The Food Blogger Pro Podcast

Lighting for recipe videos, different videos for different platforms, and finding your video style with Emily Caruso. ----- Welcome to episode 177 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Emily Caruso, Pinch of Yum's Video Specialist, as part of our recent Video in 2019 Summit. A Video in 2019 Q&A We recently held a free event called the Video in 2019 Summit, and it focused on ways you can level-up your recipe videos in the new year. Our last session of the day was a Q&A with Pinch of Yum's Video Specialist, Emily Caruso, and she answered listener-submitted questions about style, lighting, tools, and more. Emily creates awesome Pinch of Yum recipe videos all by herself in her home, so if you're producing videos without a fancy studio, you'll find this episode inspirational, motivational, and full of helpful tips! In this episode, Emily shares: How she created different videos for different platforms How to fade music at the end of your videos What it's like to shoot videos by herself How to figure out your rate for making videos for brands How to level your camera The importance of hooks Tips for finding your style If she treats lighting the same as she does with photography How video ads work How to deal with the nuances of natural lighting Resources: Premium Beat The Gear We Use for Recipe Videos Glide Gear OH 100 Cell Phone Mount 099: Sponsored Content and Getting Paid What Your Work is Worth with Danielle Liss Google Drive File Stream If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Emily from Layers of Happiness! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

Top mistakes of affiliates, buyer intent, and the authentic use of affiliate links with Chris Guthrie. ----- Welcome to episode 176 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Chris Guthrie about making affiliate marketing work for you. Affiliate Marketing for Bloggers This is the greatest time of year. No, not because of the holidays…because it's gift guide season! Joking aside, gift guides are just one of the many ways that you can make affiliate marketing work for you, and that's exactly why Chris is here. He's sharing some unique strategies for affiliate marketing, and he chats about important keywords for affiliate marketing, optimization, and more. If you're looking for ways to up your affiliate income game, this episode is for you! In this episode, Chris shares: Why he started product review sites Why buyer intent is important and how to create content around it Why keywords like "best" and "top" are helpful for affiliate marketing The biggest mistakes affiliates make How you can authentically use affiliate links How you can win an optimization session with Chris Resources: SEMrush Ahrefs Top 7 Tips I Used to Make $41,438.42 in 2009 with Amazon Associates Amazon Associates Program Fee Schedule EasyAzon Amazon OneLink Up Fuel Follow Chris on Twitter If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Tieghan from Half Baked Harvest! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

Photography, blogging as a career, and finding balance with Ali Martin. ----- Welcome to episode 175 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, we're rewinding back to episode #24 with Ali Martin from Gimme Some Oven. How to Find Balance in Blogging Every once in a while, we like to rewind back to a past episode of the Food Blogger Pro Podcast, and this one is a good one. It's one of our most popular episodes, and while a lot has changed since this episode aired in December 2015, a lot of what Ali talks about is as important as ever. We're so excited about this FBP Rewind episode because the advice that Ali gives in this interview is timeless. She talks about important self-care tips, following your passions, and how she grows her blog every day. In this episode, Ali shares: How she stumbled upon the idea for a blog & got started What motivated her to keep blogging when she didn't even know she could make money with a blog Her tips for white photography When she quit her job to be a blogger full-time, and how long she thinks she'll be doing it What she does to continue to grow her blog every day How she uses the Google Keyword Planner to get post ideas Why she surveys her readers every year Her best advice for new and experienced bloggers Resources: Food Blogger Pro enrollment opens on Thursday, November 8! Join at foodbloggerpro.com Gimme Some Oven 016: How Elise Bauer Built Simply Recipes and Recovered from a 70% Drop in Traffic White Balance Eyedropper Tutorial Google Keyword Tool (note - this link will only work if you have an AdWords account set up) Gimme Some Oven on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram Ira Glass quote on creative work foodbloggerpro.com/one If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Bethany from Maloney Made! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

A free event (and you're invited!), proactive content consumption, and microlearning with Bjork Ostrom. ----- Welcome to episode 174 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks about the ways that you can practice 1% infinity with your blog or business. 7 Ways To Practice 1% Infinity If you've been around Food Blogger Pro for a while, chances are that you've heard of 1% infinity. It means making a little bit of progress, every single day, forever, and it's our philosophy here at FBP HQ. But how do you actually practice 1% infinity in your own life? That's the question Bjork is answering in today's episode. And we'd love to know: what's the #1 way you practice 1% infinity in your business? Let us know in the comments at foodbloggerpro.com/174! In this episode, Bjork shares: Why free events and webinars are valuable What proactive content consumption is How to block out time for microlearning An easy to fill your day with knowledge Why it's important to connect with both similar and diverse groups of people How conferences or in-person events are inspiring What structure-free times are Resources: Register for our Video in 2019 Summit! Pocket This Week in Startups Startups for the Rest of Us MacBreak Weekly Mixergy If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Aaron from Fat for Weight Loss! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

Diversifying income, a smarter way to choose tools, and forming your path with Sven Raphael Schneider. ----- Welcome to episode 173 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Sven Raphael Schneider from Gentleman's Gazette about starting and growing his business by fulfilling a need. Creating What You Can't Find Sven Raphael Schneider started his business, Gentleman's Gazette, out of a need. He was looking for information on men's fashion, and he couldn't find it. So he fulfilled the need he saw and created the content himself. From there, he learned a lot about running a business, from diversifying his income to understanding the correlation between quality and sales. You'll learn all about his strategies for growth in this episode. In this episode, Sven shares: How he formed his path online How he dealt with troubles early on The way he's diversifying his income Why quality doesn't always equate to sales Why you should think of your goals before choosing your tools Why they switched their focus from Instagram to YouTube Why he likes to produce content in advance Resources: Moleskine Gentleman's Gazette ConvertKit InflusionSoft 097: How to Create a Full-Time Income from Blogging Using The Egg Carton Method with Bjork Ostrom Traction EOS Follow him on YouTube If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Rosscito! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

Staying motivated, avoiding mistakes, and refreshing old content with Olena Osipov. ----- Welcome to episode 172 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Olena Osipov from iFOODreal about the importance of dreaming big in order to grow your blog. Dreaming Big Your goals, dreams, and aspirations shape the direction in which you take your business and blog, and Olena's journey is a great example of that. You'll learn how she stayed motivated and encouraged through all of the ups and downs of blogging and how she managed to take her blog full-time. Olena is living the dream, and she talks all about how she did it in this episode! In this episode, Olena shares: What it was like to move from Ukraine to Canada How she decided to start her blog How she stayed motivated How to keep going and connect with others What her biggest mistake was How she saw 75% growth in traffic SEO recommendations she received Why updating old recipes was so helpful Resources: Unsplash iFOODreal Pat Flynn 053: Pat Flynn's Tips for Building Online Businesses That Fly 097: How to Create a Full-Time Income from Blogging Using The Egg Carton Method with Bjork Ostrom 093: How Finding a Niche Transformed a Business with Meggan Hill from Culinary Hill 132: Perfecting Your Story and Your Brand with Laurie Buckle 091: Optimizing Recipes for SEO with Joost De Valk from Yoast SEO Google Ads Keyword Planner Google Trends Ahrefs Moz 133: Optimizing Your Food Blog's SEO with Casey Markee 136: Optimizing for Search Results on Google and Pinterest with Raquel Smith Tasty Recipes Nutrifox Tasty Pins Follow Olena on Facebook and Instagram If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, HayMade! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review. We'd like to thank our sponsors, WP Tasty! Check out wptasty.com to learn more about their handcrafted WordPress plugins specifically made for food bloggers.

