Copy That Pops: Writing Tips and Psychology Hacks for Business

Let's nerd out where writing, psychology, and business success overlap! On this show, we look at how to ethically apply psychological principles of persuasion. You'll learn compelling copy tips to improve your writing of all lengths for biz. And you'll be ready to become a #1 bestselling published author on Amazon (faster, easier, and cheaper than you thought possible) and make money with your books as you grow your exposure and business. Join host @LaptopLaura, a tall Math and Psychology teacher turned entrepreneur, author, and international speaker. ~ Click "subscribe" so you never miss an episode!

217: Live Copy Consult with Lauren Fritts [The Stigma Disruptor from That Mental Shit Podcast] 05/19/2025

217: Live Copy Consult with Lauren Fritts [The Stigma Disruptor from That Mental Shit Podcast] Want to be a fly on the wall as a word nerd crafts concise, compelling copy? Then this episode is for you! : ) Live, no prep, and fully recorded (video in shownotes here below too), I talk with Lauren Fritts about her podcast, personal brand, and business. Under the umbrella of the name “That Mental Shit with Lauren Fritts” we brainstormed today on two main things: A tagline. “Can you say what you do in 10 words or fewer?” The “how” she accomplishes her “why.” Here are the notes showing what we came up with together: That Mental Shit with Lauren Fritts TAGLINE:I inspire women to embrace and work through their mental shit to cultivate the life they deserve. HOW: Embrace your inner 5-year-old Be curious, ask why to keep digging deeper, and don’t accept the status quo Be like Mike! Example: Michael Jordan story. Work hard to overcome ‘no.’ Prove them wrong. Feelings aren’t facts and they’re not forever. There is light at the end of this struggle you are in now. Really examine and question the feelings and thoughts from your mind. Share everything. Openness leads to empathy. Example: Those with the brightest lights have the darkest shadows. Example: 8-mile rap at end of the movie. You are not alone. Your flaws are actually your fire. “Feel your feelings, then let them fuel your fire!” Example: David and Goliath It’s all perception…you can be the victim or the victor…it’s your choice. You have the power. Everything starts in your mind. It’s scary to think that you have the control to change your life, but it’s true. Jim Carrey: Wrote himself a check for $2 million Confidence begins with courage Be 100% yourself Purpose emerges through pain After the episode, Lauren will definitely take more time to revise, edit, condense, and/or expand on these items above, but they are a great jumping off point for her to keep as foundations to her brand and what’s she’s all about. I hope by listening to our conversation that you not only pick up some tips and tricks for working through your own copywriting creative session, but that you feel inspired into more courageous action. Lauren is living her truth and helping others to dare to do the same. Prefer to watch the conversation? Here’s the video from our talk! Want to be on the show doing a copy consultation like this? Email me at and you could be on a future episode! Lauren Links: More Shownotes and Podcast Episodes Here: /episode/index/show/copythatpops/id/22139201

003 - Future Pacing: The Simple & Subtle Trick to Get Your Prospect On the Path to “Yes" 05/07/2025

228: Co-Writing a Workbook to Help Families Build the Life They Want - with Jonathan Maki, MBA 12/02/2024

227: Live Blog Consult: Helpful Advice to Improve Your Writing (with Eric Piccione of Financial Freedom and Me) 12/19/2023

226: How to Use ChatGPT and 11.ai to Create an Entire Podcast Without Speaking or Writing a Word 12/19/2023

226: How to Use ChatGPT and 11.ai to Create an Entire Podcast Without Speaking or Writing a Word Exactly How to Use ChatGPT and 11.ai to Create an Entire Podcast in 10 Minutes Without Speaking a Single Word Want to create more podcasts fast and with help? Maybe you want to create a show where you don't even have to speak? Maybe you want help writing your podcast scripts? If this is you, listen to this superfast episode that my AI bot "Aurora" recorded for me! STEP 1: Have ChatGPT Generate a Script Background info: The podcast is called Copy That Pops. The host is LaptopLaura. Laura always closes the podcast by saying, "And remember to keep finding ways to write copy that pops!" I want you to act like a professional script writer for podcasters where you write only word-for-word exactly what the host will speak out loud. Please write a short script for teaching someone how to use ChatGPT and 11.ai to: Step 1. write them a short podcast script about using ChatGPT for writing short podcast scripts Step 2. use https://elevenlabs.io, a text to speech and AI voice generator, to read their script for use in the podcast Step 3: download the audio files, add your intro and outro music, and publish to your favorite podcast host (I use -- use the code LAURA for first two months free) Please do NOT include speakers' names, the word "Host:" before paragraphs, or any notes about when to play music or sounds like "[Intro Music]". Simply produce in your response a script that could be read word for word. Thank you! STEP 2: Clean Up the Script from ChatGPT Welcome to another episode of Copy That Pops, where we explore the art and science of great writing for business. I'm your host, LaptopLaura (in the voice of an AI assistant I’ll be teaching you how to create for free today too!). This episode is all about using ChatGPT and 11.ai to craft compelling podcast scripts. Writing and producing has never been easier! Here’s how I created this exact podcast without speaking a single word. Step 1: Writing a Short Podcast Script using ChatGPT ChatGPT is a powerful language model that can help you generate creative and engaging content. Here's a simple guide to using it for your podcast scripts: Start by heading to chat.openai.com and enter your prompt. For example, you can say, "Generate a short and engaging podcast script about using ChatGPT for content creation." Review the suggestions provided by ChatGPT and select the ones that align with your style and tone. Edit and refine the content as needed to match your unique voice and message. Step 2: Using Elevenlabs.io to Bring Your Script to Life. Elevenlabs.io is a fantastic text-to-speech and AI voice generator tool. Here's how to use it: Visit elevenlabs.io and paste your podcast script into the text box. Choose the voice that suits your style and adjust settings like pitch and speed. You can even create your own version of a voice and give it a name. Let’s name mine Aurora (which my husband laughs at me about and says it sounds like a stripper name - lolz – sorry, Disney’s Sleeping Beauty!) Hit the generate button and listen to the preview. Make any necessary tweaks to perfect the audio. Step 3: Downloading and Publishing. Once your audio is ready, you will then: Download the generated audio file Add your intro and outro music to give it a polished and branded touch. Note: If you're starting a new podcast hosted by Libsyn, use the code "LAURA" for your first two months free. --- And there you have it - a seamless process to leverage tech to create and deliver captivating podcast content. Writing and producing has never been faster or easier! Laura made this whole episode without uttering a single word. Visit the shownotes at CopyThatPops.com/226 for links to all that we mentioned today as well as screenflows showing this episode's creation. I hope these tools make your writing and podcasting journey even more productive, efficient, and enjoyable. Until next time, keep finding ways to write copy that pops! STEP 3: GET AI TO SPEAK YOUR SHOW Go to or and pick a voice you want to be your narrator. Visit 11.ai or elevenlabs.io and paste your podcast script into the text box. Choose the voice that suits your podcast style and adjust settings like pitch and speed. You can even create your own version of a voice and give it a name. I named mine Aurora (which my husband laughs at me about and says it sounds like a stripper name lolz – sorry Disney’s Sleeping Beauty) Hit the generate button and listen to the preview. Make any necessary tweaks to perfect the audio. Download the file to your computer Add your intro and outro music and publish to your podcast host! : ) I use (use code “LAURA” to get up to 2 months free, if you are brand new) Let me know how this works for you! : ) Laura ----- Full shownotes for this episode here: /episode/index/show/copythatpops/id/29144193

