Meet Erika Holmes | Website and Email Copywriter

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

Hi Erika, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
It’s funny, when I first started my business, I didn’t have a big “why” other than to have more control over my earning potential and my schedule. Now that I’ve seen how life-changing entrepreneurship can be, I’ve changed my tune a bit.

I help people, mostly women, get their businesses noticed online. The number of women-owned businesses is growing like crazy, especially since so many women have been forced out of the workforce by the pandemic. And yet, 20% of small businesses fail within the first year. When you have a clear message that speaks directly to your ideal audience, your business has a much greater chance of succeeding.

As a mom who left the corporate world because it didn’t support my new life as a new mom, I love, love, love being able to help women make money on their terms, without being chained to a traditional 9-5. Studies have also shown that when women make more money, they give back more to their communities.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My copywriting business has definitely evolved from when I first started it 6 years ago. I started as a generalist who would take on any project that came my way.

Slowly, I started getting clearer and clearer on the kind of projects that really lit me up, which is writing website and email copy for personal brands who refuse to blend in. My rebrand a few years ago was a major turning point in my business. Once I stopped worrying about looking “professional” or turning off potential clients, a flood of business came pouring in and it hasn’t stopped yet.

I let loose, had so much fun with my brand photography and copy, and people responded like crazy.

That was when I learned one of my biggest lessons as an entrepreneur: which is to create a business that lights YOU up and don’t be afraid to break a few rules along the way and truly just be yourself.

Now I know that when a potential client wants to work with me, it’s because they want copy that packs a punch and I can fully unleash my creativity.

This didn’t happen overnight. It took 3 or 4 years to work up the courage (and the money!) to give my business and my brand the makeover it needed.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
OH, where to begin!

I’d definitely schedule a day on Clearwater Beach. We’d do a day at the spa at the Sandpearl or Hyatt Regency Clearwater, then hit the beach.

We’d definitely do a night in Hyde Park Village, with pre-dinner drinks at Bar Taco and dinner at Meat Market or Forbicci. Obviously, we’d get a cupcake from the cupcake ATM, because, why not?

This is a rule in our house: No one can come to Tampa without having pizza at Cappy’s Pizzeria.

I’d probably check the concert schedule at Jannus Live to see if there are any good shows (and even if it’s no one I recognize, we’d go because it’s the best live music venue ever).

Sundays are for live music and all the food, so we’d hit up Sparkman Wharf for a long afternoon of cold beer and music on the water.

And we’d reserve a night (or two) to go brewery hopping in Seminole Heights.

If they’re bringing the kids, we’d go to the zoo and Busch Gardens.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My friend Hazel Geary is a longtime friend (we’re talking high school days here!) and collaborator who was encouraging me to start my own business before I knew I wanted to. She was instrumental in helping me get my first clients, but also giving me the confidence to go out on my own. She and her team are also the creative geniuses behind my website.

Website: www.erikaholmes.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erikavholmes/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erikavidalholmes

Other: My podcast is called Make Over Your Marketing

Image Credits
Ashlee Hamon Photography Christina Jones ColorJoy Stock Rana of Roohi Photography