Growing a blog with a full-time job, taking photography courses, and getting a cookbook deal with Ana Zelić from Ana's Baking Chronicles. ----- Welcome to episode 330 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Ana Zelić from Ana’s Baking Chronicles about how she strategically improved her food photography skills over time and got her first cookbook deal. Honing Your Craft Ana is a food blogger, food photographer, and soon-to-be author, and she’s here on the podcast today to talk about her food photography journey! Her debut cookbook “The Cake Chronicles” comes out November 30th, and in this episode, she shares why she doubled down on improving her photography skills, what tools she uses when shooting photos, how she got her cookbook deal, and what she learned going through the cookbook writing process. It’s a really great interview, and we know you’ll feel so inspired after hearing Ana’s story! In this episode, you’ll learn: How Ana started sharing food content online Why she decided to blog in English Why she shifted her focus to blogging rather than just sharing on Instagram How she grew her blog while working a full-time job How she got a cookbook deal How she developed her food photography skills What artificial lighting tools she uses for her photography Why she loves shooting tethered What she learned going through the cookbook writing process Resources: Ana’s Baking Chronicles Preorder Ana’s book, The Cake Chronicles! Mediavine The Bite Shot Foodtography School Broma Bakery Growth University Artificial Academy Adobe Lightroom Capture One Follow Ana on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest Check out the Food Blogger Pro YouTube channel (and subscribe while you’re there!) If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Repurposing content for different social media platforms, growing your email list, and using systems and tools to grow your business with Andrea Balogun from Balogun Strategy & Design. ----- Welcome to episode 329 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Andrea Balogun from Balogun Strategy & Design about how to craft an effective social media strategy. Social Media Strategy Have you ever wanted to pick the brain of a social media consultant? Here’s your chance! Andrea is a content strategy and design consultant, and she’s here on the podcast today to talk about how to effectively market your brand and grow your following on social media. In this episode, she shares her advice on a lot of different topics, including how to repurpose your content across various social media outlets, how to lean into a particular topic or series on social media, why it’s important to diversify your platforms, and more. Andrea’s advice will be a great reminder of why it’s important to really think about your goals and purpose when sharing on social media. We hope you enjoy this episode! In this episode, you’ll learn: How Andrea became a social media consultant Some systems and tools she uses to run her business What services she offers to her clients Tips for crafting your profile on Instagram How food bloggers can make the most of the different content types on Instagram How Instagram is offering bonuses and badges to creators How you can effectively repurpose your content Why it can be helpful to focus on a particular topic or series on social media Why it’s so important to diversify your platforms How to grow your email list Her advice for transitioning a side hustle into a full-time business Resources: Balogun Strategy & Design 165: Getting Things Done with David Allen Notion Airtable Dubsado Later Candles 4 the Culture Follow Candles 4 the Culture on Instagram Follow Andrea on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter Check out the Food Blogger Pro YouTube channel (and subscribe while you’re there!) If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Hosting food blogger retreats, diversifying your income streams, and capitalizing on your strengths with Liz Della Croce from The Lemon Bowl. ----- Welcome to episode 328 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Liz Della Croce from The Lemon Bowl about how she plans and runs food blogger retreats. Hosting Events When it comes to earning money as food creators, we usually think of the classic revenue streams like ads and sponsored content. But what about hosting events? That’s what we’re focusing on today! In this episode, Bjork chats with Liz about how she runs events and food blogger retreats in addition to her own food blog. You’ll hear how she plans her events based on the desires of her attendees, how she gets brands involved with retreats, how she plans out her attendee lists, and more. It’s a fantastic interview that will inspire you to think about how you can diversify your income streams and capitalize on your own strengths to grow your business. Enjoy! In this episode, you’ll learn: What Liz shares on the Passion to Profit Podcast Some powerful mindset shifts that help her run her business What her team looks like How EOS works What implementers, integrators, and visionaries are How she diversifies her income How she gets the most out of her brand partnerships What kinds of events she holds Why she loves hosting