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Meet Debra Jason of The Write Direction in Boulder

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Debra Jason.

Debra, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In the eighties, I worked for a catalog company in Boulder. I produced the catalog from start to finish, went to trade shows and looked for new product ideas. After a couple of years in an administrative role, I realized it wasn’t fueling my passion. I wanted to do something creative so I asked my boss if she’d let me write copy for the catalog’s products.

Keep in mind that I had not studied journalism, creative writing or marketing. What I did have, however, was desire. I went to my boss and said, “Let me start writing. If you like the way I write, we’ll save money because you won’t have to hire a copywriter. And if you don’t like the way I write, we’ll go back to hiring a copywriter.” So bless her heart, she gave me the opportunity to write.

Later, when I was offered a job with a competitor in New York City since I was born and raised there, I went. New York City is a great place to visit, and having grown up there, I love it. But living back there wasn’t the same, and Colorado’s blue skies were calling me back. I returned to Boulder in 1988, when times were tough—really tough. I went out looking for a job because I still didn’t know at that time that I was going to start my own business.

The reason I went out on my own was that people were getting laid off at all the agencies I approached. I was caught in the Colorado recession and repeatedly heard, “Sorry; we’re not hiring. We’re laying people off right now, Debra.” I was petrified back then. How was I going to pay my bills, not to mention my mortgage? Here I was back in a place I loved, with friends I loved, but no job in place. Talk about scary. I think there are people out there reading this article who know just what I am talking about. Maybe you’re one of them. But then, it struck me like a lightning bolt.

Because, in addition to “We’re laying people off right now,” many of the people who interviewed me also said, “Debra, we can’t hire you as an employee, but if you were to freelance, we could use your services.”

I took this as a sign from above—it was my opportunity to grab the bull by the horns and start my own business. I had always said that I wanted my own business, but I never knew what that business was going to be. So I made a decision and opened my business as a freelance direct response copywriter. On January 1st, 1989, The Write Direction was born.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
When I opened my doors for business, I had no clients. Many freelance copywriters start their businesses after working at an agency, and they have clients who follow along with them. In a blog post I read from a fellow copywriter, he wrote that he worked at an agency and when it went belly up, he went on his own and found himself with a boatload of new clients who went with him from the agency. But that wasn’t me. I had to start from scratch—no clients and a very limited portfolio. Sound risky? It was!

However, despite the Colorado recession, I was able to break ground, make an impact, find clients and establish a successful business. It all happened as a result of a concerted effort to market myself and keep on marketing. I stress this because many people have been working hard for a long time and now they’re feeling deflated and aren’t sure where to turn to next. Maybe that’s the reason why they’re reading this article.

I know how it feels—believe me. When I started my business, I sent out direct mail letters, networked like crazy and followed up with phone calls. I’d take it personally when people said, “No thanks, Debra.”

It can be hard not to take it personally. I take many things personally that I shouldn’t. But you know, there I was banging on doors and people were saying, “No,” and I was thinking, “I must be crazy. I must be crazy to do this.”

What I will tell you is that I was consistent and very persistent. I believed in myself and did not give up—and here it is more than thirty years later. It’s not like I didn’t have those days when I was in tears, where I thought, “What am I doing?” I certainly did, but I kept going. And, gratefully, I had the help and support of dear friends, family members, mentors and colleagues who saw me through many up and down times.

Here’s one of my favorite quotes about being persistent. It is from Calvin Coolidge. He said: “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

Please tell us about your work.
Marketing and writing with heart, not hype, I am a professional speaker, direct response copywriter, author, and multi-faceted marketing mentor. I am honored to be a recipient of the Rocky Mountain Direct Marketing Association’s “Creative Person of the Year Award,” and the Boulder Chamber of Commerce’s “Small Business of the Year Award.” Not to mention, the Judges’ Choice Award winner of “Dancing with Boulder Stars,” a fundraiser for the YWCA of Boulder County.

With more than 30 years of experience in the field of direct response copywriting, I have personally written thousands upon thousands of words for hundreds of clients around the country and some overseas. My goal is to help my clients communicate their marketing messages in a way that captivates and converts their prospects into loyal, raving fans.

From business owners and engineers to speakers and real estate agents, I have also guided hundreds of professionals in creating robust and optimized LinkedIn profiles that help them open the doors to receiving more opportunities on the social network.

As a professional speaker, I share my message with business owners, corporations, associations, universities, and more. I have served as a faculty member of the University of Colorado’s Leeds School of Business in Boulder, CO. In addition to being a featured guest on online programs and webinars, I most enjoy delivering in-person presentations as they allow me to connect with audience participants face-to-face, eye-to-eye, smile-to-smile and —best of all—.heart-to-heart.

I speak on the value of building and nurturing relationships and the art of engaging as they apply to attracting clients, generating leads and networking online and off. Some of my most popular topics are “So You’re on LinkedIn. Now, What?”; “Millionaire Marketing on a Shoestring Budget™” (based on my book); and “Dance to Success Even If You Have Two Left Feet.”

Author of the award-winning, best-selling book, “Millionaire Marketing on a Shoestring Budget™,” my mission is to not only inspire others but to empower them with cost-effective business-building strategies that help them gain exposure and attract a steady stream of happy clients with fun and ease so that they may live their dreams.

I am also a contributing author of “So What Do You Do?” with New York Times best-selling author Joel Comm. When other writers have researched books on direct response copywriting and freelance writing they’ve turned to me for my input. I have been quoted in:

• “The Complete Guide to Writing Web-Based Advertising Copy to Get the Sale” by Vickie Taylor
• “Second Lives: Becoming a Freelance Writer” by Bill Harris
• “Modern Media Writing” by Rick Wilber & Randy Miller
• “Smart Business Solutions: Direct Marketing & Customer Management” by Douglas Gantenbein
• “Copywriting Success” by Darren Andrews.

I believe that everyone has a gift to share with the world. With that in mind, I want to help others get their messages out there in a big way—a way that resonates with their ideal clients and helps them grow their businesses.

Having lived on the island of Kaua`i, born and raised in New York and currently residing in Boulder, Colorado, I believe I’m the only professional you’ll ever meet who embodies the Aloha spirit with a New York state of mind and a Rocky Mountain High all rolled into one.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Don’t be afraid of change. It is never too late to go for it and pursue your dreams. I spent six years (between undergrad and graduate school) studying to become a speech pathologist. I worked in the public schools for several years, but when I got physically ill, I realized my body was telling me, “It is time for a change.”

 

What would I have done differently? I wouldn’t have waited until my body woke me up with “dis-ease.” When I left speech pathology, I had no idea what was next. I went from that career to working as a sales representative in the wholesale end of the clothing industry. I love clothes, and purchasing them at below wholesale prices was even a greater benefit, but I was still on a journey.

Fast forward a few years and enter career change number two. Thinking one day it might be cool for me to start my own catalog, I landed that job at a catalog company in Boulder and that is where I first started writing copy.

So, you can see that I changed my career several times. Now I’m a believer that just because you don’t have a college degree in a certain field doesn’t mean you can’t shift direction. If a speech pathologist can succeed in marketing, I know others can also succeed along whatever paths their careers take them—as long as they have the desire and are willing to learn.

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Image Credit:
Rainbow photo: Karen Dombrowski-Sobel
“let’s Dance” photo: Leyni Illa-Petersen

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