Taking a Chance on a Dream: 
Some Thoughts on Sorting Out Scams from Opportunities,
Choosing Time Over Money, and Going After What You Want

The following article originally appeared in The Changing Course Newsletter. In it, you'll meet some of the instructors at the American Writers and Artists Institute as well as some people who have taken the copywriting course.

After an untimely knee injury derailed his running career and Olympic hopes, Tony dropped out of college and floated from one dead end job to another. Worse, Tony says, "I never thought I'd dream again."

You see Tony's mother was a hardworking waitress who wanted her son to have a better life. Her dream was that her son would someday become a doctor.

So in 1979 Tony found himself majoring in biology and chemistry at the University of Illinois. But, like a lot of students who try to live a parent's dream, his lack of enthusiasm was soon reflected in his grades. "Believe me," Tony says, "my grades were nothing to write home about."

You see, Tony's real love was running. "From the time I was 12 years old, I had a dream of making the Olympic team." Sadly, an untimely knee injury ended his running career – just when he was about 3 seconds away from world-class status in the half-mile.

Devastated by the loss of his dream, Tony dropped out of college. (You can imagine how happy his mother was about that!) But no one was harder on Tony than Tony.

From here, Tony says it was all downhill. "My life was a virtual roller coaster ride from one dead-end job to another. Not having a college degree didn't help my prospects in the job market. And without a new dream to go after I was living a life of quiet desperation." 

That is until he made a decision that literally changed his life. "Today, here I am 18 years and dozens of dead-end jobs later on the fast track to earning a six-figure income. Best of all, I know I now have the insider knowledge and tools that will help me spread my wings so I can soon make upwards of $200,000 and more working less than 40 hours a week."

What sparked this incredible turnabout? And as importantly, what made Tony dream again? I'll tell you. But first let me tell you how I came to meet Tony.

I just got back from spending three incredible days at the American Writers and Artists (AWAI) annual FastTrack to Success Program in Delray Beach Florida. I'd been invited to speak to conference attendees on the topic of "changing course," but decided to stick around to see what it was all about.

You may recall me talking about the American Writers & Artists Institute before. They are the people with the outstanding self-study course called Michael Masterson's Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting. 

What Exactly Do Copywriters Do?

You know the stuff you get in the mail telling you why you should renew your subscription to Newsweek or Better Homes & Gardens, or enticing you to order a David and Harry's gift basket, or convincing you to order your spring bulbs or to make a contribution to Habitat for Humanity or the Red Cross? Well, they were all written by professional, and in many cases, freelance, copywriters.

The AWAI's FastTrack program (or Copywriting Bootcamp as it is affectionately called) is aimed at people looking to get a jumpstart on becoming a professional copywriter as well as people who are already in the business – or who have their own business – and want to improve their skills. More about what I learned at the program and some of the fascinating career changers I met in a moment.

The Psychological Power of Internet Scams

First I want to say a bit about the power of Internet scams. So many of those get rich quick, work from home "opportunities" are aimed squarely at people like you and me. By that, I mean people who want to enjoy more control over our day-to-day lives, who want off the corporate fast track, or are just tired of the trials and tribulations of having a j-o-b. 

Even smart people can fall for questionable "opportunities." Just the other day I spoke with a fellow from Arizona who said he'd sunk a small fortune into a course on how to make millions buying and selling "distressed" real estate. He soon realized that the reason the real estate was distressed was because it was about to be foreclosed on by the bank. The fellow's first prospective purchase was a starter home owned by two young newlyweds who'd missed some mortgage payments because of a lay-off. 

"What I was supposed to do," he explained, "was take advantage of their misfortune by buying their house for cash at far below the market value. But I couldn't do it." Instead he ended up counseling the couple on how to save their home. He didn't make a dime but I have a feeling he walked away that day feeling like a million bucks.

Fortunately most people see the stuffing envelopes from home and similar scams for what they are. Even though few of us ever lose money on them, make no mistake about it, they harm us nonetheless. The fact that there are so many scams out there clouds our thinking about legitimate and genuinely helpful products and services.

