From Cynic to Solopreneur: From Never Making My Investments Back To Landing A Paid Client In 17 Days

Check out Charlie's video review here:

“Behind every successful entrepreneur is a bad former boss.” ― Codie Sanchez

After 15 years working in government, I’d had my fair share of bad bosses and was sick of plastering on fake smiles for pompous bureaucrats.

I was tired of commuting two hours every day, and getting paid exactly what my coworkers were even though I was doing their jobs in addition to mine. Being asked to “do more with less”.

At 37, I couldn’t imagine waking up to that for another 20+ years. I knew I had to find a way out.

My name’s Charlie Dice and I’m a small-town girl from southeast Pennsylvania. Amish Country.

In my day job I make 6-figures — and trust me, I know how fortunate that makes me. Yet after COVID, I couldn’t help but feel something was missing. I felt like an animal trapped in a cage of my own making.

I wanted my freedom. I wanted the option to roll out of bed and work from home, or anywhere in the world. I wanted more time with my husband and family. I wanted to be the one to determine my earning potential, not some suit in Washington, D.C.

That’s when I started down the “how to make money online” rabbit hole.

For two years I ran into nothing but dead ends. I spent more money than I care to admit with people who ended up leaving me high and dry — teaching me fluff or things I could’ve just found on YouTube for free.

Then one day I stumbled upon a video from a guy I’d never heard of named Nicolas Cole.

He said he was a writer. He said he’d taught himself and others how to unlock their dream lives through writing online. And he said he’d done it with little to no tech skills while also working a 9-5.

To be honest I wanted to dislike him. I wanted to call him just another fake online guru who was selling me on how to sell others on how to sell.

But after listening to his videos, reading his partner Dickie’s posts, and talking to some people who’d had actual real success after implementing their strategies, I told my husband I was giving this side hustle thing one last shot.

I joined PGA in July 2024 and told myself I was an idiot. But I also told myself I would give it everything I had.

I landed my first paid ghostwriting client 17 days after joining.

I’m now 8 months in and have made my investment back and then some. It’s the first program I’ve joined where I can say that.

But more than that, I’ve learned a new skillset that’s going to allow me to eventually leave my 9-5 and achieve the freedom I’ve always wanted. I’ve set a goal for myself to put in my resignation by the end of 2025.

In my opinion, the best part is the relationships I’ve formed. Not only my amazing 1:1 coach (who actually ghostwrites himself for a living), but with Dickie, Cole, all the community leaders, and my fellow PGA alumni. The modules are straightforward, actionable and structured in a way that takes you through the entire business model step-by-step. Even if you’re like me and had ZERO experience writing online and older millennial tech skills — you can do this!

I’ve also gotten a ton of value out of the live coaching calls held every week — everything from finding your niche, sales and outreach, tech support, and live mastermind calls with Dickie and Cole.

I tell people all the time — just follow the steps in the order they give them to you, take action and you’ll succeed.

We don’t know each other, but trust me, no other course or program out there comes close to matching the value that PGA provides.

I believe in this program so much, I invested again and joined their Liftoff Mastermind group in November last year. With that I get even more 1:1 support, additional weekly calls with Dickie, Cole and the other leaders in PGA, as well as get to network with people ahead of me who constantly blow my mind and cause me to level up just by being in the same room as them.

It’s taught me how to think like an entrepreneur, something I’ve never been able to do before PGA. I can finally see my dream life, and it’s getting closer every day.

If I were to wrap up my experience with PGA in one sentence, I’d say that joining has been the best decision of my life — my only regret is not finding it and joining sooner.

I’m incredibly grateful to Dickie and Cole for creating this program, structuring it in a way that anyone in any stage of life can do, and for pushing me to see that my dream can actually be my reality.

P.S. If you’ve read this far and are still on the fence about joining, please do your present and future self a favor and do it! Your only regret will be not joining sooner.

Recovering cynic and forever grateful,

Charlie