225: Free Kids Audiobook -- Duck Buddies: The Secret Clubhouse by LaptopLaura 11/30/2023

224: Writing Kids Books Inspired by NFT Art and Building Brands with Raj Khater (Plus: Duck Buddies Book 1 is Live!) 10/05/2023

223: Unlocking the Secrets of Children's Book Creation: Expert Tips on Writing, Illustrating, Publishing, and Marketing Kids' Books with April Cox of Self Pub Made Simple 04/19/2023

223: Unlocking the Secrets of Children's Book Creation: Expert Tips on Writing, Illustrating, Publishing, and Marketing Kids' Books with April Cox of Self Pub Made Simple Have a children’s book in you? Ever read a kid’s book and thought, “I could do better than this!”? Then this episode is one you should listen to 3x! In this podcast, Laura interviews April Cox to reveal tips and advice for self-publishing a children’s book. Step by step children’s book creation! Laura and April cover a range of topics, including the importance of having a clear concept, storyboard, and outline before starting to write, finding the right editor and illustrator, the benefits of joining a writing group, marketing strategies, and the role of graphic design and layout in producing a high-quality book. Throughout the conversation, you will hear practical advice and personal anecdotes and experiences in self-publishing to help with your goals of becoming a children’s book author. A Few Children’s Book Creation Highlights: A Few Children’s Book Creation Highlights: April Cox was inspired to write her first children’s book when she had grandkids and spent time reading stories with them. Soon, they made up stories of their own. April’s passion for the project was driven by a desire to leave behind some values and virtues as a legacy for her future generations to read. April’s first children’s book creation, written for kids 4-8, was about her little labradoodle puppy and his journey to self-confidence Fiction books can lead to serendipitous events or opportunities that can touch, inspire or make a difference in someone’s life (her book resonated with a mother whose son is autistic and has a hard time with fine motor skills!) Writing your children’s book is very doable, but make sure you are aware of what different ages of kids you are writing for Laura wrote her first children’s book (called Duck Buddies) using a Google Sheet to keep track of the syllables on each line to ensure the rhyming was correct Write using the tool that makes you the most comfortable Aprile Cox created a self-publishing program that includes checklists, budget spreadsheets, and templates Pen names can be useful for authors who write in multiple genres, to keep their names and audiences separate. Using a pen name is a personal preference and some authors prefer to keep their personal information out of the public eye Authors can promote their work on social media, but it can be tricky when trying to promote a pen name Editing a kid’s book is important to turn a good story into a great story, especially if it has rhyming Bobby Hinman () is recommended as a great editor for children’s books who specializes in rhyming Illustrating a children’s book is a very important part of the creation process Provide notes to the illustrator from the beginning to end of the book Before selecting an illustrator, send sample requests to three different illustrators Paying $50 for a full-color image is common It’s important to assess the illustrator’s communication style and ability to take direction Investing in quality illustrations for a 32-page children’s book can cost around $3,000, with $1,000 being the minimum for high-quality work Make sure to have a clear agreement in place with any illustrator you hire to avoid future misunderstandings or issues. There are resources available for authors to learn how to create illustrations themselves, but April recommends having a trusted coach or mentor provide honest feedback and help improve the quality of the work A client of Laura’s wrote for each chapter to keep the cost of children’s book creation low Marketing is an important piece of the children’s book creation puzzle Getting the community involved in the illustration selection process can be a great marketing opportunity Building an email list and social media following is important for children’s book authors (social media platforms can change their algorithms or even ban authors, whereas an email list is under their control) Including a free bonus or read in exchange for an email address is a good way for authors to build their mailing list, which is their number one asset Teachers guides, children’s activity books, and coloring and activity books are great bonus items that can entice readers to join an author’s mailing list Publishing your children’s book should start with Amazon It is important to have the appropriate keywords and categories for your book on Amazon, including some less competitive categories to increase visibility High-quality covers, book blurbs, and descriptions are important for selling books, regardless of how much money is spent on them. Paid ads can help getting more sales and audience members for your kids’ book Amazon ads are preferred for most books, but there are some books that are better suited for Facebook or TikTok ads depending on the audience It’s important to go where the audience is, for example, if a book is perfect for crochet lovers, ads on Pinterest would be better than Amazon ads. There is no one-size-fits-all strategy for advertising, and it’s a matter of trial and error to see what works. Amazon brand ads are really good and perform well. Video ads perform well, but you need an advantage account or a vendor account to run them. It’s important to monitor and dial in your ads each week, stop keywords that are spending money but not converting and foster ones that are working well. Searching through Amazon search terms will help to learn what is working and what needs to expand. It can take two to three months to dial in ads and get them clicking. Publishing on is recommended as a second step since Amazon ads can also drive sales for hardcover children’s books. Want More? Full shownotes for this episode and the video version of . /episode/index/show/copythatpops/id/26589480

222: ChatGPT - How to Write Great Content with AI (Part 3: Books) 02/21/2023

221: ChatGPT - How to Write Great Content with AI (Part 2: Social Media Posts) 02/17/2023

220: ChatGPT - How to Write Great Content with AI (Part 1: Blogs) 01/31/2023

219: Audiobooks - How to Create One for Audible, Amazon, and iTunes (Part 1) - Plus Help Me Cast a Voice Actor! 09/05/2022

