Succeeding on different social media platforms, managing partnerships with brands, and shifting content strategies over time with Chelsey White from Chelsweets. ----- Welcome to episode 320 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Chelsey White from Chelsweets about how she’s grown her various social media platforms and how her content strategy has evolved over time. Learning By Doing Today on the podcast, we’re talking to the cake queen herself: Chelsey White from Chelsweets! While she originally started by just baking cakes for her coworkers, Chelsey has since built up a massive social media following sharing her elaborate cakes and baking creations online. With over 1.2 million followers on Instagram and 2 million followers on TikTok, she has established herself as one of the top names in the food space. In this episode, she shares how she started sharing content online, how she likes to approach sponsored content, and how she adapts her content for different social media platforms. It’s a super fun, inspiring interview, and we hope you enjoy hearing Chelsey’s story! In this episode, you’ll learn: When Chelsey started sharing baking content online How her content strategy has evolved over time Why posting on her blog is her number one priority Which social media platforms she enjoys using the most Why she oftentimes likes waiting for brands to approach her first How to figure out your rates for sponsored content How she has created sponsored content for TV shows and movies How she maximizes her efficiency when creating content for different platforms What she would focus on if she had to start over again from scratch How she balances passion publishing with performance publishing How she manages her content calendar with Google Calendar Resources: Chelsweets Captive8 Canva Keysearch Follow Chelsey on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube 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

The daily schedule of a full-time food blogger, how Mike Johnson generates revenue for his blog, and what it was like to change content strategies on Mike Bakes NYC. ----- Welcome to episode 319 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Mike Johnson from Mike Bakes NYC about how he managed to transition to full-time blogging after running his successful Instagram account. From Attorney to Food Blogger  We’re so excited we had a chance to talk to Mike in today’s episode! He has a super interesting story; he went from attorney to full-time blogger after running an incredibly successful New York City food-focused Instagram account. He’s on the show today to talk about what the process of transitioning to full-time blogger looked like, as well as how he runs his business and creates revenue for himself. If you’re curious about what a day in the life of a full-time blogger looks like, or you’re interested in figuring out how to maximize your blog revenue, we know you’ll find some helpful nuggets of inspiration in this interview! In this episode, you’ll learn: How Mike transitioned from attorney to online content creator What it was like to work with restaurants in New York City How he shifted the content focus on his blog and on social media When he knew he could create an income from his blog and social channels How he’s getting traffic to his blog How he shares his recipes on social media Why he’s happier working for himself and how his background has helped with his sponsor negotiations What his full-time blogging schedule looks like What it’s like working with an agency What roles Mike will hire for next What it’s like using Airsubs to host cooking classes to his audience How authenticity contributed to his growth Resources: Mike Bakes NYC Broma Bakery Mike’s cookbook, Even Better Brownies Mediavine Airsubs 308: Virtual Events – Earn an Income by Teaching Classes Online with Tomas Hoyos Smith and Saint EOS Follow Mike on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest Read Food Blogger Pro member stories! 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

Maximizing your Q4 revenue, how to keep the Q4 momentum, and republishing content with Bjork Ostrom and Jenna Arend. ----- Welcome to episode 318 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, we’re rewinding back to a Q&A we held last year where Food Blogger Pro members asked Bjork and Pinch of Yum’s General Manager, Jenna, questions about preparing for Q4. How Food Bloggers Can Make the Most Out of Q4 It’s another FBP Rewind episode today, and we’re so excited to revisit our October 2020 Q&A with Jenna Arend from the Pinch of Yum team! We hold these live Q&As every single month for our Food Blogger Pro members. Sometimes we focus on a specific topic (like this one), and other times it’s an excuse to pick Bjork’s brain on any blogging topic under the sun. It’s so fun to connect, answer our members’ toughest questions, and have an hour to intentionally work on getting a tiny bit better. And in this Q&A, we focused on all the ways that food bloggers can make the most out of Q4! Q4 is made up of the last three months of the year (October, November, and December), and it’s a big deal for food bloggers. Not only are people hungry for recipes, but advertising spending also goes up during these three months, and sponsors are looking for bloggers and content creators who can create seasonal content. We hope that you enjoy this Q&A and that it leaves you feeling inspired and motivated as we get closer and closer to Q4. In this episode, you’ll learn: What Jenna’s role looks like on the Pinch of Yum team How the Pinch of Yum team is preparing for Q4 Tips for Q4 if your blog is new How to maximize affiliate earnings in Q4 Alternatives to the Amazon affiliate program How Q4 differs from Q1 and how to keep the momentum into the new year How to choose whether to create a new recipe or republish existing content What Pinch of Yum’s current email strategy looks like Resources: Pinch of Yum October Coffee Date post on Pinch of Yum Republishing Content course

