Eat Blog Talk

There are valuable lessons to learn from journeys filled with struggle, loss and disappointment. In this episode, Danielle shares how her overnight traffic (and revenue) loss helped turn her into a more focused and determined entrepreneur. - Don't resist the stream! Even when it is challenging, going with the flow is the best way to go. - If you experience a dip in traffic/revenue, find a different project to focus on! - This is not always an easy job, but you do need to just keep moving forward.

Jay is a business consultant who deeply understands the impact taking action has both on an individual and a business. In this episode, Jay talks about moving past limiting beliefs to take control of our businesses in an impactful way. - Build a mental map to uncover potential limiting beliefs. - Use visualization to minimize trauma and magnify dreams. - Habits & morning routines can have a PROFOUND impact on a business. - If you're in it for the long haul, remember that the magic lies in taking ACTION.

The stories Elena tells on her blog run deep to relate to most anyone reading. The concepts of love, food, tradition, culture, and simplicity meld together to create a delicious food experience. In the episode, she explains why bloggers shouldn't entirely ditch the stories. - People want facts and helpful information, but they also want YOU. - Keep the heart in the things you share with the world. - Show behind the scenes glimpses into your world to make yourself more relatable.

Brett is an SEO expert with almost two decades of hands-on experience. He has managed over 1,000 SEO campaigns and has ranked tens of thousands of keywords within Google's top ten search results. Brett gives food bloggers many gems to help improve SEO! - Create engaging content that your audience loves, preferably over 1,400 words. - Consider doing EXIF data optimization. - Create the "Netflix effect" within your content so users want to keep clicking around. - How to get more backlinks to your site!

Cassidy is a blogger who has recently dug into creating traction on YouTube through video creation. In this episode she explains why curating videos for YT is important and how to approach it. - Creating videos specifically for YouTube is a lot more work than Tasty-style, so make a commitment. - Start with the equipment you have now, even if it consists of an iPhone and natural lighting. - Consider YouTube SEO! Search for keywords on the platform that are underestimated, just like you would with Google.

Join us in episode 200 as Megan interviews John Lee Dumas of the award-winning podcast Entrepreneurs on Fire. JLD imparts wisdom about how food bloggers and other entrepreneurs can achieve success. - Become the best solution to a real problem. - Niche down, then niche some more. Then a little more. This is where the magic happens. - Remember that the pain of being broke and unsuccessful hurts more than the pain involved in achieving success.

Aysegul "Ice" shares her own story with feeling intimidated by other food bloggers and the transformation that occurred once she reached out to a blogger she admired. Reaching out to other bloggers might seem scary, but it will unlock the power of community. - Reach out to bloggers, even if it is scary! - It is VITAL to lean on and learn from others in our space. - Consider starting a mastermind group! Ice talks through logistics to help get you started. - Prepare to watch your business take off!

Christine is founder of the popular food blog Cook the Story. She has since launched a second blog that grew quickly due to her existing knowledge about blogging. She makes a great case for why launching a second blog is something for you to consider. - Before you dive into blog #2, make sure you have the bandwidth. - Get help! Don't attempt this alone. - Create a spreadsheet with all existing blog content. - You already know how to CRUSH IT blogging, so why not do it again?!

In 2 years, Maria has grown her Instagram following to over 180K through the power of visually striking, consistent content. Inside this episode, she shares her secrets about how other bloggers can find traction on the platform, as well. - Figure out what people want from you and lean into it. - The algorithm is not a villain. - Reels are a unique way to connect with your audience, so use them! - Take risks, try new things and ultimately always keep a close eye on what your audience is telling you.

When a project is finished, it's not actually finished. Megan dives into examples where the "end" is not actually the end and what were to happen if it WERE the end (disaster!). Evaluate projects and how to take your content from "published" onto the next chapter, which usually involves selling, promoting, refining or all of the above. - Spend 15 minutes every day on the "next chapter" for projects that align with your goals. - Dig into the discomfort. - Most importantly, be disciplined and consistent!

