Florida Attorney Finds Fulfillment – and Financial Gain – in Copywriting Career Shift

Taking risks, admittedly, isn’t easy for Candice Lazar. But you wouldn’t know it from her story.

Over and over, Candice has embraced fresh starts. She moved from her home state of Michigan for a short stint in New Zealand. She pivoted into law school after a career in video production. And when she grew restless as an attorney, she began looking for a creative outlet.

For Candice, the secret to taking risks is finding value in the experience – no matter what the outcome.

“I try to think of everything as an experiment,” she says. “I don't feel like I have a lot of pressure to uphold some sort of standard – other than doing my best – or to conform to a particular expectation. I try something, and if it sticks, I keep going, play around with it, maximize it. If not, I just move on. And remember that a failure to gain something is not the same as a loss.”

A Simple, Self-Starting Business

Candice summoned that spirit of experimenting in 2014 when, as a relatively new attorney in Miami, she felt something missing.

“I liked what I was doing, but not the minutiae, stonewalling and technicalities of it,” she says.

All signs, it seems, pointed her in one direction. At once, a former boss needed copywriting help, and Candice spotted an online banner promoting a writing program from American Writers & Artists Institute (AWAI).

Writing. Why hadn’t she thought of it before? She had learned to read at age four and won the spelling bee in 8th grade. And when writing opportunities popped up in various jobs, she jumped on them.

“I thought, ‘Of course, that’s the thing for me,’” she says. “I did a lot of writing and marketing in my old job. People would say, ‘You’re a writer. Do this.’ And I realized I should.”

Freelance copywriting would also suit her entrepreneurial spirit without high overhead. “It’s a simple, self-starting business,” she says. “I wouldn’t have to develop a product or raise money.”

A New Career – without a 5-Figure Investment

But first, she needed to augment her skills. When a perfectly timed email arrived from AWAI, she joined the Barefoot Writer Club, giving her access to a wealth of freelance writing information, inspiration and a community of other writers. She learned that through AWAI, she could learn copywriting while still in her job, and without the five-figure, two-year investment of an advertising school – an option she had considered.

Soon after, she signed up for – and quickly consumed – The Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting, AWAI’s flagship program.

Whatever she needed, AWAI seemed to offer. When her former boss needed help with social media, she took How to Make Money as a Social Media Marketing Expert. In Joshua’s Boswell’s intensive, How to Launch Your Writer’s Life in a Day, she gained a much-needed push to begin client outreach.

“I always thought, ‘I’ll be ready to call people as soon as I do one more thing,’” she says. “But Joshua Boswell said, ‘No, you will become ready as you go.’”

Through directresponsejobs.com, Candice landed one of her first clients, a business coach. Though he initially just needed research, the scope expanded significantly; Candice recently helped him rewrite part of a 70-page e-book.

In another win, Candice earned a spot as one of AWAI’s Wealthy Web Writer Reality Bloggers, where she shares the ups and downs of growing her copywriting business.

Candice’s Niche Switch

At the outset, Candice chose to focus on small hotels and hotel chains as her copywriting focus, tapping into previous hospitality experience. But as she researched her chosen niche, she realized the industry produced very little written content for its marketing. Instead, these businesses relied more on the word of mouth and social media activity of guests to do the talking for them.

While it was a setback, Candice wasn’t deterred. After conferring with a group of fellow business owners, she did something she’s done before – took another path that felt more right.

“When I realized the first niche wasn’t viable, I didn’t let the fear of choosing wrong hold me back,” she says. “I added a second niche, personal development and self-help, because I’ve always read those types of books and programs.”

Bootcamp: $1000 Win

In the fall of 2016, Candice headed up the road to Delray Beach, Florida for the annual FastTrack to Copywriting Success Bootcamp & Job Fair. There, she found copywriting experts generous with their time and information, and a roomful of friendly copywriters who “get it.”

“I gained a LOT of new knowledge – my head is still swimming,” she says. “I've gotten several great leads that I'm (hopefully) in the process of turning into clients. And I'm involved in a new peer review/mastermind group. This is definitely one of my favorite AWAI programs and I can’t wait to return next year.”

She also walked away immediately with $1000 after winning one of AWAI’s Copy Challenges, where she competed against other copywriters to create copy for a specific client.

Working for “Me”

With new copywriting income, Candice reduced her law hours to part time. Three days a week, she writes for clients and actively works on growing her business. For the latter, she created a sales funnel, lead magnet and marketing plan, and reaches out to prospects in her niche – something she could not have imagined doing just a year ago.

She specializes in direct response, content development, marketing consulting and public relations. The work perfectly combines creativity, writing and marketing, making for a more fulfilling professional life. As she works toward a full-time career in copywriting, she foresees leveraging her law experience by writing for firms, something she already does for her current employer.

Whatever she writes about, it will be on her own terms.

“Copywriting is much more than a source of income for me,” she says. “I really like the work I’m doing. The days I spend working for me, rather than a boss, are way more fun.”

Ready to pursue the writer’s life?

Ready to pursue the writer’s life? Learn more about the program that launched Candice’s career, The Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting.