Helping Others Through Writing Is the Ultimate ROI (To Me)

Like it or not, all…ALL humans are flawed. And we’re all humans.

But that shouldn’t be a turn-off. There’s a positive side to that reality. It means we all have an opportunity to help each other.

At times, I forget my “why,” meaning why I work in content marketing. So, it helps to remember that I’m here to help others and catch the feelings of their success.

I Strongly Believe That Helping Others Helps You

Ok. My opening sentence was extremely harsh, and I’d like to walk it back a bit. But I absolutely believe we can all help each other.

I honestly think that each of us is here to help our fellow neighbors. 

To me, this means I’m here to help anyone with the guts to start a business. 

I don’t care why you started your business; you’re inevitably going to have to work with customers. 

Whether you’re like me and believe in helping others or you just want to make money, you’re going to have to solve one or more of their problems. 

That is the nature of business. You create something that solves someone else’s problem.

Why I Started Taking Writing Seriously 

Selfishly, I actually started writing to solve my problems.

I had a drinking problem. I had drank all my money, reputation, trustworthiness, and emotions away. 

My friends were gone. My brothers were gone. I think my dad had one foot out the door. 

But my mom didn’t give up on me; despite my protests and best attempts to burn that bridge, she fought for me, was there for me to lean on, and never turned her back on me.

She did me favor after favor. Gave me loan after loan. And she answered every text or phone call…even after I blamed her for my issues.

Side note: It wasn’t her…it was me.

Finally, I began to come out of it and needed a new job—a new career. 

I wanted a career I could be proud of and where I could work remotely. 

While I was mulling my options over, a friend recommended that I try content writing, and I discovered the Content Marketing Institute. 

This was a breakthrough. I knew I loved to write and felt I was good at it. I had written some essays, gotten above-average grades in writing classes, and won some contests.

So I decided that this was the new career opportunity I was aching for. I could learn something new and work remotely, and I even had a foot in the door; my friends would become my first clients because they already had content work waiting for me.

I Dove Down the Content Marketing Rabbit Hole

So I threw myself into the content marketing rabbit hole. 

I learned how to choose a niche. I learned WordPress. I learned a bit of CSS and HTML and then opened my first blog. I learned to self-edit and publish. 

Then, I learned how to share my content on social media and pitch my writing to other sites.

I also accidentally learned how to create immensely important backlinks to my blog. As my blog’s library grew, my expertise and trustworthiness grew. 

Soon, a few publications reached out to me to contribute content. 

I was extremely proud of myself and happy to hear that my thoughts and ideas were appreciated globally. 

I wasn’t paid for my contributions to these other sites, but they provided a link back to my site. 

I didn’t know at the time that these “backlinks” would help show my authority and knowledge of the industry. 

What were the results of my consistent writing? 

Over the course of a few months, people began to trust my expertise, and so they commented with questions and followed me on social media and my blog.

I was eventually able to generate income from companies in my niche and industry that needed content writing services, as well as consulting.

So writing did three things:

1. It helped me focus on something other than my mental struggles.
2. I created something I was proud of.
3. It kicked off my new career.

Learning a New Skill Is Fun and Scary and Always Pays off in the End

I think back to those days when I first began and miss them. At the time, it was uncomfortable—almost a year of working for free while I built my following.

I locked myself in the small room at my parent’s house that I grew up in. I spent 12 to 14 to 16 hours a day reading anything and everything about content marketing.

Back then, there were no formal university programs or accredited schools teaching this. It was all open-source and online. And collaboration with those already doing it was really the best and only way to learn. 

I always respected those who taught themselves anyway, so that’s always been my approach to learning. 

Teach myself, and then ask questions when I get stuck.

My “desk” was a tiny dinner tray with only enough room for my laptop. To this day, I still don’t use a mouse. 

That tiny desk forced me to learn to use the mousepad and my Chromebook’s hotkeys so well that anything else throws me off.

My “chair” was a spare footstool that was adjustable, so it was just high enough for me to sit hunched over the desk tray. 

My neck ached. My back was unnaturally curved for hours on end. I had never heard of bluelight glasses, so my eyes were red and swollen constantly. 

But I learned so much in such a short amount of time that I quickly caught up to others in SEO and content marketing.

I Found My Voice While Building a Career

Today, I don’t rely on or need alcohol. I haven’t touched the stuff for years. I’ve fixed things with my family and friends, and I’m closer to my mom and dad than I’ve ever been. 

I also met the woman of my dreams. 

And I still love the freedom of freelancing. I love not feeling guilty for standing up to take a break, clear my mind, or focus on something else while I let my ideas breathe or form. 

It also feels good to create something from nothing. I mean something that was in my head. 

But that takes focus, calm, and the ability to meld technique with creativity. 

I couldn’t do any of that when I was drinking. 

Almost 15 years later, I still love writing and working in content strategy. I still get to put my “boots on the ground,” and I love jumping in when I get the opportunity.