Living the Writer's Life: Jessica McKay
Former Life Coach Earns 5 Figures a Month by Living Passionately
By Mindy McHorse

Jessica used to struggle to bring in $3,000 per month with her coaching business.
Now, she's a six-figure copywriter.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, Jessica McKay realized it was time to make a change. So, she pulled out her copy of AWAI’s Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting. It had been gathering dust on her shelf for the past several years. Within days, Jessica had her first client — a $1,700/month retainer. It was a strong start to an even stronger year, with her top-grossing month coming in at $18,000. Check out the interview below to learn how this former life coach found a way to transform her life through well-paid writing.

Can you tell us what life was like before you became a copywriter? What inspired you to seek a change?

Before I became a copywriter, I was selling single sessions as an intuitive coach. It was hard to make a good living, because I was charging $100 for a session, so every month I had to get 30 clients just to make $3,000. I worked my butt off. The most money I ever made was $45,000 in a year. My life was full of financial stress.

In 2018 I purchased AWAI’s Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting. I’ve always loved writing, but never considered it as a career because I bought into the myth that writers are all starving artists. The course got me to think differently about writing and changed my life.

How did the pandemic influence your drive to make this new career successful?

Jessica purchased The Accelerated
Program for Six-Figure Copywriting
back in 2018 but didn't
complete the course until 2020
when the pandemic hit.

When the pandemic hit, I was still spending all my time trying to make money in my coaching business, which tanked as society panicked and toilet paper became scarce. I was able to claim unemployment benefits as a self-employed person, which gave me space to breathe and think about what I wanted.

I remembered the copywriting course, took it off the shelf, and barely had time to glance at it again before I told my friend I was switching to copywriting. She dropped my name in a business group of hers on Facebook. Within 24 hours, I got my first retainer client for $1,700/month. I’m still working for that client over a year later, and she pays me 3K per month for five emails per week.

You earned $10K in a month within your first year of copywriting. What’s the secret? How do you find clients?

I earned over 10K/month by talking about what I do on social media, specifically Facebook. I wrote beautiful posts and expanded my friends list to include potential buyers. In August of 2021 I made 18K using this strategy. That’s my highest-grossing month to date.

What kind of writing or niche do you enjoy working in?

I love helping transformational and heart-based entrepreneurs get their messaging right. My specialty is email sequences, web copy, and social media posts.

What is your favorite thing about your writer's life?

My favorite thing about the writer’s life is the creativity. I’m finally making a living from something I love to do!

What were the most important tools, courses, or resources you used to build your copywriting career?

My most important resources are AWAI and learning from other copywriters and business owners.

Since you were a life coach, is there a particular piece of life advice that you give out most often? A mantra or a quote? And who is the most influential person in your life?

My most influential person was my first mentor, Allan. He taught me about human psychology, self-love, and relationships. He had a way with words, and I watched him help his clients heal themselves. It’s the most inspiring thing I’ve ever witnessed, and contributed to my decision to do the same. His mantra was “Live passionately without attachment to the outcome.”

Jessica's Living The Writer's Life story was originally published in Barefoot Writer. To learn more about how you can start living your dream writer's life too, click here.

What help do you need to move forward with your version of the writer’s life? Let us know in the comments below so we can help guide you in the right direction.