Effective Copywriting & Engaging Storytelling Techniques
with Jamie Dykstra
Ever wondered how words can transform your business and personal life? Dive into this enlightening conversation with Jamie Dykstra, a ghostwriter, copywriter, and coach whose expertise in strategic communication has reshaped how entrepreneurs present their stories. Jamie brings a wealth of experience from her background in finance and project management, applying these skills to craft compelling narratives that captivate and convert. If you're looking to harness the true power of storytelling to elevate your brand and engage your audience more effectively, this episode offers the tools and insights necessary to do just that.
Key Takeaways:
Crafting Compelling Narratives: Learn how Jamie uses her unique blend of skills to draw audiences into a story, making your business not just seen, but felt.
Transition from Corporate to Creativity: Discover Jamie’s journey from the corporate world to entrepreneurship, and how this shift has influenced her approach to storytelling and copywriting.
Strategies for Effective Communication: Gain actionable advice on how you can apply storytelling techniques to your own business to improve engagement and drive conversions.
Why Listen:
Whether you're a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned business owner, understanding the art of storytelling is crucial in today’s market. Jamie’s approach not only enhances how you communicate externally with customers but also enriches your own entrepreneurial journey. Tune in to transform your business narratives and personal growth through the power of storytelling.
About Jamie Dykstra
Jamie Dykstra is a ghostwriter, copywriter, and coach who loves to tell stories with impact. On her journey prior to starting her own business, she became a certified Project Management Professional and earned a Master of Science in Finance as well as a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from the University of Notre Dame. She uses all these skills to serve her clients in a strategic and impactful way to get their authentic stories out into the world.
Her loves outside of writing include Golden Retrievers, the mountains, Jeep Wranglers, and Notre Dame football.
Connect with Jamie Dykstra
Website: http://jamiedykstra.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiedykstracreates/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-dykstra/
About Aleya Harris
Aleya Harris is the spark for your spark™. A trailblazer in purpose-driven story crafting, she is a former marketing executive and ex-Google Vendor Partner who brings her dynamic experience to her role as the CEO of The Evolution Collective Inc. Aleya is a StoryBrand Certified Guide, international award-winning speaker, and the host of the award-winning Flourishing Entrepreneur Podcast. Her unique approach as a Strategic Storytelling Consultant has revolutionized the way businesses communicate, transforming workplace cultures and market positioning. With her dynamic energy and proven methodologies, she guides clients to unlock their potential, articulate their radically authentic stories, and achieve unparalleled success.
Book Aleya to Speak
To book Aleya to edutain your audience at your next event as a keynote speaker, please visit www.aleyaharris.com/speaking to check out her speaking topics, reels, and why. Click "Schedule a Call" to secure the speaker with "that something new" you've been looking for.
If you are a Corporate Event Planner, Employee Experience Professional, Head of Marketing, Learning & Development Professional, Executive Assistant, Speakers Bureau Destination Management Company, or Destination Management Organization who is looking for a top-quality, energetic speaker, you should definitely hop on a call with Aleya.
Connect with Aleya Harris
Speaking & Media: https://www.aleyaharris.com
The Evolution Collective Inc.: https://www.evolutioncollective.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleyaharris/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleyaharris/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thealeyaharris
Links Mentioned on this Podcast
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[00:01] Aleya Harris: I feel like I owe you a little bit of an apology. I've been going on and on and on for several years now, and especially in this season, about copywriting and storytelling. And I really taken a second to step back and define what that even means. And what is a copywriter? What does it mean to tell a story? What is the purpose of story and storytelling? And when you know the purpose, how do you use it as a tool to make more money and to then also change your life? But I am rectifying my wrong, and that is what we are getting into in this episode. And I brought someone amazing to help me do that. Her name is Jamie Dykstra. Jamie is a ghost writer. Jamie is a copywriter. Jamie is a coach. She is a person who uses words to create transformation and someone that I think that, in general, you should meet. Before she became an entrepreneur, she was a certified project manager. She has her master's degree in finance and a bachelor's degree in accounting. She's a smart cookie, but her superpowers, well, they're even cooler than her brains, I would like to think. I think so. And we're going to talk all about her superpowers, copywriting, storytelling, and more in this episode. So if you would like to get a little bit more nitty gritty on how to use copywriting and storytelling to transform your business and yourself, well, then, my friend, my dear listener, darling, this episode's for you. All right, let's go.