How to keep creating content, stay relevant, and get sponsors with Noelle Tarr. ----- Welcome to episode 171 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Noelle Tarr from Coconuts & Kettlebells about strategically using a podcast to build a business. The Business of Podcasting Let's talk about podcasting and how it can be an awesome opportunity to get your content seen and heard. Noelle has a blog, a cookbook, and a podcast, and she finds that the podcast is a great way to reach her audience on a deeper level and create a community with her followers. You'll learn how she started her podcast, how she decides on topics, and so much more. If you've ever wondered if starting a podcast is right for you, this episode will help you understand the benefits and opportunities behind building your brand with a podcast. In this episode, Noelle shares: Why she started her podcast How she tracks the success of her podcast Which podcast topics perform best How she's building her email list How they keep creating content How they schedule their podcast interviews How they keep topics relevant How they use their podcast to communicate other projects to their followers Tips for pricing podcast sponsorships Resources: Pocket Coconuts and Kettlebells Well-Fed Women Podcast Libsyn Coconuts & Kettlebells cookbook Podcasts Hit the Books How to Start a Podcast in 2018: Pat's Complete Step-By-Step Podcasting Tutorial 053: Pat Flynn's Tips for Building Online Businesses That Fly If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Dawn! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review. We'd like to thank our sponsors, WP Tasty! Check out wptasty.com to learn more about their handcrafted WordPress plugins specifically made for food bloggers.

How to get your content seen, use other medias to share your content, and finding the time to get through your to-dos. ----- Welcome to episode 170 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, we hear from three Food Blogger Pro members about what's working to help them grow their blogs and what's not. What's Working and What's Not We're so excited to share this new episode with you today because it's definitely a bit different from the episodes we've shared in the past. We're highlighting three Food Blogger Pro members, Katie, Mary, and Sarah, as they talk about the things that really help their blog growth, and the things that they've been struggling with. Then Bjork responds and offers some ideas and encouragement to work through those tough situations. He talks about finding the time to work through your to-dos, tips for social media, and more. It's a really fun episode, and we'd love to hear what you think in the comments! In this episode, Katie, Mary, and Sarah share: Using your blog as a portfolio Getting your content seen Using recipe videos How passion fuels progress Finding enough time Resources: Hey Nutrition Lady What is affiliate marketing? 12 Healthy Freezer Meals Mary's Nest Mediawyse Blog Tutor Sustainable Cooks If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected].

Caring for yourself as an entrepreneur, ignoring data, and being a painkiller with Josh Pigford. ----- Welcome to episode 169 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Josh Pigford from Baremetrics about the lessons he has learned in the 15+ years he's been building businesses. Insights and Observations on Starting a Business The life of an entrepreneur is always changing, but after 15+ years in the business, you can expect to learn a thing or two. Josh is a self-proclaimed "maker" who "can't stop making things." As a blogger, you can probably relate. You can't stop posting, stop photographing, stop social media-ing. Josh has 50+ projects and businesses under his belt, and he's here today to share a few of the insights and observations he has learned along the way. From advice about whether you should have a painkiller or a vitamin business to whether or not it makes sense to strive towards perfection, you'll learn all about the lessons Josh has learned to help him build a $1M+/year business. In this episode, Josh shares: When he became an entrepreneur What Baremetrics is Why his customers cancel His insights and observations for starting businesses Why you should ignore data early on The difference between a painkiller and a vitamin in business How to care for yourself as an entrepreneur Resources: Baremetrics WP Tasty Open Benchmarks Open Startups 140: From $300k in Product Sales to $9m in Software Sales with Nathan Barry Josh's Observations / Insights Shoeboxed Quickbooks Cedar & Sail Rockburg Follow Josh on Twitter If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Becky Wink! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review. We'd like to thank our sponsors, WP Tasty! Check out wptasty.com to learn more about their handcrafted WordPress plugins specifically made for food bloggers.

Why metrics are important, advice for growing your sponsored content, and how to stand out to brands with Mandi Gubler. ----- Welcome to episode 168 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Mandi Gubler from Vintage Revivals about a new way to organize and report on sponsored content. How to Add More Value to Your Sponsored Content Let's face it: sponsored content is tough. Determining your work's value, fostering a relationship with a brand, and actually creating valuable content is certainly not the easiest way to monetize your blog. That said, it can be an extremely profitable way to monetize your site, and Mandi is here today to chat all about it. The majority of her blogging income comes from sponsored content, so she understands how the process works and how to deliver the most valuable content possible to the brands she's working with. She wants to help you refine your sponsored content process and add more value to your campaigns. She'll give you advice for standing out to a brand, choosing a project management tool, and more! In this episode, Mandi shares: How DIY blogging has changed since she started blogging The common income path for DIY bloggers Where the majority of her income comes from How to determine your sponsored content rate The problem she sees with project management tools Why metrics are so important in sponsored content work Advice for growing your sponsored content game How to stand out to a brand How to determine when you should increase your rate Where you can go to learn more about sponsored content Resources: Vintage Revivals Typeform Curbly Influence Kit Izea Bruno's Sponsored Content Crash-Course Follow Mandi on Instagram If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. If you'd like to be featured as our Reviewer of the Week in an upcoming episode of the Food Blogger Pro Podcast, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review! We'd like to thank our sponsors, WP Tasty! Check out wptasty.com to learn more about their handcrafted WordPress plugins specifically made for food bloggers.

How to manage your time, reinvest in your blog, and invest in yourself with Jessica Gavin. ----- Welcome to episode 167 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Jessica Gavin about investing in your blog and yourself. The Importance of Investing in Yourself Jessica's career has taken her to a lot of different places: attending culinary school, becoming a food scientist, writing a cookbook, creating an app, working with her husband, learning photography, and meeting other bloggers at conferences and workshops. And even with all of that going on, Jessica understands a lesson that's sometimes tough to grasp: the importance of investing in yourself. Sometimes it's necessary to buy that extra lens, attend that workshop, or join that group because you'll grow through that situation. You'll hear her talk about how she manages her time, how she formed her posting strategy, and why she chooses to reinvest in her blog and herself in this episode. Enjoy! In this episode, you'll learn: Why she decided to not go to culinary school out of high school and decided to study food science instead When she decided to start her blog When she started to take the photos for her blog How she manages her time How she chose a posting strategy Why they choose to reinvest in the blog Resources: Learn about affiliate marketing Yoast Blog Tutor 091: Optimizing Recipes for SEO with Joost De Valk from Yoast SEO Everything Food Conference Jessica's income reports 093: How Finding a Niche Transformed a Business with Meggan Hill from Culinary Hill 132: Perfecting Your Story and Your Brand with Laurie Buckle CookIt Media SideChef Jessica's app Follow Jessica on her blog 038: 7 Strategies to Build Traffic If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Katams! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review. We'd like to thank our sponsors, WP Tasty! Check out wptasty.com to learn more about their handcrafted WordPress plugins specifically made for food bloggers.

When you can expect a burst of Pinterest traffic, the ideal number of boards, and how to disclose sponsored links with Kate Ahl. ----- Welcome to episode 166 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, we're sharing the Q&A from our recent Pinterest Traffic Bootcamp. Answering Your Questions about Pinterest Pinterest is a complex social media that requires time and a solid strategy to see success. That's exactly why we held a Pinterest Traffic Bootcamp! We invited Kate Ahl, our FBP Pinterest Expert and the owner of the Pinterest management company, Simple Pin Media, to speak about strategies, building traffic, tools, and more. We hosted a Q&A with Kate at the end of the Pinterest Traffic Bootcamp, and she answered a ton of your most important Pinterest questions around topics like hashtag best practices, board management, and the highs and lows of Pinterest traffic. After listening to this episode, you'll be equipped with knowledge to help you form your own successful Pinterest strategy. Enjoy! In this episode, you'll learn: If keywords and hashtags are the same thing Best practices for hashtags on Pinterest If you should be using board sections What the ideal number of boards is If you should disclose your sponsored or affiliate links on Pinterest Why your Pinterest traffic might have gone down recently When you can expect a burst of traffic as a food blogger What giraffe pins are and why you shouldn't be using them anymore What rich pins are and whether or not you should use them What the benefits of group boards are Whether or not you should delete pins How videos work on Pinterest Resources: Google Home Mini How to listen to podcasts on your Google Home Simple Pin Media Tailwind Join the Simple Pin Media newsletter Bitly How to upload video to Pinterest Simple Pin Podcast Simple Pin Media services If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Lois from Polish Housewife! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review. We'd like to thank our sponsors, WP Tasty! Check out wptasty.com to learn more about their handcrafted WordPress plugins specifically made for food bloggers.

