AWAI: Real Writers, Real Success

Seasoned Engineer Designs a Flexible and Sustainable Six-Figure Copywriting Career

Case Study: Kristen Stelzer 

“This year (2020) was not the year I planned, but I was so grateful when COVID-19 hit to be able to adjust my workflow to spend more time with my son and still make the part-time equivalent of a six-figure income.” 

– Kristen Stelzer

Blessed New Beginnings 

Two years ago, Kristen Stelzer welcomed a pink slip and a severance package as a blessed opportunity to design a life she loved. 

She’s enjoyed her work for twenty years as a professional engineer in land development, construction, and telecom. It was a satisfying career in which she progressed from design work to project management. 

But things change. And with a new job, a longer commute, and a young child at home, life was starting to feel uphill and out of balance. 

She had stumbled across AWAI’s “Can You Write A Letter Like This?” promo the previous year and enrolled in their flagship program. 

Further reading had led her to discover B2B copywriting and she jumped at the chance to take Modern B2B Copywriting with Steve Slaunwhite. It felt like a perfect fit and the wheels started turning about how she could build a side hustle. 

But with 12-hour days and a 3-year-old at home, it was hard to do anything on the side. 

“Once I got laid off and started thinking about the future, I realized I didn’t want to go back to the same kind of work.  I knew I could control more of my day if I was my own boss. So I just decided to take the plunge.” 

Kristen had confidence in AWAI from the beginning, judging from the caliber of teachers, the number of courses, and the money-back guarantee. “They’re very invested in seeing people succeed,” she said. “I had a chance to get in and see what this was all about without making a crazy commitment.” 

Finding Her Way 

She knew she wasn’t interested in direct response, but she completed The Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting as a solid foundation for moving forward. 

Then came more courses to support her B2B vision, including High Income Business Writing by Ed Gandia and Email Copy Made Easy by Jay White. 

When membership in Circle of Success opened up, it was a no-brainer. “Once I decided this wasn’t just a side hustle – this was going to be my livelihood and my business – I knew I needed to invest in myself this way. It seemed the most logical thing to do.” 

Kristen started by writing simple blogposts in her areas of expertise. She didn’t waste any time getting clients, either, reaching out to everybody in her network, saying, “This is what I’m doing, if you know of anything or if you have anything.” 

Her first clients were an attorney in telecom and an engineering firm in tele-health, both of whom had previously done work for her. 

“At first, I resisted using telecom as my launch point because I was soured on all the politics. But I came to realize that it’s so much easier to prove yourself in an area you already know.” 

With six months copywriting under her belt, Kristen attended her first Bootcamp in May 2019. It was an opportunity to make a wealth of new connections and establish friendships with people that “get” the copywriting scene.  

Working alone as a writer can be isolating, so fostering connection is critical and mutually beneficial, both personally and professionally. From mentors to accountability partners to work referrals—Kristin can’t overstate the value of a supportive network.  

She met Keith Trimels through Circle of Success. An engineer- turned-copywriter as well, Keith reached out to mentor her and connected her with a couple of clients, including IBM. 

“AWAI offers an amazing network, especially in Circle of Success! Most of the people I’ve met have helped me get better, put me onto a job, or introduced me to someone else who’s helped me.” 

You Go, Girl! 

With her growing affinity for long-form technical writing, Kristen signed up for Gordon Graham’s Ultimate White Paper Mentorship. She thought she’d have plenty of time to write her paper, as her business was just getting off the ground. But an unexpected client project had her scrambling to meet the January deadline. The piece that pulled it all together didn’t pop into her head until close to the end. 

With all the craziness of COVID-19, she had completely forgotten about her submission until she got an email saying she had won the contest and the $5,000 award. “It came on April 2^nd and I thought it was an April Fool’s joke,” she laughs. 

Coming from her background of studying law and working as an engineer – both of which require specific credentials – Kristen regards her winning entry as the requisite stamp of approval that says she’s good to go. 

“Even when you’re a versatile writer, clients in technical industries may expect you to demonstrate very specific experience before they’ll hire you,” Kristen explains. “AWAI’s certification, along with this winning sample, has given my clients proof that I can write a white paper. But even more importantly, it’s given me proof that I can do it.” 

Proof and logic factor heavily in all aspects of her life. “Copywriting is a logical process,” she says. “It works the way my brain thinks.” She loves that AWAI has arranged their growing array of resources in a way that she can easily tap into what she needs for each individual project while continually building her skills in a progressive fashion. 

Long-form technical writing provides a satisfying challenge to Kristen because it requires research, expertise, and a healthy dose of logic to present straightforward facts in a compelling way to a target audience that may not speak tech. While she started with familiar subjects, she has expanded her niche to writing case studies and white papers for all manner of technical, construction, and engineering projects. 

Defining Success Her Way 

If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that life can be uncertain and uncertain can be scary.  

But for Kristen, the consistent, small wins she’s had this year have calmed her fears and reassured her that this copywriting path makes sense and is sustainable for the long-haul. 

While others have struggled to earn a living and juggle work and family life, copywriting gave her the flexibility to rearrange her schedule, take on less work, and be more available to parent her young son. 

That flexibility is how she defines success. 

“This year (2020) was not the year I planned, but I was so grateful when COVID-19 hit to be able to adjust my workflow to spend more time with my son and still make the part-time equivalent of a six-figure income.” 

Life is uncertain. “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.” – W. H. Murray. 

What are you waiting for?