food blogger retreats How she curates her retreats based on the wishes of her attendees How to get brands involved with retreats What tools she uses when planning her retreats How she determines the attendee list for her retreats Resources: The Lemon Bowl Get on the waitlist for the Passion to Profit Mastermind! Passion to Profit Podcast 276: Featured Podcast – Scaling Your Business & Providing Massive Value with Bjork on the Irie Lemon Podcast The Five Minute Journal EOS Traction Rocket Fuel AdThrive InfluenceKit Kolbe A Index Bob’s Red Mill Skinnytaste Lexi’s Clean Kitchen Microsoft Teams Handle the Heat The Food in my Beard Fresh Air Retreat Video 2021 Follow Liz on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok Check out the Food Blogger Pro YouTube channel (and subscribe while you’re there!) If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Understanding Google updates, effectively using Google Search Console, and getting the most out of ads on a food blog with Casey Markee from Media Wyse. ----- Welcome to episode 327 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Casey Markee, our FBP SEO Expert, about understanding the Google algorithm. Understanding the Google Algorithm We’re so excited to welcome Food Blogger Pro expert Casey Markee back to the podcast today! As our resident SEO wizard, he has helped countless FBP members out by answering their toughest SEO questions over the years. And at his company Media Wyse, Casey handles site audits for algorithm and rank issues, spammy structured markup actions, unnatural link issues for food blogs, and more. In this episode, he’s chatting with Bjork all about what food bloggers need to know about the Google algorithm. You’ll hear Casey’s insights on how to understand Google updates, how to effectively use Google Search Console, how to get the most out of your ads, and more. If you’re looking to increase your traffic, or you’re just curious and want to learn more about the Google algorithm, we know you’ll enjoy this interview! In this episode, you’ll learn: How Casey got into the food blogging SEO space What Google’s Webmaster Guidelines are What Google Patents are How he learns about updates to the Google algorithm How updates to the algorithm help publishers What core updates are Why a recipe card can only be used for one individual recipe What manual actions are Why it’s so important to use Google Search Console What makes warnings and errors different How to analyze and understand traffic drops How the pandemic has affected traffic for food bloggers Why he thinks you shouldn’t put recipes in your recipe cards His advice for running ads on a food blog What teaser text is on food blogs Resources: Media Wyse Learn more about Casey’s audits at Media Wyse SearchEngineNews 322: Going All In – How Sarah Cook Went From 17k to 600k Monthly Pageviews Google Webmaster Guidelines SEO by the Sea Google Patents Google’s blog, The Keyword Google IO TopHatRank Yoast SEO Slickstream Tasty Recipes WP Recipe Maker Create by Mediavine Google Search Console Analyzing Google Search Traffic Drops Dotdash SEO for Publishers series SEO For Publishers Webinar Episode #15: Most Common WordPress Issues and Solutions Contact Casey on his website, Media Wyse, and on Facebook Check out the Food Blogger Pro YouTube channel (and subscribe while you’re there!) If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Batch producing content, choosing a niche, and strategically delegating tasks with Karli Bitner from Cooking with Karli. ----- Welcome to episode 326 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Karli Bitner from Cooking with Karli about how she batch produces content. Content Batching As food bloggers, it can sometimes feel like we’re stuck in this never-ending cycle of producing more and more content. To avoid burnout, how do we develop strategies for content creation that are sustainable over a long period of time? That’s what we’re discussing with Karli in today’s episode! To maximize her time with her family this year, she batch produced all of her blog posts for 2021 before 2020 ended. In this episode, she shares why she likes content batching, how she plans and schedules her content, and how she has expanded her team to maximize her productivity. It’s a really great interview that will inspire you to reflect on your own content creation strategy. We hope you enjoy it! In this episode, you’ll learn: Why she started blogging How she chose a niche when launching her blog How she used Facebook Groups to grow her traffic Why she expanded her niche and changed her focus What copycat recipes are What tools she uses to grow her business How she batch produces content ahead of time How she strategically plans her shoot days How she organizes her content and photos How she adjusts her content plan as needed How she works with a writer on her blog posts What tasks she has strategically delegated for her blog How she found the right people to hire How she expects to create content in the future Resources: Cooking with Karli Lauren’s Latest Mediavine Crumbl Cookies Semrush The HOTH AnswerThePublic Trello Google Calendar Tastemaker Conference Alfred Google Drive Backupify The Mom Project Follow