Meet Devin Papillion | Writer + Musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Devin Papillion and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Devin, how do you think about risk?
At this point, most of my life seems to be about risk.

I took a risk at the age of seven when my dad told me not to walk barefoot around the backyard as he built us a new fence; subsequently managing to drive a huge long nail straight into the bottom of my foot.

I took a risk at the age of 14 when, fresh out of a back brace and not even a year off of an operating table where doctors implanted two titanium rods on each side of my spine (idiopathic scoliosis was the diagnosis), I still went out for the track, cross country, and basketball teams against doctors orders. I made all three. The 800 was my favorite race.

I took a risk when I moved to LA on a whim, just 28 days shy of my 25th birthday, with $1,500 in my pocket and no plan.

I took a risk when I decided to build a lucrative copywriting business from the ground up with no contacts, no samples, no portfolio, no prospects, and no money.

Risk is what makes us human. Risk gives me the courage and the heart to be a writer. I think risk is necessary for survival.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’m a copywriter, strategist, and editor navigating mainly the finance, tech, SaaS, and clean energy sectors. Today I could be considered an expert in my field but, nearly 10 years ago, that would’ve been a really bizarre statement to make.

It feels like I’ve had to fight tooth and nail just to break through, and to break even. I remember when I got my first byline published in the Dallas Observer for a $25 check.

I started out freelancing (mostly on the editorial side), but when I started to learn about what a copywriter is and the type of (lucrative) money they could make, I started teaching myself how to do it so that I could break into the field. Getting my first few clients was absolute torture. I knew nothing. I had nothing. No one took me seriously. I didn’t have many samples to show (ironically), so I mostly had to go off of trust and integrity. I had to be impeccable with my word. It was more about proving that I could be someone a client could rely on.

And every project ran into the next. I would use whatever work I completed on the smallest, dumbest of jobs and I’d use it to show to the next client. Sometimes I would even make up fake samples from scratch, just to have something to show. (I specifically remember one time when I wrote a fake newsletter to convince people to subscribe to the New York Times. I pitched it to a client who needed some sales emails written. He hired me on the spot.)

I had to be creative. I had to be resourceful. I had to have grit. I had to be willing to starve. And I did… a lot. For years I was moonlighting as a waitress/food deliverer (and pretty much any other hustling job you could think of) just to get by. Just holding on to the hope that something had to give, eventually.

I landed at my first agency in 2018 where I got to learn what it truly means to be a student of the craft of copywriting. I learned by doing. It was my first real chance at hands-on, real-world experience.

Then, more failure happened. More disappointments. More uncertainty. More building. I was always back and forth at another job just to hold me over until something else would come through.

Then, in November 2020, I decided I would go all in. I left my job as a claims adjuster where I was barely making $40k. By that following January, I hit $50k; by June I hit $70k; by December, I was well into six figures. I bought my dream car and got my dream apartment. Before long, instead of seeking out opportunities myself, clients started coming to me. My name started to circulate around the industry through word of mouth alone and, next thing I knew, I was connecting with people all over the world; working with brands I had only dreamed of before.

There’s not really a secret formula. There was definitely not a blueprint. I was just a girl in a world who wanted to write, whose heart told her she should do it by any means necessary. The only thing that made it “somewhat” easy is that I know for a fact writing is something I’d do for free until I die. So with that kind of fire in my belly, something was bound to shake. And it only took me about 10 years to do so.

For anyone chasing something even remotely similar to the above, there’s no secret. There’s no right way. Just keep going.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oddly enough, I don’t really go out. But I do have a few select spots that are to die for. I frequent River Legacy a lot. It’s a park in Arlington with a nature trail about 7.5 miles long. It’s pure bliss and it’s where I like to say that God lives. I go there often and talk to Him.

Favorite taco spot: Taco City Y Mas, down on Comstock. (Their mango tea has a strong hold on me.)
Another favorite when I’m flexing on my healthy eating: Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken.

Also, for an overall, wholesome good time: anywhere in Bishop Arts District.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My group for me would be my dad, mom, and sister. Our respective relationships aren’t perfect, but they truly do love me for who I am, in all my range. My dad has always been my sound voice of reason, logic, and genuine care in a world that loves to be the opposite. My mom is the most selfless human being I’ve ever known. And my sister is one of the most incredibly, brilliant, supportive human beings on the planet.

Also, on this journey, I’ve heard many “no’s” and had countless doors slam in my face before I could crack them open. But there are a few people I’ve crossed paths with over the years who have given me the one “yes” that I needed when it mattered most. They matter so much to me, and they know who they are.

Website: https://www.devpapillion.com

Instagram: @devtruly

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devin-papillion-copywriter-content-strategist-editor/

Image Credits
Alex Harris is the photographer who shot all of these photos.

IG: @shotbyalexharris
website: www.alexharrisphotography.com