Meagan is a Pinterest strategist, niche marketing expert and OG pinner, so she understands bloggers' challenges with and questions about Pinterest. - The scoop about all of those red numbers you've been seeing lately in your Pinterest analytics. - Stop resisting changes inside the platform and instead embrace them. - Importance of incorporating story pins into your strategy. - Why you should diversify your streams of traffic now more than ever.

Samantha is a 6-figure blogger at RecipeThis. She focuses on cooking with kitchen gadgets and the quality of the recipes is top priority. Samantha makes a case for not focusing on the photos and instead being the approachable "girl next door" to users. - You definitely need quality SOMEWHERE, but it doesn't have to be in the photos. - Experiment with approachable ingredient photos on Pinterest, such as process shots or raw/just-cut ingredient shots. - Be honest and real, and always focus on the user.

Amira is dedicated to teaching you how to flow through your goals to build a life of ease, instead of always hustling. She talks about THE MOST IMPORTANT parts of being an entrepreneur: maintaining wellness while achieving goals in your business. - Follow Amira's SMARTEY method to ensure success! - Behavior, thoughts and feelings are linked, so choose one to change. The rest will follow. - Establish healthy habits and everything else will fall into place in your business with greater ease.

A lack of confidence could be the thing holding you back from finding the successes you are chasing in your business. In this episode Megan dives into 7 tips that will give you a boost in confidence so you can speed up your success and growth. - Awareness is always the first step! - Commit to scary things. - Log your achievements. - Find your tribe. - Be decisive. See you inside the episode for the rest of the tips!

After the pandemic obliterated her local activity-based blogging income, Kate started a food blog about sourdough bread, as well as a Facebook group that has accumulated more than 18K members in just under one year! Kate shares how and why food bloggers should follow suit. - Start with your niche, then create a sub-niche to start a FB group. - Show up every single day, be consistent and pay attention to the questions people are asking. - Create products that also solve problems. - Start today! Why not?!

Amy is a food blogger, photographer and home cook. Her blog Pinch Me Good shares produce-inspired recipes to help people eat better and feel better. Amy recognizes that food blogging requires balance and provides insights about how to achieve it! - In the kitchen, there are ways to streamline in order to preserve time and energy such as taking advantage of cooking appliances and using seasonal ingredients. - It's all about color, movement and water! - Helpful meal prep tips included!

Chef Dennis is a food blogger and chef who loves sharing his restaurant-style recipes. With a lot of content sitting in his archives, Dennis has come up with a strategy for updating and optimizing existing posts. - Start with Google Analytics and figure out which posts are performing well. - Come up with a system so updating becomes a habit and somewhat of a mindless task. - Don't discount using social media and your email list as ways to allow older content to shine.

Whether you are finding this to be a particularly noisy season or you are just trying to streamline your business and make a few tweaks to your focus, this episode will be valuable! Listen in for 5 things to ignore (or mostly ignore!) for a boost of sanity and clarity. - Unplanned social media time - Email - Numbers (analytics/followers) - Social accounts that make you feel icky - Learning (when it gets in the way of life and work)

Uma has been a food blogger for 6 years and believes that cooking is about so much more than JUST cooking. It's the whole experience, including culture, patience, entertainment and time management. Uma provides tips about how to manage time to streamline your blogging business! - Allot time in each day for social media. - Align recipes with upcoming meals and events. - Establish a dedicated space for all blogging equipment. - Log expenses and consider hiring a qualified accountant to help with taxes.

Chelsea Cole is the food blogger behind A Duck's Oven. She landed on her niche happily yet somewhat accidentally when she fell in love with sous vide cooking. She brings insights to the table about how and why you should consider niching down! - Your niche does not have to reflect a cooking style or appliance. It can be something really unique, such as being a woman bbq expert. - Ask your audience specific questions about what they want and need. - Your niche is likely staring you in the face!

