Some storytellers write books. But Angela Bates? She preserves legacies.
In this powerful conversation, we sit down with the visionary behind The Write CEO, a ghostwriter and storyteller whose pen has carried the voices of CEOs, actors, beauty moguls, political figures, and cultural changemakers. Angela has built an entire brand on helping people reclaim their narratives and document their truth—not as the world knows them, but as they really are.
From reviving her own creative spark after a bruising critique to capturing the heartbeats of global clients across Europe, Asia, and Latin America, Angela’s journey is one of purpose, faith, and undeniable calling. This interview uncovers how she transforms lived experiences into legacy and why she believes every story—no matter how private, painful, or powerful—deserves to be told with authenticity.
Get ready. This is storytelling with intention, integrity, and soul.
The Story Behind The Write CEO
Fancy: You’ve built a powerful brand around helping others tell their stories. What inspired you to start The Write CEO, and how did your own journey as a writer influence that decision?
Angela: I didn’t start The Write CEO because I wanted a business. I started it because stories kept finding me—women with powerful experiences, entrepreneurs building empires, public figures changing communities, film and television actors, and celebrities living real lives outside the cameras. People who the world thinks they know, but whose real stories have never been told in their own voice.
Before starting The Write CEO and turning it into what it is today, I was helping aspiring authors finish and self-publish their books. But quickly, something shifted. People began reaching out privately—not because they needed grammar help, but because they needed someone who could hear them. Someone who could translate their life into words that felt true.
That’s how the ghostwriting began.
I learned that some of the most influential and recognizable people in the world struggle to tell their stories publicly because real life doesn’t fit into soundbites. Actors and celebrities have lived experiences the world never sees—childhoods that shaped them, failures that humbled them, grief that matured them. Entrepreneurs and CEOs have entire journeys that don’t show up on Instagram.
Yet none of it was being documented.
That became my calling.
The Write CEO exists for the people who have lived a life—on camera or off—and need someone who won’t just write for them, but will write as them. Someone who will protect their voice, honor their truth, and preserve their legacy in a way that feels authentic, human, and powerful.
Today, I help CEOs, beauty moguls, political figures, faith leaders, authors, actors, and people with extraordinary stories finally capture their voice on the page. Because one thing I know for sure:
You don’t need to speak the loudest to make the biggest impact— you just need your story told well.
And that’s why I created The Write CEO: Not just to write books, but to preserve legacies.
Writing from the Heart
Fancy: What is your writing process like—especially when working with high-profile clients or ghostwriting deeply personal stories?
Angela: Ghostwriting is more than writing—it’s becoming someone on paper.
When actors say they “become the role,” I understand that completely. To write someone’s story, I have to embody their voice. Their tone. Their rhythm. Their truth. My goal isn’t for a book to sound like them—it’s for readers to forget someone else wrote it.
My process isn’t limited to interviews or questionnaires. I study my clients the way storytellers study characters: by living alongside them. We talk on the phone. We text. I shadow them in real time as they move through their day. I pay attention to the details most people miss:
- How they walk into a room
- The expression on their face when they answer a call
- How their voice changes when they talk about family versus business
- The words they run to when they’re passionate—and the ones they avoid when they’re hurt
Those little nuances hold a person’s real voice. For high-profile clients—actors, CEOs, influencers, public figures—my job is to separate the public image from the human being behind it. The world already sees the spotlight version. I’m here to tell the real story:
The late nights.
The private battles.
The victories no one clapped for.
The parts of their life that shaped them long before cameras or microphones ever showed up.
Ghostwriting deeply personal stories requires trust, empathy, and a promise:
Whatever you say, I will honor. Whatever you share, I will protect.
I write from the heart because people trust me with theirs. And when we’re finished, my clients don’t just have a book—they have their voice immortalized on the page, in a way their children, fans, and future generations will recognize as authentically them.
Rediscovering Purpose
Fancy: In your media kit, you mention that a critique once dimmed your creative spark, but you later reignited your passion for writing. What was that turning point like for you?
