The Food Blogger Pro Podcast

Developing a social media strategy, avoiding overwhelm, and navigating new tools and trends in the social media space with Andrea Balogun. ----- Welcome to episode 426 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Andrea Balogun from Balogun Strategy & Design. Social Media Deep Dive: Threads, X, and AI Social media is constantly changing — new algorithms, new platforms, new trends. It's hard to keep up and it's easy to get overwhelmed. But luckily we have Andrea Balogun to help walk us through it all! Andrea's back on the podcast to talk about the hot topics in social media right now. She explains more about the Threads app and why food creators might consider adding it to their social media strategy. Andrea also imparts her wisdom around crafting a social media strategy and being intentional about how you create content for social media to avoid burnout. Andrea and Bjork also chat about new tools and AI in the social media space and how to incorporate them into your workflow. If you're on social media as a content creator, this is a must-listen! In this episode, you'll learn: About the work Andrea does at Balogun Strategy & Design. What Threads is and how food creators can use it. Why you might want to activate your Threads account sooner rather than later. The kinds of topics that perform well on Threads and/or Twitter/X. How to develop a social media strategy to avoid getting overwhelmed. How to approach creating content for social media. About new tools in the social media space that can make your life easier. How to use AI tools in your social media content creation. Resources: Balogun Strategy & Design The Food Blogger Pro Podcast 329: Social Media Strategy – Creating a Content Plan, Growing Your Following, and Diversifying Your Platforms with Andrea Balogun Threads @StripMallGuy @ViperChill Full Focus LifeScore Assessment Buffer Klap Dumme OpusClip Notion ChatGPT Bard Follow Andrea on Instagram and Facebook Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Blogging within a narrow niche, diversifying your income streams, and growing your team with Amy Palanjian from Yummy Toddler Food. ----- Welcome to episode 425 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Amy Palanjian. Thriving within a Niche and Creating Your Dream Job Amy Palanjian first started her blog, Yummy Toddler Food, in 2014. Since then, she has been incredibly intentional about every aspect of her business, from her content strategy and becoming an authority in her niche, to diversifying income streams and email marketing. In this interview, Bjork and Amy chat about all of these aspects of her business, and how she has worked to create a role for herself at Yummy Toddler Food that looks as close as possible to her dream job. It's a must-listen episode for anyone thinking about picking a niche, and how to grow your business within that niche. In this episode, you'll learn: About Amy's career journey, from working in magazines to starting Yummy Toddler Food in 2014. What skills and knowledge Amy uses towards food blogging from her decade in the magazine industry. How she has built her affiliate marketing strategy. What it's like to blog within a narrow niche. How she strategized to diversify her income streams. Why she decided to transition from selling ebooks to selling a printed cookbook. How and why she outsourced certain tasks in her business. The process that she used to organize all of her business-related files. How she built her job description to reflect what she actually enjoys doing. Her approach to email marketing, and why she uses both Substack and ConvertKit. Her strategy for growing her email list. Why she chose to work with a manager for her sponsored content. Resources: Yummy Toddler Food Squarespace WordPress Pinch of Yum Yummy Toddler Food eBooks and Cookbook Emily Perron The Food Blogger Pro Podcast #286: Build Your Team – How to Write an Eye-Catching Job Listing and Hire the Right People with Emily Perron The Food Blogger Pro Podcast #365: How to Find Your Zone of Genius and Hire the Right People with Emily Perron Google Workspace Substack ConvertKit Email Crush by Matt Molen Mailchimp The Food Blogger Pro Podcast #201: Email Marketing for Bloggers with Matt Molen Canva Cookit Media MealPro App Follow Amy on Instagram and Facebook Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Analyzing how AI could disrupt the world of digital content creation, strategizing for the future of food blogging, and understanding Raptive's initiatives to protect online content. ----- Welcome to episode 424 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Paul Bannister from Raptive. The Future of Content Creation (and Protection) in a World of AI It's hard to keep up with AI, as the technology, legislation, and our understanding of it, are rapidly evolving. As content creators, it's imperative that we stay as informed as possible to understand how AI will alter the future of food blogging, and what we need to do now to stay ahead of these changes. And that's why Paul Bannister is back on the podcast this week! Bjork and Paul discuss how AI tools are currently using existing content, like recipes from food blogs, and how online search might change in the coming years. They share actionable steps you can take to protect your content, and how you might want to change your content and business strategy in a world of AI. This episode is a must-listen for anyone in the content creation space. In this episode, you'll learn: How AI has the power to disrupt the world of content creation and SEO. What Generative AI is. How AI tools use existing online content (like recipes). How AI might change online search and search traffic patterns. What the path forward for content creators looks like. How to prevent the GPTBot from crawling your site. What you can do to protect your content moving forward. How to approach balancing SEO vs. creating content in your own unique voice that connects with your audience. The importance of diversifying traffic sources. Resources: Raptive ChatGPT Bard Midjourney Runway Stable Diffusion Reddit will begin charging for access to its API OpenAI GPTBot Yoast How to prevent GPTBot from crawling your site 091: Optimizing Recipes for SEO with Joost De Valk from Yoast SEO Raptive's AI Open Letter The Washington Post: Inside the secret list of websites that make AI like ChatGPT sound smart How to sign the Consent to Advocate for Responsible AI agreement (CARA) Google's SGE Kevin Kelly: 1000 True Fans Search Engine Land Follow Paul on Twitter Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Educating their audience about data privacy, prioritizing annual goal setting, and building a team with Liz and Lauren Allen from Tastes Better from Scratch. ----- Welcome to episode 423 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Lauren and Liz Allen from Tastes Better from Scratch. Building a Food Blog with 11 Million Monthly Pageviews Twin sisters Liz and Lauren Allen started Tastes Better from Scratch in 2009 and have been working together on the blog ever since. They are incredibly strategic about every aspect of their business, from hiring and content creation to data privacy and goal setting. In this interview, Bjork chats with Liz and Lauren about how they've expanded their business over the years and worked to maintain the huge growth they saw in 2020 that skyrocketed their pageviews from 5 to 11 million per month. They are also open and honest about their plans for the future of Tastes Better from Scratch in a world with AI and changing data privacy laws. If you're looking for new ways to think about growing your business while leaning into your strengths, you won't want to miss this episode! In this episode, you'll learn: About the origin story of Tastes Better from Scratch. How they went from 5 million monthly pageviews to 11 million monthly pageviews in 2020, and how they've maintained that growth since then. Their approach to updating and republishing content. What tools they use to analyze how their content is performing. How they plan their content calendars. What the Tastes Better from Scratch team looks like, and how they decide to outsource a task. How they create processes for their business. How they develop their annual plans and goals for the business. What they think the future of food blogging looks like (AI, data privacy, digital advertising, etc.). Why they're prioritizing email marketing right now. What they think the most important skills are in their current roles. Resources: Tastes Better from Scratch Semrush Google Analytics Google Search Console Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert Loom Slack Monday.com Bard Tastes Better from Scratch Meal Plans Manychat Follow Liz and Lauren on Instagram and Facebook Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Reinvesting in your business, working together as a couple, and prioritizing video with Liz and Paul Madsen from Zardyplants. ----- Welcome to episode 422 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Liz and Paul Madsen from Zardyplants. Why Success as a Food Blogger Isn't Linear Liz and Paul Madsen started Zardyplants in 2018 as a way to share their favorite plant-based comfort food recipes with readers. Over the last five years, they've worked together to grow the site (and Paul now works full-time for their business)! Liz and Paul share about the early days of Zardyplants, and how their processes and business have changed over the years. They have really practical advice about the importance of reinvesting in your business, being strategic around the types of recipes you create, and what to prioritize as a beginner blogger. This is a particularly valuable episode for beginner bloggers but is also a great listen for any content creator trying to define what success looks like for you and your brand. In this episode, you'll learn: About the early stages of Zardyplants, and what it was like starting a blog as a couple. How they've balanced working full-time with the blog over the years. What the division of labor is like between Liz and Paul. The benefits of having a side hustle. How and why Liz and Paul have transitioned the type of recipes they're creating over the years. How they approach keyword research. What growth on Instagram has looked like for Zardyplants. About their photography and videography equipment set-up. Why they chose to prioritize video as part of their growth strategy. Their history with, and strategy around, sponsored content. The importance of reinvesting in your business, and what they would recommend paying a premium for as a beginner. What advice they'd give to beginner bloggers. Resources: Zardyplants What success looks like Intercom Raptive Google AdSense KeySearch Ahrefs Semrush Canon EOS 80D Aputure at B&H Photo Video Canon EOS R5 C Mirrorless Cinema Camera Adobe Premiere Pro BigScoots Bluehost WPEngine Filmic Pro InShot Jeremy Giffon Follow Zardyplants on Instagram and Facebook Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Growing and diversifying your business, managing your time efficiently, and hiring team members. ----- Welcome to episode 421 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Cheryl Malik from 40Aprons. Scaling Three Food Blogs and Tips for Hiring a Virtual Assistant Cheryl first started food blogging in 2009, and now runs three different food blogs, in addition to an agency that matches food bloggers with virtual assistants. In this interview, Bjork and Cheryl chat about growing and diversifying her business over the years and how she manages her time efficiently while running all of her different businesses. She also shares recommendations for hiring team members, and how to effectively onboard new team members. It's a really practical episode that will give you lots of advice for thinking strategically about growing your team and your business. In this episode, you'll learn: More about Cheryl's food blogging journey from 2009 to the present. Why she decided to start three different food blogs. How she has grown her team, and why she started a business to help match food bloggers with virtual assistants. What the revenue streams look like amongst her different businesses. Her recommendations for successfully adding someone to your team and the onboarding process. What it's like to work with Cheryl's 40A agency to hire a virtual assistant. The difference between hiring a team member or contractor and working with an agency to find a virtual assistant. How she manages her time (and is more efficient) by batching her days. Resources: 40Aprons Easy Healthy Recipes Cheap Cheap Eats 40A Pinch of Yum's Traffic and Income Reports Whole30 Upwork Asana ClickUp Follow Cheryl on Instagram Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Testing ChatGPT's recipe writing skills, transitioning from a blog to a Substack newsletter, and discussing the future of food writing with Dianne Jacob from Will Write for Food. ----- Welcome to episode 420 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Dianne Jacob. ChatGPT, Substack, and the Changing Landscape of Food Writing Dianne Jacob has been an expert in the food writing space for twenty years (she literally wrote the book on it!). We were happy to welcome her back to the podcast to chat about the changing landscape of food writing. In this interview, Bjork and Dianne discuss how AI might alter the food blogging space, and how food bloggers can best position themselves to adapt to these changes. Dianne also shares more about her Substack newsletter, and why she prefers writing for her Substack newsletter to blogging. Both Bjork and Dianne have been in the food writing space for decades now, and it's fascinating to hear them discuss what they think the future of food blogging might look like. Don't miss this episode! In this episode, you'll learn: About Dianne's professional background in food writing. How the food writing space has changed over the last 20 years. How AI (or machine learning) is changing the food writing space. What she learned from testing ChatGPT's recipe writing skills. What recipe attribution currently looks like for ChatGPT and Bard. Why your voice matters more than ever in the food blogging space. Why she transitioned from writing a blog to having a Substack newsletter. What she likes about being a content creator on Substack (spoiler alert: no need for SEO!). How Bjork and Dianne think the food blogging space will change in the coming years. Resources: Dianne Jacob… will write for food Dianne on the Food Blogger Pro Podcast in 2015 and in 2021 Will Write for Food by Dianne Jacob ChatGPT Bard Sally's Baking Recipes The Kitchn Preppy Kitchen Substack David Lebovitz Jeremiah Tower's Out of the Oven Chez Panisse 129: Forging Your Own Path with David Lebovitz Alison Roman's Substack Pinch of Yum's Meal Plans Connect with Dianne via email Follow Dianne on Instagram and Substack Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Balancing lifestyle and SEO-friendly posts, outsourcing tasks that don't bring you joy, and diversifying income streams with Anne Mauney from fANNEtastic Food. ----- Welcome to episode 419 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Anne Mauney from fANNEtastic Food. Balancing Life, SEO, and Income Streams Over 14 Years of Food Blogging Anne Mauney has been running her blog for over 14 years now and, as you might imagine, her life has changed considerably during that time. Since starting her blog, Anne has become a Registered Dietitian with a Masters in Public Health, has gotten married, and had two children. In addition to all of those big life changes, she has witnessed the rise of social media and SEO, and weathered the huge changes in the food blogging landscape. In this candid conversation, Bjork and Anne chat about navigating life and blog changes and balancing parenthood with running a business. Anne shares more about her changing income streams over the years, and why outsourcing certain tasks that don't bring her joy has allowed her to continue blogging after all these years. It's a super valuable episode no matter where you are in your blogging journey! In this episode, you'll learn: About how food blogging has changed since Anne started her blog in 2009. How she has had to reinvent herself and her blog over the years to stay current. How she balances lifestyle posts and SEO-friendly posts in her blogging schedule. Why she prioritizes outsourcing the tasks that don't bring her joy, and how she has built her team. What her approach to keyword research is. How she has juggled childcare and blogging responsibilities over the years. What she would change, and what she would keep the same, from the last 14 years of blogging. How she incorporates her nutrition private practice into her business. More about the breakdown of her income sources at various points in her blogging journey, and how she diversifies her income streams. Resources: fANNEtastic Food Kath Eats Real Food Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life The E Myth Revisited Follow Anne on Instagram and Facebook Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Understanding plugins, the future of custom themes, and WordPress Site Editor with Lauren Gray from Once Coupled. ----- Welcome to episode 418 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Lauren Gray from Once Coupled. Navigating the Changing Landscape of Technology in Food Blogging Lauren is the Founder and Director of Development at Once Coupled, a small development agency that works with food bloggers and other online publishers. She also happens to be the Web Development Expert here at Food Blogger Pro and is truly an expert on all things themes, plugins, and WordPress. And that's exactly what Bjork and Lauren are chatting about in today's podcast episode! They cover a lot of ground, from Site Editor and Block Editor to custom themes and technical debt. If you're curious about making changes to your website, updating your theme, or looking to add specific functionalities to your site, this is an interview you won't want to miss! In this episode, you'll learn: What Lauren does at Once Coupled and how they support food bloggers. How Once Coupled's services and offerings have changed over the years to reflect the changing landscape of food blogging. What Site Editor in WordPress is, how it works, and how it changes things for publishers and developers. What WordPress Blocks (and the Block Editor) are. The pros and cons of using Site Editor vs. a custom theme right now. Lauren's recommendations for how beginner food bloggers should progress through their website journey. What technical debt is, and why you need to keep it in mind when building your website. The purpose of, and future plans for, Once Coupled's plugins company, Small Plugins. The functionality of the Dynamic Connector plugin from Small Plugins. Resources: Once Coupled The Food Blogger Pro Podcast Episode 122: Site Speed in a Mobile-First World with Lauren Gray Nerdpress Bill Erickson The Food Blogger Pro Podcast Episode 236: Themes – Performance-Focused Designs with Bill Erickson Squarespace Webflow Wix Genesis Theme iMark Interactive Upwork Media Wyse Feast Small Plugins Get 70% off of Small Plugins plugins! Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Brainstorming, building, and marketing an app and WordPress plugin for saving online recipes and sharing them with friends. ----- Welcome to episode 417 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Ann Baum from Spillt. Building a Recipe-Sharing App to Drive Traffic to Food Blogs Food creators are no strangers to recipe-sharing sites and social media apps; many of us have love-hate relationships with some of them! Sisters Ann and Maddie Baum knew that there was a better way to save and share online recipes — so they built it! Over the past several years, Ann and Maddie created Spillt, an app and WordPress plugin that allows users to save online recipes and share them with friends on the app, all while driving traffic and star ratings back to the food bloggers themselves! Bjork and Ann talk about Ann's career journey from working at Facebook to building the app, and take a peak behind-the-scenes at the creation of Spillt. Ann shares more about working with food bloggers to create the app, and why they wanted to prioritize food bloggers in the functionality of the app. It's a really informative episode and one you won't want to miss! In this episode, you'll learn: What Spillt is, and how food creators can use it to drive traffic and star ratings to their recipes. More about Ann's career path from working at Facebook to developing the Spillt app. Why Ann and her sister, Maddie, decided to build Spillt, and what market gap they hope to fill. What product development for Spillt looked like. Why they built Spillt in a way that prioritizes the needs of food bloggers. The difference between a content algorithm and a social algorithm, and why that difference mattered in the creation of Spillt. The plans for monetization on Spillt in the future. What user growth has looked like on Spillt so far. Resources: Spillt Tastemaker Conference Pinch of Yum Goodreads Slack Booked Up: Ben Smith on Traffic Clariti Follow Spillt on Instagram Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Once Coupled, the development agency behind the brand ​Small Plugins​. To get a 70% discount on ALL (current and future) Small Plugins plugins, get early access to test new plugins, and vote on ideas for the next plugin, go to foodbloggerpro.com/small. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Documenting family recipes, managing a food blog as a family of four, and writing a James Beard-nominated cookbook with Sarah and Kaitlin Leung from The Woks of Life. ----- Welcome to episode 416 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Sarah and Kaitlin Leung from The Woks of Life. Preserving Family Recipes with a Food Blog For Sarah and Kaitlin Leung, their food blog, The Woks of Life, is a family affair. They have run the blog with their parents, Judy and Bill, for over ten years, and now they all work together full-time! Bjork chats with Sarah and Kaitlin about the early days of The Woks of Life, including why they started documenting their family's Chinese recipes, and how they grew their site while working full-time. Sarah and Kaitlin share more about the division of labor when running a food blog as a family, and what they've learned over the last ten years of blogging. They have a really unique perspective on food blogging, and it's a can't-miss episode. In this episode, you'll learn: More about being nominated for a James Beard Award for their cookbook. The origin story of The Woks of Life back in 2013. Why they wanted to preserve and document their family's Chinese recipes on the blog. What the division of labor looks like amongst the four family members behind The Woks of Life. How they transitioned to running their blog full-time, and the changes they made during that time that were most beneficial for the growth of the blog. How the skills from their previous jobs translate to running the blog. What international site traffic looks like for Woks of Life, and how it affects RPMs. What advice they would give to beginner bloggers. Resources: The Woks of Life The Woks of Life Cookbook Clarkson Potter Pinch of Yum Chinese Ingredients Glossary Google AdSense Raptive The Go-Giver Optin Monster WeChat Designing Your Life Designing Your New Work Life Follow The Woks of Life on Instagram and Facebook Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Once Coupled, the development agency behind the brand ​Small Plugins​. To get a 70% discount on ALL (current and future) Small Plugins plugins, get early access to test new plugins, and vote on ideas for the next plugin, go to foodbloggerpro.com/small. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Insights on the differences between traditional publishing and self-publishing, details on the financial and non-financial benefits of publishing a cookbook, and what it takes to be successful when self-publishing a cookbook with Matt Briel from Lulu. ----- Welcome to episode 415 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Matt Briel from Lulu Press. How and Why To Self-Publish a Cookbook Have you ever dreamed of writing a cookbook? Are you intimidated by the process of finding a publisher? Or are you just curious why a food blogger might want to write a cookbook? If you answered yes to any of those questions, this podcast episode is for you! Matt Briel is an entrepreneur and the Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Lulu.com, a print-on-demand, self-publishing, and distribution platform. Bjork and Matt chat about the differences between traditional publishing and self-publishing, why you might want to consider self-publishing a cookbook, and how to be successful when self-publishing content. It's a super informative episode that will give you a lot to think about when it comes to cookbooks! In this episode, you'll learn: More about Matt's background and how he came to be interested in publishing. What marketing looks like for Lulu and why they prioritize helping creators sell more books. The differences between print-on-demand and offset printing in the publishing world. Why print-on-demand is a more ecologically friendly option. What the print-on-demand process looks like from start to finish for a cookbook. What it takes to successfully self-publishing a cookbook, and who you need on your team. What a success story looks like for creators who self-published their cookbooks. How self-publishing a cookbook can help you diversify your income streams. The non-financial benefits of publishing a cookbook. What to do if you're curious to learn more about self-publishing a cookbook. Resources: Lulu Disney World is Awesome Podcast Simon & Schuster Shopify Fiverr 99designs Upwork The Peachie Spoon Lauren Fit Foodie Tiny Home, Big Flava Lulu's Resources Lulu's YouTube Page Connect with Matt via email Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Blogging While Working Full-Time, Pitching Brands, and Determining Your Rates with Kyleigh Sage from Barley & Sage ----- Welcome to episode 414 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Kyleigh Sage from Barley & Sage. Combining Brand Work and Ad Revenue to Make $10,000-$15,000 a Month There are lots of different opportunities for food content creators to make money. And one of the most common ways is by partnering with brands! In this interview, Bjork and Kyleigh chat about partnering with brands on sponsored content and freelance work (even when you don't have a large social media following), including how to effectively pitch to brands and negotiate your contracts. Kyleigh is honest and transparent about her strategies for working with brands and how she navigates pricing her work. It's clear that she is passionate about helping other food bloggers find success, and you won't want to miss this interview! In this episode, you'll learn: About Kyleigh's professional background and journey to starting her food blog in 2019. How she strategically approached her first year of blogging while still working full-time. More about how she first started partnering with brands on sponsored content and freelance work. How she combines brand work and ad revenue to make $10,000-$15,000 a month. How an SEO audit transformed how she approached her blog and helped her qualify for Mediavine. How she recommends calculating your rates when working with brands. How to effectively pitch your work to brands and network with PR agencies. What she recommends for maintaining good relationships with brands and PR agencies. What she would repeat, and what she would change from her food blogging journey so far. Resources: Barley & Sage Mediavine Media Wyse Substack Pricing Guide for Food Photography Barley & Sage Resources Follow Kyleigh on Instagram Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Growing a food blog while working full-time, outsourcing tasks for your business, and limiting burnout with Maggie Zhu from Omnivore's Cookbook. ----- Welcome to episode 413 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Maggie Zhu from Omnivore's Cookbook. Lessons in Burnout, Persistence, and Creativity after Ten Years of Food Blogging Maggie Zhu has been running Omnivore's Cookbook, a food blog all about modern Chinese cooking, for over ten years. That's a very long time in internet years! She's had incredible success growing her site during this time and just recently wrote her first cookbook. But this success didn't come without some struggle. Maggie has navigated intense periods of burnout over the last ten years and has learned that outsourcing and prioritizing her creativity are key to helping her overcome these phases. This interview is honest, raw, and thought-provoking, and we really hope it resonates with you as much as it did with us! In this episode, you'll learn: About how Maggie got started as a food blogger over 10 years ago. What it was like for her to work a full-time job while growing her food blog. What her goals are for her blog, and how she works through the comparison trap. How she limits burnout after blogging for 10+ years. Why she prioritizes outsourcing certain tasks for her business, and how she determines what to outsource. Where she finds people to join her team. How she approaches creating Chinese recipes for a Western audience. Why it's important for her to find a creative outlet outside of her blog. What advice she has for someone in the early stages of food blogging. Resources: Omnivore's Cookbook Pinch of Yum's Income Reports WP Engine Big Scoots Chinese Homestyle Cookbook by Maggie Zhu Upwork We Study Billionaires: Wealth and Health with Jason Karp Follow Maggie on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Navigating grief, managing anxiety, and prioritizing your physical health with Sherry Walling from ZenFounder. ----- Welcome to episode 412 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Sherry Walling, a clinical psychologist and founder of ZenFounder. How to Support Your Mental Health as a Content Creator Sherry Walling is back on the podcast today to talk about something we should all be discussing more — the mental health of entrepreneurs. If you have a career as a content creator, it can be difficult to separate your personal life from your professional life. It can also be lonely to run your own business. Not to mention the challenges of sharing parts of your life on social media! All this to say that entrepreneurs face a unique set of challenges when it comes to mental health, and this powerful episode with Sherry is one you won't want to miss. She shares more about the habits you can incorporate into your life to better manage anxiety, stress, and grief, and prioritize your emotional and physical well-being. In this episode, you'll learn: Why Sherry started a public conversation around the mental health of entrepreneurs. The first steps to take when your mental health is suffering. Why it's important to prioritize your well-being. The habits that entrepreneurs can incorporate into their lives to take care of their mental health. The practices Sherry incorporates into her life to support her physical and emotional health (including the trapeze!). The benefits and detriments of technology for our mental health. How to live your life in a way that honors your soul. How Sherry navigated seasons of grief, and the lessons she learned from those times. What content creators can do to support their mental health. How to separate your personal from your professional life, and why that matters. Why it's important for creators to have a hobby. Resources: ZenFounder ZenFounder Podcast Sherry's previous episode of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast Headspace Full Focus The Entrepreneur's Guide to Keeping Your Sh*t Together: How to Run Your Business Without Letting it Run You Gear Junkie We Study Billionaires: Wealth & Healthy with Jason Karp Touching Two Worlds Untangle Grief Refuge in Grief Empowered through Grief The Grief Project Follow Sherry on Instagram Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Running a business as a couple, working with brands, and creating content for your audience. ----- Welcome to episode 411 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Shanika Graham-White and Darnell White from Orchids + Sweet Tea about how they work together to run two businesses, partner with brands, and create content with their audience in mind. Working with Brands and Knowing What Your Work is Worth We're really excited to share this week's conversation with Shanika Graham-White and Darnell White. They're the creators behind the food blog Orchids + Sweet Tea, and the production company, Brooklyn Sweet Tea Productions. In this episode, you'll hear all about the evolution of their businesses, how they negotiate with brands, and more about their experience as black creators in the food blogging space. It's a really inspiring episode with tons of actionable takeaways, and we can't wait for you to give it a listen! In this episode, you'll learn: How and why Shanika and Darnell started Orchids + Sweet Tea, and why they decided to start a production company, too. How they made the leap from food photography to videography. Shanika's workflow and equipment set-up for photography and shooting video. What the division of labor looks like between Shanika and Darnell. How Darnell's background in programming translated to videography, and how he got started filming recipe videos. How Shanika determines and structures pricing when working with brands for sponsored content and/or video production. How they divide their time between their different businesses and goals. What advice Shanika and Darnell have for food bloggers wanting to start working with brands. How they navigated and persevered through the early stages of blogging, and how they found a balance between personalization and optimization. More about the experience of being black creators in the food and wellness space. How Shanika creates content with her audience in mind. What advice Shanika and Darnell would give to their past selves when they were just starting Orchids + Sweet Tea. Resources: Orchids + Sweet Tea Brooklyn Sweet Tea Productions Orchids & Sweet Tea: Plant-Forward Recipes with Jamaican Flavor & Southern Charm The Guardian: Hungry Planet: What the World Eats - in pictures Parker Walbeck Productions Follow Shanika and Darnell on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Navigating the changing landscape of video advertising, adapting to a future with AI, and understanding the removal of third-party cookies with Paul Bannister ----- Welcome to episode 410 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Paul Bannister from Raptive. AI, Third-Party Cookies, and Changes in Video Advertising Standards If it feels like the last few years have come with a lot of changes in the online world, that's because there have been tons of changes. We're talking ChatGPT and AI, the removal of third-party cookies, the rapid growth of video, and more. Luckily, our guest on the podcast today is just the person to break down these big changes and explain how it all relates to content creators. Bjork is chatting with Paul Bannister, the CSO and co-founder of Raptive (formerly AdThrive and CafeMedia) about all of these buzzy topics. Whether you're hoping to qualify for Raptive in the future, are already a Raptive creator, or are just curious about all of the tech news in the online space, this is a really informative listen! In this episode, you'll learn: More about the beginning of Paul's career founding Online Gaming Review in 1995. How he approaches big changes in the online space. What third-party cookies are, how they relate to digital advertising, and what you need to know about the removal of third-party cookies from Google. What's next for advertisers after the removal of third-party cookies. How ChatGPT and AI are changing the world of content creation. How the transition from UA to GA4 will change Raptive's eligibility criteria. About why he believes "video is the future" and how the advertising space is changing to reflect that. The difference between in-stream, out-stream, and accompanying content video ads. More about the new standards for video advertising. How Raptive is evolving to help content creators diversify their income streams. Resources: Paul's previous episodes on The Food Blogger Pro Podcast here and here Raptive formerly known as AdThrive and CafeMedia Dotdash Meredith ChatGPT Pinch of Yum's 20 Minute Healthy Chicken Parmesan Bard Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost Raptive's Eligibility Criteria 363: What Bloggers Need to Know About Google Analytics 4 with Alison Bechdol Google Analytics Course on Food Blogger Pro IAB Tech Lab Raptive Blog Follow Paul on Twitter Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Duett. Learn how the Duet team can leverage your email list for ever more site traffic at duett.co/foodbloggerpro. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Insights on dark ads and whitelisting, updates on privacy legislation, and details about how AI is impacting contracts with Danielle Liss from Businessese and LISS Legal. ----- Welcome to episode 409 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Danielle Liss from Businessese and LISS Legal. AI, Privacy Policies, and Sponsored Content The legal side of food blogging can be stressful, overwhelming, and complicated. Most food bloggers don't get into the business because of their passion for contracts and privacy policies! But that's why we have experts like Danielle to help us navigate these issues. In this week's podcast episode, Danielle is back on the podcast (this is her 9th episode!) to chat about legal hot topics in 2023. Danielle breaks down updates in privacy legislation, and the impact of AI on contracts and confidentiality, and explains more about whitelisting and dark ads. Danielle is a master at explaining tricky topics in a straightforward (and entertaining!) way, and this episode is a must-listen for any business owner! In this episode, you'll learn: How and why Danielle helps food bloggers and digital creators with the legal side of their businesses. Everything you need to know about dark ads and whitelisting, and the differences between the two. More about how AI is impacting contracts and brand deals. What you need to know when it comes to AI, confidentiality, contracts, and privacy policies. Details about updates in privacy legislation and privacy policies. About deletion requests, and how to approach them. More about the services Danielle's businesses (LISS Legal and Businessese) offer. Resources: LISS Legal Businessese Pinch of Yum ChatGPT Netlist Wins $303 Million in Patent Damages From Samsung Raptive Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Investing in education, self-publishing a cookbook, and shaping a career in food photography following a diagnosis with a chronic illness with Helena Murphy. ----- Welcome to episode 408 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Helena Murphy from Helena Rose Photography. Food Photography, Self-Publishing, and Chronic Illness Advocacy One of the best parts of working as a food creator is that you have the ability to determine exactly what your career looks like. By prioritizing your interests and diversifying your income streams, you can shape what your day-to-day work consists of to meet your needs! And that's exactly what Bjork is chatting about with Helena Murphy in today's podcast episode. Helena shares her journey from corporate marketing to freelance product and food photography, and how her diagnosis with Crohn's disease influenced both her personal, and professional life. Helena is an incredible photographer and has self-published both a magazine and a cookbook. She has a really inspiring story, and we're excited to share this interview with you! In this episode, you'll learn: All about Helena's career journey, and how she left her corporate job to start a freelance career. How she invested in education to improve her photography and editing skills. What advice she has for people looking to take the leap into photography as a career. How she determined what she wanted her business to look like and diversified her income streams. More about the process of self-publishing her cookbook. Her diagnosis with Crohn's disease, and how it led her to create a cookbook to help others with the same diagnosis. How her chronic illness has impacted how she views and operates her business. Why she chose to use a print-on-demand service for her cookbook, and what the process looked like. How she uses photography and aesthetics to convey a message and mood to her readers. Resources: Helena Rose Photography Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Capture One This American Life Lightroom Magic Course Beth Kirby ChatGPT The Multi-Hyphen Life: Work Less, Create More, and Design a Life That Works for You by Emma Gannon Ctrl Alt Delete The Plant-Based Crohn's and Colitis Cookbook Cowspiracy Omnom Magazine So you want to publish a magazine? Kindle Direct Publishing Asana Trello Airtable Follow Helena on Instagram Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Optimizing your website for Core Web Vitals, following best practices for images, and learning more about Google's Ranking Factors with Andrew Wilder from NerdPress. ----- Welcome to episode 407 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Andrew Wilder from NerdPress. How Core Web Vitals and Image Size Impact Search Ranking Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the nitty gritty tech side of running a food blog? Well then, this week's podcast episode is for you. Bjork is chatting with Andrew Wilder, our WordPress Support Expert, and the Founder and CEO of NerdPress. In this episode, Andrew takes a deep dive into Core Web Vitals and explains how they're calculated, and why it's important to optimize your site with Core Web Vitals in mind. They also discuss the best practices for blog image sizes, including the best method for compressing your images, and frequently asked questions about Featured Images. Andrew is a frequent flyer guest on the podcast for a reason — he is super knowledgeable, and can teach us all about the tech side of blogging that many of us struggle with! If that sounds like you, you won't want to miss this episode. In this episode, you'll learn: All about Andrew's journey of starting and growing NerdPress as a business. Why it's important for creators to pay attention to Core Web Vitals. More about Google's Ranking Factors (and how they relate to Core Web Vitals). Everything you need to know about Core Web Vitals, including how they're calculated and how to optimize for Core Web Vitals. What Google Search Console is, and how to set it up. The process for optimizing and compressing the images on your site. The difference between .jpeg, .png, and .webp, and when to use them. Best practices for sizing and cropping your Featured Images. More about working with Andrew and the NerdPress team. Resources: Andrew's episodes on The Food Blogger Pro Podcast NerdPress International Food Bloggers Conference Google Search Console's Core Web Vitals report The Feast Plugin WP Rocket Perfmatters PageSpeed Insights 339: Tech Check-In – The Best Plugins and Tools for Food Bloggers in 2022 with Andrew Wilder Google Search Console Google Discover Adobe Lightroom Adobe Photoshop WP Recipe Maker ShortPixel Imagify Smush NerdPress Frequently Asked Questions Follow Andrew on Instagram Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Navigating the influencer industry as a food creator, working with brands, and building a more profitable business. ----- Welcome to episode 406 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Brittany Hennessy from Carbon August about influencer marketing. Monetization Strategies in the Influencer Industry Do you consider yourself to be an influencer? As a food creator, whether or not you have a large social media following, you are definitely influencing your audience. And today's guest is the expert when it comes to all things influencer. In this episode, Bjork is chatting with Brittany Hennessy, an author, and pioneer in the influencer industry. They discuss her career path, experiences working at a media company, and why creators are more important than ever in the marketing space. It's a thought-provoking episode that will help you think more critically about your strengths as a content creator, and how to build a stronger, more profitable business. In this episode, you'll learn: More about Brittany's career path and how she got started in the influencer industry. What it's like to work at a media company like Hearst. Why creators are more important than ever in the marketing space. Whether you're an endorser, entertainer, or educator as a creator, and what the metrics for success look like for each. Her advice for when you should build vs. monetize. Why she thinks that social media followers and email subscribers are the most important relationships to build. Why you should ask yourself "Is this good for my brand, is this good for my business, and/or does this make me happy?" when making decisions regarding what you share. How to approach affiliate marketing on a food blog. When and why you should consider working with an agency. More about Brittany's book (Influencer: Building Your Personal Brand in the Age of Social Media). Resources: I Faked My Grandpa To The Top of Fashion Week Horizon Media Hearst Influencer: Building Your Personal Brand in the Age of Social Media Collective Voice Magnolia Wirecutter Travis Scott Skims Striped Spatula The Casper Blog Getty Images DBA Follow Brittany on Instagram and Facebook Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Focusing on keyword research, creating a workflow, and monetizing your blog. ----- Welcome to episode 405 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Casey Rooney from Get On My Plate. Keyword Research, Resilience, and Resourcefulness As food bloggers, it can be easy to feel like you need to be doing everything to succeed. If you're not writing blog posts every day, killing it on social media, partnering with brands, etc., you won't ever achieve your goals. But that is not true. And Casey Rooney is the perfect illustration of that! She started her food blog, Get On My Plate, in 2021, and has had incredible success growing her site over the last two years. She has leaned into her passion for SEO and content creation and made a six-figure income in 2022. In this episode, Casey shares more about her workflow, keyword research process, and why she doesn't focus on social media. It's a really refreshing and inspiring episode, and we're excited to share it with you! In this episode, you'll learn: More about Casey's background as a teacher and her journey to starting her food blog in 2021. How she was able to grow her blog and monetize to make a six-figure income within two years. Why she stopped focusing on social media, and instead emphasized content creation and SEO. How her passion for content creation, teaching, and business shaped her approach to her blog. What she thinks the necessary skills are for any food blogger. All about her workflow for content creation. Her strategy for publishing Google Web Stories and what benefits she sees from them. What her process for keyword research looks like. How she optimizes and updates older blog posts. What the future of Get On My Plate looks like, and how Casey is diversifying her income. Resources: Get On My Plate Xanga TopHatRank TED: Grit: the power of passion and perseverance - Angela Lee Duckworth Monday.com BiggerPockets A Better Life with Brandon Turner Canva KeySearch RankIQ 1:1 Blog Coaching with Casey Follow Casey on Instagram Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Incorporating gratitude into your routines, shielding yourself from the negative, and brainstorming what you're grateful for at work. ----- Welcome to episode 404 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork is wrapping up his mini-series on habits with a discussion on the habit of gratitude. A Gratitude Practice for Your Business In this solo mini-series, Bjork has covered four habits that he recommends creators incorporate into their routines. So far, Bjork has covered the importance of a monthly review, the habit of continual learning, and the habit of who. In today's episode, Bjork chats about the habit of gratitude in both your personal, and professional life. If you don't already have a gratitude practice in your life, this episode is just what you need to get started — practical tips, resources, and more. We hope you enjoy the last episode of our habits mini-series. We'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming next week! In this episode, you'll learn: How to build a habit of gratitude in your personal life. Why a gratitude practice can be beneficial for your business. Practical strategies for incorporating gratitude into your routines. How to focus on gratitude and shield yourself from the negative. Prompts for brainstorming what you're grateful for in your work. Resources: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear The Food Blogger Pro Podcast Episode 124: How to Level Up Your Life with UJ Ramdas The Five Minute Journal Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Creating a personal board of directors, determining who your experts are, and asking "who can help me with this?" ----- Welcome to episode 403 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, we have the third episode in our series on habits for creators, all about the habit of who. Building the Habit of Who Do you ever feel like you need to be an expert in everything you do, both in your personal and professional life? If so, you're not alone, and today's episode is for YOU. In the third episode of Bjork's mini-series on habits, he is chatting all about the importance of surrounding yourself with trusted experts who can help you with specific aspects of your life and business. You'll learn more about creating a personal board of directors, determining who your experts are, and why you need to be asking "who can help with this?". In this episode, you'll learn: Why you should ask yourself the question "who can help me with this?" How to introduce the filtering mechanism of "who" into your business. Why you should consider building out a personal board of directors. The kinds of experts to surround yourself with in the food blogging space. How to find a mix of advisors from the digital, personal, and paid consultant realms. How the 'habit of who' can help boost productivity. Why you should take time to reflect on the gains you've made in your business. Resources: Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork NerdPress Allea Grummert at Duett The Gap and the Gain: The High Achievers' Guide to Happiness, Confidence, and Success Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Balancing quick and slow knowledge, using time blocks for continual learning, and pairing habits with Bjork Ostrom. ----- Welcome to episode 402 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, we have the second episode in our series on habits for creators, which is all about the habit of continual learning. How to Prioritize Continual Learning Do you currently set aside time in your schedule for continual learning? Or do you feel like you're just too busy to make time for it? Either way, we hope that today's episode will help you to rethink continual learning, and give you inspiration for incorporating it into your life as an entrepreneur. Bjork chats about the importance of continual learning as a business owner, time blocks, and habit pairing — you won't want to miss this episode! In this episode, you'll learn: The difference between quick knowledge and slow knowledge, and why you need a balance of both. How to use time blocks to implement the habit of continual learning. How to incorporate continual learning into your life on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. Why using time blocks can lead to better building blocks for your business. How to pair the habit of continual learning with the habit of a monthly review. Resources: Notion Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

The importance of a monthly review of your business's revenue, expenses, and profit, and how it can help you be more intentional about growing your business. ----- Welcome to episode 401 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork is kicking off the Habits Series on the podcast with a discussion about monthly reviews. Why You Should Start a Monthly Review of Your Business This solo episode with Bjork is the first in our Habits Series, in which Bjork will dive into simple, but effective habits that you can (and should!) incorporate into your business. Bjork explains the concept of a monthly review of your business's finances and analytics, and how it can benefit your business and help you think more strategically about growth. It's a really informative listen, and we hope you'll take away some helpful tips and tricks that you can incorporate into your business moving forward! In this episode, you'll learn: The importance of a monthly review of your revenue, expenses, and profit. How to get started tracking your business numbers with a spreadsheet. Why you should separate your personal and business expenses. How to think strategically about losses and expenses in your business. How your bookkeeping and monthly review process might evolve as your business grows. Why a monthly review can help you be more intentional about growing your business. Resources: Atomic Habits Pinch of Yum Income and Traffic Reports Quickbooks Xero Pilot ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Prioritizing your time and talent, cultivating a bias toward action, and embracing the grind with Bjork Ostrom. ----- Welcome to episode 400 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork is chatting about four takeaways that he has observed during his interviews with experts, food creators, and friends over the last 400 podcast episodes. 4 Takeaways from 400 Episodes In this episode, Bjork reflects on conversations from the last few years and discusses four themes that came up time and time again in these interviews, and in some way contributed to the success of the guests. Over the course of the episode, Bjork unpacks each of these themes and provides examples and takeaways to help listeners apply these themes to their own businesses. As we celebrate 400 episodes, we wanted to thank YOU for listening to The Food Blogger Pro Podcast - we couldn't do it without you! In this episode, you'll learn: The four themes that Bjork has noticed over the course of the 400 podcast episodes he has recorded The importance of leaning into time, talent, and learning in your business (and hoping for some luck, too!) Why you should cultivate a bias toward action How to prioritize the skills you're naturally good at Why you might want to embrace your "grind" More details about our upcoming habits mini-series on the podcast And more! Resources: User Controlled Analytics: The 3 Most Important Types of Analytics in Your First Year of Blogging Atomic Habits Connect with Bjork via email Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Five food blog SEO takeaways from our member Q&A with Casey Markee. ----- Welcome to episode 399 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, we're sharing a few recipe SEO takeaways from a Q&A we had for our members with Casey Markee. Internal Linking, Keywords, AI, and SEO for Food Bloggers We host Live Q&As every month for our Food Blogger Pro members, and one of our most recent Q&As was with our SEO Expert, Casey Markee. In today's episode, we're re-sharing five major takeaways from that conversation and giving you a bit more information about how you can implement his advice, where you can go to see examples, and where you can go to learn more. It's a new "style" of episode for us, and we hope you enjoy it! And if you're interested in getting access to the full SEO Q&A with Casey and you're not already a Food Blogger Pro member, listen to the end for a discount code to join! In this episode, you'll learn: What E-E-A-T means for food bloggers How AI may impact organic site traffic If there's an ideal recipe post "template" What to include on a static food blog homepage A few things that we can do to set ourselves apart in 2023 Resources: Ologies Media Wyse The Ultimate Guide to Chocolate Chip Cookies from Handle the Heat 294: Bake Offs – Producing a Different Kind of Recipe Content for a Food Blog with Erika Kwee The Bake Offs on The Pancake Princess Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines Our latest update to the quality rater guidelines: E-A-T gets an extra E for Experience ChatGPT Learn more about food trends Broken Link Checker Find Casey on Food Blogger Pro Save $25 on a new annual Food Blogger Pro membership! ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, email us at [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Developing an email marketing strategy, serving your audience, and building brand loyalty with Allea Grummert from Duett. ----- Welcome to episode 398 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Allea Grummert from Duett all about surveying your audience and email marketing. Surveying Your Audience There are many different reasons that email marketing is a valuable tool for food creators. Having an email list can help with SEO, provide a reliable means of communicating your content, and build relationships with your readers. And that's what Allea Grummert is talking about with Bjork on the podcast today! Allea is an email marketing strategist and conversion copywriter at Duett, and the Food Blogger Pro Email Marketing Expert! In this episode, you'll hear about developing a rock-solid email marketing strategy, surveying your readers, and building brand loyalty. In this episode, you'll learn: How to overcome the mental barriers of email marketing for your business. Why email marketing is so valuable for a food blog. How to use email to connect with and better understand your audience. How often you should email your subscribers. Why you might want to send a survey to your subscribers, what questions to ask, and how to use the survey data to serve your audience. How to tailor your emails (or blog posts) to better meet the needs of your readers. How to strategically develop your welcome sequence. About two email marketing case studies that illustrate the benefits of email marketing. How to work with Allea on your email marketing. Resources: Duett ConvertKit Pinch of Yum Foureyes Typeform Clariti ProBlogger FinCon The Permission Sandwich Formula: How to Write Emails That Actually Get You Sales She Loves Biscotti Recipe Teacher Allea's Your First Welcome Sequence resource for The Food Blogger Pro community Follow Allea on Instagram and Facebook Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Strategies for effective bookkeeping, navigating business expenses, and confidently managing tax season as a creator with Amy Northard from Amy Northard, CPA. ----- Welcome to episode 397 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Amy Northard from Amy Northard, CPA about accounting for food creators. Demystifying Finances and Taxes Taxes and bookkeeping can be a major source of anxiety for anyone, but especially anyone who is self-employed… like many food creators! It can be difficult to know where to get started with managing your business finances, or how you might be able to improve your accounting processes! Luckily, that's what Bjork is chatting with Amy Northard about in today's podcast episode! Amy is a CPA and Partner at Amy Northard, CPA ("The Accountants for Creatives") and is an expert at setting up bookkeeping systems and navigating taxes for business owners in the creative space. In this episode, you'll hear more about when and how to start bookkeeping for your business, the best ways to prepare for tax season, when you might want to outsource your accounting needs, and more. In this episode, you'll learn: How and why Amy found her niche and started her accounting firm for creatives The importance of separating personal and business transactions How to reconcile your business expenses Whether groceries can be considered a business expense (and why it matters) What the IRS audit process would look like for a food blogger Tips for storing and organizing your business receipts Amy's recommendations for bookkeeping software Deductions that creatives might overlook The differences between sole proprietor, LLC, and S Corp, and how to choose which is the right fit for you How to manage payroll for your business When you should start to do bookkeeping for your business When you might want to consider outsourcing your bookkeeping or taxes How to manage losses when you're starting your business How to be intentional about taxes as a more established food creator Strategies for effective bookkeeping to make tax season easier Resources: Amy Northard, CPA Dropbox Shoboxed Quickbooks Xero Wave Justworks Gusto Follow Amy on Instagram and Facebook Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ------ This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

