The full-time-freelance shuffle
Food writer Adrienne Katz Kennedy on making the shift—and then going back.
Adrienne Katz Kennedy is a freelance writer covering food and culture. She made the switch to full-time work at a time when her family was looking for more financial stability—but the job quickly turned into a bad situation, with pressure to sacrifice her own health for the company. Adrienne is now back to freelancing. When she told me she’d gone full-time and then back to freelance, I was reminded of every time I’ve felt drawn to one or the other, pining for the reliability of a regular paycheck or the freedom to make my own schedule—whichever I didn’t have at the time.
There are always going to be perks and drawbacks to freelancing vs. full-time work. And each of us has different priorities and circumstances that lead us to one or the other. Today, Adrienne discusses how her chronic illness played a role in her decision to leave that full-time job shortly after starting, and the many lessons she learned while transitioning between full-time and freelance work.
Writers, meet Adrienne!
After having some very core values of mine compromised and edited at my last position, I feel stronger than ever that they too, alongside my overall health, are a non-negotiable.
— Adrienne Katz-Kennedy
Britany: What did your freelancing work look like before taking on a full-time job last year?
Adrienne: My recent freelance work was quite varied. The last few years have been an, uh, interesting time to be freelance whilst also juggling childcare and distance learning for my two daughters (ages now 8 and 10) so I had to really focus on balance as freelance writing requires so much energy just in getting to the commission stage!
I worked regularly doing some copywriting and social media writing work for one client (a local independent restaurant), took on a subediting project for a cookbook and worked on a variety of food-based features. I would have loved and benefited from the time, headspace and inspiration to do more but it just wasn’t there, and I had to work with the reality of the situation.
What prompted you to take a full-time job?
Two words: steady paycheck. I was unbelievably burnt out, even despite scaling back. I felt like I had run out of good ideas and motivation and needed to let someone else (like an employer) do some of the driving. I had started to work from a place of scarcity and all it did was produce bad ideas (I thought anyhow) and panic. Plus, my family needs to relocate areas for secondary school so there was mounting financial pressure as well. Banks don’t tend to look favourably at the word ‘freelance’.
And then what was the motivation for transitioning back to freelancing?
I saw the reg flags of my employer right from the beginning, even in the interview process! I think when the person interviewing you interrupts to talk about themselves that’s probably a warning sign. But I felt like taking the job was my only option to move my family forward, so when they offered me the position, I took it. It is of course, untrue—there are always multiple solutions to a problem—but at the time, I was tired of job hunting and worrying about money and I thought I could make it work. Turns out, I couldn’t, but I really gave it my best shot.
I left just short of three months later. It was an incredibly toxic environment. No onboarding process, very mismanaged with a strong lack of communication, a culture of workaholism as the standard and a founder who expected employees to simply agree to everything said without any space for input.
Also, I began experiencing a flare-up of my chronic illness. I have Crohn’s disease. However, I was working remotely so I was managing my symptoms whilst fulfilling my responsibilities. COVID cases were also at an all-time high here in London and the government at that time was recommending people still work from home. And then the company decided for whatever reason, it would be a good time to open their offices for the first time (they had been a remote company up until then) and asked employees to come into the office twice a week. I explained why I couldn’t for a while, demonstrating that I had been managing to cope with work and my flare up but needed to seek out treatment and for health reasons needed to remain remote. They flat out refused to accept my answer. After a call during which my manager told me office attendance was “a non-negotiable” and refused to even acknowledge my request or health condition, I handed in my resignation. I would have tried to hold out for longer if the position had remained remote, but I had no choice but to resign. They were putting my health at risk and I saw that as a non-negotiable.
How did you prepare to leave? Did you line up clients or start pitching stories beforehand? Anything you wish you'd done differently?
I reached out to a few friends and colleagues to let them know I’d be more available soon. Mostly though, I was just trying to get through the two weeks’ notice, knowing I was working for people who didn’t give a shit about me whilst still trying to live up to my responsibilities and manage my symptoms. I was so angry and miserable and just looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. Part of me also felt really disappointed that I couldn’t make it work; I was trying to reconcile with feeling guilty about my own health and limitations. It was a very difficult time period. I don’t think I can go back and say I wish I had done anything differently. I managed as best I could.
What did you learn at your full-time job that has since been helpful as a freelancer?
Boundaries! It is incredibly hard as a freelancer to set time limits, close computers and say ‘no’ to work. Working as an employee, especially for a company that was would have swallowed me whole if I had let them, gave me good reason to set strong boundaries and then live by them.
Having left a toxic work environment, are there any red flags you would advise fellow writers to look out for when job hunting?
My boss (the founder) was also the person who did all of the writing prior to my hire, so he was extra critical of my work and was not a generous editor. Because he always wrote what he wanted, there was no up-to-date style guide or brief. He was too closely involved for me to ever be successful in the position. I would be wary of this in the future. If you are writing about something that also requires a great deal of research and are asked to write at pace, ask about overtime during an interview. Ask about an onboarding process. I think we can allow for a certain amount of being ‘thrown in at the deep end’ especially if it’s a remote or start-up company—but there is a line, and a good founder or boss will be up front about their expectations.
Also, and this is more specific, anyone working within the travel field who refers to a place or people as ‘exotic’ or ‘ethnic’ is peddling something that will require you to compromise your morals to sell.
Tell us about the focus on food in your work. How has dedicating yourself to a specific niche helped and/or hurt your pursuits as a freelancer?
