Meet Jess Haney | Certified Conversion Copywriter and Email Marketing Strategist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jess Haney and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jess, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I never actually intended to start my own business. When I first got into the world of freelancing, I thought that it would just be a way for me to make some money online while traveling.

I was working as a Registered Massage Therapist while building funnels on the side as a freelancer, and I quickly realized that I was able to make way more money in less time and with less effort than I was when I was massaging. The thought started to eat away at me, and I was constantly doing money math in my head while I was at work. I would wonder, if I had spent this shift marketing myself instead of being here, what would that payoff look like? Could I have gotten a new client or two?

One day I just decided that I was going to go all in. I didn’t have any savings, I had a small client base, I wasn’t charging very much for my services… but I knew that if I kept my massage job, I would continue to pick up extra shifts, and the process to becoming a full-time freelancer would continually be delayed.

I still didn’t look at it like I was starting a business. All I knew was that I wanted to work from home, have the flexibility to work the hours I wanted to work, and make more money than I could through massaging. So when I quit massaging, I just thought…. I’m a freelancer now.

I quickly realized that I actually *was* running a business, whether I looked at it that way or not.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I run two businesses at the moment.

My personal brand is Jess Haney Copy, where I write launch copy for coaches launching high-ticket group coaching programs. My agency (which I run with two other brilliant women) is called Open Loop Studio, we’re an email performance agency specializing in email strategy and copy for B2B SaaS and ecommerce companies.

I’ve been operating Jess Haney Copy for about 4 years now, and if I said that it’s been easy, I’d be lying. In addition to all the business operations/logistical things you need to learn, there are also so many mental hurdles you need to overcome when you run your own business. It’s the biggest personal development journey you’ll ever go on. Whenever I’ve come up against something that I recognize is holding me back, I find someone or something that can help me work through it. A coach, a mentor, a peer, a book. It’s kinda like very targeted therapy for your business. So it’s honestly just always doing the work. Always.

I think that’s what sets me apart from others — I’m so driven to make sure that I don’t get in the way of my own success, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen. It’s tough, and it brings up uncomfortable emotions, or it makes you realize things about yourself you might not love, and that’s why I think some people avoid it. For example, I know a lot of people who know they don’t charge enough, and they work 60+ hour weeks, and still don’t make enough money to live comfortably. So for me, I would figure out who to recruit to help me face it head-on, so I can move through it and not let it have a hold on me any longer than it already has. I’ve done this with sooo many things, it’s unbelievable.

Now that’s just me as a business owner. Me as a copywriter, I’m just really, really good at what I do. There’s truly some magic to it, but I also do whatever I can to keep getting better at it.

I’m also not afraid to ask my clients for results, and I share those results. That right there is what I believe sets successful copywriters apart — having the confidence to ask for the results of your work and then sharing it everywhere.

And all tied up in this is that I allow myself to be myself in every piece of my business. On social media, calls, in-person… you get me, not some professional, polished me that I “think” I should be.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’ve never been to Colorado, but I’ll be sure to look up everyone’s recommendations when I do visit!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My parents, my family, my partner, and my closest friends — I’ve received nothing but 100% steadfast support from every single one of them throughout this entire process. They’re the most incredible support system. No doubts about my abilities or no minimizing my efforts.

I hear from people so often that their family or friends ask about their “little business” or encourage them to give up when things get hard. Or they don’t support their big, wild ideas. I’m blessed and grateful to say that I could tell the people in my life the most absolutely out-there idea, and they would back me up and cheer me on (I know, because I’ve done it… a few times).

I’m not even sure my family knows exactly what I do, but they always ask how business is going, what I’ve been up to, and they watch everything I do on social media. My dad literally hearts every single one of my Instagram stories, and sometimes there are more than 20.

My friends check in on me and make sure I’m taking care of myself — am I taking breaks, eating good food, moving my body, getting enough sleep. Some of my friends who don’t work online think that I’m an influencer, or that I’m internet famous, which is hilarious to me, and I love it so much (because I’m most definitely not).

And my partner is my rock. Truly. He’s never resented how busy I am, or how much energy and attention goes into my business. He makes sure I’m eating, he reassures me when I doubt myself, and he does his best to get me out of the house and into nature when he sees I haven’t left in a few days (….or a week.)

All this is to say that I’m so blessed with the people I have in my life, and I wouldn’t be where I am without the support and encouragement they’ve given me.

Website: www.jesshaney.com and www.openloopstudio.co

Instagram: @jesshaneycopy

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesshaneycopy/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/open-loop-studio/

Image Credits
Magna Arnott Photography for the professional brand photos