219: Audiobooks - How to Create One for Audible, Amazon, and iTunes (Part 1) - Plus Help Me Cast a Voice Actor! I have a confession to make. Even though I love listening to audiobooks and I’ve been in the podcasting world since 2015, I’ve never actually created an audiobook for myself or for a client! Did you know that: “In 2020, audiobook sales revenue in the United States reached 1.3 billion U.S. dollars, continuing the upward trend which began in 2018”? (according to Statista) So, in today’s episode, I thought it would be fun to take you along for a new journey into the world of audiobook creation. I have a client who has a series of 5 books for kids ages 8 to 12 and she just published them on Amazon as a Kindle boxset but wants to get the audiobook version up as well. I volunteered to jump in and help since I need to know the full process for myself too! Here’s what we’ve done so far in the Audiobook making process: STEP 1: We set up a free account at ACX.com (Audiobook Creation Exchange) STEP 2: On August 16, 2022, we uploaded a sample of the book and opened it up for voice actor auditions. STEP 3: As I prep for this podcast on September 1st, we have received a whooping 33 auditions! [Edit: now we have 37 as of Sept. 5, 2022]. Some are incredible. Others need to improve the sound quality around the set up they have. So, totally for free, we have received a range of what sounds like beginner voice actors to super professional. As a side note, you may be wondering how the voice actors get paid. You have two options: 1: You can pay upfront at a fixed price per finished audio hour (and no royalty sharing) 2: You can pay with a 50-50 royalty split on future sales (and no upfront cost for the work) STEP 4: Review the auditions and pick someone to make an offer to. This is as far as we’ve gotten so far, and we need help choosing! We’ve starred 10 of our favorites, but that’s still too many to put forth when asking for feedback I think. So, I’m narrowing them down to our top 5 and will play a short sample of each coming up next in this episode! It’d be so helpful if you’d share your favorite and feedback! Be a voice casting director with us! You can send your votes and feedback by: Emailing me [email protected] Pinging me on social media – I’m all over @ LaptopLaura And if you want to grab a copy of the full 5-book set of Kid Star Squad, check it out at CopyThatPops.com/KidStarSquad which will take you to it on Amazon (it’s free with Kindle Unlimited, by the way). The 6 Auditions Okay, let’s take a listen to our top 6 auditions and then I’ll tell you what’s next on the list of to-do’s for audiobook creation. Audition 1 and 2 will be reading Chapter 1. Audition 3 and 4 will be reading Chapter 2. Audition 5 and 6 will be reading Chapter 3. Listen now to the 6 auditions above or go here for the audio file with only the auditions and the book sample to read along: CopyThatPops.com/auditions — Great voice actors, right? It’s so hard to pick! Part of me wants Emma to pick a female voice, but some of those male voiceover artists were fire. What should we do? Help! Email me [email protected] Ping me on social media – I’m all over @ LaptopLaura And I’ll collect and tabulate the feedback to help advise Emma on the final choice. Next up in the Audiobook process? After we pick our favorite voice actor, we’ll make an offer for payment – we are thinking about the upfront payment way. If he or she accepts, we have a deal and legally binding contract! Then, the voice actor, called “producer” in ACX will record and upload a 15-minute checkpoint of the audiobook for us to listen to, give feedback, and approve. Once that’s done, the productor will keep going and record the full project. We can ask for up to two rounds of corrections to the finished audiobook. Then, when we’re happy, we’ll approve it and pay the producer! From there, it’s time to make the book live to the world. ACX distributes it through Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. More on these next steps in a future podcast episode. For now, we have to settle on a producer! No matter who we choose or if you want to share your vote, I hope this episode was helpful in inspiring and/or motivating you to take action by bringing your books to life in audiobook form! Talk to you next time. Keep finding ways to write copy that pops! :) Laura /episode/index/show/copythatpops/id/24280311

218: Psychology of Intrapreneurship, Writing a Book, and Lessons Learned from Jim Rohn, Tony Robbins, Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy, and More with Dr. Mack Chapman 07/28/2022

218: Psychology of Intrapreneurship, Writing a Book, and Lessons Learned from Jim Rohn, Tony Robbins, Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy, and More with Dr. Mack Chapman What is intrapreneurship? What psychological and practical skills can I develop to help me with any business, whether I’m in it or I own it? What did our guest, Dr. Mack Chapman, learn from working personally with legends like Tony Robbins, Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy, and Jim Rohn? What are his best tips for writing and publishing your own book? All this and more is covered in our conversation today with the incredible Mack Chapman who grew up on the South Side of Chicago before working as an investment banker on Wall Street, promoting speakers like Jim Rohn (and others mentioned above), rising in the ranks of academia, and hitting #1 bestseller in eight categories on Amazon with his new book. Mack has done it all, is a lifelong learner, shares openly, and is one of my favorite humans on this planet. You don’t want to miss this convo! Video of Our Talk: See at shownotes: A Few Conversation Highlights: - What did you learn on Wall Street? - What did you learn about human psychology working so closely with Tony Robbins, Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy, and Jim Rohn? - What is an intrapreneur? - Why go the extra mile when you don’t own the company? - What skills are needed to be successful? - How did you write your book (even though you aren’t a writer and can’t type)? - Best tips for becoming a new author? Link Outs Mentioned: - (for audiobook creation and publishing) - (for Kindle, paperback, and hardcover book publishing) - (my full training course – 100% free) - (Mack’s book on Amazon) - (Mack’s email) Guest Bio: Dr. Chapman is best known for his extensive work in personal development through intrapreneurship and its effects on attracting and retaining middle managers in the highly competitive American high-tech industry. His research included some of the world’s most recognized logos, such as Facebook, Microsoft, 3M, and IBM. Leveraging the discipline, tenacity, and resilience he learned as a United States Marine, Dr. Chapman has worked as an investment banker for a prestigious firm on Wall Street and presented to Fortune 500 companies on topics from coaching peak performance to effectively communicating your vision. He continues to further his formal and informal education as a passionate life-long learner. He attributes much of his success to his legendary late mentor, Jim Rohn, and the iconic cast of superstars he promoted two decades ago, including Tony Robbins, the late Zig Ziglar, and Brian Tracy. When not working in academia or conducting workshops on intrapreneurship, Dr. Chapman enjoys spending time with his family and friends and discussing germane topics of the day with a focus on solutions over finger-pointing. “Statues and monuments are erected for individuals who solve problems, not those who create them or pontificate about them.” -- Dr. Mack Chapman About the Book: Link: NOTE: Mack's book hit #1 in 8 categories on launch What is intrapreneurship, and how do I become a successful intrapreneur? First, here are a few famous examples of innovative ideas that came from within: The personal computer was the derivative of an intrapreneurial idea from an IBM employee Frito-Lay's most successful product--Flamin' Hot Cheetos--was presented by a janitor at the company Amazon's "Prime membership," which generates over $19 billion in revenue each year, was an idea submitted to the employee suggestion box Fostering a culture of entrepreneurship from within is a growing priority for more and more of the world's leading companies. [Read more about ] Mack's Links: - (Mack’s book on Amazon) - (Mack’s email) See more back on the podcast shownotes page! /episode/index/show/copythatpops/id/23887314

216: How to Sell 1 Million Books in 24 Hours [A Gary Vee and NFT Case Study] 09/21/2021

