How do you transition from working as a one-man team to then serving thousands of people by working in the innermost part of an organization?
Chris’ passion for writing has always been there since childhood. She used to write lots of fanfiction stories before she became a freelancer. Quoting her words, writing has been her savior. But being a writer almost usually means working alone. It became a huge adjustment as she started working with and leading her own team.
So the question here is how did she make that happen? How was she able to build relationships and successfully lead people?
If you want to know the answer, join us in this episode as Chris Ong shares her story. Don’t forget to grab a pen and paper because you’ll surely learn from what she has to say.
Chris Ong is a Direct Response Copywriter serving clients in the Finance and Business Opportunity space. She also writes Landing Pages, Launch Email Sequences, Affiliate Marketing, Social Media direct response copy, and has generated a number of great results for her clients. At present, Chris serves as the Chief Marketing Officer of The Freelance Movement.
In this episode, Chris opens the doors to her story as she shares how she’s transitioned from being a creative writer to becoming a content creator, to then working with and leading a team as she became part of the internal team of The Freelance Movement.
“For me, copy is important nga, but if you have the choice with what you would spend your time and ‘yong money, doon ka sa market. Understanding the market. Market research.” – Chris Ong
What you’ll learn from this episode:
- Why it’s a must that you don’t forget the personal dimension of leadership as you start having your own team;
- How important it is that you learn how to trust other people and delegate tasks; and
- What it’s like, living by the “learning by doing” mindset, and why it’s better that you put more attention to understanding the market rather than the copy
Topics Covered:
05:27 – Chris as a textbook sheltered middle-class Chinese person back in childhood + how she realized that she could actually write
09:53 – Where Chris’ creative genius used to come from, growing up
12:38 – Employee vs. entrepreneur’s mind, and how Chris got into the internal team of The Freelance Movement
14:09 – From creative to copywriting: The story behind Chris’ transition to becoming a content writer
18:17 – What’s that one challenge that comes to mind whenever Chris thinks about what she’s doing now?
21:25 – Are writers allowed to leave a piece of themselves on what they’re writing for clients?
23:08 – How do objections look like for a writer like Chris
25:28 – The story behind Chris’ shortened name (originally Christine)
27:24 – Talking about Chris’ wins as she transitioned to freelancing
30:40 – John Pagulayan as an inspiration
32:33 – One of Chris’ lowest points in life + the learnings she got as she learned to delegate tasks
35:54 – How it’s like, working with a team, especially with John Pagulayan and The Freelance Movement
39:32 – Qualities a leader should have in order to transition from solo work to handling a team
45:46 – Where to spend your time and money on -- copy or market?
48:26 – Tip for those who are stuck between working solo and leading a team
52:45 – Chris’ own definition of success
53:24 – The services she offers + Connect with Chris
56:44 – What’s the most controversial question Chris was asked about?
57:53 – Chris’ final thoughts
Key Takeaways:
“Writing is indispensable.” – Chris Ong
“Focus on what you can control.” – Chris Ong
“I don’t present myself as the boss. It’s always collaborative. As a leader, your job is to make their job easier. It’s really not a repertoire-al structure na you’re above them.” – Chris Ong
“For me, a copy is important nga, but if you have the choice with what you would spend your time and ‘yong money, doon ka sa market. Understanding the market. Market research.” – Chris Ong
“’Yong naging process naming sa Tribe was 60% is the fit tapos 40% lang ‘yong skills, and I think it’s true until now, na if you pick someone who is aligned with the culture and you enjoy being with that person and you actually care for them, parang susunod nalang ‘yong skills part. Do not forget the personal dimension of leadership.” – Chris Ong
Notes / Resources Mentioned:
Connect with Chris Ong:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chrisodirectresponsecopywriter
