You’re In Good Company
By Mindy McHorse

Once you switch to the work-from-home lifestyle, you’ll probably get some mixed reactions from other people.

Some people will envy you.

Some will wonder how you’re able to make a living.

Others will say things like, “I couldn’t do it. I’d get bored. I need to be around people.”

It’s this last reaction that always puts a smile on my face. Mostly because it’s dead wrong.

For one thing, “working from home” doesn’t mean you’re tied to your house. It gives you the power of choice. Get a laptop and you can do your work anywhere, from a busy coffee shop to a popular park.

In fact, you don’t even need to tote your technology. Some very successful copywriters swear by the value of putting pen to paper when they kick off their projects.

You can be as solitary or as sociable as you want. One copywriter I know does virtually all her work while sipping tea at her neighborhood café. She’s become good friends with the wait staff and greets all the other regulars like old friends.

I tend to do most of my work from my home office because I have such a useful setup – dual monitors, ergonomic keyboard, adjustable office chair, drawers loaded with chocolate treats …

Even so, about once a week I head to the bookstore to sip a latte and do some writing.

But, whether I’m working from home or some other location, I never feel alone.

That’s because I never really work alone. I’m always connected to a massive community of copywriters. We link up on email and forums. We send tweets and post on each others’ Facebook walls. We even get to enjoy each other’s career progress when different promotions roll out and we know a friend authored one.

Best of all, these people are more than just names to me.

I’ve met most of them, thanks to attending a handful of live events over the last few years. Then there are some I’ve never met – or even talked to on the phone – yet, we understand each other better than friends I’ve had for years!

It’s not just because we’re in the same career field. It’s because your fellow freelancers are the only people who really know what you’re going through.

They give you support from the inside. Don’t get me wrong, support from family and friends is invaluable.

But there’s incredible value in being told you can accomplish a goal by people who are in the same line of work as you. People who understand the challenges you’re up against and are aware of what it takes to put yourself out there and choose a lifestyle that offers so much individual power and personal satisfaction.

You’re never lonely in this world. After all, connection is vital. It’s one of the reasons I firmly believe you should invest in at least one live event a year. Bootcamp is one way to do that.

And, though it’s too late to come to this year’s Web Intensive (it’s going on now), you can still benefit from the Home Study course. You’ll get your career up and running in the quickest time possible, so when you get to Bootcamp, you’ll already feel like you’re part of this world.

P.S. If you want to know more about becoming a freelance web writer, read this article I wrote on how you can fast track your way to a successful writer’s life.

And if you have any questions or comments for me, be sure to include them below the article. I’ll be happy to answer them!