An Honest Review of the Copy Posse Launch Pad Season 4
In 2023 I completed one of the most sought-after copywriting courses in the world. This is my experience!
If you’re reading this, you probably fall into one of three categories…
1) You’re interested in learning about my credentials as you’re considering working with me in the future
2) You know me personally and are keen to find out what I’ve been spending my time doing lately
3) You’re a copywriter (or aspiring copywriter) who is considering further training
No matter which category you fall into, I hope the following in-depth review will give you a sense of my experience undertaking this course.
And just to be clear, that’s all this is… MY experience.
So no, I’m not trying to sell you anything (wow can you imagine if I had an affiliate link for the Launch Files?! I’d be raking it in haha!)
I’m simply sharing from my heart about two and a half months of the most intense training of my life.
So, without further a-do…
What is the Copy Posse Launch Pad?
In January 2023 I signed up for an 8-week live coaching program with expert copywriter Alex Cattoni.
You may have seen her high-energy, super informative YouTube videos that teach you everything from how to carry out market-research, to tips on securing freelance clients. She’s one of many copywriting ‘gurus’ online, but (in my opinion) she is the most authentic one out there.
You see, whilst a lot of other ‘gurus’ approach copywriting as a ‘get rich quick’ scheme (🤮), Alex approaches copywriting for what it truly is: a highly sought-after skill that requires dedication, creativity, care, and a whole heap of determination.
I hate to break it to you, but those LinkedIn ‘copywriters’ that tell you how to grow your following on LI… they’re not copywriters. They are successful influencers, sure! But not copywriters.
Because copywriting is all about persuasion - connecting with a human being and convincing them that they need what you have got.
The Launch Pad is a hands-on, immersive training program. It is not a quick hack to make money fast. It is a real investment of your own time, money, and creativity, in pursuit of gaining/refining an incredible skill that has the potential to massively boost your career.
This course is designed to help copywriters to level up their skills, whilst building a comprehensive portfolio that truly shows off their abilities. It also gives you the practical tools, and mindset shifts needed in order to embark on a copywriting career.
Importantly, it is not to be confused with the Launch Files. The Launch Pad is live, with group coaches, the opportunity to write for real businesses, real-time interaction with Alex Cattoni herself, and an online community of fellow Launch-Padders. The Launch Files gives you access to the recorded content from the Launch Pad, but without the valuable live element.
Why did I choose to enrol on the Copy Posse Launch Pad?
In a nutshell…
Because I wanted to refine my skills in order to help my clients make the biggest possible impact with their messaging.
I was at my wits end seeing boring, poorly written, lack-lustre, (frankly) crap copy being pumped out by the businesses that I loved the most.
Ethical, sustainable, purpose-driven businesses… who in an attempt to hold firm to their values were repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot when it came to their written marketing.
I could see all of this potential, and KNEW I had a part to play in helping these businesses get a handle on their copy.
The brands with the most persuasive copy? Usually the most unethical. Often selling products that people don’t actually need. And I’d had ENOUGH.
I made it my mission to help purpose-driven brands conquer the online space, through the power of the written word.
I knew that in order to achieve this goal I had to get serious. I needed to refine my craft. I needed more insight into marketing. I needed a better understanding of how to make freelancing a lucrative, viable option for my career.
So, I started looking into courses. Expensive courses, cheap courses, free courses… there were a lot of options.
But what drew me to Alex Cattoni (aside from most of my free training coming from her YouTube channel) was her authenticity.
Alex is not only highly experienced, well-connected, and hugely successful… but she’s real.
Bubbly, high-energy, assertive, and extremely kind.
I knew that she’d be someone I could learn a lot from. I knew that this course would help me to boost my portfolio. I knew that I’d gain some valuable new skills.
But I seriously underestimated what the course would actually do for me…
Started from the bottom now we… somewhere in the middle?
This wouldn’t be my blog if I didn’t quote a completely off-brand-for-me musician. Thanks Drake for this insightful phrase that really speaks to my current situation as a copywriter.
Before starting the course I’d had a couple of freelance clients, but had mainly been producing copy in an in-house environment as part of my role at a University since 2018.
A combination of motherhood, mental health, and a desire to do something more creative saw me jump head-first into 2023 with the goal of becoming a full-fledged freelancer.
But I was terrified.
