KN#242 – As Promised…

Last week I was still a little raw. As much as I wanted to share something great about Clayton Makepeace, I just couldn’t find the right words.

This week… it’s not much easier.

I mean, even the most skilled writers are having the same trouble.

And it’s not because there isn’t anything good or nice to say. It’s quite the opposite.

There’s too much to say.

Clayton Makepeace was not only a fantastic copywriter and mentor… he was a powerful advocate for copywriters and copywriting.

Sadly, I found Clayton after he had stopped writing his newsletters and selling his writing programs.

But I’m getting a bit ahead of myself. I need to back track a bit, because…

How did a woman from Australia find this great man in the first place?

Back in 2012, I did a high-ticket weekend workshop with Alexi Neocleous. He’s an Australian copywriter and a super sharp guy. I’d met him at a different event he spoke at in 2011.

At Alexi’s workshop, he spoke about his mentor Parris Lampropoulos and Parris’ mentor Clayton Makepeace. He also spoke a lot about a guy named Gary Bencivenga.

And for me, hearing these new names was like waking up from a copy coma… I had no idea these guys existed! (I felt like an idiot when I asked Alexi how to spell all their names.)

The way Alexi spoke about Clayton, Parris, and being one of Parris’ “Copy Cubs” awakened something in me.

I remember thinking at the time… “I want to be copy cub of one of these amazing men!”

But the funny thing was, I had no idea what a copy cub was. And I had no idea what was involved (I most certainly do now!)

After Alexi’s workshop, I started to search for these men on the internet. I found myself going down the most spectacular rabbit holes, following any tidbits of information I could find.

I wanted to learn from them… but Parris was difficult to find, and Gary had retired.

And after relentless searches, I finally found that Clayton had some great resources online.

But the resources I found were with a company called AWAI. I didn’t actually know (or care) who they were… if that was how I needed to get my hands on the “precious” then so be it.

I bought Clayton’s “Quick Start Copywriting System” and it blew me away. I had never read copy like his before. The way he tapped into human emotions, dimensionalized his copy, and “caressed” the reader with his words… lit me up as a copywriter and made me swoon as a reader.

I’m not afraid or ashamed to say that Clayton was my first “Copy Crush.”

Through the magic of Social Media, I became friends with Clayton and started to get to know him better.

In September 2014, I travelled to Stamford, Connecticut for the Titans of Direct Response event.

Clayton was planning to go to the event, but his wife and soulmate Wendy had to have an operation, so he stayed home to care for her instead.

And in doing so, he showed me one of the qualities I admired in him most… his love and devotion to his partner.

He sent Rae and me messages on Facebook apologizing for missing us at the Titans event but was hoping to see us at the AWAI Bootcamp in October.

I was too embarrassed to tell him that I could barely afford to go to the Titans event, much less travel back to the US the next month for another event.

Up until then, I hadn’t thought about the AWAI Bootcamp, but Clayton made it sound like it was something I needed to be at.

So, I planned to work my butt off to attend the Bootcamp in 2015.

Leading up to Bootcamp 2015, Clayton kept sending Rae and me messages to make sure we were going to go. He said he was so excited to finally to get meet us. It was astonishing to me to think that one of the best copywriters in the world was excited to meet me! But Clayton had a profound way of making people feel special.

And on the first day of Bootcamp, he did something that stunned me.

I had been in a meeting in one of the hotel rooms with a potential client. After the meeting, I got in the elevator to go back to the event and attend the next session.

As I got into the elevator, I noticed John Carlton was standing up against the wall. I was star struck, but I still managed to introduced myself and we had a chat about a time he’d travelled to Australia. It was only a quick ride down and when the doors opened, we both headed in the same direction, but walked apart.

It was my first Bootcamp, so I was still having trouble finding my way around.

And as I walked toward the room, I saw Clayton… and he caught a glimpse of me.

By that time, John and I were walking together again. And as we reached Clayton, John greeted him. But Clayton pushed passed him, excused himself and said, “Just a moment John, I’ve been waiting a long time to meet Pauline!”

I was flabbergasted! He stepped in to give him a hug and it was like hugging an old friend. (It was the first of many hugs.)

Clayton and I chatted quickly and then I excused myself to go and find Rae.

At that Bootcamp, Rae and I got to know Clayton and Wendy better. And in a moment, I will never forget, I won one of the writing prizes right there in front of my “copy crush.” It was a glorious moment!

But I didn’t hold onto the money long. I gave it right back to AWAI so I could join Clayton’s new Mastermind and immerse myself deeper into his beautiful mind.

