Hi, I’m Ashlee Cowles

Copywriter.

Ghostwriter.

Strategy-obsessed Storyteller.

Whatever term you want to use to describe what I do, it comes down to this:

I am a wielder of powerful words backed by actionable strategy.

Here’s How I’m Different:

  1. My training as a historian means I don’t skimp on the research. Ever. Knowing exactly who your ideal customer is (and what makes them lean in) leads to highly targeted copy that gets noticed.

  2. Being an award-winning novelist means I’m skilled at making your customer the hero of your marketing story. Attention spans are only getting shorter, but stories will always work because they’re part of being human.

    The marketing hill I’m willing to die on?

    Story-driven copy captures attention & motivates customers to take action better than anything else. 


So how do my unique skills benefit your business? Simple: human-first marketing isn’t some slick sales pitch. It’s the creative ability to spark curiosity and ignite empathy so your company grows by solving real-world problems.

My superpower combo of marketing strategy + conversion copywriting helps you tell the story your customers want to live clearly and authentically.

The result?

Casual leads transform into customers who stick around.

You want to know more? (Sheesh, I’m blushing.)

I love marketing and believe it can be a positive force in the world. Anyone who innovates, solves problems, makes change—and then tells people about it for their benefit—is a marketer.

I studied ethics at Duke University with lots of idealistic, do-gooder types and spent a decade working for nonprofits and in K-12/Higher Education. Many in these sectors have altruistic motives, but guess what?

Without reliable revenue, it’s difficult to sustain a positive impact on big hearts alone. No matter your business, marketing can be done in an elevated manner without hurting your bottom line. How?

Stay human, ditch the scare tactics, and earn trust through genuine stories of transformation.

My nomadic childhood as a U.S. military brat and “third culture kid” had me living abroad in Germany and later in Spain, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. This diverse background means I’m fluent in human-ese. I’m also a chameleon skilled at communicating in the voice of your customers’ specific niche or subculture.

And it means I love to travel—and will ideally be writing your copy from a sunny café in Croatia one day (hey, a girl can dream).

Oh, you need to see some ID, Officer? Hopefully my work speaks for itself, but if you want credentials beyond being a traditionally published author and professional writer for over a decade, I’ve also completed training programs such as the Comprehensive Copywriting Academy and the StoryBrand Messaging Framework.

Not even giving birth can keep me from the keyboard!

Want to know the big “secret” my unique background taught me about copywriting? Humans speak a universal language, and no, it isn’t English—it’s Story.

That I’m also an author of unputdownable novels has given me an edge in this department—so you can bet I know how to spin a compelling, well-researched yarn that captivates from the first line and draws customers into your world.

There are more human ways to stand out.

If You Want Marketing That:

  • Relies on strategy, not fabricated scarcity, to make sales

  • Is people-oriented, not pompous or pushy

  • Uncovers your authentic voice & uses that power for good, never evil

  • Establishes your business as a never-boring authority through the magic of Storytelling

Then I’m your results-winning Wordsmith.

But, I might not be for you if…

  • You aren’t 99.9% convinced your product or service will improve lives. (To take one from Ted Lasso’s playbook, you gotta Believe. If you don’t, then I won’t… and neither will your customers.)

  • You want a cookie-cutter website or generic “Limited Time Offer! Buy Now!” email and can’t be bothered with how these one-off projects will impact your overall marketing strategy at a high level

  • You don’t have time to consider your customers’ humanity and prefer to let soulless ads, algorithms, and AI* do all the work

  • You hate movies like The Shawshank Redemption, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and The Princess Bride. (I kid, I kid. We can probably still work together, but we’ll need to confront this discrepancy at some point. 😊)

*AI Disclaimer: I love tech and don’t think AI is the end of human creativity. AI can be a remarkably helpful tool when it comes to market research, idea generation, and refining one’s writing. What it cannot do is replace a human copywriter’s strategic thinking or ability to empathize with your ideal customer. (The result? Most AI-only content sounds boringly the same.) Even though I use AI as a tool in the ways mentioned above, I write original copy that puts the irreplaceably human elements first.

Don’t Take My Word For It

“Ashlee writes the most compelling content for our newsletters, articles, and website, and she does it more efficiently than anyone else I've worked with (including myself!). What takes me 10 hours, Ashlee can do in 5 and do it far better. She's also an effective communicator so I always know the status of the work and don't need to micromanage her.”

Liz Reckart, Senior Director of Marketing & Engagement, Seton Education Partners

Chat with me

Book a complimentary, no-pressure consultation and we’ll take a look at how you can build online marketing assets that increase revenue.

Have a website you’d like me to analyze for simple ways to improve?

Submit it here for a free review.