College Student Exceeds Top Income Levels in Her Home Country with New Copywriting Career

One intentional connection. For Lynelle Suan, that was the turning point that set her copywriting career on fire.

As a college freshman, she was writing copy on the side for a handful of clients while she balanced her studies in entrepreneurship at the local university.

But despite doing well in school, Lynelle longed to be a full-time copywriter. However, several roadblocks stood in her way.

Most notably, finding well-paying, high-quality clients was a challenge. And since she wasn’t sure what to charge, or how to create proposals, she agreed to work for minimum fees. As a result, she had doubts about whether she could make a real living with copywriting.

And just as daunting, she struggled with personal and cultural expectations around attending college and choosing a career path.

But everything changed when she enrolled in an email copywriting course led by AWAI-trained writer, Candice Lazar. During a consultation call, Candice recommended that Lynelle check out American Writers & Artists Institute (AWAI) for the training, support and resources to grow her business. After their call, Lynelle immediately dove in.

“Learning about AWAI came at the perfect time because I had some paying clients and money to invest in it,” she says. “It opened a curtain of opportunities that I didn’t know about before. I was in the copywriting world, but AWAI introduced me to the copywriting universe.”

Going Against the Grain

Lynelle has always followed her intuition – and her own path – though it hasn’t always been easy. At just 16-years-old, she left traditional high school to enroll in a home school program that allowed her to craft her own curriculum and focus on personal development.

Soon after, she joined several business masterminds, one of which introduced her to the concept of copywriting. But in her last years of high school, and even into college, Lynelle still struggled internally with her decision to go against the grain and do something different than her peers.

“I had always been an honor student and quitting college is not something that would be expected of me,” she says. “I had to let go of certain identities that had been put on me and be at peace if people were disappointed in my decisions. I had a gut feeling college is not where I was meant to be.” 

Over time, Lynelle gained clarity and became more and more convinced she was on the right path. She worked hard to build her copywriting skills and gain experience, even exchanging her services for access to business courses in lieu of traditional payment. While trading services built her skills and portfolio, it didn’t boost her bank account.

“I had some rejections and I didn’t know how to price,” she says. “I was definitely getting underpaid. I began to wonder if copywriting was realistic. It was a huge struggle for me.”

Finally, she caught a break. When Lynelle landed a $1,000 project – more than one month’s salary in her home currency in the Philippines – she made the decision to follow her instincts, leave college, and focus on copywriting full-time.

Finding the Missing Link with AWAI

Soon after leaving college, Lynelle doubled down on her efforts to perfect her craft. She enrolled in Candice’s email marketing program and a separate copywriting program for getting clients.

When she learned about AWAI through Candice just a few weeks later, she knew it was the missing piece she’d been looking for all along. The copywriting coaching program she invested in for getting clients had proved disappointing. But with AWAI, Lynelle was immediately blown away by the depth and breadth of the programs, plus AWAI’s extensive expert base.

She joined AWAI’s The Barefoot Writer Club, a membership group that focuses on how to become a well-paid, in-demand writer. It was a decision that changed the trajectory of her career – and her life.

“The community of writers is really what compelled me to join AWAI and The Barefoot Writer,” Lynelle says. “Even though I’d joined a lot of masterminds, they weren’t specifically for writers. And they wouldn’t understand my work as a copywriter. AWAI has helped me see more of what's possible and to really expand my goals. It’s a family to me.”

She quickly immersed herself in the world of AWAI, soaking in as much information as possible. Within weeks, she started The AWAI Method, which teaches the essential fundamentals of copywriting and persuasion. 

Shortly after, she joined Circle of Success (COS), AWAI’s highest level of membership, which included free admission to AWAI’s FastTrack to Copywriting Success Bootcamp and Job Fair starting the following week. For Lynelle, it was a no-brainer.

“COS really made sense because I can have access to all AWAI programs,” she says. “They also offer help for getting clients. And the elite community is something I wanted to be a part of. I knew COS was something that would skyrocket my career. And Bootcamp is something that completely won me over.”

Between COS and Bootcamp, Lynelle started seeing results in her ability to land clients right away.

“Before, I was scrambling and looking for opportunities,” she says. “But now opportunities are just everywhere because of the things I’ve done and people I’ve met through AWAI. And I have a system when it comes to connecting with prospects, what I’m going to write in the proposal, and how I’m going to price things. It’s a huge win for me.”

In total, she’s taken more than a dozen AWAI programs and continues to devour every possible resource.

Freedom and Confidence with Copywriting

Since finding AWAI, it’s been one win after another – literally and figuratively. She won AWAI’s The Barefoot Writer Monthly Challenge, two writing challenges for Bootcamp, and a challenge for Wealthy Web Writer.

And then there are the client wins, leading to an income level that no one – even Lynelle – would have expected this quickly. In just eight months, she far exceeded the average annual income in the Philippines. In fact, her income tops that of engineers and physicians, all without a college degree.

Now, she’s confident in her choice to pursue copywriting as a career – and she’s just getting started.

“Before AWAI, making $5000 in a year sounded impossible to me,” Lynelle says. “But after joining AWAI, I made $5,000 in less than three months. If I can save $20,000, that basically means I'm a millionaire in my currency. AWAI introduced me to how lucrative copywriting can actually be and the kind of lifestyle that I can live.”

Her success opens the door for her dreams and those of her family. She plans to buy a house near the beach for her family, grow a nest egg, travel, and give back to those less fortunate.

“Success for me as a freelancer means I get to spend more time with my family and have flexibility in my schedule,” she says. “And since I live in a third-world country, it also means having financial peace of mind. I can help my relatives. I can donate more, contribute more, or give gifts. I can support myself and those I love.”

Ready to pursue the writer’s life?

Learn more about the program that launched Lynelle’s career, The Barefoot Writer Club.