Meet Che Maria Milani

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Che Maria Milani. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Che Maria , so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

Confidence and self-esteem are two things (among many, actually!) that require constant attention and slowly, slowly they develop into something that serves us.

For me, this journey of feeling confident particularly in my ‘new’ (but not so-new) line of work has been a work in progress.

Pre-2020 I was working in a completely different world – the world of dance and dance teaching. Naturally, that blip-that-shall-not-be-named in our history changed the course of many lives, mine included, and I ended up moving into something that had intrigued for a while…

…that of copywriting!

I dived into the courses, did the work, popped out the other end, and naturally still had that sneaky imposter syndrome hanging over me. I suppose it’s normal for anyone starting something new.

But, as I’d already realised from having lived in foreign countries and having met people who I knew from back home who’d decided to ‘market’ themselves in a novel way, the power of reinvention is not limited to a special few.

It’s available to all of us.

It doesn’t mean becoming something you’re not, or pretending to be something you’re not – it means having the courage to claim and cultivate a new identity that you want to grow into.

This concept again came into relief when I moved here, to Milan, 2 years ago.

As a new arrival in any place, the first phase involves spending a lot of time alone. Too much, perhaps! And that often equals one thing – getting lost in thought loops that turn into an ever-inward spiralling with lots of self-doubt and question-asking.

Eventually, I met people and became more involved in an all-female expat group where all of us come from such diverse backgrounds – but essentially, we struggle with the same things.

The bureaucracy, the loneliness, the language, the culture, and so the list goes on…

But one thing jumped out at me – most of the ladies are determined to launch their own businesses, or work for themselves in some way, or foster their creativity into something that’s of value and that also pays the bills.

And so everyone is tackling this obstacle of confidence and self-esteem.

Naturally, being in a supportive group means that little nudges of encouragement come your way…but still, at the end of the day, you have to be your own cheerleader.

I realised that that is actually okay, because we don’t necessarily need someone to tell us every day how wonderful we are.

Instead, it’s more subtle than that.

Just by looking around and observing others in action – how they take the risk to put themselves out there, to re-invent themselves in their own way, to truly believe in what they’re trying to achieve – gives me permission to do the same.

We assume that others are judging us or criticising us behind closed doors, but the opposite is true. They’re either in awe, or they just don’t care, because they’re so wrapped up in their own world – and both of these are positives!

So, right now, I find myself not weighed down by that fear of judgement. We all have something of value to offer – and there’s space for all us.

Over time, chatting to the people I meet here in Milan, I realise that as a copywriter even the most experienced business owner or marketer needs external guidance, a new set of eyes, a fresh perspective.
I love sharing my input (with permission, of course!), and seeing people’s acceptance of a new idea or approach helps boost my inner work on my confidence and self-esteem.

People are more receptive than what we think to what we have to offer, because everyone is looking to succeed, to improve, to make a change in some way.

This concept of opening myself to others and slowly but surely carving out my little corner, all contributes to confirming that I have a place here.

Essentially, I think that collaboration, coming together, connecting with people is at the heart of all this – without the need to aggressively network or shout from the rooftops.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

From professional dancer to copywriter, I now spend my time in the world of words!

I studied conversion copywriting, so marketing and psychology is very much a part of creating content that moves people both emotionally, and to action.

I’m most passionate about helping women working in the health & wellness and coaching spheres get their voice into the world.

I believe in the work that they do, and the amazing effect it has on people – whether it’s helping people heal from diseases without conventional, Western medicine, or helping people launch their dream business, or completely turning their lives around – all thanks to the work of these ladies in these spheres.

And often, theses are the exact people who struggle to be heard, who find marketing to be burdensome and quite simply at the bottom of their list. Helping them is fulfilling for both of us.

Right now, I’m also volunteering as a writer for this women’s network I mentioned previously, Milan Women Network. Besides helping with idea generation for content to engage with email readers and IG viewers, I produce some of their emails, IG posts, and event descriptions for the website.

