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Worker bee mentality, trailblazing women in media & copy resource of the week
Kimberly Houston
March 02, 2025
Hey, hi, howdy, and welcome to Issue #37 of The Subhead, a bi-weekly newsletter about copywriting, marketing & media, and a look at some of the women who make it great.
In today’s edition:
✨ This week in freelancing
✨ Trailblazing Women in Media: Jessica L. Williams
✨ Copy Resource of the Week: The Perfect New Subscriber Welcome Email Template
✨ Just for Fun
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This week in freelancing
So, I was done with all my client work for the week by 2:00 pm on Friday, and I did not know what to do with myself.
Usually when that happens, I go ahead jump into whatever client deliverable is due the following week and keep right on trucking until quittin’ time, but on Friday?
Nah.
Instead, I decided to go for a 45-minute walk in the sunny, 62-degree weather, and it was so very lovely.
Making a mental note to create space to do that more often, especially now that the temps are rising and the days are getting longer.
Isn’t it funny how (even when you’ve been freelancing for as many years as I have) that worker bee mentality that insists you work until at least 5:00 or 6:00 pm, even though you’re completely done with your work for the day/week, can still have you in its grip? 😊
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Trailblazing Women in Media*: Jessica L. Williams
*Media doesn’t fully cover it – Wiliams isn’t a typical media or newsletter operator. She’s got a full-time job, and a successful, income-earning newsletter that she operates as a side hustle. She’s also been a network engineer, a marketer, and a women’s startup accelerator manager.
She describes herself as a side hustle cheerleader & speaker who shares inspiration, tips and resources to help other busy side hustlers make progress without feeling overwhelmed.
Her newsletter, #JessPicks, is one of my very favorite things to read on Saturday mornings while enjoying my a.m. coffee fix.
#JessPicks offers practical advice and valuable resources to help others build and sustain their own side hustles, but it’s a great read even if you’re not doing the side hustle thing.
I’d say if you’re an extremely busy person with lots of commitments, you’ll probably enjoy the tips and resources she shares, as they apply to a person in that scenario, too.
Williams stands out among side hustle advocates with a take you don’t hear all that often – she likes her day job, so rather than take her side hustle full-time, and making that her measure of success, she decided to keep it on the side, and help others in a similar situation manage multiple commitments.
As she says …
“Entrepreneurship comes in all shapes and sizes. My mission is to help folks build a business that fits seamlessly into their existing lives, one that complements their full-time work and allows them to maintain a healthy balance.
My approach empowers folks to explore their passions, create additional income streams, and achieve fulfillment, all while keeping their day job.”
You can learn more about Williams at the inline links above, and / or check out:
Her LinkedIn profile
Her newsletter, #JessPicks
Her website, Tech Biz Gurl
And these interviews:
The Side Hustle Maven Empowering Entrepreneurs During Black Business Month
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Copy Resource of the Week: The Perfect New Subscriber Welcome Email Template
If you have an email list or newsletter (and if you’re reading this, I suspect you do), then you probably already know that the welcome email you send new subscribers immediately after they sign up is one of the most important emails you’ll ever send.
That’s because your welcome email:
:: Has higher open and click-through rates than just about any other kind of email (as much as 4x higher open rate and 5x higher click-through rate)
:: Sets the tone for your project, brand or business and creates a powerful first impression
:: Helps set expectations for what subscribers will receive going forward, including the kind content you send, email frequency, and more (& setting expectations is key to keeping folks subscribed)
:: Creates loyalty by making new subscribers feel welcome
:: Encourages subscribers to take some kind of next step or action, like exploring your website, reviewing your offers, checking out your social channels, and so on
So yes, your welcome email is uber-important.
(An entire email welcome sequence of 4 – 6 emails is even better, but that’s a topic for another day.)
And with all that in mind, I give you:
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Just for Fun
Every winter, Beth Bays stops traffic—and sparks smiles—with her larger-than-life roadside creations.
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That’s it for this week, my friend.
As always, thanks for reading, I appreciate you!
Be well. Stay curious. See you again in two weeks, on March 16.
Warmly,
Kimberly