[01:49] Yuliya Patsay: Welcome to the Flourishing Entrepreneur podcast with Alea Harris. If you're looking for actionable ways to overcome communication and differentiation challenges by sharing radically authentic stories, you are in the right place. Listen in and learn how to stand in the power of your unique narrative to transform your personal life, business, and workplace culture. And now, your host, award winning international speaker, strategic storytelling consultant, and japanese whiskey lover, Ruby corals mom, Alayah Harris.
[02:37] Aleya Harris: Hello, Jamie, and welcome to the Flourishing Entrepreneur podcast. How are you doing today?
[02:42] Jamie Dykstra: Hello. I am lovely. I'm so excited to be here.
[02:46] Aleya Harris: I am excited that you're here, too, because this podcast is a testament to the power of LinkedIn. Yes, because we have grown close over LinkedIn, commenting on each other's stuff, rooting each other on. Now, we've discovered LinkedIn does voice messages.
[03:07] Jamie Dykstra: Voice messages, which is amazing.
[03:10] Aleya Harris: It's amazing. We're sending voice messages back and forth. So if anybody is out there listening, like, oh, my God, LinkedIn is such a fake platform, and, like, people only use it to tell me how to get rich in ten minutes, it's not true. You can meet good people there, I promise. So you're one of those good people that I met there, Jamie. But they don't know that. They don't know anything about you. So why don't you tell the people, my dear listeners, two to three sentences about who you are and what you do.
[03:38] Jamie Dykstra: Yeah. So, I guess, you know, you would call me a ghostwriter, a copywriter, and a coach, but labels are hard. So I like to say that I just like to tell people stories in an impactful way. And so those are some of the forms that it takes. But basically, I am out to. I'm a strategic communicator and brander, helping people get their stories out there, which.
[04:01] Aleya Harris: Means you were in the exact right place. Winner, winner, chicken dinner, because that's what we're talking about here on the flourishing Entrepreneur podcast. We're in season four. It's an emphasis on stories and storytellers. And I have a question for you. How did you realize, Jamie, that you were a storyteller?
[04:20] Jamie Dykstra: It's been a journey, I think, as I was growing up, actually, I always liked to write and write little books and stuff like that. And I was told throughout even my career in corporate and stuff like that what a great writer I was or how good I could tell stories. But I just really didn't see a way, like, it was just a thing that was about me, that I could write well or tell stories well. But when I left corporate and decided to start my own business, I didn't really know what I wanted to do. Having been in corporate finance and accounting and as a project manager, consulting seemed to be the only option, and I wasn't sure about that. And then one of my friends like, hey, you're really good at writing. Why don't you start a blog and then make maybe some side income before you until you figure out what you want to do? And I was like, sure. And then me being me, like, yeah, no, I just want to be a full time writer. I'm going to figure out how to make this work. And it's been a journey to get to that point. But when I started copywriting, I think I really saw how I could bring that storytelling and writing power to life to help other people and make a living off of it, too. And so it was a win win, and it's just really grown from there. And my passion for it has grown from there.
[05:42] Aleya Harris: I love hearing that you're working on your passion, and you said certain words that I think people take for granted because they think that they know what they mean, and I'm not sure if they do, or they might have a different definition than you might. Copywriter, storyteller. Those are words people throw around a lot. And I think that coming from a background as a marketer and a copywriter myself, and hanging out with other copywriters, I realized that not all copywriters are the same. Some people are very good at technically correct copy. They will write something that says the thing it needs to say. The grammar will be correct, the reading score, reading level will be correct. It will have all of the SEO words in it. That's good. Sometimes that's exactly what you need. Then there are people who more focus on the structure of it. Are we leading with a problem copywriters that lean really heavily into the marketing psychology behind it? I think that I'm probably more in that bucket, right. There are people that other copywriters have called me a method copywriter, like a method actor, because I, like, I really get into like, no, but what is susie feeling when she reads? It's like, that's my jam. And then there's storytellers, which I think is a nebulous concept for most. And I think for a lot of people, they see a storyteller sitting down with a storybook and saying, once upon a time in a land far, far away. So I would love to know what your take is on copywriting storytelling, what the differentiation points are, and then if someone is looking to take words and put them out into the world, who should they be looking for based on what they're trying to accomplish?
[07:39] Jamie Dykstra: Yeah, that's a great question. Because first of all, when I was copywriting wasn't something where I was like, I'm gonna be a copywriter. Quite frankly, I was talking to my coach, and we were talking about different writing ideas, and she mentioned copywriting, and I was like, I don't know what that is. I don't know what that means. And she explained it to me, and I was like, oh, yeah, okay, that sounds cool. I worked a corporate job. I can write emails with the best of them. And so I sort of look into it, and I was like, yeah, it sounds amazing. And so I feel like I've evolved as a copywriter, but I think I'm a little bit like you, where I'm really trying to pull at the emotion of not so much the technical SEO and stuff like that. I feel like it really just impairs my creativity. I write, of course, I pay attention to SEO and stuff like that, but my main focus. Focus really is. I'm more, I guess pulling the reader into a story is how I bring the storytelling into that copywriting. So, like, you know, on a homepage, it's like, hey, imagine you're in this situation, and you're like, man, I really wish that I could. X, y, z. And like, oh, hey, we can help you with that. And, like, here's how we can support you and guide you on that journey. And like, oh, hey, here's some of the benefits. And so it's really pulling the reader into a story instead of being like, a lot of that has been honed through reading, like, building a story brand and things like that, but pulling the reader into.
[09:19] Aleya Harris: Big fan of that book.
[09:20] Jamie Dykstra: Yes. Thank you for the recommendation. Power, LinkedIn. But, yeah, that's how I pulled the storytelling. It's my copywriting is pulling the reader into a story. And not only that is, I like to use the coaching in my copywriting, too. And I like to do, like, strategy sessions with my clients and help them to become more self aware of their own story. And I call myself a storyteller. I don't love the term copywriter, but I use it because it's familiar to people, because some of the work that I do with my clients is not true copywriting. It's not true marketing. It's more strategic communications and nature and things like that. So I guess it's helping them to refine their story as well, too, to be more intentional and whatnot. And so I've loved all of that, which is why I started ghostwriting now, because that's the height of storytelling for people and helping them get their stories out into the world.
[10:25] Aleya Harris: You've said things like pulling the story out, helping them tell their story. Storytelling. What is storytelling?
[10:36] Jamie Dykstra: Yeah, that's a great question. I would say that storytelling is pulling someone into your own experience in a way that is relatable and resonates with them to help them experience the transformation that they are seeking, or maybe they weren't seeking, but is something that is really beneficial to them. So I think it's getting a message out there in a way that's relatable, that also serves others.
[11:17] Aleya Harris: And look, that's what we're gonna do right now. Ooh, I'm gonna.
[11:21] Jamie Dykstra: What a coincidence.
[11:22] Aleya Harris: What a coincidence. I want to ask you a little bit more about your story and the story of the storyteller. It's very meta, very meta to lean into a bit about you, because it's one thing to say I'm a storyteller but. Or you're a storyteller, but do you have something that's worth saying? I always think that people skip that part, and my answer to most people is, yes, you do have something worth saying. But are you saying it in a way that makes sense, which is where the storytelling comes in. Right. So I would love for you to tell us all a story about a pivotal moment in your life and how it shaped you.
[12:08] Jamie Dykstra: Yeah, I feel like I have a lot of them, but I'll pick the one that feels most pivotal to me at the moment. My degrees are in accounting and finance. I went the very traditional route after college. Well, I thought I wanted to be a teacher for a very brief period of time, but after that stint ended for a few months, I did go back to finance and accounting, and I worked in the corporate world for about six years. But I, you know, something wasn't feeling right, and I wasn't feeling it anymore. And I just was like, I need a break, and I need to do something different. And I left my corporate job. I went to go work at our family business that we own, and I like, I'm going to recharge and see how I feel about things. And my plan was eventually to go back to corporate, but I kind of gave myself some time, and after a few months, I was like, nope, don't want to do that. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. And not that there's anything wrong with that path, but I didn't feel like it was in alignment with me in that time that I had had to step away, had given me time to reflect on my priorities and me and, you know, all of that. And then when I got to really see my values more clearly and what I could be doing, I was like, I really want to do my own thing. I don't know what that thing is, but I want to do my own thing. And that's kind of when I started that journey. So leaving corporate when I thought it would just be a temporary leave has turned into a so far permanent one. And that's really kind of the pivotal moment of it was very out of character for me because I thought I loved climbing the corporate ladder, and I thought I loved what I was doing. But everything happens for a reason. And listening to my intuition paid off.