John Greely runs marketing for Slickstream, a software company that handles search and engagement tools for hundreds of food blogs. Slickstream has rolled out features specific to Google web stories and John talks about ways bloggers can increase engagement through them. - The potential value of web stories in the future is promising, so they're worth paying attention to now. - Use stories to let your personality shine. - Don't allow the lack of confidence in this medium keep you from getting started.

"A rising tide lifts all ships" is a popular phrase for a reason. This concept holds truth and power! Being a useful person inside the entrepreneurial space and collaborating with peers will bring you toward success so much more quickly than if you fall into the traps of competition. Ways to collaborate: - Reach out to bloggers regularly! - Get on Clubhouse. - Start a project with a trusted peer. - Start a mastermind group. - Regularly spend time in food blogging spaces. - Attend conferences/summits.

Alli shares valuable insights about how bloggers should be pricing themselves when launching into sponsored work, as well as how to build long-term partnerships. - Find a price range that speaks your worth as a blogger. - Consider your time, expenses and reach. - Don't work for free! - Always be kind when working with brands. Place value on those relationships. - Under promise and over deliver! - Know your audience and don't be afraid to dig into your stats.

Carrie is the blogger behind Clean Eating Kitchen and has found a new level of success since niching down. She offers advice to other bloggers who either need to find a niche or who need to niche down even further. - Spend time leaning into your audience to hear what they are needing from you. - Put yourself "out there" on video in order to get a clearer understanding of your avatar. - Ask friends and family for clues about what you are good at delivering. - Back it all up with keyword research!

People who dig into blogging "later in life" (40+ years old) have much to share! Cathy from Cathy's Gluten Free talks to both mature and younger bloggers about perspective, priorities and balance. No matter where you fall on the age spectrum, you will find value in this episode! - SEO and keyword research are important, no matter what stage you are in. Dig in! - It really all comes down to BALANCE. Prioritize the things (and people) you love and the rest will fall into place.

You have a story about what "freedom" means to you. Maybe it means quitting your job to have more time with your kids. Maybe it means paying off credit card debt. Whatever it means, you can achieve it. - Surround yourself with other people who have the same desire for freedom as you. - Engage with experts who deliver relevant value. - Learn how to manage your content and your time. - Understand that mindset is EVERYTHING. - Join the EBT membership to fast forward your path to freedom!

Victoria has been blogging for 12 years and moved from Blogger to Wordpress just 1 year ago. In that time she has grown her blog traffic over 1200% year over year as she has adapted, learned about SEO and optimized her posts. She has such great advice to offer other OG bloggers looking to grow rapidly. - Be willing to let go. - Know that it's not always an exciting process. - Always keep the user in mind. - Finding blogging traction and success is a marathon. - Wordpress is where it's at.

Alana has taken the leap into food blogging with passion and with a strong desire to maintain balance. This episode explores the power of a positive mindset while navigating the food blogging waters. - It pays to invest in yourself and your business as you're getting started. - Take those scary leaps! - View the food blogging world from a lens of resourcefulness. Opportunities are literally swarming around you. This episode is inspiring, encouraging and one you don't want to miss!

Megan has grown her food blog by over 500% in her first year as a full-time blogger. She committed to making blogging her career and has strategies to impart with others wanting to do the same. - Leverage photography as a way to grow on different platforms, as well as a way to make extra income. - LEARN! Honing photography skills is so important, but so is understanding SEO. - Don't try to do it all! At least not all at once. - Income expectations when digging into full-time blogging.

Clubhouse is the new, audio invite-only platform that everyone is talking about. Are you avoiding it because it's ONE MORE THING to distract you? If you are an entrepreneur who is serious about growing your brand, Clubhouse is for you. - Being an early adopter will benefit you. - It will help you expand your brand and grow your circle of influence rapidly. - There are people wanting to learn what YOU have to offer. Ask a friend for an invite today and listen in on some truly valuable real-time discussions.

