Briana Hernandez - Episode Scheduled - email scheduled - linkedIn Scheduled - DE

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Are you fed up with the corporate bullshit holding you back? Welcome to Invest in Yourself, the digital Entrepreneur podcast. The ultimate launchpad for entrepreneurs ready to seize control and unleash their creative genius. Hosted by Phil Better, the podcast mogul, each week he's breaking the chains of conventional work with bold strategies, raw insights, and inspiring success stories from the entrepreneurs who took the risk and invested in themselves. This is your call to arms. Invest in yourself. Break free from someone else's rules and build the empire you deserve. Now, let's dive head first into today's explosive episode.

Welcome back to another exciting episode of Invest in Yourself, the digital Entrepreneur podcast, where we help entrepreneur wannabes learn how to create the business, digital business and freedom that they've been always dreaming of. I am, of course, your host, Phil Better, the podcast mogul and today's guest is a rising force in the world of persuasive writing and purposes, purposeful marketing. She's the kind of entrepreneur who provides that great copy isn't just about clever words. It's about clarity, connection, and conversation. With a sharp eye for strategy and a deep understanding of how to speak to people's real motivations, she's helping businesses across education, wellness, and lifestyle industries stand out and sell authenticity. From mastering the art of persuasive storytelling to managing full scale social media campaigns that actually drive traffic and build loyalty, her journey is a reminder that your words are your superpower in business. And she's not just a writer. She's a copy strategist with a background that blends tech savviness with the precision of creative brilliance.

If you're an aspiring entrepreneur wondering how to position your message, craft content that converts or write with more purpose, this episode could be your playbook. So stick around because in just a moment, I'm gonna have the pleasure to talk with the founder of Brianna Hernandez Copywriting, Brianna Hernandez herself. Brianna, welcome to the podcast.

Thanks so much, Phil. Thanks for having me.

I'm excited because I love copywriting because words are so powerful. So I'm very interested, always talking with copywriters like yourself to learn how you guys jumped into the game, how you use words to convert the audience and the masses into something of loyalty and also provide authenticity and authority to your customers. So I'm going to start with the first question I always ask.

Why?

Why did you decide to become a copywriter and jump into the world of digital entrepreneurship?

Honestly, there's two reasons. One, I just love words. I have been, you know, studying, studied English in college. You know, a huge bookworm I write in my free time, so I am just passionate about words. And even when I was studying in college, I was like, how can I turn this into a career? And I love the flexibility and freedom that digital entrepreneurship provides.

I love that. All right, so big reader, is there a genre? I'm a huge reader as well, but is there a genre that you prefer to listen to versus or listen to read, or are you just like, I'll just pick up a book if the COVID looks nice.

Yeah, I'm definitely the kind of person that like, if it looks good, if the premise sounds interesting, you know, I'm, I'm gonna read it. I don't really discriminate. I've jumped from like YA to Stephen King to like, you know, non fiction.

I love it. With that said, when did you realize in, in your whole, in your beginning of your journey, when did you realize that you could use your writing to persuade people and craft narrative that can like sell?

In essence, a lot of it really started to click into place during this internship that I took not too long after I graduated. I was helping a local online educational platform career in stem. She needed some help with her blog, with her digital marketing with sales, kind of a virtual assistant, all in one type of deal. And you know, the work that I did, I saw that people were seeing it, that you know, she was getting results, that it was leading people through the door to make a sale. And I realized, wow, there's, there's a lot of potential here. A lot of people, you know, they, they see something online and they're persuaded to buy. And I realized that there was potential there to turn this into a full fledged business.

I love that. So when you got the, so you, you started your career, if we will, as an intern for this, this lady, helping her with her online platform. How did you go from, okay, I'm an intern and did you become a, an employee of them like full time, removing the intern status or did you go, I'm going to go build my business right now?

I kind of did both simultaneously. I worked for her part time and I also started looking for clients on Upwork and Fiverr and those platforms where it helps match up clients with freelancers. So I kind of juggled both at the same time while also doing my master's program.

