EDITOR’S NOTE:

“Mm,” said Kels. “What’s this?”

I looked up from my phone.

“International…” she said, examining the package, turning it over once, twice. “For you.”

“International?” I put my phone down and walked around the kitchen island. “Lemme see.” I took it and turned it over once, twice. “Ohhh…” I said. “From Sophie!”

Sophie Cross is the Founder & Editor of Freelancer Magazine. She shipped her first couple issues across the pond to me. 

I opened a drawer and reached for the scissors. 

“Wait up,” said Kels. “It’s perforated.” 

I looked. “Oh,” I said, “duh.” I pulled the edge of the package and removed the contents: two glossy, 100-page, real-deal magazines. I gave Kelsey one and flipped through the other.

“Who’s Sophie?” she said. 

“She published these,” I said. 

“Ya?”

“Yeh.”

Kelsey smiled, “that’s amazing.”

Yes, it is. Sophie made something remarkable and valuable out of nothing at all. And this makes her an inspiration to creators everywhere. And she’s just getting started. 

Now I’m very proud to have her on for a Micro-Interview. 

In just 466 words, Sophie shares: 

• The difference between an excuse and a reason…

• The most important thing when it comes to business—and life…

• How to be a great copywriter, marketer, entrepreneur, or anything else…

And much more… 

Enjoy!

Thank you, Sophie.

Let’s get started. 

1) “What’s your work routine?”

I suck at routines and I’m starting to come to peace with that. 

I love my sleep, so unless I’m being a social butterfly I’ll be in bed early reading. I get up between 6.30 and 8.30am — normally earlier on weekends; isn’t that always the way? 

First thing, I’ll walk the dog and chat to my best friend on the phone. Then I work between home and my co-working space depending on what sort of things I’m doing. By and large, I’ll finish some time between 4 and 6 pm. I don’t work in the evenings.

2) “What do you know about your work now that you wish you’d known when you first started?”

Well I’m a big believer in enjoying the journey instead of focusing on the destination — because let’s be honest, we never reach it do we? — so it wouldn’t be much fun if we knew what was coming. 

I love a few scrapes and a bit of problem-solving, and you can’t be a problem-solver without a few problems. I’ve learnt so.many.lessons about business and freelancing. 

If I told you all of them I could publish my own magazine. Oh wait. 

3) “What did your biggest professional failure teach you?”

That there’s nothing more exciting than having a blank canvas. 

And hindsight is a wonderful thing. 

4) “What’s the #1 thing that has helped you shorten your craft’s learning curve?”

Other people. 

Spend as much time being curious, questioning and listening to other people as you can. After all, you already know everything you’ve got to say. 

Be a fan: 

If you want to be a great copywriter, be a fan of other great copywriters. If you want to be a brilliant marketer, be on the constant look out for brilliant marketing. If you want to start a business, look out for other people starting businesses and cheer them on. 

5) “What book has helped you the most over your career?”

Another vote for Seth. 

Purple Cow was the first book of his I read and one of his blogs called Pick Yourself. They doused my smoldering marketing embers with petrol. I’m a huge believer that mindset is of utmost importance when it comes to business (and life) and Seth is probably largely to blame for that, too. 

6) “And your parting piece of advice?”

Work to your own values and priorities, not what other people think they should be (however well intentioned those people are). 

And practice calling yourself out on BS excuses that you make up for yourself that stop you from following your dreams. 

CLUE: Most things are excuses. I heard someone say once, ‘unless everyone else in the world is using it as a reason, it’s an excuse not a reason.’ Harsh but true.