I know. I was recently on the receiving end of skepticism. You see, a few weeks ago I received an email from a vivacious young woman named Lisa. Lisa is a recent college grad with a passion for music, concerts, theater – in fact, anything involving the arts. Lisa wanted to make an appointment with me to help her figure out how she could turn her passion into income. It was clear from her emails that she had tremendous energy, enthusiasm, and determination.

The day before our scheduled meeting Lisa cancelled. You see, when her mother found out about our consulting session she told Lisa she was being conned out of her money by an Internet scam. I could hear the disappointment in her email. I convinced Lisa to keep the appointment and offered to counsel her at no charge. I just couldn't see the world doing without the next great music critic or concert promoter over something as insignificant as money. 

I don't blame Lisa's mother one bit for being skeptical or for being protective of her daughter. When it comes to Internet businesses, I'm probably one of the most skeptical people around. I mean, you can imagine given the business I'm in how many people want me to add a link to their website or otherwise pitch their business. Many turn out to be uncareer-related fluff at best and outright questionable at worst.

So what does all of this have to do with Tony and the American Writers & Artists Institute's FastTrack to Success Program? Simple. Even though I'd personally reviewed the course materials, spoken with Lori and her colleagues many times over the phone, completed the career change booklet assignment for them which included connecting with former students, and even hired one to work on some copywriting projects of my own, as I walked up to the registration table, much to my surprise, I found myself sighing a huge sigh of relief.

Despite all that evidence, I still felt reassured to see a room full of real career changers attending a real conference and receiving real training from real professionals. That's when I realized what a powerful, negative effect the scam artists have to undermine our ability to recognize true opportunities – the kind that really do change real people like Tony's and other people's lives.

Despite becoming acquainted with many former students through the career change booklet project, as I walked into the conference room at the Del Ray Beach Marriott I couldn't help but wonder what kind of people had overcome their skepticism, written a check, and hopped on an plane to attend the FastTrack to Success Program.

I wondered whether most were drawn to this potentially highly lucrative field for the money alone. (I say lucrative because true to the course title, top copywriters do indeed earn $250,000 and more a year.) Or whether there was another reason that people would take, what was for most, their vacation days, to learn a new career.

Fast Track Your Dream 

Before I tell you about the people though, I have to tell you a little about the Fast Track program itself. I'd actually done a little copywriting during my seven year stint in corporate marketing – five of which were spent in a Fortune 500 company. I'd even taken a couple of courses through the Direct Marketing Association.

I figured I might pick up a tip or two. But mostly I was there to address the group and to put faces to names of some of the AWAI staff members I'd met only over the phone... people like Lori Appling, Denise Ford, Katie Yeakle, Jennifer Stevens, and Michael Masterson himself.

I can honestly say I was in no way prepared for what I was about to learn – and from whom. I had the opportunity to learn from some of the top – and I do mean "top" – experts in the field. The presenters read like a list of Who's Who in the direct mail industry: Robert Bly, Don Mahoney, and Michael Masterson himself.

Robert Bly has written a whopping 50 books on how to make it as a copywriter including, The Copywriter's Handbook, The Advertising Manager's Handbook, Business-To-Business Direct Marketing, and many others.

This award-winning copywriter (and self-made millionaire) generously shared his best tips and techniques for writing winning copy. I say generously because at the end he said something quite unexpected. Since we were all attendees at the Fast Track program, Bly said we were entitled to call or email him anytime with any question we might have. I am embarrassed to say that the skeptic in me was waiting for the "catch."

Just then Bly completed his offer by telling the group, "... and this offer is good for the rest of your life." Boy, was I impressed! Maybe that's why Bly was described in one article as "the freelancer's freelancer."

What was also clear is that Bly is a big fan of Michael Masterson. He couldn't say enough about how much he'd personally learned from Masterson and his course. And it wasn't just because he was a guest speaker. Bly talks about Masterson's course in his book The Copywriter's Handbook, telling readers, "Anyone who wants to get into direct response copywriting would benefit enormously from taking it."

Most of the people at the Fast Track program had gone through the actual written course and were looking for some additional hands-on training.

Others were just looking for a jumpstart. In both cases, attendees got what they came for – and then some

On the first day students were assigned real writing assignments from real clients on "spec." Spec is short for speculation, meaning if the client uses the piece, the writer gets their first paid writing assignment as well as any royalties that go along with it. (Royalties are one reason why copywriting is so lucrative and why it's possible to earn so much working just part-time.)

Next, direct mail gurus Michael Masterson, Thom Hickling, and Don Mahoney shared their insider secrets... like "The Architect of Persuasion: Organizing Your Sales Letter for Power and Profit," "Generating Great Ideas for Winning Packages," and "How to Quadruple the Strength and Stability of Your Copy." 

Then, students actually sat down and applied what they learned by working on their spec assignments. From here students broke into small groups run by an AWAI team member for a critique session.

Real People Making Real Changes

The bottom line is that I and others learned a TON about successful copywriting. But what most intrigued me were the people. There were stockbrokers, doctors, engineers, tailors, technical writers, retirees, realtors, and others from as far away as the UK and Vancouver.

Some had degrees, some didn't. Even those with fancy degrees, had little prior writing experience. Fortunately, as the folks at the AWAI will tell you, if you can write a simple letter, you can learn to be a professional copywriter.

Some, like Tony, were there because they wanted to make money. Lots of money. Not surprisingly though, for the overwhelming majority of people I spoke with, the potential to earn a six figure income was "frosting on the cake." 

For most the "cake" was all about fulfilling their dream of working for themselves, being able to work from anywhere in the country or indeed the world, and learning a much in demand craft.

That certainly was the case for Ericka Lidome (some names have been changed to protect their current jobs). Erika is a chemical engineer currently working for a big oil company in Texas. As she's risen through the ranks of management, Erika's level of stress has risen as well.

Wanting out of the "craziness of being in management," was, she said, her number one reason for wanting to become a freelance copywriter.

What was really cool was meeting three people who'd heard about Michael Masterson's course through this very newsletter. One was a bright twenty-something woman named Sandra. Sandra is a news writer and producer for a Fox network in a major west coast market.

It's a job that some people dream of. Yet, the long hours and deadline driven climate leave her little time for anything else – like a life.

Since she enjoys writing, being a copywriter would allow Sandra to have a more balanced life and still earn good money.

Jack from Colorado is already a successful business owner catering to attorneys and accountants. He was there to brush up on his copywriting skills in order to better market to his customer base.

Robert commutes an hour each way to his job as an adjustor. Now that he's in his fifties, he said he was ready to do something different. Working from home and being his own boss held tremendous appeal.

Then there's Greg. Greg teaches at a college in Georgia. He'd been considering staying in that field but to get on a tenure track would mean going back to school for his Ph.D. "That would mean," Greg explained, "that my wife would be married to a perpetual student. And after all that, who knows if I'd even find a teaching job." Instead Greg and his wife decided it was time to try something different.

What Carol, a car sales rep in Cleveland, liked best about being a freelance copywriter is the freedom to work from anywhere. While some people imagine living some place "exotic" like a tropical island, Paris, or Singapore, for Carol geographic flexibility is a means to a very specific end.

"As my Mom and Dad get older I feel compelled to be closer to home." "Home" for Carol is rural Idaho. "Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of ways to make a living out there – never mind a good living." Being a freelance copywriter would allow her to make good money, to work from home, and to be there for her parents.

Beth, who took the Accelerated Copywriting course two years ago, says the course was what helped her take the leap from doing alterations for a department store to working as a successful copywriter from her home in rural Minnesota. Beth used to earn $7 a hem. Now she makes an excellent – and full-time – living working from home writing copy for all kinds of businesses – both local and around the country.

Even Tony, the college drop-out who is on track to earning six figures, admits that money is only part of the draw. The lifestyle holds tremendous appeal as well. As Tony put it, "I like the idea of being able to make this kind of money without the daily grind, stress and office politics of a typical corporate job or the daily headaches of a traditional business." Tony should know. Now that he is a copywriter, he works pool side at his West Palm Beach home.

The real lesson for me was about trust. When it comes to Internet, infomercials, and advertisements of any kind, skepticism is a healthy thing – especially when it comes to parting with your hard earned money. Learn more about the Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting.

More Information

• Why I Like the American Writers and Artists Institute Courses

• Listen to my interviews with AWAI staff and students

Other American Writers and Artists Institute Reviews