Word Nerd meets Word Tonic

A few weeks ago, I had the honour of running a masterclass for Word Tonic, a Gen Z copywriting community bursting with creative energy and the kind of humour that made me feel ancient. Hearing a “Thank you, Daddy” sound effect on loop while presenting was a first for me, but honestly, it was an amazing experience.

There’s something uniquely vulnerable about standing in front of a group — even virtually — and saying, “Here’s what I know. Here’s what I’ve learned the hard way. And here’s what I've still got to figure out.”

The Word Tonic crew was welcoming, open, and refreshingly honest. We connected, laughed, and shared stories about the chaotic joys of freelancing, the weirdness of client feedback, and the age-old debate: How much spec work should your portfolio actually include? (answer still isn't clear) 

The session was a mix of whacky stories from agency life, lessons learned in-house, tips for finding your voice (and not losing it in rounds of feedback), and some honest truths I wish I’d heard earlier in my career—like: it’s okay not to have all the answers. And yes, impostor syndrome isn't ideal, but it’s also so widespread that it’s basically normal.

What surprised me most was how generous and sharp the Word Tonic community is. They asked smart questions, shared their own experiences, and cheered each other on in the chat. It felt less like a masterclass and more like a big, creative group therapy session, in the best possible way.

So if you ever get the chance to run a session like this, take it. Even if you’re nervous. Especially if you’re nervous. Because somewhere in that room, someone needs to hear what only you can say, in a way that only you can say it.

Or if you're a Gen Z copywriter looking for a warm, supportive, laugh-out-loud community, look no further than Word Tonic. They haven't paid me to endorse them! I genuinely believe in what they're doing.