Angela: Like anyone else, I let someone’s opinion echo louder than my own confidence. One critique—one moment—made me question everything I believed about my gift. A creative writing instructor accused me of plagiarism and shifted my interest in studying journalism. I stopped writing and tried to build a “normal” career in corporate America. I tried to fit into systems and structures that were never meant for me. But no matter how hard I worked, it never felt right. I did every job to the best of my ability, but I was always miserable.
Eventually, it became exhausting trying to silence a calling that clearly wasn’t going away. The turning point wasn’t dramatic—it was a relief. It was the moment I stopped forcing a path that didn’t align with my purpose. I realized that every time I tried to run from writing, I ran straight into frustration. But every time I leaned into writing—even just a little—doors opened effortlessly. Clients found me. Opportunities found me. My peace came back.
And I’ll be honest: part of rediscovering my voice was spiritual. I believe God had been telling me for years that writing was my assignment, but I was too afraid, too “logical,” too determined to follow a traditional path. The moment I surrendered that fear, clarity rushed in like oxygen.
The weight lifted, the pressure disappeared, and I became a better writer—not just because my skill grew, but because I finally trusted myself again. Now, I write with purpose, with confidence, and with a deeper understanding: Your gift will make room for you, but only if you stop closing the door.
The Power of Storytelling
Fancy: You often say, “Your story can change everything.” Can you share a moment where storytelling—yours or someone else’s—truly made an impact?
Angela: Absolutely—and the most personal example is my father’s memoir, Somerset: Seasons of Change. I’ve always been a daddy’s girl, but helping him write his story showed me that I didn’t know him as well as I thought. My father is a Southern man—quiet, strong, private. He never complained. So I never knew how much he carried.
As we wrote his memoir, pieces of his life unfolded that I had never heard before: growing up in Natchez, Mississippi, fighting against suppression, redefining his life in a new city, and working to build a business while raising a family. He had endured battles—emotional, financial, generational—that he kept silent because he was too busy protecting us from them. Putting his story on paper changed my life.
During the weekend of his 75th birthday, I handed him the first printed copy of his memoir. Watching his eyes fill with excitement, and my mother’s too, was priceless. It wasn’t just a book. It was validation. Legacy. Healing. It was proof that everything he survived mattered.
And here’s what that moment taught me: Storytelling doesn’t just preserve history—it reveals identity. Now I know where I come from. My children know what they’re made of.
And generations after us will know the strength of the man whose shoulders we stand on.
That is the power of storytelling. It doesn’t just change readers—it changes families.
Defining SwagHer
Fancy: At SwagHer Magazine, we love to ask: how would you describe your SwagHer? What does confidence and self-expression look like for you in business and life?
Angela: My SwagHer is peace.
There was a time when I tried to control everything—career, timelines, outcomes, how people saw me. But the older I get, the more I lean into surrender. Confidence, for me, isn’t about being loud or proving anything. It’s about knowing who I am, whose I am, and walking in that with clarity and grace.
I no longer chase opportunities—I attract what aligns.
I focus on being obedient to God’s plan for my life, not my own. When I stopped forcing and started flowing, everything got easier. Doors opened without struggle. The right people showed up. Creativity returned. Joy returned. Letting go was hard, but peace is better than perfection.
In business and in life, mindset is everything. I can’t always change what I’m looking at… but I can always change how I see it. That is my power. That is my SwagHer. To me, self-expression looks like purpose over performance, discernment over fear, and showing up as the highest version of myself—even when no one is watching.
The Essence of Angela
Fancy: How would you describe your swagher? What makes Angela, Angela?
Angela: I rarely get stuck in the struggle because my mind stays on the outcome. Some people used to mistake that for being nonchalant—which always made me smile—because I wasn’t ignoring the problem, I was just too focused on the solution to panic over it.
I believe there’s always a way forward.
I can get along with anybody. I can walk into a room full of strangers and walk out with connections, encouragement, and at least one person who feels seen. That’s part of my essence—I love people, and I believe people feel it.