Fast forward to now…
I can’t believe how far I’ve come in such a short space of time.
I’ve (almost) completely laid aside my fear of failure
My copywriting abilities have improved tenfold
My knowledge of marketing and sales has gone from rudimentary, to now I’m already advising small businesses on what steps they could take to improve
I’ve secured a handful of new clients, with more in the pipeline
I’ve actually taken LinkedIn seriously and found it’s not as scary as I thought
I’ve made new ‘connections’ with so many inspiring people
I even have a couple of people who I would now consider friends!
And yes, I attribute 90% of this to my experience enrolled on The Copy Posse Launch Pad.
I think I’ve got a little way to go before I feel satisfied creatively (and, let’s be real, financially) but I can see a way ahead.
My dream is to enter January 2024, a year on from the course, feeling confident enough to call myself a full-time freelancer.
Watch this space.
Anyway, enough about me! Time for the review…
(Gosh, I hope I’m not becoming like one of those cooking blogs where all you want is a recipe but have to scroll through their entire life story before you even reach the ingredients list..!)
A short testimonial
After completing the course, I gave the Copy Posse team a short testimonial that Alex Cattoni is able to use in promoting her courses in the future. This is what I said…
If I could describe the Copy Posse Launch Pad in one word, that word would be OVERDELIVERY! Seriously. I was expecting 8 videos of content, with homework, and maybe a nice Facebook group to join. What I got was the most intense 2 and a half months of my life, full of MAJOR upskilling in everything from writing, marketing, networking, freelancing, outreach, and more. Since completing the Launch Pad a month ago, I have secured 3 new copywriting clients, with a couple more in the pipeline. I see a super bright future ahead for my career, and I am so excited to bring the incredible skills I learnt to my clients.
A snapshot overview
When trying to think of the best way to give you a quick and easy overview of this course, I immediately thought of how the course compared to my experience at university.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I LOVED my degree. I studied English and American Literature with Creative Writing at the University of Kent, and I adored every minute. My degree set me up with incredibly valuable skills in critical thinking, research, knowledge of other countries and cultures, time management, and the most valuable creative writing training I could’ve hoped for.
BUT, I think the comparison between my degree and the Launch Pad is interesting, because of the price point. So let’s compare, shall we?
So, you can see, my experience at Uni is very comparable to my experience on the Launch Pad.
But, whilst this chart might give you a handy overview, it doesn’t go into the details. And THAT’S where the magic of the Launch Pad lies… the details.
I said in my testimonial of the course that Alex repeatedly over delivers. And this is 100% true.
If you’d like to hear more about the details and inner-workings of the course (without giving any spoilers) read on…
My experience on the Copy Posse Launch Pad S4
I’ve broken my experience on the Launch Pad into 6 sections, and, in true copywriter style… they all begin with the letter ‘C’!
Cost
At $3000 USD, this course is one of the pricier copywriting courses available online.
Yep, this course is an INVESTMENT. And yes, out of reach for many people.
But, Alex Cattoni did provide scholarships and bursaries for a select few people, which was absolutely incredible to see!
Now, what’s expensive for one person may not be expensive for another. Some people might be able to drop thousands of pounds on a course without thinking about it… I am not one of those people.
For me, the high price tag associated with this course meant I set about absolutely RINSING the content for everything it was worth.
That’s right, I threw myself in FULLY. I hit every deadline on time. I watched every pre-recorded session. I attended every live session (I even had my friend babysit my son!) I completed every quiz. I downloaded and read every single piece of bonus content. I watched every pre-recorded bonus training before the course had officially begun. I submitted my portfolio as soon as I was able.
I went ALL IN.
And, I think in order to get the most benefit of the course, you had to.
There was no half-assing this. Doing so would result in a sub-par experience.
That doesn’t mean you had to hit every deadline on time - Alex was very clear that everyone is on their own timeline, and it will take some people longer to complete than others. What I mean by going ‘all in’ is absorbing all the content, and completing every writing task (no matter how irrelevant it seems at first… it all came together in the end!)
So, whilst I was among the first batch of people to complete the course, there will be people who submit later than me, and that’s GREAT! The important thing was to get everything you possibly could out of the content and writing tasks.
So, in short - was it expensive? YES.
But, was it worth it? YES… But half the benefit comes from the effort you put in yourself.
