Today we’d like to introduce you to Rudy Brown.
Rudy, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Originally from Denver, Colorado most of my peers played sports growing up. I did too but I also enjoyed reading and writing. I wrote a lot of poetry inspired by Hip-Hop but it was just therapeutic. I was told by my AVID teacher in high school I was a talented writer after I wrote a short story about Kindergarten. During college, I stopped writing in my spare time because of all the coursework I had to do but since I had English classes I was able to take my craft to a new level with my professor’s guidance and feedback from my peers.
For whatever reason, I still was focused on being a school counselor so I could make a difference in the community. Around my junior year, I created a blog just to write consistently and I crafted a few creative projects for classes (short stories, a memoir, research projects, and poems). Little did I know my website and poetry were the first milestones in my journey to being a digital marketing copywriter.
After graduating from college with a degree in Psychology (I minored in English), I didn’t like the employment opportunities in Denver. I love to learn but I was never a big fan of school, so getting my masters was on my to-do list but not a high priority. I guess I wasn’t in a rush to go into debt for a career I wasn’t passionate about. I held off until I found an environment better suited for my spirit. There was a lot of negative stereotyping back home and “crab in the barrel” stuff so I took a leap of faith and move to Atlanta.
I moved here, like many others, to tap into the historical and progressive social climate. Blessed to have family and friends here, they helped me settle into the city. While working for a doctor’s office in Midtown, I got a taste of marketing, business, healthcare, empowerment, and invaluable insight into the community.
I always wanted to put out a book but I had no desire to be published without a purpose or without it being profitable. It was like a consistent internal battle to be professional/traditional or be a starving artist/creative entrepreneur. I found out about copywriting because I was trying to figure out how to market my poetry book. I couldn’t believe actual people were getting paid a livable salary to write and were working for themselves. I left the coordinator position to get a Master’s in I/O Psychology but after one class, I knew I had to be a copywriter. I even found a portfolio school here but I couldn’t afford to put my adult life on hold for two years while paying expensive tuition.
A born problem-solver, I found resources to equip myself with the tools to be successful. Since I’ve always loved to read and write, being an autodidact is natural. I researched, read books, reached out to people, and eventually marketed myself as a business. Brick by brick, I built a copywriting business that focuses on digital marketing.
I still worked in corporate America until I could purchase a condo. Once that was secured, I started freelancing full time. It has been tough but there’s nothing in this world like the freedom of being your boss.
I love being a freelance copywriter now. Besides the knowledge and experience, the biggest factor has been my mentality. Atlanta taught me the value of being a “creative,” especially in the business world. I know I am highly favored because there is no path to merging the two without the people I’ve met, the challenges I faced, and the lessons I learned. If I didn’t know better, I would say I am a lucky guy but I know my preparation met opportunities that I had to create. I am thankful for those occasions and pray every day to progress as a copywriter so when new projects arise I am ready to impress my clients with my skills, expertise, and customer service. Never in a million years did I imagine I’d be running a writing business from home.
Has it been a smooth road?
The journey has been a long road filled with a lot of construction, obstacles, traffic, and setbacks but it’s all a part of the story I’m blessed to tell. All of my struggles have been mental ones. The biggest challenge by far was my self-confidence. I wasn’t insecure but I had internal resentment towards my behavior. I just didn’t have an identity and was kind of going with the flow of the standard “American” dream. Fear was huge but I never realized how afraid of success I was. I started college at Howard University as a Journalism major but dropped out after one semester because of the cost of tuition. I went to a school named MSU Denver but I took my time getting my degree, taking time off just to work so I could pay my bills. Even when I had 5 classes, I worked at a sandwich shop part-time. Even though I was on the traditional route of “success” I was just not passionate about it. Deep down inside, I would persistently be craving to write but without a purpose, I was just lost. In college, I also found out I had mental health issues that were preventing me from pursuing a writing career. I am sure I suffered from depression and social anxiety. I also realized that I am an introvert. With the help of my mom, therapist, and reading I was able to have enough confidence in myself to make my dreams come true.
When I made my decision to move I packed all my clothes, shoes, and books into my 2004 silver Impala then drove 1,411 miles in 24 hours with no sleep. I left behind comfort, complacency, and that cold notion that we can only do certain things. I had enough money to live on my own but I was worried I’d spend it in 6 months trying to keep up with the Joneses so I slept on relatives’ couches, rented out rooms, worked my way into my apartment. Eventually, I bought a condo but I made a ton of sacrifices to do so.
The common theme was studying copywriting and applying what I learned to everything I could write. However, I missed out on a lot of family events back home and here.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I work with digital marketing professionals to create new digital marketing materials and content to engage their target market and generate new leads. I focus on the words, we call it “copy” in marketing. I am known for:
Web Copy
Landing Pages
Blog Posts
Case Studies
Email Campaigns
Digital Brochures
Newsletters
White Papers
Ghostwriting
Copyediting
I help companies sell solutions to other businesses. My background, creativity, and professionalism set me apart. I take complex research and translate it into digestible marketing materials that evoke, inspire, and educate. I turn leads into loyal customers.
When you look back, what are you most proud of?
I am most proud of telling my mom I make money from writing (she couldn’t fathom it before) and helping social enterprises make money so they can create change in the community. I also am proud of helping small business owners take their ideas and craft them into the content.
Pricing:
- I use a “Flat Rate – Flexible Pricing Approach” for my projects so it depends on the needs of the client.
- My current rate is estimated to be $50/an hour but I charge by the project ( I estimate the hours it will take to compelete the project).
- Technical/Business Writing $35-$60/hour
- Copywriting $50-$75/hour
- Academic Writing $25-$50/hour
- Blog Posts/Articles $50-$150/hour
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stupendouscopy.com
- Phone: 404-998-9369
- Email: rudybrown@stupendouscopy.com
- Instagram: stupendouswriter4hire
Image Credit:
Personal Photo: Michael Loyd Jr
Photos: Michael Loyd Jr/ Full Focus Media (outside photos)
I prefer that you use the outside photos but of course, it doesn’t matter.
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