3 Things I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Live Culinary Producer
Photo by Elevae
The time I heard about a vision board, it was in Oprah magazine. I’d always had these visions of what my life would be, but didn’t think to put them in visual form. One of those things being an actor who writes and directs, obviously. Long before cameras were on phones and anyone could just put anything on the internet, I didn’t know how I would actually do it.
I bought all the books I could about Hollywood, and it seemed like the answer was I had to go to film school, which I never did. Because one, it was expensive. Most of the kids I knew who went to film school had always been making stuff and were lucky enough to have their own video equipment.
So, I kept this tiny dream in my heart and pursued acting, improv, and sketch comedy with a detour into food writing and media, which led to a one-year fellowship at Cooking Light magazine. Just as my contract was about to end, I got a call from the Executive Producer of the Birmingham Time Inc. studios that they needed me for a brand new position, Facebook Live segment producer, because I was the only person with on-camera video experience plus live performance experience.
Within a week, I was a full-on producer handling four brands—Southern Living, Cooking Light, MyRecipes, and Coastal Living and ten live segments a month for each brand. The things I thought I’d have to know, like camera equipment and lighting, were actually handled by other folks in the video studio who were happy to teach me some things.
But there were definitely things I wish I had known before becoming a culinary producer with these 3 things topping the list.
Some People Love Running from Fire to Fire, But It Doesn’t Mean You Have To
Compared to New York, Birmingham was pretty chill. At least, that’s what my co-workers who used to work up there said. We still got heaps done but without the constant running from project to project. Well, some of us did.
There were others who were always walking fast and coming into meetings a little frazzled, or even worse, would act like they had everything handled, but wouldn’t communicate it to anyone else. They’d never help you with anything you were working on but would knock on your door a lot.
Which would always lead to some last-minute request or insane dash to buy groceries last minute that could have been done the day before. Some people love feeling like the hero, so they create a fire they can only put out. And then, that feels so good, they do it again and again and again.
Well, I freaking hate it. I can work under a tight deadline, but why would I want to live my whole life like that? Being a culinary producer, you’re really just a project manager. I created my own simple systems and processes that I would use for each project to free up space in my mind. A little extra planning saves you sleepless nights and being in a state of constant overwhelm. And the late requests made me resentful after a while because I didn’t feel appreciated.
Also, I was managing multiple brands, so just because one changed their plans or created a new one randomly, I couldn’t rearrange my entire schedule just for them. So, I’d help other producers or editors when I could, but I also started to set boundaries. I stopped taking spur-of-the-moment requests unless it was something that truly just popped up out of nowhere.
But my door was always open. You want to schedule a meeting? Done. Need help booking talent for a special segment? I got you. Have an over-the-top idea for a food holiday and need help gathering groceries? Just tell me in advance what to get.
Some people didn’t love my boundaries, but I didn’t care. Because people who don’t have any boundaries will always resent folks who do.
As Dr. Henry Cloud said in his book Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Control Your Life: When we begin to set boundaries with people we love, a really hard thing happens: they hurt. They may feel a hole where you used to plug up their aloneness, their disorganization, or their financial irresponsibility. Whatever it is, they will feel a loss. If you love them, this will be difficult for you to watch. But, when you are dealing with someone who is hurting, remember that your boundaries are both necessary for you and helpful for them. If you have been enabling them to be irresponsible, your limit setting may nudge them toward responsibility.
Owning Your Space Sometimes Means Throwing Elbows
When I’m feeling insecure, I have a terrible habit of playing other people’s games. In improv, I’d often get steamrolled by other performers because I wanted to be agreeable. And in general, I’ll go along with whatever is happening until I literally unravel. If you’re around for that, good luck to you.
No, but seriously, I was more than a little insecure about my new role, so if a more experienced producer said something, I’d defer to them. Most of the people in the video studio had gone to school for film, and here I was, just figuring out what to do. I assumed they were better than me. One of them, in particular, knew that and liked to assert herself from time to time. We’ll call her Rhonda.
Once was, when I’d brought in a chef to film some spots for a few brands. The first shoot wasn’t a live video and was for one of our bigger brands which had a dedicated producer. I had to step out for a meeting but communicated the schedule repeatedly to the chef and the brand producer. After filming, there would be a decent break, so everyone could reset.
Well, that was enough time for Rhonda to wander in after they were done filming and convince everyone that the space in the schedule was clearly a mistake. So, when I came back, I had camera guys in the booth, the chef set up in the studio, and we were about to go live. Rhonda smugly walked by me and went on her merry way.
I was completely overwhelmed and tried to go with it, but I was pissed. Afterward, I grabbed our supervising producer for a chat, which led to a meeting with our executive producer. The supervising producer apologized for letting it happen on set, and our EP told me that if it ever happens again, I need to take control of the situation.
“It’s your set. You have to own it.”
From there, I sat in meetings like I belonged. If Rhonda would throw some kind of jab at me, I’d politely throw one back. And she never set foot on my set again.
Have I replayed that scene in my head more times than I’d like to admit with new things I’d say to Rhonda? Absolutely. But honestly, if it wasn’t her, there would have been (and later on were) other people who would overstep. I needed Rhonda to show me how much I hated feeling like I wasn’t owning my space for me to throw some elbows out and never let it happen again.
You Only Need to Know a Few People to Make Big Things Happen
When I lived in L.A., I learned pretty quickly people love working with their friends, and that the city was super small. Within a few short years, I could go to a show or party and figure out some mutual acquaintance with a stranger.
Cut to me working at Time Inc. and having to book culinary talent with pretty limited knowledge of who’s who. There were over 40 live segments I had to produce a month, so I needed folks coming into the studio and filming across all of our brands. I didn’t even have time to panic.
Immediately, I went back to my old editor at Cooking Light and asked for a PR contact he had. That one contact turned out to be a consistent source of talent, which then led to a few other working relationships with publishing houses and restaurant groups.
Even after leaving Time Inc. and moving to Nashville, those connections have continued to serve me well. Folks in the food industry are pretty close and have known each other for years. But you just need to know a few people to make big moves. They’re also very gracious and kind. So, if there’s someone you admire or want to work with, send them a note. You never know what it could lead to.
How These 3 Lessons Shaped Me as a Cookbook Coach
When I started coaching clients through the cookbook proposal and writing process, I didn’t realize I’d also use lessons from my producing days so much. So if a potential client comes in and tries to run their own game for the coaching process, I slightly extend those elbows and extinguish all their fires before they get to me. I love connecting my clients with folks in my own network while encouraging them to find the few people who can change their world.
My only goal as a cookbook coach is to connect people to their best stories, and these three lessons are true examples of that. If any of these lessons resonate with you and you’re ready to take the next step with your story, grab a spot on my waitlist. Once the doors open, you’ll book a free 30 minute call and send me up to 10 pages of anything you’re currently working on. From there, we’ll see if it’s a good fit for both of us. Let’s do this.