Harry is the co-founder of Sorted app, a free tool that will add clarity and focus to your day. He talks about why to-do lists alone don't work and how his app will transform you into a super productive person! - Learn what "hyper-scheduling" means and how you can implement it in your business. - Download the app and listen along as Harry talks through the features and provides tips to help get you started. - Rigidity is not the point! You can learn to schedule with flexibility in order to find success.

2020 was a tumultuous year for creating a strategy on Pinterest. Kate Ahl of Simple Pin Media gives us the scoop about how to forge ahead in 2021 on the popular platform. - Story pins: Find out whether they are worth your time and learn a few tips about how to make them more user-friendly. - Video pins: Learn how many you should be uploading weekly. - Sponsored work: Don't discount Pinterest as a way to offer value to brands you'd like to partner with.

Chef Evelyn Williams is a Culinary Brand Strategist who is on a mission to help women live, cook and work on their own terms! She DELIVERS in this episode! If you are looking to diversify your streams of revenue, be sure to listen in. - Learn how to use the SPACE acronym to generate more money. - Create a promotional plan to avoid having untapped projects. - Narrow down your culinary point of view to find focus. - Market multiple revenue streams without confusing your audience.

Lexi and Beth are the mom-daughter blogging duo at Crowded Kitchen. They employ a very specific strategy to get Instagram traction. - Focus on improving your photography! Lexi shares specific photography tricks that work on IG. - Make your posts interesting and use a variety of formats (still photos, video, carousels and stop motion video) - There are ways to edit photos that will increase IG exposure. - Although IG doesn't deliver a ton of direct traffic, there's value in growing a following.

My Emissions was started as a way to research and collect the average emissions of each food. About 2/3 of people claim to be doing "everything they can to reduce their carbon footprint," but without clear information it's hard to reduce the impact of their diet. My Emissions provides the first carbon label for food blogs. This allows sites to display the carbon footprint of recipes in a simple and understandable way. Learn WHY this information should be in your recipe cards and HOW to implement it!

Out of sheer necessity, Debbie Gartner figured out a way to overcome a massive debt. She learned affiliate marketing strategies and developed a fresh perspective on blogging. In 3.5 years, she erased a $238K debt! Listen to the episode to find out how! - There is a lot of money to be made through affiliates, but it's about so much more than that. It's just one piece of a much larger puzzle. - DIVERSIFY! Don't just rely on ads or affiliates. Allow some breathing room for your business.

Wrenn and Arturo work as a team in every area of their lives, from ranching and parenting to blogging. They have learned valuable lessons that have kept all areas of their lives afloat and healthy, so learn from them! - Stop over-analyzing the work you do. Better yet, over-analyze the right things. - A little distraction is healthy and can keep you focused on what really matters. - Communication is key when working together with a spouse or team member, but also find ways to be as efficient as possible.

Sometimes the most difficult stretches teach us the greatest lessons. 2020 was a year to learn from! Join us in the episode to hear the good parts (from the eyes of a food blogger) that emerged from a challenging year. - Technology can be our friend. - Food bloggers are needed! - It's not all about you. - White space creates safety margins which protect us. - Diversifying streams of revenue is a good stress reliever! - Being adaptable is vital. - Listen to the episode for the remaining takeaways!

Casey Markee is the founder of digital consultancy company MediaWyse. He is an SEO professional who helps bloggers take their businesses to the next level through his expertise and website audits. Here are a few SEO priorities that should be on your radar in 2021: - Web stories: what and why - Passage Indexing: How it is different from featured snippets - Best (affordable) options for doing keyword research - Best practices for blog post optimization - May 2021 Page Experience Algorithm: What to expect

Lucy's passion for Japanese food launched her into becoming a foodie creator. She has explored the different avenues available to food bloggers and wants others to be aware of them, as well! - Find out what your true passion is in the world of food blogging and immerse yourself in it. Are you passionate about photography? A certain type of food? - From there, other opportunities will begin appearing before your eyes. Be ready to see them! - There is so much opportunity out there!

