“Don’t fear failure. Not failure, but low aim, is the crime. In great attempts, it is glorious even to fail.” – Bruce Lee

Alex Wong hadn’t really worked in the corporate world much. During school, he mostly worked part-time jobs before he went to South Korea to teach English for three years. That was his first real full-time job, and he really enjoyed it. Alex taught at two different schools, covering grades 1-6.

When Alex came back to Canada, he reconnected with a college friend who was running a marketing agency for dentists. He suggested Alex write some blog posts for him. “I was open to trying anything, so I gave it a try. It turns out there was a lot of demand for copywriting, and I went from interning for a few weeks to being hired directly at his company”. Alex worked there for a few years remotely while building up his copywriting business.

To improve his skills, Alex took a copywriting coaching course and had a mentor guiding him. Eventually, he met many people with online businesses while working remotely in Bangkok. A friend who was successful at affiliate marketing gave Alex great advice on building a website, creating content, and marketing. They became good friends, and he even hired Alex for some projects.

This eventually led Alex to self-publishing books, which he really enjoyed. It allowed him to earn revenue from sales beyond just client work. “When I first started, I didn’t know what I was doing and made a lot of mistakes. I took it step by step, did some courses, and met other authors and publishers. Over time, I’ve turned this into a full-time business, publishing a number of bestsellers. I’ve also coached many authors to improve their success on Amazon.”

The Changing World

Covid had a significant impact on Alex’s business. His overall revenue dropped by 50% during this time. It was quite scary. As with most businesses, no one was working or spending money, so it made him realize not to rely on one income stream and to build up multiple streams of income to minimize risk.

AI has already had an impact, both good and bad. On the positive side, it makes writing and editing easier, such as proofreading and improving readability and quality. On the downside, companies can use AI to generate content instead of hiring someone. Although AI is improving, it lacks genuine or unique content. It’s not providing anything new since it scrapes the internet for information. AI is missing that extra human element. It’s easy to generate content, but creating personalized content that people want to read, engage with, and that improves their lives is more difficult.

The Reading List

Here’s a few of Alex’s favorite books:

  • So Good They Can’t Ignore You
  • The Millionaire Fastlane
  • 80/20 Sales and Marketing
  • Never Split the Difference
  • How to Win Friends and Influence People
  • Think and Grow Rich
  • The One Thing

The Value of Freedom

For Alex, escaping the 9 to 5 is about options. He can work at home rather than going to the office, or hop on a plane next week and work from another country without asking for permission. “I can also choose to work on projects that I find engaging and work with clients or reject them if I want to.”

Naturally, this benefit comes with a lot of hard work, dedication, and responsibility. “I can choose to work or not, but it’s up to me to make money. No one is going to send me a salary every two weeks whether I put in the work or not. It’s up to me to produce results. It’s also more stressful, but I accept that as part of running my own business.”

Lessons Learned

1. It’s okay not to know what you want. Most people don’t know what they want. Alex switched majors probably seven times in college. “I wish I had taken more time to slow down and try as many things as I could. See what I liked, didn’t like, what I wanted to learn, etc. There is so much pressure to get ahead and not fall behind your peers, get the degree, job, next promotion, etc., that we stop to think about what we actually want.”

2. Outsource ASAP. Start hiring help as soon as possible. When Alex first started his website, he tried doing everything on his own. This included creating the content, contact pages, emails, and ensuring everything was running smoothly. Although he learned a lot, Alex would have saved so much time if he had hired others to help him. “There are a lot of people who are smarter and more talented than me at their jobs and do them full-time.”

When Alex was starting out, he was working late into the night almost daily. As a result, his health took a toll—he experienced weight loss, digestion issues, stress, sleep disturbances, and even developed gray hair. “I realize now that it wasn’t worth it. I should have taken a step back and looked for areas to outsource and get help so that I could have more balance in my life.” No business is worth sacrificing your health and sanity.

Since implementing outsourcing in his business, Alex has experienced significant benefits. For example, outsourcing tasks like website maintenance and content creation has freed up time to focus on strategic planning and business development. This has resulted in increased productivity and improved work-life balance.

3. Have multiple income streams. During the pandemic, like many businesses, Alex’s revenue declined significantly, likely by half. It was a challenging time, and he realized the importance of having multiple income streams to mitigate risks. Despite the downturn, Alex was able to maintain financial stability because he had diversified his income sources. In addition to revenue from clients, Alex also generated income from ads, book sales, and other streams. This diversified approach ensured that even if one area experienced a decline, Alex could still manage and find other ways to earn revenue. “I made a promise to myself to never rely solely on one source of income.”

4. Appreciate your small wins. It’s natural to focus on what we lack rather than appreciating our achievements. However, reflecting on his journey, Alex has come to realize the importance of celebrating wins, no matter how small they may seem.

Each year, Alex makes it a point to write down his accomplishments and set new goals, which he calls quests. “Looking back on these achievements, I’ve noticed how much I’ve grown and how my priorities have evolved over time. What I once considered a significant achievement years ago may not seem as monumental now. Nonetheless, acknowledging and celebrating these milestones helps me stay motivated and focused on my larger goals and dreams.”

5. Use your advantages to your advantage. As a second-generation child born in Canada, Alex is acutely aware of the privileges and advantages he has been afforded. His upbringing in a developed country, fluency in English, and access to education and healthcare are blessings he does not take for granted. “Recognizing these advantages, I strive to leverage them responsibly in my career endeavors. Whether it’s teaching English in Korea, writing for clients, or collaborating with international partners, I aim to use my skills and resources to create opportunities for myself and others.”

What mistakes have you made along the way?

Always be willing to walk away from a bad deal and never rush into anything without fully understanding it. During the pandemic, Alex’s business faced significant challenges, prompting him to explore new partnerships. He connected with a mutual acquaintance, and they began discussing potential collaborations. However, as their discussions progressed, it became clear that their approaches and expectations were not aligned. Despite the initial appeal of the partnership, Alex realized that rushing into a deal out of fear was not the right approach. “Our endless disagreements, coupled with unfavorable terms, ultimately led me to reassess the partnership and prioritize long-term sustainability over short-term gains. This experience underscored the importance of thorough due diligence and the willingness to walk away from deals that do not align with my values and objectives.”

Like many escapees from the 9 to 5, Alex has had to learn to take time for himself. “I know this sounds cheesy, but with the constant hustle culture, this is now more important than ever. When I was first starting my business, I would work countless hours and stay up late at night. I was constantly worried and stressed out and wasn’t sleeping well. Eventually, this impacted my health: I lost weight, developed insomnia, premature graying hair, and digestion issues. Even though I might have made more money, it wasn’t worth it.”

What’s Next

Alex plans to continue building up his business, publish more books, get his name out there, and make new connections. His goal is to scale his revenue past a certain point. “As a small business, I’m limited in what I can do compared to a large corporation. My business has been impacted by AI and the recent Google Search updates, so I’ve had to find other ways to grow my business and revenue. It’s about adapting to the new changes.”

Catch up with Alex Wong at – https://alexwongcopywriting.com/