In this game-changing episode of Women of a Certain Stage, host Lauren sits down with Laura Mzhickteno, a copywriting expert with a decade of experience helping coaches, authors, and speakers translate their expertise into clear, compelling messages. If you've ever stared at a blank Instagram post wondering "how do I say this?" or felt paralyzed by your own messaging, this conversation is your permission slip to start imperfectly.

Laura shares her journey from attending random webinars on fish-catching (seriously) to building a thriving copywriting business. She reveals why messaging clarity comes from working with clients—not from hiding in your hole trying to make it perfect first. With refreshing honesty about her own six-figure student loan debt and the ROI crisis in traditional education, Laura explains why coaching certifications are becoming the new degree alternative.

This conversation tackles the fear of "being too salesy," the chicken-and-egg of getting client feedback to create messaging, and why marketing at its best is simply spreading important messages to people who need them most. Lauren and Laura explore how coaching expands our vision from "just making it through the workday" to building second acts that matter.

Plus: Laura shares the three things you must communicate clearly, why your Instagram bio matters more than you think, and the perfect gift-under-the-tree analogy that will change how you think about sharing your work with the world.

[00:01:00] Meeting years ago: learning storytelling secrets as a "fledgling menopause trainer"

[00:02:00] The unglamorous answer: a decade of training, practice, research, certifications

[00:03:00] Common hurdle: everyone knows what to say but not how to say it

[00:04:00] Three things to communicate: problem, result, different approach

[00:05:00] Message refinement happens with clients, not in isolation

[00:06:00] Patterns in client feedback reveal your real messaging

[00:07:00] Why avatars with names/ages miss the point—it's about attributes

[00:08:00] Laura's decade in coaching/author/speaker marketing

[00:09:00] When Laura's parents were shocked: "You could get a car for that!"

[00:10:00] Coaching becoming mainstream: "Yeah, my team needs coaching"

[00:11:00] UK university fees vs. US six-figure student loan debt reality

[00:12:00] Six years of time + six figures of debt = terrible ROI

[00:13:00] Degrees don't make you workplace ready—just entry level

[00:14:00] Certification programs: fraction of cost, ready to do meaningful work

[00:15:00] Retraining as personal trainer: made same money as corporate career

[00:16:00] Four grads gathered in Boston to support each other's event

[00:17:00] Don't wait for perfect—feedback loop only happens by doing

[00:18:00] But also: don't try to tackle too much too fast

[00:19:00] The chicken-and-egg: getting feedback to create messaging

[00:20:00] Start with the platform you're most comfortable with

[00:21:00] Practice clients inform what to say on social media

[00:22:00] Monthly scheduling stress lifted: planning 3-6 months ahead

[00:23:00] Getting in early: 10-15 minutes can propel business forward

[00:24:00] Coming into Menopause Coach Diploma to help each person individually

[00:25:00] Not everyone wants to be a six or seven-figure coach

[00:26:00] Understand how things...