Food blogging is no joke. There is never a shortage of things to accomplish, so utilize your time as best you can! Megan imparts her tricks for reaching an optimal level of productivity as a food blogger. - Learn to be laser focused. - Work concentrated. - Learn to say no. - Plan and schedule as much as you possibly can. - Make the most of every minute of your work day. Every minute counts. - Push yourself to accomplish more because it is POSSIBLE. - Commit to finishing everything you start.

Laura and her husband grew their Six Hungry Feet food blog quickly by utilizing a few underrated (and very smart) strategies. Inside the episode, Laura shares how they started and how they grew so quickly. - Focus on creating quality content and learn the many ways you can offer up content that is packed with quality. - Promotional strategies for getting your content SEEN. Don't underestimate Facebook, Pinterest and the power of your friends! - So many more gems are packed inside!

Nicole Johnson works for Mediavine, an ad management company that works closely with food bloggers. She gives her best tips about why having display ads on your blog is a great idea and how you can make that happen. - Why Mediavine ads are different from the rest. - What you should expect from a quality ad manager. - Tips to getting to 50k sessions/month (the threshold for applying to have Mediavine ads on your site). - Just keep moving forward and try not to get hung up on the numbers!

Shooting photos for a blog is different than shooting for a cookbook. Lori Rice is a photographer who teaches food creators how to shoot their own food photos through her online courses. She shares valuable advice inside this episode so you can feel more confident launching into taking photos for a cookbook. - Why blog photos are different from cookbook photos. - Why you should never use the camera on your phone to photograph a cookbook. - How to create ideal cookbook photos. - How to organize it all!

Jumprope is a new innovative platform that makes the process of producing video easier! Edit and share how-to content within the Jumprope app. Then export your videos in the formats you need for YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, blog posts and more. - Learn the ins and outs of Jumprope so you know where to get started (and what to focus on). - Foodie creators are seeing success with Jumprope, so download the FREE app and get started! - Save hours on each video you create, opening up time for other projects.

Don't underestimate the power of mental blocks. They are sneaky and often we don't even know they exist, but they can be the reason we are unable to find success, money, opportunities and quality people. Listen in to figure out how to uncover your own blocks and how to rewrite your stories in order to invite success to flow freely into your business! - Acknowledging blocks exist is the first step! - Rewrite the stories (aka the lies)! - Know that YOU ARE WORTHY. - Invite success in!

As a weekly guest on her local ABC affiliate, Marie knows what it takes to be a stellar guest. She helps food bloggers connect with their local TV stations and learn how to cook on TV. - Finding the right people is key, so figure out who those people are and reach out to them. - Cooking on TV can give you visibility, credibility and social proof for your food blog. - Shake the nerves and be a stellar guest. - How to choose the right recipe to showcase.

After taking a long break from blogging and enduring personal challenges, Siri used blogging as a way to combat depression. This episode provides inspiration for anyone who has taken a break or is struggling to stay in the game and it is jam-packed full of self care and blogging tips. - If blogging is a passion of yours, allow it to bring clarity and happiness into your business and life. - Niching down and refocusing is a great way to re-enter blogging after a break. - Combat the comparison trap!

Tech addiction can be a very real problem for entrepreneurs! We rely on tech to get our jobs done, allowing addiction to creep in. Amy is a psychotherapist and has insights about the effects of tech addiction and advice about how to combat it. - To gauge where you stand with it, evaluate your relationships. - Use tech to your advantage! There are many apps that can help you replace damaging tech time with relaxation. - Start a small habit to gain momentum with increasing mental strength.

Implementing one tiny idea repeatedly and consistently over time can lead to massive results. Taking small steps that require just a few minutes of your day can add up over time. Success doesn't require constant sprinting! 1. Determine a goal you are going to take really seriously (something you are passionate about and that also has payout potential). 2. Simplify an idea for achieving your goal. 3. Set a period of time when you will follow through with the idea CONSISTENTLY. 4. Reap the reward!