Creating a trusted system, creating a weekly review, and getting clearer with David Allen. ----- Welcome to episode 165 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork chats with David Allen about his Getting Things Done Methodology. Getting Things Done Blogging comes with a never-ending to-do list. Reach out to that sponsor! Send so-and-so an invoice! Look into why my site is slow! Come up with an editorial calendar for next month! How do you ensure that you stay productive and on top of all of your to-dos? You have a set system of principles to keep you organized and motivated. That's what Getting Things Done is all about. You'll learn all about David's productivity tips that will help you create order out of chaos in this episode! In this episode, David shares: What the GTD methodology is What the five steps are What it means to get clearer How to do nothing What mind like water means How to create a trusted system What lists you should use to get things done What the 2-minute rule is What it means to gather all of your open loops Why a weekly review is valuable What an "in basket" is Resources: Getting Things Done common tools Things Getting Things Done book Big Magic The War of Art Getting Things Done global partners Getting Things Done podcast GTD Connect If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Lauren from Lillian Dora! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review. We'd like to thank our sponsors, WP Tasty! Check out wptasty.com to learn more about their handcrafted WordPress plugins specifically made for food bloggers.

Advice for bloggers, starting a business, and publicizing income with Bjork Ostrom. ----- Welcome to episode 164 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week, we're playing an episode from The Businessese Influencer Marketing Podcast. In this episode, Bjork chats with Danielle Liss about trends in blogging, how they started all of their businesses, why they decided to write about their income on Pinch of Yum, and so much more! You'll also learn about his favorite books and whether he's a Mac or PC guy. In this episode, Bjork discusses: How he and Lindsay transitioned into entrepreneurship How Food Blogger Pro started Why it's important to fulfill a need How Nutrifox and WP Tasty started 1% infinity and advice for bloggers Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Emily! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review. We'd like to thank our sponsors, WP Tasty! Check out wptasty.com to learn more about their handcrafted WordPress plugins specifically made for food bloggers. Resources: Get the resources for this episode here: https://www.businessese.com/episode48/

When Gutenberg is coming and how you can prepare for this WordPress update with Raquel Smith. ----- Welcome to episode 163 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork chats with Raquel Smith from WP Tasty about WordPress' new Gutenberg update. What WordPress' Gutenberg Update Means for You If you're running your blog on WordPress, chances are you've heard of Gutenberg. Gutenberg is WordPress' new WYSIWYG post editor, and it'll be a part of WordPress core before we know it. But will this new way of editing impact you and your posts? You betcha. And Raquel is here to talk all about what you can expect once Gutenberg is live on your site. Between setting up a staging site to test your plugins to understanding what blocks are, this episode will get you prepared for the Gutenberg release later this year! In this episode, Raquel shares: Why version 1.6.0 is an important update for Tasty Recipes What a CMS is and what open-source means Why people self-hosted WordPress sites are beneficial What Gutenberg is What blocks are When we should expect to see Gutenberg How you can prepare for Gutenberg Resources: Shane and Simple 136: Optimizing for Search Results on Google and Pinterest with Raquel Smith Daniel Bachhuber Gutenberg Tasty Recipes is Gutenberg-Ready How to Migrate Your Blog to Gutenberg Frontenberg WordPress 4.9.8 Maintenance Release Gutenberg plugin WP Tavern WP Tasty blog If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Kim from Kickass Baker! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review. We'd like to thank our sponsors, WP Tasty! Check out wptasty.com to learn more about their handcrafted WordPress plugins specifically made for food bloggers.

Being Spock, understanding masterminds, and charging to facilitate a mastermind group with Andy Traub. ----- Welcome to episode 162 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork chats with Andy Traub about masterminds. The Power of Masterminds A "mastermind group" might be one of those "buzz-terms" for influencers, but they can be a powerful way to build a community, collaborate with like-minded entrepreneurs, and even contribute to your income stream. Andy is here today to chat about how to acquire committed members to your mastermind group, how to provide what your group needs, and how to develop deep and meaningful relationships with your group. Plus, he's sharing the details about his new mastermind course and podcast! In this episode, Andy shares: Why he's a "Spock" Why you shouldn't fit in others' stories What two things every person in a mastermind must have What a mastermind group actually is How mastermind groups work How to figure out how much to charge for your mastermind group Resources: Smile Always 064: Finding work you love with Dan Miller from 48 Days Zoom Dropbox 108: From Struggling Podcast to Six-Figure Success with Natalie Eckdahl Andy's Start Your Mastermind course Follow Andy on Instagram If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Ben from Ramshackle Pantry! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review. We'd like to thank our sponsors, WP Tasty! Check out wptasty.com to learn more about their handcrafted WordPress plugins specifically made for food bloggers.

Opening a business bank account, learning from profit and losses, and what the new US tax law means for you with Ben Sutton. ----- Welcome to episode 161 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork chats with Ben Sutton from Mazuma about bookkeeping and taxes for bloggers. Blog Business 101: Understanding Your Accounting I know. Accounting, bookkeeping, and taxes aren't the most exciting topics. That said, they're necessary to understand if you're running your own business. And Ben is here to make it all way more approachable. By tracking your expenses, profits, and losses, you can understand more about what's working for your business and alleviate stress come tax season. You'll learn why having a separate bank account for your business is helpful, how to start separating your expenses, and more! In this episode, Ben shares: Why he started his business When you should think about opening a separate bank account for your blog How specific should you be when categorizing your expenses How you should start tracking your expenses How you can use your profit and losses to help you understand your business How to start separating your expenses When you should start looking into forming an S-Corp What the new tax law means for you Resources: Mixmax Boomerang Mazuma Quickbooks If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Alicia from Daily Ration! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review. We'd like to thank our sponsors, WP Tasty! Check out wptasty.com to learn more about their handcrafted WordPress plugins specifically made for food bloggers.

Monetization strategies, thriving on social media, and ignoring comparison with Bjork Ostrom. ----- Welcome to episode 160 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, we're sharing a recording from our most recent Live Q&A on Food Blogger Pro. A Sneak Peek into an FBP Live Q&A You are getting a sneak peek into one of our favorite perks that comes with a Food Blogger Pro membership: Live Q&As! We hold a Live Q&A for our members every month, and they're a chance for our members to get answers to their toughest blogging questions…live. Our Q&As are the perfect opportunity to invite our experts to chat about a specific topic, but they're also great for picking Bjork and Lindsay's brains. This month's Q&A was an "Ask Bjork Anything," and Bjork answered our members' questions about email lists, photography, monetization strategies, and more. Enjoy this sneak peek into Food Blogger Pro Live Q&As! In this episode, you'll learn: How Bjork and Lindsay monetized Pinch of Yum in the early days The difference between profit and revenue Strategies for new bloggers who want to reach out to brands How to handle new social media platforms like IGTV The ideal Pinterest image size How Lindsay stores her photography props The best ways to grow your email list How Pinch of Yum started to build a team How to not get discouraged while you're growing your blog How to promote products on your blog What you should do with old content How we set up our bootcamps Resources: Apply for our Member Success Agent position! Pinch of Yum income reports 149: How to Get Your Content to Stand Out on Pinterest with Yuka Ohishi 10 Mistakes that Bloggers Make and How to Fix Them 7 Essential Tools You Need to Shoot Your Own Recipe Videos Wayback Machine Zoom If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Madison from A Joyfully Mad Kitchen! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review. We'd like to thank our sponsors, WP Tasty! Check out wptasty.com to learn more about their handcrafted WordPress plugins specifically made for food bloggers.

