Jef van de Graaf™ 
The Boron Letters is a cult classic for any copywriter. I discovered Gary Halbert’s book while cycling through the Philippines, burning through my savings, and struggling to kickoff a freelance copywriting career. It’s not your usual “how to be a copywriter” book. Instead, it’s a series of letters written from a father in prison to … Read more
Yesterday I turned 36 years old. It’s not a major milestone in the grand scheme of aging, but it got me thinking—my life may be one third completed. Of course, that assumes I’ll be a centenarian—a person who lives to be 100 years old NOT a mythical half-human, half-horse creature (although that’d be cool, eh?). … Read more
It’s crazy how big tech companies can secretly take our personal data and content and use it to train their generative AI models. Honestly, I wouldn’t care if I was getting a slice of the profit. But that’s not how these things work and why you should also stop LinkedIn from using your data for … Read more
As much as I love writing—and believe I’m a damn good writer—I have never been able to write my own quote to live by. Instead, I stumbled on a quote 10 years ago while starting my first business in Shūnan, Japan (that’s a long story, btw). So without further ado, this is… …the best quote … Read more
A copywriter’s sole purpose in life is to help their clients create new value for their business. This value could be seen as improving relationships with customers, attracting more visitors to a website, and so on. In exchange for the value provided by your copywriting services — how does that translate into a paid copywriting … Read more
The recent shift in Canada’s retirement age is a concern, especially among those who, like myself, owe much of their values to hard-working parents. Here’s the deal: As baby boomers retire, the proposed solution seems to be extending the working years for an aging working-class population. But is this truly the best approach? Especially when … Read more
🛑 Before you read: This story is 100% true, slightly absurd, and definitely not as steamy as the title suggests. But I genuinely paid a prostitute in Hanoi—which was a first time for me and definitely unforgettable.
Limiting beliefs are the invisible chains holding back countless entrepreneurs and business owners from reaching their true potential.
These negative thoughts and self-doubts not only impact your mood but also cloud your decision-making and stifle your business growth.
For the uneducated, branding is a logo that you slap on everything and call it a day. But you’re smarter than that and know branding is the unique story and experience you deliver throughout the visual and written identity of your business.
There’s no limitation to creativity aside from the limits we place on ourselves. That’s why leveling up from freelancing to a one-person creative agency may be the best — and most profitable — decision you could ever make. But what exactly is an ‘agency of one’ and how is it any different than freelancing? That’s … Read more