AWAI Wall of Fame
We’d like to honor the following AWAI members who, through their hard work and dedicated persistence, are now living “the writer’s life” as successful, working, in-demand copywriters.
Each of the members listed on this Wall of Fame have agreed to share a few of their success secrets with you. And without fail, they’ve all echoed the same sentiment: if they can do it – so can you! You can read their success profiles by clicking on the buttons.
Newest Additions
“I'm no longer stuck in a 8-5 job in an industry in which I have little interest, for an average salary, with very little time with my son. Copywriting's made all the difference in the world.”
Biba Pearce,
AWAI Member Since 2004
“I've owned several small businesses before, but didn't like the fixed schedule and other limitations (not to mention having to work every holiday).I feel much less restrained and free to create now.”
Apryl Parcher,
AWAI Member Since 2004
“I was thrilled to find I'd broken the $20K mark with minimal effort, but
more than that it was incredibly satisfying to know I'd earned that money
independently - using only my mind and a computer.”
Mindy Tyson McHorse,
AWAI Member Since 2007
“While no job anywhere is secure these days, Michigan, where I live, has been particularly hard-hit. My copywriting income has definitely increased our peace of mind in a very uncertain economy.”
Carol Parks,
AWAI Member Since 2003
“You don’t need to be a perfect writer to become a copywriter … All you have to do is speak to your reader like you would with a friend.”
Rasheed Ali,
AWAI Member Since 2006
“Now that I'm a full-time freelance copywriter, I no longer feel torn between my work and my family.”
Marcella Allison,
AWAI Member Since 2004
“I know that what I do is so needed in the marketplace. There’s no fear of not being able to find enough work …”
Russ Banister,
AWAI Member Since 2003
“Don’t ever give up on your dreams. Never think you’re too old to make a change or to become a success.”
Shelby Beckett,
AWAI Member Since 2007
“I don’t have to leave home. I don’t have to answer to a boss. I just walk into my home office and write.”
Joshua Boswell,
AWAI Member Since 2005
“I enjoy staying home and doing what I love rather than having to go to work every day.”
Cynthia Breeding,
AWAI Member Since 2004
“It all became very real to me when the checks started coming in. It really feels great to get paid for what I love to do. Life is good!”
Michelle Burgess,
AWAI Member Since 2007
“As a copywriter, I’m in a great position to contribute clearly and directly to my company’s bottom line.”
Charlie Byrne,
Editorial Director/Copywriter
Early To Rise
“When I got work from Nightingale-Conant and continued getting work from them, I realized I didn’t need to go back to a “job.”
Catherine Cairns,
AWAI Member Since 1999
“Since becoming a copywriter, I’ve really enjoyed the little things that have made life easier … And, I’ve gotta say, tripling my income is something that I smile about every day.”
Leah Carson,
AWAI Member Since 2005
“I’ve accomplished a lifelong goal of becoming a published writer … I’m making a great living doing something I love – helping people!”
Laurie Cauthen,
AWAI Member Since 2007
“Millions of people out there really DO need my skill with words.”
David Chapman,
AWAI Member Since 2003
“I realized that I could bring in significant income and still be home with my kids … I have meaningful work that I love and, we don’t have to worry about paying the bills …”
Eileen Coale,
AWAI Member Since 2002
“I spent six weeks on an island off the coast of British Columbia with my kids last summer … and still managed to keep my business rolling along.”
Monica Day,
AWAI Member Since 2002
“My first paying job was ghostwriting a sales letter for a well-known online marketer and copywriter. After working behind the scenes, I decided it was time to pull back the curtain and strike out on my own. I haven’t looked back since. ”
Rick De Lima,
AWAI Member Since 2004
“I can work for myself without ever having to worry where my next paycheck is going to come from.”
Vic Elias,
AWAI Member Since 2002
“Using the skills and tools I’d learned from AWAI’s copywriting program, I landed my first paying client before I’d finished my third installment.”
Annette Elton,
AWAI Member Since 2005
“I feel incredibly wonderful every time a client reports fat profits from a sales piece I’ve written.”
Beth Ann Erickson,
AWAI Member Since 1999
“I’m creating an asset that will pay me back for years. If my website continues to generate three clients per quarter – I’m booked for life!”
