Case Study: Rebekah Mays

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Globetrotting Texan Finds Flexibility and Financial Stability as Meditation Copywriter

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“I’m earning more than I ever have, and I still have a lot of room to grow. Before, it seemed like I had to choose between a job that I wasn’t that interested in but where I made decent money, or a job that I liked but made very little. Now I have both.”
– Rebekah Mays

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For a 20-something with a penchant for globetrotting, going to school in Paris was a dream scenario for Texan Rebekah Mays.

But after graduating with a master’s in English Literature, her goal of becoming a high school English teacher no longer felt like the right career path.

She had grown to love her flexible schedule, so working a job with rigid hours just wasn’t appealing. She also realized that teaching wasn’t her passion. Writing was.

“Getting up early every morning and talking to a bunch of high school students about stuff that maybe they weren’t interested in, I just didn’t think I could do it,” she recalled. “So I was back at the drawing board.”

Putting a Plan in Motion
Rebekah knew she needed a career plan, especially given her mountain of school debt. That’s when she decided to give The Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting from American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI) a try.

“I had never really thought of writing as a lucrative activity or really a job possibility,” she admitted. “So the fact that AWAI offered a path to do that was very intriguing.”

Rebekah was even more sold when she met the president of AWAI, Rebecca Matter, at an informal AWAI meet-and-greet.

“I realized that there was a real heart and soul behind the company and that they really believed in us and wanted us to succeed,” she said.

This motivated Rebekah to put what she was learning in The Accelerated Program to work for her right away.

Her first opportunity hit after she married a European man, moved to the Netherlands, and left the U.S. behind yet again. Putting her writing skills into action, she took on a part-time, remote marketing assistant job for her family’s science textbook company.

In the Netherlands, she worked a connection to secure a second part-time job as a marketer with a meditation retreat company. As a result, her writing skills improved immensely, and a year later, she was ready for a new career challenge.

From Learning to Launching
With newly honed writing skills, Rebekah was prepared to launch her freelance business, but knew she needed a little extra support, accountability, and coaching. She had already joined AWAI’s Infinity Program for access to the full library of resources. By investing in AWAI’s Circle of Success (COS), she found mentoring and targeted programs to get her to the next step.

“That’s when things really started moving in terms of putting myself out there and presenting myself as a professional writer,” she said.

Rebekah began entering AWAI’s Copy Challenges — and winning. She also started working with AWAI directly, writing articles for The Writer’s Life, The Professional Writers’ Alliance and Wealthy Web Writer.

But the real key for Rebekah was the simulated training offered as part of COS. It inspired her to finally finish The Accelerated Program, and the hands-on training gave her the foundation she needed to not only succeed as a copywriter, but to excel. Proof of this came when she was handed a $1,000 check for her winning sales letter at AWAI’s FastTrack to Copywriting Success Bootcamp and Job Fair the following year.

“That was one of the best days of my life,” Rebekah said. “I was just realizing how far I’d come from being a total novice. I didn’t know anything about copywriting a few years ago. So that was a big, big moment.”

The win came with the opportunity to work one-on-one with one of AWAI’s copy chiefs to perfect her sales letter. Though it didn’t end up beating the control, Rebekah did earn some royalties. More importantly, going through the revision process pushed her to get better at her craft, and her confidence grew as she realized she possessed a truly marketable skill.

“That’s when I started really exploring better freelance options and better career options, which has led me to where I am now,” she explained.

Living Life on Her Own Terms
Soon after, Rebekah parlayed a connection into a weekly writing gig for a meditation app. This move led to her next big opportunity.

Rebekah’s exceptional copywriting skills and growing expertise in the meditation and wellness sector prompted the meditation app company to offer her a full-time position as their content marketing strategist. She happily accepted.

“I have a competitive salary and amazing benefits – and can do it remotely!” she said. “I can say with confidence now that I’ve truly ‘made it’ in my writer’s life.”

Writing about a topic that stirs her passion while making a difference in people’s lives — all while getting paid much more than she would have as a high school English teacher — has spurred Rebekah to redefine her definition of success.

“I’m earning more than I ever have, and I still have a lot of room to grow,” she said. “Before, it seemed like I had to choose between a job that I wasn’t that interested in but where I made decent money, or a job that I liked but made very little. Now I have both.”

Looking back, life looks quite different today than it did just a few years ago. Rebekah remembers a time when she had to save for months just to scrape together enough money to replace an old computer. Recently, she was able to buy one without having to worry about the expense. With her freelance income, she also paid off $10,000 in student loans in just one year.

Plus, she can work from anywhere and travel whenever she wants. Over the holidays, she visited her family in Texas for six weeks while working remotely.

She and her husband also plan to travel more, starting with her spouse’s home country, The Netherlands, where they currently live.

“There are just so many more possibilities that are opened up to us,” she said. “I’m able to have the quality of life I’m looking for while working on my student loans and bigger financial goals. I feel like I’m able to find the right balance and have the kind of lifestyle I would like.”

Ready to pursue the writer’s life? Learn more about the program that helped launch Rebekah’s career, AWAI’s Circle of Success.

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Rebekah’s Tips for Copywriters

• Don’t stay in the learning zone forever — Apply what you’re learning and start getting paid.
• Submit to AWAI Copy Challenges — You can’t win if you don’t do it. Even if you aren’t the top pick, it’s great practice for developing your copywriting skills.
• Keep a victory log — Track your progress by writing down all your little wins. Once you have that momentum, it’s hard to go back.
• Don’t wait — Start now and take advantage of every opportunity you get.