Some notes on fear, trailblazing women in advertising & copy resource of the week

Hello, my friend. Welcome to Issue #2 of The Subhead, a bi-weekly newsletter about copywriting, marketing & media, and a look at some of the women who make it great.

Here’s what’s on deck in today’s edition:

· Some notes on fear

· Trailblazing women in advertising: Barbara Gardner Proctor

· Copy Resource of the Week

Some Notes on Fear

Let’s talk about fear.

Fear can absolutely debilitate you and keep you from doing the thing you were meant to do, whether it’s putting your creative thing out there for sale, asking that girl or guy out on a date, telling your friends/parents/significant other what you really want to do with your life, going for a big opportunity in your business, or any one of a thousand other things you think about daily that you let fear talk you out of.

We all do this. We all have naysayers in our head telling us we’re not capable of achieving the truly glorious opportunities we dream about. And along with that, many of us also have that internal critic who inquires, meanly, “Who the hell do you think you are?” when we begin planning something really audacious.

Even people in your field or industry, the ones you admire who have “made it,” the ones who are now big and successful and living in the rarified air of significant achievement and prosperity — they experience the same kind of anxiety and self-doubt.

Which is why I want to share this video with you today.

Because it’s important to realize that when you fret and worry about what you’re putting out there in the world, it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. It’s not a “sign” that your thing is no good. It doesn’t mean you should give up, or question your choice to follow your creative pursuit, or turn your back on the idea of sharing your creative gifts with the world and make a damn fine living doing it.

And most importantly, as much as that kind of raw terror creeps in from time to time, telling us we might not have what it takes, it doesn’t mean we can’t still achieve greatness in our lives and our businesses, despite the gnawing doubts.

Really, watch this video. Until the end. Because it’s thought-provoking and inspiring and useful. And because it will make you feel better about your own anxiety and self-doubt.

Behold, Scared Shitless, a video to watch when you want to remind yourself that your fears are normal. And that you can do whatever the hell you want anyway.

(By the way, if you fear profanity, you probably won’t like this video). 😊

Trailblazing women in advertising: Barbara Gardner Proctor

Barbara Gardner Proctor was the first black woman in the United States to found her own ad agency, Proctor & Gardner, in 1970. But there was no partner – she used her married name and her maiden name to imply that there was a male associate, in case potential clients had an issue with a woman-owned ad agency.

Hat tip to copywriter Alex Cattoni, and her video 6 Iconic Women Who Shaped Copywriting History (PART 2), where I first learned about Proctor.

You can learn more about Barbara in the video linked above, plus here and here.

Copy Resource of the Week

As someone who has specialized in writing website copy for over a decade, I’ve seen/read/been exposed to hundreds of web copywriting resources over the years.

Today I want to share what I think is probably the single best no cost resource I’ve ever seen for writing your own website copy. (That’s if you don’t want to hire someone, cough cough, to take that gargantuan task off your hands). 😊 

It was created by Jacob McMillen, a successful freelance copywriter who’s made heaps of money for both himself and his clients over the years through his copywriting.

I’m in Jacob’s Write Minds paid writing community, and I can tell you, he’s the real deal.

So, if you’ve been looking for a comprehensive guide, at zero cost, to writing a website that converts, here you go:

The Complete Guide to WEBSITE COPYWRITING (2023 Edition)

That’s it for this week.

Be well. Stay curious. See you again on November 5.

Warmly,

Kimberly