Sara Rosinsky shared her story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi, Sara, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, your values, and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an icebreaker: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I wake up EARLY—a little after 5:00 a.m. or sometimes before. Not only because I love the quiet during that time of day, not only because I’m a morning person, but also because our pushy little dog always lets me know that it’s time for his breakfast.
I listen to podcasts while I tackle a few household tasks, and then I settle into my office chair with a big Yeti tumbler of hot coffee. I do some Duolingo lessons (I’m on my 1,496th consecutive day of learning Spanish!) and then go about choosing a little grammar or spelling lesson to post on LinkedIn and other social media platforms.
Then it’s on to whatever needs doing: client work, emails, etc.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Sara! Resident of Longmont, Colorado, language buff, extrovert, longtime wife, less-longtime mother, racquetball player, and self-employed copywriter.
I’m one of the lucky people who love what they do for a living.
I got my proverbial foot in the door of a little Boston ad agency the same year I graduated from college. And once I started copywriting, I never wanted to do anything else. After a long stint in the ad agency and an even longer stint in-house at Publix Super Markets in Florida, I went solo in 2016.
My business and brand is Shiny Red Copy, and I have a blast promoting it.
Back in 2016, as a way to show up helpfully on LinkedIn, I started making fun little lessons about grammar and spelling. I gained some traction with those lessons and kept making more. Eventually, I had a fairly robust library of lessons, and in 2021, I published them in a book called Unflubbify Your Writing: Bite-Sized Lessons to Improve Your Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar. I haven’t stopped creating new lessons, so I suspect I’ll be publishing a new, larger Unflubbify Your Writing edition before too long.
I never followed the advice to “niche down,” so my copywriting clients are all over the place. Lately, I’ve been writing about gluten-free foods, risk management software, a private pre-K–8 school, and a hair-regrowth serum.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to hear about how you see the world. What do you think breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
I’ve been thinking about this a *lot* lately. Because, as you’ve probably noticed, our country has become extremely divided.
Without oversimplifying complex problems, I’ll say that I think miscommunication and misunderstanding are at the heart of most conflict. The better we can comprehend where others are coming from—how they feel, what they believe, what they’ve experienced, what they want—the more likely we are to cut them some slack. By asking thoughtful questions and listening with sincere curiosity, we can appreciate others’ points of view and start working together to find common ground.
This dovetails with what I do for a living. Language is the magic stuff that moves from one human being to another and makes things happen. Words shape beliefs, stoke emotions, and inspire action. It’s so important that we choose words and interpret words with the utmost care. And we need to recognize how multifaceted language is—how easy it is to misinterpret. We need to get in the habit of asking open-hearted, honest questions so we can gain clarity and connection.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Don’t hate me for this, but: No.
I’m extremely fortunate, because thus far, I’ve never suffered from depression. My disposition is either “sunny,” “Pollyanna,” or “self-deluded,” depending on your opinion. And whatever you may think about my positive outlook, it’s served me well. When times get tough, I get going on figuring out a way forward.
Is the public version of you the real you?
YES.
I am consistently myself, whether I’m with family, friends, clients, or strangers—whether I’m online, on stage, or on my street, walking my dog. I don’t care who knows I wear ridiculously large hats in the sunshine or who sees me sweaty and wrecked after a racquetball game. I’m happy to share my mortifying gaffes with anyone who cares to hear about them. I honestly feel sorry for the famous people who have to partition their lives and only show their most polished, filtered selves to the world.
Looking down the road, what are you doing today that won’t pay off for 7–10 years?
I’m learning Spanish today for the benefit of my future self. I’m not entirely sure how I’ll use Spanish, but I know that the better I can speak, read, and understand it, the more options I’ll have. I suspect that my future self will thank me, just as I often thank the teenage me who took a typing class in high school.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shinyredcopy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sararosinsky/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sararosinsky/
- Twitter: https://x.com/SaraRosinsky
- Other: https://www.threads.net/@sararosinsky
https://bsky.app/profile/sararosinsky.bsky.social
Image Credits
Bob Rosinsky