Oh, you're a type a person. I'm taking it you're, you're someone who's like, I, I need just constant busyness. I need to have 100 plots going at the same time.

You know it. Yeah, that is definitely me in a nutshell.

What, so you're doing your masters, you're looking for clients, you're helping this lady part time. How did you not like go crazy? Because I tried having a job and doing this at the same time and I nearly, I nearly burnt out a second time. So I need to know, how did you manage it?

Honestly, having most of this stuff be online was, was a huge help because even though this business was local, she was about, you know, 10 minutes from my house, you know, and all of the, she was online, she worked entirely online. And the upwork and Fiverr work, that was all online. So that really helped with time management. And then my master's program was, was like 90% online. Because I'm situated in northeast Connecticut, I'm in the quiet corner. Anyone who's from New England is probably going to know what I'm talking about. So I'm pretty close to Rhode island, whereas the college that I was getting my master's program in was closer to the coastline. So they offered a hybrid program where you only have to go on campus a few times a semester.

So that helped keep everything manageable. Just being able to sit at my desk and you know, put in my 8 to 10 hours and call it a day.

Now when you were using Upwork and Fiverr and the likes for freelancers, when did you go okay, this is great to being a freelancer. I want to be more business oriented. Like did you scale your business into something where you're not using platforms like that? Freelancers use that. They, they look for kind of gigs, if we will. Or did you say I'm, I like this gig type work, it works for me. Or did you decide, hey, no, I'm going to build an actual business where clients are coming to me without me having to post stuff.

Yeah, I definitely scaled up. I used a lot of like local chamber of commerce websites to reach out to local businesses and try and get some long term work secured. So that was a big part in growing my business was securing those years long contracts. I do leave the Fiverr profile up because I have noticed that even enterprises will use it to find long term freelancers. So I do leave those profiles active just in the event that I catch a fish in the net. And I also use Facebook quite a bit to find clients, find work, find community. Because there is so many business communities, so many solopreneur communities, so many female entrepreneur communities that you know, you could spend a year networking and not even scratch the surface. So yeah, definitely, I, I'm sorry, what?

We understand it like there's 10,000 groups on Facebook just on podcasting alone. I can only imagine for just on entrepreneur or business owners, there's probably like quadruple that amount given, you know, 2020 showed the. The explosion of Facebook groups and communities, how important communities are with. With using Facebook, primarily because I know a lot of us elder millennials. I don't know if you're a millennial or not, but I am. I'm. I'm old, as the kids said. I saw something that said, if you were born in 1997, you're now considered old and should be settling down.

And me. My knees.

God.

But I. I'm wondering with Facebook, did you have to change from. Because I. We all grew up with Facebook being a social media platform, and now you're using it more as a business platform. Did you change how you started posting on Facebook? More. Less of hey, I'm going to the gym to more like, this is how you build your business, or this is how you turn words into customers. Was that something that you actively did or you just left your profile as your social media profile?

So one good thing about Facebook is that it really lets you curate who sees your posts. So I have, you know, my personal posts set, so, like, people who I only know in real life can see them. And then I have my business post set so that only business contacts can see them. And those respective groups, they're blocked from seeing each other's posts. So, yeah, it really helps. It takes a lot of time to put those lists together, but once it's in place, it really helps keep work and personal lives separate. So I've been using the same Facebook account for like a little over 10 years, which, as a younger millennial, I'm still pretty late to the game setting Facebook. I waited until I was 19, Scott.

Yeah, I was really hesitant. I was. I was more active on like, Instagram and Google for the 10 people that remember it, Google. So, yeah, it was useful, but, you know, definitely did not last. But yeah, I've noticed that Facebook is really helpful in terms of curating your audience.

Okay. With someone. Let's talk to the audience of people who are like us, who thoroughly enjoy reading. They love writing. They know how powerful words are. What is a piece of knowledge that you would love to pass on to those wannabe copywriters? Maybe not wannabe copywriters. I feel that's bad. But soon to be successful copywriters like yourself to help them that kind of like you wish you had before you Started because I'm wondering, did you have a mentor going into copywriting or did you just go, hey, I know what copyright, I love writing, I'm going to write.

