Influential Woman · Freelance Copywriter Editor
Maria Dawson
Senior Copywriter, Marketing Copywriter, Language Expert, Independent Contractor · Freelance
South Boston, MA
Her Story
About Maria
Maria Dawson is a senior copywriter, marketing copywriter, and language expert with 25 years of professional experience. She began her career freelancing for clients and has taken on roles at agencies and in-house positions, including as senior copywriter at 89 Degrees in Burlington, Massachusetts. Dawson earned an English and creative writing degree from the University of South Alabama and a master's in writing and publishing from Emerson College. In 2010, she and her team won a Web Award for Outstanding Achievement for Web Development for an IKEA microsite featuring the Blue Bag It game. She has worked with clients in finance, hospitality, travel, and retail, including a long-term freelance role with Embrace Home Loans where her team received kudos from Experian's senior director. Dawson uses AI as a junior copywriter for research and ideas while also training AI models as a language expert. She attributes her success to proving herself through short-term assignments and persisting despite rejections, and she values honesty, consistency, creativity, and forward thinking in her work. In addition to her professional writing, Dawson writes poetry and is working on a memoir.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Maria
01What do you attribute your success to?
I have proven myself time and again. Even when told I lacked agency experience, I would get a 6-week assignment and blow their minds, leading to permanent roles. I don't listen to no, treat it as not yet, and keep plowing ahead one foot in front of the other.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Don't give up, especially as a writer. You can get told no a million times. When trying to get an agency job, I kept getting told I had no agency experience, which was a catch-22. What worked was getting a 6-week assignment to prove myself. Don't listen to no, think of it as a not yet, and keep going.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't give up. If you're a good writer, you know that, and people are going to tell you no. Just keep going and keep putting yourself out there. Even with 25 years experience, I still get told no. It's not personal. Until you find the right fit, do something parallel like beauty retail sales where you can use the same strengths and skills.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Some companies think AI is good enough and are cutting heads, but you have to learn how to work with AI. I use AI as my junior copywriter for research and ideas. Companies expect you to know how to work with AI efficiently. The world is changing and you have to roll with the changes, evolve with it, and reinvent yourself without becoming a new person.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
To always be honest, consistent, creative, forward thinking. Really care about what you're working on, and if you and your whole team do and work together, it shows. Making finance fun, accessible, and interesting was the biggest challenge, and getting kudos from Experian's senior director for our talented group's out-of-this-world ideas made me smile.
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