216: How to Sell 1 Million Books in 24 Hours [A Gary Vee and NFT Case Study] On August 27th, 2021 at 5pm EST (that’s 1pm my time in Cali), Gary Vaynerchuk went live on YouTube and Instagram () to announce a 24-hour only opportunity to his millions of fans and followers...involving NFTs in exchange for book purchases. By the following day, his new book was the #1 bestselling book across all of Amazon around the world (while on presale). It sold so many that Barnes & Noble broke for a lot of us trying to buy. As I record this in mid-September, the book is no longer #1 in all of Amazon, that’s how the rankings work -- they change almost hourly -- but there is a lot we authors can learn from what Gary did to write and promote his book. But let me backup and define a few things for you… Who is Gary Vee? Gary Vaynerchuk is a Belarusian-American entrepreneur, author, speaker, and Internet personality. He is a co-founder of the restaurant reservation software company Resy and Empathy Wines. First known as a wine critic who expanded his family's wine business, Vaynerchuk is now more known for his work in digital marketing and social media as the chairman of New York-based communications company VaynerX, and as CEO of VaynerX subsidiary VaynerMedia. NFT: Non-fungible token You may have heard this term floated around a lot lately. It’s all the rage in the cryptosphere. Skeptics call it “buying jpegs. My in-laws call it a ponzi scheme. But what it really is is a digital collectible tied to a smart contract that cannot be destroyed. Who created it?Who bought it first (called minting)?Who sold it and when?What price did the 3rd owner pay? All this and more is recorded on the blockchain, which is a digital ledger of transactions recorded on multiple computers around the world so that no one person or entity can alter the records. Oh, and non-fungible is just a confusing way of saying unique. If you trade 1 US dollar for another 1 US dollar, you have not changed anything. Dollars are fungible. If you trade 1 for 1 , you have very much changed things. These are non-fungible...they are unique. It’s all a big deal. It’s the wave of the future, if you ask me. If this is your first time hearing about it, I really think you should put in some hours to research and learn more. It will (and already is) affecting everything we do in life. Don’t be an old fuddy duddy and say it’s all just a silly trend kids these days are into. It’s not. NFT examples To help, for this convo, to make what an NFT is more clear, let’s look at a few examples. : Are pieces of digital art of apes with different facial expressions, backgrounds, and accessories. The cheapest one as I record this is 33.5 ETH, or about $117,000. There is no utility -- or ability to use the token -- that I am aware of. However, owners of BAYC tokens get ‘airdropped’ (aka rewarded with) additional tokens that also have value because they are in demand by the market. The leading conference on the topic of NFTs is held each year in New York City, and, as we would expect, the ticket to get in is an NFT. Using NFTs as tickets into an event in real life is an easy example to wrap our heads around potential ‘utility’ of a token. Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, recently said on a podcast interview that tickets to all games would soon be tokenized. Gary Vee jumped into the NFT space in May as well. His project is called VeeFriends and it comes with access to his new VeeCon conference in 2022, 2023, and 2024, which gives it real utility. Some tokens also have direct access to him in groups or in one-on-one sessions like courtside Nick's games. But where the big promise from Gary lies is in the I.P. of the characters. He plans to turn the drawings for the tokens into the next “disney.”Imagine if you owned the original drawing of Mickey Mouse...think that would be worth something today? ------- So, back to our story about Gary selling over 1 million books in 24 hours. Starting in early 2021, Gary told his followers to buy up ETH when it was about $1400 to $1800. Then, for months before launch, Gary educated his audience on NFTs, the blockchain, what wallets like MetaMask were and how to set them up to be ready to buy NFTs, and more. Then Gary launched his VeeFriends in May of 2021. For the majority of the 10,255 tokens that he sold, you could buy them for 0.5 to 3 ETH (that’s about $1750 to $10,500 in today’s value with ETH around $3500). As I record this 4 months later, the cheapest VeeFriend is 18ETH (or about $63,000). That’s a 36x return...and Gary swears he’s just getting started… Flash forward to the book offer.Gary went live on a Friday afternoon in the summer to say that for ever 12 books someone purchased in the following 24 hours, she or he would receive 1 surprise NFT after the books ship in November.The exact details are unknown.However, after seeing what he did with VeeFriends in just 4 months, true fans jumped at the chance to buy up lots of books and be eligible for multiple surprises in November. Hence, selling over 1 million copies in 24 hours. ------- TAKEAWAYS I personally don’t have as big an audience as Gary. Likely you listening don’t either. So maybe selling 1 million books in 24 hours is something unattainable for us right now. Nevertheless, we can employ his tactics to a scale that works for us. Give true value to your audience (not just sales promos)...Gary taught people all about the crypto and NFT world....Gary shared tips on other projects he thought looked solid like and ...his fans made tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars off his tips in just weeks or months Let true fans in on things before the general public ...Gary created a where he shared these special tips and info completely for free, but only with true fans who took the time to join it Follow through on what you promise you will do ...Gary went out of his way to make sure true fans got first crack at his NFT drop (before whales with big bank accounts could swoop in and buy everything up) ...And he’s been working to make VF grow in value already Stay connected real-time ...Gary doesn’t just promote and ghost, he stays actively involved...this builds that know, like, and trust factor Build reputation and know it takes time ...Gary has been building rapport and trust for yearrrsssss...he didn’t just emerge out of nowhere and expect people to trust him. ...You have to have patience and build. Use cutting edge technology and trends ...Gary is jumping on the wave of crypto and NFTs early. How can we make our books themselves NFTs? Could someone buy our book as an NFT and be able to sell it later?Could you offer “gold ticket” NFTs with special access to you...say a yearly coffee meeting or bowling trip? ---- There is so much to be learned by watching Gary and following in his footsteps when it comes to books, business, and NFTs. If you want to learn and see more, I’m attaching links to all that I mentioned in here about Gary’s incredible book frenzy. And if you're wondering...I will have a crap ton of books in my garage come November.When Gary speaks, I believe. When you speak, I hope your audience believes too. Share with me your thoughts on this episode or any probek you are working on! I’m at LaptopLaura on the socials. Or shoot me an email at !Also, I’ll be speaking at next month in Scottsdale, Arizona! My talk is called:How to Easily Turn Your Podcast Into a Bestselling Book [And Truly Position Yourself As a Leader] Hope to see you there, if you are a fellow podcaster! :)In the meantime, keep finding ways to write copy that pops! Learn more about ! /episode/index/show/copythatpops/id/20523677

215: Less is More Quick Copy Tip with 2 Copy Editing Examples 07/13/2021

215: Less is More Quick Copy Tip with 2 Copy Editing Examples Hello copy poppers! Long time no talk...but we are back today with a quick writing tip for you inspired by two often-heard quotes: French philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal famously wrote: I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time Mark Twain once said, “I didn't have time to write you a short letter, so I wrote you a long one.” When I first heard these sayings, I thought they were wrong. In school, the hardest assignments seemed to be the long term papers 15 or more pages long. But as a former teacher, professional copywriter, ghostwriter, and all around writing nerd for internet copy, I’ve come to learn they are profoundly true. I admittedly have the habit of ‘over communicating in writing.’ I tend to add too many details in emails -- and try to keep in mind that if something can be said with fewer words, it should be. Let me give some concrete examples for you… COPY EDITING EXAMPLES Bio Say you are writing about yourself for an author bio, for an about page on your website, or for an email in a marketing campaign so that new subscribers can get to know you. You may write something like this: “I did my undergraduate studies at UCLA and majored in Psychology, earning a bachelor’s degree with a minor in German in 2003.” (true story for yours truly!) This is a perfectly good sentence with 22 words. But can we tighten it up without losing any meaning or important information? How about… “I graduated in 2003 from UCLA with a degree in Psychology and a minor in German.” That’s shorter! With 16 words now. We shaved off 6 words...or 27%. Not bad and no meaning was lost. Business Description Say you are writing up some information about your company for your website or short social media bio. You could write something like this: “At XYZ Media Company, we know the importance of leveraging social media to grow your business in this increasingly online and global economy. This is the reason why we love helping businesses create and execute strategies that help them grow their businesses through attracting new leads, converting sales, and building brand loyalty.” This is a lovely description from a company who gets it! But at about 52 words, it looks like a big paragraph that most people may say ‘ain’t nobody got time for that’ and skip over reading it. How about… “Leveraging social media is essential to grow your business. We help you create and execute strategies to grow by attracting new leads, converting more sales, and building brand loyalty.” This version is 29 words, so 44% shorter. Plus, we changed 3rd person words like “their” and “them” to 1st person words like “you” and “your.” I also cut out things like “At XYZ Media Company” under the assumption that if someone is reading it on your website, they know what you are called -- you don’t have to restate it. And also “in this increasingly online and global economy” because if your audience doesn’t already know this is happening, I’d be shocked. Example 3 Send me a piece of copy you’d like cleaned up to be shorter and more punchy. I may feature a quick edit of yours in a future episode! --- Hope these copy editing examples helped inspire you to look for words you could cut to improve your writing online. It takes more time to trim the fat, but it’s worth it!Until the next episode, keep finding ways to write copy that pops! xo Laura PS: To access full show notes, please . /episode/index/show/copythatpops/id/19796996

