

thank you sir thank you man follow these

steps and you'll be a multi-millionaire

copywriter overnight it takes no work

you don't have to do anything

[Music]