The transition from blogging to owning a shop, how community drives brand awareness, and the importance of building an audience with Rosie Alyea. ----- Welcome to episode 396 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Rosie Alyea from Sweetapolita about serving your audience and transitioning from blogger to shop owner. The Business of Sprinkles This episode with Rosie is full of inspiration, and we're so excited to be talking to her this week about the way she transitioned from blogging to running a multi-million dollar product-based business! A common theme in this episode is the importance of serving your audience, and you'll learn how Rosie did that as a blogger and now as a sprinkle business owner. It's a super entertaining interview, and we hope the conversation opens you up to other ideas and ways that you can be supporting your audience where they need it most! In this episode, you'll learn: How Rosie got into baking How she realized she wanted to start her own company What her transition from blog to shop was like How community content drives brand awareness Why building an audience is so important What she was looking for by going on Dragons' Den How to work with the Sweetapolita team Resources: Cake Beauty Elisa Strauss' The Confetti Cakes Cookbook Sweetapolita The Sweetapolita Book Rosie on Dragons' Den Connect with Sweetapolita on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook ----- This episode is sponsored by Duett. Jump on a free discovery call to see how the Duett team can help you with your email marketing needs at duett.co/call. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, email us at [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Important questions to ask about your customers or audience, defining your H1, and why bloggers may want to sell products with Chad Cannon. ----- Welcome to episode 395 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Chad Cannon to chat about strategically growing your business through understanding your audience and selling products. Scaling Your Business (and Your Revenue) This episode is all about the importance in having a deep understanding of what your business does and how it helps your audience in order to scale and grow. Chad Cannon is from ScaleFactor, a company focused on building and scaling businesses through their 7 Factors of Scale. You'll learn about three of the seven factors in this episode: Find Your Buyer, Align Your Brand, and Create Products. Our hope is that you'll be able to think through new ways to monetize as you're listening to this interview! In this episode, you'll learn: How he got his start helping businesses grow and scale What the "Law of Thirds" means Why founders may want to replace themselves What he took away from helping other businesses and applied to his own business Important questions to ask about your customers or audience How to define your H1 How to find a buyer or an audience Why product is important for food bloggers Why sponsors will appreciate your understanding of your brand and audience What the product creation process looks like How you can learn more from and work with Chad Resources: Platform University Full Focus Full Focus Planner Business Accelerator ScaleFactor Kolbe Assessments Food Blogger Pro's Coaching Calls ScaleFactor Podcast 1000 True Fans Duluth 7 Factors of Scale ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, email us at [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Being intentional with your social media use, navigating vulnerability in the online space, and launching a newsletter on Substack with Leslie Stephens from morning person newsletter. ----- Welcome to episode 394 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Leslie Stephens from the morning person newsletter about social media addiction and launching her Substack newsletter. Substack Newsletters and Social Media Use As content creators, many of us have a love/hate relationship with social media, and know just how addicting it can be. And that's what we're chatting about today with Leslie Stephens! Leslie is the writer behind morning person newsletter, and she joined Bjork on the podcast to talk about her decision to study social media addiction, and how her studies have influenced the choices she has made with her popular Substack newsletter. In this episoide, you'll learn about how to be more intentional with your social media use, how to navigate vulnerability in the online space, and why you might consider launching a newsletter on Substack. In this episode, you'll learn: How Leslie started her career as an editor at Food52 What she learned while working as an online creator for a major lifestyle brand in LA Why she decided to pursue a Masters with a focus on Social Media Addiction Why social media is so addictive and how to be more intentional when using it Why she started her morning person newsletter on Substack The pros/cons to the Substack platform How she found her newsletter niche and grew to thousands of paid subscribers in just one year How she navigates sharing her personal life and setting boundaries online Resources: morning person newsletter The Social Dilemma Follow Leslie on Instagram Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

How passion and growth are connected, how to reinvest in a website, and growing a loyal audience with Maurizio Leo. ----- Welcome to episode 393 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Maurizio Leo from The Perfect Loaf about business growth through passion. How Passion and Sourdough Feed a 9 Million Pageview Food Blog From co-founding and running a popular phone app to starting a sourdough blog that now gets 9 million pageviews a year, Maurizio Leo is a busy guy. But everything he does is deeply rooted in passion, and you'll hear why forming businesses around that passion has been crucial for his business growth and consistency in this conversation today. If you're looking for ways to diversify your income, growth strategies, or simply some inspiration to help you work towards your goals, you'll get it all in this episode! In this episode, you'll learn: About his background in computer science How he transitioned to working in the food space How the passion and growth are connected What his schedule looks like as an owner of two successful businesses At what point Maurizio knew The Perfect Loaf could be a business How the pandemic impacted The Perfect Loaf's traffic How he reinvests in the site Why he decided to offer a membership What the process of writing a cookbook was like What Maurizio is anticipating in the next few years Resources: SkyView The Perfect Loaf Businesses Do NOT Exist to Make Money | Simon Sinek Pinch of Yum's Holiday Bucket List Ang's Creamy Tortellini Soup The Perfect Loaf Membership Memberful Discord The Perfect Loaf Cookbook Follow Maurizio on Instagram ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, email us at [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Dealing with hacked Instagram and Facebook accounts and tips for securing your own social media accounts with Bjork Ostrom. ----- Welcome to episode 392 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork explains how the Pinch of Yum Instagram account got hacked and eventually recovered. Pinch of Yum's Hacked Instagram Account Last month, Bjork and Lindsay went through something we all fear as content creators: they completely lost access to the Pinch of Yum Instagram account after Lindsay's Facebook account got hacked. Talk about a scary situation! They were eventually able to get the accounts recovered, but they went through a few very stressful days trying to get everything sorted out. In this episode, Bjork shares the entire story of how this happened, how they were able to recover the accounts, and what measures they're taking to prevent this from happening in the future. Last but not least, Bjork also provides some tips for how you can secure your own social media accounts to hopefully avoid a situation like this. In this episode, you'll learn: How Lindsay's Facebook and Instagram accounts got hacked How two-factor authentication works How they were able to get the accounts recovered Tips for securing your own social media accounts How phishing works Resources: Pinch of Yum Meta Authy Google Authenticator 1Password Connect with Bjork via email Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Working with a literary agent, writing a cookbook proposal, and going through the cookbook publishing process from start to finish with Sally Ekus from The Ekus Group. ----- Welcome to episode 391 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Sally Ekus from The Ekus Group about what the cookbook publishing process looks like. Behind the Scenes of the Cookbook Publishing Process As food bloggers and food creators, many of us dream about writing our own cookbooks one day. But what does it take to get a cookbook deal, and what does the cookbook publishing process actually look like? That's what we're chatting about in this interview with Sally Ekus! She's a literary agent at The Ekus Group and has brokered over 300 book deals with top publishers across the country. In this episode, you'll learn what she does as a literary agent, what steps are involved in the cookbook publishing process, how to set yourself up for success to potentially write a cookbook in the future, and more. In this episode, you'll learn: How Sally became a literary agent What she does at The Ekus Group Why cookbook proposals are so important How to set yourself up for success to potentially write a cookbook Why the topic for a first cookbook is so important How advances and royalties work for cookbooks What the differences are between frontlist and backlist titles What cookbook marketing and publicity look like What steps are involved in the cookbook publishing process How long it typically takes to write a cookbook What she teaches in her How to Write a Cookbook course Why writing a cookbook can lead to many other opportunities Resources: The Ekus Group How to Write a Cookbook course — The Ekus Group How to Be a Cookbook Author Facebook Group Everything Cookbooks Podcast Publishers Marketplace Follow Sally on Instagram and Facebook Connect with Sally via email Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group -----This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food.If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Overcoming feelings of burnout, becoming a full-time content creator, and creating multiple revenue streams with Karishma Pradhan from Home Cooking Collective. ----- Welcome to episode 390 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Karishma Pradhan from Home Cooking Collective about how she overcame burnout and built a successful career as a food creator. Overcoming Burnout and Building a Successful Career as a Food Creator Today, we're really excited to share this conversation with Karishma Pradhan! She runs the site Home Cooking Collective, and she has a really unique story to share about how she became a full-time food creator. In this episode, you'll hear what her career used to look like as a data analyst, why she transitioned to working for herself, how she overcame feelings of burnout, and how she earns an income now by sharing food content online. It's a really inspiring interview that emphasizes the importance of finding work that serves you and empowers your physical and mental health. We hope you enjoy it! In this episode, you'll learn: What Karishma learned working in data analytics How she transitioned to working for herself How she overcame feelings of burnout How she got into sharing food content online How she analyzes user behavior as a blogger and content creator Why she decided to start hosting cooking workshops How she got into doing freelance recipe development and food writing How she prioritizes her time and manages her work Resources: Home Cooking Collective 323: Understanding the Numbers – Optimizing Your Blog's Financials with Ansley Beutler The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma Wellfound Karishma's Workshops and Classes Simply Recipes The Bite Shot Follow Karishma on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter Submit a Coaching Call Application Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Investing money into your business, deleting posts to encourage growth, and the importance of having accountability partners with Sarah Cook from Sustainable Cooks. ----- Welcome to episode 389 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, we're rewinding back to our episode with Sarah Cook from Sustainable Cooks where she talks about what specific strategies she implemented to grow her blog's traffic and increase her revenue. Going From 17k to 600k Monthly Pageviews For today's FBP Rewind episode, we're rewinding back to our September 2021 interview with Sarah Cook from Sustainable Cooks! Sarah's story is so inspiring, and in this episode, she shares everything she did to go from 17k to 600k monthly pageviews with her