(Or: How I went from being told “writing isn’t a real career” to proving everyone spectacularly wrong)
Fifteen years ago, I was convinced that writing was a pipe dream – something “real adults” didn’t do for a living. I was working in telecommunications sales, climbing the corporate ladder like a good little professional, while my creative writing dreams sat gathering dust in a metaphorical junk drawer.
I had no idea I was about to embark on a journey that would transform me from a reluctant corporate climber into the content strategy badass you see before you today.
Chapter 1: The “Writing Is No Way to Make a Living” Years
Let me paint you a picture of early-career Maggie. I’d studied both business and creative writing because I couldn’t decide between practical and passionate. I’d been told as a kid that writing was “no way to make a living,” so I figured I’d be sensible about my career and maybe write in my spare time.
Spoiler alert: “Spare time” was a myth, but the writing skills were about to become my secret weapon.
I started in telecommunications sales and training. The work was fine, but something interesting kept happening. Whenever someone needed training materials written, marketing copy crafted, or any form of written communication that didn’t suck, they came to me.
“Hey Maggie, you’re good with words – can you make this sound less terrible?”
Thanks to my Marketing 101 background and natural writing ability, I became the unofficial company writer without even realising it. The training materials I created actually got read (revolutionary!). The sales materials I wrote generated better responses than the corporate-approved templates.
The plot twist: I was really good at this stuff. Like, actually good. And not just in the way your mum tells you you’re good.
Chapter 2: Climbing Ladders and Accidentally Building Skills
I moved up to a regional manager role in retail, thinking I was being a responsible adult with a “real career.” Then I landed state rep positions with big names like Nokia and Lindt. On paper, I was succeeding. I was hitting targets, managing territories, and doing all the things you’re supposed to do in a traditional business career.
I really enjoyed the people-facing side of things, and particularly the training. But in every single role, I kept getting pulled into the writing tasks. Product training materials, marketing communications, sales presentations – if it needed to be written well, it somehow ended up on my desk.
Game changer moment: I started to realise that my writing skills weren’t just a nice-to-have bonus feature – they were becoming my competitive advantage in every role I took on.
I was the rep who could explain complex products in simple terms. I was the manager who created training materials that people actually wanted to read. I was the person who could take corporate jargon and translate it into something that made sense to real humans.
But I was still treating writing like a side skill, not a superpower. After all, I had been conditioned to believe that “real adults” didn’t make livings from writing.
Chapter 3: The Book That Changed Everything
In 2016, I did something that completely shifted my perspective on the whole “writing isn’t a real career” narrative. I published my first book – a travel memoir that I’d been working on in whatever spare time I could scrape together between sales calls and territory management.
Plot twist: People actually bought it. And read it. And liked it. I pumpled Liz Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love off the Amazon top seller’s list (for all of about 2 hours).
Suddenly, I wasn’t just someone who “was good with words.” I was a published author (albeit self published). I had proven that not only could I write, but I could create something people valued enough to pay for.
This was my lightbulb moment. If I could write a book that people wanted to read, maybe – just maybe – I could make this writing thing work professionally.
Chapter 4: The Side Hustle That Started to Take Over
Even before my book launch, friends had always asked me to help with their business writing. “You’re so good at this stuff, could you look at my website?” “Would you mind writing some marketing materials for my startup?” “Can you help me figure out how to explain what my business actually does?”
At first, it was just favours. Then it became paid favours. Then it became something that was starting to feel like… a business?
I was working with entrepreneurs who were passionate about their businesses, who wanted content that reflected their personality, who weren’t afraid of having a point of view. I was writing for a boutique fitness studio that wanted to sound like your motivational best friend, not a corporate gym. I was creating content for a local psychologist that wanted to educate people about mental health and really make a difference to people’s lives.
The beautiful thing: This stuff was working. Really working.
The fitness studio’s website was converting visitors into members. The psychologist’s content was building a community of loyal customers and changing lives. And I was starting to understand that good business writing wasn’t about showcasing how smart the company was – it was about helping customers solve problems and making them feel something.
More importantly, I was having more fun writing marketing copy for a small business on weekends than I was doing my “real job” during the week. That should have been a massive red flag about my career choices.
Chapter 5: The Leap of Faith (Also Known as “Holy Crap, What Have I Done?”)
By 2017, I had reached a tipping point. I was making much more money from my freelance writing work than my corporate salary, working with clients who actually appreciated what I brought to the table, and having way more fun in the process.
The scariest decision of my professional life was finally admitting that maybe, just maybe, those people who told me “writing isn’t a real career” were wrong.
So I made the leap. Full-time freelance. Published author turned professional copywriter and content strategist.
My husband was… let’s call it “concerned.”