Ways to pursue business growth and differentiating your income with Mark Daoust. ----- Welcome to episode 159 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork chats with Mark Daoust from Quiet Light Brokerage about testing new income streams and spending money to make money. Different Ways to Create an Income Online As an influencer, you have access to a ton of different ways to monetize your blog. And possibly some ways you haven't even considered. Mark is here to chat about those ways and to give you a better understanding of how online businesses can differentiate themselves. Between understanding how valuable your company truly is to figuring out the right ways to sell your products to finding out what your readers are craving, Mark's tips will help you create an established, sustainable business online. In this episode, Mark shares: What it was like starting his own podcast How to understand how much your business is worth What SaaS businesses are What ecommerce sites are and how to monetize them Ways you can spend money to make money What FBA stands for How to add an additional income stream to your business Resources: 1Password LastPass The Quiet Light Podcast 032: Buying & Selling Websites with Mark Daoust from Quiet Light Brokerage Nutrifox Etsy Shopify How Micro-Goals Built a Food Blogging Empire Neil Patel More about Neil Patel's $100k challenge Quiet Light Brokerage (get a free valuation here!) Sites for sale If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Sara from Real Balanced! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review. We'd like to thank our sponsors, WP Tasty! Check out wptasty.com to learn more about their handcrafted WordPress plugins specifically made for food bloggers.

How to batch-create Instagram posts, improve your photography, and build a following with Lise Ode. ----- Welcome to episode 158 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork chats with Lise Ode from Mom Loves Baking about growing her Instagram following. How to Grow Your Instagram Following to 100k Growing your social media following sometimes feels like an impossible goal, but Lise has figured out the trick to quickly and authentically grow her Instagram following. Her Instagram account, @momlovesbaking, now has 100K followers. And that's after having just a few thousand followers a few months ago. Lise will talk about the course that helped skyrocket her Instagram following, how she improved her photography skills, and the story behind her first post to ever go viral. If you're looking for ways to increase engagement and growth on your Instagram account, you'll learn a lot from this episode! In this episode, Lise shares: How her husband helped her start her blog How her business has transitioned How she improved her photography The most important photography tips she learned Why she focused on intentionally growing her Instagram account How she grew her Instagram following and engagement How she batch-creates her Instagram posts How she works with influencer companies Resources: Pixsy Mom Loves Baking Pillsbury Bake-Off Lise's Chocolate Turtle Poke Cake Instagram Growth Formula Collective Bias Lise's post about vision boards Follow Lise on Instagram If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Kate from Tasty Seasons! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review. We'd like to thank our sponsors, WP Tasty! Check out wptasty.com to learn more about their handcrafted WordPress plugins specifically made for food bloggers.

Thinking about your person, treating Pinterest as a unique platform, and evaluating Pin success with Kate Ahl. ----- Welcome to episode 157 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork chats with Kate Ahl from Simple Pin Media about treating Pinterest as a long-term game and generating conversions. More Clicks, Subscribers, and Sales with Pinterest Sharing your content on Pinterest is almost like being in a relationship. You have to show your commitment by giving it attention every single day. You need to completely understand your audience and give it what it needs. You need to face your challenges head-on in the hopes of creating a thriving, flourishing, and active connection. If it sounds like a lot, it is. But Kate is here help. She's chatting about prioritizing your Pinterest efforts for maximum clicks, subscribers, and sales. You can grow your blog and business with Pinterest, and this episode will teach you how. In this episode, Kate shares: The challenges you should keep in mind when dealing with Pinterest Why Pinterest is a long-term game Why you need to treat Pinterest as a unique social platform Why you need to think about "your person" on Pinterest What's most important on Pinterest How large your "long pins" should be How hashtags work on Pinterest How she gains clients How to evaluate your pin success How to leverage your other social channels for Pinterest success Resources: 026: How Pinterest Analytics can Boost your Blog with Kate Ahl from Simple Pin Media Simple Pin Media Simple Pin Podcast Bjork's episode on the Simple Pin Podcast Everything Food Conference Tasty Pins Tailwind Simple Pin Media services If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Katie from 24 Carrot Life! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review. We'd like to thank our sponsors, WP Tasty! Check out wptasty.com to learn more about their handcrafted WordPress plugins specifically made for food bloggers.

Prioritizing your work, choosing a focus, and leading a healthy life with Liz Della Croce. ----- Welcome to episode 156 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork chats with Liz Della Croce about balance, health, and focus. Building a Healthy Blog and a Healthy Life Running your blog as a business takes a lot of balance. Especially if you have a well-rounded approach to health in mind. Between her journey through weight loss to growing her blog into a profitable business, Liz has figured out how to keep a healthy balance in both her personal and professional lives. You'll learn about her work processes, her approach to balance, and how she prioritizes her work in this interview. Enjoy! In this episode, Liz shares: How she started her blog Her advice for exercise How to maintain a healthy lifestyle Why she focuses on one task at a time How she prioritizes her work Resources: 147: GDPR for Influencers with Danielle Liss Built With Similar Tech My Food Diary Getting Things Done Remember When The Lemon Bowl Follow Liz on Instagram and Facebook If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Bet from Bet on Dinner! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

Keeping a long-term mindset, "What I don't do" lists, and connecting with others with Bjork Ostrom. ----- Welcome to episode 155 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks about important ways to overcome blogger burnout. Keeping it Fresh and Avoiding Burnout Burnout happens to everyone, so it's helpful to have a few tips and tricks in your back pocket for when that feeling strikes. That's why Bjork's here today. He's talking about the seven burnout-fighting tips he implements in his own life. Between an efficient way to take a weekend trip to finding the perfect coffee shop when you want to switch up your work environment, this episode will equip you tools to knock out your blogger burnout. In this episode, Bjork shares: Why he has a long-term mindset Why you should view everything as an experiment Why you should unplug once in a while Why it's helpful to switch up your work atmosphere How to make "what I do" and "what I don't do" lists Ways to meet up with others Why it's important to switch it up Resources: Gmail app If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Katie from Healthy Seasonal Recipes! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

The subtleties of still life photography, the importance of textures, and how to layer with Rachel Korinek. ----- Welcome to episode 154 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork chat with Rachel Korinek from Two Loves Studio about improving your food photography with five powerful tips. 5 Tips to Improve Your Food Photography Spend five seconds on Rachel's photography site, Two Loves Studio, and you'll know that she knows photography. Rachel understands the important role food photography plays in the growth of any kind of food-based business. The saying, "Eat with your eyes" is much more true when your colors look real-to-life, your composition is authentic, and your prop choices make sense. From lighting to editing to color theory, Rachel explains these principles in detail on her blog, and she's here today to share five important tips that can improve your food photography. In this episode, Rachel shares: Why still life photography is difficult What a food stylist does Why it's helpful to work with a team Why textured backgrounds are helpful How to capture shadows What negative fill is and how to work with diffused light Why layering is important in still life photography What color theory is The tools she recommends to have on hand Resources: Rachel's free photography course @bealubas @foodstylingbackgrounds Erickson Surfaces Nikon 85mm f/1.8G lens Rachel's masterclasses Two Loves Studio Follow Rachel on Instagram If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Julie from Julie's Eats and Treats! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