[14:16] Aleya Harris: I'm so glad that you did listen to your intuition, and we've had conversations about how that in general, pays off very, very well for you. Maybe we'll get into that in a little bit. But you mentioned that stories are a device, a tool to facilitate transformation. What was the transformation that you experienced because of that? Obviously from the career transformation. But what type of internal transformation did you experience during that shift?
[14:44] Jamie Dykstra: Yeah, that was the biggest transformation. I mean, obviously outwardly the business, but, yeah, it was just huge in, you know, the relationship with success and failure. And I think, and priorities. I think I always valued family time and my faith and things like that, but I wasn't walking the walk. I said those were the things, but I was working tons of hours and eating bad and not sleeping as much as I would like to and doing all the things, and I was enjoying myself. And so I thought, like, hey, it's working. I'm getting rewarded. I'd love to climb the corporate ladder. And so I think I kind of was addicted to success in that sense, and that's a strong word to use, but I was getting rewarded for it, which is great, and I was really appreciative of it, but it just kept fueling my fire to be like, well, I want to work harder and I want to do more, and I want to take on more. And so I wasn't realizing the things that I was missing. Covid helped me actually start to realize some of that, but really stepping away was I had tons of family time, and I had tons of time to devote to working out and just general wellness and traveling and things like that. And so I think I got my values and priorities more straight. And through coaching and being intentional about that mindset, I moved from a fear of failure and perfectionism and success being. Climbing the ladder to success being. I'm intentional about my physical, mental, emotional health. I spend time with people that I love and being okay with that failure. And knowing, like, anything I set my mind to is, I'm gonna do it, and if I can't, and if not, if I can't, if it doesn't work out, it would probably didn't work out for a reason, and it's very easy to pivot. And so now I'm just like my mantras, say yes to heck yes opportunities and figure it out, which is a very different relationship of, like, I'm not afraid to fail. If it happens, it happens. But I tried it, at least, and I learned something from it, and now I know for the next time, or I know maybe that's not something that I'd love.
[17:20] Aleya Harris: I love that, and I want to transition into this. Say yes to the heck yes. Because the conversation that we started having before we press record is one that everybody needs to hear. And it's around manifestation. She just does it with ease. But I, but I will say that the transformation that you had to the way you describe success now feels so much, I don't know, better than what most people think of as, oh, I've been successful because I have all of these, you know, almost notches on my belt and I'm all battle worn and, oh, look at me, so successful. I'm overweight and now I have diabetes and now. But I'm so successful, you know, and I think that I just, and I kid, but I've been on that path before, letting somebody else's measuring stick define success. And it was also about the story I was telling myself and not knowing where I was at on that journey. When you paint the picture of your pivot, you can tell, well, I pivoted. Here I am, the transfer for information has been made, and now I'm on to the next stage of my journey. A lot of the times when people are stuck in that normal, somebody else's version of success, they don't even quite realize what's happening. So awareness, I think, is the first step and then realizing that they have the power at any point in time to change the story. And you, my friend, are very aware of your power, aren't you?
[18:51] Jamie Dykstra: Yes. Yes. I would like to think it's one of my superpowers, actually, now. And I agree with you, I think I felt like, yeah, I was doing my story, but my story was controlled by a lot of different factors that I couldn't control, too, which is story in itself that we tell ourselves. But my story was climbing the corporate ladder and whatever I could do to do that. And one of the things that I am most proud of is taking that leap of faith to make that pivot. But the story around that was really hard for a while. And it wasn't always the, yeah, like, I took this leap of faith and here I am and I made this pivot and I'm going to do my own thing. It was that uncertainty for a long time of, like, do I want to go back to corporate? Do I not want to? Okay, I don't think I want to, but now I want to start my own thing, but I don't know what I want to do. Okay, now I know what I want to do, but I don't know if I can do it. And the stories around, you know, I had a lot of limiting beliefs, and I think everyone always has some that they're working through, but I had a lot, and I felt like I was really operating from a place of anxiety again, of like, I don't know, if this doesn't work out, I mean, I can go back to corporate, and that's fine. I think I'd be fine with that. Like, I would, you know, I did great there. Before. It was probably just, you know, a phase. And then the story started to shift as I started to work through those limiting beliefs and gaining confidence from doing, instead of planning and researching and being in my head. And as I started to get that confidence from doing, the narrative started to come into place, along with all the mindset work. But now the narrative is retrospectively like, yeah, I made this pivot. It was amazing. I was starting my own business. But the narrative, I tell myself now is like, yeah, I'll figure it out. That's why I can say yes to any heck, yes, opportunity, because I know I can figure it out. I'm not going to be reckless and sign up for things that I'm absolutely not qualified to do, but I network with people that can do that, and I serve people through that way. And so the narrative. The narrative is just so powerful, because now I tell myself I'm a person that makes things happen. I figure it out, and I don't make excuses. Like, I'm in control of my story, and that story controls my circumstances. And so that's kind of what you were getting at, is powerful at making things happen, because now I have that story in my head of, like, I can make the things happen, and if they're not happening, then I just pivot my tactics a little bit to try to generate traction a different way.
[21:55] Aleya Harris: How do you push out the thoughts that seem to just kind of slide in from all the edges around our lives that, well, who do you think you are? Or, well, that was a fluke, or, well, I mean, you don't really have a background in that, so how dare you try to, because you do. Watch. Ladies and gentlemen, listener, dear listener, watching Jamie manifest from afar is a masterclass in easeful manifestation. But I struggle with some of those things that I've just said. I also struggle with God. That seems like it's gonna be hard, so this manifestation must be hard, and Jamie's whole mentality is the better mentality to have. Of course, I'm a powerful creator. I believe in the story that I'm a powerful creator. I'm gonna move forward. Why wouldn't I? And there's just so much ease and confidence in that. How do you maintain your center in that and maintain that story when it's not like you're in a quiet world, there's a noisy world with all of these other stories that could just latch onto you. What do you do in that?
[23:10] Jamie Dykstra: Yeah, you know, I think the first thing is I invest in that, right? I take the time, I make the investment. I have a coach, which is really powerful because even though I know the tactics, it is hard when you get in your own head to pull yourself out of some of those beliefs. And Rossa DeSalvo is my coach. She's amazing. And actually, she's a kind of how we met each other through LinkedIn.
[23:35] Aleya Harris: Thanks, Rasa.
[23:37] Jamie Dykstra: Thanks, Rasa. Amazing. But she's really great at helping me pinpoint those and reframe them. But I've gotten better at doing that myself with practice and stuff. And ironically, what you mentioned is I don't have enough experience is one of the ones that creeps in sometimes for me, especially since my business is fairly new and my background isn't something completely different from what this is. And because I'm always saying yes to heck yes, opportunities, when you're always doing new things, you're always, like, kind of starting at the experience level, a beginner there. But as I was thinking about my superpowers, ironically, the amount of experience I have is one of the ones that always comes up. And so I try to remind myself that it doesn't necessarily need to be experienced in that particular field. I didn't have to get an english degree to do what I'm doing. And my background in finance and accounting, and especially as a project manager and operations, makes me incredibly value and valuable and sets me apart from other people in my field that may not have that background because I can automatically relate to corporate clients, especially people, executives that want to write books or coaches or things like that. I can relate to the circumstances they go through, and even I can talk the talk of finance, like sometimes that can get technical, and some of my clients need me to have that knowledge. And so I try to remember some of my superpowers and that it's not just what I bring to the table, but it's how I bring it to the table. Something I really lean into is the joy that I can bring to whatever situation, and I especially try to bring it to my clients because the energy is so important and they should be doing something they love. I'm doing something that I love, and that really helps to produce a better story when you're operating from a place of joy and life is short. So let's not make it a drug. Let's have fun while we're doing it.
[25:48] Aleya Harris: I love that. I think that joy is always the best place to create from. To create a story or anything else. Since you are such a powerful creator, since you. The coaching clearly shows Rasa is clearly doing her job. Money well spent. What is the story that you are creating that you want to be remembered for?
