How I Chose My Career as a Freelance Writer

Many of my friends are envious of my career as a freelance writer. They believe I live a glorious lifestyle where I can make my own hours and work in my pajamas. They lovingly give me grief and make snide comments about how hard it must be to write articles, cookbooks and blog posts or dine at local restaurants to write reviews.

While it is true I have a posh job as a freelance writer today, it has not always been that way. I had to fight many battles to achieve the success I dreamed about as a child.

I held a job in the corporate world for nearly 25 years before taking the freelance plunge. As one who was never satisfied with sitting at a desk, I shuffled from job to job trying to find my passion.

My work history is quite diverse, but each job provided experiences which propelled me into the world of freelance writing and aided me in becoming self-employed. About half of my years in the workforce consisted of food service jobs.

A Walk Down My Memory Lane of Career Choices

I began working in a restaurant when I was 14 years old. My job involved bussing tables, stocking dishes and silverware, folding napkins and sweeping floors. At 19 years of age, I was working as a cocktail waitress for a swanky hotel lounge that catered to military personnel. One thing I learned about the military boys was they drank heavily and tipped lightly. I discovered the bartender was raking in the dough and decided to enter that arena once I turned 21.

After completing bartender school I landed a job at a popular nightclub. What I thought would be my dream job quickly turned into my worst nightmare. I worked long hours at a back-breaking job and often felt more like a psychologist than a bartender as I listened to countless sob stories night after night.

I worked at the club for nearly three years. When the owner decided to sell the establishment, I began looking for a new career. I was ready for a regular 9 to 5 job that didn't involve alcohol, breaking up fights, or driving drunken customers home in the wee hours of the morning.

From Bartender to Office Manager and Prosecution Detective

After months of searching, I landed an office manager job for a construction company. A few months after starting my new career I discovered the previous office manager had embezzled several thousand dollars out of the business. Instead of managing the office, my job focused on putting together the pieces of the puzzle to build a case against the ex-employee.

It took nearly two years to trace the paper trail and put together a solid case for the Prosecutor's office. I had to testify in court to explain the process I used to document financial records and organize the employee's trail of deceit.

She testified she had stolen the money because her husband was abusive and she was trying to break free. She said he made her turn over her paycheck each week and she was so desperate to remove her children from the toxic environment that she embarked on an elaborate scheme of fraud to make her escape. She admitted she got greedy and had stolen nearly $200,000 over the course of three years. She was sentenced to five years in prison for her wrong doing.

The business never recovered from the event. Not only did she steal a considerable amount of money, her actions tarnished the company's reputation. Less than a year after the trial, the owner decided to close the doors forever.

For the Love of Organic Food

I was ready for a career change and began scouting out my options. After a long day of interviews I stopped by a new health food store that had recently opened for business near my home. The store had a smoothie bar and deli area, so I grabbed a stool and ordered an energy smoothie to get me through the rest of the day.

The woman behind the smoothie bar struck up a conversation and we began discussing health food. At the time, I had just begun a quest for better health and was thirsty for knowledge. She told me they were hiring cooks and wanted to know if I'd be interested in working for them.

The next morning, I donned an apron and began working in the kitchen. I loved working for the health food store and enjoyed learning how to prepare tasteful vegetarian and vegan dishes. Over the next few months, I converted to a health food junkie and was able to interact with customers seeking alternative remedies or ways to improve their diet.

I worked closely with the Chef and began taking over several of the jobs she did not have time for. I learned how to plan menus, create recipes, and order food and supplies. I would fawn over every produce delivery to ensure everything was fresh and met our standards. Within six months I was promoted to assistant kitchen manager. Then tragedy struck.

Our beloved chef was diagnosed with breast cancer. Although she tried to work, the cancer treatments were brutal and within a few months the company had no choice but to find a replacement until she was well enough to return.

The new chef was not so nice. He demoted me from assistant manager, took me out of the kitchen and placed me at the smoothie counter. He scheduled me to work evening shifts and weekends. I explained to him numerous times that I was a single mom and had taken the job because I was guaranteed I would only be required to work during hours when my daughter was in school. He did not care that it cost nearly as much in childcare expense as I was earning.

He ruled with an iron fist and created chaos in the kitchen. Employee morale quickly faded and most of my co-workers made a mass exodus. One of my customers was an Executive Chef at a private country club. He visited the health food store on his way to work every day to order his shot of wheatgrass and energizing smoothie.

During one of his visits, he mentioned that he would love to have a hard-working, friendly employee like myself to work with him. I jokingly asked him what time I should arrive at work and he asked how soon I could start.

Entering the Abyss of Restaurant Tyranny

Little did I know he was more of a tyrant than the health food store chef. Nothing made him happy. He threw pots and pans across the kitchen, dumped food in the trash, and would get up in employees faces as he yelled and called them names.

Looking back, it was similar to being a contestant on Hell's Kitchen. The Chef's constant screaming and demeaning manner literally gave me a bleeding ulcer.

Each December, the Country Club closed for two weeks during the holidays. After my final shift of the year in 1999, I returned my apron and said farewell. With no job lined up, I wasn't certain where I was going but I knew it was time to go.

When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going

Fortunately, I had a very supportive fiancé (now husband) who understood my entrepreneurial spirit. He encouraged me to do whatever I wanted to do. The problem was I had no idea what type of career would make me happy.

I made gift baskets as a hobby, so my first attempt at being a business owner involved creating corporate gift baskets. My article, Confessions of an Entrepreneur Turned Freelance Writer details my trials and tribulations of being self-employed.

In a nutshell, it took over five years to find my niche in the marketplace. My family made many sacrifices as I waded through the process of learning how to run a business, how to market products, and how to set up websites.

Once I became acclimated to how things work in the online world, I began developing web content. Clients often referred me to their customers and business associates. I began ghostwriting and spent three years writing for others while receiving no recognition for my work.

By 2006, I was weary of allowing others to claim fame from my efforts and stopped nearly all ghostwriting work. I still write for two loyal clients who pay premium prices to put their name on my words. The rest of my time is dedicated to branding me.

Although there were times when we barely had enough money to pay our bills, I knew in my heart that writing was the career choice I had been seeking my entire life. I knew if I continued my education and worked hard, I could someday be the successful writer I wanted to be.

While I have yet to write a best-selling novel, I am pleased with where I am today. I have a long list of clients, a high ranking food blog, have published two books and one cookbook, and have had several articles published in magazines, newspapers and online venues. I work the hours I choose, set the prices I want and have total control over my destiny. I am living the dream I have held since I was 12 years old and I wouldn't trade it for the world!