TOC #206: I was the fat peasant cutting corners, and I got caught
(December 3, 2024) The Difference Between A Good Website & A “Just Fine” Website
I’m halfway through lap one when the wheezing starts.
I wish I could lie to you and say it was at least lap two — but, nope, it was literally lap one.
And I was genuinely ALREADY wheezing.
Face? Tomato-red.
Lungs? On fire.
Stomach? One wobble away from throwing up on my gym teacher’s beaten-up Asics.
It was a gorgeous, crisp fall day on the track, which would have been lovely, if any part of me had WANTED to be on that track.
I'd heard the other 9th graders talk about “running the mile” before, but for some reason, it didn't occur to me that *I* would have to RUN A MILE.
ME.
Overweight, out-of-shape, never-run-a-mile-in-her-life-ever-or-since ME.
And, of course, my entire gym class was full of fucking track stars. AND varsity athletes. AND ridiculously-in-shape-for-being-14-years-old freaks.
Speaking of:
Once I hit lap two, the only sound louder than my labored breathing was CJ’s sneakers, already thudding their way across the finish line.
“Five thirty-eight!” the gym teacher called. “Nice!”
Five minutes.
Five minutes and thirty-eight seconds.
That’s how long it took him to run the mile.
I still had two and a half laps to go.
My fellow students were passing me left and right, quite literally leaving me in their dust.
Before I knew it, I was one of the only ones left on the track, while the rest of the class waited on the bleachers for the stragglers to finish their pathetic mile.
I started to get nervous.
Five minutes and thirty eight seconds. Is he fucking kidding me?
I rounded lap three and looked up again to find that, aside from the one behaviorally challenged rebel walking the mile in protest, I WAS THE ONLY ONE LEFT.
So, I did what any normal asthmatic overweight 9th grader would do:
I cut some corners.
I took a few turns a little too wide, hoping to shave a minute or two off my time (and to stop enduring the stares of my classmates faster, for the love of all that was holy).
…aaaand I got caught.
The gym teacher yelled to me from across the track, and LITERALLY MADE ME RESTART, in front of the whole class.
I finished that mile by the skin of my teeth at just under fifteen minutes.
CJ had been on the bleachers for what felt like a month by that point. Five minutes and thirty eight seconds. Is he even human?
Ninth Grade Me wanted to be mad. Maybe talk some shit. But I couldn't.
Because CJ was nice.
He was a genuinely good human; there was not a single bad word that could be said about him.
…and DAMN did I want to be like CJ in that moment.
Instead, I was just the fat peasant cutting corners and getting called out for it.
But I knew I didn't have to stay that way.
I didn't have to settle for being the slowest one.
I wasn't relegated to a life of coming in last.
It wasn't set in stone that I'd run a 15-minute mile forever.
Buuuut I never cared enough to make those changes.
And that's why CJ went on to run the Boston Marathon, and I haven't ran for longer than 15 minutes in a decade.
Every so often I'll see his face come across my Facebook feed and have flashbacks to the dreaded day I was forced to run that godforsaken mile, thinking about how he did it so effortlessly, without even a drop of sweat on his brow.
And while I'm sure CJ has no memory of this day, he has somehow become the entire point of not only this newsletter, but also the reimagination of my website copywriting course:
He's proof that you don't have to choose between fast and good.
He was both.
You can be, too.
When it comes to writing your website, you don’t have to choose between fast and good.
Skipping steps, cutting corners, or trying to half-ass it? THAT is how you end up back on the track, running more laps than necessary.
But when you approach it with the right tools, guidance, and mindset? You can cross the finish line like CJ did — efficient, polished, and with time (so, so much time 😒) to spare.
And you don’t even need to lace up your running shoes, because Site Series® SPRINT is nothing like running the dreaded 9th grade mile; it's actually easy. I've made sure of that.
The Difference Between A Good Website & A “Just Fine” Website
The difference between a good website and a "just fine" website boils down to whether or not your site is pulling its weight.
A "just fine" website is the one that leaves you explaining your services over DMs, settling for red-flag clients, or silently hoping no one actually clicks on your link.
It’s FINE.
…but it’s not positioning you as the go-to expert, and it’s definitely not making your life easier.
A good website, on the other hand, works like your 24/7 business partner.
It pre-qualifies leads, answers questions before they’re asked, and turns browsers into buyers, without you having to lift a finger.
It reflects your expertise, showcases your personality, and makes your potential clients think, “now THIS is exactly who I need.”
Here’s your quick gut check:
Do you cringe when someone asks for your website link?
Does your website come with a disclaimer?
Are you stuck explaining basics your site should cover?
Are you answering questions all the time, constantly having “sales” conversations that don't really go anywhere?
Do your inquiries feel like a mixed bag instead of a perfect match?
Are your leads from people you actually WANT to work with?
If any of those hit home, your site might be “just fine.”
Still not sure which site you have? Here are a few more ways to tell…
❌ Just Fine Website: Leaves potential clients unsure about what you offer or why they should choose you.
✅ Good Website: Clearly outlines your services, answers leads' questions before they ask, and makes your unique value obvious.
❌ Just Fine Website: Requires you to do extra work explaining your process, pricing, availability, differentiator, personality, unique approach….
✅ Good Website: Handles that upfront, so by the time someone inquires, they’re already sold on working with you.
❌ Just Fine Website: Gets the job done but doesn’t inspire confidence in you or your brand.
✅ Good Website: Boosts your confidence to share your URL everywhere, knowing it represents your business perfectly.
SEE WHERE I'M GOIN WITH THIS?
A just fine website isn't actually fine, because you want to be GOOD, not just “good enough.”
The good news? 👀 With the right website copy and structure, it can be GREAT — and start working for you, not against you.
& that's exactly why I reimagined my website copywriting course to make it even easier for you to take your site from “fine” to SO SO SO SO GOOD.
Because you and I both know you deserve to work on dream projects, with dream clients, living your dream life — and your website shouldn't be the thing that holds you back from that.
Site Series® SPRINT is on sale for 25% off until TONIGHT. And you've got a choice to make.
THE STARTING LINE, where you've been chillin with your just fine site, your just fine inquiries, and your just fine income…
OR
THE FINISH LINE, where you could be standing in just a few short weeks, effortlessly attracting the people you actually WANT to work with, finally charging your worth (now that your site reflects your experience and expertise!).
Actually, it's not your last chance to enroll — this course is officially evergreen! BUT it absolutely ISSSS your last chance to enroll ON MAJOR SALE ($250 off!), and to take advantage of the Black Friday deal of me literally writing your headlines FOR YOU.
Here's the tea:
You'll learn how to write your Home, About, Services, Contact, Links, 404 Error, Coming Soon, Confirmation, Subscribe, and Freebie pages
It's a completely self-paced course, but you get access to a Slack channel for questions and feedback
Instead of $997, you're saving $250 bc the course is available for only $747 (or 3 payments of $247!) until tonight
I'll write your Home, About, Services, and Contact page headlines for you, plus one additional page of your choosing
When you finish the course within 60 days (which you obv will!), I'll personally review your entire draft for you via Loom video
If we haven’t had the chance to *virtually* meet yet, hi! I’m Sara Noel—website copywriter and marketing mentor for creatives, copywriters, and all-around cool people. If you like my content and you want even more BTL in your life, here are a few ways you can connect with me:
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