I’m a go-getter, but I’m also grounded. I’ve learned that determination and submission to the process can live in the same person. I push hard, but I also trust God. I fight for what I want, but I also know when to be still.
What makes Angela, Angela? Hope. Optimism. Faith. Vision.
I don’t dwell on what’s happening—I focus on what’s possible. And that mindset has carried me through rooms, seasons, and opportunities I never saw coming. That’s my SwagHer: seeing beyond the moment and walking in the belief that everything is working for my good.
Visibility & Branding
Fancy: As someone who helps others shine, what’s your go-to visibility strategy for marketing your brand and staying relevant in today’s digital space?
Angela: Marketing for me is a careful balance—because of the type of clients I work with, discretion is everything. I can’t always share what I’m working on publicly, and that’s part of what builds trust with the people who hire me.
So my strategy focuses less on broadcasting and more on relationship-building. A majority of my clients come through word of mouth, referrals, and trusted networks. I prioritize meaningful connections over broad visibility: staying engaged with my community, offering value through thoughtful content, sharing insights from my own journey, and creating opportunities for others to experience my expertise firsthand.
That doesn’t mean I’m invisible online. I maintain a presence through platforms like thewriteceo.com and socials. I share guidance, inspiration, and glimpses of my process without compromising anyone’s privacy. In today’s digital space, staying relevant isn’t about volume—it’s about trust, consistency, and showing up in ways that reflect your true value.
Storytelling Beyond Borders
Fancy: You’ve worked internationally across Europe, Asia, and Latin America. How have those global collaborations shaped your perspective as a storyteller?
Angela: Collaborating across other countries has broadened my cultural understanding and opened my eyes to the nuances that make each story unique. I’ve learned that storytelling isn’t one-size-fits-all. Every culture has its rhythms, values, and ways of connecting emotionally—and understanding that helps me craft narratives that resonate across borders. It’s also sparked creativity, giving me ideas for approaches, metaphors, and structures I might not have considered otherwise.
Global collaboration has taught me that stories have a universal power: no matter where you are, people respond to authenticity, emotion, and truth. It’s inspired me to write in a way that honors individuality while also connecting with the shared human experience.
Balancing Advocacy & Art
Fancy: You’re also a community advocate and business owner. How do you balance purpose-driven work with your creative calling?
Angela: I co-own a group home, King’s Circle Homes, for returning citizens with my sisters. Having them as partners is a blessing—business operations aren’t entirely on my shoulders, and we each bring our passions to the table. Helping people who need it is in our DNA; it’s how we were raised, and it’s work that fills our hearts.
For me, purpose and creativity aren’t separate—they feed each other. Being fulfilled in my advocacy and business endeavors actually fuels my writing. When I help someone navigate a real-life challenge or see their potential realized, it sharpens my empathy and deepens my perspective as a storyteller.
Balancing the two is less about juggling and more about alignment: when your work is rooted in purpose, your creative calling flows naturally, and both thrive.
Words to Aspiring Writers
Fancy: For those who want to turn their stories into legacies, what’s one piece of advice you’d offer?
Angela: I’ll tell you what God told me in August of 2024: just write. That’s it.
The more you do it, the more comfortable you’ll become with your voice and your process. There’s no right or wrong way to share your story—your experiences are uniquely yours, and that’s what makes them powerful.
When you’re ready to share your story with the world, it helps to consult someone like me. I can ensure your work is legally compliant, help preserve your voice, and give guidance on marketing your book so it reaches the right audience. Writing is both a discipline and a gift. Start where you are, trust your journey, and let your story become a legacy that inspires others.
Staying Connected
Fancy: Where can our readers connect with you and learn more about The Write CEO?
Angela: Readers can learn more about The Write CEO and connect with me through my website, thewriteceo.com. For professional updates and industry insights, follow me on LinkedIn. For inspiration, storytelling tips, and glimpses into the creative process, I share content on Instagram and Facebook. I also offer deeper reflections, writing guidance, and book excerpts on Substack. These platforms keep the focus on my professional work and mission while providing multiple ways to engage with my brand.
