IAM2733 – Marketer Turned Writer Writes Killer Content for Marketing Agencies

I AM CEO Handbook Volume 3 is HERE and it's FREE. Get your copy here: http://cbnation.co/iamceo3. Get the 100+ things that you can learn from 1600 business podcasts we recorded.

Hear Gresh's story, learn the 16 business pillars from the podcast, find out about CBNation Architects and why you might be one and so much more. Did we mention it was FREE? Download it today!

Transcription:

Kenzi Wood 00:00

If you feel like you are called to be, in my case, a writer, a designer, whatever you want to be, don't fight it, because it's going to find its way back to you. I do believe that every person has a purpose on this earth. And if you're doing data entry or a job that you're just not passionate about and you keep feeling like something is telling you to jump off and do your own thing, but then you kind of, like, defeat yourself before you get the thought out, because, oh, there's no money in it, or, oh, I don't even know how to make that possible. You can make it happen. Like, you really can make it happen. So that's my advice, is don't fight it. Look at what you really want, what you want out of your life, and make a plan to get it.

Gresham Harkless 01:07

Hello, hello, hello, this is Gresh from the IM CEO Podcast, and I have a very, very special guest on the show today. I have Kenzie Wood of Kenzie Writes. Kenzie, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Kenzi Wood 01:16

Thank you for having me, Gresh. It's great to be here.

Gresham Harkless 01:18

Great to have you on. And what I want to do is just read a little bit more about Kenzie so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. And Kenzie Wood is a marketer turned writer. She's a solopreneur who writes killer content for marketing agencies and their clients. When she's not furiously typing our keyboard, you can catch her baking and playing video games. Kenzie, are you ready to speak to the IM CEO community?

Kenzi Wood 01:37

I am. I am. How's it going, guys?

Gresham Harkless 01:40

Going pretty good. So, to kick everything off, I wanted to hear a little bit more about what I call your CEO story and what led you to get started with your business.

Kenzi Wood 01:46

Yeah. So I started my career out as a marketer. So I was doing marketing for about five years, and I liked it and I was good at it. But I, you know, I tried to be a good little employee, and I just realized, you know, I woke up one day and I thought, man, I think I need to be my own boss. I. I want to wear pajamas. I want to have some fun. So. And also I want to do what I love for a living. Initially I started freelance writing on the side as a side job as a marketer. And after about a year of doing that, I was making enough on the side that, that I was actually earning more than my full time job in the side business. And I thought, what am I doing? I'm working 10 hours a week and I'm outpacing my full time job. This is crazy. I can be my own boss. It blew my mind. I never thought that would happen. So back In October of 2018, I made the terrifying jump from full time work working for someone else to being my own boss. And I'm coming up on my one year anniversary now and it is the best decision I have ever made becoming my own CEO of my own small one woman island. And I absolutely love it. So it's been a great journey so far and I can't wait to see what happens in the future.

Gresham Harkless 02:50

Nice. I definitely appreciate that and I feel like you've done it at the perfect time because it's like the content golden age, so to speak. So everybody's kind of creating content and figuring out how to do that or how to find people that can do that. But I definitely appreciate that because I think sometimes people wonder exactly, like if they want to start a business or maybe want to, you know, take that leap. But a lot of times you can do things on the side, build it up. Especially if you can have the success that you had in the very beginning where you were able to have it be bigger than what you were making with your regular 9 to 5. You can definitely set out to do that.

Kenzi Wood 03:18

Yeah, that was like absurd. I was not planning that at all. So it was a happy accident.

Gresham Harkless 03:22

Yeah, a good sign that nevertheless. So happy anniversary. And I wanted to hear a little bit more about what you're doing with your clients. Can you break down exactly what you do to help support the clients you work with?

Kenzi Wood 03:32

Yeah. So I, I originally started as a very general writer. I was writing all kinds of stuff. I mean, I was writing blogs for like homesteading sites, pizza companies, just super random because it was a hobby. And then I realized I want to be serious about this and I have very niche knowledge as a marketer and things like SEO, social media, things like that. And so I realized that marketing agencies really needed a lot of help writing content either for themselves because they're so busy, or for their clients. Because as an agency, it's real easy to say, oh yeah, new client, we've got these resources. We can write these blogs for you. And then they kind of turn around real fast and say, okay, quick, go and find a writer to fill this work. So it happens. It happens a lot. Because I used to be at an agency. I know how it is. So I only work with marketing agencies now. And so I help them. I either write content for their clients or to actually promote their agency themselves. Because a lot of the times it's hard to remember to market yourself even as an agency, which sounds weird. So they sometimes just need helping hand. And I am more than happy to step in and be the helping pen they need.

Gresham Harkless 04:36

Nice. I definitely appreciate that. And it always goes back to, like, the conference kids. Why the conference kids don't have any shoes? Because just like with the agency, sometimes you're taking care of everybody else's marketing and everything, you sometimes forget your own. So I appreciate you for focusing on that. And I think too, you know, coming in that digital marketing world, a lot of people think that it's all one thing. So. But there's certain niches that everybody has or strengths that everybody has. So when you have an agency, you need that specific expertise. It's great that you're able to kind of come in and help out to do that. And I wanted to ask you now for what I call your secret sauce. And it can be for you or your organization, but what do you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique?

Kenzi Wood 05:13

So one of the problems I found in content writing is that there are a lot of. And this is going to sound mean, but there are a lot of bad writers out there. So a lot of people who say, oh, I can type stuff into a computer. I'm a copywriter. And maybe you are, but you're not a good one. And so I. And again, that sounds mean, but it's just kind of true. There's a lot of bad actors out there, need to hone their craft a little bit more before they have clients. So a lot of people come to me when they say, hey, we got saddled with a real Lenin of a copywriter and we need somebody good. We need something that we are going to rely on. And so I step in to be the quality that they're looking for, like, you know, kind of filling that gap in the market where people say, like, where have you been this whole time? That's what I want to be. So the secret sauce isn't necessarily. I mean, it's writing. You know, you're not going to have, like, a patented process for writing. But it's not my process. It's more so because writing, in my opinion, is a service based business. So it's about providing that service, which means, like, it's simple stuff too, man. It's like being on time, responding to people within an hour, making good work. You know, it's those basic things that I think a lot of us take for granted whenever we're looking for a secret sauce. But the secret is just be good. Be good at what you do and the success will follow.

Gresham Harkless 06:24

Yeah, absolutely. I appreciate you for bringing that to light because I think sometimes, you know, we forget these big, huge things that we want to accomplish and do that. Sometimes we forget like the devil's in the details, so to speak, where you have to take care of those little small things. And those things are actually what build up to be that great thing. But if you don't have that foundation in place, then it's really hard to build something, you know, really tremendous. So I appreciate you for, for sharing that because I think we often overlook that and those the things are the things that truly make up success.

Kenzi Wood 06:51

And it kind of sucks because it's like, I wish I could tell people like, oh, download this book or, you know, download this tool and you'll magically be, you know, the best in the field. But that's just not how it works. And so, yeah, you got to just be good. That's the secret.

Gresham Harkless 07:05

Yeah, absolutely. And it comes down to, you know, it's hard to replace the time and energy that you put into something and that work that you put in to kind of hone your craft and be great at what it is that you do. And it's hard to, especially in writing and most, you know, other skills, you know, you have to, you can tell if somebody has put in the work or they haven't put in the work.

Kenzi Wood 07:21

Yeah. Oh, yeah, definitely.

Gresham Harkless 07:23

You expose very quickly. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit and I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. And this might be an Apple book or a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

Kenzi Wood 07:34

Okay. This is actually something that I just found this week. So I don't know, you might not be able to tell right now, but I am actually an introvert. But like, I kind of need to go retreat and, you know, kind of do my own thing. Well, when you want to be your own CEO, it's very difficult to be an introvert because you need to, you know, go, you know, shake hands and kiss babies, so to speak. So I really struggled with getting out there and being social, especially because I'm a solopreneur, I'm a one woman CEO and I need to get out there and meet people. I found this book called Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come and it's by Jessica Pan and it's absolutely hilarious. And I, I've been reading a lot of self help books just because I find them fascinating and I keep, ah, this is, you know, I'm not getting anything out of this. This was the only self help book I have ever read cover to cover and I actually kept because I want to read it again. So if you're an introvert like I am, but you also want to be a successful business owner, read this book. It really helps me because the writer is an introvert herself and she's also an independent business owner. So it's, it's very useful, it's hilarious and it's a good read. So definitely check that out.

Gresham Harkless 08:40

Nice. I definitely appreciate that. And I hadn't heard of that book, so that's, it's funny. The title in and of itself makes me want to pick it up because you always hear, you know, people saying, oh, I'm sorry, you know, my dog ate my homework or whatever happened. But in reality he actually did want to come. So that's why I didn't make it on time. But that makes perfect sense. But I love too like about how you structure your business model because I think a lot of times, especially when you're solopreneurs in this day and age, it doesn't necessarily mean that you have like a solo business in the sense that you can partner with certain companies that do something. So like you being able to partner with those agencies is huge, huge because they already have those clients and because you're able to kind of tap into and build those strategic relationships, it you have a solo business but at the same time you have that bigger feel as well.

Kenzi Wood 09:21

That is a good point. I mean we treat it like a solo business but occasionally you might need to bring in a contractor as well. Helping me with, you know, cold emailing. And also it, it's kind of like it takes a village to raise a child. It takes a village to educate you as an entrepreneur, as CEO. So I'm a member of Mastermind groups of fellow writers. But then it's also important to join groups of people who have different businesses than yours. So for example, I am, I just recently joined the Mastermind where it's like, it's a florist, a photographer, and then a counselor. And at first blush it seems like we have nothing in common, but yet to work together. And you find really interesting ideas and things that you've never thought of before as much as you think you know, you don't know everything. And it is so valuable to partner with people even if it's not, you know, a contractor or an employee seeking out those fellow business owner relationships are so important.

Gresham Harkless 10:11

Yeah. And I've always, I think I heard a quote where it said that there's usually like no new ideas over the sun, but sometimes it's not that the ISD is new, it's just maybe you're doing it in a different industry. So if you're learning something for that from that florist and you're implementing in that business, this could be the most innovative thing ever. But really, they may have been doing it for years and you just put it in a kind of a different place. I appreciate that perspective.

Kenzi Wood 10:31

Yeah, it's like, it's mind blowing. It's like, why didn't I think that? I feel so. And you feel dumb after it too. You're like, oh my gosh. But yeah, it's. It's been great. Yeah. So absolutely nice.

Gresham Harkless 10:40

I, I appreciate that. So now I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget. And this is a word of wisdom or a piece of advice or if you can hop into that time machine, what would you tell your younger business self?

Kenzi Wood 10:50

Okay, I've got it. So when I was in fifth grade, I was. And I'm kind of dating myself here, but I was making magazines, handmade magazines on my parents fax machine. If any of you have seen one of these, like, clunky. And it's not a good way to make a magazine, but that's what I have.

Gresham Harkless 11:05

I guess I'm dating myself too. That's great.

Kenzi Wood 11:07

Yeah. You're like, I'm used to fax machine.

Gresham Harkless 11:09

That old album.

Kenzi Wood 11:12

If you're like in your late 20s or 30s, you might know. But that's. Anyway, so I was using fax machine. So I was writing and making content for people even when I was, you know, what, you know, 10 years old. And you know, you grow up and people tell you, oh, well, you know, you're such a good writer, but there's no money that drilled into you of this is not a viable career option. This is a hobby. So I, I always felt the call to be a writer. I was Actually a hobby blogger. For many years, I was, I was blogging about personal finance. And it wasn't until I actually started my side business as a writer that I got proof in cold, hard numbers that this is a very viable career field. If anything, it's more viable than it was 15 or 20 years ago just because of the sheer volume of content that businesses need to put out now. If you're not putting out something every day, you're behind, and that's just kind of the world we're in now. So I'm very thankful for that because it's led to a career. But going back to what piece of, you know, advice or nugget of wisdom I would give people is don't fight it. If you feel like you are called to be, in my case, a writer, a designer, whatever you want to be, don't fight it, because it's going to find its way back to you. I do believe that every person has a purpose on this earth. And if you're doing data entry or a job that you're just not passionate about and you keep feeling like something is telling you to jump off and do your own thing, but then you kind of like defeat yourself before you get the thought out because, oh, there's no money in it, or, oh, I don't even know how to make that possible. You can make it happen. Like, you really can make it happen. So that's my advice, is don't fight it. Look at what you really want, what you want out of your life, and make a plan to get it. It might take a little bit, but nothing good. You know, good things require hard work and sacrifice. You're not going to get the life you want just by sitting and being the same. So don't fight it. Pursue your dreams. You will find a way to make it happen.

