I am a freelance chef, who specializes in using Native American ingredients in my cooking for private dinners, lectures, and food demos. I create recipes for a foundation called California Native Garden Foundation, www.cngf.org, using California native ingredients. I have managed to stay working by referrals. But the major portion of my income is still working for catering companies. There are three of them that I have relied on. One hasn’t called me in over a month and the last of the jobs for the other two ended the 20th.
In July, 2009, I moved to Rohnert Park to be closer to my daughter, a student at Sonoma State. I am sharing rent on a house there with my ex. Yes, my ex wife! (roommates only! Really, it’s going okay) . But the fact is, my rent doubled. Now, I have had a habit of living within my means, through many years of living close-to-the-bone. I even managed to put away 10-20-% of my income every paycheck. (Try it, take 10-20% right off the top of your net and put it away, you’ll have a buildup of saved money before too long). There is enough money to pay the next two months of rent, but that’s it! My daughter’s loan payments don’t start until March. So I have time before even more money needs to go out on a regular basis. The catering and free-lance jobs will be very sporadic in the next 3 months. What to do?
As maybe you’ve been able to tell, the key is to expand multiple-streams of income beyond catering, private dinners, demos, and lectures. I am to the point in my life where I won’t be first on any restaurants’ list for kitchen work. I left restaurants 4-5 years ago after finding my calling. Although I have updated my resume, it reeks of an independent person, albeit a creative one. Quite frankly, I probably couldn’t keep up the pace, at this point. Working days during the week is the best solution for me but I’m not holding my breath for that. I would like to hold the weekends for my freelance work, again though, I’m not holding my breath. So many resumes have been sent on Craigslist, that I have to be really discriminate now to whom there ‘re being sent, to increase my chance for just a respons
I have gotten one response though. It is for a demo person, and not the kind of demo-ing Id do, teaching recipes. This is for a person to give away samples of a new, and I think, good product: a vegetable product that is picked at its peak of flavor, washed, micro-cut, fast cooked at low temperature, and quick frozen. It’s called Wild Veggie and they’re looking to sell this “juice” or puree at hospitals, schools, and at discount outlets. Because of the process used, The vegetable retains all its natural goodness and nutrition. They do want to break into the restaurant circle and get chefs to experiment with it. That’s where I can come in. Hopefully, she’ll send me samples to experiment with like she said she would at the interview. But just demo-ing the product in the Bay Area for them could keep me working and help with a new product at ground level.
Recap:
Always look for extra/additional/supplemental income. Each one of my employers know that I freelance and help me when they can.
Save 10-20% of your net income into a personal fund, this is BESIDE what goes into your bank account.
You can’t have too many friends, network, network, network.
Make sure you are doing what you truly love, it tends to take care of you.
Let the universe know your intentions, and then pay attention for the help.
Namaste.
Tags: chef jobs, freelance chef, income opportunities food business