Eat Blog Talk

In episode 503, Jenny Meier teaches us 3 ways to build a community on Substack and how to use the platform to network and increase our blog's reach. Jenny founded Kitchen Skip in 2019 as a place to share easy dinner recipes with busy parents like herself. Almost 20 years earlier, Jenny had attended culinary school and spent years working in restaurants, cheese shops and wine stores before she started developing recipes for food and wellness websites in 2009. Finally, in 2019 Jenny started her own food blog. She monetized with MediaVine at the end of 2021 and started her Substack newsletter in June of 2022. In this episode, you'll learn about how to get started on Substack and why it's a great platform to build community and expand your reach and knowledge, and how embracing new writing platforms can enhance your skills and open doors to collaboration opportunities. - Alternative to Email Newsletters: Substack makes it easy to send out newsletters to subscribers, helping you build a community around exclusive content. - Getting Started with Substack: It is simple to get started on Substack. Read other people's newsletters to get an idea of how it works. - Discover Communities: Substack provides a platform for connecting with other writers and bloggers, fostering a sense of community and collaboration. - Benefits of Substack: Substack can help you improve your writing, marketing skills, and connect with like-minded individuals. - Networking Opportunities: Substack offers various networking avenues such as recommendations, discussion threads, and the Notes Feed for writers to promote their content and collaborate with others. - Additional Revenue Stream: By offering a paid subscription, you can generate extra income through your newsletters. - Start Simple, Learn by Doing: Starting with small steps and learning through experience is key to success on Substack and in any endeavor. Guest Details Connect with Jenny Meier Website | Substack

Megan discusses the importance of decluttering our life, its impact on mental health and productivity and 5 ways in which we can get started. Decluttering your life is an easy, practical way to open up space for good things to come into your life. Megan shares strategies for decluttering physical spaces, electronics, calendars, relationships, and your mind. She also provides actionable insights to help you enhance your well-being and productivity by creating space for positive change through decluttering. She covers the following key points: 1. Declutter a Physical Space: Decluttering spaces like closets, cars, desks, and pantries, can be broken up in bite-sized tasks and will affect the way you feel. 2. Declutter Electronics: Tips include organizing phone apps, deleting unnecessary files, and managing email subscriptions. 3. Declutter Your Calendar: Evaluate commitments and redistribute tasks to prevent burnout. 4. Declutter Relationships: Assess and adjust relationships for mental well-being. 5. Declutter Your Mind: Strategies include scheduling appointments, journaling, practicing mindfulness, and limiting screen time. Get in touch with Megan if there is a specific mindset and self-care topic you'd like her to cover. Website | Instagram

In episode 501, Amanda Polick teaches us how to embrace rejection so that it becomes a catalyst for personal growth and resilience. Amanda Polick is a cookbook and food memoir coach. Her work has been featured by Cooking Light, Time, Southern Living, and Food & Wine. She's a proud member of Cherry Bombe, Les Dames d'Escoffier International, and the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Amanda lives in Nashville, Tennessee now, but a piece of her will be in California forever. In this episode, you'll learn about handling rejection gracefully by staying true to your purpose and the value of embracing feedback, and supporting fellow creators amidst challenges and uncertainties. - Remember Your Identity: When you get rejected, remember your identity and purpose to help you maintain self-assurance and direction. - Embrace Rejection as Growth: Rejection is a catalyst for learning and personal development, essential for building resilience and determination. - Boldness and Authenticity: Uniqueness attracts attention and fosters connection so make bold choices and embrace authenticity. - Support Others: It's important to support fellow creators, whether through feedback, reviews, or messages of encouragement, fostering a sense of community. - Resilience through Feedback: Discern between constructive criticism and tactless feedback, but either way be open to critique while maintaining confidence in one's abilities. - Find Your Niche: Discover your unique voice and space within a competitive landscape, while staying true to yourself. - Acknowledge the Reality of Rejection: Rejection is inevitable in creative pursuits; perceive it as a stepping stone rather than a setback. - Cultivate Persistence: In order to succeed and find unexpected opportunities and growth, you need to be persistent and have self-belief in the face of uncertainty. Connect with Amanda Polick Website | Instagram

In episode 500, Megan chats to 3 SEO experts: Ty Kilgore, Samantha Blake and Steve Wiideman, about what SEO strategies will help food bloggers grow most in 2024. Ty Kilgore has been geeking out on SEO and Digital Marketing for over 14 years. He founded Everything Digital Marketing in order to share his passion and to clearly instruct, guide, and help influencers overcome the frustrations related to SEO and Digital Marketing. Samantha Blake began a web design and SEO business after food blogging didn't go as planned. While she still enjoys cooking and baking as a hobby, she learned she truly had a love for web design and SEO pieces when it comes to business. Sam particularly loves designing and developing websites and coming up with SEO strategies for food bloggers - it's the best of both worlds! Steve Wiideman is the Orange County, California based strategic planning specialist, founder of The Wiideman Consulting Group, and renowned as "SEO Steve" for the extraordinary breakthroughs he helped achieve for Fortune 500 companies and local small startups alike. In this episode, you'll learn what you need to do in 2024 to rank on Google and grow your blog, including which SEO strategies are outdated, how to get ahead of competitors and how to use AI to improve your SEO. - Unique Perspective is Key: It's important to offer a unique perspective in content creation to stand out in search results. With AI becoming more integrated into search engines, bloggers must focus on providing content that goes beyond generic answers and offers a distinct viewpoint. - Strategic Optimization: Analyze existing content and strategically optimize it for better SEO performance. Find a balance between creating new content and optimizing existing posts. - Don't Obsess Over Technical SEO: While technical SEO is important, bloggers should focus on creating high-quality content and trust in the main technical aspects provided by their hosting, theme, and plugins. - Adaptability in Food Blogging: You have to be flexible and responsive to changes in the food blogging realm. - Create High-Quality Content: Focus on providing comprehensive and valuable content to users. This includes detailed instructions, variations, and supplementary resources such as videos to cater to diverse preferences and enhance user experience. - Backlinks and Shareable Content: Create shareable content and acquire backlinks to improve visibility and engagement. - Use AI Tools Carefully: AI tools can enhance your content but be aware of the pitfalls of using it in a way that generates generic or inaccurate content. - Regularly Monitor Competitors' Activities: Stay informed about competitors' strategies and content gaps by frequently scanning their XML sitemaps to identify areas for improvement and new content opportunities. - Identify Primary Competitors Based on Business Goals: Determine key competitors aligned with your business objectives, focusing on top search results in Google for relevant topics to benchmark against and monitor their strategies. - Diversify Marketing Efforts Across Platforms: Expand marketing efforts beyond Google by prioritizing video content creation and distribution across various platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, enhancing brand visibility and engagement. Connect with Ty Kilgore Website Connect with Samantha Blake Website Connect with Steve Wiideman Website

In this episode, Megan outlines 5 steps to help us craft a morning routine that fosters energy, productivity, and overall well-being. Whether you spend 10 minutes on a morning routine or 3 hours, these rituals can enhance our consistency in business endeavors and our personal lives. Megan explains the multitude of benefits of morning routines, including increased productivity, improved mood, mental and physical health, and the cultivation of gratitude and inspiration. She covers the following key points: - Design Your Dream Morning Routine: Envision an ideal morning routine without time constraints, considering activities that ignite energy and align with personal goals. - Develop a Baseline Morning Routine: Determine the time available for your morning routine and prioritize activities accordingly. Even short routines can yield significant benefits. - Prepare in Advance: Visualize the morning routine before bedtime to set intentions and align the mind with upcoming activities. Use strategies like going to bed earlier, removing distractions like phones, and finding an accountability partner to keep you on track. - Set It in Motion: Initiate your morning routine without delay; you'll be surprised at how empowering it feels to take action. Start immediately rather than procrastinating for the "perfect" moment. - Refine and Repeat: Do your routine consistently but remain flexible and adapt it when necessary, this will make it sustainable in the long run. Get in touch with Megan if there is a specific mindset and self-care topic you'd like her to cover. Website | Instagram