Evaluating your current reality, examining your past work, and becoming an effective leader with Kevin Waldron. ----- Welcome to episode 153 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork chat with Kevin Waldron about being an effective business owner and achieving the life you want. Playing the Game of Business Kevin isn't just a business coach, he's Bjork's business coach! He's in the business of helping people evaluate their current business situation and giving them actionable ways to get to where they want to be. In this episode, Kevin talks about how you can play the game of business to get what you want. You'll learn how to evaluate what you should be doing more of and, more importantly, what you shouldn't be doing as you grow into an effective leader and business owner. Let's dive in! In this episode, Kevin shares: How he knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur The moment he became an entrepreneur How he approaches selling a business Why you might want to infuse your personality into your business What it's like to no longer own your business How he found his sweet spot How he describes what he does to other people The most common things he addresses as a business coach Resources: The E Myth 032: Buying & Selling Websites with Mark Daoust from Quiet Light Brokerage Waldron Leadership Subscribe for Kevin's Ready for Monday email series If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Oriana from Mommy's Home Cooking! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

Dealing with burnout, making the tough decisions, and generating income your way with Carrie Forrest. ----- Welcome to episode 152 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork chat with Food Blogger Pro member, Carrie Forrest, about 6 big mistakes that she made over her 9 years of blogging. 6 Blogging Mistakes Made By a Veteran Food Blogger Today's podcast is extra special because we're featuring a Food Blogger Pro member, Carrie from Clean Eating Kitchen! Carrie has been blogging for nine years, and as you can imagine, she has learned a lot about her readers, the blogging industry, and herself in that time. And that's why she's here today. Between learning the hard truth about what happens when you change your URLs to alienating her audience, she's sharing the top 6 mistakes she made and how you can avoid making them yourself. In this episode, Carrie shares: What it was like blogging 9 years ago What burnout was like and why it made her want to quit blogging How she made the tough decisions about her blog What she learned from alienating her audience How she fixed her broken links How she refined her photography style Resources: Food Blogger Pro enrollment closes May 31! Enroll today! Clean Eating Kitchen Stitch Fix Redirection plugin Pretty Links Google Search Console Tasty Food Photography Backlinko 097: How to Create a Full-Time Income from Blogging Using The Egg Carton Method with Bjork Ostrom Clean Eating for Women podcast Follow Carrie on Instagram If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Karen from Seasonal Cravings! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

When it's time to take a break, how to change your mindset, and what's next for her blog with Stephanie Wise. ----- Welcome to episode 151 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork chat with Stephanie Wise from Girl Versus Dough about stepping away from blogging and pivoting her focus. Designing Your Lifestyle When running a business online, it's easy to experience burnout. Stephanie is familiar with the feeling; she actually stopped blogging at Girl Versus Dough for the majority of last year. In that time, she focused on her family and reevaluated what made her love blogging in the first place. Now that she's back to blogging, she views the process of producing content in a new light. She'll talk about what's next for her and her blog, as well as her advice for others who are thinking about pivoting. In this episode, Stephanie shares: Why she decided to stop blogging When she realized it was time to take a break How her mindset has changed What's next for her, her brand, and her home life How she deals with pushback Her advice for others who are thinking about pivoting Resources: Learn more about becoming a Food Blogger Pro member Stephanie's cinnamon roll recipe and Girl Versus Dough 2.0 post 145: Present Over Perfect with Shauna Niequist Tiny Shiny Home Girl Versus Dough Follow Stephanie on Instagram If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Alyssa from Simply Quinoa! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

We're celebrating our 150th episode with a fun Q&A with Bjork. You'll learn about his management style, why he loves Minnesota, how they're A/B testing on Pinch of Yum, and more. ----- Welcome to episode 150 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork is in the hot seat, and he chats about his favorite music, how he formed his management style, and his favorite Pinch of Yum recipe. Get to Know Bjork Ostrom Happy 150th episode day!! We're so honored and thrilled to have you listening along to the Food Blogger Pro Podcast each week, so to celebrate, we're publishing a fun Q&A episode with our fearless leader, Bjork Ostrom. We'll focus on some business and blogging questions, and then dig into the personal stuff and discover more about Bjork's music career (!!!) and his unconventional favorite Pinch of Yum recipe. This interview was a lot of fun, and we really hope you enjoy it! In this episode, Bjork shares: What his most memorable podcast episode is If there was ever an episode that inspired him to change a part of his business How he overcomes roadblocks How they're using A/B testing on Pinch of Yum His and Lindsay's AIM screen names The books he most recommends Why he loves living in Minnesota What he likes to listen to on Spotify How his music career helped shape his future careers What his favorite Pinch of Yum recipe is How it feels to have 150 episodes in the books Resources: Register for the SEO Bootcamp! ScreenFlow Zoom 145: Present Over Perfect with Shauna Niequist Present Over Perfect 104: How Bloggers Should Handle Their Taxes and Accounting with Cathy Derus 063: Personal Finance for Business Owners with Jeff Rose from Good Financial Cents 147: GDPR for Influencers with Danielle Liss Slack Intercom Google Optimize Y Combinator The War of Art 087: How to Take Permission and Grow Your Business with Andy Traub Man's Search for Meaning Spotify 144: Netflix, Everybody Loves Raymond, and Somebody Feed Phil with Phil Rosenthal Bjork's favorite Pinch of Yum recipe If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Angel from Cheftographer! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

How SEO works on Pinterest, how often you should be pinning, and the optimum size for pins with Yuka Ohishi. ----- Welcome to episode 149 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Yuka Ohishi about optimizing your posts for Pinterest. How to Get Your Content to Stand Out on Pinterest Pinterest can be one of the biggest sources of traffic for food bloggers, so it's important to optimize your posts, descriptions, and photos for Pinterest success. That's why Yuka is here today. She has worked at Pinterest for a few years, and she knows the ins and outs of the platform. She'll answer some of our members' most common Pinterest questions like how big your pins should be, how hashtags work, how to optimize Pinterest descriptions, and so much more. If you're looking for ways to improve your Pinterest efforts, this episode is for you! In this episode, Yuka shares: How she started working with Pinterest How often you should be pinning Why the new profile will help you customize your presence on Pinterest Whether or not you should use rich pins How SEO works on Pinterest How to optimize your Pinterest descriptions How hashtags on Pinterest work The ideal size for long pins How to get more traffic from Pinterest Resources: Validate your rich pins Pinterest's Business Site Pinterest Creators Blog If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Sara from Vegan Chickpea! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

How to craft your ideal day, why you should beta test your idea, and how to launch a course with Steph Jones. ----- Welcome to episode 148 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Steph Jones from Steph Yoga about realizing there needed to be a change in her career and how she made that change happen. Pivoting to Find Success Sometimes we think we know exactly what we want to be doing in life, only to learn that it's not as fulfilling as we had hoped. That's the exact situation that Steph found herself in when she realized that there needed to be a change. She decided to become a yoga instructor and wanted to take her passions to an online platform. Fast forward through a lot of work, testing her idea, and building her site, she now has a thriving yoga membership workout site that helps its members transform their health and bodies through yoga. You'll learn all about how she found her passions and built her business in this interview. In this episode, Steph shares: What she did before she built her own business How she realized that she needed a change How she became a yoga instructor Why she decided to build a food blog How to craft your ideal day How she beta tested her idea How she launched a waiting list Why a drip campaign was helpful How she knew she was ready to launch Why an open / closed enrollment format works for her Resources: Audible You Are a Badass Essentalism The 4-Hour Workweek Teachable Steph Yoga ActiveCampaign Final Cut Pro X MemberPress 062: How To Launch a Membership Site with Mike Morrison from The Membership Guys Follow Steph on Instagram and on Facebook If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Alexa from Girl in Healing! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

