I Was Scrubbing Toilets at In-N-Out and Needed to Turn My Life Around. Now I Make Up to $17,000 a Month as a Self-Taught Copywriter. "Snail mail saved my life and completely changed my future."

This article originally appeared on Business Insider.

I was a 19-year old who was a rail thin. I was poor and spent my mornings walking through drive-thrus to collect change for a candy bar or soda.

After a year, I asked for a pay raise from my boss. He suggested that I join the morning crew. I had no idea that I would have to scrub toilets in the morning at 5 am and wait for the sun to rise so I could do the parking lot.

By day I was scrubbing the concrete and by night, I would perform punk-rock concerts. My friends were getting married and having children while I was scrubbing concrete.

My life had gotten worse by 22. To save money, I shared a motel room with a chihuahua and five other people. I did not even have internet access, let alone a phone, computer or car.

Now, I am a copywriter who makes six figures and specializes in direct response marketing. I have worked with Fortune 100 Companies, USA BMX and political campaigns. I also strategize copy and market. Here's what I did by sending myself letters and teaching myself.

A friend of mine asked me in 2017 to write an advertisement selling his Mustang for 10% of the sales.

I had never written an advertisement before, so I borrowed a friend's cell phone and searched "how to create a good ad." I found a newsletter entitled "The Gary Halbert letter." In one of his newsletters he claimed that he could charge $15,000 to a client for a note he wrote at his kitchen desk in his underwear.

When I realized that this was what I wanted to be doing for the rest my life.

I read all the newsletters Halbert sent out. After I finished those books, I would sit on the floor of Barnes & Noble to read all the marketing textbooks in the store as I couldn't buy them.

The next step was to learn how to find customers.

Halbert taught me that the best strategy to get clients was to send letters in the mail. Halbert taught me that the best way to get clients was to write to companies and send them letters. It wasn't easy at first because I had few resources.

I began writing at the library. I would be dropped off by a friend in the morning and then another friend would assist me to get home. When I ran out paper while writing by hand, the librarian gave me printer paper.

The library's Reference USA database, now called Data Axle, helped me find the addresses of the businesses I was interested in working with. My first client came to me through a simple letter. I decided to only work for businesses in which I have a personal interest.

My letters were so successful, I didn't need to jump on social media

I was the only content creator in a world full of other content creators, but without constant internet access. This worked to my advantage and helped me stand out.

Chiropractors were one of the first people I worked with because I was so impressed by their work. In my youth, I'd had several car accidents and suffered from scoliosis. In my letter, I said that my treatment by a chiropractor had helped me to heal.

I did not tell them all the things I could do to help them. I just told them why I am passionate about their work, why I care about them and how we might collaborate. The conversation was open and honest, and it created an instant rapport.

The principles I use to write my client's copy are the same as mine. I continue to work with chiropractors but have also expanded my clientele to include relationship coaches, anxiety coaches, and data scientists. I coach other copywriters to improve their copywriting and how they get clients by using letters.

Profits range from $8,000 to $17,000 per month

My income has grown as I have added more clients. My clients receive an average of $40,000 to $100,000 per month from my work.

Now I have my own home filled with furniture I purchased. I am 27 years old and have a successful company without spending my entire time on social media.

To this day, whenever I want to attract new clients, a new batch is sent out. My life was saved by snail mail, and my future has been completely transformed.