Building a career as a successful copywriter in Korea started long before DC CopyPro. After applying for more than 100 jobs in Canada without a single interview, the move to Korea in 1995 became the turning point. That same determination later pushed through a broken arm during a master’s program, 1,200 km cycling events, and a 1,590-day push-up streak that’s still going.
That persistence now drives daily client work, SEO writing, proofreading, and SaaS marketing. This post shares how 1,800+ documented examples of awkward English and 1,800+ consecutive days of social posts have helped build DC CopyPro’s reputation. It also explains why meeting deadlines, refining AI-generated drafts, and delivering polished English copy still depend on human effort, attention to detail, and consistency.
- Academic grit—the foundations of making me a successful copywriter in Korea
- Sometimes you have to make your own “luck”
- Physical grit can manifest itself in ways you might not expect
- Pushing myself in ways I never anticipated, figuratively and literally
- Grit is how you keep going when the chips are down
- Professional grit—confessions of a successful copywriter in Korea
- DC CopyPro—successful copywriter in Korea, fueled by grit (and deadlines)
- Partner with a successful copywriter in Korea for joint success
Grit. These days, it’s often viewed as a four-letter word. Well, technically it is, but you know what I mean. I’m from that generation that values it—and I’m not ashamed of that. I don’t advocate suffering rather than facing an issue or looking for an alternative. But I am where I am today, largely in part, due to grit. It’s helped me achieve many things, and it’s why I don’t know how to quit. It’s also helped me become a successful copywriter in Korea.
Academic grit—the foundations of making me a successful copywriter in Korea
Grit is largely the reason I wound up in Korea. Well, that and a “very useful” degree in philosophy.😉 I entered university as a history major. But after a year and a half, my grades were abysmal. I wasn’t enjoying my history classes as much as I had in high school. But I did enjoy my first year philosophy class, so I changed majors in my second year.
I didn’t graduate “on time” because I’d dropped a class or two along the way. I needed a couple of required credits from outside my major to graduate. So I took a correspondence course (or whatever we called it back then) for one semester. I graduated 6 months behind schedule.
Once I graduated, unemployment in my home province of Nova Scotia was at an all-time high. Official rates were approaching 15%, but in reality, numbers were likely closer to 20%. There were people, like me, who hadn’t worked enough hours to qualify for unemployment insurance. We weren’t part of that 15% statistic.
Sometimes you have to make your own “luck”
Despite having a solid resume, varied experience, and good references, there were no jobs to be had. In the summer of 1995, I was receiving government housing assistance. To keep it, I had to be actively looking for work. I applied for more than 100 jobs in July and August of 1995 without so much as a single interview. To be completely honest, my philosophy degree certainly didn’t help. 😉
Rather than give up, I started looking elsewhere. I couldn’t go plant trees out west, as many people I knew had. I didn’t have a car or money for transportation.
So, I applied to teach English in Japan and Korea. They were only viable options because those positions included paid airfare. Korea called first, and I was off. The plan was to work for a year or two, pay off my student loans, and then return to Canada to start my “real” career. I landed in Korea on Dec. 29, 1995. I’m still here.
Physical grit can manifest itself in ways you might not expect
After several years of teaching at a university, I decided it was time to get my master’s degree. A few weeks after I started, while riding my bike to my office to do some coursework, I fell off and broke my arm. One of my professors strongly suggested I withdraw and reapply the following semester.
But I’d finally decided to do this, and I had lots of free time while recovering in my hospital bed. It was a nasty break that required several operations. And I still had one good hand I could type with. Sure, assignments would take me much longer, but I was determined to start what I’d finished. I remember arguing with the doctor about getting released for a midterm test. He was adamant that I could not go. I was more adamant that I wasn’t going to miss that test. Long story short, I was released early, I took the test, and I finished that program on time.
Pushing myself in ways I never anticipated, figuratively and literally
A few years after that, despite my accident, I got into long-distance cycling. The shortest sanctioned rides were 200 km. I eventually worked my way up to 4-day, 1,200 km rides. During my first 1,000 km ride (Seoul-Busan-Seoul), I broke a cable on the return leg. I was 700+ kilometers into a ride, and I couldn’t change gears. There would’ve been no loss of face for pulling out with a mechanical.