The following year (2016) I went to Clayton’s Speed Writing Event in Denver and learned his writing process.

The day after the event, Rae and I had breakfast with Clayton and Wendy, as well as David Deutsch and Lori Haller. We got to know them all much better and even scored a few bonus writing tips as well.

It was such a blessing to have had that experience (and many thanks to Rae for making it happen. It was one of her goals to buy Clayton a meal… and she ended up paying for everyone).

In October, we went to Bootcamp again and caught up with Clayton. I told him that I still wanted to be his copy cub, but at the same time I was chasing Parris as well. He was supportive of me and my ambition.

I did apply a few times to join his writing team at the different companies he wrote at, but the problem with being an Australian is… visas are expensive and difficult to get. So sadly, my goal of being Clayton’s copy cub never happened.

One of the best experiences Rae and I had with Clayton and Wendy happened in early 2017. We went to Tampa, Florida to attend an event with Ted Nicholas and Matt Furey.

Clayton lived a few hours south of Tampa, so Rae asked Clayton if he had time for a catch up. He said yes and suggested that we could have dinner together. But we had to go to him. And that’s where the fun started.

We looked at different ways to get down to where he lived, and the best way was going to be driving. But the problem was, we don’t usually drive when we go to the US (the steering wheel and pedals are on the wrong side). We either walk or “Uber” to get around.

But Sarasota was too far to walk or Uber to… so we put on our big girl panties and hired a car. Then we drove down to Sarasota and had a fantastic time with Clayton and Wendy.

Over the years, Clayton taught me a lot about copy, but I also learned a lot from the silent, subtle lessons he gave me too.

And one of my favourite ones is…

Knowledge Nugget #242:
Helping Other People Succeed Doesn’t
Diminish You Or Your Own Success

Clayton was very generous with sharing his knowledge, expertise and experience. He was one of the favourite speakers at AWAI’s Bootcamp. And over the years, I saw him speak at many other events as well.

Unlike other speakers, he always had something fresh and new to share. And I always learned so much from listening to him speak.

Clayton was secure enough in himself that he happily helped others to be their best and succeed. He wanted up-and-coming copywriters to make big money and be successful… just like him.

He was a mentor, a friend and a guiding light in an industry that’s covered in a dense fog of fakery and B.S.

Clayton was the real deal. I don’t think anyone will ever be able to be called “the next Clayton Makepeace.” And to do so is setting the bar too high for any mere mortal… and disrespectful to this one of a kind, once in a lifetime man.

Clayton’s death has left a huge hole in the world. Bootcamp won’t be the same without his huge smile. Facebook won’t be the same without his irreverent and funny posts. And my life won’t be the same because he was in it.

You see, searching for Clayton introduced me to many of the friends I have in my life right now. And meeting Clayton brought a level of richness to my life I never thought possible.

I am so grateful to Alexi for awakening me from my copy coma… and introducing me to a side of the copywriting world I never knew existed.

And I’m grateful for knowing Clayton for the precious, short time I knew him. I’ll miss him, and it hurts that he’s gone… but his legacy lives on through the people who learned from him, including me.

Until next week, stay awesome and be healthy : )

Pauline xxx

Pauline Longdon
a.k.a. “The Copy Alchemist”

P.S.  One of the most profound lessons I got from Clayton was at his event in Denver. He said, “Don’t compare your first draft to my final draft.” That advice helped me to take some pressure off myself.

To be honest, I’d still like my final draft to look more like Clayton’s final draft. But as Parris says, it’s a process.

P.P.S.  I was shocked to see people sharing some of Clayton’s courses for “free” in Copywriting FB groups not long after he died. I don’t know what their motivation was, but I told them that if they had any respect for Clayton and his material, they’d remove it. I also said that they were taking money from Wendy and that wasn’t right. (I’m relieved to say they took down the posts.)

Now I’m not telling you this to say how “good” I am… I’m sharing this because every cent I’ve ever invested in Clayton’s courses (even when I couldn’t really afford to do so) has repaid me many times over. I am more than happy to pay to play. And people serious about their skills and career should be happy to pay too.

P.P.P.S.  I was recently interviewed by Shar Moore from the YMag about being a “Woman to Watch in 2020.” It was a fun interview and as always, I shared some insights I hadn’t shared before.

If you want to check it out, click here to listen.

P.P.P.P.S.  I can’t go without sharing one more photo…

“The Denver Breakfast Club”
(or affectionately known as…”Rae’s Shout!”)

L to R: Rae Brent, Clayton Makepeace, Wendy Makepeace, David Deutsch, Pauline Longdon & Lori Haller.