Rising Stars: Meet Kellie Walton of Franklin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kellie Walton

Hi Kellie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am a Franklin local and began my professional career in public relations. I started out at a small local firm and eventually joined a larger hospitality-focused agency, where I learned the ropes in the hotel and food & beverage business. I eventually learned that writing was where I most thrived, so I began contributing to local magazines and blogs on the side to scratch my creative itch.

I began pitching my writing to larger outlets and grew my portfolio to a point I was able to leave my full-time job. I now contribute for many outlets locally and nationally, shouting about food, hotels, and destinations I love. I’ve been fortunate to have bylines in Eater Nashville, OpenTable, StyleBlueprint, National Geographic, AFAR, Cosmopolitan, U.S. News Travel, and many more.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There are challenges and growing pains with any leap of faith, so my journey to freelance writing has not been without obstacles. Freelancing in itself is daunting, with a huge lack of stability and a tremendous amount of self-discipline required. Despite challenges and plenty of learning opportunities, it’s been incredibly empowering to be completely in charge of my own career, and it makes successes big and small even more exciting!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a freelance writer focused on food and travel, both in and around Nashville and worldwide. I am most proud of the work I’ve completed spotlighting Tennessee on a national stage for outlets like National Geographic and AFAR.

I also spent almost a year traveling the world in search of story ideas, with stints in Charleston and London. From there, I traveled throughout the southern U.S. and across Europe exploring new cuisine and accumulating travel tips through my own trials and errors. Truly the time of my life!

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love how Nashville can feel very urban and “big city,” but then a short drive in any direction will place you in the countryside. I feel like we have the best of both worlds, because we have amazing attractions and food thanks to our tourism, but we also have small town charm and peaceful pockets.

As a lifelong local, the rising cost of living is tough to navigate. No one wants to be priced out of their hometown, and I fear it’ll only continue to get worse for myself and others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kelliewaltonwrites.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellieewalton/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@kelliewrites