Eat Blog Talk

In episode 617, Chandice Probst and Abbey Rodriguez teach us how to thrive as a food blogger in the creator economy, including how to niche down and diversify revenue streams beyond traditional advertising. At Tastemaker Conference Abbey, Chandice and their team work daily to provide community, education and experience to the food creator community. Our main goal is to legitimize the creator economy which is set to be a 500 billion dollar industry by 2027. We'd love to discuss this very topic using the discussion ideas below that we feel would resonate with you and your audience. In this episode, you'll learn about the creator economy's rapid growth, projected to reach $500 billion by 2027, how to leverage personal branding and the significance of in-person events for fostering connections. Key points discussed: - Diversify your revenue streams: Explore options beyond just advertising, such as memberships, cookbooks, and brand sponsorships to create a more sustainable business model. - Leverage your personality: Authentically showcase your unique voice and story through mediums like podcasts to build deeper connections with your audience. - Niche down strategically: Finding a specific, focused niche can help you stand out and become an authority in your space. - Prioritize email marketing: Use your email list to nurture relationships, gather feedback, and promote your products or services. - Collaborate with brands authentically: Seek out brand partnerships that align with your values and can provide value to your audience. - Attend industry events: In-person conferences and retreats can help you build valuable relationships, gain new insights, and reinvigorate your creativity. - Experiment with new platforms: Consider exploring emerging platforms like TikTok or YouTube to reach new audiences and diversify your content. - Lean into your community: Foster a sense of belonging and engagement with your followers by actively listening and responding to their needs. - Stay adaptable and resilient: Be prepared to navigate the ups and downs of the industry, and be willing to try new approaches to keep your business thriving. Connect with Chandice and Abbey Website | Instagram

In this episode, we're going to talk about 5 steps to manage common feelings of inadequacy among entrepreneurs and how to stop feeling like a "loser". I have felt like a loser so many times in the 14 years I've been an entrepreneur. I have experienced various embarrassing or devastating entrepreneurial moments: overnight traffic loss, burnout, not getting as much traction as other bloggers, getting booted from a major blogging Facebook group, you name it. So how have I dealt with these situations and pulled myself through? Here are 5 steps I take when faced with feeling like an entrepreneurial loser. Action Plan: 1 - It's not personal: Understand that setbacks in your business are not a reflection of your worth as an entrepreneur, but rather a normal part of the journey. 2 - Take responsibility: Identify what you could have done differently and use that knowledge to improve your future actions, rather than blaming external factors. 3 - Connect with peers: Surround yourself with a trusted circle of fellow entrepreneurs who can provide support and advice during difficult times. 4 - Celebrate accomplishments: Make a regular habit of listing your achievements, no matter how small, to maintain a positive mindset. 5 - Keep moving forward: Expect setbacks, but continue taking small, consistent steps towards your goals and dreams, as your response to challenges determines your success. Get in touch with Megan if there is a specific mindset and self-care topic you'd like her to cover. Website | Instagram Promote your food blogging services Megan's recommended books and resources

In episode 615, Megan chats to Elan Gelfand about the importance of focus, discipline, consistency, handling judgment, and reigniting passion. Elan Gelfand started the podcast Abundant Thinking where he talks about how to live a purposeful life and how to improve your mindset. Elan has spoken to some of the best coaches in their industry and has valuable insight on how to succeed and how to cultivate a bulletproof mindset. In this episode, you'll learn about creating the right environment to minimize distractions, building discipline slowly to achieve long-term success and adopting a mindset of not caring about others' opinions. Key points discussed: - Start small to build discipline: Begin with small, achievable goals and gradually increase the difficulty, rather than setting unrealistic high expectations that are hard to maintain. - Eliminate distractions: Use tools like the Opal app to block distracting apps and create an environment conducive to focused work. - Consistency leads to discipline: Staying consistent with your habits, even in small ways, can help develop long-term discipline. - Reframe judgment: When faced with judgment from others, remember that people who are doing well are unlikely to waste time criticizing you. - Focus on your own approval: Prioritize your own self-approval over the opinions of others, as you'll be spending the most time with yourself. - Reignite passion by trying new things: Experiment with different aspects of your work to find new sources of inspiration and excitement. - Appreciate the good times: Recognize and be grateful for the moments when you feel passionate and engaged, as they can help you push through the more challenging periods. - Differentiate between focus and discipline: Focus is about staying committed in the moment, while discipline is about consistently doing the same thing over time. - Create the right environment: Deliberately set up your physical and digital surroundings to support your productivity and minimize distractions. - Limit time with negative people: Reduce interactions with those who are judgmental or unsupportive, and instead seek out positive, encouraging relationships. Connect with Elan Gelfand Spotify| Instagram

In episode 614, Abraham Busick teaches us easy content strategies for optimal growth on Pinterest, emphasizing it's role as a search tool and not a social media platform. Gracelaneco is a Pinterest management agency with a focus on bloggers and small brands. We love to share our proven strategy that keeps Pinterest simple and growing even through algorithm updates. In this episode, you'll learn about Pinterest SEO, how to solve users' problems, experimenting with content formats, driving traffic to your blog and how to use Pinterest analytics to improve your strategy. Key points discussed: - Understand the Pinterest user mindset: You should recognize that Pinterest users are on the platform to solve specific problems, not just for entertainment, and tailor your content accordingly. - Plan content in advance: You should create content months in advance to align with the planning nature of Pinterest users. - Leverage Pinterest SEO: You should thoroughly research and incorporate relevant keywords into your pin descriptions, titles, and images to improve visibility. - Maintain consistency: You should strive for consistent pinning activity to ensure the algorithm recognizes your presence and promotes your content. - Monitor analytics: You should closely track your Pinterest analytics, focusing on impressions, pin clicks, and saves/outbound clicks to identify areas for improvement. - Use a clear call-to-action: You should include a clear call-to-action in your pin descriptions and images to encourage users to click through to your website or blog. - Experiment with content formats: You should consider a mix of static and video pins, testing different approaches to see what resonates best with your audience. - Manage your emotions: You should focus on your activity and consistency on Pinterest rather than getting discouraged by initial results, as the platform can take time to build traction. If you Loved this Episode… You'll love Episode 570 - Why Pinterest is One of The Best Time Investments To Boost Your Blog's Traffic with Heather Farris Connect with Abraham Busick Website | Instagram

In this episode, we're going to talk about 5 mindset tweaks that could accelerate your entrepreneurial success. Being an entrepreneur is hard. I always say this but I'll say it again. It's not just the discipline, commitment, knowledge and ability to seize opportunities that make entrepreneurship hard. It's hard because without the right mindset, business owners often give up. But, I've got good news for you. This does not have to be the case. You can be a successful business owner and inspirational entrepreneur. Here are 5 easy mindset tweaks that can get you there. Action Plan: 1 - Have faith in yourself: Believe in your abilities, experience, and knowledge, and don't second-guess yourself. 2 - Let things simmer: Be patient and allow projects, problems, and growth to unfold at their own pace, rather than rushing the process. 3 - Embrace the champion mindset: Overcome your default human mindset of self-preservation and tap into your inner champion to achieve your full potential. 4 - Don't be afraid to ask: Reach out to your network, yourself, and even a higher power to ask for what you need to move your business forward. 5 - Win the day: Establish a daily routine and focus on small victories that will lead to long-term success in your life and business. Get in touch with Megan if there is a specific mindset and self-care topic you'd like her to cover. Website | Instagram Promote your food blogging services Megan's recommended books and resources

