We were lucky to catch up with Ava Wilson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ava , thanks for joining us today. The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand made its first dollar of revenue.

Growing up, I always wanted to be a writer. But you always hear how far-fetched that dream is. “You’ll never make a living,” they say. So I kept the dream tucked safely in my back pocket, protected and quiet.

Fast forward to college: the English department hosted a poetry competition, and I won. I’ll never forget my late father saying, “Ava, you should email that poem to Amanda Gorman, the inaugural poet.” So, I did just that. I sent Amanda Gorman my poem. I never got a reply, but I received something more valuable: the courage to put myself out there and chase my dreams, no matter how small the seed.

Still a young and unsure college student, I turned to Indeed and started picking up freelance copywriting and brand writing jobs. The pay was next to nothing, but it gave me a glimpse into the world I wanted to be part of. Then I discovered the world of ghostwriting, and I saw a way in. I figured if I could find just one client willing to pay in installments over twelve months, I could make it work.

So I did what I knew how to do: I thought of every creative I’d ever met and started offering my services pro bono. It took nearly 100 emails, but eventually, I secured my first ghostwriting client for a full-length novel. That single “yes” was all the proof I needed that the dream I once tucked away was always mine to claim.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Ava Wilson, and I’m the founder of Ava Ink – A publishing and ghostwriting agency dedicated to bringing stories to life. At Ava Ink, I self-publish my own novels and specialize in ghostwriting for creatives across a wide range of formats: from speeches and TED Talks to blogs, novels, podcasts, and more. I also offer editorial services, content strategy, and consultations for creatives and emerging brands.

Growing up, I had two dreams: to be a writer and to be a therapist. I’ve always had a self-help-loving, spiritually curious, science-obsessed brain, and I was fascinated by our existence and how we could live more purposeful, positive lives. Through ghostwriting, I found the perfect blend of both passions: writing with heart, and helping others heal, express, and connect.

From idea to execution, I meet my clients wherever they are in the process. Whether they hand me a rough idea or a full draft, I bring my knowledge, intuition, and storytelling strategy to shape something meaningful. Something that not only tells a story but resonates deeply and has the potential to generate real impact (and profit).

Yes, I run a business. But heart is at the center of everything I do. I believe everyone has a story worth telling. One that can change the world. Whether I’m helping someone tell theirs or consulting them through their creative start, I’m in love with what I do. The people I get to meet, the work I get to witness, and the impact we create together – it’s the most rewarding part of it all.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

When I decided to start my writing business at 21, I knew my biggest challenge was going to be income. I was still in college, bartending on Broadway in downtown Nashville, making decent money, but it ebbed and flowed with the seasons, never quite stable.

So I started weighing my options and creating a plan. This was before AI tools were easily accessible. We didn’t have platforms to ask marketing questions or streamline strategy. I reached out to photographers, writers, graphic designers, and consultants, requesting quotes and guidance on how to get started. Once I saw the numbers, I realized I’d have to build this step by step. I started with what I could afford at the time: brand photography.

I took a risk, put down a deposit, and got my first brand shoot done. From there, it became about checking one thing off the list at a time and staying consistent.

By the time I graduated, I had more availability to pick up an extra job to help fund the marketing costs. But it quickly became clear – two jobs wouldn’t cut it, and I didn’t have the credit or income stability to qualify for a personal loan. I applied anyway and was respectfully denied. I broke down. For a moment, I felt completely defeated.

But I refused to give up. I believed that if there was a will, there had to be a way.

So, I hustled hard. At one point, I was juggling five jobs: building websites on the side, doing brand consulting, handling bookkeeping for construction companies when I could, bartending at two different bars, managing writing clients, and working a 9-5 corporate job. I was brutally exhausted, but I had one thing that kept me going: the determination to reach the other side of the hustle and land in a secure place with my career and goals.

I kept going until I built up enough client work to create a consistent income, and finally, I did

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

2023 to 2024 was a pivotal chapter for my business and my life. It was a season of deep transformation, marked by unexpected loss, necessary pivots, and the quiet courage to begin again.

At the end of 2023, I started writing what would become my first self-published novel, Diaries of a Broadway Bartender. A creative nonfiction memoir with a bold, Sex and the City-style voice. Not many people knew about it, but the few I did share my proposal with offered immense encouragement. They told me to send it to publishing houses. So I did. And by what I can only describe as the grace of God, I was offered a book deal with one of the largest publishers in the world.

But life had other plans. Just months before receiving that offer, my stepmother and both of my remaining grandparents passed away, each within a few months of one another. Then, in early 2024, my father lost his battle with cancer. He passed away on January 18.
That same week, my relationship of 3 years ended, and I was then financially responsible for a home planned for two. This was terrifying personally, but especially as I was already drowning in the financial burdens of building my business and this made my path feel very scary at the time. I thought there is no way I can pull this off anymore.

Suddenly, I was left with a half-written manuscript, a book deal that felt overwhelming, and no clear path forward. I was drowning in grief, juggling five jobs, and emotionally and creatively shut down.

Then one afternoon about a month after my fathers passing, as I sat down to write, my computer’s logic board crashed. I lost the entire manuscript. While I could’ve requested a backup copy from the publisher, I took it as a sign: it was time to pivot.

The earliest pieces of this book had been born during one of the most uncertain times in my life. I had no clarity, no direction – just an idea I clung to like a lifeline. Losing the manuscript became a strange gift. It forced me to slow down, reconnect with my vision, and rewrite the book with far more creative clarity and emotional depth.

Turning down that book deal was a risk. I knew I might be walking away from a massive opportunity. But I also believe everything happens for a reason and often, a breakthrough is preceded by a breakdown.

Now, over a year later and two years after the first seeds were planted, Diaries of a Broadway Bartender was officially self-published on February 25, 2025. Alongside my memoir, The Other Side that is a novel rooted in understanding how to over come tragedy. The same day my logic board crashed, was also the same day the bones of The Other Side were born. A story I didn’t want to tell. Wasn’t sure how it would sell. But it was the story, that I needed to tell regardless if it met one persons hand. I knew, that should anyone ever find me or my work, I was going to have a piece out there for them from the beginning to reach for even in their lowest.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.avainknovels.com/
• Instagram: Avainknovels
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avawilson0317?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Image Credits

Diaries of a Broadway Bartender cover:
@dlshots

Graphic design for Diaries of Broadway Bartender Cover:
@alicookdesign