How She Did It: Che Johnson, Copywriter
I’m super excited to bring you another interview today in the How She Did It interview series, which profiles amazing creative women in business who have turned their passion into their full time business and sharing their story of how they made it happen.
Today’s guest is the wonderful Che Johnson, social worker turned soulful copywriter. I am lucky to have met Che many years ago through our blogs and it’s been truly inspiring to see how she has grown her business and has able to completely reinvent her career, doing work she loves.
Let’s dive in!
What does a typical day look like for you now that you’re doing work that aligns with your true self?
Everyday is very different for me, because my life now allows me to flow and live in tune with my cycle/energy/creativity/emotions (YAY!)
I’m someone whose energy varies day-to-day (like most, if not all women!), so I try not to fill my calendar with too many rigid to-dos.
Keeping my calendar spacious is something I’m extremely devoted to, so I’m very good at setting boundaries to honour this.
Generally, I’ll create a realistic list of ‘ideals to get done’ for each day of the (work) week on a Sunday, and then check in with myself each day to see if those action items are still feeling aligned.
In saying this, I do have client deadlines to meet so sometimes, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. Haha.
One thing I try to be consistent with is setting an intention each evening, about how I want my morning to unfold, because how I start my days dictates how I move through my days, so I like to set myself up for success in this way!
How / when / where did your career shifting journey start; what prompted it? Was it gradual or was there a particular moment you knew you had to make a change?
I knew I had to make a change in my career when I was trawling through job ads on Seek and crying because all the roles I was qualified for (I used to be a Social Worker) seemed so completely and utterly out of alignment with what I desired for my future.
Haha, I’d say that’s a pretty sure sign!
All jokes aside though, I knew for many years that Social Work wasn’t where my heart lied, but it took me a long time to gain clarity around what my True Path was (or at least my ‘Next True Path’ - because we’re changeable and dynamic humans after all).
My journey from Social Worker to Copywriter wasn’t linear, and it was bridged by a number of ‘filler’ jobs that gave me the space to dream, scheme and take action in my budding business, while also ensuring that the bills were paid.
This really worked for me, took the pressure off my business to succeed (which is such a creativity killer!) and gave me the space to find my feet and my way with my work.
Is there anything you wish you would have known before you embarked on your career change?
No. In hindsight I love how my journey unfolded and really, every entrepreneurial journey is full of learnings, roadblocks and ups and downs. It’s part of what makes it so rewarding!
What I will share is that when I first started my journey online (my very first foray into the online world was with a personal blog way back when!) a friend-of-a-friend who was further along in her online biz journey said to me, “Che, just do it. Just start. Don’t wait until you’re ready, or have all your ducks lined up in a row, because that day will never come. Just start now.”
That really resonated with me and sent me into action mode pronto!
What failures/ challenges have you overcome on your journey? How did these help to fuel your future success?
I have failed so many times! Flopped launches, missed opportunities, botched technology - you name it, I’ve messed it up. But so has every entrepreneur I know. It comes part and parcel with the job, and for me, the highlights far outweigh the wobbles.
As someone who is so devoted to personal growth, I actually embrace my business failures (well, I’ll be 100% honest - I often embrace them in hindsight, haha) because they gift me so many learnings, support me to get to know myself even more deeply and make me stronger.
Business would be boring if it was all smooth sailing and I think the sooner we begin to embrace the ‘lows’ and understand that they happen to everyone, the sooner we can move forward in creating the epic business of our dreams.
What has been the biggest mindset shift you’ve had to make since transitioning from employee to becoming a successful entrepreneur?
Gosh there's been so many. And there will be so many more - haha. At the beginning of my journey though, a key shift was learning that as an entrepreneur, I get to make my own rules for my business.
It sounds simple and obvious, but after spending over a decade working for other people and being told how I had to/'should' do things in order to be a 'successful employee', I'd unknowingly adopted these 'rules' as truths.
It took a whole lot of re-wiring to get comfortable doing things my own way and not thinking that my success as an entrepreneur was going to be jeopardised because of it!
What are your top tips or lessons you’ve learned to cultivate a thriving career as an introvert and sensitive soul?
A big one for me has been the simple realisation that there are a million and one ways to run a business - and that there is so much space out there, for introverts. In fact, our perfect people will celebrate our introversion and the ways we choose to honour ourselves and show up online!
Practically speaking though, I think knowing and owning what you need to thrive as an individual/introvert/sensitive soul is a big one. My sensitivities mean that I can’t/choose not to have too much face-to-face time, overcrowd my calendar, juggle too many client projects at once, take work related phone calls - the list goes on and on!
Rather than fighting these innate needs that allow me to function at my best (and in turn support me to run a thriving business), I’ve gotten great at loving up on them.
So many introverts out there are killing it in the online world, and I thank them every day for paving the way forward and showing us just how possible it is to succeed just by being our true sensitive selves!
Tell me about your self-care practices? How do you honor your sensitive energy?
I spend a lot of time not working. I left the world of the 9 til 5 so I could have more freedom and I guard it with my life (it took me some time to re-wire my corporate conditioning, but I’ve come a very long way!)
I relax a lot - haha. I read. Run. Take myself out for lunch. Roller skate. Potter. Do movement practices.
My self care practices aren’t ‘fancy’, but they’re consistent, and to me, that’s what makes all the difference.
One thing I will say is that I’m very good at saying ‘enough is enough’ and shutting down the laptop. Sometimes this is at 3PM, other times this is much much earlier in the day. Tuning into and honouring my energy is so important to me so when I’m ‘on’ I embrace it and roll with it, and when I’m not, I accept it. You’ll never find me working into the night - I’m just not wired that way, nor do I desire to work like that. Haha.
What rituals, practices or tools do you use every day to support your energy?
The one absolute non-negotiable I need everyday to thrive is an intentional connection with Self - especially in the mornings. How I do this varies from day to day but can look like: going to an embodiment or yin yoga class, movement with music on my mat, a run in the sun, journaling with cacao, or reading fiction in a cafe. They’re not ‘big’ things but my goodness, they nurture ALL aspects of my life!
What do you love most about your sensitive superpowers?
Mmm, there’s so many things I love but I think my fave is how attuned they make me to other people’s emotional experiences. Because of this I’m better able to read between the lines, hold space for people and make them feel really comfortable and safe. I’ve been told many times that I’m a wonderful space holder and I truly think this is because of my introversion!
What’s the best advice you have for others who want to follow their big dreams?
Just start. If you wait until you're 'an expert'/feel ready/feel 100% confident, it won't ever happen. Just make small steps and put one foot in front of the other. Your Future Self will be so grateful you did.
Do you have anything exciting coming in 2023 to share?
Call me a bad entrepreneur but I'm not one to plan - haha. I'm such a changeable human and as such I like to leave room for surprises and inspired action.
My focus for this year in my biz is to work even less hours, have more spaciousness and create more passive income streams. Yum, yum, yum!
