Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffanie Jackson.
Hi Tiffanie, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been a writer. I’ve written stories and poetry as far back as I can remember. I never pursued it professionally because most adults in my life as a kid saw writing as a hobby and encouraged me to pursue something more safe and “secure”.
After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science at Auburn University, I moved to Atlanta for law school. I quickly realized that being a lawyer was not for me and dropped out after one semester.
Somehow, I ended up in the world of commercial insurance, which is where I built a career for 9 years. I was bored to death, but I originally stuck around because it felt safe and I liked the people I worked with. Once I moved through different departments and positions, I no longer connected with the people I worked with. I grew more and more dissatisfied and drained until I decided to pursue a certification in makeup after work.
I’d always loved makeup and skincare and had friends that encouraged me to become an MUA. So, in 2018, I attended Industry Makeup Academy in Atlanta, GA for 6 weeks. Though I had once been absolutely drained every day after work, I had newfound energy and excitement once I started going to class each day at 6 pm.
I finished my certification and not long after relocated to San Diego, CA with my husband. I did some makeup here and there on the side, but I mostly fell back into the routine of a boring 9-5. I discovered copywriting existed mid-2019 through the Hot Copy podcast. I enveloped myself in reading books and listening to podcasts about copywriting for months until I finally signed up for my first copywriting course with Belinda Weaver in February 2020.
I started out strong in the course but fell behind on the assignments as work and other commitments were filling up my time.
When the pandemic struck in March, I wasn’t sure what that would mean for my insurance career. We were sent to work from home, then furloughed, and eventually laid off by end of July 2020.
Though I knew I should probably be sad, I felt relief instead. I immediately hopped back into Belinda’s Copywriting Master Class, reviewed all of the coursework, and finished up all the assignments. As soon as I finished, I registered the DBA for CopyFoxx and began setting up my website and social media accounts. I knew if there was any chance of finally taking the leap from my 9-5—this was it.
I struggled with choosing a niche for a while. I didn’t want to throw away all the YEARS I put into my insurance career, so I thought that meant that I should write in that niche. But every time I thought about it, I was less than excited, to say the least.
I joined Copywriter Accelerator and enjoyed thorough business coaching specifically for copywriters from Kira Hug and Rob Marsh. One particular module during this group program centered around choosing a niche. When I shared with others that I was waffling between writing in the insurance industry or focusing on beauty/self-care, the choice was obvious to them. They could all see how much I loved one industry over the other.
After that experience, I went all-in on serving entrepreneurs in the beauty and self-care space, then expanding to include personal brands (coaches and influencers). It’s been the best choice I could have ever made!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have definitely been some struggles along the way. Most of them, however, have been mindset-based. From restructuring the way I view success down to how to plan my days, it’s all been challenging! It’s a lot harder than I thought it would be to ditch the 9-5 mindset after so many years, but for me, it’s been necessary in order to grow and create a business I love.
As you know, we’re big fans of CopyFoxx. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I develop brand voice and write personality-driven copy for brands founded by talented and driven women of color. I help women who are tired of being silenced in their work and need to break out of the corporate world.
I push them to leave the code-switching at the 9-to-5. We don’t do that over here!
I find fulfillment in delivering the warm welcome to marketing a business that monetizes their talents, helps other people and painlessly replaces their day job.
When women of color feel free to show up without reservation as their fully-realized AMAZING selves ready to represent for the people they love and the problems they solve, influence is amplified.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was pretty shy as a kid, but always super creative. I was always reading or writing because I loved escaping reality through stories— typical Pisces!
I’m an only child, so my mom encouraged me to join tons of extracurricular stuff. I was a Girl Scout, played piano, played the clarinet in the band, joined the yearbook staff, and was part of all kinds of clubs.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.copyfoxx.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/copyfoxx
Image Credits
Kateryna Fedorova
