You know how in fairy tales there’s always a knight in shining armor? Someone who swoops in and saves the day? Well, I knew mine well before I even became a teenager. They told me stories. Took me on big grand adventures.
My knight in shining armor was writing.
Growing up in the amazing world of me, myself, and my alcoholic parents, I always felt like I was waiting for something (or someone) to come grab me and throw me into a make-believe world — a world where there were no arguments or screaming matches, where the cracking sound of a beer can opening wouldn’t make the cortisol in my veins instantly spike.
So 5-year-old me found a very cozy, happy escape in writing. This lasted all the way until I was 17 — you know, that stage when you’re trying to figure out what your career will be for the rest of your life. Now, I knew I loved writing. But the only advice I ever got from people around me was, “Eh. become a teacher. Or maybe a publisher?” But those options didn’t make my heart fizzy or excited, so I did what everyone is told to at my age…
I went to university.
The only problem was, I was funding my parents’ addiction with my piecemeal barista gig and was struggling to get any financial support from the government. Luckily, this is when I found out about a little thing called freelance copywriting.
Wait a minute. That’s a job?!
It was like that thing that happens in the movies: Boy sees girl. Boy gets starry-eyed. Corny music plays. Time slows. It was exactly that, minus the dude. Just me and my brain suddenly going, “Wait a minute. That’s a job?!”
Not to be weird, but I was head over heels. You’re telling me I could get paid to craft up blogs, ads (like the kind you see on the side of buses), emails, and newsletters — even the funny writing on the side of those Oatly cartons. It was all copywriting. And being a freelancer meant I could work for myself. Choose my hours. Choose my pay. Even travel.
So, I quit uni — I couldn’t afford it anymore anyway — and spent the next few years building my portfolio and learning all I could about this new strange craft.
That time in my life was filled with massive growth: Landing my first proper paid gig at 21 (a freelancing role at Dubai marketing agency). Quitting that gig when I realised I’d hit a glass ceiling and would never get paid more. Networking like crazy even though it scared me (which led me to my very first copywriting mentor). It was amazing.
And then in 2022, I decided I wanted more. I wanted to give back. I was in a super happy place in my career (at this point, I’d been copywriting for about five years) and I wanted to build something of my own.
To me, there weren’t many spaces for young women in copywriting that felt safe.
During my time in the copywriting world, I’d realized one upsetting truth: There weren’t any resources or platforms out there for young copywriters. People still weren’t being told about copywriting as a career option at school. And for those who did happen upon it as a career option, learning the ins and outs was very restrictive. Most of the “copywriting courses” and resources I’d encountered in my early days were either: A.) instructed by boring 50-year-olds called Kevin (no shade to Kevin, but it’s hard to see yourself in the shoes of a guy who has been doing this for over three decades), or B.) worse, “dudebro courses” — the platforms like Andrew Tate’s Hustler’s University that were incredibly sexist, devoid of women, and oh-so-serious that you’d totally 100% make £10k a month if you invested £1,000 into their 10x clickfunnel B.S.
So… yeah. Major ick.
To me, there weren’t many spaces for young women in copywriting that felt safe. That felt welcoming. That felt empowering. My experiences with copywriting often had this weird, shady, man-led feeling to it. And I wanted to change that. I wanted something colourful and fun and welcoming to everyone.
So, I created an online space that would teach young people like me how to get into copywriting: Word Tonic.
What started as a little newsletter of copywriting tips with five subscribers (if I was lucky) eventually turned into a global community of 2,000 Gen Z copywriters, a platform where — for the literal price of takeaway meal ($20 a month) — young people can attend weekly virtual masterclasses with cool writers from cool brands (like Duolingo!), work on briefs to build their portfolios, and network with 2,000+ peers just like them.
Look, it wasn’t easy. It didn’t happen in an instant. (In fact, it took about two and a half years of work to get to where I am now). But it paid off in the end, because now there is a space for young copywriters, by young copywriters that is a viable alternative to a traditional university education without the thousand-dollar price tag.
And unlike the dudebro courses where you’re usually taught by just one “guru” (you know the kind — his profile photo is usually him standing next to a Lambo in a pair of sunglasses and he has ALL the answers), Word Tonic prioritizes fresh, diverse perspectives. Sure, I made the platform. But in many ways, I’m just the facilitator. I step back and let the creative community teach one another. And I’m not just talking about the copywriting masterclasses — I’m also talking about the people in Word Tonic, all the young people who are sharing advice with one another. Sharing resources. Sharing experiences.
In case you’re reading this wanting to start something of your own (like writing that “cringe” Substack you’ve been putting off because “no one will actually read it”): Keep in mind that a girl from a nowhere town in South Africa created a community of 2,000 Gen Z writers. A community that now attracts attention from global brands. A community that is helping people get work. She’s doing what she loves every single day. She can dream big, want more, and have more.
And so can you. So many young people — especially women — are told by society to wait until we have it all figured out, to wait until it’s our turn, until we’ve earned it. And to that, I politely say: Nope! Start now. Don’t hold back. Even if you only have the seed of some magical little idea, just do it.