So there's two questions there. So we're going to go, we're going to split it back. I'm going to. Sorry, I just, I have hundreds of questions for you. And they all spell out, did you use a mentor going into the copywriting or did you get a mentor for the business side of life?

I did some mentorship programs for the business side once things were more established. And I do wish that I had a mentor for the copywriting side because I had to go through quite a few self education programs, you know, a lot of reading, so much reading, you know, finding industry giants and reading their company blogs and their articles and their, you know, annual papers and all that. So there was a lot of self study that went into, you know, fine tuning my craft. And I wish that I had a mentor to help. I don't want to say expedite the process, but it definitely wouldn't have been like quite as long and arduous as it was if it's someone helping.

Okay, so with, with that said, since you're wishing or you, you look back and say, hey, I wish I had someone who could at least show me some of the ropes when it comes to copywriting. Would you suggest or advise future copywriters that they should find a mentor, someone who's willing to help them get through the, the smaller hurdles that it is to start the copywriting journey?

Definitely. I would advise seeking out a mentor or some type of educational program where there's an involved teacher, just someone there so that you're, you can talk to a person and have regular access to a person instead of doing self paced, you know, courses and reading materials. Makes a huge difference having a person there that you can ask your questions to.

Okay, so with everything you've done, you, you went as I said in the intro, you do wellness, you do health. Second here, the education is that, are those the niches that you enjoy using or did you try and fit all niches and then slowly niche down?

Those are really the niches where I like started out and I've noticed that quite a few of my clients still fit into those categories. That's just kind of the way, you know, the chips fell. Those are definitely my favorite niches to work in because they're not white, as rigid as some other niches. Like, you start getting into certain fields, you have to have a lot of Technical knowledge. You have to do a lot of research things, go through so many rounds of editing. So when you start getting more into, like, lifestyle and, you know, common knowledge type niches, things get a little easier and more fun and, you know, it's just a smoother process for everyone involved.

Yeah. So. And it's a little less work because you're like, okay, this is. Yeah, I don't need to read 20 books on, you know, the technical specifications of this tool. I can just talk about, hey, this is the general theme. And this knowledge that you already have, and a few minutes of deep diving into learning a bit more and getting more common knowledge as it is. Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now?

So I see myself still doing this and scaling the business even more. I'm really hoping to take on a VA in the coming year so I can, you know, start getting some help with, you know, appointment setting and, you know, client acquisition and all that. But definitely staying in this field. I love what I do.

Good. Would there be something that you would love to change about your industry that you're in right now? The copywriting industry as a whole, or specific. The specific niche that you're in of copywriting?

You know, I feel like I have to bring up AI, you know, it's shaken up the copywriting industry so much in the last year or two. And, you know, I wish that more people would realize that AI works better when there's a person at the helm. I feel like so many businesses kind of jumped in like, oh, my gosh, we have this all in one AI assistant that can do everything. And I think a lot of people are starting to notice that AI content tends to all sound alike. It tends to, you know, they call them hallucinations, where it'll just make up information on the spot. So I feel like a lot of people should take another look at how AI can be used with an experienced person at the helm. And I think writers who are afraid of AI, you know, they shouldn't be quite so afraid of it, because I think that there's still enough work for everyone.

Yeah, I truly agree because a lot of people are talking about AI in podcasting as well, and it's a great tool, and that's what all it is. It's like another arrow in your quiver. It's another tool in your tool. Yes, it's only as good as the person wielding it. And yes, you can get some amazing results with AI. However, it also can damage your brand because they're like, oh, it's Just AI. Is that really your info or are you just pulling it off of a language model that is just filled with a whole bunch of excess knowledge that's in there? Would you. Would you suggest to the audience who are looking to become copywriters to learn AI alongside the copywriting or wait till they have the basics of copywriting down before they even start touching that tool?

I really think they should have the basics down because you definitely don't want to become reliant on AI. And like I said, it has a very specific way of speaking. It's very, you know, formal. It can have a very corporate way of sounding, and I think people tinker with it too much while they're still in the learning phase that may influence the way they write and, you know, everything ends up sounding like an English paper. Whereas the key to a lot of good quality copy is keeping things light, keeping it conversational, pulling back the curtain and showing the person behind, you know, each company and humanizing the brand. And it's tough to humanize a brand when you're using AI as a crutch, but it is a good tool once you have the basics mastered.

I'm curious. You've been in this industry for about how long right now, would you say.

Say you run seven or eight years?

Have you. Apart from the AI tool, when we look not just at basics, but the industry as a whole of copywriting, have you found there been more of an evolution now since 2020, since you were there before the big boom? I'll say of entrepreneurship in 2020, because that's when a lot of people started learning about entrepreneurship, started jumping into this game. Did you see a huge change in the industry, apart from AI during the pandemic period, or has it just naturally continued to grow as is?

Do you think having such a sudden influx of entrepreneurs in 2020 has changed the way a lot of people write copy? I think that's really the startup when things got very informal, when people started to prefer conversational copy. I feel like before businesses were like, very, you know, suit with a tie, very. Yeah, very strict. And everything sounded like press release. All the Facebook posts were carefully worded. Everything, you know, to use the same comparison again, sounded like an English paper. Everything was just so proper and poised. And I think these days, a lot of people are more forgiving of, like, more informal, goofier sounding copy.

People want, you know, to see jokes there. I would even say people are more forgiving of typos and, and errors and improper grammar. You know, you. You go on Short form platforms like Threads. And you see certain brands, even big brands like Wendy's, typing in all lowercase and doing more conversational type. You know, subtle marketing. And I think people wouldn't have been quite as open to that if there weren't so many entrepreneurs, so many different voices at once.

I love that. And I love that you brought up Wendy's, because I saw a TikTok yesterday talking about how the Wendy's, Wendy's Twitter account kind of changed the game of marketing. When just an intern was watching the Twitter feed when the never frozen, always fresh came out and someone says, well, you freeze the, freeze your beef. And they're like, how do you do you ship them raw? And like, have you not heard of a refrigerator? And that thread kind of just blew up showing that, hey, you can have a personality, you can have some sass, like show, show who you are in the, in the long run with, with your Twitter feed, with who your content. Do you see this continuing to hit some of the bigger, bigger name brands, like those billion dollar brands that really are corporate unless, you know, customer friendly or, you know, like we'll look at, let's say, not necessarily McDonald's, but we're looking at Walmart, we're looking at Amazon. You know, those billion dollar businesses that really, really take their time before releasing anything. Do you see them switching over to a more personalized conversation style or do you see them still sticking with that? We are a business. There's no one behind the business.

I'll be honest, I see them sticking with the more formal corporate style. I think that anything that, you know, the really big companies try to do to relate to customers, it'll be, you know, in the form of like commercials that try and tug at your heartstrings, things like that. I don't see them really using words to convey a more informal tone or to try and strike a conversation with customers. I could be wrong, but that's not really the vibe that I'm getting from that. I feel like, you know, for bigger companies to branch out into the more informal type of, of copywriting and, and not being so stiff, it's very bold. It's a bold move. It's not something people typically expect from brands. So not every company, I think, is going to be willing to make that change.

And I think that that's where smaller entrepreneurs shine, where it's not as big a deal. If we talk about, you know, how we spent our Monday morning working on our latest product, you know, people want to know the person behind the company.

I love that. And it's true that that's how you build that community. Like you have to allow your customers to know that you're not a robot, that you're actual human. You have feelings and, you know, depending on where you stand on certain subjects when they, when it pops up. With that said, what do you do? Because obviously the podcast called Invest in Yourself. So I need to know what do you do to invest in yourself to become a better version of you, better copywriter, better human, whatever you feel would be most beneficial to the audience to learn how to invest in themselves?

Definitely staying up to date on the latest changes in the copywriting world. I think reading papers by industry experts, you know, in terms of social media specifically, we're looking at Sprout Social. But you know, there's plenty of other resources out there that are constantly, you know, providing information on the latest and greatest in the copywriting world. And I also think just reading anything that you can get your hands on, books, newspapers, articles, that not only refines your own writing skills, but it makes you a more well rounded and informed consumer. And you have to be a well rounded and informed consumer if you're going to be on the other side trying to sell things and trying to market things that people will be willing to make a purchase. You have to know what it's like on either side of the table, you know.

Yeah, is there a copywriter that you look up to or are there copywriters that you look up to that you say, hey, this is someone that I enjoy reading their copy, I enjoy their style of copywriting.

This one, Claire lynch, she is a UK copywriter and I did some of her self paced courses a few years ago. I found her work to be very easy to consume. It was very easy to follow along with her materials, her teaching materials, as well as her copywriting example. So that's definitely one name that comes to mind. I'm starting to learn more about, you know, Gary Halbert and Dave AG Levi, other legendary copywriters. So, yeah.

What is a piece of advice that you received or some nugget of gold that you received that has stuck with you during your journey? It could be about copywriting, it could be about business, or it could be about you personally, like your, your lived experiences. Maybe not necessarily lived experience, but something that's impacted you in your personal life that you feel comfortable enough to share with us here on the podcast.

I would say that my very first internship, going back to the first, you know, stepping stone in my career, seeing her slowly building her business and you know, the struggles that came with it and all the different steps that were involved and seeing how she stuck with it, that really, you know, gave me the comfort and confidence that I needed to, you know, start this journey. Seeing that after enough, you know, missteps, eventually there's successes and things do start falling to place if you keep at it long enough.

It's true things as long as you stick with it. The consistency, it compounds time. Just like the stock market, it compounds over time. That's how you build your wealth, that's how you build your business. Showing the consistency in running whatever it is you're running or whatever you're doing that consistency compounds over time. We are coming up to the end of the episode, which I despise because I'm having a great time chatting with you Brianna. But likewise, I have your 10 year old self right beside me. What's one piece of advice you would love to be able to hand back to 10 year old Brianna?

I would say be more bold. I was a very shy kid and it took me a while to have that bravery to jump into entrepreneurship and I essentially needed to see someone else doing it before I had the confidence to do it. So I would say be more bold.

Great pieces of great piece of advice. Rihanna. I'm going to jump off stage here for a second. I want you to let my audience know where they can find you, where they can follow you, how they can support you. If you have something you want to pitch to them, an offer, course or anything like that, the floor is yours.

Absolutely. So you can always reach out to me via email at Brianna Hernandez copywriting.com. you can also reach out to me on Facebook. I should show up under Brianna Hernandez or Brianna Hernandez Copywriting. And I do have a little quick read ebook which will help kind of grease the wheels with your social media. If you need some inspiration. This ebook, it's only like six or seven pages, will help give you some inspiration for your next post.

I love it. Perfect, simple, concise, just like your copywriting should be. Brianna, I want to thank you again for being here. You were an amazing guest and I had a fun time chatting with you. I'm looking forward to having you back on the podcast.

Thanks so much Bill. I had a great time too.

Excellent to my audience. Make sure you check out the show notes down below to learn more about Brianna and connect with her as well. Of course, picking up that free ebook so that your next social media post can hit the virality that it deserves. I'm of course, Phil Better the Podcast Mogul make sure you're following over on Spotify. I thank you very much for listening. And remember to Always invest in your Yourself.

Thanks for joining us on Invest in Yourself, the digital entrepreneur podcast. The podcast mogul reminds you that your journey to freedom and success starts with one powerful move investing in yourself. If today's episode sparked your fire, hit that follow button on Spotify and drop us a comment. Share your wins, your challenges, and what drives you to break free from the corporate grind. Remember, you're your best investment. Always invest in yourself because your potential is limitless. Until next time, keep hustling and take control of your destiny.