data entry jobs or director-level jobs, and nothing in between.) So, I figured I had two options: not work at all, or create my own job. And since I definitely needed an income to survive, the second of the two felt like the only path that would work.
MS: What made you want to be what you are now?
SN: My long-time dream of being a very important person with a very flexible schedule and a very large desktop computer to sit and type at all day. I don’t know why I craved that specific task so deeply, but I think it’s maybe because it felt like a fantasy. Who gets to sit and write all day unless you’re, like, an insanely successful published author? The answer, I recently found out, is copywriters. So here I am.
MS: What was your pivotal moment in life that made you take this direction?
SN: My family made the decision to move closer to my son’s relatives in Quebec, which meant I’d need a remote job. And when I started looking, I found nothing. (And by ‘nothing’ I mean boring
MS: What are your favorite parts about what you do?
SN: My favorite part about my job is definitely connecting with different people from all over the world. I have clients from all sorts of places - every coast of the U.S., all over Canada, down to the Dominican Republic, and even in Australia and New Zealand. As an extrovert and conversation lover, this part of my role as a copywriter feels like a dream. Plus, more often than not, I’m collaborating with a client to create a website, so I get to learn all about them, their life, and their business (in order to write the best About pages, of course), and I’ve found that people always surprise you with their unique stories.
MS: What are your short-term and/or long-term goals at the moment?
SN: Short term goals: launch the course I’ve been working on for months. Long term goal: become a professor at a university, teaching copywriting, marketing, or something related to small business ownership.
MS: Do you have advice for people interested in the same field?
SN: Don’t wait until everything feels perfect. You’d be waiting forever. Just start. Specifically, start by reaching out to people and asking if you can write for them. Or watch YouTube video tutorials. Or read a book about the principles of copywriting or marketing. Choose any first step that feels manageable, and take it.
MS: What is something you wish you knew in the beginning?
SN: That I don’t have to settle for projects or clients that don’t feel aligned. A lot of freelancers get caught up in this scarcity mindset, and accept any job just because it’s a paycheck, when in reality, that takes up a lot of your mental space, time, and energy that could be used for a bigger, better, more fulfilling project.
MS: Who are your biggest inspirations and why?
SN: In the marketing field, Ann Handley is my biggest inspiration, not only because she’s in a position I’d love to be in one day (hello, published author dream from earlier!), but also because she’s unapologetically herself, and I love how that translates into both her writing and her presence online. In life, I’m constantly inspired by the community around me: from my best friends working on themselves and building their own lives, to my husband’s Grandma taking care of everyone around her, to my 2-year-old son discovering his little world.
MS: What is your favorite food/drink-related memory?
SN: Summer 2018, Chatham Bars Inn, raspberry mojito. Nothing will ever beat those moments. (I used to work there as a concierge, and may or may not have had an in with the bartenders who would make me this off-the-menu drink upon request at least weekly.)
MS: What is your favorite quote and why?
SN: “If you don’t ask, the answer will always be no.” So many opportunities are missed out of pure shyness, and I think that putting yourself out there is always a good idea. Sure, you may get a ‘no’ once in a while, and you may feel a bit awkward, but… what if you get a ‘yes’?!
MS: What is your favorite meal to share?
SN: Oh my gosh, this is such a hard question. Anything my husband and I make together—and by together, I mean 90% him doing the work and 10% me admiring his chef skills while slowly chopping vegetables and sneaking crackers + cheese in the corner. I love anything Asian-inspired, especially noodles, and especially when he makes them. In terms of drinks, anything too-sweet is always my favorite. But when it comes to sharing, I think I’d have to say hot chocolate on a warm Canada winter day.
MS: What is your ideal day in the work life?
SN: Waking up at 5am (huge morning gal here), going for a walk outside, having breakfast (currently on an overnight oats kick), and getting started right away with work around 6:30am. I’d take breaks here and there, and finish up for the day before 2pm, then go on a hike with my little family of three or take our son to the playground, then make dinner together and chill for the rest of the night.
MS: What is your ideal non-work day?
SN: Waking up before the rest of the world to walk, read, or journal. Then to our favorite bakery, Merci La Vie in Piedmont, Quebec, for huge loaves of bread, and the farmer’s market in Val David, Quebec for the best produce (Canadian raspberries and blueberries when they’re in season? Ohhh man, to die for.) Next up would be playground, lunch, and hanging around by the lake.
MS: What are some things that keep you going?
SN: Deadlines. LOL. Kidding. Kinda. Also, knowing that everything I work for and everything I earn is going towards giving my child the best possible life.
MS: How do you approach a work life balance?
SN: I wish I had an answer for this one. Still figuring it all out.
MS: What does supporting local mean to you?
SN: Choosing locally-owned businesses whenever possible. I love to buy produce, books, home decor, furniture, and clothes locally whenever possible. It’s so nice to get to know the people who run shops in my hometown (shoutout Julie at Vintage Retriever in Holden, MA!) and it gives me the warm-and-fuzzies to support them.
MS: If you could solve one problem in the world, what would it be and why?
SN: Homelessness, because our communities deserve better.
MS: What is the most valuable advice you’ve received?
SN: When I was on my way to preschool as a toddler, I was having a meltdown about going inside. My mom looked at me and said, “you can choose to have a good day, or you can choose to have a bad day. You get to decide. Do you want to have a good day?” and I never forgot it—this is my earliest memory, and my most cherished advice. Of course, simply ‘choosing happy’ isn’t always possible when you’re feeling extra anxious, or when you’re battling with your mental health, or when you’re super stressed, but I try my best to remember that worrying never takes away tomorrow’s problems, only today’s joy.
MS: What is your definition of success?
SN: Being able to work less hours, spend more time with family, make time for the things you love doing, and never getting a stomach ache thinking about having to go to work on Monday morning (speaking from experience - that is THE worst feeling.)
MS: Say you were invited to a dinner party, what recipe you bring to the table and why?
SN: Brownies, because they’re a crowd favorite, and they’re very hard to mess up. Also because I’ll take any excuse to lick the brownie batter off the spoon.
“Everything is a skill. We look at people and think they are just naturally good at something or that “I could never do that.” Not true. If you break everything down into the atomic zone we are just a combination of micro-skills and patterns of thinking. Everything can be adjusted, unlearned, learned and improved upon. I do think some people are born with certain opportunities, privileges and predispositions but I think there is a lot that we don’t realize we can achieve because people don’t open themselves to thinking creatively.”
