The Food Blogger Pro Podcast

Why you should build your processes, how to create a more valuable business, and prioritizing your tasks with Blake Bailey. ----- Welcome to episode 189 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Blake Bailey from Process Street about the importance of documenting your processes. Make Less Work Whether you know it or not, there are a lot of processes that go into creating blog content. Photographing a recipe, publishing a post, sharing that post on social media, reaching out to sponsors, adding ads to your site. Blake from Process Street is here to talk about why you might to document these processes and how to get started documenting these processes. He'll help you save time and work smarter by automating some of your most common to-dos and prioritizing your tasks. In this episode, Blake shares: What an SOP is How you can start creating processes Why you might want to start building processes How you can automate your processes How you can make less work for yourself and your team How to create a more valuable business with processes How you can build your processes and prioritize your tasks How to use Content Lock Resources: Process Street Zapier The Checklist Manifesto Ahrefs MarketMuse Checklists for Bloggers If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Sylvia! 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.

Retina images, how to start optimizing your site, and the different levels of image optimization with Simon Duduica. ----- Welcome to episode 188 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Simon Duduica about optimizing images on your website. Optimizing Your Website's Images We know that optimization is important when it comes to building a website, so today's interview focuses on optimizing images. Optimizing images on food blogs is especially important. Food blogs are typically heavy-handed with their use of images, and for good reason: people eat with their eyes. That said, it's just as important that your images look good as it is to optimize them for site performance and speed. That's where ShortPixel comes in. They help you optimize your images in a way that doesn't compromise quality or that "drool-worthiness" we all want to see in our images. ShortPixel's Head of Technology, Simon, is here to chat through what optimizing your images means and how you can make sure the images on your site are optimized. In this episode, Simon shares: How they started ShortPixel Why image optimization is important for website owners How images load How you can tell if your images are optimized The difference between optimization levels What retina images are and how you can optimize them How you can start optimizing your website Resources: Register for the Growing Your Food Blog Q&A with Bjork and Lindsay! ShortPixel WP Engine Cloudflare GTmetrix Google PageSpeed Insights If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Brenda from Become Betty! 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.

What self-publishing is, how much you can expect to spend, and enlisting the help of others with Chelsea Cole. ----- Welcome to episode 187 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Chelsea Cole from A Duck's Oven about the process of self-publishing a cookbook. How to Self-Publish Your Own Cookbook It's time for part 2 of our two-part publishing series! This week, we're chatting with Chelsea Cole, sous vide master, all about the steps she took to self-publish her very own cookbook. Self-publishing is certainly different from traditional publishing, so this episode focuses on the nuances that make self-publishing so accessible and exciting for bloggers. You'll learn how she found her topic, how much you should expect to spend if you're self-publishing a book, and more. Enjoy! In this episode, Chelsea shares: Where her blog name comes from What sous vide is How she decided to focus on sous vide Why she started thinking about writing a cookbook How payments work when you write a cookbook How she managed her cookbook team and timeline How much you should plan on spending if you self-publish a cookbook How she promoted her book What she would do differently next time Resources: Delivering Happiness A Duck's Oven Shoe Dog MacBreak Weekly Sous Vide 5-year trend on Google Trends Well Fed Diane Morgan Asana Amazon's Royalty Calculator 097: How to Create a Full-Time Income from Blogging Using The Egg Carton Method with Bjork Ostrom Everyday Sous Vide: It's All French to Me BONUS! Check out Chelsea's blog post all about her self-publishing process If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Bob! 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.

Fine-tuning your book idea, book proposals, and understanding your reader with Lindsey Smith. ----- Welcome to episode 186 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Alexa interviews Lindsey Smith, aka. The Food Mood Girl, about the traditional publishing process. How to Become a Published Author You have an awesome book idea, but you have no idea what to do with it. If this sounds like you, then this episode is for you! Lindsey Smith is a publishing pro; she has gone through the self-publishing process in addition to working with a traditional publishing house. This episode, however, is focused on the latter–getting an agent, going through a publisher, and writing a book proposal. She also talks about how she started her own press and developed a conference for aspiring authors. The publishing process may seem a bit daunting, but you'll learn a ton of helpful tips in this interview like how to set your pitch apart, how your pitches will change based on the type of book you're writing, and how you can fine-tune your book idea and proposal. Enjoy! In this episode, Lindsey shares: How she started publishing her content What a press is The differences between an agent and a publisher How a nonfiction pitch differs from a fiction pitch How to set your pitch apart from others How she fine-tuned her book idea What you can do once you have a book idea Important parts of a book proposal Why it's important to understand that you're ahead of your reader How having a brand can help with the traditional publishing process Resources: Test your mobile site speed with Think with Google One Idea Press Pitch Publish Promote Food Mood Girl Lindsey's books Macmillan Follow Lindsey on Instagram If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, YumYoga! 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.

Flash photography, the road to recovery, and building a business with Joanie Simon. ----- Welcome to episode 185 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Joanie Simon about using flash photography and recovering from addiction. Darkness and Light We typically talk about the benefits of shooting food photos with natural light - namely, it's an easy way to make sure your photos look natural. But if you take a quick peek over at Joanie's Instagram profile (@thebiteshot), you'll see that she's getting beautiful, natural-looking photos using flash. That's right! Joanie has figured out a way to make flash photography the foundation of her successful YouTube channel, brand partnerships, and more. But that's not the only reason you'll love this episode. Joanie's journey to food blogging and photography wasn't an easy one, and you'll hear about her road to recovery and her story of how she got to where she is today. In this episode, Joanie shares: How she got into blogging Why a chicken is so important to her story How relationships grew her photography business Why she shoots with flash How flash is different from artificial light The gear she uses for flash photography Resources: Joanie's story "7 Habits of Highly Effective People The Bite Shot on YouTube Joanie's courses Joanie's flash photography gear Follow Joanie on Instagram If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Betsy from The Dinner Sisters! 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.