But with my riding partner’s encouragement, I continued riding until we got to the next town. We found a bike shop and managed to repair the cable. We finished that ride within the allotted time.
In December 2021, a friend of a friend posted a daily push-up challenge. I still don’t remember why I decided to take it on. Prior to that, I don’t think I’d done a hundred push-ups in my life. But I decided to undertake the challenge. Day 1 was 5 push-ups, Day 2 was 10 push-ups, and so on. Day 31 meant 155 push-ups.
I managed to complete the challenge by breaking up my daily push-ups into sets. But after I completed that challenge, I decided to add 100 push-ups a day to my daily routine. That was January 2022. We’re now in May 2026, and the streak remains intact.
Grit is how you keep going when the chips are down
But it hasn’t come without its challenges. It seems each year, there’s been something that’s put that streak in jeopardy. One year, I slept in an awkward position, which resulted in some severe shoulder pain. My first attempt at my daily push-ups was an absolute no-go. But somehow, in the evening, I was able to push through the pain (without injuring myself further). The streak remained intact.
In the past couple of years, I’ve had severe stomach bugs that left me vomiting, dehydrated, and very weak. But somehow, I managed to tough out 100 push-ups. They weren’t the best push-ups, but I could say the streak was still alive. As of publishing this post, that streak is at 1,590 days.
Professional grit—confessions of a successful copywriter in Korea
Why am I telling you all this?
So you know who you’re partnering with when you decide to team up with this successful copywriter in Korea. I started DC CopyPro after losing my 17+ year teaching job due to downsizing. Rather than get another teaching job where I’d be in the same predicament of no job security, I decided to bet on myself. Grit is what’s enabled me to amass and catalog 1,800+ examples of awkward English in signs, menus, ads, and other places. It’s also how I’ve managed to post those examples daily for 1,800+ days in a row without missing a day.
I’ve worked on establishing myself as a freelance copywriter and proofreader. I was a contractor for Xplor Education for almost 5 years. Starting as a writer, I became the Marketing Team Lead in just 6 months. That lasted until that project concluded a couple of months ago. So now I’m refocusing on DC CopyPro. I’m a successful copywriter in Korea because of the effort I’m willing to put into this business—and I’m willing to do what it takes to succeed.
When you choose to work with me, you benefit from my years of studying language. That enables me to convey your brand identity clearly to your audience. You also get more than my 4 ½ years of SaaS marketing experience across three brands. You get the grit and determination that’s made me a successful copywriter in Korea.
DC CopyPro—successful copywriter in Korea, fueled by grit (and deadlines)
Agreed-upon deadlines are just that—deadlines to be met.” Just like I didn’t quit when my bike cable snapped, I don’t miss deadlines when projects get complex. A deadline isn’t a “suggestion”—it’s the finish line.
You can see from the people who have worked with me that I’m knowledgeable, prompt and professional. I listen to my clients and deliver work that they’re confident in. In addition to being “a pleasure to work with,” my clients appreciate my
- Attention to detail.
- Willingness to take feedback.
- Ability to meet deadlines.
When you choose to work with me, you get my full attention. Your success is my success, so I’ll deliver the quality of work that will see us both succeed.
In today’s AI-polluted world, anyone can generate 1,000 words in seconds. But it’s actual human grit that’s responsible for the determination to verify, refine, and polish the draft until it’s perfect. Sure, you can ask AI to polish its own draft and “sound more human.” But if AI could do that effectively, it would do it from the start.
Partner with this successful copywriter in Korea for joint success
Having been here for so long, I know how things work. I know that timelines are tight, expectations are high, and there’s a premium on quality work. It’s a good thing for you that I’m up to the challenge.
To take my services for a test drive, check out my Free English Consulting or Free Content Audit. Both are completely free, with no strings attached. I bet you’ll like what you see and recognize the advantages of partnering with me. Let’s ensure the English on your website, menu, or signage is as professional as your brand.
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