Creating content you're passionate about, choosing the right tools for success, and finding a work-life balance with Nisha Melvani. ----- Welcome to episode 317 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Nisha Melvani from about her journey of growing her brand while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Optimizing for Growth Nisha is a Food Blogger Pro member, nutritionist, and registered dietitian, and she’s here on the podcast today to talk about her journey growing her blog, CookingForPeanuts.com! While she originally started just by sharing her vegan dinner recipes on Instagram, Nisha has evolved her brand by shifting some of her focus to her blog and upcoming cookbook. In this episode, she shares some of the mistakes she’s made along the way, some tools that have been instrumental to her success, and some tips she has for finding a healthy work-life balance. In this episode, you’ll learn: How she started sharing content on Instagram Why she adopted a vegan diet How she decided to only share vegan dinner recipes Why she ultimately decided to launch a blog Some mistakes she made when building her site What tools she used to optimize and grow her blog How she developed her unique video strategy How she balances her blog and personal life Why authenticity and patience are so important How to stay tuned for her upcoming cookbook Resources: Cooking for Peanuts Levels Glucose Monitor Forks Over Knives The Game Changers Feast Design Co. EOS EOS Accountability Chart BigScoots Tasty Recipes Yoast Video SEO for WordPress Tailwind Tasty Pins Nutrifox Clariti Best of Vegan - Cooking for Peanuts Preorder Nisha’s book, Practically Vegan Follow Nisha on Instagram and 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

How to invest in yourself, how to make your money work for you, and other key takeaways from Rich Dad Poor Dad. ----- Welcome to episode 316 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, we have another episode in our Book Nook series where Bjork identifies five different takeaways from the book, “Rich Dad Poor Dad.” Five Takeaways from Rich Dad Poor Dad This week on the podcast, we’re sharing another episode in our new Book Nook series! In this series, Bjork reviews one of his favorite business books and outlines some key takeaways that you can apply to your blog or business. In this episode, we’re focusing on “Rich Dad Poor Dad,” a powerful personal finance book that explains how you can make your money work for you. Bjork shares some of his main takeaways from the book and shares how bloggers and content creators can implement this advice to grow their own businesses. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why it’s important to invest in yourself What a personal board of directors is Why it’s important to buy assets, not liabilities Why you should learn through experiences How you can have your money work for you Why mindset is so important Resources: Rich Dad Poor Dad 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 to combat food stereotypes, understand cultural appropriation, and support an African food revolution with Zoe Adjonyoh. ----- Welcome to episode 315 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Zoe Adjonyoh about her journey with Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen, as well as her fight against the cultural appropriation of food. Decolonizing the Food Industry While Zoe Adjonyoh initially started out by just cooking Ghanaian food for her community, she quickly took on a larger role with her brand, Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen. Through her blog, cookbook, supper clubs, and more, she has been actively working to foster an African Food Revolution and bring African food to the masses. And in recent years, she has shifted her focus from just pioneering West African food to decolonizing the food industry and helping people understand what cultural appropriation is. It’s a really powerful interview that will make you consider your role as both a consumer and a content creator, and we hope you enjoy hearing more about Zoe’s story. In this episode, you’ll learn: How she started Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen How her supper clubs worked How she worked to start an African food revolution How she shifted her focus to work on decolonizing the food industry What the difference is between cultural appropriation and appreciation How we have power as consumers to support the culture where food comes from Why activism is ingrained in her identity What she covers in her book, as well as what she has updated in this new edition Resources: Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen Preorder Zoe’s book here! 289: The Rise – How the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Affected the Restaurant Industry and Celebrating Black Culture in American Food with Marcus Samuelsson Airbnb Experience — Chocolate Origins & Create with a Maker Diaspora Co. Burlap & Barrel Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen playlist on Spotify Zoe’s podcast, Cooking Up Consciousness Follow Zoe on Instagram and 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

