How much I’ve paid for professional help (in 2024)

I’ve been slapped in the face with countless unintuitive business lessons over the years.

I’ve also coached a number of newer copywriters & digital business owners and seen them make the same mistakes I did. It’s almost universal.

I feel like it’s safe to say that whatever a beginner thinks is intuitive, is likely the wrong way to do business.

Which is why the single most important lesson I’ve learned over the years (that feels unintuitive because so few people do it – but is actually completely intuitive when you think about it)…

Is to pay for expert advice as often as possible.

Most of us resist this.

I know I do. (And I mean I still do – all the time.)

But this year alone I’ve already paid close to six figures for professional advice in my business – and the returns have been astounding.

I can’t even begin to tell you how much it has fast-tracked me.

That’s because before this year I got to a certain level in my business that was comfortable, but I was having trouble breaking past that barrier.

Hiring someone who knew how to get past that barrier, and who has held my hand through the process, has been expensive – but has already more than paid for itself (and is resulting in systems that will pay for itself many more times over on autopilot over the coming years).

Yes, it was hard to shell out for this help.

I had to give myself pep talks before I did it.

But like with every professional I’ve ever paid for help – it has immediately provided relief and nearly instant results.

But when I say "pay for expert advice", I don’t just mean one-on-one help.

If you’re a new business owner, you should also be investing in a lot of courses – anything that will help you operate better in your business.

  • Do you need to level up your design skills?
  • Do you need to level up your social media skills?
  • Do you need to level up your tech skills?

    Buy a course and be done with it.

    And if the courses you buy don’t return the results you need? Then just ask for a refund. Every course has a refund policy for a reason!

    It astounds me how many people will sit and stare at the "buy now" button of a course that could change their life, constantly going back and forth about "should I" or "shouldn’t I" – instead of just buying it immediately and refunding it if the results don’t live up to the hype.

    Just. Ask. For. Freaking. Help.

    It’s the easiest, fastest way to change your life – and the resources are everywhere. But most people avoid it.

    It shouldn’t be unintuitive – but it is.

    Change that and level up your business.

    — Derek

    P.S. If you’re looking to level up your copywriting skills, I’ll be opening up access to my flagship copywriting course CopyHour on September 9th.

    I guarantee it’ll be one of the most valuable investments you’ve ever made in yourself – or, yes, I want you to email me and ask for a refund. It’s on me to deliver to you – and I know I will, like I have for thousands of students already.

    With that out of the way, have a great weekend!