If you had asked me 15 years ago, "Would you ever move back to North Carolina?" I'd have said "absolutely not." Don't get me wrong, I love this charming, often backwards-thinking state. It has mountains and the ocean — a lot of states don't have either one. Warm summers, easy winters, a war of barbecue styles where there are no losers ... all good stuff. But North Carolina is not exactly an advertising Mecca. And Winston-Salem? Winston only has one large agency (not that large by Chicago or New York standards) and a smattering of small agencies. And yet, here I am, in Winston-Salem of all places. I love it here. My family loves it here. We're not going anywhere.

That said, when my last job ended, my wife and I had a serious decision to make: do we uproot our family (again) to follow another job, or do I make a go of it as a freelancer. We decided to stay put, but I was worried — I wasn't sure there was enough work to support a full time gig as a freelance copywriter in Winston-Salem.

Apparently, that worry was unfounded. I was wrong about the number of agencies in the area. While there's only a few that are visible at a state level, there tons of small shops here, mostly built on the broken dreams of a career at Mullen (or Long Haymes Carr, or MullenLowe, or ...). The folks who run these shops, like me, didn't want to leave Winston. I've connected with a lot of them, and I still have more to meet, but there's a lot of work to be had in this almost-city of ours, and I'm enjoying being a part of it.

But being a freelance copywriter in Winston-Salem doesn't mean I have to only work in Winston. Let's face it: this is a small state. I can be in Raleigh in an hour and a half, I can be in Charlotte in an hour and 15 minutes, and I can be in Greensboro in 30 minutes. So I'm starting to reach out in those directions too.

And because the world is connected by the magic of the internet, I can honestly work anywhere without leaving Winston. I've picked up some work in LA, and I'm in contact with friends in Minneapolis and Chicago. Basically, there's a lot of opportunity for me to work while I stay put.

My plate is filling up, but it's not full, so if you find yourself in need of a freelance copywriter in Winston-Salem, just reach out. Thanks!