Kim Crowder Goodfriend’s path to become Series Editor for Williams-Sonoma’s cookbooks was not what she or anyone else could have imagined.

A native of Dallas, Goodfriend chose Southwestern because of its small size and access to professors. She recalled, “I liked the feel of Southwestern and I liked that Austin was so close.” Her experiences as a communications major and roles in various student organizations helped develop her current skills. “So much of what I know and use today came from working with people at Southwestern.” Influenced by Dr. Mary Visser, a Professor of Art, Goodfriend discovered a zeal for photography and served as a photographer and writer for the Megaphone. Upon graduation, Goodfriend asked herself, “What am I to do, to include my skills and passions?” This question led her to book publishing. Choosing the West Coast over the East, Goodfriend took a position as an editorial assistant for Addison-Wesley Publishing in San Francisco. “I followed this path and after nearly 10 years in publishing, I still love it.”

Goodfriend gained additional expertise in foods after attending the Baking and Pastry program at the California Culinary Academy and working as a baker at La Farine French Bakery in Oakland, CA. Now with Weldon Owen Publishing, Goodfriend works exclusively on Williams-Sonoma cookbooks. “As a cookbook editor, I get to wear so many hats. I am more of a producer than anything else. I see the project from conception to publication. Every aspect of the project, from writing to photography to design, goes through me. I love working with as many people as I do, to produce an end result. The best part is that there is a tangible end result.”

In her role, Goodfriend conceptualizes new cookbook series for Williams-Sonoma. “I work with a group of people to create new ideas, to choose what goes into each book, and to decide the audience for the cookbook. Once the outline is decided, I hire an author and see that person through the text process. Then, I work with an art director and designer to design the book and organize the photo shoot, which includes hiring the photo team. On set, I make sure that the food is what I expect and corresponds to the recipe. The most difficult part is that so many people are involved. There are both internal and external reviews when including Williams-Sonoma in the process.”

Goodfriend works closely with Chuck Williams, the Williams of Williams-Sonoma. The ninety-year old company founder reviews each book, line by line. “The cookbooks are a passion of his. It is an honor to work with such a culinary legend,” Goodfriend explained.

Recently, Goodfriend finished the Foods of the World Series, including the cities of Rome, Florence, London, Barcelona, Paris, San Francisco, New York, and New Orleans. She shared, “The New Orleans book hit the stores on September 1. Williams-Sonoma and Weldon Owen donated 100% of all sales made between September 16 and October 16 to the New Orleans relief effort.”

Having found her passion, Goodfriend encouraged students today to follow their dreams. “You just have to figure out what you really love to do. I took a risk. Now I’m doing exactly what I always wanted to do.”