Mike Ervin,
AWAI Member Since 2006
“Never give up on your dream. Find ways to fit what you want to do most into your busy schedule until you’re able to do it full-time.”
Kim Finnegan,
AWAI Member Since 2004
“My proudest copywriting moment was when a client called me and said, ‘I don’t know what happened … but all of a sudden orders are flooding in. Great work!’”
Peter Fogel,
AWAI Member Since 1999
“I’ll make more money this year than I ever did as a staff employee!”
Pam Foster,
AWAI Member Since 2005
“I know I’m living the writer’s life every time I talk with a friend or previous co-worker and they tell me how much they wish they were in my shoes.”
Ed Gandia,
AWAI Member Since 2003
“ … I don’t think in terms of going to a job any more … My focus is on getting better at turning out good copy right here, where I am, at home.”
Phil Graham,
AWAI Member Since 2000
“I help others retain and increase their financial independence through my copy and the information it sells.”
Greg Grillot,
AWAI Member Since 2005
“I’m no longer burdened with employment. Copywriting is the best job I’ve never had.”
Gary Hennerberg,
AWAI Member Since 2004
“I have so much freedom with my schedule. If I want to take a day off … I’m in control of making it happen.”
Vicky Heron,
AWAI Member Since 2001
“The glicken happened when I joined Circle of Success. I didn’t know it, but six other people who joined at the same time would become very important to me. I have found a family in these six people, as we support and motivate each other. ”
Conrad Hall,
AWAI Member Since 2007
“I’m also about to start a long series of freelance writing projects for a mid-sized insurance company.”
Jim Hinckley,
AWAI Member Since 2006
“I no longer have to wake up to the jarring sound of an alarm clock, I very seldom have to deal with rush-hour traffic, and I get to wear comfortable clothes every day.”
Krista Jones,
AWAI Member Since 2001
“Never, ever give up. The money in copywriting is so good; it’s worth doing poorly in the beginning until you learn to do it well.”
Tom Kavala,
AWAI Member Since 2005
“Once you’ve tasted the freelance life, you never want to give it up.”
Mike Klassen,
AWAI Member Since 2003
“My income goal is $150K. Although I’m not quite there, I’ve been doubling my income each year since 2004.”
Dave Keizur,
AWAI Member Since 2004
“Since becoming a copywriter and marketer, I have a confidence like never before. You could drop me out of a plane, give me a laptop and the Internet – and I could make money!”
Sandi Krakowski,
AWAI Member Since 2007
“My confidence [in my writing] carries over into everything I tackle in life. Persistence and perseverance win the day.”
Mark Kwasny,
AWAI Member Since 2000
“When I worked for someone else, I felt like life was just something that 'happened.' As a freelancer I now believe the quality of my life is determined by the actions I take or don’t take. Life doesn’t just happen; I make it happen.”
Cassandra Lee,
AWAI Member Since 2003
“I really think if you apply what you learn from the AWAI programs, you can figure out how to write pretty much anything.”
Phil LeMaster,
AWAI Member Since 2002
“The ability to pay my bills no longer worries me, even in these rough times. I know I can always market my skills to an endless list of potential clients and keep enough copywriting projects rolling in.”
Cheryl Malcham,
AWAI Member Since 2007
“Copywriting gave me back my passion, and a renewed sense of purpose. Now I look forward to new experiences, and I’m enjoying a new career.”
Tonimarie Marrese,
AWAI Member Since 2003
“It was only 4½ months from the time I made the promise to myself to become a full-time copywriter that I got my dream job. Had I not made the commitment to myself, I seriously doubt it would have happened.”
Sean McCool,
AWAI Member Since 2003
“My experience as a copywriter creates new opportunities and new privileges every day. I’m very optimistic about my future.”
Jeff McGeary,
AWAI Member Since 2003
“The flexibility (of being a freelancer) allows me to be involved in (my kids) activities and still have a fulfilling professional life.”
Mary McNamara,
AWAI Member Since 2002
“When I got my first check for my first writing assignment, I knew I was going to make it.”
Caroline Melberg,
AWAI Member Since 2005
“I find if I take on projects that are challenging and enjoyable, the income materializes.”