In episode 612, Megan chats to Ann and Maddy Baum about Spillt's newest offering: Premium subscriptions and why this is a great way to build an extra revenue stream for bloggers. Spillt is a social app for home cooks to save and organize their recipes from anywhere (however we don't scrape the recipe, we always respect bloggers' traffic). Spillt also offers bloggers tools to share their content through a free Wordpress plugin that syncs their recipes to Spillt. And most recently, Spillt launched a paywalled subscription tool that allows bloggers to create a subscription offering for their fans, giving them access to all their blog recipes ad-free, as well as customizable meal plans. In this episode, you'll learn why Spillt is a great asset for food bloggers, including its ease of use, social element, subscription tool and meal plan creation, which aim to diversify bloggers' revenue streams. Key points discussed: - The Spillt app is a mobile and web-based platform: It allows home cooks to save and organize recipes from anywhere online, making it easy to access your favorite recipes. - Spillt respects bloggers' content and traffic: The app syncs recipes to the platform without scraping content, ensuring bloggers maintain their ad revenue and audience. - Spillt offers a free WordPress plugin that integrates bloggers' content into the app: This plugin allows bloggers to build a profile and have their recipe reviews and ratings sync back to their blog. - New features to help bloggers diversify their revenue and save time: Spillt is launching a premium subscription tool and a meal planning feature. - Premium subscription benefits: It allows bloggers to offer an ad-free, premium version of their recipes to their followers, providing an additional revenue stream for bloggers. - A meal planning feature comes with the Premium subscription: It makes it easy for bloggers to create and share customizable meal plans with their followers. - Spillt has a social element that allows users to see what recipes their friends and family have saved: This can help with recipe discovery and community building. Connect with Ann Baum & Maddy Baum Website | Instagram

In episode 611, Sena Wheeler teaches us the importance of email marketing for business growth, sharing her strategy of sending personalized, value-driven emails. Sena Wheeler is part of a 5th generation fishing family and the co-founder of Sena Sea, which brings wild Alaskan seafood direct to your door. She's passionate about sustainability, helping busy families eat healthier and educating people about the brain-boosting benefits of wild fish. She has a master's degree in Nutrition and Food Science with a specialty in quantifying omega 3's in fish and determining preferred handling practices for premium quality. She and her husband enjoy running this family business together, spending part of the year in Alaska and having the flexibility to enjoy watching her children participate in their school sports, and of course, eating and cooking fish! In this episode, you'll learn about the benefits of leveraging personal stories in email, building a quality email list and its long-term value and stability compared to social media platforms. Key points discussed: - Consistency is key: Consistently sending emails, even if they are not perfect, is more important than trying to create a masterpiece every time. - Offer value upfront: Providing a free downloadable cookbook or other valuable content can help attract and retain subscribers. - Understand your audience: Identifying and addressing your audience's pain points, such as how to cook the product, can help you create content that resonates. - Embrace selling: Don't be afraid to include a sales pitch in your emails, as your subscribers are there because they are interested in your product or service. - Personalize your content: Sharing personal stories, photos, and updates can help build a stronger connection with your audience. - Leverage collaborations: Partnering with other influencers or bloggers can help you expand your reach and provide value to your audience. - Maintain an engaged list: Focus on building a list of engaged subscribers rather than a large list of uninterested people. - Use a content calendar: Planning your email topics and themes in advance can help you stay organized and efficient. Connect with Sena Wheeler Website | Instagram

In this episode, we're going to talk about 5 traits of high achievers and how to incorporate similar habits into our lives. When you spend time with inspiring, high-quality individuals, you suddenly notice traits that would be well-worth adopting. I attended a conference earlier this year where I noticed such high-achieving individuals. I observed five distinct things that set them apart and helped lead them to success as business owners. Here is how you can incorporate similar strategies to elevate your own personal and professional success. Action Plan: 1 - Avoid negativity: High achievers refuse to engage in criticism, gossip, cynicism, and complaining, as these behaviors can be draining and unproductive. 2 - Embrace challenges: You should be open to receiving and giving challenges and questions from others, as this can lead to valuable insights and personal growth. 3 - Celebrate failure: Failure should be viewed as a necessary step towards success, and high achievers wear it as a badge of honor, encouraging you to take bigger risks. 4 - Prioritize learning: Dedicating time each day to learning, whether through books, podcasts, or other resources, can help you stay focused, motivated, and on track with your goals. 5 - Establish routines: Incorporating daily routines into your life, even if they start small, can help you maintain productivity, focus, and a positive mindset. Get in touch with Megan if there is a specific mindset and self-care topic you'd like her to cover. Website | Instagram

