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Stephanie Fields
Account Executive
Coaction Public Relations
January 17, 2012

We first met Steph when she was managing the kitchen at Astor Center in NYC. After two years apart, a mere acquaintance - rekindled through email correspondence via the Good Food Jobs newsletter - has turned into a long-term friend and food colleague. It just goes to show you that even seemingly random introductions can have a profound impact down the road. We're endlessly inspired by Steph's ability to think creatively and turn her love of food into a full-time gig outside of the kitchen, using her know-how and experience to represent fine cookware brands such as Le Creuset, Edgeware, and Peugeot.

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

It was absolutely my first trip to France.  I think I was 20.  I had been dabbling in food a little bit and really enjoyed it.  But my 'aha' moment came when I saw what an amazing relationship and history the French had with food.

How did you get your current good food job?

I developed a relationship with Coaction when I was Program Manager at Astor Center.  They were like magical cookware fairies!  We stayed in touch and when I returned from a month-long stint in the South of France, I reached out to them to see if there were any learning opportunities to be had.  For eight months I juggled an internship with Coaction PR and a full-time serving position at Danny Meyer's Maialino.  Coaction brought me on full-time in September 2011 and I'm thrilled to be able to tap into my love of  food while diving head-first into the world of publicity (something that was totally foreign up until recently)!

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

While I was growing up, my folks were really interested in sustainable agriculture.  They moved us around a lot, and would position our family near farms.  So I got a lot of hands-on farming experience from early on.  At the time, I had no idea the amazing and grounded connection I was building with food.  From squashing potato beetles to milking a herd of dairy goats to witnessing regular slaughters . . . I developed an intense appreciation for how our food is produced.

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

I have called it quits!  I quit and worked as a receptionist for eight months and was miserable!  I was so disconnected from food and it was all I would think about. That in itself brought so much clarity!  Game over.  I had to be around food on a daily basis . . .

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

Cupcakes!!!!  (just kidding)  I guess I would have to say small, niche producers and farmers.

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

Cheese.  No wait, cheeseburgers.  Yeah, cheeseburgers for sure.

Have you ever reached your dream-job-search limit and given up on a food career? If so, tell us what happened and how it worked out.

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