Cortney Wilbanks

I was born in Mississippi and raised by my grandparents, who shaped me into the person I am today. Balancing “doing the right thing” by helping my grandfather care for my ailing grandmother and the natural desire to just be a kid was tough. My therapist suggested I try journaling, and though I didn’t know it at the time, those years of putting pen to paper sparked my love for storytelling and reframing perspectives—skills that would become essential to me becoming who I was meant to be. When I left a comfortable corporate job in 2018 to study Clinical Neuroscience in Birmingham, AL, I ran into a challenge: I loved working out but couldn’t afford my old lifestyle. So, I started writing social media and website copy for local gym owners, now friends, in exchange for memberships. A conversation with a local digital freelancer opened my eyes to the income potential in writing, so I did what any tenacious person would—I found a mentor. I set my sights on Nicole Swickle, a former managing editor at Red Bull’s publication whose work was everywhere. After relocating to Nashville, TN, in 2022, I strategically placed myself in her circle, hoping to learn from her. Nicole graciously taught me to capture emotion in my writing through countless revisions of my then sub-par work. Now, with 200+ published pieces, six awards, and 25 brand projects under my belt, I can only say, “Thank you, Nicole, for pushing me beyond what I thought possible.” I’m excited to use this platform to elevate often-overlooked voices and stories within sales.