The first year was terrifying. I went from steady paychecks and corporate security to living project to project. I had to learn about business development, client management, pricing strategies, and about a million other things they don’t teach you when you’re juggling business and creative writing studies.
But here’s what I discovered: When you’re really good at solving a specific problem for people, they’ll pay you well for it. And the problem I was really good at solving was taking complex, boring business concepts and making them interesting and accessible.
Chapter 6: Finding My Voice (And My Superpower)
Around year two of full-time freelancing, I had my second major epiphany. I was working with all types of businesses – B2C, B2B, e-commerce, local services – and while I could write for anyone, I was starting to see where my superpowers really shone.
I was best at helping businesses that were tired of sounding like everyone else. I had a knack for finding the human story in business content. And I was particularly good at helping companies sound like actual humans instead of corporate robots.
This was when I started really developing my voice – that mix of irreverent humor, straight-talking expertise, and zero tolerance for bullshit that you’re experiencing right now. I realised that my personality wasn’t something to hide in my writing; it was my competitive advantage.
The realisation: All those years in sales, training, and business roles hadn’t been a detour from my writing career – they had been preparation for it.
Chapter 7: The Expert Evolution
By 2018, something beautiful was happening. I wasn’t just writing content anymore – I was developing content strategies. I was analysing what worked and why. I was helping companies completely transform their approach to content marketing.
All those years of working in sales, training, and state rep roles had given me something most writers don’t have: a deep understanding of business operations, customer psychology, and what actually drives results.
I could see patterns across industries. I could predict which types of content would resonate with different audiences. I understood the psychology behind what makes people share, engage, and ultimately convert – because I’d spent years understanding what makes people buy.
The lightbulb moment: I wasn’t just a writer anymore. I had become a strategic partner.
My clients weren’t just buying words from me; they were buying insights, strategy, and results. I was helping them understand their audiences better, develop their brand voices, and create content that directly contributed to their business goals.
Turns out, all those years of being told that writing “wasn’t a real career” had led me to build skills that made my writing more valuable than traditional writers who’d never stepped foot in a sales meeting or had to hit quarterly targets.
Chapter 8: The Authority Building Phase
Around 2019, I started sharing what I was learning. I began writing about content strategy, not just creating content for other people. I started building my own audience and establishing myself as an expert in the field.
I launched Harris Content & Copy as a brand, not just a service. I started positioning myself as the content strategist for businesses who were tired of boring, ineffective content. I attracted clients who wanted to work with me specifically because of my approach, my expertise, and yes, my personality.
The result: I went from competing on price to commanding premium rates. I went from taking whatever projects came my way to being selective about who I worked with. I went from being just another freelance writer to being a recognised expert in content strategy.
Chapter 9: Where We Are Today
Today, I’m not just creating content – I’m solving business problems through strategic content marketing. I work with companies to develop comprehensive content strategies that align with their business goals and actually move the needle on their growth metrics.
I’ve learned that the best content marketing feels like having a conversation with someone who really gets you and your challenges. It’s educational without being preachy, entertaining without being frivolous, and strategic without being soulless.
My clients come to me because they want content that stands out in a sea of corporate mediocrity. They want a strategic partner who understands both the art and science of content marketing. And they want to work with someone who’s not afraid to have opinions and share them.
The Lessons I’ve Learned (So You Don’t Have to Learn Them the Hard Way)
1. Your “non-traditional” path might be your biggest advantage. Those years in sales and business operations gave me insights that pure writers often miss.
2. Your personality is your superpower. Don’t hide it. Use it.
3. Strategy beats pretty writing every time. Beautiful content that doesn’t drive results is just expensive decoration.
4. Understanding your audience is everything. You can’t create compelling content for people you don’t understand – and years in sales taught me how to really understand customers.
5. Consistency compounds. One great piece of content won’t change your business. Consistent, strategic content will.
6. Sometimes the people who tell you something “isn’t a real career” are just wrong. Really, spectacularly wrong.
The Bottom Line
My journey from telecommunications sales to content strategy expert taught me that the best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing. It feels like someone who really understands your world sharing valuable insights that help you solve problems and achieve your goals.
That’s what I do now. That’s what Harris Content & Copy is all about. And that’s exactly what your business needs if you’re tired of content that looks pretty but doesn’t perform.
The journey continues, but now I get to help other businesses transform their content from generic corporate fluff into strategic assets that actually drive growth. And honestly? I can’t imagine doing anything else.
Turns out, writing is a pretty great way to make a living after all.
Maggie Harris is the founder of Harris Content & Copy, where she transforms boring business content into strategic assets that actually drive results. An author and former sales professional, she brings a unique blend of business acumen and creative expertise to every project. When she’s not crafting content strategies or writing conversion-focused copy, she’s probably reading something she shouldn’t admit to or plotting new ways to eliminate corporate jargon from the world.