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Meet Camille Prarie, a healthcare copywriter and SEO Specialist from North Carolina. Welcome to “How I Escaped.” This Discovery Sessions interview series probes inspiring individuals who successfully ditched the rat race to inspire readers just like you. 

 

Where are you from or where do you feel local to?

Camille Prairie: Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

 

How did you escape the rat race? Tell us the backstory of your former profession.

CP: I was lucky that I wasn’t in it for that long, but I entered the rat race, so to speak, when I entered university with the intention of becoming a doctor. That’s what I worked toward relentlessly for five years, with difficult classes and demanding extracurriculars like volunteering as an emergency medical technician. Four of those years were in undergrad and one was in a graduate program.

 

At the end of my graduate year, which I ironically did really well in, it hit me that I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life working this hard. So I decided not to go to medical school and moved home (from Philadelphia). After that, I started working through the Americorps program on a farm. I thought I would love it, but I burned out after about six months due to a variety of different factors. Then I took a job at a windowless lab at a LabCorp location. This was by far the worst job I’ve had. It was 8-5, paid $17/hr, and had me inputting data all day. I genuinely think a well-trained robot could have done it. I got little sunlight and was so so so bored. I quit within a month. I’m sure you’re starting to see a pattern here.

 

My last job before I launched into my current career was again as a garden assistant and while I loved it, I just got bored doing the same thing every day. When I quit that job, I had been freelancing part-time for three years. So I decided to see if I could make it work full-time. It took me six months to land my first genuinely well-paying client.

 

Over time, with more clients and rate raises and outsourcing some work, I’ve managed to restore my work-life balance. I incorporated my LLC in January of this year, work with two contractors, and am continuing to grow what is now a copywriting and SEO agency for healthcare and medical providers (so that pre-med education came in handy after all). I truly shaped my career into something that was all mine, was exactly what I wanted it to be, and gave me the balance of freedom and challenge that I craved. I want to be clear that I couldn’t have done it without a significant other at home supporting my decision to carve my own path.

 

What advice would you give someone looking to become a copywriter and SEO specialist? 

CP: For anyone looking to freelance full-time or start their own business, I would say be patient. Know what you’re worth and do research on market rates. Don’t pay for training, take free classes. Start with savings or financial support, or start on the side of a full-time job. Understand that it’s going to take time. Don’t be discouraged by rejections. That’s mostly what you’ll get. Upskill and reskill continuously.

 

Writing isn’t dead because of AI; it’s changing. I’m not saying to become a prompt engineer, just to stay abreast of trends and be open to learning new types of writing and new skills. Lastly, I’d say it’s okay to try it and say it’s not for you. Just like a 9-5 isn’t for everyone, neither is doing your own thing.

 

What does a typical day in the life look like for you (if you have one)? 

CP: Most days, I get up, make coffee, have a generally slow morning (I always think I’ll be at my desk by 8 am and I never am), and then I keep typical working hours from 8-5. My dogs sit in here with me, and often my husband does when he’s working at home. The big difference for me is that I can start late, I can stop early, I usually have the choice to just not do anything on a given day, and I can do such random things. Like last week, I painted for an hour before lunch. How lovely is that?

 

 

What’s the biggest challenge of life as a copywriter and SEO specialist? 

CP: Definitely forcing myself to stop. I’m the one who’s responsible for getting clients, maintaining client relations, etc. At this point in my business expansion, I’m still doing the majority of the work, and I have to hold myself accountable for keeping a good work/life balance – ideally a little more life than work.

 

What’s the biggest reward of life as a copywriter and SEO specialist? 

CP: Definitely the ability to do whatever I want when I want. I can take four two-week-long vacations in a year, which in the US is unheard of. This year, for example, I took time off around New Year’s, two weeks off for my wedding and to go to Paris, I’ll take two weeks in September for a silent retreat, and plan on a week around Christmas so I can take a week off in early January for a retreat in Mexico. What a fun life.

 

 

What does freedom mean to you? When do you feel freest?

CP: Freedom to me means feeling at home with myself wherever I am and feeling like I am not my work. I feel the most free when I feel at home and when I’m mentally detached from my work. An example could be relaxing on the porch with my family or watching the sunrise over the Dolomites.

 

What advice would you give to someone wanting to become location-independent, work online, and maximize their freedom?

CP: Find a way to separate vacation and travel still. So if you’re a nomad and you travel often, I’d still carve out “vacation” time and have a home base wherever you are. Work in co-working spaces. Make sure you have a good internet connection wherever you are. Don’t let anyone guilt-trip you for being in a different time zone or calling into a meeting from Patagonia, etc. People will be jealous, so just ignore them. Move your body often because you’ll be on your computer a lot. Take lots of breaks.

 

What do you wish you did differently (in work or life)? 

CP: In the past, nothing, because it all led me to where I am now.