The Bottom Line

Read time: 3.5 minutes.​
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Hey Reader,

Today, I want to dive into something that’s going to sound counterintuitive to all the “be original” advice we’re bombarded with daily. Let’s talk about copywriting—and no, I’m not just talking about the craft of writing persuasive text. I’m talking about “copying” the right stuff to take your marketing to the next level.

Now, why do we call it copywriting? Some people think it’s because we’re writing “copy,” but I’m convinced it’s because, in this industry, everyone is copying something - an idea, a thought, a word, a metaphor, etc. And you know what? That’s not a bad thing.

There Are No Original Ideas—Only Better Executions

The reality is, original ideas are as rare as a unicorn riding a rainbow. Most of what we see, even from the big names, is a rehash or remix of something that’s been done before. The difference is how it’s executed. Take Russell Brunson, for example. He didn’t invent funnel hacking—he just repackaged the idea of studying and emulating successful funnels into something marketable.

And guess what? That’s what we do every day. We look at what works, tweak it, and make it our own. But here’s the kicker: Don’t just copy—improve.

The $12,000 Lesson: How a Bad Event Led to a Breakthrough Idea

Let me share a little story. About a decade ago, I attended a so-called “implementation event.” The pitch was intriguing: pay $12,000, show up, and we’ll install the best Infusionsoft campaigns directly into your account. It sounded like a dream—no more struggling to build campaigns from scratch!

But here’s the thing: the whole process took five minutes, and the rest of the two-day event was absolute fluff. We sat there, my wife and I, thinking, “This sucked.” But then it hit me—what if we could take this idea of an “implementation event” and do it right?

So, four weeks later, I launched the Art of Lead Generation Implementation Intensive. Instead of wasting time, we focused on real, valuable implementation—giving attendees my best campaigns, templates, and strategies. And it worked like a charm. It generated several million dollars over the years before eventually moving online just before COVID hit, which was a blessing in disguise.

Copying Isn’t Cheating—It’s Smart Business

The point here isn’t just to tell a war story from the marketing trenches. It’s to emphasize that some of the best ideas come from things we’ve seen elsewhere—things we can make better. We’re not talking plagiarism here (that’s a big no-no!!!), but rather stealing like an artist—a term coined by Austin Kleon in his book of the same name.

The truth is, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel every time you create an ad, a landing page, or a sales pitch. Instead, allocate a chunk of your time to good old-fashioned market research. Spend an hour or so each week scrolling through ads, watching sales videos, and browsing landing pages—not just in your industry, but in others as well.

Real-Life Examples of Stealing (And Improving)

Let me give you a couple of real-world examples from my own playbook.

My buddy Matt runs a company that sells biodegradable phone cases - PELA. He has an ad that starts with, “This is not a phone case. This is a 30-cent child labor, earth-contaminating...” You get the drift. It was a powerful, emotion-driven ad. So, I thought, why not take that format and rework it for my business?

I reimagined it as, “This is not a funnel. This is the worst thing that’s happened to the high-ticket industry...” and so on. I rewrote the script to fit my audience, used a deep, motivational voiceover, and handed it off to my video editor. We’ll see how it performs, but I have a feeling it’s going to be a winner.

Another time, I saw a simple, yet clever ad from Simon Sinek’s team. It was a one-star review that said something like, “Do not buy this speaker training course. It absolutely won’t help you become a better speaker.” The review was humorously attributed to “Your over-anxious self who doesn’t want to get on stage.”

I thought, “That’s brilliant!” So, I did the same for my business: “Do not use the Fast Track. It absolutely won’t help you attract your best clients.” The reviewer? “Your current underperforming funnel.” It took me all of ten seconds to create, but it’s the kind of ad that cuts through the noise.

The Power of Inspirational Copying

So here’s the framework for you: dedicate time each week to hunting for inspiration. Look outside your industry, find ads that grab your attention, and ask yourself why they work. Then, adapt those ideas to your context.

Start a Dropbox or Google Drive folder where you can stash all these creative gems. Screenshot, save, and organize them. You’ll build up a treasure trove of inspiration that you can dip into whenever you need to create something fresh.

And remember, if you see an ad running consistently, it’s probably working for them. That means it can work for you too—if you tweak it right.

Don’t Reinvent the Wheel—Just Make It Better

The moral of the story? Don’t overcomplicate things. You have an untapped resource of proven ideas sitting right there in your newsfeed. Use it. Be inspired by it. Steal like an artist.

When you take the best ideas out there, make them your own, and execute them better than the rest, you’ll never run out of ways to improve your ads, offers, sales calls, and more.

So go out there, get inspired, and start copying like a pro.

Until next time,

Nic “Copy and Improve” Kusmich

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P.S. Watch my latest YouTube video "Taking A Sales Call Before The Lead Is Ready" HERE​

P.P.S. Ready For More Calls On Your Calendar?
The best way I can help you is by showing you how to get more QUALIFIED sales leads, at much lower costs, without using an old, outdated traditional funnel... Interested? Learn more here → https://scale.nicholaskusmich.com/fast-track

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