[26:11] Jamie Dykstra: Yeah, it really revolves around that joy. So I guess part one of that is that I want to be remembered for bringing the joy to every situation. And that's actually something I've just become aware of. But as I've reflected on it, you know, when I was playing softball, like, my coach would be like, oh, she's always smiling out there. And, you know, when I was in the corporate world, like, managers were like, oh, you bring. You bring the fun to whatever. So I guess that's something that I do. And now it's. I've realized I do it better when I'm in alignment and I'm operating from my authentic self. And now I do that all the time. So I want people to feel like I bring joy to them, and I help to bring out their joy and help them to shine their light through me doing it myself. But in order to do that, I need to be operating from a place of alignment and authenticity. And so I want people to remember kind of what we talked about through that narrative is like, I didn't make excuses. I went and created a life that did bring me joy. I took the calculated risks that I needed to take, and I took control of doing that instead of forming a narrative in my head that I couldn't do it. And there were other factors that were preventing me from doing that. You know, I wanted to build a house. I built a house. I wanted to start my business. I started my business. And so I want to be known for helping to empower others to create a life that brings them joy as well.
[27:42] Aleya Harris: Well, I think you're well on the way, because just doing what you do is inspiring and empowering. I find that happens every time I read a LinkedIn post. If you're not following Jamie on LinkedIn, just do it. It's a lovely experience. I thoroughly enjoy it. But in addition to LinkedIn, Jamie, where else can people find you and connect with you if they want some of this joy, some of this storytelling, some of your wonderful magic?
[28:11] Jamie Dykstra: Yeah. So I have a website, jamiedykstra.com. linkedIn is primarily where I operate. I do have an instagram, amydykstra creates, and that's a. That's pretty much where you'll find me. And you can contact me through my website or LinkedIn or whatever the case may be.
[28:30] Aleya Harris: And of course, Jamie's information is going to be in the show notes. But I like to spell things for people because who knows? You could be jogging if you are. Kudos to, you could be driving. So that's j a m I e, last name Dykstra. D y k s t r a. Go stalk her. With love. With love. Jamie, thank you so much for being here with us today on the flourishing entrepreneur podcast. It has been a joy, pun intended, to have you here.
[29:00] Jamie Dykstra: Thank you so much for having me. I loved it so much. And I love your podcast. It's amazing.
[29:05] Aleya Harris: Like, and subscribe. All right, talk to you soon.
[29:09] Jamie Dykstra: Talk to you soon.
[29:12] Aleya Harris: Well, I'm so glad we cleared that up. I am so glad we cleared up copywriting, storytelling, and I think we had the perfect person in Jamie to help us do that. Jamie Dykstra was a joy, as she said, and I think that she really illustrated why. I am a strategic storytelling consultant. That's a fancy word for me, doing what I know is my purpose, which is loving people into the higher versions of themselves, innately. In that definition, is transformation, is growth, is development, is the shedding of limiting beliefs. It is stepping into your role as a powerful creator and into your radically authentic self. That is why I tell stories and why I enable other people to tell stories. I do that through my program, spark the stage, which teaches entrepreneurs and executives in six weeks how to tell a radically authentic, compelling signature talk from the stage. I do it when I'm on stage. I do it one on one with clients and coaching and consulting, developing their stories, all with the goal of transformation. So if you're wanting to transform yourself, your business, the simplest thing to do is to ask yourself two questions. What is the story that I'm telling myself now? And what is the story that I want to be telling myself? And look at then how to bridge the gap between the two of those things. And when you do that, that's when the fun starts. That's when you start going on. That transformational journey is filling the gap. That's what life is truly all about, going from journey to journey to journey. And I'm excited that I get to be a little part of your journey. This is, of course, the flourishing entrepreneur podcast. And my name is Alayah Harris. And to you, my dear and wonderful listener, I am sending lots of love, light, and abundance. Bye for now.
[31:23] Yuliya Patsay: Thank you for listening to this episode of the flourishing entrepreneur podcast with Aleah Harris. Vibing with what you hear, leave a five star review to spread the love and be sure to click subscribe. We wish you love, light and abundance. See you next time.