In episode 498, Megan chats to Brittany Roche about mindset shifts and practical strategies for successful brand collaboration while staying true to ourselves. Brittany Roche founded Plant Power Couple with her partner Terrence in 2015, eager to share their innovative take on vegan cooking with other plant-curious people. Brittany started working with brands in 2020. She had just made it into MediaVine when the pandemic hit and she saw her RPMs drop drastically. She had been learning about working with brands for 3 years prior to this, but when she knew she had to diversify her income, she decided to really go for it! Now, she's formed genuine relationships with dozens of brands and has created a system that ensures a consistent stream of brand work that feels natural. In this episode, you'll learn about the importance of building genuine relationships with brands, strategies for resilience in the face of rejection, and effective follow-up techniques to maximize collaboration opportunities. - Build Genuine Relationships: It is important to establish authentic connections with brands to create meaningful collaborations. - Resilience in the Face of Rejection: Maintain a positive mindset and separate your self-worth from the outcome of pitches; you'll need perseverance. - Effective Follow-up Strategies: Pitch with a timeline in mind and implement follow-up sequences to maintain engagement with brands. - Setting Deadlines and Themes: Set deadlines and create themed series to structure pitches and provide a clear framework for collaboration opportunities. - Recognize the Emotional Toll: Don't underestimate the emotional challenges of pitching - continue self-care practices and self-compassion throughout the process. - Apply Mindset Shifts Beyond Pitching: The mindset shifts discussed can be applied not only in pitching to brands but also in various aspects of entrepreneurship and personal growth. - Celebrating Progress and Resilience: Celebrate small victories and recognize the courage and resilience required to pursue entrepreneurial endeavours. Connect with Brittany Roche Website | Instagram

In episode 497, Lexi Harrison teaches us the latest strategy to grow on Instagram and TikTok and how to generate a lot of audience engagement. Lexi and Beth are the mother-daughter duo behind Crowded Kitchen, a (mostly) vegetarian food blog. In addition to creating recipes, photography and videography for Crowded Kitchen's social media and website, Lexi and Beth also create freelance content for many food and beverage brands. In this episode, you'll learn about how to increase your social media following and improve your engagement using hooks, voiceovers and captions. - Post a Series to Build an Audience: Posting a series of related content on Instagram Reels encourages people to follow your account for more. - Leverage Facebook for content distribution: Leverage your content via Facebook, especially now that there is the ability to post reels. - Casual Setup and Filming: Avoid overstylizing your shots and use an iPhone for filming. - Longer Form Content for TikTok: TikTok strategy includes using longer videos to qualify for the creator fund (i.e. monetization). - Variable Posting Frequency: The frequency with which you post can vary without it necessarily affecting your views (e.g. daily, weekly, bi-weekly etc.). - Caption This: Detailed captions on Instagram Reels are emphasized for audience engagement. - Your Voice = Engagement: Voiceovers are crucial for engagement, especially on TikTok. - Showing Your Face: Showing one's face is not necessary for content success; Lexi suggests you focus instead on compelling hooks. - Practice, Practice, Practice: Experiment with different hooks to capture audience attention and drive engagement. Connect with Lexi Harrison Website | Instagram

In this episode, Megan explores the transformative power of visualization, focusing on five steps to help you manifest your dreams. Megan explains why visualization is essential in accelerating personal and professional goals. Visualizing your dreams involves more than just imagining; it entails embodying the emotions and sensations associated with achieving your desires and requires clarity, belief, and inspired action in the process. Megan covers the following key points: 1. Know What You Want: Clearly define your goals, whether they involve material possessions, experiences, or personal growth. Be open to flexibility in the details while maintaining clarity on your desires. 2. Understand Why You Want It: Dig deep into the reasons behind your aspirations. Your true motivations often extend beyond surface-level desires and connect to deeper values and emotions. 3. Believe It Is Yours: Embrace a mindset of unwavering belief that your dreams are within reach. Visualize them as if they are already manifesting in your life, amplifying the emotions of gratitude and fulfillment. 4. Release and Trust: Surrender control over the "how" and trust in the universe, God, or your higher power to orchestrate the details. Let go of doubt and have faith that your intentions will materialize in due time. 5. Take Inspired Action: Remain open to signs and inspirations that guide you towards your goals. Act upon these insights with confidence and determination, knowing that each step brings you closer to realizing your dreams. Get in touch with Megan if there is a specific mindset and self-care topic you'd like her to cover. Website | Instagram

In episode 495, Megan chats to Ashley Covelli about how to host successful virtual or in-person cooking classes, including technical setup, engagement strategies, and pricing considerations. Ashley Covelli is the food photographer, recipe developer, and culinary instructor behind Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen and the co-founder of Passing the Plate. She loves helping busy people find time to cook delicious meals while reducing the amount of stress, money, and waste involved in the process. She believes in the restorative and joyful practice of sharing meals in the community, preserving the recipes of our ancestors, and cooking as a way of creating memories with loved ones. Ashley's legitimately tiny kitchen is located in Ossining, New York, where she lives with her husband, son, and a feisty rescue cat. Her professional background is in graphic design and fine art, and she brings that aesthetic to her culinary creations. In this episode, you'll learn about how to generate additional income through cooking classes and finer details like creating a welcoming environment, managing class logistics, and striking a balance between preparation and execution. - Diversify Revenue Streams: Consider various income sources like sponsored posts, affiliates, and teaching classes to sustain your business. - Protect Your Energy Levels: Avoid overcommitting to classes or projects to maintain balance and prevent burnout. - Factor in Prep Work: Acknowledge the extensive preparation involved in virtual classes, including recipe testing, setup, teaching, and cleanup. - Test Your Gear: Prioritize tech checks and microphone charging to ensure smooth virtual class experiences. - Encourage Audience Interaction: Create a welcoming environment by inviting questions and feedback during classes. - Be Prepared for Tech Glitches: Stay calm and adaptable in case of technical issues during live sessions. - Use Instagram Stories: Use platforms like Instagram Stories to practice and improve comfort with video content. - Engage Authentically: Embrace imperfection and genuine interactions to connect with your audience effectively. Connect with Ashley Covelli Website | Instagram

In episode 494, Ella Gilbert talks about how to create extra income streams for your business through freelancing while still maintaining time for your blog. Ella is a food blogger focused on cozy and approachable recipes for the modern baker and home cook. Ella is also a food photographer and writer for other food bloggers. In this episode, you'll learn about the viability of having a career in freelancing, how to build your personal brand, develop strong relationships and manage your time. - Freelancing as a Viable Career: Freelancing offers a viable career path, providing opportunities for individuals to showcase their skills and expertise in a flexible and independent manner. - Personal Branding: Building a strong personal brand is crucial in freelancing, enabling freelancers like Ella to differentiate themselves and attract clients based on their unique skills, experience, and reputation. - Client Relationship Management: Clear communication, transparency, and professionalism foster long-term client partnerships. - Continuous Skill Development: Freelancers need to prioritize continuous skill development to stay relevant in the ever-evolving market, by consistently upgrading skills and knowledge. - Time Management and Discipline: Managing time effectively and maintaining discipline are essential for freelancers to balance multiple projects, meet deadlines, and maintain a sustainable work-life balance. - Value Proposition: Ella stresses the importance of articulating a clear value proposition to potential clients, demonstrating how freelancers can communicate the benefits of their services and expertise to meet client needs effectively. - Financial Management: Freelancers need to prioritize financial management, including budgeting, invoicing, and tax considerations, to ensure financial stability and sustainability in their freelance careers. - Work-Life Balance: Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is essential for freelancers' well-being and productivity - set boundaries and allocate time for personal pursuits and relaxation. - Adaptability and Resilience: Freelancers must be adaptable and resilient in the face of challenges and uncertainties, demonstrating the ability to navigate setbacks, learn from failures, and persevere in pursuing their career goals. Connect with Alpine Ella Website | Instagram

In this episode, Megan explores the 5 steps to release business grudges and why it's important for our blogging career and mental health. It is important to address business grudges, because they can evolve into significant mental burdens affecting various aspects of our lives. From negative comments and unsolicited advice to challenges with platforms like Facebook, Megan unveils the common grudges that plague the food blogging community. She covers the following key points: 1. Defined and Acknowledge the Grudge: Identify the business grudge occupying the most mental space and write down specific details. 2. Write Out Your Grudge Story: Delve into your grudges, answering why you hold them and exploring the emotions associated with these grievances. 3. Analyze Your Grudge Story: Take a step back, analyzing the grudge story with a big picture lens. By distancing yourself from the emotions, you can identify patterns and underlying issues. 4. Rewrite Your Grudge Story: Reframe the narrative with a collaborative and empathetic tone. By taking responsibility for our attitudes, we can shift the perspective and find positive aspects even in challenging situations. 5. Release Your Grudge and Forgive: The final step involves a powerful declaration of release and forgiveness. Get in touch with Megan if there is a specific mindset and self-care topic you'd like her to cover.