It’s close to my heart as I can personally relate to the motivation of the founder for creating it, the members who are all trying to make this city their new home, and what that all entails!

Finally, like most people, there’s always something extra on the side!

For me, it’s photography.

Living here in a city that I never imagined I would live in (and certainly would never have chosen if I had the choice) has forced to seek the good in it. I followed my boyfriend here, and though he hates it, I’m determined to make the most of it.

And one way I can do this is by taking the time to walk, stop, photograph, discover and investigate.

I’m currently working on launching an image-only newsletter to share a monthly round-up of the real Milan and the real Italy. Personally, I’m tired of the visual cliches on IG for example…and also quite tired of people assuming that we’re living the dream here, la dolce vita. The reality is quite different (there is no perfect place, sadly) and how can we ever appreciate the beauty if we don’t acknowledge its opposite?

So, that’s my mission 😉

I would love to expand this into a subscription of some kind that includes photographic projects with subscribers, offering photo critique sessions, and eventually selling prints.

That’s in the pipeline and if anyone is interested in signing up for the newsletter, simply head over to my IG (@che_milani) to see when it’ll be up and running! Hopefully very soon, within the next couple of weeks!

And if words are what someone needs, they can check out my website here – simplymariamilani.com.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

First and foremost, in work life and personal life, CURIOSITY is one of the best qualities to have!

Being curious leads you to discover more, which can only equal one thing – growth and development.

We often hear of people adopting a growth mindset at all ages and stages of life – and I agree. We will always be a beginner in something, so there’s no point in believing you’ve reached your pinnacle. There’s always something more to learn.

Specifically in the work world, as a freelancer, I believe that giving little nuggets of value to those in need (and those who are open to it) is important.

When I genuinely feel moved to offer someone a bit of help or an insight, this not only helps boost my confidence (seeing as this is our topic!), but subtly demonstrates that maybe I can be the person to help them.

Sometimes it leads to paid work, sometimes it doesn’t. Either way is fine for me, because relationships are at the foundation anyway.

Sometimes people ask me about how to move into the world of copywriting. There are tons of courses and teachers out there, some better than others, but there’s no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ course.

It’s simply a matter of starting somewhere, and taking the initiative to build on that knowledge by yourself.

For me, that means reading a lot of other writers’ content, reading books that cover topics like writing, buying psychology, human behaviour etc.

All these feed into what you need to write. And there’s no point of focusing on that moment when you’ve ‘arrived’ where you can officially call yourself a copywriter. Even the leaders in copywriting are constantly learning and testing things.

It’s a journey. As soon as you get your first paying client and they’re happy with your work – you’re a copywriter.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

Gosh, choosing just one book is tough!

But the one that remains firmly in my mind is that by Elizabeth Gilbert, titled Big Magic.

This was the kick up the pants I needed to change my mindset about self-expression and all the fear and self-doubt that comes with it.

In a nutshell, she reminds us that our passions and dreams are ours for a reason – the greater Universe (or insert your preferred high power or being) believes we have the ability to bring forth what’s inside of us and share it with the world. And therefore, have a positive impact.

It’s not about being famous and changing millions of lives. Sometimes even impacting just a handful of people is good enough.

But if we ignore what we drawn to do, we cannot complain that someone else does what we dreamt of. Inspiration chooses its vessels carefully – and if you ignore the call, it’ll move on to someone else.

So, essentially the message is to follow your passions, it’s good for you and for others, and don’t put the pressure on your passion to make you loads of money! Let it be a glorious by-product.

I highly recommend this book – and reading it more than once doesn’t harm either 😉

Contact Info:

• Website: https://simplymariamilani.com/
• Instagram: @che_milani

Image Credits

Photos 1 + 2: Sydney Duncan (sydneyduncan.co)

Photos 3 + 4: Myself