Welcome to AWAI’s 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 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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“Millions of people out there really DO need my skill with words.”
David Chapman,
AWAI Member Since 2003
“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
“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
“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 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
“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
“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
“Once you’ve tasted the freelance life, you never want to give it up.”
Mike Klassen,
AWAI Member Since 2003
“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
“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
“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 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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
