Cole, Copywriting, and a Cereal Brand

ft. Cole Schafer

Mar 15, 2021

As I checked my microphone one last time while also praying that my notorious pup (we call her Pebbles) doesn’t break into an impromptu melody only she knows the notes to, a Zoom notification echoed across the room.

*Cole Schafer entered the waiting room*

(THE Cole Schafer, who runs Honey Copy and along with it, three newsletters - Sticky Notes, Stranger than Fiction, and Chasing Hemingway)

At 2.30 am, there's a thin line between dreams, illusion, and reality. And this sure seemed more like the former two than the latter.

“She’s cute,” Cole spoke in a baritone that still hasn’t escaped my ears, when Pebbles unexpectedly jumped in to claim her spotlight, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (quite literally).

A sheepish grin and multiple failed attempts at shoving a canine tail away from my face later, the conversation you’re about to witness began.

This is episode #8 on The Newsletter Nerd Show.

Hit that play button below to check out the entire conversation!

If Apple Podcasts is more your thing, you can head here.

Here’s a (very) brief summary of what went on. If you need the good stuff, you’ve GOT to hit that play button!

On poetry

Writing to an audience

On his signature - ‘But, I digress’

Black and white GIFs as a love language

Recommended newsletter

Newsletter sin

Life before Honey Copy

The Reading Room is that part of the show where the guest chooses to read out an excerpt from their newsletter. Because it’s one thing to read out the words on a digital screen yourself and an entirely different one to hear the author of those very words read it out loud!

When Cole read out a piece from Chasing Hemingway, I smiled, was momentarily mesmerized, and finally ended up with a lump in my throat. If that isn’t a testament to his art, I don’t know what is.

Head to 28:22 in the podcast episode to check out the reading yourself.

In this final segment of the show, I asked Cole four questions that he answered with a Yes or No. If he said yes, the llama accompanying each question in the graphic below will turn green. And if he said no, well, it turns red.

Off you go then.

Head to 32:45 in the podcast episode to hear Cole’s extended answers (it includes a plan to launch a cereal brand too!!!)

About those fortune cookies:

And with that, you’ve reached the end of this episode. To say it felt surreal to have this conversation with the person I’ve been looking up to and obsessing over is an understatement.

I hope you enjoyed it the same way I did :)

I’d also love to hear what you think about the new layout of this newsletter. Hit that reply button and let me know!

I’ll see you again in two weeks.

Love,

Akshaya

The Newsletter Nerd Show