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Chris Durso
Creator & Main Contributor
Foodiggity.com
February 21, 2012

When did you know that you wanted to work in food?

I was a few weeks into another layoff from my graphic design career, when I stumbled across a great article in the New York Times about opportunities in food and food-related media. I was quickly reminded of the interest that I had in cooking from very early on. As far back as grade school, I would read and study the unfortunate cookbooks available at the time. I had even set up a fake restaurant in my house, made menus with pencil and crayon, and handed them out to my family. Business was expectedly slow.

Before I knew it, I was being fitted for a coat and pants at The Institute of Culinary Education. It just felt correct.

How did you get your current good food job?

Foodiggity was created out of necessity. After graduating from ICE, my main goal was to merge my art background with my rediscovered passion for the culinary arts and food. Unfortunately, it was the spring of 2008, and not a good time for a job search ? let alone attempting a career one-eighty. It quickly became evident that I would need to create an opportunity for myself.

Foodiggity.com took form in 2009, after I had an idea for a sort of anti-food blog. While it wasn't an immediate money maker, it began to act as a creative portfolio of sorts, and exposed me to the food writer and blogging community ? reinforcing the fact that I'd made the right decision. After the success of the blog, the Foodiggity Shop launched last August. By then I was able to hit the ground running, with a viable brand and web presence already in place.

How did your previous work or life experience prepare you for a good food job?

My creative background helped immensely. Not only to help develop and produce the website itself ? but a few years in advertising had taught me how to brainstorm and produce a brand, and establish a vibe. I also felt confident about choosing content effectively and knowing how to gauge an audience ? even though I was now communicating with a new medium. A few layers of advertising-induced thick skin helped too.

What was the greatest obstacle you had to overcome in pursuing your Good Food Job dream?

The easy answer would be age, but age is nothing more than a number that too many people use as an excuse to bail on their passion. It was more a question of 'life stage'. I was already a decade into my professional life, had already started a family, and career decisions were no longer a one-man operation. They now required serious discussion with a spouse ? after the kids were in bed of course.

What can you identify as the greatest opportunities in food right now?

While I deal more in food culture and media, rather than service or production, I think the best opportunities are to find a way to break the mold of the traditional food blog and programming. Finding humor in food can be extremely cathartic. We all grow up with rules and discipline when it comes to food and meals ? sit up straight, elbows off the table, etc. I write about bacon in a can and sell Guitar Spatulas ? it's quite refreshing.

If you could be compensated for your work with something other than money, what would it be?

Pretty much anything that can be construed as 'swag'. I think that I could live off free swag. Keep it coming folks.

Are you a career changer? If so, what is it about food that lured you?

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