I have a background in cultural anthropology and choose to look at cultural practices through the lens of food. Sometimes when I tell people I’m a food and culture writer they think recipes or restaurant reviews, neither of which I really do much of at the moment. I used to do a fair bit of recipes while working within cookery schools… I think the food writing world has opened up a lot in the last few years with the work of publications like Whetstone, Vittles and Sourced Journeys—all which deal with the intersection of food and culture- and writers like Alicia Kennedy and Ruby Tandoh who use food to talk about the environment, class, and identity. I think food is a relatable vehicle for a lot of cultural nuances, traditions and practices and I think there is more and more room for it within traditional media than there ever has been before.
What is your favorite thing you've done as a freelancer? How did that opportunity/project come about?
That’s a little bit like asking a mother who her favourite child is! My favourite projects and assignments are always ones that include interviews with other people. It is my favourite part of the job; listening to someone else tell their story always gives me such a sense of connection and a new perspective. It also motivates me to well represent whomever I’m lucky enough to speak to: I feel a sense of responsibility to do right by those people which ultimately means I push myself to write better.
All of that said, my work on the cook and travel book Hong Kong Diner was one of the most memorable, as it included a two-week trip to Hong Kong with the co-author whose parents were from there. It was one of the best trips of my life as I really got to experience the local culture and cuisine. I met some amazing people too. I would happily take up more of that kind of work if it became available.
After moving back and forth between full-time and freelancing work, what advice might you offer someone who is on one end and wants to move to the other? (The grass is always greener, amiright?)
Before I was a freelance writer, I worked with several different cookery schools and chefs here in London—jobs I really liked! I think no matter in what capacity you’re working, it boils down to a few core things: figuring out how to maintain a sense of self within your work, figuring out how you work best and then advocating for it, knowing you bring to the table regardless of whether it’s full-time or freelance work and finding a way to put your stamp on whatever work you’re doing so you feel satisfied with it when you deliver. I think the harsh reality is that it also comes down to the people you are working with, so it means being scrupulous with what you accept whether it’s clients or freelance assignments or full-time work. I had to figure this out the hard way; I think most of us probably do, but it’s worth considering when moving from one kind of work to the other.
For those in full time work looking to break out into freelance work I highly recommend setting up your own work structure! When I first started out freelance I would block out an entire day for pitching – I called it ‘pitch Tuesday’ which is very basic but it stuck. Every time I saw an opportunity to pitch, rather than jumping on it immediately and derailing whatever work I was doing, I would email myself the link, setting it aside for ‘pitch Tuesday’. It also meant I wasn’t going crazy trying to pitch everything to everyone all the time and that I allowed myself some time to let ideas marinate and develop so they ultimately improved and took more solid form by the time Tuesday came around.
As a freelancer going into full-time work, it’s somewhat about managing expectations when it comes to deadlines, as you ultimately need to take more people and their own priorities into account than when you’re working solo as a freelancer. As a freelancer I really bust my ass to meet deadlines as they feel very written in stone. I think this is often a bit softer and more flexible within full-time work as long as you’re communicating your timelines to management.
What freelancing mistake will you never make again?
Working with a client who pushes back on the rate I charge per hour, the number of hours I take to complete a task AND the work I produce. Or who ghosts for a while after I send an invoice. Any combination of these = bad client and not worth my time.
What are you hoping to accomplish as a freelancer this time around and what have you done so far to make that happen?
Right now, I’m getting back on my freelance feet (and tending to my own health). I’m really enjoying being self-led with my writing right now. Though the financial side of things are still pressurised, I’m making sure I am saying yes to work that is good for me and good for my health, as ultimately that will be good for my family. The plan is to move at a steady pace that honours both my abilities and my limitations so I can avoid burning out and keep building my career.
Though it is scary to say it out loud, I’ve decided to say ‘fuck it’ and chase some of the bigger dreams I had been waiting for the ‘right time’ to go for: apply for fellowships, apply for the Guild of Food Writers Awards, and revisit a book proposal I’ve been writing for the last five years about my love of New Mexico culture and cuisine. The proposal made it fairly far within one publishing house before ultimately being rejected, which really stung. I feel like it’s time to dust it back off and try again.
After being treated like I was a burden or didn’t matter, I’ve realised there is no worse rejection. I might as well stick my neck out there and swing for the fences! I also have a new resolve about using my voice and perspective within my writing. After having some very core values of mine compromised and edited at my last position, I feel stronger than ever that they too, alongside my overall health, are a non-negotiable.
One more question! What's you favorite dish you've made recently? (can you share a link to the recipe?)
Rather than a particular recipe I want to share a cooking method I’ve heard often but am finally using it and cannot believe I hadn’t before! Pasta water! When making pasta and sauce, reserve a cup (250ml) of the water you’ve cooked your pasta in and then using it to help bind your sauce. Cook your pasta until al dente, scoop up your water, then drain the pasta. Then finish cooking the pasta in the sauce while adding a bit of the pasta water and stirring. The pasta absorbs so much flavour, and the sauce really coats each individual piece so well. It is truly an underrated cooking trick; now that I know it, I’ll never go back!
That’s all for today, friends. Go give Adrienne a follow on Twitter, and check out some of her work! Also, Adrienne has generously offered to connect with anyone who is interested in discussing the challenges of chronic illness. You can email her at info@adriennekatzkennedy.com.
Paid subscribers, I’ll be back in your inbox tomorrow with the usual big list of writing opportunities.
Stay inspired,
Britany