In episode 492, Megan chats to Murielle Banackissa about how to create inspirational food photography and tell a story using lighting, props, food and textures. Murielle Banackissa is a food photographer, food stylist, YouTuber, and soon-to-be cookbook author based in Montreal, Canada. Outside of spending hours developing new recipes and shooting them in her home studio, Murielle loves getting lost in good books, designing her bullet journal spreads, sipping on warm beverages, and going on long walks. She draws a lot of inspiration from the colors and textures found in nature. From water droplets to the sun shining through the leaves early in the morning and the orange glow of summer nights, Murielle loves paying attention to the magic surrounding her as a way to feel more grounded and present. In this episode, you'll learn how to improve your food photography, from setting mood and learning from others to practical advice such as which lenses are best depending on where you are in your own food blogging journey. - Intentional Photography - Tell a story by focusing on details, intention, and purpose, bringing elements like family history and special moments into visuals. - Create Atmosphere - Consider the story and mood behind a recipe. - Moody Photography - Moody photography evoke comfort and warmth. Achieve this style using black foam boards to control natural light and creating a cozy atmosphere. - Learning from Others - Look at the work of other photographers for inspiration. Analyze behind-the-scenes content and experiment with different techniques. - Creative Seasons - Accept the non-linear nature of the creative journey. - Favorite Lens - Use a 50mm F1.8 lens, particularly for those starting in food photography. This lens allows for a low F-stop, enabling a beautiful blurry background and focus on the main subject. - Macro Shots Capture Close-Up Details - It also highlight textures, decadence, and intricate elements of the food. - Observing Light - It's important to observe and understand natural light. Recognizing how different lighting conditions affect food can help develop a unique style and improve photography skills. Connect with Murielle Banackissa Website | Instagram

In episode 491, Jacqueline Debono teaches us how to grow an engaged audience of email subscribers by sending authentic newsletters. Jacqueline is a Brit living in Verona Italy for 20 years, happily married to a wonderful Sicilian. Jacqueline has a love of Italian food, particularly pasta and so 7 years ago she started her blog about Italian pasta, including only authentic Italian recipes for all kinds of pasta (dried, fresh, homemade). Her original goal was to feature as many types of pasta as she could (with recipes). So far Jacqueline has about 400 recipes for 80 types of pasta! Many more to go! Jacqueline got accepted to MediaVine in 2019 (with 25k sessions) now at 190-200k sessions a month. She can say it's a pretty successful niche blog. But then everybody loves pasta, right? In this episode, you'll learn how to grow your newsletter subscription base using personal anecdotes, insights into your own life and evergreen content, as well as finding out how often to send out emails to your subscribers. - Apply A Growth Strategy: How to approach growing your email subscribers, including the use of the MediaVine subscribe widget, social media, and regular newsletters. - Add a Personal Touch: Adding personal elements about your own life into your newsletter, like failures or anecdotes, can lead to increased engagement and a healthy circle of followers. - How to Monetize Newsletters: Strategies include the creation of paid-for eBooks and addition of affiliate links. - Build Relationships With Your Subscribers: Newsletters offer the opportunity to build real relationships with subscribers, even leading to in-person meetings. - Use Social Media Influence: Using success on other platforms such as Facebook is a great way to encourage newsletter sign-ups. - Content Reusability: Reusing content, especially recipes, is a unique advantage for food bloggers with evergreen content. - Build Subscriber Loyalty: Email subscribers tend to be the most loyal followers, engaging through comments and emails, providing a dedicated audience. - A Blogger's Passion Is Important: Appealing to the passion or interests of the target audience, Jacqueline focused on Italy and Italian food as an example. Connect with Jacqueline Debono Website | Instagram

In this episode, Megan shares quick ways to boost your mood and feel good instantly. When we're going through a tough time, we ironically resist positive activities. Find out how to overcome this barrier with a set of easy ways to feel good instantly and create your own personalized list of activities that bring you joy. Megan covers the following key points: 1. Breathe: Explore the power of intentional breathing, giving you instant relief and rejuvenation. 2. Express Gratitude for Another Human: Express gratitude, focusing on specific individuals who bring joy and support. Take immediate action to convey appreciation. 3. Hydrate: Use quick hydration as a simple yet effective way to improve mood and energy levels. 4. Quick Workout Burst: Do a brief one to five-minute workout to instantly boost energy and improve mood. 5. Get Out in Nature: Spend just a few minutes outdoors, connecting with the environment and experiencing the instant mood-lifting effects. Get in touch with Megan if there is a specific mindset and self-care topic you'd like her to cover. Website | Instagram

In episode 489, Megan chats to Shannon Peel about how we can craft our business brand story in a unique and engaging way to resonate with the right people at the right time. Shannon Peel has over 30 years experience in marketing, sales, advertising, and storytelling. Due to her insatiable curiosity and desire to learn new things, Shannon has a unique skill set enabling her to see how all the pieces of a brand story come together to guide an audience from brand awareness to brand advocacy. She recently published her interactive, multimedia digital book called BrandAPeel: Brand Storytelling in the Digital Age filled with videos, podcast episodes, and downloadable workbooks to help small businesses define their brands and create content to tell their stories. In this episode, you'll learn about various aspects of effective business brand storytelling, including finding your core values, determining your voice, mapping out a digital footprint, and so much more. - Define Your Core Values: Identify five core values that truly reflect who you are and go beyond surface-level definitions. - Brand Storytelling Do's and Don'ts: Brand storytelling involves narrating your journey, experiences, and values and telling your audience's story in a way that invites them to connect with your brand. - Communicate Your Challenges: When sharing vulnerable stories, it's essential to shift from a victim mindset to a hero mindset. - Maintain a Consistent Brand Voice: It is key to building trust and meeting audience expectations. - Map Your Digital Footprint: Understand where your audience hangs out online and create a strategy to meet them there. Conduct a brand audit or involve trusted peers to evaluate your online presence and ensure a cohesive journey from discovery to engagement. - Organize Your Content: Consider creating an index or an interactive digital book that guides your audience from one piece of content to the next. - Create Year-long E-Newsletters to Sustain Engagement: Develop a series of e-newsletters linked to your digital book, offering readers a continuous stream of content. - Brand Guides for Consistent Messaging: Establish a brand guide detailing voice, fonts, colors, mission, and vision statements. Connect with Shannon peel Website | Instagram

In episode 488, Erin Harding guides us through the essential steps for food bloggers looking to leverage Pinterest ads successfully. Erin is the Director of Pinterest Ads Management at Simple Pin Media. For 8 years she has been bringing the power of Pinterest to brands and businesses, large and small. While she started out developing & managing organic strategies, she is now managing hundreds of thousands of dollars in ad spend for brands on Pinterest. In this episode, you'll learn about the requirements you need in order to advertise on Pinterest, whether it is right for you and three key points to create successful ad campaigns on Pinterest. - Prepare Your Offer: Ensure your product or lead magnet is ready for advertising, and consider its circulation and success on other platforms. - Understand the Pinterest Mindset: Recognize that Pinterest is a visual search platform, not social media. Meet users at every stage of their journey, from inspiration to decision-making. - Run Ads For A Period of Time: Pinterest ads are not an overnight solution. Plan to run ads for a minimum of 8-12 weeks. - Budget wisely: Plan for 8 to 12 weeks of consistent advertising with a budget ranging from $20 to $100 per campaign per day, depending on your goals and the nature of your offer. - Advertising is an Investment: Know what your budget is before you start. Whether you hire an agency or run ads on your own, set a budget that is comfortable and stick to it. - Outsource Pinterest Advertising: Can you run Pinterest ads on your own and what are the advantages of hiring an agency? Connect with Erin Harding Website | Instagram

In today's Mindset & Self-care episode, Megan shares how five of her favorite books changed her life, delving into topics such as thinking yourself to wealth, habits that shape success, the importance of gratitude and living in the present. Books have the potential to reshape your mindset and enhance your self-care practices. Megan emphasizes this through anecdotes from her own life, touching on the contents of each book and how it can change your life. - Thinking Yourself to Wealth and Happiness: Explore the timeless wisdom of "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill, a classic that unravels the secrets of building wealth and attracting positive influences into your life. - Habits That Shape Success:"Atomic Habits" by James Clear, a book that simplifies the process of developing good habits and how small changes can lead to significant improvements in your life. - Living in the Present Moment: "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle is a transformative guide that emphasizes the importance of living in the present moment and escaping the trap of constant thinking about the past and future. - Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender by David R. Hawkins: How can you find release from life's challenges and the emotional baggage we carry? This book prompts self-reflection on resentments and the freedom that comes with letting go. - Mindset Shift with "The Gap and the Gain": During the hardest time in your life, you can adopt a life-changing mindset. Instead of focusing on the negative, shift from a gap to a gain perspective to appreciates incremental progress, leading to increased gratitude, accomplishment, and motivation across various life areas. Get in touch with Megan if there is a specific mindset and self-care topic you'd like her to cover. Website | Instagram

In episode 486, Megan chats to Janessa Heck about 10 ways to manage health issues and diet restrictions while food blogging. As an avid cook, baker and food blog reader, Janessa long dreamed of starting her own food blog and finally took the plunge in December 2020. Janessa focuses on easy, healthier recipes made mostly with whole food ingredients as well as oat flour baking. After a year of plugging away at it as a hobby, she decided she wanted to treat it as a business and started to learn about SEO in January of 2022. The Nessy Kitchen grew from less than 1000 visitors in February 2022 to over 100 000 monthly visitors 18 months later. Janessa lives in Alberta, Canada and in her free time you can find her enjoying yoga, reading or in the Rocky Mountains skiing in the winter and paddleboarding or hiking in the summer. In this episode, you'll learn how you can carry on blogging throughout health obstacles including selecting a group of trusted taste testers, exploring non-recipe content and selecting recipes that align with new dietary recommendations. - Trusted Taste Testers: During times of reduced appetite or illness, having a group of trusted taste testers can help ensure the quality of recipes even if the blogger cannot taste them personally. - Consistency with Adjusted Frequency: Bloggers can maintain consistency by adjusting the posting frequency. - Non-Recipe Content: Explore non-recipe content to provide valuable information to the audience without the need for recipe testing and tasting. - Update Old Recipes: Revise and update old recipes, leveraging existing content and photos. - Publish Previously Tested Recipes: Share recipes that have been previously tested, even if not initially pursued, as a way to maintain consistency and offer unexpected surprises. - Consider Dietary Changes: Explore recipes aligned with any dietary changes the blogger may be experiencing. - Outsourcing: If feasible, consider outsourcing tasks like photography during times of reduced well-being to lighten the workload and maintain blog activity. - Avoid Comparisons: Refrain from comparing one's blog progress to others, as each blogger's journey is unique. - It's Okay to Take Time Off: Recognize that it's acceptable to take breaks when needed to prioritize well-being and avoid burnout. - Make Peace with Pivoting Plans: Be flexible with goals and plans, acknowledging that unexpected changes may lead to new and positive outcomes. Connect with Janessa Heck Website | Instagram

In episode 485, Hanelore Dumitrache teaches us how to use AI to improve our workflows and how to write prompts to get personalized blog posts. Hanelore is a London-based architect turned recipe developer and food blogger. In 2020, she won the international Netflix show 'Crazy Delicious', which opened new doors into blogging as a career. Since 2022, you will find Hanelore focusing entirely on growing her blog SugarYums.com, where she shares delicious Asian desserts, drinks, and street food. A tech geek at heart, she is fully immersed in all things AI and is constantly on the lookout for new tools that can streamline her work. In this episode, you'll learn how to incorporate AI into your workflow, speeding up blog post writing using tools, like ChatGPT, and teaching AI how to mimic your writing style. - AI tools like ChatGPT can PREDICT and replicate patterns in HUMAN SPEECH. - AI can TAKE PRESSURE OFF when it comes to the most time-consuming tasks. - How can you PERSONALIZE what AI writes? - Apply the concept of CIDI (context, instruction, details, input). - Train AI to MIMIC your WRITING STYLE by giving it example texts. - Does Google PENALIZE AI-generated content? - Maintain your personal VOICE and BRAND. - If you use AI to write content, DISCLOSE this on your blog. Connect with Hanelore Dumitrache Website | Instagram

In episode 484, Megan teaches us why our energy is a precious resource and five effective ways to safeguard it. In this episode, you'll learn the significance of understanding that our energy isn't limitless. We explore five practical ways to protect and replenish our energy, essential for maintaining overall well-being and thriving in our personal and professional lives. Megan covers the following key points: - Analyze Historical Data: Reflect on past experiences to identify patterns and triggers affecting your energy. Learn from the past to make informed decisions for the future. - Evaluate Your People: Recognize relationships that may drain your energy. You can manage interactions to preserve your emotional well-being. - Manage Inputs and Outputs: Discover strategies to control the information you consume and how you respond to it. Establish boundaries to prevent energy depletion from external sources. - Make a Plan: Plan your year, month and week ahead of time to reduce stress and efficiently use your energy. Implementing simple planning routines can transform your week and enhance productivity. - Fill Your Tank: Acknowledge activities or moments that replenish your energy. Make a list of what brings you joy and vitality so that you can recharge your energy when needed. Get in touch with Megan if there is a specific mindset and self-care topic you'd like her to cover. Website | Instagram

In episode 483, Megan chats to Nosheen Babar about finding our purpose, knowing exactly why we create content and who the content is for. As a first-generation immigrant from Pakistan, Nosheen is a self-trained home cook turned recipe developer, food photographer, and content creator. Nosheen started her blog 3 years ago to create a reference tool for people interested in exploring authentic Pakistani cooking. She is using her 30+ years of cooking experience to create recipes that are accessible, foolproof, and adaptable for her audience. Her goal is to take you on a culinary journey through Pakistan and showcase its cuisine along with its rich history and cultural influences. In this episode, you'll learn why having a clear purpose can be a game-changer for your blog, even if it takes time to grow, and how to use your WHY to guide you in the right direction and set achievable goals. - WHY did you start your blog and WHAT do you hope to achieve? - A WRITTEN PURPOSE combined with a CONTENT AUDIT will help you hone down on your content strategy. - How does your why influence your BUSINESS STRATEGY? - How to PRIORITIZE to set definitive and achievable goals for your brand. - Purpose will help you stay FOCUSED and not get distracted. - If your blog aligns with your why, it's easier to STAY CONSISTENT. - Identify the NEEDS of your AUDIENCE through analytics. - Don't be afraid to GROW SLOWLY but with clarity. Connect with Nosheen Babar Website | Instagram

In episode 482, Rae Aflatooni teaches us her best tips on how to get through hard times and why she focuses on success and learning instead of failure. Rae Aflatooni, the voice behind Raepublic, has an MS in Nutrition and Functional Medicine. She enjoys creating content with the aim to assist people who have experienced trauma to live a more holistic, well-balanced life. Through nutrition, plant-based eating, sustainable living, mindfulness, and movement. In this episode, you'll learn how to keep going with your blogging business when you feel like you're failing, other tangible things you can do to grow your business and how to make sure your mindset and self-care is on the right track. - Be okay with changes when life happens - sometimes you have to take a BREAK. - Should you start a new social media account if you're STRUGGLING TO GROW an old account? - Use online resources to REGAIN FOCUS. - Learn how SEO tools like RankIQ can really improve your site traffic. - ITEMIZE, PRIORITIZE, and EVALUATE what you can outsource to a software solution or to another person/company. - START your day with GRATITUDE, using the mindset that you get to do what you do. - There isn't success or failure, just SUCCESS and LEARNING. - Set a TIMER for TASKS and stick to it - for example don't check emails 20 times per day. - Whether it takes them 10 years or 1 year to monetize, listen and learn from other bloggers. Connect with Rae Aflatooni Website | Instagram

In episode 481, Megan shares 5 phrases we can use to take back control and reprogram our subconscious so that we can fulfil our aspirations. Subconscious beliefs and behaviour often control the trajectory of our lives and businesses. In this episode, you'll learn why 'unconscious programming' stunt the potential of our businesses, how to identify the triggers of misguided beliefs and how a simple, repeated phrase can change what we think and do. Megan explores these topics: - How can you get RID OF FEAR? (e.g. fear of failure, fear of the unknown, comparison…) - Invite more GOOD THINGS into your life by acknowledging your gratitude. - Why is it detrimental to ignore the SMALL DETAILS in your life that need ATTENTION? - How can you reprogram your subconscious to ATTRACT MORE MONEY into your life? - REPEAT "I live a life of EASE" or fill in the quality or asset you most want for your life. Get in touch with Megan if there is a specific mindset and self-care topic you'd like her to cover. Website | Instagram

In episode 480, Liz Wilcox teaches us simple, yet effective email marketing strategies, including how we can streamline the writing process and make our emails relatable. The Fresh Princess of Email Marketing, Liz Wilcox is an Email Strategist and Keynote Speaker. She shows small businesses how to build online relationships, package up their "magic" and turn it into emails that people want to read and, most importantly, purchase from. Liz is best known for her 3500+ users membership, 20 Minute Newsletter technique, and the Email Staircase framework she's taught to tens of thousands of creatives, freelancers, ecommerce shop owners, and small businesses across the globe. In this episode, you'll learn the different components of a welcome series, simple ways to structure newsletters and how to reframe the way you think about email. - Email marketing is a MONEYMAKING activity. - You're converting FOLLOWERS into FRIENDS into customers. - Use a well-structured WELCOME SERIES to convert a follower into a friend. - Add an essence of your PERSONALITY and VISION in your welcome sequence. - Share your VALUES, so that your email subscribers know what to expect. - Be RELATABLE in your emails - that means it's okay not to be perfect! - The simplest way to properly warm up a NEW LEAD. - Simplify your emails so that you can STAY CONSISTENT with weekly newsletters. - How to write emails that DON'T suck or SUCK UP TIME. Connect with Liz Wilcox Website | Instagram

In episode 479, Megan chats to Lynn Polito about whether we should still be making Web Stories and how they can help us bulk up our blog traffic. Lynn has been a food blogger for a little over 2.5 years. Her niche is creating recipes using 10 ingredients or less. She also focuses on almost all of the ingredients being pantry staples. In this episode, you'll learn how to create web stories, what animations to use and other logistics to make them go viral and boost your site traffic. - Use web stories to BOOST TRAFFIC to your blog without having to post new content frequently. - It can help your post appear in GOOGLE DISCOVER. - Choose SEASONAL RECIPES for web stories. - What should you put in a web story in terms of SLIDES AND ANIMATIONS? - Post web stories CONSISTENLY and track results. - You can SCHEDULE web stories in advance. - What should you change when DUPLICATING a web story? - The new Google algorithm is not pushing web stories as much, but it's still a good SOURCE OF TRAFFIC and WORTH THE TIME investment. Connect with Lynn Polito Website | Instagram

Welcome to the first ever Mindset and Self-Care episode here on Eat Blog Talk! Every Wednesday, Megan will pop in for a few minutes to talk about key topics concerning mindset and how to look after ourselves as entrepreneurs. In this episode, she shares 5 ways in which we can pull ourselves out of a slump and rediscover our mojo for life and blogging! Knowledge and blogging hacks won't get you very far if you don't have the right mindset and self-care strategies to help prevent burnout and build resilience for when the going gets tough. In episode 478, you'll learn 5 easy strategies that you can do every day to help reinvigorate you and get you back on track towards achieving your blogging goals. - How can you create daily quiet time so that you actually feel calmer (and why is it life-changing)? - Learn how to make small upgrades to your life daily. - Improvements to your life can be fun and easy - go for a haircut, get your nails done, declutter a drawer! - Don't underestimate the power of extending love to someone every day. - Take time to be creative. - Why is gratitude the easiest, quickest way to pull yourself out of a slump?

In episode 477, Andrea Liebross teaches us an easy, 5-step process to think big, do big things and take big leaps in our life and business this year. Andrea Liebross is a business and life coach specializing in working with unapologetically ambitious women entrepreneurs from a variety of industries. A speaker and host of the Time to Level Up podcast, Andrea guides her clients to combine Big Thinking with solid systems that work together to unleash their success and find the freedom of time, money, and energy they crave. She is excited about the release of her book She Thinks Big: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Guide to Moving Past the Messy Middle and into the Extraordinary in the fall. In this episode, you'll learn the method Andrea developed around the acronym TRUST to help you be a bigger thinker and push yourself beyond your comfort zone to get closer to your true potential. - What ACTIONS would the Future You take today to bring you CLOSER to your GOAL? - Analyse your THOUGHT OPTIONS and adjust your thinking. - Give as much airtime to POSITIVE OUTCOMES as you would to negative outcomes. - Do you have a SUPPORT STRUCTURE outside of your family? - Look for support from someone who will ask you the HARD QUESTIONS in a loving way. - TAKE ACTION following valuable advice. - Ask yourself, what is the WORST THING that can happen? Connect with Andrea Liebross Website | Instagram

Are you ready for 2024? In this episode, Megan Porta explains how we can make 2024 our best year ever, including planning strategies, mindset and self-care and how to deal with uncertainty. In this episode, you'll learn Megan's planning strategy, how to make the most of everything Eat Blog Talk has to offer, other helpful resources and why mindset and self-care are essential to remain motivated and healthy as an entrepreneur. - Block off 2-4 hours in your calendar to PLAN THE YEAR ahead. - Create a few simple lists - one for YOUR WINS from 2023 and one for YOUR CHALLENGES. - Based off of your lists, what should you DO MORE of and what should you AVOID in 2024? - Make another list for small improvements or UPGRADES you can make to your life. - Write a letter to your FUTURE SELF of everything you want to ACCOMPLISH this year. - Surround yourself by POSITIVE people who inspire OPTIMISM. - How can you be PROACTIVE about MINDSET and SELF-CARE? - What should your FOCUS be for 2024? - Throughout any uncertainty, keep your USER at the top of your mind. For the full list of resources mentioned in the episode, go to eatblogtalk.com/2024kickoff

In episode 475, Megan chats to Jacqui Wormington about how our community's purpose and core values should form the foundation of our actions. Jacqui started food blogging around 3 years ago as a hobby and got more serious last year. At first, it was to hold herself accountable for being vegan and sharing the food she loves to create with people. Jacqui has always loved online communities. She has enjoyed creating a safe space for people to learn about the vegan lifestyle, while also connecting with like-minded people to share more about each other than just food. In this episode, you'll learn how to identify the values and purpose of your community so that you can choose the right platform, create valuable, relatable content and build personal relationships with your readers. - Select the social media channel that best SUITS your TARGET AUDIENCE and content type. - Regularly share CONTENT that aligns with your community's INTERESTS and VALUES. - How can you PARTICIPATE in conversations within your COMMUNITY to keep them ENGAGED? - BOOST ENGAGEMENT by encouraging your community members to CONTRIBUTE their content. - How can you EMPOWER your community members? - Use FEEDBACK from your community to understand their NEEDS and IMPROVE your content. - Go beyond the screen and BUILD personal RELATIONSHIPS with your community members. - Show that you genuinely CARE about their SUCCESS and WELL-BEING. Connect with Jacqui Wormington Website | Instagram

In episode 474, Kathleen Phillips teaches us 10 unique ways to grow our network and create valuable opportunities for our blogs. Kathleen Phillips is a cookbook author and professional food stylist. She is the creator and digital publisher of her food blog GritsAndGouda.com. Drawing upon years of experience as a test kitchen director (Oxmoor House-former cookbook publisher for Southern Living/Cooking Light/and more), she takes traditional Southern recipes and makes them with a shortcut so you can enjoy them faster. She likes to say she's "Short and Southern, just like her recipes". She incorporates fresh ingredients from her own garden as well as local, seasonal ingredients. Her love for local farmers led to her becoming one of the first Sweet Grown Alabama ambassadors. In this episode, you'll learn different ways to make long-term connections that will help you grow your center of influence and reach your goals quicker. - Networking is most valuable when you have a clear goal in mind. - You cannot predict where the connections you make today might lead you in the future. - Reach out to a big blogger in your niche and ask to meet for coffee. - Comment on other bloggers social media - use their first name in comments to have more impact. - Why should you join your Chamber of Commerce? - Contact the PR person for cooking stages at large home shows and women's shows. - Find unique locations in your area where you can teach cooking classes. - Reach out to local TV stations to be on morning cooking segments. - Contact local print and digital magazines to feature your recipes. Connect with Kathleen Phillips Website | Instagram

In episode 473, Megan chats to Aimee Pruett about the benefits of food blog audits and common mistakes bloggers make when they audit their sites. Aimee is the creator of the Food Banjo blog. She has almost 20 years experience in marketing and over 7 years running a food blog. As part of her marketing job, Aimee performed over 100 website audits throughout her career, so she decided to bring her marketing know-how and food blogging love together to do food blog audits. In this episode, you'll learn how to do a a food blog audit, how it differs from an SEO audit and how it can impact your blog's growth. - Do regular food blog audits to get perspective on your blog's progress. - Blog audits look at branding, promotions, site experience and other elements. - It does not look at SEO in-depth (only a high-level analysis). - Do a professional audit when you hit a wall and you don't know what to do next. - Find out if you're on the right track and uncover opportunities that you may be missing. - How often should you do a blog audit? - Start your self-audit by placing yourself in a user's shoes. - Pay attention to your Google Analytics and any reoccurring trends. - What are the most common site mistakes food bloggers make? - Prioritize the most important improvements you have identified for your site. Connect with Aimee Pruett Website | Instagram

In episode 472, Cliff Ravenscraft teaches us his 10-step formula for how to achieve any goal. Cliff Ravenscraft a Master Business Coach, Mentor & Speaker. His focus is to help you break free from any beliefs and/or behaviors that are holding you back from living the life of your dreams and doing the work you feel most called to do in this world. In this episode, you'll learn why goal-setting is important for food bloggers and how to overcome limiting beliefs that are holding you back from achieving your dreams. - Be very specific about what you want. - Filter all your goals into the top 3 and prioritize them. - Believe that it's possible - otherwise you won't put time and effort into it. - How do you eliminate any doubt around the goal you want to achieve? - You are more likely to achieve your goal if you write it down. - Vision boards are powerful reminders of our goals - get an object that represents your dream. - Tell others about your goal - they might have the missing elements to achieving it. - Create a Massive Action Plan - what's one, two, or three actions I can take within the next 24 hours, 7 days, 30 days etc.? - Evaluate your results, categorize as desired or undesired. - If they are undesired, how can you improve your approach? Connect with Cliff Ravenscraft Website | Instagram

In episode 471, Megan chats to Liz Douglas about her short-form video strategy that helped her grow her Instagram account to over 200k followers. Elizabeth is a food buyer and product developer turned plant-based foodie influencer at Glow Diaries. Elizabeth chose the vegan path in 2019 and it sparked a love of exploratory cooking. She then started an Instagram page not long after but didn't see much growth until she began consistently posting reels in late 2021. Elizabeth's account grew from 12k followers in early 2022 to 202k followers in just over a year, with most growth happening in spurts of 40k followers in one month. Once she started directing traffic to her blog, she qualified for Raptive within a few months thanks to viral reels. She loves to create easy wholesome plant-based recipe ideas, help other content creators and she also hosts her own podcast, Thrive Diaries, which is all about lifestyle, wellness and personal development. In this episode, you'll learn how to use your iPhone to film, the right hook for your video, common mistakes you can easily avoid and clever editing techniques to keep your audience engaged. - Get lucrative brand sponsorships if you have an engaged audience on Instagram. - Instagram can drive traffic to your blog, increasing your page sessions fast. - What are the best-performing food videos on social media? - Food videos on social media are mainly for entertainment. - Film aesthetic videos with an iPhone - finding the balance between realistic but still drool worthy. - Use voiceover and putting yourself on camera to tell your story and build connection with your audience. - Open your video with a lot of action and a hook to keep your audience engaged. - Use intrigue to keep your audience watching. - Make sure that you cut your video in a fast-paced style - you don't have to show every step. - Do you really have to post every day to gain many new followers? Connect with Liz Douglas Website | Instagram

In episode 470, Anja Eckert teaches us how to keep going despite setbacks caused by major changes in the blogging industry or in our personal lives. Anja's been a food and lifestyle blogger since 2018. What first started as a pet project, turned into an almost full-time job after a severe knee injury that prevented her from continuing on as Yoga teacher. In March 2020, Anja was at almost 25k sessions when MediaVine raised their requirement to 50k. It took her another setback and 3 years to finally reach the 50k. Refusing to give up, continually learning and upgrading, and remembering her "why", were the qualities that got her to the goal. In this episode, you'll learn how to persevere through blogging challenges especially by understanding your 'why' and nurturing a strong mindset around it. - Define your 'why' and visualize it. - When you feel like giving up, think of your 'why'. - How to deal with potential setbacks from Google Updates and other changes. - Diversify your income so that you don't rely only on your blog. - Use your email lists, look into sponsorships or create courses within your niche. - Create an additional revenue stream through a digital product catered to your niche. - When things aren't going well, they can only get better. - We tend to dwell on negative experiences and forget positive ones. - Find a supportive community that you can rely on. Connect with Anja Eckert Website | Instagram

In episode 469, Megan chats to Callan Wenner about how she planned and executed a schedule and content calendar so that she could take 4 months off for maternity leave. Callan started her food blog, The Cozy Plum, in spring 2020 with a focus on elevating classic baked goods and savory appetizers and small bites. After quickly honing in on her photography and videography skills, as well as thorough recipe development techniques, she was able to quit her corporate job after a year and a half to pursue The Cozy Plum full-time. In this episode, you'll learn how to stay efficient and organized, creating a month-to-month calendar for the year, outsourcing tasks and using project management software to stay on track. - Define the priorities and goals for the year, and for the months you are taking off. - Create a month-to-month calendar for the year with each week having a general focus. - Create weekly/daily tasks each week from there. - Build in buffers and scheduled time off, but keep to the schedule as closely as possible. - Outsource what you can and create a strong SOP to help keep your hands off. - Be as efficient as possible by combining process shots and video during shoots. - Use project management software to help keep you on track - review your daily to-do every evening/morning. - Have a go-getter attitude - it will be more work than usual up front, but will be worth it once the time comes. - Let go of the need to grind and enjoy that time off. Connect with Callan Wenner Website | Instagram

In episode 468, Emily Rhodes teaches us the value of a hyper-niche blog and how to make an income from it. Emily started Steam & Bake a little over 10 years ago. Emily is now a journalist and nutritionist, but at that time, she was a home economist and demonstrator for a global appliances manufacturer. Clients kept complaining about the lack of steam oven recipes and resources after they'd bought these fancy new ovens. After a couple of years in the job, Emily realized no one was coming to save these people! The manufacturers were not much help and no one else was writing recipes specifically for these appliances, so she figured she'd put a few posts up and see what happened. Fast forward a decade and Steam & Bake is the number one source of steam oven recipes on the internet, earning her an income from home while raising three boys. It absolutely blows her mind that a tiny little website in Australia has taken her to this point. Emily is grateful every day for what she gets to do. In this episode, you'll learn how to do keyword research for a narrow niche blog, how to diversify your income and how to deal with becoming the go-to person in your category. - Don't choose a niche you don't know anything about or have no interest in. - You have to be willing to go deep and wide into your topic. - What to do when you're the 'first one' or have no role models in your niche. - Your food blog role model does not have to be a blogger (for example who inspires you in the way they connect with their readers?) - Writing in a very small niche means you aren't competing with a million other blogs. - You don't have to follow the same rules about SEO, social platforms and posting. - Find keywords that cater for what your audience wants to know and tailor popular keywords to your niche. - Diversify your income by creating cookbooks, e-books and memberships in your niche. - If you become the go-to person in your niche, you can create more opportunities for monetization. Connect with Emily Rhodes Website | Instagram

In episode 467, Megan chats to Briana DeBolt and Chamere Orr about the importance of investing in our businesses instead of relying on free resources to make progress. Briana and Chamere of A Full Living are the husband and wife team behind the website! They have been blogging (a bit aimlessly at first) since 2016, and in the past 3 years, have really dug into strategizing to the next level by improving on their photography, SEO knowledge, and hiring contractors to help them manage the day to day of their growing business. Blogging has been their full-time job since mid-2020, and are always looking to improve. In this episode, you'll learn why investing in aspects like SEO expertise, mentorship, photography skills and outsourcing in general is important to accelerate your blog's growth. - Food bloggers tend to start blogging without understanding SEO and what their readers want. - "Diy-ing" your blog by using free resources might slow down your blog's growth. - Ask yourself, what do I want to improve first and invest in a course or get help from a mentor. - Invest in the right skills, for example learning food photography, to take your business to the next level. - If you outsource, you can free up your time to prioritize another task that will grow your blog. - Start with resources like a website audit, courses or webinars to learn about targeting keywords that you can rank for. - The longer you hold off, trying to find out information for free, the longer it will take to make money. - Never stop learning! You have to stay up to date on best practices all the time. - Never assume you know it all, there is always areas to improve and learn. Connect with Briana DeBolt & Chamere Orr Website | Instagram

In episode 466, Mary Ellen Valverde teaches us how to nourish our bodies and look after ourselves so that we can handle stress and avoid burnout. Mary Ellen Valverde MS, CNS, LDN is a Licensed Nutritionist & Holistic Nourishment Coach who guides women to feel clear and confident about what is uniquely nourishing to them. She works with busy women who are frustrated and confused about wellness and helps them reframe their beliefs around food and movement, their inner wisdom, and their full potential. By using a combination of scientific research, embodiment practices, and intuition, Mary Ellen helps equip her clients with the tools they need to deeply understand their own body's unique cues, needs, and desires so they can experience true self-care free from rules and restrictions. In this episode, you'll learn how to take care of yourself, including paying attention to your eating habits and stress levels, and how concepts like mindfulness and play can greatly benefit you while you're building a business. - If you're burnout, put everything aside and take time to work on yourself. - Don't underestimate the power of meditation. - No one's self-care can look exactly the same, but there are 5 similarities in how we can optimally nourish ourselves. - Focus on your nervous system first and make sure you get enough rest. - Aligned eating is less about what you eat but how you eat - are you taking time to sit down and have a meal? - How can you fit movement that you enjoy into your busy schedule? - Be conscious of what your body needs most and adjust your workouts and meals to your current needs. - Mindfulness is being fully present and aware of our surroundings. - Tune in to your senses when you're working in the kitchen. - Bring in creativity and play to feel happiness in your day and have fun. Connect with Mary Ellen Valverde Website | Instagram

In episode 465, Megan chats to Liz Capozzoli about how to easily incorporate filming recipes into our business strategy. Liz is the creator behind OwlbBaking ("I'll be baking") which is a recipe blog focused on classic homemade desserts and sweet treats. Liz has been blogging as a business since 2019 and she also did recipe development, photography and video for Mashed.com, Tastingtable.com, and has created videos for other food bloggers. Liz runs a cookie decorating online course and also has an Etsy store with baking/food related merch! In this episode, you'll learn how to overcome the overwhelm of creating video content for your blog, including what equipment you need, why you should write storyboards and other tips. - Video is a must for your blog and social media content. - You don't have to show yourself on camera - there are ways around it. - Research different kinds of video styles and formats. - DIY expensive equipment like c-stand/overhead camera mounts and lighting. - Plan and prepare your scenes by writing storyboards. - Envision how you want your video to look and create a checklist for yourself so you can keep track. - Don't rush through the process as it creates unnecessary stress. - Don't worry about making mistakes while the camera is recording. - Your video doesn't need to have fancy shots or transitions to be successful. - Keep people engaged by keeping things moving quickly. -Use one video for different platforms to save you time - for example film in 16:9 format with empty space so that you can crop it to vertical format for Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts. Connect with Liz Capozzoli Website | Instagram

In episode 464, Liz Thomson teaches us what to expect if we buy a second blog and how to get on to a premium ad network quickly. Liz Thomson is a full-time content creator who has been running the blog I Heart Vegetables since 2010. She loves chatting about influencer marketing, food photography, and why everyone needs an air fryer. In this episode, you'll learn if buying a second blog is right for you, what are the challenges and what does the process look like and to get on to an ad network quickly. - Buying another domain can be a seamless process. - Be prepared to update old content to make it SEO optimized. - Find very specific niche groups on Facebook to share recipes to. - Visual graphics like ingredient lists perform well in Facebook groups. - Use web stories to boost traffic to a new domain. - Don't reinvent the wheel, find a template that works and duplicate it. - For a quick boost, submit a recipe to Foodtalk - a site that will share your content. - Use Flipboard for a surprisingly quick and easy source of traffic. - Should you invest time in long-term social media strategies when you're trying to get into an ad network? - Be intentional about why you are starting a second site and what you intend to publish. Connect with Liz Thomson Website | Instagram

In episode 463, Megan chats to Sonila Zarate about how food bloggers can make extra revenue through the Amazon Influencer Program. Sonila is a mom, wife, engineer and food blogger. Sonila was born in Albania and came to the US to study engineering. She met her husband (who was born in Bolivia) while studying at University of Miami. Her everyday cooking is influenced by both Albanian and Bolivian cuisines as well as the fusion of Miami's food scene. In this episode, you'll learn how to apply to be an Amazon Influencer, how it works and what you can potentially earn through the program. - Amazon is looking for influencers to post review videos of products. - How is the Amazon Influencer program different to the Amazon affiliate program? - Follow the rules on the Amazon page to get accepted - the exact criteria is not disclosed. - For the review videos, pick items that are easy to demonstrate. - Horizontal videos tend to bring in more commission. - Keep videos simple and short. Shoot them as you use the products and add a voice-over. - You don't have to focus only on your niche or food blogging in general - you can review any items. - What is the potential for income with this program? - What is an optimal workflow to run a food blog and also keep adding videos to the Amazon Influencer program? - It helps if you enjoy making videos and have some experience to do it quickly. Connect with Sonila Zarate Website | Instagram

In episode 462, Christine McMichael teaches us how to balance being a blogger with taking care of our families without getting stuck in burnout. Christine is the recipe creator and food blogger at Jar of Lemons. Jar of Lemons is a healthy recipe website focused on easy-to-find ingredients that are flavorful and creative. From comforting dinners that can be made in 30 minutes or less, to healthier takes on classic favorites, Jar Of Lemons is here to help with inspired recipes and a refreshing, relatable community. In this episode, you'll learn productivity and time management strategies geared towards being a full-time parent while running your own business. - When you experience burnout as a parent and blogger, shift your focus back to what you love doing. - Should you remove SEO and other blogging tools to revive your passion for blogging? - Plan your content out in advance and hire help to make it easier. - Outsource where you can because it can be a game changer long-term. - Find the parenting approach that works for you - everyone is different. - Are you making space to still spend quality time with your family? - Mom guilt is normal and don't feel like you need to do everything when it comes to your work or home. - Set realistic content creation goals. - Done is better than none - not everything will be perfect. - Avoid comparing yourself to other bloggers and stick to your boundaries. Connect with Christine McMichael Website | Instagram

In episode 461, Megan chats to Brandon Gaille about why food bloggers should regularly update old content and how to do it so that you increase your Google traffic. Brandon Gaille is an entrepreneur who founded multiple 7 figure businesses in his 20s before becoming disabled by a rare disorder for nearly a decade. He eventually regained his health and started a blog. He grew his blog to over 1 million visitors in just 18 months after his first blog post. Today, he gets 5 million monthly visitors from over 100,000 first-page Google rankings. Brandon has taught his SEO growth hacks to over 20,000 bloggers through his podcast (The Blogging Millionaire). This past year he launched RankIQ, an AI-powered SEO toolset tailored for bloggers and small businesses that have a blog. This year RankIQ was ranked #1 out of all 333 SEO tools by G2 for customer satisfaction and ease of use. In this episode, you'll learn about the best strategy for updating old content, including identifying posts that need updating, how often should you do it and how to balance it with new content. - If you update old posts you can increase your traffic and income from ad revenue. - It takes less time to update an old post than to create a new one. - Ideally post 8 new blog posts and update 8 old blog posts per month. - Posts which are losing traffic year over year need to be updated first. - What is the best way to update the content on a single recipe post? - How do you update a roundup-style post? - Only change the front end and tail end of your title during an update. - How long after writing a new post should you consider updating? - Keep track of your posts and when you need to update them using a planner. - RankIQ is more than just a keyword research tool, it includes a content optimization tool, content planner and more. Connect with Brandon Gaille Website | Facebook

In episode 460, Laura Rike teaches us the latest Pinterest strategies for food bloggers to help us grow and monetize our blogs. Laura Rike is a Pinterest Strategist who helps high-performing business owners implement content growth plans, outsource their visibility and steadily grow their monthly revenue through her signature growth to greatness framework with done for you services and course packages. She has helped clients and students bring in over 50k+ in monthly revenue. Her clients have become industry leaders with 6-figure businesses and are growing sustainably by ranking on the first page of Google and getting targeted email leads daily. Laura has been featured on Social Media Examiner, Tailwind, MeetEdgar, and Ecamm Network. If you need a place to start, she offers a Pinterest foundation jumpstart here so that you can start getting more visible online & grow sustainably by ranking on the first page of Google and getting targeted email leads daily. In this episode, you'll learn new strategies for Idea Pins, keyword research on Pinterest and how the new concept of 'Design Relevancy Score' affects food bloggers. - Learn Pinterest strategies to bring in more traffic. - Don't restart your account if you feel like you're not getting traction. - Idea pins are going away - add links to your best performing pins. - Focus static pins on new content and don't post too many pins too quickly. - Concentrate your boards on the pillar keywords of your blog. - Should you get rid of boards that aren't doing well? - Insert 5-7 keywords into your descriptions and avoid hashtags. - The ideal pin size might change depending on what's in your pin. - Design relevancy score and what that means for pin designs. - Develop a Pinterest strategy that you can stay consistent with. Connect with Laura Like Website | Instagram

In episode 459, Allison Ferraro teaches us the importance of not making excuses when it comes to reaching our goals, and other easy mindset hacks to grow our blogs while keeping a healthy work-life balance. Allison is the recipe developer and food photographer behind the baking blog, Always Eat Dessert. What began as a fun hobby back in 2014 while she pursued a career in advertising became a much-needed creative outlet when she left her job to be a stay at home mom and is now a full-fledged business sharing scratch baking recipes and baking tips. Allison lives in Philadelphia, PA with her husband, Alex, and their two children. In this episode, you'll learn how to cultivate the right mindset to build a successful blog while staying sane amidst various responsibilities, including goal-setting tips and focusing on a lucrative income stream before you diversify. - Stop making excuses. Don't wait for the perfect moment to make your dreams come true. - Prioritize your goals and focus on just one at a time. - Go ahead and put all your eggs in one basket - focus on one income stream at a time. - To make a real difference, avoid shiny object syndrome. - Know what to do and where to focus when your traffic goes down. - When you feel overwhelmed, go back to your WHY - Why do you want to be a food blogger? - Set lots of small goals that lead up to your larger goals, and then celebrate every time you achieve one of your goals. - What is your next area of focus? Connect with Allison Ferraro Website | Instagram

In this bonus episode, Megan chats to Melissa Erdelac about why advanced food bloggers are falling through the cracks and how to access the info we actually need. In particular, they explain how their new initiative, The Flavor Media Summit, can help. It is a two day workshop-style event taking place May, 2nd and 3rd of 2024 in Denver. Their goal is to ensure that attendees actually walk away with a TON of value information. Given that food blogging has made quite the transformation over the past decade, going from narrative, creative, fun hobby sites to a massive income-driven industry, it's easy to become overwhelmed, and sometimes stagnant, as you progress along your journey. While content creation can be a solo-preuneuer endeavor, conferences have been the catalyst for countless collaborative connections. Plus, attending an in-person event causes a major trajectory shift in mindset. Inspiration from others' success unleashes our own personal brands' potential! However, once Megan and Melissa's businesses were established and generating growing revenues, they found these events still sparked personal connections, but didn't offer revelatory content for monetized food bloggers. That's why they decided to create an intimate conference for advanced food bloggers to give everyone an opportunity to nurture long-term connections and receive highly valuable content, including business tactics they can implement immediately. In this episode, you'll learn more about how the Flavour Media Summit can help you grow your business even further. - Mastermind groups and retreats provide bloggers with a good return on their investment. - The Flavor Media Summit combine the benefits of mastermind groups and retreats at an affordable price. - Stay on top of Google updates, AI and other changes in the blogging industry. - The FM Summit will be in a smaller setting than a large conference to allow attendees to network easily. - Speakers will deliver information in a transparent and practical way so that it is easy to implement straightaway. - Be willing to share information with fellow bloggers and learn from them. About Flavor Media Summit Website | Instagram

In episode 458, Megan chats to Laura Scherb about how Substack can be used as a replacement for a blog to monetize our recipes or as an additional tool to drive traffic. Laura is a food photographer, stylist, and writer based in Chicago, IL. Since 2017, she's been taking pictures of food. Laura has created imagery for food blogs, restaurants, CPG brands, and cookbooks. Laura's photography and styling have been featured on The FeedFeed, The TODAY Show, Esquire, The Spruce Eats, Eater, and FoodGawker. Aside from food photography, she's passionate about travel, reading, writing, her cats, natural wine, and her nieces and nephew. Laura also runs a newsletter over on Substack where she enjoys talking about all of those things. In this episode, you'll learn how to get started on Substack, how much money can you expect to make and who will benefit most from using the platform. - What is the difference between an email list and a Substack? - Share recipes, stories and opinions with your audience without worrying about SEO and a blog. - Substack can used as a replacement for a blog or additional tool to drive traffic. - How can Substack help you make money from your recipes? - How long should your Substack content be? - Substack can benefit food bloggers even if they still have a traditional SEO-based blog. - The importance of making constant pivots in your business to create a new revenue streams. - Use Substack to grow your audience. Connect with Laura Scherb Website | Instagram

In episode 457, Andrea Mut explains why she sold her bakery to become a food blogger and how to deal with being overwhelmed as we manage Google updates and other unexpected factors that affect our blog's traffic. Andrea's culinary journey began at age 14 when she worked in her grandparents' three restaurants. She later received formal Chef's training, and later specialized in Baking & Pastry Arts. Throughout her career, Andrea gained experience in various restaurants and bakeries, as well as teaching cooking and baking classes at both recreational and college level. Her most significant achievement was owning a successful bakery in Toronto, which she sold in 2018. In 2019, she launched her blog, My Pocket Kitchen. A few months later Andrea's blog shifted its focus when she embarked on a one-year weight loss journey. Today, Andrea shares her culinary expertise and commitment to a healthier lifestyle, offering easy-to-make, nutritious recipes with a touch of restaurant quality. In this episode, you'll learn about how to deal with blogging overwhelm and ways to keep yourself motivated and not give up, even when your blog traffic slows down. - Embrace the ups and downs of your blogging journey. - Don't skimp on your blog when you get started, invest in guidance. - What to get right from the start and what can wait? - No matter what you think, SEO and keyword research are important for blog traffic. - What to do when your traffic suddenly drops. - Tap into blogging services to help alleviate the feeling of overwhelm (e.g. audit with Casey Markee). - Start with manageable steps to improve your posts' ranking. - Mindset can make or break you in the food blogging industry. - Give yourself a break when needed. - Don't underestimate the power of organization. Connect with Andrea Mut Website | Instagram

In episode 456, Megan chats to Nick Minnick about how Chicory's seamless, contextual shopping experience can help new and veteran bloggers monetize their blogs. As the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Chicory, the leading contextual commerce advertising platform, Nick Minnick strategically builds, fosters, and oversees relationships with key recipe publishers, grocery retailers, and retail media networks. His purview spans 5,200+ recipe sites, including the Food Network, Delish, and Food52, as well as *70+ leading retailers, such as Kroger, Walmart, and Ahold Delhaize. Minnick is hyper-focused on developing partnerships that fuel synergies between Chicory's audiences and enhance the impact of Chicory's contextual commerce advertising solutions for retailers and CPG brands. Minnick brings over 20 years of sales and marketing experience in the retail, CPG, shopper marketing and digital advertising sectors to his role at Chicory. Prior to joining Chicory, Nick advised retailers on their digital couponing and retail media platform development strategies while at Quotient. In addition to product development, marketing and sales roles, he led the retail in-store advertising sales and marketing teams at Valassis. In this episode, you'll learn how the contextual commerce advertising platform, Chicory, works, including why it improves food bloggers' site engagement and helps them make money through their blogs. - Monetize your blog using contextual commerce. - Contextual commerce advertising solutions use recipe category and ingredient data to target consumers with relevant, shoppable ads. - Benefits to shoppers include privacy and better browsing experience. - Bloggers benefit from ads that align with values and content of their blogs. - Increase site engagement by using ads relevant to your users. - Increased site engagement leads to more revenue. - Create a simple shopping experience for users. - Why does a positive shopping experience make a difference? - Gain access to consumer trends through Chicory - gain insights into your top-performing content. *Since we recorded this podcast, Chicory's retailer partnerships have grown from 60+ to 70+. Connect with Chicory Website | Instagram

In episode 455, Megan chats to Alessandra Macaluso about following our intuition and why she chose her niche of seasonal eating and the impact it has had on her blog and life. Alessandra Macaluso is the author of What a Good Eater!, Lucy the Bee and the Healing Honey, and The Real-Deal Bridal Bible. She's also a Qigong and Tai Chi instructor, and overall wellness advocate. Her work has been featured in several anthologies which can all be found on her Amazon author page, and she has contributed to The Huffington Post, Scary Mommy, TODAY Parents, and many other online publications. Alessandra is a northerner-turned-southerner, enjoying the south with her children, Penelope and Ciro, and her husband, Greg. In this episode, you'll learn more about Alessandra's niche of seasonal eating and its positive effects on her blog and life as well as tips for finding your own direction, following your intuition and the importance of niching down into yourself. - Find a direction you'd like to take in food blogging (i.e. niche). - A direction can help you drill down when it comes to content creation. - Why is the idea of "Niching down into yourself" important? - Let other sides of yourself come out to bring a unique flair to your blog - YOU are the niche. - How can you incorporate healthy eating and caring for one's body into your blog? - Eating based on the seasons is one way to find natural inspiration for blogging. - Eating certain foods in season can lead to improved health and have a higher nutritional impact. - Seasonal recipes allows you to support local farmers. - It furthers the "eat local" movement and helps you build relationships in your area. - Relax on keyword searches and numbers; let your humanity shine through in your content. Connect with Alessandra Macaluso Website | Instagram