I spent thirty years doing that from behind a salon chair. Before anyone said a word, each client who sat down was already saying plenty. What they wanted others to notice when they entered a room. How much effort they could realistically manage at home. Whether they should come back every six weeks or every six months.
I became very good at reading people.
Now I do the same thing for websites, graphics, emails, and newsletters. The scissors and blowdryer only come out once in a while.
I built my own website because I had to, taught myself design, and kept at it because I liked it. As time went on, I understood that pulling a feeling from someone and turning it into something visual and written is something I've always done. Same work, different tools.
That's why copy that sounds like a bot wrote it drives me crazy. I read enough to notice it, and I won't leave something alone until it no longer sounds like that.
I'm not quick to give up. I'll keep adjusting copy and images until they sit right with me.
I'm based in Lafayette, California, and I work with small businesses throughout the U.S.