blog. She explains some of the unique ways she has invested in her blog, why she decided to delete hundreds of posts, why she loves having a blogging accountability partner, and more. It's a great interview, and we hope you can apply some of these tips and skills to grow your own traffic. Let's rewind! In this episode, you'll learn: How Sarah decided to go all in with her blog How she struggled to define her identity as a full-time blogger Where she started investing money into her business How she shifted her content strategy Why she deleted hundreds of posts on her blog How she categorized her content into specific buckets Why ad earnings are typically lower in Q1 How her blog's success has helped her support causes she cares about How she fits work into the margins of her day What tasks she decided to hire out Why she loves having a blogging accountability partner Resources: Sustainable Cooks 170: What's Working and What's Not with the FBP Community Media Wyse Find Casey Markee on FBP Purr Design The Simple Pin Podcast Find Kate Ahl on FBP Mediavine Keysearch AdThrive Hey Nutrition Lady Cook It Real Good Follow Sarah on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Improving your food photography skills, getting a cookbook deal, and focusing on SEO with Emma Duckworth from Emma Duckworth Bakes. ----- Welcome to episode 388 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, we're rewinding back to our episode with Emma Duckworth from Emma Duckworth Bakes where she talks about how she's grown her blog by focusing on SEO. Doubling Pageviews by Focusing on SEO It's another FBP Rewind episode today, and we're so excited to revisit our November 2021 interview with Emma Duckworth from Emma Duckworth Bakes! After growing her business for a few years, Emma decided to double down on her blog and hired a mentor to help her out with SEO. You'll hear how she used the avatar exercise to understand her audience, how she optimized her homepage and recipe categories, and what she's doing to focus on SEO moving forward. If SEO is a focus for you at the moment, you won't want to miss this episode! In this episode, you'll learn: How Emma got into food photography and food blogging How she grew her food photography skills What steps she took to strategically grow her Instagram account How she started getting her first sponsored work What she learned from the cookbook writing process Why she decided to double down on her blog How she hired a mentor to help her out with SEO How she used the avatar exercise to understand her audience How she optimized her blog's homepage and categories How she identified and optimized her top-performing posts How she has started doing keyword research Why she and her husband decided to launch a street coffee business What she's focusing her attention on moving forward Resources: Emma Duckworth Bakes Order Emma's cookbook, Simply Sweet Nostalgic Bakes Dear Coco Street Coffee Foodtography School This American Life Well Seasoned Studio Foolproof Living The Feast Plugin Google Analytics Google Search Console Keysearch Clariti Growth University Follow Emma on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Running a web design studio, conveying your brand's voice and messaging, and optimizing the user experience on your blog with Madison Wetherill from Grace + Vine Studios. ----- Welcome to episode 387 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Madison Wetherill from Grace + Vine Studios about optimizing your website design as a food blogger. Optimizing Your Website Design as a Food Blogger When it comes down to it, website design is so much more than just your website layout and logo; a large component of it is how you convey your brand's messaging and voice throughout all the pages on your site. Madison Wetherill is the web designer behind Grace + Vine Studios, and she's here on the podcast today to share all her best tips for optimizing your website design as a food blogger! In this episode, you'll hear how she works with food bloggers, how she helps her clients develop and showcase their brand's voice, and her best tips for enhancing the user experience on your site. We hope you enjoy this episode! In this episode, you'll learn: How Madison became a web designer How she works with food bloggers at her web design studio Why brand voice is so important How to stand out in the crowd as a food blogger How to convey your brand's messaging on your blog's homepage and blog posts How to optimize the user experience on your site Why she decided to expand her team What topics she covers on her podcast Resources: Grace + Vine Studios The Vine Podcast The Clean Eating Couple Follow Madison on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group -----This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Getting started with email marketing, encouraging people to sign up for your list, and creating a strong email marketing strategy with Matt Ragland. ----- Welcome to episode 386 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Matt Ragland about getting the most out of your email marketing strategy. Getting the Most Out of Your Email Marketing Strategy If you're already creating content for your blog or social media, another great place to share that content is via email. And that's what we're chatting about today with Matt Ragland! Matt has years of experience in the world of email marketing, and in this interview, you'll hear what he learned working at ConvertKit, why email marketing is so powerful, his best tips for getting more people to sign up for your email list, and how he helps creators develop high-converting weekly email newsletters. Whether you're looking to get started with email marketing or take your current email marketing strategy to the next level, we know you'll have so many takeaways from this conversation! In this episode, you'll learn: What Matt learned working at ConvertKit Why he recommends leaning into a niche How he helps creators with email marketing Why email marketing is so powerful How to effectively share blog posts via email How to get more people to sign up for your email list Why he recommends creating a welcome series How broadcasts and newsletters differ from sequences His best tips for getting started with email marketing Resources: Matt's website Learn more about Matt's email marketing service, Automatic Evergreen Connect the Dots Podcast Story Signals Podcast Copyblogger ProBlogger Michael Hyatt's website Corbett Barr Chris Guillebeau ConvertKit Smart Passive Income Podia Teachable Kajabi Quora Medium Follow Matt on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group -----This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food.If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Getting comfortable on camera, running online cooking classes, and maximizing your productivity with Ashley Covelli from Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen. ----- Welcome to episode 385 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Ashley Covelli from Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen about teaching cooking classes as a food creator. Teaching Cooking Classes Have you ever wanted to teach your own cooking classes but are not sure how to get started? Then you won't want to miss this episode with Ashley! In addition to sharing recipes on her blog, Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen, Ashley also runs online cooking classes in partnership with local libraries. You'll hear how she started doing these classes, how she got comfortable being on camera, what equipment she uses to run the classes, and more. If you're looking to add a new revenue stream to your business, cooking classes might be a fun option to look into! In this episode, you'll learn: How Ashley started sharing food content online How she started teaching in-person cooking classes Why she switched to teaching virtual cooking classes How her cooking classes work What equipment she uses to run her classes How she got comfortable being on camera How she uses time blocking to maximize her productivity Why she recommends documenting your processes Resources: Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen Ashley's Upcoming Cooking Classes LiveJournal Blogger Zoom Aputure Amaran P60X Panel Light Alvoxocon USB Lavalier Microphone Gumroad Food Blogger Pro Video Courses Duett CoSchedule Mailchimp MailerLite The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right GoodNotes Follow Ashley on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Running two food blogs, building a team, and rapidly growing an email list with Toni Okamoto from Plant-Based on a Budget. ----- Welcome to episode 384 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Toni Okamoto from Plant-Based on a Budget about how she runs her two food blogs and how she's grown her email list to over 80,000 subscribers. Running Two Food Blogs and Growing an Email List Today, we're really excited to share this conversation with Toni Okamoto! She's the creator behind not one, but two, successful food blogs: Plant-Based on a Budget and Food Sharing Vegan. In this episode, you'll hear what she's done to get both blogs accepted into Mediavine, why she decided to expand her team, how she's grown her email list to over 80,000 subscribers, and more. Toni's passion for her work shines through in this interview, and we know you'll have so many takeaways after learning her story and content creation strategy! In this episode, you'll learn: How Toni started sharing food content online How she has strategically grown her two food blogs Why she believes so strongly in investing in her business Why she decided to expand her team What tools she uses to stay in contact with her team What the primary revenue sources are for her business How she works with sponsors on her blog, social media, podcast, and email newsletter How she has grown her email list to over 80,000 subscribers Why she places so much emphasis on social media Resources: Plant-Based on a Budget Food Sharing Vegan The Plant-Powered People Podcast BigScoots Mediavine What the Health Kate Kordsmeier The E Myth Revisited Voxer World of Vegan Matt Molen Mediavine Spotlight 201: Email Marketing for Bloggers with Matt Molen Sign up for the FBP Cyber Monday Waitlist! Follow Toni on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group -----This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Creating viral food videos, sharing videos on TikTok, and editing your videos for different platforms with Julie Tran Deily. ----- Welcome to episode 383 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Julie Tran Deily about how food creators can use Whisk when sharing videos on TikTok. TikTok, Whisk, and the Importance of Leaning into Video Note: Since the recording of this interview, TikTok decided to sunset their Jump program, which Bjork and Julie mention during this interview. Therefore, Whisk Jump is no longer available as of December 1, 2022. As an alternative, creators can link directly to Whisk using their TikTok profile link. When sharing recipe videos on social media, it can be hard to direct your followers to the actual recipe on your blog. Social media platforms just really don't make it easy for us, do they? Enter: Whisk! You can use this handy app to add a recipe link directly to your TikTok videos, and it's what we're chatting about today with Julie Tran Deily. Julie used to work for Whisk, and she's also been running her food blog, The Little Kitchen, for over 12 years. Video is a huge part of her strategy, and in this episode, she's sharing her process for creating viral food videos, as well as a peek into how she uses tools like Whisk to grow her social media following and increase her blog's pageviews. In this episode, you'll learn: Why Julie decided to launch her food blog How she had a video go viral on several different social platforms Why she really likes sharing videos on TikTok What her role looked like at Whisk How Whisk lets you link to your recipes on TikTok How she edits her videos How she converts vertical videos to horizontal videos to share on her blog Why she recommends experimenting and sharing on different social platforms Resources: The Little Kitchen Julie's Crab Rangoon Facebook Reel Download a Free Content Strategy Guide from Julie Tran Deily Whisk Mediavine Final Cut Pro Info About the Whisk Creator Fund Adobe Premiere Rush Adobe Express InShot