214: Narrative Arc Framework to Help You Write Better Stories 10/02/2020

213: Author Panel: 4 Bestselling Book Authors Answer Questions About Self-Publishing, Amazon Book Launching, and How You Can Write a Book Quickly Too (Featuring Adam Schaeuble, Tamar Medford, Aimee Carlson, and Kelsey Henry) 08/11/2020

212: Book Writing, Amazon Bestselling Book Launching, and Driving Tanks with Small Business Tax Pro Jonathan Maki 07/21/2020

212: Book Writing, Amazon Bestselling Book Launching, and Driving Tanks with Small Business Tax Pro Jonathan Maki Writing about a boring or complicated topic (at least as seen by others)? Well, our guest today shows how to make even things like taxes and avoiding an IRS tax audit interesting, easy-to-understand, and immediately applicable to his audience. Listen in to see how Jonathan Maki went from driving tanks in the Army to helping businesses be prepared for an IRS audit, whether it happens or not. His #1 Amazon bestselling book will help you understand what the IRS will want to see and how they want to see it -- in simple, clear, plain English. Our conversation also covers... A Few Highlights from This Podcast: - A story about driving tanks in the Army- What did the Army teach Jonathan about business?- Why did Jonathan go into helping small businesses with taxes?- What are his best quick tips around taxes for entrepreneurs and business owners?- The $1,000,000 tax bill story. Eek!- Story about a guy who hid from IRS for 20 years - (grab Jonathan's book!)- Why did Jonathan want to write a book?- Did Jonathan ever feel the imposter syndrome monster breathing down his neck? How did he combat it?- Honest thoughts working with Lulu for publishing? [Hint: Neither of us loved the experience and we tell why]- Best tips for sitting down to write?- Why and how to use for an incredible book cover contest (and how it's a secret weapon for marketing your book even before it's live!)- Best tips for writing with “less is more” in mind - Laura's ...now enrolling for August 2020 start! Our Guest Jonathan Maki drove tanks in the United States Army. Then, shortly after receiving an MBA from the University of Notre Dame in 2008, he started helping other small business owners understand their own finances and navigate the complicated US tax system. He is a dedicated husband and father of two young girls, and he loves surfing with his wife in his free time. Learn More: - - - Great Quotes "I wanted to write a book that was to outline sequential, cohesive steps of action so that it would make it easier for my clients and for me too." - Jonathan Maki "I’m so glad that I worked with you because I had the content but it’s the same as comparing the steak vs the sizzle." - Jonathan Maki "My waves of inspiration don’t come in the form of an outline." - Jonathan Maki Take Action Now! [free] , co-run with Allison Melody [starting August 2020] /episode/index/show/copythatpops/id/15290390

211: 4 Steps to Efficiently Create Content That Gets You Ranking at the Top in Google with Ray Blakney 05/26/2020

211: 4 Steps to Efficiently Create Content That Gets You Ranking at the Top in Google with Ray Blakney Sword fighting, Peace Corp serving, apple pie with cheddar cheese-loving business owner Ray Blakney stops by to share with us how he’s grown the largest language learning online school in the world that hasn’t raised venture capital. Whatever content you have -- a blog, a book, a podcast, a website, a YouTube channel, or a combination of them -- Ray’s 4 proven steps will get you from crickets to consistent growth of your brand, business relationships, and revenue. A Few Highlights from This Podcast: - Starts first business as a language school in Mexico with wife (who used to be his Spanish teacher)...but then swine flu hits…and it forces them to go online, which leads to huge growth (got over 4 million visits in 2019) - Shares a lot of personal information on your site and podcast questions...why? Psychologically what is the reason? - Tips for coming up with a name for your business - 4 steps (plus a bonus 5th step!) for his proven content amplification process 1) Research 2) Create great content 3) Amplify on social media 4) Ranking and linkbacks - Resources named: and - Advice on writing emails that get people to agree to link back to your content - What’s a realistic timeframe for all this to work and snowball? Answer may surprise you. - And be sure to book a free, no pressure call or jump on a live training to get help implementing what you learned. This is so valuable! Our Guest Ray Blakney is an award-winning Filipino-American entrepreneur who has over a decade of experience building (bootstrapping) and operating 6 and 7-figure online businesses. He and his businesses have been featured in magazines such as Entrepreneur, Forbes, The Boston Globe, and other top publications. In his free time, Ray is a part-time sword fighter. Learn More: Great Quotes “The advantage of us not needing to grow is one that a lot of people overlook. They look at it as a business. You grow, grow, grow, just for the sake of growth, and sometimes if you're happy where you are, I don't know if you're making a hundred thousand dollars a year, were you really that much happier making 120.” -Ray Blakney “Bookstores are making a comeback in the United States. Those like little niche corner shops where you used to go and read books, Barnes and Nobles, you know the big ones are going bankrupt, people want that personalized thing where you can go in and you know the seller or the seller knows you. It's like: -You know, a new book just came in that I know you would love because you, this is the kind of book that you read.” -Ray Blakney “I think a lot about names and people ask me a lot about names cause it was all about like copywriting and words and it can be really tough, but it's great to know, one you can change it, two its kind of like no one cares how much you know until they know how much you care that sort of phrase, it's like no one cares about the name of your business, they care about the results they're going to get for them or how you're going to make them feel in doing the interaction. So focusing more on that and less on the names.” Laura Petersen “So you really need to know yourself first and then write some content that is around that, we find that that's the base for creating any great piece of content is that there is a point to it, your personality is included and you know what you're trying to say in that content.” -Ray Blakney “Even if you sell 20 copies to 20 people who really need it, you did something good and you never know where those relationships could go, it can just completely snowball in a way you can't anticipate. But let's not worry about trying to please everyone and be this massive overnight success.” - Laura Petersen Take Action Now! [free] [best option to get your book done, live, and #1!] [get more speaking gigs] For full show notes click: /episode/index/show/copythatpops/id/14569466

210: 6 Fascinating People Brainstorm Book Ideas and Fight to Overcome Imposter Syndrome [Replay of Zoom Call with Community Co-Hosted with Allison Melody of Food Heals] 05/18/2020

210: 6 Fascinating People Brainstorm Book Ideas and Fight to Overcome Imposter Syndrome [Replay of Zoom Call with Community Co-Hosted with Allison Melody of Food Heals] Do you struggle with imposter syndrome and overwhelm on what book topic to pick to write about? You are not alone! This is a replay of a really terrific group Zoom call that my biz bestie Allison Melody of the Food Heals empire did last Saturday. Six entrepreneurs joined us to ask questions, brainstorm, and work through mental blocks. I hope this helps you wherever you are in your journey! And jump into our starting on May 25th, if you catch this in time! A Few Highlights from This Podcast: [05:45] - [5:00] : Alli kicks off call + Laura intro and why books matter [12:22] : Tamar intro about the book she's work on …vulnerable stories …4 chapters so far …afraid bc of ego to dig into …wants the word “hope” in there Finding Hope Acceptance [15:54] : Larry Roberts …1+1=Podcast …wrote it in 20 days …got emotional … …bringing wife on the journey …how to start a VA business …Readily Random podcast …recovered alcoholic ]23:47] : Nancy Foote…¾ done about classroom management (33 years teaching)…how to get kids on your side …struggling bc had another book calling at her! …started on second book too …works at literary conferences part-time …"when I teach, I tell stories about my life" …Coca-Cola Hot Pants …Paul Harvey …Zero G with Mark Kelly astronaut …Parkinson’s, two kinds of breast cancer, …"how can you be so positive and upbeat?" …baseball with Nolan Ryan …Writing 6-word sentences…loving writing it…like poetry …shoulder surgery …Imposter Syndrome Monster [37:06] : Christopher Centri…astronomy and space science …struggling with things online …in another part of New York state …Mars + search for extraterrestrial life …Lunar Mysteries …Thinkific, Teachable, …wants courses …near Lake Erie + wine + science presentations [48:37] : Hazel Englander…loves wine too …listens to CTP! …model all over the world …famous boyfriend…backstage rock and roll parties …not sure about sharing bc of kids, husband, and haters …Queen, Sir Elton John, etc — should I name names? …should I have a publisher or self-publish? ...Tim Ferriss and Nick Kokonas podcast: They compare notes about the somewhat slimy similarities between the music and publishing industries. [timestamp: 2:26:02] On the Hembergers and The Alinea Project, and the upcoming Aviary Book being released independently. [timestamp: 2:41:23] Free Facebook Group for Authors More Info On the 14-Week Group Program starting on Monday, May 25th *Past clients of Laura’s, ping her for super discount if you want to join us too ([email protected]) Take Action Now! with LaptopLaura and Allison Melody /episode/index/show/copythatpops/id/14463197

**Free Book Zoom Call: Get Your Questions Answered About Books, Publishing, #1 Bestseller, and More** 05/15/2020

209: Warning: Unpopular Opinion - Successful Biz Buds Actually Hurt You And Psyche You Out in Business 04/30/2020

209: Warning: Unpopular Opinion - Successful Biz Buds Actually Hurt You And Psyche You Out in Business UNPOPULAR OPINION: Hanging out with ACHIEVERS is actually HURTING you {psychologically}! where you can write and share your thoughts: We all know the whole 'you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with' saying -- I retell it all the time, myself! But, I realized recently how doing this can actually hurt us too. Now, before anyone jumps to write a scathing comment in rebuttal, hear me out... HOW IT HURTS You see your hardworking, successful business buddies start podcasts, write books, and speak on stage. So, you think and feel like "everyone is doing it." You then think and feel "it's too late for me," "I missed the boat," or "I'll never be as good as they are, plus they got such a head start, so I won't do it." SO, YOUR PERCEPTION IS SKEWED The truth actually is that you are just hanging out with go-getters. Most people do NOT start podcasts, write books, or speak on stage. Most people consume but do not create. Most people overthink but do not take action. And, more and more -- did I mention MORE? -- people are coming online every single day looking for the solutions you offer. Looking for YOUR style of speaking or writing. YOUR examples and lessons learned. YOUR wacky humor or calm speaking voice. HOW TO FIX So, I would never advise hanging out with losers to combat this misperception and get you back to reality. The side effects would be too negative. The recipe simply is to recognize where you are. You are in a GREAT place if this post resonates with you. You have a great crew around you. Keep it up. Just because your buds are rockin' it does NOT mean there isn't space and a huge -- and increasing -- demand for your unique twist and style. Audit your thoughts, audit your feelings...and reframe. Do the thing. You know what it is. Do it. FEEDBACK Agree with me? Disagree? Did this help at all? Take Action Now on Your Bestselling Book! [free] [free] [not free ;)] /episode/index/show/copythatpops/id/14205560

208: No More Writing Copy - How To Get ALL Of Your Sales Letters, Webinar Slides, Emails, And Ads Written (In As Little As 10 Minutes) Without Hiring An Expensive Copywriter 04/09/2020

207: Make Great Money and Stay at Home with Your Kids (as a Writer!) with Kimberlee Leonard 03/19/2020

207: Make Great Money and Stay at Home with Your Kids (as a Writer!) with Kimberlee Leonard Do you want to earn income working from home? (Whether you have a child or not...whether you are a mom or not). This episode may also be SO TIMELY for millions of people social distancing at home because of COVID-19. Then tune into this episode! Our guest today shares her story of how she replaced a full-time income in the financial industry (living in the expensive LA area) as a single mom...and how you can do it too. A Few Highlights from This Podcast: - - - - - How Kimberlee went from the financial industry to writing screenplays, business plans, blogs, ghostwritten books, and more (and how you can too) - What is the rate you can charge for your writing (and should you do it by hour, by word, by project?) - Tips to get your priorities and strategy clear - The biggest mistake to avoid as a freelance writer - Kimberlee answers the question many have, "Should I do work for free or reduced price in the beginning as I build my writing samples, network, and client base?" Our Guest Kimberlee Leonard is the author of Stay At Home Single Mom: Writing Your Way to Your Happy Ending which takes readers on her journey behind establishing herself as a freelance writer so she could stay home with her toddler when faced with a divorce. She is the founder of The Single Mommy Tribe where she helps mentor and support other moms faced with the decision of staying home with the kids or going back to the workforce and The Blog Out Post where she coaches bloggers and writers on how to create a second income to replace their first. Great Quotes “It’s about setting your priorities so you meet your goals, otherwise you’re always struggling with mom guilt.” - Kimberlee Leonard “Don’t be afraid to have a little bit of an edge of who you are.” - Kimberlee Leonard “'I don’t know what we’re gonna write if I’m a plumber?' And I said, 'Well then you write about all the DIY things somebody in their house is gonna do because I guarantee they’re still gonna need a plumber after they do that.” - Kimberlee Leonard Take Action Now! [free] [best option to get your book done, live, and #1!] [get more speaking gigs] /episode/index/show/copythatpops/id/13614122

206: A Quiz in Your Biz: Psychological Benefits and Copywriting Tips for Quizzes with Branding Expert Annmarie Rose 03/05/2020

206: A Quiz in Your Biz: Psychological Benefits and Copywriting Tips for Quizzes with Branding Expert Annmarie Rose What's a short-form way to both gain insights on your audience (to improve your copywriting) AND clarify your offers to psychologically attract more clients? A quiz! Brand Impact Strategist Annmarie Rose stops by to break it all down so you can quickly start using quizzes to improve your business and copy. A Few Highlights from This Podcast: - how to attract, engage, and provide incredible value for your ideal audience members using quizzes - how making a quiz is way easier than writing a book or other long-form content, but provides valuable insights for you while also helping your audience clarify what they want and need - the psychology behind using a quiz to build your brand and grow your business - how you can use your audience’s quiz results to craft more impactful copy - platforms to use to make a quiz (Annmarie uses and ) - where in the customer journey to use a quiz and why Our Guest AnnMarie Rose is a Brand Impact Strategist who has spent more than 5 years helping hundreds of coaches, consultants, and course creators clarify their visions, align their online brands and take their businesses to the next level while experiencing freedom and fulfillment in the process. Through her supportive 1-on-1 consulting experiences and actionable online training programs, AnnMarie empowers purpose-driven entrepreneurs to achieve sustainable business success with a clear, compelling message, a streamlined brand strategy, and engaging marketing efforts. AnnMarie is also the creator of Quizness, a framework, and training program that makes it easy for purpose-driving business owners to build their online brands with compelling quizzes that attract, engage and truly serve their ideal audience members. Learn More: Video of our Interview Look at cute Baby E. So naughty sometimes! Great Quotes “From a psychological standpoint from the business owner in terms of creating something that is going to build your brand, there is a lower barrier to entry with quizzes if you have the steps to set up one correctly.” - Annmarie Rose “[…] people say: how long should my book be? And my answer that I want say is: -As long and you want it to be. But people don’t want that, they want just like: -Tell me the pages numbers.[…]” - Laura Petersen “[..] I have a specific question that says: “-Which one do you tend to struggle more on your brand building journey, shiny object syndrome or perfectionism?”, and then based on that answer I am able to identify which type brand that you have.” - Annmarie Rose Take Action Now! [free] [best option to get your book done, live, and #1!] [get more speaking gigs] /episode/index/show/copythatpops/id/13412945

205: 5 TikTok Tips Applying Psychology and Copy Writing Strategy [Plus How My Video Got 47,000 Views Quickly] 02/20/2020

205: 5 TikTok Tips Applying Psychology and Copy Writing Strategy [Plus How My Video Got 47,000 Views Quickly] This show is all about applying psychology and improving our writing for online business success, so let’s look at TikTok with that lense. In this solo episode with just me -- no interview today -- we’ll cover: 1. What is TikTok and just how crazy big is it already?2. My personal experience with it and how I got a video to over 47,000 views at the time of recording this (about 3 weeks...nearly 25,000 views within 48 hours)3. 5 TikTok Tips ...plus 1 bonus advanced tip if you stick until the end! ...and a bonus custom resource to help in your video planning! So... 1. WHAT IS TIKTOK? According to TikTok’s website:“TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy.” What do they mean by “short-form video”?60 seconds or less (often just 12 to 15 seconds). How do they “inspire creativity and bring joy”? Here are just a few of the things you can do, at the time of this writing, inside the TikTok app: - overlay a huge selection of songs - add visual effects before or after shooting - save a draft (to finish and post later)- turn on a countdown before filming starts- create a “duet” with or “reaction” to another user (play your videos side-by-side)- select a video cover (so you decide the short preview that others see)- upload images to play as a slideshow- and more! A few stats:• TikTok has over 500 million active users, behind only Whatsapp, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, and Instagram (according to Datareportal, 2019)• TikTok is 2nd most downloaded app in the world (as of early 2020) 2. MY EXPERIENCE WITH IT + MINI-VIRAL VIDEO I first downloaded the app, then called Musically, sometime in 2019 and posted my first video on November 1, 2019 -- it’s a video of 6-week-old Baby Evren in a Superman onesie that we had gotten for Halloween with the Wonder Woman theme song playing in the background. I played with some special effects like slow motion and adding some hears on the screen, even black and white video change up for a few seconds. I had no idea what I was doing but just wanted to play with the tools a bit and see. As I record this, that first video has 100 views. Definitely not going viral. Flash forward to January of 2020 and I started to play with the app more, but this time not only as a creator but also as a consumer. I wanted to see what was working and what caught my attention. I put in some hours while the baby napped or I was waiting for the coffee to brew and took notice of the videos I wanted to scroll and see more of. That's when I made a video on January 28th, 2020 based on a "Get to Know Me" video trend. It's only aout 12 seconds long. You put up three things on the screen that are false, slap them off, and reveal the truth. I did this with the theme of what it costs to publish your book on Amazon, revealing that it costs $0 and Amazon only makes money when you make money. This video has over 47,000 views as I publish this podcast just 3 weeks later. 3. BEST 5 TIKTOK TIPS 1. Hashtags matter but don’t bother with the #foryoupage or #fyp hashtag...everyone is using that and it doesn’t give the algorithm more info about what your video is and who will love to watch it. 2. Jump on a trend with your own take using music and ‘theme’ of video 3. Write in just a few words what video is about, add it as text on the video, and make that bit of the video with text as the ‘preview’ so people can see what the video is about just from seeing the video thumbnail as they scroll 4. People are on it to be entertained in a happy, light-hearted way -- fast. Get right to the point. Don’t introduce yourself, re-say things you already typed in the description, or share unnecessary details. People will scroll past you if you don’t hook them in the first 3 seconds. 5. Add subtitles on video or even some text context so people can follow along even if their audio is off or really low BONUS PRO TIP - Take a well-performing video on TikTok and run it as an ad on Facebook, Instagram, or other spots. I'm doing this now and it's working well so far! BONUS RESOURCE - I created this to help you keep track of trending themes, hashtags, and ideas for your content creation on TikTok! It’s 8.5”x11” and large print for plenty of space to journal out your video ideas! Check it out and let me know feedback if it works for you. : ) ------------ What else is working for you on TikTok? Let me know. And connect with me ! Take Action Now on Your Bestselling Book! [free] [free] [not free ;)] /episode/index/show/copythatpops/id/13214459

204: Get Paid to Write: 101 Sites That Pay You $50-$3000 Per Blog Post - Quick Copy Tip 02/06/2020

204: Get Paid to Write: 101 Sites That Pay You $50-$3000 Per Blog Post - Quick Copy Tip This show is geared toward entrepreneurs, coaches, consultants, and other business owners who want to do better online with their business by harnessing the power of the written word...and applying psychology while they’re at it!... But many people ask me how to make money as a freelance writer...how to get started....or how to make some money on the side with their writing as they grow other businesses... And I actually have a great interview with an expert on that coming up in episode 207 with Kimberlee Leonard. But today for a quick copy tip -- recording as Baby Evren takes a power nap -- I wanted to share what I just learned about recently… How to get paid to write blog articles ...a great spot that aggregates places willing to pay per blog article or per word in an article that looks really promising. Step 1: go to Step 2: in the search bar, type in “Get Paid to Write” Step 3: When you do that, a few blog articles will show up, but the one that caught my eye is titled: “Get Paid to Write: 101 Sites That Pay You $50-$3000 per Blog Post” - click on that one Step 4: Scroll through the industries and content types that places are looking for and dive deeper into the ones that work for you. A few topics:- vacation and travel- inspirational true stories- short stories- politics, news, entertainment- jokes!- education- religion- parenting- lifestyle- business & money Step 5:Write and earn money! And/or hire someone for a low price on Upwork.com and make money in splitting the difference. For example, say you pay someone $100 to write an article that you make $350 for. You keep $250 for project managing and reviewing the article. Not bad! Ping me on social media @LaptopLaura (that’s my handle on FB, TW, IG, and TT) if you try this or find this episode helpful! Make sure you’re subscribed to this show on your podcast player so you never miss a way to write copy that pops! Take Action Now on Your Bestselling Book! [free] [free] [not free ;)] /episode/index/show/copythatpops/id/13034375

