Word Wrangling Was A Calling
Patrick Ferlise discovered his passion for storytelling when he was a high school sophomore, writing articles on Saturday afternoons for Bleacher Report. Generating views in the tens of thousands for his hot takes and catchy listicles, he had an “Aha!” moment. It was to combine his curiosity, love of writing and interest for sharing people’s experiences into a career.
For Patrick, that calling translated to success as a seven-time award-winning sports reporter, and now as a senior copywriter in the advertising and marketing industry. The Southwest Florida native joined the talented team at Grapevine Communications, a full-service creative marketing agency in Sarasota, back in March 2021. Since then, he has played a pivotal role on eight projects that earned 10 awards — two best-in-category AMYs, seven gold and silver ADDYs and a Palm Award — during the regionally-hosted American Advertising Awards.
Patrick continues to wordsmith and consult with clients remotely for Grapevine, having moved to Birmingham, Ala. nearly two years ago. As a lifelong Alabama Crimson Tide fan, he’s right at home in the Magic City. Catch Patrick exploring breweries with his black Labrador, Guy, in his spare time.
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A Career Start In Sports Reporting
Patrick joined the Winston-Salem Journal, a daily newspaper in Northwest North Carolina, in November 2017 as a sports reporter and digital specialist. He primarily covered high school sports while regularly stepping out of his beat to report on everything from college athletics and NASCAR short track racing to minor league hockey and baseball.
But Patrick garnered valuable, real-world storytelling experience well before he moved from Sarasota, his hometown, to Winston-Salem. He earned a bachelor’s degree in News/Editorial Journalism from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2016 and had bylines in eight publications while living in Hattiesburg. Patrick’s reporting expertise compounded into multiple awards won while at the Journal, prior to leaving North Carolina in September 2020 and utilizing his skills in the advertising and marketing industry.
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