True Copywriter Story: The one where I embrace the "nerdy" stuff I happen to be great at

Part Two of a two-part series!

Welcome to Buhay Copywriter by Regina Peralta! It’s wonderful to meet you.

This newsletter is my way of paying it forward and being the person I needed when I was a young(er) writer.

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Amy Santiago, one of my fave TV nerds. Via Fox.

Does everyone go through That One Day at work that makes you cry and almost breaks you to the point of wanting not just to quit but to overhaul your whole career path?

Conversely, does everyone go through That One Day at work that makes you go “This! This is why I’m here and I love it!”

Last week, I wrote about a very vulnerable point in my copywriting career. Thankfully, the pain and sadness of those moments have long been eclipsed by happier days. And that’s something I want to write about today.

When I was in my early 20s, I landed a job in an ad agency where most of the projects were with financial services brands and the B2B sector.

I still remember getting briefed by my then-boss about a certain client. They were trying to have a light moment and get me to admit that the topic was boring. But honestly? I quickly found the heart in it, and could understand why the client and their prospective consumers could be passionate about it.

Slowly but surely, I found my footing.

Clients appreciated my social media topic suggestions.

I could volley coherent questions and clarifications about captions and electronic direct mailers (EDMs).

Our agency was praised for how easy to understand our videos were, even those about technical products like VULs!

And I managed to hold the fort even without a fellow copywriter or copy-based boss.

Even I surprised myself — I wasn’t drowning in jargon, I wasn’t intimidated by the niche. And I wasn’t bored even if I knew that others found those topics “boring.”

But hey, I thought. Maybe it was just luck, maybe it was just the drive of being the only writer in the place. It’s not like I had a choice, right?

A couple of jobs later, I was again face-to-face with the financial services niche plus B2B projects.

But while my peers found the technicalities of those spaces dull, I relished the opportunities. I was game to read up on the jargon a client mentioned, and would even explain it to my teammates. Projects like sales kits and EDMs landed in my lap partly because management and clients liked my work, and partly because long-form writing was intimidating for most of my peers.

At first, I didn’t know how to feel about all that.

Why were my teammates relieved when a “technical” brand left our roster, while I felt only FOMO?

Why did my teammates find a niche boring and overwhelming, when I found it challenging in a cool way?

Why did I wish I could be great at the trendjacking and jokes my peers made, even while clients praised the copy I wrote to be read by CTOs and CEOs?

Then it hit me.

This is just my niche. What makes me different and unique.

What I’m down to be a nerd about as a copywriter.

And that’s okay.

It’s neutral - neither good nor bad.

I could sharpen my skills in writing for finance and B2B clients, read up on how to write better EDMs and sales kits, if those opportunities come my way.

I could learn the ways of the witty writers, too. Use what I got from my TikTok FYP or those meme accounts I follow. Again, if those opportunities (brands, projects) come my way.

But for now, I’ve found peace and confidence knowing what I’m good at and what I can still work on.

And isn’t that already so much to be grateful for? :)