Follow Julie on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group -----This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food.If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Reaching out to brands, negotiating sponsored content contracts, and determining your rates with Jenny Meassick from Chocolate & Lace. ----- Welcome to episode 382 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Jenny Meassick from Chocolate & Lace about how she works with brands and negotiates sponsored content contracts. Tips for Negotiating Sponsored Content Contracts There are so many ways you can earn money as a food creator, one of which is by working with brands and creating sponsored content. And that's what we're talking about today with Jenny from Chocolate & Lace! Jenny's been blogging for over ten years, and she currently earns the majority of her blogging income by working with brands. She has a very strategic approach when it comes to sponsored content, and we're really excited to share her process with you in this episode. You'll hear her best tips for negotiating sponsored content contracts, how she sets her rates, how she nurtures strong relationships with the brands she works with, and more. We hope you enjoy this episode! In this episode, you'll learn: How Jenny started sharing content online Why she doesn't want to become a full-time blogger Why she decided to start sharing both food and lifestyle content How she approaches doing sponsored content Her best tips for negotiating sponsored content contracts How exclusivity works Her best tips for setting your rates for sponsored content What 'in perpetuity' means How she approaches pitching to brands Why she recommends following up with brands you're working with frequently Resources: Chocolate & Lace Exactly How I Set My Rates as a Content Creator Mediavine Things That Matter: Overcoming Distraction to Pursue a More Meaningful Life Substack FBP Live – September 15, 2022 – Earning Money with a Side Hustle — available for FBP members only Paved Ford ALDI STAUB Influencer: Building Your Personal Brand in the Age of Social Media LISS Legal Find Danielle Liss on FBP Follow Jenny on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Knowing a recipe is ready to publish, why recipe testing starts at the grocery store, and starting with a Hypothesis Draft with Katie Webster. ----- Welcome to episode 381 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Katie Webster from Healthy Seasonal Recipes about the process of developing rock-solid recipes for your readers. Developing Foolproof Recipes As food bloggers and business owners, the "product" we're creating for our readers or "customers" are our recipes, so it's important for them to be as comprehensive as possible. Katie Webster from Healthy Seasonal Recipes has a unique and reliable process for testing the recipes she publishes on her site, and she's here today to talk you through the whole thing! You'll hear about how she starts the process, why she develops a hypothesis draft, and how she ultimately decides that a recipe is at its final stage. This episode is a must-listen for any and all recipe developers! In this episode, you'll learn: What she did as a personal chef What her personal chef business taught her about freelancing How to know a recipe is done Her process for developing recipes The difference between prep time and active time At what point Katie finalized a recipe Why she doesn't shoot photos or video when she's testing recipes Why recipe testing starts at the grocery store How she keeps track of recipe ideas How she works with recipe testers Her advice for those in the early stages of recipe development Resources: Healthy Seasonal Recipes EatingWell Katie's cookbook 374: From Blogger to Cookbook Author – How Adrianna Adarme Sold 110,000 Copies of Her Cookbook 375: From Blogger to Cookbook Author (Part Two) – Preserving Family Recipes Through Cookbooks with Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack The Recipe Writer's Handbook Follow Katie on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, email us at [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

How to understand high-ranking content on Google, how to tell when Google updates its algorithm, and the importance of user intent with Arsen Rabinovich. ----- Welcome to episode 380 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Arsen Rabinovich from TopHatRank about how content ranks with the Google Algorithm. What Google is Expecting from Food Creators Us, to Google Search: Why are you the way that you are? If you've ever had similar feelings towards the world's most popular search engine, you're not alone! And luckily, Arsen Rabinovich is here to talk all about content that performs well in Google search results. And while the way that the Google Algorithm works isn't 100% understood, we can learn from other pieces of content within search engine results to understand what Google looks for in "good content." Bjork and Arsen have a great, approachable conversation in this episode, and career bloggers and newbies alike will definitely learn a thing or two that they can apply to their own content creation endeavors! In this episode, you'll learn: How he helps recipe bloggers at TopHatRank What White Hat and Black Hat SEO are How Google understands user intent How to tell when Google updates its algorithm Who names the Google Algorithm changes and how you can know what's included If Google could make an update that only updates the food and recipe space Who John Mueller is How Google understands the content of a web page Whether or not schema is a ranking factor If should creators should create content in service of the algorithm How to understand what ranks well on Google What domain authority and authoritativeness are How plural search terms are understood by Google Resources: TopHatRank Casey Markee Media Wyse TopHatContent TopHatSocial SEO for Bloggers Webinars 367: Brainstorming Content Ideas with Ranking Potential and Writing Great Blog Posts with Ashley Segura Semrush Sensor MozCast What creators should know about Google's helpful content update Google's Medic Update List of Google Search ranking updates Yoast SEO TopHatRank for Bloggers How to Update Seasonal Content – SEO For Bloggers Episode #26 Pinterest Organic: Recap of SEO For Bloggers Episode #25 Follow TopHatRank on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, email us at [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Managing your time as a blogger, investing in your business, and building connections with other food bloggers with Shweta Garg from Masala and Chai. ----- Welcome to episode 379 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Shweta Garg from Masala and Chai about how she's grown her blog while working a full-time job. Growing Your Blog with a Full-Time Job Are you growing your blog while also working a full-time job? Do you struggle to find enough hours in the day to get everything done? If so, you're not alone! Today, we're chatting with Shweta, the blogger behind the site Masala and Chai. Since launching her blog, she has been growing it while also working a full-time job, and she's been very strategic about maximizing her time and resources to grow and monetize her site. In this episode, you'll hear her five best tips for growing your blog while also working a full-time job, as well as what she's done to earn $9,000 in one month from her blog. We hope you enjoy hearing Shweta's story and advice in this episode! In this episode, you'll learn: How Shweta started sharing food content online What she does for her full-time job Why she moved away from doing restaurant reviews How she improved her food photography Why she recommends setting business hours for your blog Why content batching can help you maximize your time as a blogger Why it's so important to invest in yourself and your business What courses and masterminds she went through to grow her blog Why she recommends planning your quitting criteria Why it's so helpful to build connections within the food blogging community Resources: Masala and Chai The Feast Plugin Media Wyse TopHatRank Frosting and Fettuccine's Food Photography Classes and Workshops Style Me Creatively 021: How to Manage Your Schedule So You Can Live Free with Amy Lynn Andrews Mediavine Cooking with Keywords The Food Blogging Mastermind - Sweet Tea + Thyme MrBeast's YouTube channel Why Jim Carrey Wrote Himself a $10-Million Check Before He Had $10 Million Follow Shweta on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Diversifying your revenue streams, selling digital products, and finding your niche as a food creator with Tessa Arias from Handle the Heat. ----- Welcome to episode 378 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Tessa Arias from Handle the Heat about the unique ways she monetizes her business as a food creator. Monetizing as a Food Creator Today, we're really excited to share this conversation with Tessa! She's a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and blogger behind the site Handle the Heat, and she is a big proponent of diversifying your income streams as a food creator. In this episode, you'll hear how she sells both physical and digital products on her blog, her best tips for those who want to start selling digital products like courses, why she doesn't want to rely entirely on ad revenue, and more. Tessa's story is so inspiring, and she offers some really insightful advice for other food creators in this conversation. If you've been looking for some unique ways to monetize your business, you won't want to miss this episode! In this episode, you'll learn: Why Tessa decided to launch her food blog How she narrowed down her content focus and landed on her niche Why she focuses so much on diversifying her income streams How she sells physical and digital products Her best tip for those who want to start offering digital products What tools she uses to run her online course Why she decided to expand her team How she manages her weeks and optimizes her time Resources: Handle the Heat Shop Handle the Heat The Magic of Baking course Angelfire StumbleUpon Sur La Table BlogHer AdThrive Mediavine LearnDash Kajabi Teachable Thinkific Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World Run Like Clockwork Loom Follow Tessa on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Creating a content plan for Q4 and maximizing your revenue as a food creator with advice from the Food Blogger Pro Experts. ----- Welcome to episode 377 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, the Food Blogger Pro Experts share their best advice for getting the most out of Q4 as a food creator. Q4 Advice Let's talk about Q4! The last three months of the year (also known as Q4) are a very important time for food creators for a few reasons. More people will be searching for recipes as the holidays roll around, and advertisers are spending more money, which can impact creators who are monetizing through display ads or sponsored content. So, what should we be doing as food creators to maximize our earning potential during Q4? That's what we're chatting about today! In this episode, a few of the Food Blogger Pro Experts share their best tips for approaching Q4. From adjusting your content strategy to pitching yourself to brands to sharing more on Pinterest, there are so many different ways you can make the most of this season as a content creator. In this episode, you'll learn: Who the Food Blogger Pro Experts are How you can use Google Trends as a food creator Why it's important to look at your RPMs during Q4 How to get your site ready for increased visitors during Q4 What a strong Q4 email marketing strategy might look like How to get the most out of Pinterest during Q4 Tips to stay on top of your sponsored content agreements How to optimize your top posts for Q4 Why you might want to pitch yourself to brands this time of year Why you might want to install Google Analytics 4 if you haven't yet How to approach sharing seasonal content on YouTube Tips for sharing seasonal content as a vegan content creator Resources: Meet the Food Blogger Pro Experts Google Trends AdThrive Mediavine NerdPress Duett Simple Pin Media LISS Legal Businessese Pinch of Yum Republishing Content course Digital-ade Google Analytics MonsterInsights Google Tag Manager Rainbow Plant Life Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership