For the longest time, I never gave retirement much thought.

I was pretty busy raising a couple of kids and running a small brick and mortar business. I had plenty of fires to put out each and every day, so I was focused more on the “now,” rather than what looked to me at the time, like a galaxy far, far away.

But then, I reached a “certain age,” and suddenly, I could think of little else. 

I think that “certain” age is different for everyone, but for me, it was 50.  For the first time in my life, I realized that the number of years ahead of me was fewer than the number in my rear view mirror.

Like, if I was very lucky and took really good care of myself, I might have 40 years left.

That was a shock.

But it forced me to focus like never before.  What did I really want to do for the next 40 years?  My last 40 years.  If the first 50 were any indication, my last 40 would blow by before I knew it, so I had to move fast.

What retirement did I really want?  What would I do every day? Where would I live?  And how would I pay for all of it—the retirement I dreamed of, not one I might be forced to take?

As it turned out, my answers revolved around a theme:  taking charge of my future.

I wanted to run the show. I had to make all the money I needed to do everything I wanted to do.  And I wanted to call the shots. I needed to decide when, how much, and where to work.  I needed a portable job.

No—I needed a portable business.

That’s what led me to writing. Copywriting to be specific. Why?  Because my research told me that copywriting pays very well.  So, I attended a Copywriters Boot Camp, invested in some courses to learn the trade, and haven’t looked back.

Today, I own my own copywriting company and I work with the clients I choose to work with.  I work when I want to work.  And, most importantly, I can do the work anywhere on the planet. So, I can indulge in my love of travel, whenever and as often as I want!

That’s me, calling the shots.

But lately, to add to my retirement revenue streams (because really, can you have too many of them?), I’ve been looking at other business options that can run concurrent to my copywriting business.

My favorite one these days, and one that I’m actively pursuing, is using a website to generate income.  I was inspired by a site written by someone who absolutely loves coffee.  He writes a short blog post a couple of times a month, and uses the site traffic to sell coffee, mugs, coffee makers, grinders, and anything else connected to his passion for making and drinking coffee.

He won’t retire on the income from the site, but now he can count on a certain amount of money each month from something he does very little work for—and he loves doing the work!  Now don’t get me wrong.  He could retire on income from his site if he wanted to work harder. But it’s his side gig.  At least, for now.

I think of this option as a money faucet. Turn the stream up or down.  It’s my choice.

Because I ask myself constantly, “Is this all I’m worth?”

I’ve done that all my life. And I always answer, “Hell no!”  Before I started my copywriting business, the brick and mortar business limited my choices for increasing my worth.  But now, I have options.

And what I choose at my current age, has to be income that flows whether I’m working on it or not.  So, I love the idea of a website that prints money for me every month, while I sleep.  A website that I also like to work on.  A stream that’s as big or as small as I’m willing to make it.  Win-win, right?

That’s how I like to call the shots!

What about your retirement?

Has life slowed down enough right now to hit the pause button and give you time to think?  Are you doing what you love to do?  Do you want to keep doing it for the next, I don’t know, say forty years?  Is your income secure? Is it enough?

When you look at your paycheck, do you ask yourself, “Is this all I’m worth?”

If you’re like most people, you like having options.  Here’s the option I’m working on right now that you just might enjoy too!  CLICK HERE for How To Write Your Own Money-Making Websites.

These days, a lot of people — the lucky ones who still have jobs — have been forced to work from home.

Are you one of them? Or are you one of the unlucky ones who’s lost a job?

What if you didn’t have to depend on someone else’s company for work?

What if you could work from home — or anywhere else you wanted to work from — and still provide for your family just as well as you do now? Or maybe even better…

Imagine it.

No more starting the car every morning knowing you’ll be stuck in traffic.

No more pretending to be interested while listening to endless talk about things you’re not interested in.

No more waiting for that annual review before you have the chance to increase your paycheck.

Are you wondering how you could possibly do that? Especially if you don’t have a lot of money to invest?

It’s easy if you consider copywriting.

Before you say it’s too hard to start that business, check this out…

In just ten years, online marketing alone has exploded. According to industry watcher eMarketer, companies will spend about $375 billion on digital marketing by 2021.

So, if you are a copywriter, that means millions of potential clients because that’s how many companies market online. Everyone does. From mom-and-pop businesses to Fortune 500 companies.

This makes it a great business to be in now and for the foreseeable future. The demand will only increase worldwide as we all reach for our mobile devices more and more often.

Everyone will be selling online both now and in the future. And every one of those companies will need copywriters.

But I can’t write. Can I?

Wait a minute. You learned to use your smart phone. You leaned to drive a car. You can learn to write copy. It’s simply a set of skills. Sure, at first it will be a challenge, just like the driving was. But once you master them, you are all set.

In fact, some jobs are as easy as writing a letter, literally.

Google AdWords regularly sends me mail at my brick and mortar to pitch me their online ad service! That’s incredibly ironic, but hey, it works. Google doesn’t invest money unless they know they’re going to get more in return. How often have you pulled mail out of your mailbox that turned out to be advertisements? Copywriters created all of the content for those.

You may be a natural at this.

Do you have a hobby? Like traveling or cooking? Do you love learning about natural health practices or finance? Do you enjoy camping or kayaking or hanging out with your pets? Maybe you’ve picked up some expertise in training those pets or some other area. Then you already have a head start when it comes to writing about those things.

What if you don’t know about a topic. Can you learn about it? Sure you can! That’s one of the skills you learn when you study copywriting.

What do I like the best about being a copywriter?

I can do it from anywhere. I don’t even need an internet connection until it’s time to send the document to my client. So, I can schedule to go off-grid whenever I like.

The other thing I really like is that I can create multiple streams of income whenever I want them or need them. If I decide to buy a new car, I get a new client. If I want to upgrade my phone, I get a new client.

So basically, I’m in complete control of my income. And my time. And my location.

See? There’s a lot to like about copywriting!

If you’re interested in learning more, check out this program by the folks who turn out the very best copywriters. They’ve been doing it a long, long time…so long, in fact, that they are where we got our start.

I got a letter that changed my life…

The world is changing. But you knew that, right?

Even before the pandemic turned the planet upside down, it felt like things were accelerating. Beginning to speed out of control.

So many things changing at once.

That’s what the Fourth Industrial Revolution is. AI. Driverless vehicles. Voice-activated assistants…or spies, depending on how you feel about Alexa, Cortana and Siri.

What about IoT? I usually have to look that one up. It stands for the Internet of Things. Everything is connected these days through the internet…doorbells, kitchen appliances, baby monitors, thermostats, cars.

The lines between our physical world and the digital world have become blurred. If they even exist anymore.

And it’s not just individuals trying to make sense of it all: companies, large and small, and even governments are struggling with how fast technology is changing everything.

Lots to be excited about! But, it can also feel kind of scary. Like maybe we’re about to get lost…

Will My Job Survive the Revolution?

That’s the real question, isn’t it? What happens to us when Alexa or some new AI manifestation takes over our job?

Maybe it’s time to take control back. Just because the world is rushing forward at breakneck speed, that doesn’t mean that you have to let it run over you.

Why not listen to that little voice in your head? You know what I mean. That voice that’s been trying to tell you to go for your dream of working for yourself. Starting your own business. Freeing yourself from the 9 to 5 life that you never liked anyway.

There has never been a time when it made more sense to take control of your own security. If the pandemic taught us anything, it is that trusting in an employer or a government for your livelihood is not the sure thing so many believed it was.

But, even if you could feel secure, your chances of real financial freedom are far more likely to be realized by working for yourself.

Why wait? The future is going to be controlled by those who take charge of their own lives. You just need to figure out what direction you want to go.

Be honest…that’s a little scary but a LOT exciting, right?

Next time we’ll talk about some of those options. You may be surprised at just how much opportunity there is!