Today I got to interview a close friend who was also one of my dietitian mentors! Kate is always up to something different and inspiring. She has been freelancing her skills before freelancing was even cool.
Season 2 Episode 25 – Freelancing Before Freelancing Was Cool! Ft. Kate Park, RD, MAN, CDE
More Information About Kate:
- Her first blog was called the Sensible Foodie
- She is a master chef and makes her ice cream sandwiches from scratch
- Kate works in primary care and does theatre on the side
- She currently resides in Ontario, Canada
What Are The Different Freelance Projects Kate Has Done?
Kate loves nutrition and cooking. She is very comfortable leading choking demonstrations to groups, and she first started to freelance her skills by:
- Hosting nutrition education groups for church groups
- Leading nutrition sessions for church organizations
- Teaching university students how to eat well while at school
Kate says, “having a sample is always a big draw because everybody likes to eat. Everybody loves food. If you have some kind of hook, like free food, you can expand your freelancing because people will want to invite you back!”
Any Tips On How To Secure These Types Of Opportunities?
Freelance gigs rarely fall into your lap. Unless you are very well established and have built a network, you need to put yourself out there and pitch yourself to prospective clients.
Kate also says it’s important to tell as many people as you can that you are available for freelance work. Some people may not have a project lined up for you right now, but if something becomes available in the future, your name could be front of mind.
She says, “I think early on in your career, it’s really hard to find your identity or brand for your freelancing. There’s no harm in exploring and trying a lot of stuff. And you’ll know when you find something great because it’ll be that thing that you could do for like six hours and you walk away and you’re still energized.”
Working With Brands
Kate has worked with several brands throughout her career. She admits that sometimes the money can sound appealing, but she always declined work that did not align with her values.
She says, “I learned a lot from working with brands, um, both positives and negatives. I think early on you sometimes agree to do a lot more than you should because you want the experience. But when you stop and think if the brand resonates with who you are as a dietitian, you realize the work doesn’t always match who you are, so you say no.”
How Does Acting Help In Dietetics?
Kate has been featured in several live productions and has written several small plays of her own. She loves the theatre and she believes her acting skills help her in her current RD role:
- She feels more comfortable presenting in front of a crowd
- She can improvise more easily than most
- She isn’t afraid to put herself out there
So many of your skills, both from your job and your hobbies, are transferable. They can open doors for unique opportunities that you didn’t even know existed.
If you want to hear more from Kate, hit the play button below!
Did you miss an episode? Don’t sweat it. You can catch up on last week’s episode here: Learn From A Pro, What IS Digital Strategy