How to find your unique photography style, create content for your audience, and grow a successful business with Kimberly Espinel. ----- Welcome to episode 314 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Kimberly Espinel about how she has grown her business teaching food photographers how to find their unique style. Creative Food Photography When you’re just starting out as a food blogger, it can be hard to find your personal style. You might find yourself emulating the style of other creatives and struggle to find a rhythm that works best for you. And that’s where Kimberly comes in! Kimberly is an award-winning food photographer, blogger, teacher, and author who helps food photographers find their unique style. She talks about how she grew her business, how she is able to create content that serves her community, and why she thinks focusing on your mindset is so important when working as a creative. Her passion for her work shines through in this episode, and her story will leave you feeling inspired and motivated to continue creating meaningful content for your audience. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why she launched her podcast Eat, Capture, Share Why she thinks creatives can be incredible businesspeople What prompted her to launch her food blog Why she decided to shift her content to food photography What ikigai means How she checks in on her business daily Why she loves positive self-talk Why focusing on your mindset is so important as a creative How she teaches students to find their unique photography style What a color story is How she reaches out to brands Why she thinks it’s important to create photos that your ideal customer is looking for Why she loves creating online courses How her Instagram Food Photography challenge works Resources: Eat, Capture, Share Podcast Ikigai Kimberly’s favorite planner Gabriel Cabrera Luisa Brimble Aran Goyoaga Kimberly’s site Kimberly’s online courses Kimberly’s book — Creative Food Photography Instagram Food Photography challenge Follow Kimberly on Instagram 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 to make business branding decisions, what it means to be authentically vulnerable, and diversifying income with Charli Prangley. ----- Welcome to episode 313 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Charli Prangley about how she grows her business, builds her team, and does the work she loves. Side Hustle Income  Charli is the Creative Director at ConvertKit, but she also does a ton of work on her side hustle. So much so, she was actually able to double her side hustle income in just a year! This episode is jam-packed with advice for people who are trying to grow their businesses while working full-time jobs. Charli talks about how she views branding, how she hires help for the things she doesn’t like to do, and how she has diversified her income. Charli’s advice will be a great reminder of why it’s important to really hone in on what you’re actually trying to accomplish when you’re creating content online and what it takes to get there. We hope you enjoy this episode! In this episode, you’ll learn: What marketing design means Why she doesn’t like pop-ups How to make decisions based on your branding Which of her platforms is her favorite How she doubled her side hustle income in a year How she works with a channel sponsor on YouTube Why Twitter is a great place to connect with people How she makes decisions about what she works on Why investing in help has been key for her business growth Tips for hiring email help How to work with designers on your blog’s branding Common traits of successful brands How to be authentically vulnerable Resources: ConvertKit Charli’s YouTube channel Design Life Podcast Inside Marketing Design Podcast The Future Belongs to Creators Podcast Charli’s site Charli’s Twitch channel Pinch of Yum Pallet Doubling My Side Hustle Earnings - 2020/21 Income Report Figma Webflow Folk 309: Create with Intention – $130,000 in the First Week by Creating Premium Offerings for Your Audience with Shawn Blanc 097: How to Create a Full-Time Income from Blogging Using The Egg Carton Method with Bjork Ostrom Black and White Studios Dianne Jacob About This Week's Sponsor We're excited to announce that this week's episode is sponsored by our sister site, Clariti! With Clariti, you can easily organize your blog content for maximum growth. Create campaigns to add alt text to your posts, fix broken images, remove any broken links, and more, all within the Clariti app. Sign up for the Clariti waitlist today to receive: Early access to their $25/Month Forever pricing Optimization ideas for your site content An invitation to join their exclusive Slack community And more! You can learn more and sign up here. 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 to communicate with brands, work with a brand's goals in mind, and manage sponsored content work with Pinch of Yum's Jenna Arend. ----- Welcome to episode 312 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, we’re rewinding back to our episode with Jenna Arend from the Pinch of Yum where she talks about some of the systems they use to manage their sponsored content work. How Pinch of Yum Works with Brands It’s another FBP Rewind episode today, and we’re so excited to revisit our July 2020 interview with Jenna Arend from the Pinch of Yum team today! Jenna is the General Manager at Pinch of Yum and in this episode, she gives you a behind-the-scenes tour of how the Pinch of Yum team uses processes to handle their sponsored content work. Between establishing a system for initial conversations with brands to contract review, we’re hoping that you’re able to take some of the systems that the Pinch of Yum team relies on and use them to streamline your own sponsored content efforts. In this episode, you’ll learn: What Jenna does for Team Pinch of Yum What it was like when Pinch of Yum worked with an agency on sponsored content How they decided to bring the management of sponsored content in-house The kinds of systems the Pinch of Yum uses to manage sponsored content How to communicate with brands Tips for negotiating What’s included in Pinch of Yum’s media kit and rate sheet How contract review works How the Pinch of Yum team works with a lawyer How you can report on sponsored content campaigns What it means to offer a la carte items to brands Resources: Pinch of Yum Sway Questions on the Pinch of Yum Intake Form

Blogging as a creative outlet, balancing a blog with a full-time job, and creating intentional content with Katie Olsen from Katiebird Bakes. ----- Welcome to episode 311 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Katie Olsen. Finding Your Why Katie is a full-time attorney and food blogger, and she’s here on the podcast today to talk about her blogging journey and philosophy when it comes to sharing content online. She talks about how starting a blog is inherently vulnerable, why she likes balancing both her blog and her full-time job, and how she has shifted her content strategy over the years. As her blog Katiebird Bakes has grown over time, Katie has found a sense of purpose and enjoyment in blogging as a creative outlet, and you’ll learn more about her mindset in this episode. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why she initially felt nervous to launch her blog How she deals with negative comments on her blog Why she enjoys having both her blog and a full-time job Why she’s really picky about the kind of content she posts online How to adjust to the ever-changing environment of social media How to not fall into the comparison trap as a content creator What kinds of recipes she shares on her blog Why it’s so important to remember your ‘why’ How leaning into her niche helped her find success What metrics she used to track her blog’s growth along the way What philosophy she follows when planning future content Resources: Katiebird Bakes The Oatmeal - What it’s like to make things for the web Jimmy Fallon explains the meaning of his life Mediavine Follow Katie on Instagram and 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