Course Structure
The Copy Posse Launch Pad is touted as an 8 week course. In reality, the bulk of the course was spread over 10 weeks (one of the modules spanned 2 weeks because it was so intensive, and there was a 9th module that was less about the craft of copywriting and more about the business side of things).
There was also a full month of weekly bonus content after the course was completed, plus hours and hours of bonus pre-recorded content that you could consume before the course even began.
A normal week on the course looked something like this:
Saturday
A pre-recorded 2 hour training would be released, along with a quiz to assess your understanding, bonus materials to further your learning, pre-recorded Q&A sessions & copy critiques, and a new module workbook with writing tasks inside.
Monday
Alex did 3 live ‘Ask Alex Anything’ video calls on Zoom. These were not done every week, but spread across the course.
Thursday
Live group coaching calls on Zoom would last about 2 hours, and would include a live copy critique of someone’s work from that week, and a chance to get your questions answered.
Classes
I don’t think it would be fair to go in-depth on the details of what the course covered publicly (but if you’re interested, message me and we can chat about it!) However, I think I can give a general overview without revealing too much.
Each module (which took place over a week) covered a different topic.
The first three modules were very much laying the groundwork for what would come later, covering a basic understanding of marketing and storytelling. The writing work for these modules was minimal, and I noted that some people on the course skipped this homework entirely… until they entered the later modules and realised that this groundwork was actually extremely important.
The subsequent modules got really into the meat of copywriting, where we produced a full sales funnel for a real business (more on this later.)
Let me tell you…
The teaching, the wisdom, the knowledge shared… was next level incredible.
I thought I’d learn some simple new writing techniques… Instead, I learned marketing strategy and consumer psychology, which then informed my writing.
I learned the proven techniques that are working in today’s ever-increasingly oversaturated world, and applied these to my own work.
The copy I produced is some of the best work I think I’ve ever written. And guess what? I know that as time goes on and I hone these skills more, I will look back on the work I produced as part of the Launch Pad and marvel at my progress.
The Launch Pad classes instilled in me a growth-mindset that I had felt was completely inaccessible to a people-pleasing perfectionist like me. But a mantra that Alex repeated stuck with me, ‘progress over perfection.’
Throughout the course, I learned the value of writing bad copy… And then making it better.
Simply moving forward and making progress, without fear of getting it right the first time, allowed me to lean into my creativity without restraint. Because if what I produced was rubbish… I could always change it later.
This is a mindset that is absolutely CRUSHED in school and University. You get one chance to write an essay, one chance to ace an exam, or that’s it. You’ve failed.
But, the Launch Pad undid a lot of that damage and helped me to view my skills and career as an opportunity for continuous growth.
(Bonus) Content
Alongside the main bulk of the course, the value was well and truly piled on with 11 (yes, ELEVEN) bonus sessions.
Each session was about 2 hours long. Half were pre-recorded, and half took place live over zoom.
These bonus sessions were all guest speakers - people who are GIANTS in their field.
From an incredible storytelling workshop, to legal advice on freelancing from Alex’s very own lawyer, these bonus sessions were created to set you up for success starting your business.
You see, the bonus sessions weren’t really about copywriting. They were mostly about entrepreneurship - an endeavour that many people on the course were dreaming of… including me.
My favourite bonus session was with Mark Ling - he gave an incredible masterclass on working as a copywriter from the EMPLOYER’S perspective. His session transformed my approach to networking, pitching, and onboarding my clients.
Community
A big draw for people who choose the Launch Pad over the Launch Files is the community aspect.
Overall, my experience with the Launch Pad community was extremely positive.
From inside a private Facebook group, over 200 of us were encouraged to get to know each other, ask questions, start discussions, and share tips. And, the honest truth? I’ve never seen a Facebook group work so well.
Every day the group would be buzzing with new posts, each one receiving a vast number of comments.
The moderators did a great job of ensuring everyone abided by the fairly strict rules of no self-promotion and no negative-nancies. I only spotted one post that was a bit iffy, and it was removed swiftly.
Overall, the Facebook group was a lot of fun! I got familiar with particular people’s names who popped up frequently, and it really felt like a global community of friends all cheering each other on.
An extra level of community was created by the Copy Posse team, to varying degrees of success…
These were called ‘Accountability Pods’.
In an Accountability Pod, we were teamed up with a small group of coursemates who lived in a similar time zone to us. What we did with these groups was entirely down to us…
And I think people had wildly different expectations of what this group was for.
