Professional development is a necessity in any field, especially in the rapidly shifting culinary and publishing worlds. The Ekus Group offers a wide variety of services that will help you build your career, brand, and platform.
As experts in the food and publishing industries, we draw on decades of experience to answer your career quandaries, questions, and queries.
Consultations can be done by phone or in person at a rate of $325 per person, per hour. The initial conversation is a minimum of one hour; follow-up appointments will be billed in 15 minute increments. Special group rates are available. For off-site consultations, clients are responsible for travel, lodging, and related expenses.
While each consultation is customized to fit the needs and goals of the client, many address one or more of the following topics:
Career
Will a cookbook help advance my career? How much should I be charging for my work? What sort of projects can I expect to find beyond the kitchen stove? Where I can I find other/more work? How do I build my brand and platform? How do I monetize my career? What should my next career move be? What should I be doing now to secure work for myself down the road? This consultation covers a broad range of topics, including self-marketing and branding, and focuses on the road ahead – on making sure it is as straight and profitable as possible.
Media Interviews
This consultation is a condensed version of Lisa’s nationally-recognized media training course, which helps professionals prepare for television, online, print, and radio. Focus areas include: message point delivery, control techniques, recipe selection and breakdown, effective sound bytes, and more. Video review and critiquing is available. The media training program covers these topics in-depth; a consultation is a condensed focused interaction that can be targeted to a specific media opportunity or event. Consults are available by telephone, video conferencing and internet communications such as Skype, as well as in-person.
Public Appearances
From time to time, work asks us to step outside our box, to stretch beyond our comfort zone and do something new. Whether it is speaking in front of a group, giving a cooking demonstration, or representing a brand, public appearances require practice and careful planning. In this type of consultation, Lisa helps clients identify and refine message points and anticipate questions; she also offers tips on connecting with the audience, body language, and more.
Publishing & Writing
Many writers dream of publishing a book or cookbook, but are not sure where to begin. Offering literary agency services since the year 2000 with over 350 successful book deals, Lisa and Sally Ekus demystify the process for would-be authors. Common topics include: traditional versus independent publishing; blogging and online publishing; the importance of platform; competition; proposal guidelines and development, how to get started, and compensation. Also, check out Cookbook Publishing 101.
Non-Culinary Consultations
Non-culinary consultations are also available in any of the above categories, and are geared toward the specific needs and goals of the individual.
Give your culinary career and yourself the attention they deserve!