Defining growth, figuring out your definition of success, and learning from those who are paying attention with Paul Jarvis. ----- Welcome to episode 184 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Paul Jarvis about his new book, "Company of One," and building better businesses. Build Better, Not Bigger, Businesses Paul is back on the Food Blogger Pro Podcast to chat about his new book, how to build better businesses, how to define growth, and so much more. Paul understands business in a pretty unique way. His ideologies of starting small, defining growth, and continual learning will help you evaluate your blog or business and challenge you to find your own definition of success. Plus, his new book, "Company of One," will be out next week, so be sure to pre-order if you're interested! In this episode, Paul shares: How you can preorder his book Why you should figure out your definition of success How he keeps simplicity in his work How you can get your Company of One business up and running What defining growth means Why you don't need a massive audience What it means to learn from the people who are paying attention How to protect yourself from the ulcer of the soul Resources: Preorder Paul's book! 181: The Year of the Pivot with Melissa Coleman If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Carolyn from Umami Girl! 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.

Intentional effort, going by stopping, and finding the good with Bjork Ostrom. ----- Welcome to episode 183 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, we're rewinding back to a Bjork solo episode where he talks about how to keep going when you're not sure you can continue. How to Keep Going Happy 2019! For today's podcast episode, we're rewinding back to a solo Bjork episode called, "How to Keep Going." This episode was originally published in August 2017, but the strategies, advice, and techniques Bjork shares will help you stay motivated in the new year. It's tough to keep going, keep doing, and keep creating, especially when you're trying to balance it with the other aspects of your life. The tips Bjork shares in this episode will help you get up each and every day to do the work. In this episode, Bjork shares: Why someone else's path might not be the one for you How to find your own path Why time is a key ingredient How The Path differs from The Resistance How temporarily stopping can help you keep going Why deadlines are important and how they have impacted Pinch of Yum and Food Blogger Pro Why gratitude moves you forward Resources: Open for Business Podcast Startup Podcast Smart Passive Income Podcast FE International Website Brokerage Quiet Light Brokerage Episode 032: Buying & Selling Websites with Mark Daoust from Quiet Light Brokerage Pinch of Yum - Afton posts If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Narrowing your niche, increasing your traffic, and finding a business coach with Meggan Hill. ----- Welcome to episode 182 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, we're rewinding back to one of our most popular episodes with Meggan Hill from Culinary Hill. How Finding a Niche Transformed a Business Today we're rewinding back to one of our most popular podcast episodes ever with Meggan Hill from the blog Culinary Hill. Meggan has a firm understanding of her brand, her audience, and her niche, and that deep understanding helps drive her content creation and direction. And that's exactly what Meggan talks about in this interview. You'll learn how she defined her niche, how that then increased her traffic, how she just finds the time to do what she does, and so much more. Enjoy this rewind episode! In this episode, Meggan shares: How she narrowed down her niche Why finding a niche was freeing How refining her brand increased her traffic Why she is going to culinary school What the first step is to finding a business coach How she gets her morning started What she would have changed over the last few years How she finds time for her blog Resources: Culinary Hill CookIt Media Jadah Sellner Coaching 5 Minute Journal The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod Insight Timer meditation app Headspace meditation app Follow Meggan on Instagram If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

How to navigate the fall, the importance of play, and protecting the everyday with Melissa Coleman. ----- Welcome to episode 181 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Melissa Coleman from The Faux Martha about the things she learned about herself this year. The Year of the Pivot Melissa Coleman of The Faux Martha had a big year. Not only does she run a successful blog, she also published her first book, The Minimalist Kitchen, this April. But they aren't the only reasons she had a good year: she called this year The Year of the Pivot. She knew something needed to change, and she set out on a journey this year to make it happen. Without revealing too much, she learned quite a bit from this experiential year, and the lessons she learned serve as a powerful message to all bloggers in this episode. In this episode, Melissa shares: What it was like to write a book Why she wanted to find a new direction How she navigated the fall Why it's important to play What it means to protect the everyday Why it's helpful to start with a problem and work to a solution How she's preserving her asset How she approached hiring What's next for her and her blog Resources: Todoist The Faux Martha The Minimalist Kitchen After the Fall The Horse Named Hustle Job Opening: Left Brain The Minimalist Kitchen Course Follow Melissa on Instagram If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. 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.

Quality content, becoming a subject matter expert, and finding connections in your content with Jeff Coyle. ----- Welcome to episode 180 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Jeff Coyle from MarketMuse about becoming an expert on your blog. Establishing Your Expertise Jeff helps run MarketMuse, an AI planning and optimizing software, and they focus on optimizing your content to improve your search engine ranking potential. This episode focuses around becoming a subject matter expert on your blog; choosing a topic to go all-in on and really become "the" expert of that topic. You'll learn a lot about why subject matter expertise is valuable as a content creator, what a quality piece of content actually looks like, how you can prove you're an expert, and so much more. Let's dive in! In this episode, Jeff shares: What led him to MarketMuse Why subject matter expertise is valuable What a quality piece of content looks like How you can prove you're an expert How to find connections in your content How narrow your expertise should be Resources: MarketMuse TechTarget Google Adwords Keyword Planner Follow MarketMuse on Twitter If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Rebecca from No Big Bites! 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.