Bruce Midgett,
AWAI Member Since 2003
“I knew I was living the copywriter’s life when I got stares from the mail carrier for answering the door in my pajamas … in the middle of the day.”
Susan Nickerson,
AWAI Member Since 2004
“ … I realized I could earn a healthy living writing DM instead of the normal pauper pennies per line of a fictional writer and poet. Wow, did I find a treasure.”
Patricia Ogilvie,
AWAI Member Since 2003
“ … for the first time in my life, I’m making the money I want without the stress!”
Sharon Olsen,
AWAI Member Since 2003
“I am passionate about copywriting (about the effect it can have on fellow human beings and their lives) … thus, I get to do what I’m passionate about all day long.”
Kelvin Parker,
AWAI Member Since 2004
“I realized I was living the writer’s life when I made the exact same amount writing VERY part-time that I made teaching full-time. It was quite an incredible feeling.”
Kelly Richardson,
AWAI Member Since 2003
“I see bigger possibilities in everything now. I have dozens of business ideas based on looking at situations and markets through my copywriter’s lens … ”
Heather Robson,
AWAI Member Since 1999
“My life has significantly changed … I have total control over my schedule, and I can work as little or as much as I choose. And most importantly, I’ve widened my professional network and made new friends that will last a lifetime.”
Toni Rockis,
AWAI Member Since 2007
“I now enjoy the luxury of living the life I’d dreamed about for many years.”
Cherie Rohn,
AWAI Member Since 2003
“Copywriting brought out my hidden creativity and raised my self-esteem. Of course, the extra money has helped to improve my lifestyle as well.”
Shama Sankaran,
AWAI Member Since 2005
“I have more control of my time and my life. I enjoy (make that ‘love’) what I do. My business is growing. Life doesn’t get much sweeter than this!”
Lou Schuyler,
AWAI Member Since 2004
“Think about it, even a love letter is sales copy – you’re trying to sell yourself to another person. Copywriting is an extremely beneficial skill, and the power of persuasion is always useful.”
Suzy Sharpe,
AWAI Member Since 2002
“ … I knew I never again had to go back to a corporate job, because I could make a living as a copywriter.”
Rich Silver,
AWAI Member Since 2000
“I knew I was living the copywriter’s life the first time I got one of my own promos in the mail. That was so cool!”
Malcolm Smith,
AWAI Member Since 2004
“As I listen to myself explain what copywriting is, how my hours work, how good the pay is, I realize I really am living the copywriter’s life …”
Joanne Sullivan,
AWAI Member Since 2004
“I was brainstorming headlines for a package while hiking along the Potomac River near my home when I realized I had managed to turn something I love to do – hiking – into billable time!”
Julia Thomas,
AWAI Member Since 2004
“I am now in total control of my time and my life. I no longer have to rely on another person’s agenda to dictate where my career is going, or what I do during the day.”
Penny Thomas,
AWAI Member Since 2003
“If not for my business, (my husband) Ward would still be in the mining industry, and we’d have had to move to another mining town when he lost his job.”
Kammy Thurman,
AWAI Member Since 2002
“Good Internet writers especially will be in high demand in the years to come, as our society continues to become more connected. The key to success is learning best practices and knowing how to apply them.”
John Torre,
AWAI Member Since 2005
“I made a commitment to myself that I’d never again be dependent upon someone else to employ me or provide me with income.”
Jim Turner,
AWAI Member Since 2005
“I now have the freedom to work at home, or at any place in the world, as long as I have a laptop and Internet connection. And, not having to battle the brutal Houston traffic each day is a huge plus!”
J. Daryl Thompson,
AWAI Member Since 2003
“A client needed a specific amount to keep his organization afloat – and my appeal letter put him over the top in less than two weeks.”
Kathy Widenhouse,
AWAI Member Since 2003
“I no longer have to engage in the daily commuting battle … I go to bed when I want, get up when I want, go out when I want … it’s a good life, being a writer.”
John Williamson,
AWAI Member Since 2003
“It’s nice to get paid for your work, but the satisfaction of helping clients makes it all worthwhile.”
Bill Zoch,
AWAI Member Since 2006
