Congestive Heart Failure Was a Blessing in Disguise…

Well, in a manner of speaking it was.

In May of 2009, my brother rushed me to the Emergency Room. I had trouble breathing and my blood pressure was 200/140 – roughly double the normal rate. Once I was stabilized, I was flown by medical helicopter to a larger facility about 20 miles away. That’s when I found out that it was “just” congestive heart failure. Following my surgery, I was lying in my hospital bed. I watched in awe and amazement as the nursing staff took care of me. They knew exactly what to do at exactly the right time.

Then it hit me. I was surrounded by people who cared more about my health than I did.

This realization changed my life. And a new voice kept popping in my head time and time again, always with the same message. It said, “Michael, you need to thank these people. But don’t tell them thank you. SHOW them thank you.”

So, I started looking into nursing as a career option. More exactly, I didn’t choose nursing. Nursing chose me.

What does all of this have to do with writing, you ask? Good question.

Today is Super Bowl Sunday, February 5th, 2012. I just joined The Barefoot Writer earlier this morning. I’ve been told my whole life that I write the way I talk. But it never dawned on me that I could parlay this “talent” into a marketable skill, much less a lifelong profession. After reading Copywriting 101, I now know that this is entirely possible.

Credibility is very important to me – both as a consumer and a professional. I listen best to people with “chops” – folks who know their stuff. My patients relate to me because I used to be one. This common bond helps to put them at ease and not feel so alone. As I begin my writing career, I will probably end up working with health companies. But first, I need to learn the ropes. Get my chops, if you will.

Upon graduation from nursing school, I’ll be making good money right out of the gate (about $35 an hour). But with the proper training, writing will allow me to meet and exceed this hourly wage with much less effort. My workweek at the hospital will consist of three 12‐hour shifts. With four days off, there will be more than enough time to build a flourishing copywriting business. And once my nursing career ends, I can slip right into writing full time without skipping a beat.

So as you can see, emerging from poor health and turning it into a nursing career is my unique selling proposition.

Should I wait until nursing school is over before launching a copywriting career? Most people would say yes. But one of the biggest benefits of nursing school is time management. In other words, the busier I am, the more I tend to accomplish. Knowing what I’m going to do before I do it helps keep me focused. I don’t have to worry about other options because the path has already been laid for me. All I have to do is follow it.

With the help of The Barefoot Writer and AWAI, I’m looking forward to taking this journey.