I was paired with 3 other coursemates based in the UK. We started off with a WhatsApp group where 3 of us chatted about the course content, and 1 mainly lurked quietly in the background. We tried to set up a Zoom call to get to know each other early on, but this sadly never happened. Eventually I started messaging directly with only 1 member of the group, as the other 2 fell silent. Then, when a series of difficult life events put the course on hold for this person, I was left without a ‘pod’.
If I’m honest, this put a bit of a downer on my mood.
Everyone, of course, had their own reasons for engaging or not engaging with their accountability pod.
Personally, I had hoped to make some friends and have my work critiqued by other talented writers.
Not having a ‘pod’ made me feel quite lonely, especially as I saw a number of ‘pods’ on the Facebook group who were getting up to all sorts of fun!
A few weeks in, when I was really struggling with having noone to look over my work, I emailed one of the coaches to see if there was anyone in a similar time zone to me who had been left pod-less and wanted to link up.
To my absolute JOY she linked me up with an incredible writer. We got into the swing of critiquing each other’s work, sharing ideas and advice, and my new friend quickly became my biggest Posse cheerleader. (If you need a talented copywriter in the health/fitness/sport niche, I know the man for the job!)
As the course started to wind down, I got a message out of the blue from a coursemate that followed me on LinkedIn and was looking for someone to look over her work. We hopped onto a video call and had the BEST time talking through her writing. Again, another exceptionally talented writer. Since then we’ve been keeping up with each other and I’m so excited to see where her career takes her next.
The Launch Pad gave me the opportunity to connect to a global network of ambitious copywriters, with shared values and an infectious sense of positivity.
Stepping out of my British cultural bubble was HUGELY helpful, especially when it came to formulating dreams for the future. We Brits have a tendency to get cynical, don’t we? Well, spend some time with people for whom English is their second or third language, and you start to absorb some of their determination, drive, and willingness to always keep learning.
Career
I’ve saved this section ‘til last because it’s probably the ‘juiciest’ (as Alex would say!)
Ultimately, I took this course because I wanted to fast-track my career. I was tired of self-teaching, trial and error, and frankly… I wanted a piece of paper to say ‘LOOK, Abigail can do this thing really well!’
I’ve broken this section down into further sub-sections, to help you grasp every aspect of the ‘career’ opportunities the Copy Posse Launch Pad provided.
The ‘A-Listers’
A massive part of the marketing for this course was the opportunity to write for a real-life business.
Yes. A business who had bravely volunteered themselves to be used as a muse for the writers on this course. A business that is actively looking for a copywriter. In exchange, this business could use any of the writing we produced as part of the course free-of-charge.
This list of businesses were called the ‘A-Listers’.
A couple of weeks into the course, we could apply on a first-come-first-served basis to write for a particular business, based off of a description of what they do (but without their business title!)
I applied within minutes of being able, and I am SO PLEASED that I got my first choice.
(Once I had learned the full scope of my second choice, I really felt I’d dodged a bullet. If I’d been allocated my second choice, I would have just written spec pieces for a business that wasn’t part of the A-List.)
My A-Lister was a brand whose mission and values I wholeheartedly believe in. A brand passionate about the environment, passionate about people, and passionate about quality.
I had an absolute blast writing for this world-changing business!
We were not allowed to contact our A-Listers until we were formally introduced at the end of the course, so everything I wrote came from hours of in-depth research (and a bit of stalking on social media!)
This process of digging for information was a major crash-course in internet research, and has already massively improved the work I am producing for my clients.
When the day finally came to be introduced to my A-Lister… I was so nervous.
I loved writing for them, and believed I had produced some top-quality work. But, I had no idea if they’d like it.
A few days passed, and I’d heard nothing.
I feared I’d mucked up my introduction email, and re-wrote it in my mind…
And then… I got a reply!
It was better than I could have ever imagined.
Not only did the CEO of this business say she loved my work, she’d provided me with a long, detailed list of positive feedback! She really put in the time and effort to carefully examine everything I’d written, and poured so much energy into giving me a heart-felt response.
The excitement went one step further when the CEO of this business suggested we hop on a call and talk about how we could possibly work together in the future…
I couldn’t believe it.
It’s still early days, but I am currently in discussion with this business about producing some real-world copy for them, and I can’t wait.