203: 3 Ways to Properly Use a Semi-Colon - Quick Copy Tip 01/23/2020

203: 3 Ways to Properly Use a Semi-Colon - Quick Copy Tip Quick copy tip for you today about the uber fun punctuation mark called...the semicolon. What does it look like? It’s like a colon on the top but a comma on the bottom. Often misused, here are the three main ways to use it correctly when a colon, comma, or period just won’t do! WAY #1 To combine two independent clauses (aka sentences that could stand on their own as complete sentences) when their topics are highly related and you want them to sit a bit closer than if separated by periods. For example… Sentence 1: Writing books is fun and effective. Sentence 2: I plan to write and publish more this year. Because these two sentences stand on their own and are highly related, I can combine them with a semicolon! Writing books is fun and effective; I plan to write and publish more this year. A comma wouldn’t work because they are independent clauses and a period would make them feel too separate. WAY #2 Use in a list of things that already contain commas for extra clarity. For example, say that you are listing off places you have lived. Naturally, we must separate cities and states with commas. So, we need to separate each city and state combo from each other with semicolons. i.e. I have lived in Orange County, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Rome, Italy; and Regensburg, Germany. WAY #3 Use a semicolon before words or phrases like “however,” “for example,” and “therefore” when they begin a complete sentence (aka are before an independent clause). Here’s an example: “I published a book; however, it was a simple journal and was fast to create.” [same as way #1 but those words/phrases may help you remember] --- There you have it: a fun refresher on the usage of semicolons. If you want a silly video that may make you laugh about semicolons, search on youtube for “lonely island semicolons” (or watch below). Watch until the end though… Then let me know if you had a chuckle on social media. I’m @laptoplaura Signing off until next time when we’ll find more ways to write copy that pops! Take Action Now on Your Bestselling Book! [free] [free] [not free ;)] /episode/index/show/copythatpops/id/12848831

202: Psychology of Micro-Stepping with Bestselling Author Dan Mangena 01/16/2020

202: Psychology of Micro-Stepping with Bestselling Author Dan Mangena From suicidal thoughts to thriving with intention, Dan Mangena shares a childhood and early adulthood struggling with undiagnosed Asperger's and how he used his gifts to find smart workarounds to help better function socially. Dan used his strength in pattern recognition and a few fascinating books (like The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists) to unlock the psychological code for how to engage effectively with others in social situations (after sometimes having to diffuse sexual tension to keep it platonic) and business relationships. Now, Dan coaches others, leads intensive retreats in exotic locations, and is a regular host on a radio program! A Few Highlights from This Podcast: - Aspergers + trauma + suicidal thoughts - Beyond intention paradigm- Book writing journey- Best tips for writing books - - Dan's 2019 bestselling book: - How to make today a better day Our Guest After receiving a late diagnosis of Asperger’s and experiencing what can only be described as life-shattering trauma at the age of just 20, Daniel spent the next seven years struggling to keep these revelations and events from spilling into every area of his life. As a result of his struggles, Daniel built a simple, four-step system called the Beyond Intention Paradigm. Initially built as a lifeline grappling with suicidal thoughts, Beyond Intention was born, transforming Daniel’s life from misery to celebration. Through his own struggles, Daniel found a path to lasting joy and purpose and he wants nothing more than to share the tools that saved his life. To that end, he lives by this mission statement: “Spearhead an evolutionary uplift in universal consciousness by awakening people to the importance of their unique role. This that is already encoded in them by way of a deep and often ignored or undervalued passion defined as their Dream.” Through motivational speech, Daniel shares his vision of empowerment and joy, as well as via books he has authored, his “Do it With Dan” podcast series (which is available on all major platforms), frequent blogging, articles, and a series of worldwide workshops. Daniel also offers coaching and consultations in groups and in one-on-one sessions. Each of these sessions honors his mission and helps his clients find meaning and joy in their lives. Daniel is also a voracious reader, publicly documenting his challenge to read a book every week. He loves to travel, write and perform as a singer-songwriter, and practice Kundalini yoga, meditation, and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. He is also an outspoken promoter of entrepreneurial philanthropy, as well as an ambassador for the Mangena Foundation (in addition to working with several charities across the globe). To contact Daniel, go to . He can also be found on most major social media platforms with the handle @dreamerCEO. Great Quotes “A big part of my work is stripping away the excuses that people have that they can’t have an abundant joyful purpose in their life.” - Dan Mangena “I was just kind of juggling the fallout of being autistic versus now because I understand what my gift is, I refer to it as a gift rather than a disability.” “Sometimes now when something goes wrong, I am almost excited because now it’s another really funny story to tell people.” - Laura Petersen “What the law of relativity says is that everything it just is, something becomes positive or negative agreeable or disagreeable based on the story that we attached to it.” - Dan Mangena Take Action Now! [free] [best option to get your book done, live, and #1!] [get more speaking gigs] /episode/index/show/copythatpops/id/12756398

201: Pushing Through Obstacles and Promoting Positivity with 2x Bestselling Author Kelsey Henry 01/09/2020

201: Pushing Through Obstacles and Promoting Positivity with 2x Bestselling Author Kelsey Henry Positivity, Bestselling Books in 16+ Categories, Copy Tips, Writing Advice, and more with our special guest Kelsey Henry! At age 25 she wrote, self-published, and launched her book (hitting 16 categories in the US and 9 in Australia at the #1 spot) in about 2 months from start to finish. You can too! Kelsey reveals how she did it, obstacles you faced but overcame, plus her favorite tools you can use... A Few Highlights from This Podcast: - Background of Kelsey...Pinterest manager...singer/songwriter, positivity coach - Bestselling 2x -- 16+ categories - Tips and tricks for fast writing of your book, even if you have no idea where to start - Things that went wrong with the books - Beyond the book...getting products into stores, selling books and merch at in-person events, speaking on stage - Adult coloring book creation Kelsey's Books: - Book 1: - Book 2: Tools Mentioned: - - - Our Guest Kelsey Henry from Positively Delighted is a best-selling author, singer/songwriter, positivity coach, coloring page designer, digital nomad, and host of The Positively Delighted Show podcast. Her passion for positivity and self-esteem began during her unique childhood growing up roadschooled in an RV from ages 11-17. Kelsey is the author of two books on Amazon, Growing Up Roadschooled: Stories, Lyrics, & Lessons Learned from Full-time RVing & Life After Roadschooling and A Positively Delighted Coloring Book: Color Your Way to Happiness in 30 Days. She is also a certified Canfield Success Trainer, Happy For No Reason Trainer, and Laughter Yoga Leader. She uses these programs to help others create a positive mindset and a life of delight, laughter, and fun! You can find her traveling the country and running her business on the road from her converted glamper car. Great Quotes “Giving your self a tight deadline forces you fo find a way and not come up with excuses.” - Laura Petersen “Stories are great ways to teach anything, so being able to tell a good story is incredibly useful.” - Kelsey Henry “I think having better expectations going into things because something can be really successful but if your expectations are really high than it will seem like a failure.” - Kelsey Henry “What helped me the most with Grammarly was that it would identify if I use the same phrases over and over again, which I did a lot.” - Kelsey Henry Take Action Now! [free] [best option to get your book done, live, and #1!] [get more speaking gigs] /episode/index/show/copythatpops/id/12668966

Copy That Pops: Writing Tips and Psychology Hacks for Business

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