What GDPR is, why it's important, and how to implement GDPR-compliant changes on your site with Danielle Liss. ----- Welcome to episode 147 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Danielle Liss from Hashtag Legal and Businessese about understanding GDPR. GDPR for Influencers Have you heard of GDPR? It's a regulation in the EU about data protection, and it affects everyone with readers in the EU. These four letters are causing a lot of confusion and raising questions in our niche, so Danielle is here today to help us all understand its impact. It's important to understand the rules and regulations of GDPR so that we can protect ourselves as bloggers and business owners, but it's also important so that we can protect the privacy of our readers. You'll learn how to audit your site for compliance, the difference between different types of data, and how you might be collecting data on your site visitors without knowing it. In this episode, Danielle shares: What GDPR is and why it's important for influencers How you might be collecting data on your visitors The difference between personal and sensitive data is Why you should audit your site Why disclosing the information you collect might help your relationship with your readers How you can stay up-to-date on GDPR updates Resources: Google Security Checkup 099: Sponsored Content and Getting Paid What Your Work is Worth with Danielle Liss Hashtag Legal GDPR checklist on Businessese GDPR plugin If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Caroline! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

How to view your blog as a business from day 1, better serve your email subscribers, and hire help with Kate Kordsmeier. ----- Welcome to episode 146 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Kate Kordsmeier from Root & Revel about how she generated a full-time income from her blog in just two years. $75,000 in Year 2 One of the most common questions we get on Food Blogger Pro is when bloggers should start monetizing. What do you think? 6 months? A year? 1,000 followers on Instagram? 10,000 page views per month? Kate believes you should start monetizing as soon as possible (as in day one), and in this interview, you'll learn all about the ways she has monetized and grown her blog over the past two years. In this episode, Kate shares: How she knew she needed a change from freelancing Why finding the Pinch of Yum Income Reports were helpful How she was intentional with her learning How she started viewing her blog as a business over a hobby Her approach to affiliate income and sponsored content What her weekly affiliate email is like How she uses tags to segment her email list How she found people to help her with her blog Resources: Root & Revel 046: How Kate Kordsmeier Doubled Her Income with Freelancing Pinch of Yum Income Reports Kate's 2017 Income Report: "How I Made $75,000 Blogging in Year 2" Mediavine ButcherBox ConvertKit Simple Pin Media Mediawyse Kate's business coaching Follow Kate on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Kitty from My Katie Blue! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

How to live with intention, say no, and seek silance with Shauna Niequist. ----- Welcome to episode 145 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Shauna Niequist about inspiration, knowing when to disconnect, and living with intention. Present Over Perfect Shauna understands how important it is to live a life full of meaningful choices and intentional seasons, but she didn't always live this way. It took her coming to a breaking point to really evaluate her choices and understand what's really important. As bloggers and entrepreneurs, we tend to feel the need to constantly be connected to social media, responding to comments, and answering emails. But while those things are important, it's also important to recognize when you should disconnect, say no, and seek silence for a bit. You'll learn how to live "Present Over Perfect" in this episode! In this episode, Shauna shares: What her interview with Oprah was like When she knew there needed to be a change in her life What inspired her to write Present Over Perfect How she applied the principles in Present Over Perfect to the promotion of her book What it means to have intentional seasons How she disconnected herself from metrics Why it's important to understand when to say "no" Why it's important to seek silence Resources: Shauna's Super Soul Sunday episode Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes Shauna's website Follow Shauna on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Jodie from Growing Book by Book! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

How to implement a "yes and..." mindset, the importance of trying new things, and traveling to eat with Phil Rosenthal. ----- Welcome to episode 144 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Phil Rosenthal about building his career and his new Netflix-original show, "Somebody Feed Phil." Netflix, Everybody Loves Raymond, and Somebody Feel Phil This is a bit of an unconventional interview for the Food Blogger Pro Podcast, but if you're a food fan, we think you're really going to enjoy it. You may have heard of Phil Rosenthal. He's the creator and executive producer of "Everybody Loves Raymond," an actor, an author, and most recently, the star of the Netflix-original food and travel documentary, "Somebody Feed Phil." Phil is a die-hard food lover, and he shares that love as he travels across the globe and makes connections with locals. Building his career wasn't always easy, but his "yes and…" attitude, fearless personality, and "never give up" outlook are all principles that you can apply to running your own blog and business. In this episode, Phil shares: Why Skype is an important part of his show Why having a niche is important How to not be afraid of trying new things What an egg cream is (let us know if you'd try it in the comments!) How to implement a "yes and…" mindset Resources: The War of Art Somebody Feed Phil I'll Have What Phil's Having Exporting Raymond Follow Phil on Twitter and Facebook 129: Forging Your Own Path with David Lebovitz If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Katie from BlackFern Kitchen! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

How to build authority, why they choose to guest post, and why connection is so important with Jessica Beacom and Stacie Hassing. ----- Welcome to episode 143 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Jessica and Stacie from The Real Food Dietitians about growing their blog to have over 2 million page views per month. 2 Million Page Views in 2 Years Jessica and Stacie's story is impressive; not only do they operate their business from two different states, they've grown their audience to over two million page views per month in just two years! They're here today to share the story of how they started their business together and why they ended up shifting their focus. They also will chat about why connection has been such an important part of growing their business and how they're using Facebook to cultivate that connection. You'll love hearing about how they've learned to thrive as the bloggers behind The Real Food Dietitians. In this episode, Jessica and Stacie share: What they did before they started their blog The most critical pieces of their journey How they connected at a conference How they started to work together How they've built authority on their site Why guest blogging works as part of their strategy How they made connections with other bloggers The most profitable aspects of their business How they work together in different cities Why they run a private Facebook group Resources: The Real Food Dietitians B-School Follow Jessica and Stacie on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Madison from Sunny Thymes! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

How to choose a hosting plan, why SSL is important, and how to optimize your images with Andrew Wilder. ----- Welcome to episode 142 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Andrew Wilder about the top five tech mistakes he sees on food blogs. How to Fix 5 Common Blogging Tech Mistakes The first time our Site Speed Expert, Andrew, was on the podcast, he chatted all about best practices for securing your website. Now he's back to talk about five of the most common tech mistakes he sees on blogs. Between choosing the right hosting to optimizing images, there are a lot of tech decisions to make about your blog. Andrew's advice will make you a lot more confident to make those decisions. Enjoy! In this episode, Andrew shares: What he does at Blog Tutor Why good hosting is important for food blogger The difference between popular types of hosting plans How you can tell if you have good hosting How big your images should be and why you should be optimizing What a fully enhanced recipe rich card is What an SSL certificate is Resources: Google Recipe Structured Data Guidelines Blog Tutor 020: How to Secure Your Food Blog with Andrew Wilder from Blog Tutor 137: One Million App Downloads in One Year with Trey George Byte Check Cloudways Foodie Pro Short Pixel Imagify 136: Optimizing for Search Results on Google and Pinterest with Raquel Smith 133: Optimizing Your Food Blog's SEO with Casey Markee Google's Structured Data Testing Tool Google Search Console Is it time to switch your site to all-SSL? Blog Tutor Plans Connect with Andrew at [email protected] If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Jodie from Growing Book by Book! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