In episode 609, Megan chats to Allie Hagerty about how she grew her food blog from 750 page views a month to over 100,000 page views a month. Allie has been food blogging since 2020, although she took a few years off. After being laid off from her full-time job as a new mom of a 4 week old, Allie decided to put all her energy back into reviving her old, crusty food blog. She started working on her new niche: new England and Mediterranean dishes (think fresh, minimalistic ingredients made delicious) in November '23. Allie had maybe 400 sessions monthly. Today, in June 2024, she has almost 75K sessions and is on MediaVine! Allie hunkered down, worked hard, and eliminated distractions like Instagram. She is proof that SEO is NOT dead. In this episode, you'll learn about Allie's strategies for creating content clusters, optimizing SEO, and maintaining consistency to achieve rapid blog growth. Key points discussed: - Focus on content clusters: You should focus on creating content clusters around ingredients, recipes, or topics that you are passionate about and knowledgeable in. - Prioritize quality over quantity: You should focus on creating high-quality, helpful content rather than just posting frequently. - Embrace interlinking: You should interlink your related content to create a cohesive and easy-to-navigate website structure. - Consistency is key: You should strive for consistency in your content creation and promotion efforts, even during challenging personal times. - Adopt a positive mindset: You should approach your blog with the mindset that every post will rank highly, and trust the process. - Build a supportive network: You should prioritize building relationships with other bloggers and mentors who can provide guidance and support. - Pursue high-quality backlinks: You should seek out opportunities to earn high-quality backlinks from reputable sources to improve your site's authority. - Optimize your titles and metadata: You should craft compelling and informative titles and metadata to improve your content's visibility and click-through rates. - Focus on your niche: You should focus on your unique expertise and niche, rather than trying to appeal to everyone or compete with others in your space. Connect with Allie Hagerty Website | Instagram

In episode 608, Courtney Carey teaches us how to plan and organize the cookbook creation process while managing other life responsibilities. Courtney Carey is the creator of Cake Me Home Tonight, a baking blog designed to help home bakers elevate their baking game! On her blog and social media, Courtney shares easy and delicious dessert recipes along with baking tips and tutorials to make baking fun and stress-free. Courtney recently released her debut cookbook, Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes, an 80's themed cookbook featuring cupcake recipes inspired by nostalgic and classic snacks and desserts. She enjoys sharing her love of all things dessert and all things 80's because there is nothing sweeter than nostalgia! In this episode, you'll learn more about the challenges of balancing a blog, job, and family while writing a cookbook and how to meet deadlines despite setbacks. Key points discussed: - Plan and organize thoroughly: Carefully evaluate your work style, schedule, and responsibilities to set yourself up for success when writing a cookbook. - Break down the process: Create detailed checklists and spreadsheets to break the book-writing process into small, manageable tasks. - Leverage your strengths: Allocate tasks based on when you feel most energized and productive to maximize your efficiency. - Seek help from your support system: Don't be afraid to ask your family and friends for assistance to balance the workload. - Outsource tasks you're less confident in: Consider hiring professionals for photography, editing, or other areas you may struggle with. - Expect the unexpected: Be prepared to adapt when life throws curveballs. - Embrace imperfection: Understand that perfection is unattainable, and focus on creating a high-quality product rather than striving for flawlessness. - Take mental breaks: Recognize when you need to step away and recharge to avoid burnout and maintain your productivity. - Prioritize your commitments: Be willing to temporarily scale back on other responsibilities to dedicate the necessary time and attention to the cookbook project. Connect with Courtney Carey Website | Instagram