Journalist & Author of "The New Rules of Dining Out"

My first ever hospitality job, I was a server in a terrible theme restaurant in Times Square called Comedy Nation. The place was an absolute mess, totally disorganized and poorly managed, but I’d just come from working an excruciatingly boring desk job that was my first “real job” right out of college. Compared to being stuck in a cubicle all day, the restaurant atmosphere was thrilling. I gravitated to the lifestyle and the people almost immediately, and I knew quickly that I could never go back to working in a conventional 9-to-5 office job.

During the pandemic, I was laid off from my restaurant job. The forced hiatus helped me develop my writing skills and learn how to pitch to editors. Since then, I’ve written for major publications like Eater and Bon Appétit and even have a book coming out this year (2025) – "The New Rules of Dining Out: An Insider’s Guide to Enjoying Restaurants" – that culminates my 20-plus years of experience working in hospitality.

Finding work-life balance as a writer is harder than it was as a restaurant worker. When you work in restaurants, you have a built-in social network that comes along with your restaurant family. Freelance writing is very independent work, so I force myself to attend as many industry events as possible, not only to meet new people, but also to stay current with what’s going on in the industry.

Tomorrow is another day. Everyone has nightmare shifts, but you have to learn to turn the page and move on. It’s the same in media. Rejection is part of the job. When editors pass, you can’t take it personally.

In hospitality, showing empathy is the key to success – not just listening to guests but understanding and anticipating their needs. The same is true in my writing. Being more empathetic helps me tell better stories.

I’m inspired by chefs and restaurateurs who use their platforms to raise up others and to effect positive change in their communities. Running a restaurant is so challenging these days, so when I see restaurant owners continuing to support local causes, it makes their work even more inspiring.

I try to have a balanced media diet. These days, there are so many great Substack newsletters – shout out to Dennis Lee’s hysterical “Food is Stupid” newsletter which always provides some desperately needed levity.

For work, I can’t live without my Notes App on my iPhone. I love how it syncs with all my devices, so I often use it as a starting point for composing drafts or as a place to flesh out new article ideas.