Beyond the Lucky Break

When I was eight years old, I won a TV.

It was one of those instant-win sweepstakes on the bottom of Coca-Cola bottle caps. That win, that rush, was a definitive moment for my small self.

The kind of experience you carry with you for life. 

Or, at least, that's what it felt like. In reality, it set a standard for how I viewed the world, what it takes to succeed, and the role fate plays in our lives — one that took me years to understand and eventually break free from.

It all started with a bottle of soda.

The Problem with an Early Win

For the longest time, I thought some people were just lucky.

When I cracked the seal on that bottle of Coke and won that TV, that belief cemented into my head. 

And, for the longest time, I kept my hopes up for the next lucky break. It also made me craft this narrative that skill was a natural ability, too, just like luck. Only those with the innate aptitude to do something succeeded. You either were talented or you weren’t. 

I tried to force this worldview into reality. If I wasn't naturally good at something or didn’t see results instantly, it wasn’t for me. It was that simple. 

What I failed to understand are two essential lessons:

• Luck is cultivated
• Skills are learned

Because of that early win, the free TV, I expected luck to be on my side, not realizing that I have the ability to cultivate my own luck. I also expected to be really good at some things without the need for training or practice. 

As you might imagine, this set me up for confusion, anxiety, and dissatisfaction. And I certainly don’t think I’m alone in this naive worldview rampant in younger minds. 

Fortunately for me, several key lessons pulled me away from this fatalistic idea of living. 

What is Luck?

If you asked me at 21 what luck was, I’d tell you it was some unknown force that bestows success onto people randomly — or something like that.

Some of us had the good fortune of luck, while others did not.

What I started to learn as I forged my career as a writer was that luck was the result of an open mind and the ability to stay flexible. 

Your career and luck are much more intertwined than you might think, and it's not just random.

Well, it is somewhat random. But the idea is that you prepare for the random. The reality is that there is much in our lives we can’t control. What we can control is how we react and how we take advantage of opportunities. 

I had a rigid idea of what life and my career was supposed to look like. 

Starting as a fledgling copywriter, I had dreams of making it big in a few months. This was simply not the case. 

In the dregs of low-paid and monotonous work, I always kept an eye out for the next step. I learned that my perceived idea of what becoming a writer looked like was flawed. Instead, I focused on what I could control. I started learning. From modern digital courses to old-school books on traditional ad copy, I soaked it all in. 

I knew that when the next opportunity came, I’d be ready. No need for luck. I was making my own. 

Practice and Patience

That next opportunity came when I had the good fortune of meeting Joy, the founder and leader of now Winsome. 

For me, it started as just another writing gig.

Up until that point, I had been pushing out high-volume SEO work for all kinds of clients. This opportunity was different. It was a chance to step into the next level of professional copywriting. I knew that this was a vertical move for me and that my skills would be tested.

And they were. But in the best way possible.

I was no longer writing for one-off clients. Winsome, then Hire a Writer, brought me into a world of long-term relationships, high standards, and mentorship. 

While those early months were a slog, they taught me two important words: practice and patience. I had to practice my craft and learn to be patient with my progress — completely opposing ideas to my conditioned mindset of the past. 

But through that process, I developed confidence in myself. Confidence in my ability to learn. 

Since then, I’ve learned a lot and had many more opportunities come my way. From working with high-growth startups and numerous small businesses to major brands and C-level executives, this career has become something I never would have imagined. 

It wasn’t luck or natural ability that got me here. It was hard work, patience, and the support of people far smarter and more talented than me. 

I’m grateful. And you can be, too.

Being Open and Ready

I don’t often write about myself. Honestly, I don’t think I've used “I” so many times in any piece of content. But, I’m hoping you can see the lesson that I see.

It’s easy to carry limiting beliefs about yourself and your abilities. And it’s even easier to give up on something when it's not easy. While natural ability and luck sure are nice, they’re just not a luxury you can wait around for.

What we can cultivate now is an open mindset. One that says, “I’m ready for new opportunities, even if they’re hard.”

And in the writing game, that is essential. Because it’s not just about putting words on paper; it’s about crafting a compelling narrative and capturing a brand’s voice. It’s about getting everything from on-page SEO to client management down to a science.

It’s also about a whole lot more. 

Sales, communication, editing, technical SEO, data science. The list goes on and on.

It’s not meant to scare you but to say that learning never stops. If you can cultivate confidence in yourself and your ability to learn, none of it will scare you. 

No matter where you are in your career, don’t forget to give yourself grace. Look back at all you have done and realize how far you've come. It’s too easy to beat ourselves up about what we don’t know or what we have yet to do. 

Hoping for a lucky break only diminishes your agency. 

If there is one thing I know now after spending four years building a writing career, it’s that hard work, patience, kindness, and an openness to feedback are often all you need. The rest of it can be learned.