One Year In

Exactly one year ago today, I told you guys that I left my full-time cubicle job to further pursue a career in food writing and professional cooking. So, how did the first year go? Surprisingly swimmingly, with lots of learned lessons along the way.

I've broken down the best parts of working for myself this past year, and the not-so-great parts that have come along with it (although the good definitely outweighs the bad). If you're contemplating freelancing full-time/working for yourself, I hope these things I've learned over the last 12 months will be helpful to you!

Yes, that is booze. Backbar has free wi-fi from 4-6 p.m. (except on Tuesdays)!

The Pros:
-Every day is different. I currently work with eight different companies and publications, plus manage this here blog and my own private catering business. With that being said, it's nearly impossible to have two days that are the same. I love that. It's definitely not for everyone, but I've learned a non-routine work schedule works for me.

-Flexibility. I make my own schedule - I mean, how bad that can be? I thankfully have an immense amount of self-discipline, so I'm up early and typically work through 6 p.m., but I could sleep in if I wanted to (and I have, some days). Doctors' appointments, haircuts, etc. are also worlds easier to schedule and get to now.

-Loving what I do. This one was probably obvious, right? None of this feels like work. I get to eat, cook, write, and do online marketing every single day. I am beyond lucky and grateful!

-Meeting new people. Everyone always asks me: "Do you miss talking to people?" But I seriously have met more people in this last year than I ever did working at a company. I've been to more lunch dates, meetings, interviews (for articles I'm writing), blog events, etc. than I ever had the time (or the motivation) to do before.

The Cons:
-Inconsistent pay. I knew this before going into freelancing full-time, but it definitely takes some getting used to. And my eight jobs could turn into five tomorrow - there's never any guarantee. Making a living as a freelancer is 100% possible, but it isn't easy, and you need to be prepared for really great income months...and really bad ones.

-Never leaving work. Since what I'm currently doing doesn't feel like work, I check my email anywhere and everywhere I go. I take business calls off-hours (meaning, outside of the 9-5 block). I have even done a little work on the weekends (not including cooking gigs). It can be hard to turn off my "work mode," but I am working on it!

-Lessons learned. Actually, I see learning lessons as a pro, but the mistakes I've made this year are sort of under the pro and con categories. I think making mistakes is a great thing (as long as you learn from them), but when you work for yourself, you're the only one to blame. Let's just say when some people discover you freelance full-time, they automatically assume you have all the time in the world to work for them...for very little pay. I've taken a few low-paying writing jobs and gigs since I started freelancing - basically just to help make ends meet - but I thankfully learned early on that no job is worth compromising my credibility for. I left my corporate job to pursue the career I wanted, not to just make a few bucks in my yoga pants at home. My patience eventually paid off.

The bottom line is this: I wake up everyday excited to get to work. That has never happened before. (Well, at least not since I worked at Honey Dew Donuts when I was a teenager. That job rocked!).

I realize my work life may not be as successful in 2014 as it was in 2013. I am hopeful that it will be (if not more so), but you just never know. All I know is that working hard has really, really paid off so far, so I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing. Oh, and hopefully I will do more cooking for this blog in 2014 - that's my #1 goal. ;)

Did you make any career changes in 2013?

How to be a Vegetarian Food Writer

Food writing is not an easy profession to get into (let alone stay in). So it's not surprising that 9 out of 10 people I meet ask: "How can you be a food writer and not eat meat?"

[Source]

When I first started out food writing almost a decade ago, my dream was to be the next Jeffrey Steingarten, Anthony Bourdain, or any of the other famous writers who had no dietary restrictions. However, a few years into food writing professionally, I decided to cut meat out of my diet. I feared this decision would deter some editors from hiring me, but I was determined to continue being successful in my chosen career. Thankfully, I didn't skip a beat once I stopped eating meat (yay rhymes!). It wasn't until I was a vegetarian/occasional pescatarian that I was able to leave the corporate world and pursue food writing, blogging, and cooking full-time. 

So, why am I telling you all of this? I thought it would be valuable to share my experience with others out there - whether you're vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, whatever. The point is, if you want to be a food writer, blogger, or even a cook, do not let your food choices deter you from going after what you love.

Here are some things that have made me successful so far in the food writing and blogging professions:

Be persistent. Even omnivores need to email, call, and/or stalk editors multiple times over several days/weeks/months in order to get a reply. Most times, it's a no - they don't want your story - but sometimes, you get a yes, and that yes goes a long, long way in the writing world.

Find your niche. I still struggle with this sometimes. This tip is more relevant to blogging than food writing, but it's extremely important if you want to stand out in the blogging world. There are hundreds of thousands of vegetarian and vegan food blogs out there already - focus on what makes you different, and what value you can bring to your audience.

No shame. I've been to numerous dinners with editors, publishers, and fellow writers who are initially shocked that I don't eat meat. Every time they pass me a plate of those steak tips, charcuterie, or duck breast, I kindly decline. I know they'll realize I'm a credible food writer when they read my work; I don't need to choke down a piece of meat in front of them to prove that.

Don't hide anything. I make it clear on my blog, and even in my resume, that I am vegetarian. I want potential editors to know this before they hire me and send me to a steakhouse to review. Making my vegetarianism obvious has never jeopardized a potential working relationship, or a writing job. And if that was a reason why someone wouldn't hire me, I wouldn't want to work with them anyway.

Be open-minded. Preaching to your readers why eating your way is the best way will not make anyone want to read your work, nor will it encourage an editor to run your story. When I go out to eat for restaurant reviews, I tend to bring along an omnivore friend or colleague to get their opinions on that chicken and waffle dish the restaurant is known for. This way, my readers are getting an idea of what the restaurant has to offer, without me only mentioning the vegetarian-friendly dishes (although, on this blog, I tend to stick to the vegetarian dishes...because it's my blog).

Most importantly, you need to know how to write to be a published a food writer. And if you can write - and you can write well - few editors are going to care what your dietary restrictions are.