11 years of freelancing: Things I’m still working on
Today, I celebrate 11 years of freelancing. It feels like just yesterday when I wrote about a decade of doing this. In wedding anniversary materials, I should be gifting myself […]
jenn chen
WRITER & PHOTOGRAPHER
Storytelling is an art form, and it all stems from the same place: trust. Trust between the storyteller and the person whose story is being told.
Whether we’re interacting through an interview or personal branding session, I aim to make you feel heard and respected.
inspired by coffee, powered by chips
INTRODUCING: Personal Branding Photo Sessions for Creatives & Solopreneurs
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For the last decade-plus, I’ve worked and volunteered in the specialty coffee industry, always with a goal of building a better, more inclusive community.
I’m still in the industry as a writer and photographer, but I’m also broadening my photography scope to include personal branding! Specifically, for creatives, solopreneurs, coaches, therapists, and others who want modern, environmental portraits and custom stock photography.
NEWSLETTER
My personal newsletter is a creative outlet: a space for me to explore personal essays, interview coffee creatives, and write fun features that don’t fit in anywhere else. Topics are tangentially related to coffee.
writing
EDITORIAL: journalism, interviews, reported & researched articles
ESSAYS: personal with a focus on cultural identity and food
COPYWRITING: refreshing brand voice and stories for brands
As an editor-at-large at Sprudge, I write deep-dive features that explore the culture of specialty coffee, including roadside architecture of giant coffee pots, the brief history of coffee unions, and setting boundaries in the workspace.
My photo and written essays are heavily informed by my upbringing as a child of immigrant parents– straddling two cultures and never quite fitting into either of them.
Battling the entrenched belief that productivity = self-worth, I try hard to develop my hobbies, such as finding new chip flavors to try, traveling when I can, and nurturing my container garden. All my different experiences and interests make their way into my writing.
blog posts
my writing process
My writing workflow is probably more elaborate than it should be. I’m a slow writer. At least, I believe I am. I would never survive in a newsroom. It takes […]
There is always a budget even if they don’t tell you so
In my experience as a consultant and freelancer—trying out different ways of handling new client inquiries—asking for the budget is one of the ways to weed out those who aren’t […]
photography
STYLE: dark, moody, colorful, authentic, natural light
SPECIALTIES: editorial, website stock, capturing creative moments