Gresham Harkless 13:07

There you go. I love that and I definitely appreciate that because I think a lot of times, you know, we also don't take into account that things change. And change is very, very constant. So as you see, like, things in the industry or way that people are running their business now and changing now, content is such a big part of business, as it wasn't as much as, you know, 10, 15 years ago. It's a huge thing now. But if you hadn't taken that time and, you know, continue to work on your craft and be great at what you do, by the time that shift happened, you wouldn't have had the skills to be able to do what you're doing now. So I think it, it goes Back to what you're saying. Just, you know, continue to hone your craft and continue to have that. That. That vision that you have. And. And then, you know, a lot of times, things will align exactly how they should. I definitely appreciate that. And so now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. We're hoping to have different, quote, unquote, CEOs. Kinsey, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Kenzi Wood 13:55

So, to me, being a CEO as an introvert, I might add, it's, you know, we look at these CEOs and we think, you know, suits, you know, having all your stuff together, public speakers, really confident people. But we forget that CEOs are humans. So to me, to be a CEO is to be a human, but to be the most genuine, authentic version of yourself, to be confident enough to stand up and speak and do things even though they terrify you. Like, I love being on podcasts, but I'm an introvert, so I'm absolutely terrified every time I speak on a podcast, thinking, am I going to say something stupid? But you know what? I'm a CEO. I put on my, you know, business owner hat and I go and I do it anyway.

Gresham Harkless 14:31

Nice. I appreciate that definition. I always usually say, feel the fear and do it anyways, because fear, absence of fear, is not to be human to some degree. So you'll feel the fear, but you want to make sure that you continue on. And I love that perspective because a lot of times we forget when we look at, you know, business that it's made up of people. We're human. We have fears, we have likes, we have things that we're scared of. We have things that we love to do. But to forget that human part is to kind of forget the essence of who we are as individuals. So I appreciate that perspective tremendously, and I appreciate your time even more. And what I wanted to do is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you can let our readers and listeners know, and then, of course, how best they can get a hold of you and find out about all the awesome things you're doing.

Kenzi Wood 15:10

Yeah, sure. So I did want to go back to my first point about being the best and giving good, quality work. So there's a lot of solopreneurs out there. There's a lot of people probably doing exactly whatever business model that you guys are doing. And I think that the question I get a lot as a marketer who helps small agencies is how can I stand out? How can I basically, you know, beat my competition? You know, everybody's looking for an easy answer. Everybody's looking for a way to game Google or, you know, a magic bullet. And the minute that you accept that that does not exist is the minute that you can actually start growing your business. You can stop looking for shortcuts and actually, you know, look up ahead at the mountain in front of you and figure out how to climb it instead of continuously looking for a way around it and wasting your time. So that's what I would say is just dedicate yourself to quality and understand that this is going to be hard no matter what you're doing with your business. It's hard, guys, and we all know that. But the minute that you say, you know what, I know it's hard, I'm going to do it anyway. That's the moment that you're a true CEO.

Gresham Harkless 16:08

Absolutely. I would definitely echo that. You know, put in the time and put in the work to be excellent. And once you, once you realize there is no silver bullet and that doesn't exist other than, you know, rolling up your sleeves and getting the work done, then you know, you'll have a leg up on your competition because you just understand it's going to be really hard and it's going to take sometimes really long. I appreciate that perspective and people that want to reach out to you. Kenzie, what was the best way for them to do that?

Kenzi Wood 16:30

Yeah, sure. You guys can get in touch with me on Twitter. I'm Kenzie Brights. And then you guys can also check out my website, KenzieBrights.com awesome, awesome, awesome.

Gresham Harkless 16:39

We'll make sure to have those links and that information in the show notes as well. But thank you so much, Kenzie and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day