Unfortunately, I know that other coursemates weren’t so lucky. A few weeks have passed and a few people have not heard back from their A-Lister.
But, it was never guaranteed at the start of the course that the business would speak with you, let alone offer you future work. It was simply an opportunity to write for a real-world brand.
However, I can understand my fellow Launch Padders’ disappointment and frustration if their A-Lister hasn’t responded. Afterall, we spent almost 3 months learning everything about them!
Certificate and Copy-Critique
At the end of the course, I received my official certificate of completion, along with a critique of one piece of work from my portfolio.
Receiving the certificate was emotional for me…
If you know me, you know that school and University worked very well for me. The constant grading, the drive to obtain a qualification… I found my motivation through being externally validated for my work.
However, the working world is not like that. There’s no grades. There’s rarely certificates. And feedback often is a binary of ‘yes you did the work’ or ‘no you didn’t do the work.’
I have learned to find motivation within myself when it comes to my work, but there will probably always be a little part of me in the back of my mind that craves a piece of paper…
And that’s a gap that the ‘certificate of completion’ filled for me.
Not only that, but the certificate is only available if you complete the LIVE Launch Pad, not the Launch Files, which gives me some serious clout and visually helps me to stand out.
The copy-critique was also extremely useful. I decided to have the piece that I would normally charge the highest amount for critiqued by one of the talented Copy Posse coaches. The feedback given was helpful, actionable, and overwhelmingly positive! I was chuffed to say the least.
Copy Posse Launch Pad Grads Facebook Group
After completing the course we were given access to a Facebook Group of all previous Launch Pad grads. It’s a quiet group, not as busy as the first one, but there’s still a bit of buzz which is nice. I can see this being a good place to seek advice from fellow copywriters in the future.
Copy Posse Job Board
Another big part of the marketing for the course was the opportunity to access a board of job opportunities ONLY available to Copy Posse Launch Pad graduates.
This was promoted as an exciting benefit throughout the course as well. In the countdown to the course finishing, we were repeatedly told how there were a number of businesses clamouring to hire a Posse trained copywriter. This was a real drive for people to get their portfolio submitted on time so that they could take advantage of all these incredible opportunities.
Now, to be fair to the Copy Posse team, they didn’t go into detail as to what shape this job board would take, but it wasn’t quite what I imagined.
This is going to be the only major area that I think the Copy Posse team could improve.
The job board isn’t a job board. It’s a Facebook thread.
Businesses who are looking for copywriters can apply through the Copy Posse website to advertise their jobs to Posse approved writers. The job then gets posted on this Facebook thread.
However, this slight exaggeration as to what the Launch Pad Grads job board would look like is not to say that the job opportunities aren’t valuable.There are hundreds of posts on this thread, clearly displaying that in the past there have been many opportunities that Launch Pad grads have acquired through this method.
Personally, I’ve seen a couple of incredible opportunities to work with ethically-minded brands, and have applied for these roles.
On top of that, in the Facebook Group, members regularly post about job opportunities that they have found out in the wild - this saves hours of time scrolling the internet!
So whilst it’s not the job board I expected, it is still a fantastic resource. These days, a Facebook thread absolutely suffices. A job board is just a separate page doing exactly the same job, isn’t it?
Thank you, Alex Cattoni and team
The Copy Posse Launch Pad S4 has given me the skills, confidence, and drive to follow my dream of writing full time.
I absolutely love what I do, and guess what? My clients do too.
I swear, I have the loveliest clients in. the. world!
With the Launch Pad under my belt, I am able to give my clients top-quality copywriting work for the businesses. Not only this, but I am able to advise on Sales Funnels, Lead Magnets, and other areas of marketing that prior to the course I was inexperienced with.
The Copy Posse Launch Pad was exactly what I needed to get my career off the ground, and I want to say one thousand thank yous to Alex Cattoni and her dedicated team.
What an honour it was to be trained by you.
What’s next for me?
I help purpose-driven businesses find their authentic voice, tell their unique brand story, and connect with their dream customers. How? Through crazy-compelling copy of course!
If you’ve enjoyed learning about my story so far, drop me a follow (or a cheeky connect) on LinkedIn, where you can keep up with how my career is progressing, get some top-tips on ethical copywriting, and enjoy some general ramblings (with emojis a-plenty!)