How to understand your customers, view your blog as a business, and adapt to where you are with Alexis Joseph. ----- Welcome to episode 141 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Alexis Joseph about building two thriving full-time businesses. Hustling to Build Two Full-Time Businesses Alexis is the definition of a #girlboss. She's the co-founder of a thriving restaurant, the author of a successful blog, and a registered dietitian. How does she find time for it all? Good question. She's here today to share all about it. You'll learn about what she does in a typical day and how she balances it all. In this episode, Alexis shares: How she got interested in nutrition When and why she started her blog The things that made a difference in her blog How she started viewing her blog as a business Where her blog name came from How she decided to open a restaurant How she keeps up with her customers How she balances a full-time blog and restaurant What her typical day looks like Resources: Hummusapien Alchemy Juice Cafe Omnivore's Dilemma Oh She Glows TRISM Follow Alexis on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook Follow Alchemy on Instagram If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Regan Jones from Blog Brûlée, Healthy Aperture, This Unmillennial Life, and The Recipe Redux! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

How to tier your pricing structure, why you should save your side business income, and how to incentivize word of mouth with Nathan Barry. ----- Welcome to episode 140 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Nathan Barry from ConvertKit about how he started his career and pivoted to focus on selling software. From $300k in Product Sales to $9m in Software Sales Nathan started out as a designer and app developer, and he launched his first product to an email list of 800 people. Thus started his successful product sales career, writing three books, two courses, and building an email list. But then in October 2014, Nathan decided to pivot. He decided to focus on his email software, ConvertKit, which was making only $1,000/month in revenue at the time. Now ConvertKit has over 18,000 users, including Pat Flynn, Leo Babuta, and Chris Gillebeau. In this episode, Nathan shares: What he did before starting ConvertKit His suggestions about what you should do with your side business income Why he suggests to tier your pricing for a product How to price a product Why he wanted to make an email marketing platform How he decided to focus on software How to incentivize word of mouth Resources: A Brief Guide to World Domination 279 Days to Overnight Success 097: How to Create a Full-Time Income from Blogging Using The Egg Carton Method with Bjork Ostrom ConvertKit ConvertKit on Baremetrics Follow Nathan on his website, nathanbarry.com If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Tonia from Why Not Mom! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

Sharing videos on social media, filming tricky foods, and working with brands with the Pinch of Yum Team. ----- Welcome to episode 139 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, we're sharing the Q&A from our recent Recipe Video Bootcamp. Answering MORE Questions about Recipe Videos Have you tried making recipe videos yet? They're incredibly popular right now, and they're a great way to grow your audience and social media following. We recently held a Recipe Video Bootcamp where we taught attendees how to shoot and edit their own food videos like a pro. Our last session of the day was a Q&A with Lindsay Ostrom and Alana Woolley from Pinch of Yum, and we've decided to share it as a podcast episode today! You'll learn all about how the Pinch of Yum team handles producing and sharing high-quality video content every week. In this episode, Lindsay and Alana share: The best practices for sharing videos on social media How to work with tricky foods How to work with brands The gear they use How they handle shoots as a team How they come up with inspiration How to make your videos stand out How long your videos should be The settings they use to record videos Resources: 136: Optimizing for Search Results on Google and Pinterest with Raquel Smith 7 Essential Tools You Need to Shoot Your Own Recipe Videos Erickson Surfaces 093: How Finding a Niche Transformed a Business with Meggan Hill from Culinary Hill If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Kelly from A Side of Sweet! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

Understanding your stats, owning your niche, and optimizing your content with Ashley Ward. ----- Welcome to episode 138 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Ashley Ward from SEMrush about optimizing the content on your website. How to Get the Most Out of Your Content Content is the core of your blog, but how do you know you're getting the most out of the recipes and posts you publish? That's why Ashley is here. She explains that there's a lot you can do with your content after you set it live. Between evaluating your stats and forming strategies, optimizing your content can happen in different forms. If you've wanted to learn how to own your niche or use your competitors when creating content, this episode is for you! In this episode, Ashley shares: How she got started as a corporate speaker What SEMrush is What PPC is How to be strategic with your stats How to use your competitors when creating content How you can own your niche How long you should wait before looking at metrics Resources: Register for the Recipe Video Bootcamp today! SEMrush Google Optimize Follow Ashley on Twitter If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Holly from A Baker's House! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

How to build a self-promoting app, how to find a developer, and what to look for in an agency. ----- Welcome to episode 137 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Trey George about building, developing, and managing apps. One Million App Downloads in One Year Building an app can be an exciting addition to your online business, and Trey is a pro at managing apps at A Color Story. Trey has had a hand in building four apps for the A Beautiful Mess brand (the A Beautiful Mess app, Party Party, A Color Story, and A Design Kit), and he has quickly learned what works, what doesn't, and what's important to consider when building an app. If you've ever thought about building an app for your blog, this episode is for you! In this episode, Trey shares: How he got started managing the A Beautiful Mess app How to charge more for your work How the A Beautiful Mess app was self-promoting Why hashtags were important for growth What to look for in an agency How to find an app developer His experience with in-app purchases Resources: SEO Site Checkup Alt Test How to Write Great Pinterest Image Descriptions How to Craft Alt Text for Images 121: How to Overcome Your Failures and Find Success with Emma Chapman A Beautiful Mess App A Color Story If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Anushree from Simmer to Slimmer! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

How to run ads on a recipe print page, optimize images for search results, and set Pinterest descriptions with Raquel Smith. ----- Welcome to episode 136 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Raquel Smith about how optimize search results on Google and Pinterest. Optimizing for Search Results on Google and Pinterest Structured data, optimization, and rich snippets are common things for bloggers to think about, but just because they're common doesn't mean they're easy to understand. If SEO talk is enough to make your head spin, you're not alone, so Raquel is here to make recipe SEO much more approachable and understandable. She has managed the development of WP Tasty's two WordPress plugins, Tasty Recipes and Tasty Pins, and you'll learn how these plugins can have a major impact on your recipes. In this episode, Raquel shares: How she get started with Food Blogger Pro The difference between WP Tasty and Tasty Recipes What a recipe plugin is and why it's important What Googlebot is How to run ads on a recipe print page What rich snippets are and how they're different from rich cards How to optimize images for search results What Gutenberg is If you need to optimize for everything The problem that Tasty Pins is solving Why a blogger might hide an image from a post Resources: WP Tasty Pass the Plants Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less 133: Optimizing Your Food Blog's SEO with Casey Markee How to find out the last time Google crawled and indexed a website 011: Making the Leap to Full-Time Blogging with Beth Moncel from Budget Bytes Gutenberg 089: How to Build a Plane with Alexa, Jasmine & Raquel from Food Blogger Pro Tasty Recipes Tasty Pins Questions? Reach out to Raquel at [email protected] If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Lauren from Zestful Kitchen! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

How to launch a membership site, name a blog, and hire a team with Bjork Ostrom. ----- Welcome to episode 135 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week, we're playing an episode from the Dishing with Delishes podcast. In this episode, Bjork chats with Elaine about starting Pinch of Yum and Food Blogger Pro, building a team, and developing plugins. You will also learn how Lindsay and Bjork met. Spoiler alert: they're high school sweethearts! Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Kate from Gift of Hospitality! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review. In this episode, Bjork discusses: What he and Lindsay did before food blogging How they met - How they decided on the Pinch of Yum name When they decided to hire a team The difference between contracted workers and employees How they launched Food Blogger Pro What's included in a Food Blogger Pro membership Why they decided to publish their income reports How WP Tasty started Resources: Get the resources for this episode here: https://www.dishingwithdelishes.com/014-bjork-ostrom-food-blogger-pro/

Comparison, how to juggle a blog and a full-time job, and cookbook deals with Sally McKenney. ----- Welcome to episode 134 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This episode is a special FBP Rewind episode where we're rewinding to one of our first and most popular episodes with Sally McKenney from Sally's Baking Addiction. Creating Success If you haven't been over to Sally's Baking Addiction yet, you are certainly missing out. Sally creates baked goods to swoon over - from cheesecake to brownies to pies, and everything you can imagine with funfetti. She's also a whiz when it comes to blog success. Sally took her blog from zero to hero (read: full time job) in just two years. She is now the author of three cookbooks, Sally's Baking Addiction, Sally's Candy Addiction, and Sally's Cookie Addiction. If you dream of taking your hobby blog to full-time status, this episode is not to be missed! In this episode, Sally shares: Why comparing your baby blog to the big guns is not a good strategy What she attributes to her rapid success (hint: it's not luck!) How she juggled her full-time job and growing her food blog How she got a cookbook deal - and kept up her blog while writing it Where her traffic comes from And the advice she would give herself back when she started her blog Resources: Sally's Baking Addiction Sally's Baking Addiction Sally's Candy Addiction Sally's Cookie Addiction Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Theodore Leaf from theodoreleaf.com! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected].

Voice searches, nofollow links, featured snippet mismatches, and on-page optimization with Casey Markee. ----- Welcome to episode 133 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Casey Markee about the changing landscape for online searches, recipe cards, and more. Optimizing Your Blog's SEO We're so excited to welcome FBP SEO Expert, Casey Markee, back to the podcast today! At his company Media Wyse, Casey handles site audits for algorithm and rank issues, spammy structured markup actions, and unnatural link issues for food blogs, and he is one of our go-to resources for all things recipe SEO. SEO can be confusing, but this episode will help you understand nofollow links, optimization (both on-page and off-page), the mobile-first index, and more. So grab a pencil and paper, and let's jump in! In this episode, Casey shares: How he got into food and recipe SEO Why SEO is important What on-page optimization means and why it's different from off-page optimization When you should use nofollow links What the mobile-first index is When long-form and short-form content is best What recipe cards and the mobile carousel is What JSON-LD is Resources: Alfred Wox Best practices for bloggers reviewing free products they receive from companies Introduction to Structured Data Casey's featured image presentation Evaluation of Speech for the Google Assistant Insights from Google's Voice Search Quality Rater Guidelines Cook with Google Assistant Check out Casey's website, Facebook page, or contact him about an audit If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected]. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Gaby from Veggie World Recipes! If you'd like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.

Why your story is important to your brand, how to figure out your brand position, and how to find information about your audience with Laurie Buckle. ----- Welcome to episode 132 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Laurie Buckle from CookIt Media about the importance of the story behind your brand. Perfecting Your Story and Your Brand Laurie has an acute understanding of the power of story. Your brand's story is the reason why your brand exists, and it helps facilitate a connection with your readers that creates loyalty throughout your blogging career. Over at CookIt Media, Laurie helps bloggers solidify their stories and brands. She believes that story is the best communication tool that you can use, and she's here to speak about how you can discover and perfect your own brand's story. In this episode, Laurie shares: Why stories are so important How she got started with CookIt Media What your brand position is How to find information about your audience How to determine your target audience Resources: Tasty Pins 118: How Discovering Your Brand Can Help You Grow with Gaby Dalkin Meredith 093: How Finding a Niche Transformed a Business with Meggan Hill from Culinary Hill CookIt Media Work with CookIt Media Enter the CookIt Consulting Intro Giveaway! Leave a comment on this episode's blog post or leave a review of our podcast on iTunes, screenshot your review, and send it to [email protected]. The deadline is January 31, 2018. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected].

Clarifying your why, finding gratitude in all things, and knowing it's possible with Bjork Ostrom. ----- Welcome to episode 131 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks about setting goals for the new year. Three Ways to Set Smarter Goals in the New Year Have you ever set a goal for the new year and not followed through? We've all been there. Bjork is here to help you with three mental frameworks that will help you make smarter goals and keep you motivated in the new year. Between understanding why you're setting a specific goal to why it's important to practice gratitude, this episode will help you strategically and intentionally create goals to help you and your business grow. In this episode, Bjork shares: What SMART goals are Why it's important to understand why you're setting a specific goal Why gratitude is so important Resources: Hygge If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected].

Creating an avatar, securing brand sponsorships, and why you should follow-up with brands after a campaign with Jenny Melrose. ----- Welcome to episode 130 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Jenny Melrose about making the transition to being an entrepreneur, connecting with brands online, and using a website that helps you price your sponsored content. Creating a Full-Time Income from Sponsored Content Sponsored content is a popular way for bloggers to monetize their businesses. You partner with a brand, create posts promoting their products, and then you're paid based on a rate you negotiate. If it seems like a lot of work, it is. But on top of that work, how do you make sure that you're producing content that's of value to the brands you're working with? That's where Jenny's expertise comes in. She has cracked the code on creating awesome sponsored content that is both on-brand and useful to the companies you're working with. Her tips on creating an avatar, staying true to your voice, and pitching the right people can all help you earn an income from sponsored content work. In this episode, Jenny shares: Why she started The Melrose Family How she created an avatar Why it's important to pay attention to your reader demographics How to find the right contact for the brands you want to work with When to pitch a brand How she secures brand sponsorships The difference between PR agencies and working with a brand directly Why you should follow-up with brands after a campaign What tool she uses to keep track of her campaigns What tool you can use as a guideline for your sponsored content rates Resources: The Melrose Family Google Docs Social Bluebook Jenny Melrose Influencer Entrepreneur with Jenny Melrose If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected].

How to blog while writing a cookbook, the importance of user experience, and how to approach your brand and business with David Lebovitz. ----- Welcome to episode 129 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with David Lebovitz about how to develop the ability to stick with it, a lesson that helped him build his brand, and his a-typical approach to blogging analytics. Forging Your Own Path 1999 was a big year for David; he left his job as a pastry chef to write his first cookbook, Room for Dessert and started a recipe blog. Little did he know that he was becoming one of the pioneers of the food blogging industry! From there, David moved to Paris, wrote a few more cookbooks, and learned how to do what he loves while providing value to his readers. You'll learn about his philosophy on email etiquette, his favorite social media platform, and why his blog is so important to his cookbook-writing process. In this episode, David shares: Why recipe development is an ongoing process How to pronounce "L'appart" and why he chose it as a book title What it was like to be one of the first food bloggers How he approaches his brand and business The important word he learned when he moved to Paris Why he doesn't look at his Google Analytics What his favorite social media platform is Why it's important to think about user experience Resources: L'Appart: The Delights and Disasters of Making My Paris Home 101 Cookbooks Simply Recipes The Amateur Gourmet Movable Type 016: How Elise Bauer Built Simply Recipes and Recovered from a 70% Drop in Traffic David's blog If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected].

Important Google tools, switching to https, and how to perform effective keyword research with Katy Widrick. ----- Welcome to episode 128 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Katy Widrick from Make Media Over about marketing strategies, search engine optimization, and Google tools that can help you refine your blog. Maximizing Your Blog's Potential Katy got her start in television news, but she realized that her love was actually behind-the-scenes. Content creation, writing an email newsletter, consulting, and helping others start their blogs - that's where Katy thrives. She started her business, Make Media Over, a managed services and consulting business, to help start-ups and developed brands with online and influencer marketing. She helps her clients understand and use marketing funnels, SEO tools, and social media platforms to grow their following and increase engagement. Learn some of her tips and tricks in this interview! In this episode, Katy shares: Why switching to https is important What "mixed content" means How she started her business Why you should be using Google Search Console How you can help nudge people to click through to your post How to use Pinterest for SEO Resources: Katy Widrick Make Media Over Designing Your Life Google Search Console Google Analytics Google Keyword Planner Moz Ahrefs Mailchimp ConvertKit ActiveCampaign Infusionsoft Mad Mimi Make Media Over services If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [email protected].