Meet Lindsey Hardman | Copywriting for the Professional, Literature for the Personal

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

Hi Lindsey, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?

Writing has always been the place that felt like home. I was drawn to writing from an early age, and while I struggled in other subjects and found myself discouraged, writing always brought me back to center and reminded me that I was good at something. I knew that whatever I wrote would be with my whole heart, and that hasn’t changed.

Over the years, I learned that writing was not everyone’s strong suit. I started getting asked to write pieces for various events to help them stand out. I was always grateful for the opportunity and never thought much more of it. As I got older and things like social media came into play, the needs only grew. For years, people told me to create a business around my passion but I refused. I thought that if I got paid for my skill, I would lose my passion for it and start resenting it. I wanted to be able to enjoy it for the rest of my life, and still be able to help people.

When Covid happened, people started realizing just how much ‘the story’ matters. Businesses were going under left and right, but many who were able to maintain the sharing of their story and their ‘why’ were able to stay afloat. People cared and wanted to help, but out of sight out of mind, right? If your community doesn’t know you are struggling, there’s no way for them to help. Throughout 2020, the thought kept creeping into my mind about the possibilities and what could happen if I brought the business idea to life. I went through all the emotions: guilt, fear, anxiety, excitement. Finally, after a lot of prayer and discussions with mentors a lot smarter than me, I decided to take the leap and “just see what could happen.” The end goal being to keep helping people the best way I knew how, but build it so that I could pay my bills and support myself. Win-win.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

Lindsey Hope Co. consists of two main components: professional copywriting and personal literature writing.

Quality copywriting is imperative for virtually all businesses. Without it, you don’t have a voice and no one will know (or care) who you are. As they say, out of sight, out of mind. In today’s digital world, copywriters are a dime a dozen, so finding the right fit for your business can be a challenge. While I am very open to writing for businesses of all sizes, I really like to focus on the small/medium business side. As a small business myself, I understand the level of passion and grit it takes to pursue the dream, and keep going even when it feels like all you’re doing is going uphill in the snow both ways. I love being able to tell the story in a way that draws people in and encourages sales and connection. Connection being the key word! There is no business without customers, but there’s no desire to be a customer unless they feel a connection with your business. The right words connect, and connections make sales.That’s why ensuring you have the right copywriter for your website and other word-y needs is one of the most important (and worthwhile) investments you can make.

On the flipside, personal literature writing is the other half of my business. This was something I didn’t see being done but was clearly a need. I found that so many people have such deeply personal things to share with loved ones, friends, mentors, and others, but just do not have the ability, time or energy to put the right words together. So when they would want to write wedding vows or a letter of gratitude or love or apology, the words just wouldn’t be there. Whatever did come out sounded very surface level and superficial. I was surprised the first time I was asked to write wedding vows, and truthfully a little nervous. But the response from both the bride and groom was incredible, as well as from everyone at the wedding! It was such a profound moment for me, and really drove home that I was on the right path.

I also write for the Alaska Real Producers magazine, and the stories I get to tell just bring me so much joy. These people are more than just REALTORS®; they are leaders in their communities. They are giving back, impacting and connecting their communities in ways that matter. That’s the kind of team I am always proud to be a part of.

I think one of the things I love most is when someone reaches out to me and says, “I know what I want to say, I just have no idea how to say it.” Then when I send over the draft and the response is, “I can’t stop reading it! This is exactly what I wanted to express!” That lights me up and gives me everything I need to keep going.

Writing is truly a profession of passion. I strongly believe in using the gifts you are given to give back to the world, and that is what is most important to me. I have been so blessed with such fantastic clients from the beginning, on both the copywriting and personal side. They are the reason Lindsey Hope Co. has grown the way it has, and I am always excited to see what’s next!

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?

This is a fun question because I’m not a native Texan! I was born and raised in southeast Virginia and moved to Texas when I was in my early 20’s. As tourist-y as it is, I feel like you can’t miss out on the Stockyards. I love taking friends there. I’m also a huge fan of GoGo Gumbo in Boyd, and of course…Buc-ee’s. Truthfully, I don’t go to the city often because it’s a bit too much for me. It’s awesome for a fun day or evening out here and there, and that’s the cool thing about the DFW area – you’ve got a lot of options!

I love a good ol’ mom and pop shop, and I try to support small wherever I can. One of my favorite breakfast places is Jackie’s Ham & Eggs in Lewisville. The helpings are enough for a day or two of leftovers, and their story is incredible. I’ve taken as many people there as I can! I was having breakfast there once when a transformer blew across the street in the middle of a storm. Everyone inside just kept eating, so I did too!

I really enjoy live music and dancing, so places like the Rustic are awesome, but there are also many smaller live music venues around DFW that are just so pleasant and family friendly. Can’t miss out on a good Farmer’s Market either! More often than not though, any off time is spent with my horse and dogs.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

So many people! Too many friends and family to count, but my mom would be the real MVP. She’s the one who pushed me to pursue it the longest and got the most pushback, but she stuck with it. She definitely had her “I told you so” moment when my business went live and inquiries and support came flooding in. She earned that moment though, haha!

Sarah Plummer Taylor, Simon Sinek and Brené Brown have also been huge influences on my life. Their leadership and perspectives have been instrumental in guiding me in my next steps professionally and personally. Brené talks a lot about knowing and understanding your own core values, and making sure you make decisions based on those. That was a game changer for me. Sarah, Brené and Simon all put great emphasis on having a heart for others, which has been a core value of mine for as long as I can remember, and I love how much they incorporate that into the business world. EVERY industry needs some TLC, and as much as I want to save the world, I’m just one person. So when it came to my own business, it was extremely important to me to operate in a way that truly helps other human beings and brings joy, light and love to their lives.

Website: www.lindseyhopeco.com

Instagram: @lindseyhopeco

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseyhardman/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094152744764

Image Credits
Lisa Stover / Lisa Stover Photography Zach Archibald