Meet Tim Piccirillo | Digital Marketer & Copywriter

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

Hi Tim, why did you pursue a creative career?
I always thought I lacked creativity. But as I got older I realized that everyone is creative. It’s simply what direction or area you use that creativity. I prefer creative as opposed to non-creative work simply because job fulfillment and satisfaction are paramount to me. When I write or create, I feel a true sense of accomplishment. One that I can’t get from other endeavors. I’ve used various incarnations of creativity through being a comedy magician, a motivational speaker, and a copywriter.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve had 4 distinct careers in my life. One as a human service professional working in the mental health and disabilities fields for 10 years out of college. I’ve also built and operated an entertainment talent agency, been a professional comedy magician . I spent 15 years on the road as a motivational speaker in the education field from 1995-20210. I’m also a published author with my first full book being published in March 2021 on my experience suffering with a severe case of Covid-19. The thread that runs through all my careers, however, is a love of marketing. I’ve found it’s the highest leverage activity in any business. And marketing itself is a creative endeavor. There are fundamentals in marketing but few absolutes. The formula is–and always will be–“test, monitor, adjust”. I look at marketing– and business as a whole–as a game to be won. The first thing I learned about effective marketing is to differentiate yourself from everyone else in your industry.

I’ve had a major obstacle, that actually has been an advantage in my speaking career: I’ve had Tourette Syndrome (TS) since I was born so I’ve had to work harder than most to compete. The TS has helped in my speaking career because my whole speech is based around my story and the fact that, “it’s not what happens to you in life that matters, it’s what you do about it that makes the difference.” Being neurodiverse has made me “up my game” in just about every endeavor I’ve ever tried. I felt I had to try harder because of my disabilitiy.

The driving force behind everything I do can be summed up in one word: passion! I teach that the passion you have for something has to overcome the fear of attempting and following through on it. Passion has always been what drives me, sustains me and keeps me moving forward. If there is something I’m interested in, I’ll pursue it with gusto–despite whether I may fail, what people think, what the outcome will be, etc. . Fear isn’t even an issue. I learned to distance myself long ago from “the good opinion of other people”, as I’ve heard Wayne Dyer say over and over. Particularly, fear of what people think kills more dreams than anything.

After the Great Recession, I was floundering. I had come out of a bad marriage, the speaking industry had changed drastically and I didn’t want to speak in education anymore. I really didn’t know what was next for me. I have always been pulled in a certain direction my entire life. First, it was magic, then it was speaking. in 2014 I got divorced and said, “Now what?”. I had never written sales copy for anyone but myself but had been moving into the direction of writing for a while, unknowingly. I decided to put out a shingle on Upwork and became top-rated on there within 9 months. At the same time, I went full-on into being a marketing consultant. I continued to devour everything I could about online marketing to learn how the game of marketing was played in cyberspace. I continue that journey today.

Today, I’ve got a number of retainer clients and my primary “job” is working as a copywriter for another digital agency. I was offered a position as a marketing strategist at a comfortable 4-figure salary but opted instead for the copywriting positon which allows me to use my creativity. Although I make substantially less, I’m more content as the marketing strategist is simply doing project management which I have a personal disdain for. Life is short and if I’m spending 1/3 of my life working, I want it to be meaningful and fulfilling.

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?
I live in St. Petersburg, which is part of Tampa Bay Florida. St. Pete is known for independent and eclectic restaurants, so I would take them to various eateries depending on what type of food they’re in the mood for. Where I live I’m 30-minutes away from 6 different beaches, so that’s a must-do. Also, there’s a section of St. Pete with gorgeous houses where I would take them on a driving tour. These are very expensive homes but the interesting thing about them is that each one has a unique architecture and it seems no two homes are the same. Also, they’re immaculately kept up and manicured. Gorgeous area.

I’m a karaoke buff so I would take them to various karaoke bars throughout the area. Karaoke is very popular here.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve had many mentors/teachers in my life whose work has impacted me profoundly. My biggest influences have been Tony Robbins, Dan Kennedy and Wayne Dyer.

Website: www.TimPiccirillo.com

Instagram: @timpitch

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-piccirillo/

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