Alright, it’s time to get personal.
Here’s a little story about me that might help you understand why I do what I do and also why I love copywriting so much.
Why I started Copywriter Brain)
About 15 years ago, I was 24 years old. I was a college dropout. I lived at my Mom’s house still and shared a tiny bedroom with my brother.
No joke.
My life was pretty sad. I weighed well over 400 pounds. I didn’t have a girlfriend or a car. In fact, my previous car caught on fire with me in it (but that’s another story altogether!).
Anyway, so there I was. Broke, a joke, my love life DOA.
Then, I found a book called Why Take The Boat When You Can Walk On Water?
I read the book and it completely changed my entire worldview. I realized that I was the root cause of my problems. I could fix them. I could take action. If I kept trying, nothing could stop me.
I was cockier back then them I am now lol.
So, within 3 days of reading this book I wrote down all my goals. Lose 100 pounds. start a business, get a car.
And believe it or not, it started happening. A cell phone store came up for sale for about $20,000. I didn’t have it, but my Mom had just refinanced her house to buy something and her deal fell through.
She was my “first investor” and loaned me the money. Once, I had the cell phone store I was making enough money to qualify for a car – a 2006 Mitsubishi Endeavor. I drove that car with more pride than any other car I’ve owned since.
I also started this blog which is still cranking all these years later!
You can actually read my first ever blog post here!
(see I told you I was cocky back then!)
I actually had something really amazing happen during this time too. The person who’s book I had read (her name was Lisa) heard about me through a friend of a friend.
She reached out via my blog and told me I would be an amazing copywriter. I didn’t know what that was then so I told her “thanks” and started researching it.
That’s’ when I discovered internet marketing and copywriting. At the cell phone store I had all this free time. I just sat there about 12 hours a day. So, I started searching online for ways to make more money.
I found a site called the Warrior Forum and made friends there. I bought every book I could afford to learn more about copywriting.
I was making about $1,000 a month at my store which back then seemed like a lot of money. (My only bills at the time were cell phone, car, and insurance, and food of course). I still lived at home and helped my Mom as I could.
By December of that year, I saved up enough money for 3 months of expenses. I sold the cell phone store to my cousin (my entire family told me I was crazy).
I basically broke even on the store because the money had to go to pay back my Mom.
But I was determined to make something with this whole “internet” thing.
So, off to work I went.
And this is where the story gets really crazy. You could almost call this the official “start” of Copywriter Brain.
The lady who’s book I read, Lisa, heard what I was up to and she called me out of the blue and offered me a job.
I didn’t want a job at first and turned her down (boy was I dumb) but luckily she called me back and convinced me to try it for 3 months.
She paid me around $3,000/month and I thought I was rich.
She opened up her entire library to me, copywriting courses, marketing courses, we went to live events all over the country.
And I wrote more copy in those 90 days then I probably have ever written before or since.
And at first I was TERRIBLE.
I mean, I just wrote terrible converting copy. I thought about giving up, but Lisa kept working with me and ruthlessly editing my copy. I wanted to cry multiple times because I didn’t think I could write another 5,000 word sales letter about Google Ads or personal development.
But, I kept writing.
And eventually, something funny happened. I wrote something that actually worked.
I made the company money, then it happened again, and again.
So, I stayed past the 90 days and kept at it.
Less than 9 months later, my copy was “killing it” and people at events were asking me to partner with them to launch products and programs.
When Lisa found out, she was happy for me and told me who to trust and who to watch out for.
Then, she did the unthinkable.
She made me the offer to be a partner in her 7 figure business!
I immediately said yes and then the real learning began.
I worked with Lisa and the other partner Bonnie for 3 solid years and I’ve never learned so much in my life.
I learned not only copywriting, but marketing, funnels, traffic, hiring, firing, culture, managing a team, sales, and so much more.
Lisa and Bonnie ended their partnership, and Lisa moved to another state, thus ending the company as I knew it.
I struck out on my own in 2010 and have never had to have a “job” since those first few months back in 2007 when I worked for Lisa.
Copywriting truly gave me a life. It took me from a broke “stay at home son” to living a dream life.
Obviously, I can not nor am I making any promises or guarantees to you. And I can say with absolute certainty that my results are not typical.
But, now that I get to live a life I never thought I could have, I strive to give back.
That is why I created the Copywriter Brain Community. It’s completely free to join and you can learn from me and others who are there to give back and help.
I created the Copywriter Brain course to help copywriters, marketers, and business owners who need to write ads consistently to be able to use a system that helps you find, organize, and deploy copy using “copy blocks”.
I hope you enjoyed the story today. Let me know if you want to hear more stories like this one. I like writing them, but I don’t know if they come across as “braggy” which is never my intention.
Have a wonderful day and I hope to see you inside Copywriter Brain!
With Humility,
Mike Giannulis
PS – Here’s the Copywriter Brain Course if you’re interested in learning more about it.