Karli on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest Check out the Food Blogger Pro YouTube channel (and subscribe while you’re there!) If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Using a plugin to blog in multiple languages, strategically growing your team, and maximizing your productivity with Alejandra Graf from BrownSugar&Vanilla. ----- Welcome to episode 325 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Alejandra Graf from BrownSugar&Vanilla about how she shares recipes on her blog in both English and Spanish. Bilingual Blogging We’re so excited to share this episode with Alejandra with you today! Her story is really fascinating, and the way that she shares content is a bit unique compared to other content creators. After immigrating to the United States from Mexico, she launched her food blog, BrownSugar&Vanilla, where she shares family-friendly vegan recipes. But she also has another version of her site called Piloncillo&Vainilla where she shares all the same recipes — but in Spanish! In this episode, you’ll learn how she uses a plugin to share content in both languages, how the traffic compares on the two versions of her blog, and more. It’s a really fascinating, inspiring interview that demonstrates the unique ways you can share content with different audiences. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why Alejandra immigrated to the United States What led her to launch her blog How she started sharing recipes in both Spanish and English How she determines what content will resonate with which part of her audience How the traffic compares on the English vs. the Spanish side of her blog How she runs ads on her site Which plugin she uses to share content in both languages How she strategically grew her team How she earns revenue from her site How she gets sponsored content work How she uses the Pomodoro Method to maximize her productivity Resources: BrownSugar&Vanilla Piloncillo&Vainilla The Fire Starter Sessions The WordPress Multilingual Plugin Google Translate Grammarly AdThrive Pinch of Yum Income and Traffic Reports BlogHer Johanna B. Voss Agency 322: Going All In – How Sarah Cook Went From 17k to 600k Monthly Pageviews Follow Alejandra on Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest Check out the Food Blogger Pro YouTube channel (and subscribe while you’re there!) If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

How Bob's Red Mill works with content creators, how creators can effectively reach out to brands, and how to secure ongoing brand partnerships with Cassidy Stockton. ----- Welcome to episode 324 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Cassidy Stockton about how Bob’s Red Mill works with content creators on sponsored content. Building Strong Partnerships When we chat about sponsored content here on the podcast, we usually talk to creators and publishers about how they secure partnerships with brands. But today, we’re flipping the script and hearing things directly from a brand’s perspective! In this episode, Bjork interviews Cassidy Stockton, the Senior Content Marketing Manager at Bob’s Red Mill, about how her team works with content creators, what she wishes creators knew about working with brands, and more. If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about how to reach out to brands, how to negotiate your rates, or how to secure ongoing brand partnerships, this episode with Cassidy is for you! In this episode, you’ll learn: What Cassidy does at Bob’s Red Mill Why they invest so much into influencer marketing What kinds of campaigns they find successful What an employee-owned company is What metrics they look at when working with influencers What influencers can do to maintain a strong relationship with a brand How they handle invoices and payments How they initiate partnerships at Bob’s Red Mill Why they consider video to be essential right now How they’ve been experimenting on TikTok How they negotiate rates with influencers How Bob’s Red Mill works with various agencies What you should include in your media kit What she wishes creators knew about working with brands Resources: Bob’s Red Mill InfluenceKit Connect with Cassidy on LinkedIn Check out the Food Blogger Pro YouTube channel (and subscribe while you’re there!) If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Tracking your expenses, optimizing your business for tax season, and setting yourself up for success financially with Ansley Beutler from Peach Perfect Financials. ----- Welcome to episode 323 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Ansley Beutler from Peach Perfect Financials about optimizing your blog’s financials to set your business up for success. Understanding the Numbers While Ansley Beutler is well-known for sharing delicious and healthy recipes on The Fit Peach, she’s also a CPA and an expert when it comes to the financial side of running a food blog! Through her consultancy business Peach Perfect Financials, she helps bloggers level up their business and gain control and clarity over their finances. In this episode, she shares why you should have a business bank account, how to keep track of your expenses, how to structure your business to optimize your taxes, and more. Whether you just launched your blog or if you’ve been blogging for years, we think you’ll have a lot of great takeaways from this episode. Enjoy! In this episode, you’ll learn: Why Ansley started her food blog What she does at Peach Perfect Financials How she balances working on her blog and her client work Why she recommends having a business bank account and credit card What business expenses and startup expenses are Why it’s so important to track your expenses What happens if you get audited How you get taxed when you run your own business When you might consider making an S election What an EIN is How you can keep track of your receipts digitally How to determine what your salary should be as a business owner How to set yourself up your success in the future financially Resources: The Fit Peach Peach Perfect Financials Form 2553 Shoeboxed Quickbooks Blogger MBA School 321: The EXITpreneur’s Playbook – Maximizing Your Profits When Selling a Business with Joe Valley Check out the Food Blogger Pro YouTube channel (and subscribe while you’re there!) If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

Investing money into your business, deleting posts to encourage growth, and the importance of having accountability partners with Sarah Cook from Sustainable Cooks. ----- Welcome to episode 322 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Sarah Cook from Sustainable Cooks about what specific strategies she implemented to grow her blog’s traffic and increase her revenue. Going All In A few years ago, Sarah Cook was feeling burnt out and ready to call it quits on her blog. But after listening to some food blogging podcasts, she decided to switch up her blogging strategy and see if she could turn it into a thriving business. And today on the podcast, she’s sharing everything she’s done along the way to go from 17k to 600k monthly pageviews with her blog, Sustainable Cooks! She explains some of the unique ways she has invested in her blog, why she decided to delete hundreds of posts, why she loves having a blogging accountability partner, and more. It’s a really inspiring interview, and we know it’ll leave you feeling motivated and excited to make progress on your blogging goals. In this episode, you’ll learn: How Sarah decided to go all in with her blog How she struggled to define her identity as a full-time blogger Where she started investing money into her business How she shifted her content strategy Why she deleted hundreds of posts on her blog How she categorized her content into specific buckets Why ad earnings are typically lower in Q1 How her blog’s success has helped her support causes she cares about How she fits work into the margins of her day What tasks she decided to hire out Why she loves having a blogging accountability partner Resources: Sustainable Cooks 170: What’s Working and What’s Not with the FBP Community MediaWyse Casey Markee Purr Design The Simple Pin Podcast Kate Ahl Mediavine Keysearch AdThrive Hey Nutrition Lady Cook It Real Good Follow Sarah on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest Check out the Food Blogger Pro YouTube channel (and subscribe while you’re there!) If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership

What an exitpreneur is, why we're not able to run our businesses forever, and what factors to keep in mind when deciding to sell your business with Joe Valley. ----- Welcome to episode 321 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Joe Valley about making a great exit and maximizing your profits when selling a business. The EXITpreneur’s Playbook When it comes down to it, we’re not able to run our businesses forever. And most business owners wait to sell until they’re exhausted and emotionally rundown, and by that time, it’s too late to have a great exit. Enter: Joe Valley! After facilitating nearly half a billion dollars in exits, Joe has written the bestselling book, “The EXITpreneur’s Playbook” to help online business owners get the maximum value and best deal structure possible when selling their businesses. Even if you’re not quite ready to sell your own business, this interview will show you what areas to focus on to create a successful pathway to your own eventual exit. In this episode, you’ll learn: What an exitpreneur is Why it’s important to be on top of your financials What the difference is between a CPA and a bookkeeper Why it’s important to consider risk, transferability, documentation, and growth when deciding to sell Why you need to have specific goals in mind when it comes to selling your business What SKUs are What the transition period looks like after selling a business What most people do after selling a business Resources: The EXITpreneur’s Playbook Read the first three chapters of The EXITpreneur’s Playbook for free! Quiet Light The Quiet Light Podcast 32: Buying & Selling Websites with Mark Daoust from Quiet Light Quickbooks Xero Pilot EOS TinyBit Puerto Rico’s Tax Incentive Code 176: Affiliate Marketing for Bloggers with Chris Guthrie Follow Joe on Twitter and LinkedIn Check out the Food Blogger Pro YouTube channel (and subscribe while you’re there!) If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership