The Food Blogger Pro Podcast

How to start sponsored content, how to price your work, and how to reach out to brands with Danielle Liss and the Pinch of Yum team. ----- Welcome to episode 116 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, we’re sharing the Q&A from the Sponsored Content Bootcamp. You’ll hear Danielle Liss and the Pinch of Yum team talk about starting sponsored content, pricing your work, and reaching out to brands. Answering Questions about Sponsored Content Sponsored content is a great way to generate income for your blog and make connections with brands you really love. At the Sponsored Content Bootcamp on September 12, 2017, we showed attendees how to price their work, the tools you need to create sponsored content, and how the Pinch of Yum team handles their sponsored content work. We also held a Q&A at the end of the day where we answered questions from our attendees about sponsored content. We’re sharing that Q&A with our podcast family today, and we couldn’t be more excited. Danielle Liss fr

Advice for future cookbook authors, how to decide when it's the right time to make your first hire, and choosing a focus for your blog with Kathryne Taylor. ----- Welcome to episode 115 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Kathryne Taylor from Cookie & Kate about how she decided her blog would have a food focus, when she chose to make her first hire, and her advice for future cookbook authors. How to Write a 5-Star Cookbook While Kathryne’s blog Cookie & Kate didn’t start out as a food blog, she transitioned to sharing healthy, whole food recipes. From there, Cookie & Kate became her full-time job, and she quickly learned the ins and outs of blogging, web development, and design. Just a few months ago, Kathryne released her first cookbook, Love Real Food, which has gained a ton of praise (including nearly 200 5-star reviews on Amazon). She learned a lot from the cookbook publishing process, and she has a few tips that will help aspiring cookbook authors turn

How to work with different personalities, divide responsibilities, and split your income with Polly Conner and Rachel Tiemeyer. ----- Welcome to episode 114 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Polly Conner and Rachel Tiemeyer from Thriving Home about working as a partnership on their blog. How to Run a Successful Blog as a Partnership A blog is typically started as a sole venture, but Polly and Rachel decided to start their blog, Thriving Home, as a team. While they both have different personalities, they use those differences to their advantage to divide tasks and grow their business. But even though they’re running their blog as a team, anyone can take lessons away from the way they treat their blog as a business. You’ll learn how they made their first $1, the most important thing that makes their partnership work, and the intentional way they invest back into their business, and more. In this episode, Polly and Rachel share: How Polly and Rachel met Why they decided

How to use an Instagram strategy, get involved in blogging groups, and get advice from other bloggers with Ashley Walterhouse. ----- Welcome to episode 113 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Ashley Walterhouse about working with brands, building her following, and growing her Instagram account to over 90K followers in two years. How to Gain 90K Instagram Followers in 2 Years Yep, that says 90K. In two years! If you’re anything like me, you randomly post to Instagram whenever you remember to in hopes of gaining followers and getting some click-throughs to your website. But Ashley’s social media success is proof that it’s helpful to have a strategy when growing your social media presence. Posting at the right times every day, engaging with comments, and sharing the right recipes all play into growing your Instagram account. Ashley has cracked the code on Instagram growth and engagement, and she’s sharing how she managed to grow her two-year-old blog, Fit Mitten Kitchen,

How to get perfect lighting and a consistent style with Taylor Mathis. ----- Welcome to episode 112 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Taylor Mathis from Photographing FOOD about lighting, consistency, and his go-to equipment. Perfecting the Art of Food Photography Photography is one of the most important aspects of food blogging. We’re always told that people eat with their eyes, and that couldn’t be more true when trying to gain a following as a blogger. While Taylor started his photography career as a wedding photographer, his interests quickly settled on food photography. He has devoted his career to perfecting the art of food photography, and now he’s sharing what he has learned with you. His composition, lighting, and gear tips will give new insights into your photography setup and planning. In this episode, Taylor shares: How he got interested in photography How he started his photography business Why it’s important to understand light as a photographer Why he

Why engagement is more important than numbers, how to run a business that doesn’t require growth, and how to find your rat people with Paul Jarvis. ----- Welcome to episode 111 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Paul Jarvis about building a company of one, the most important part of his online business, and finding your “rat people.” How to Build a Company of One Paul has been working for himself for nearly 20 years, and his career has taken him in a few different directions. Starting out as a web designer, he began working for himself as a freelancer for clients like Danielle LaPorte, Marie Forleo, and Mercedes-Benz, and then he started selling his own software and courses. And he wrote a vegan cookbook along the way. While he built his business, he learned what it means to own, run, and grow a “company of one.” Paul’s experiences and advice will inspire you to think about your own business in exciting and unconventional ways. In this episode, Paul shares: Why he rel

How to work in your zone, set a morning routine, and optimize your workspace with Bjork Ostrom. ----- Welcome to episode 110 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks about 10 habits that can help your business grow long-term. 10 Simple Habits that Create BIG Growth for Your Business Forming habits can have an exponential affect on your business’ growth, and Bjork has seen that first-hand as he built Food Blogger Pro. Bjork talks about 10 habits that have had a huge impact on his productivity and on Food Blogger Pro’s growth. He recommends apps, systems, philosophies, and practices that you can implement today into your business to see growth long-term. In this episode, Bjork shares: What a “black book” is How to keep track of your to-dos How a morning routine can impact your business How to get to “Inbox Zero” An easier way to keep track of receipts How to save articles to read later How to optimize your workspace Why you should turn off all push notifications How do perform a t

How to implement systems, shift your business' focus, and narrow your offerings with Greg Hickman. ----- Welcome to episode 109 of the Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks to Greg Hickman about building systems, building courses, and building a profitable business. How Systems and Courses can Build a Profitable Business Shifting the focus in your business might be a scary step. But for Greg, shifting his business focus came via a challenge, and he learned that it was a necessary step for growing his business. He went from focusing on mobile marketing to automation and marketing funnels. Now he helps other businesses narrow down their offerings and use trends to build out their systems. He talks about finding the right product to sell, tools he recommends for marketers, and how you can give your audience value. In this episode, Greg shares: How he got started helping businesses with their funnels and automation How he knew how to make a shift in his business How a challenge led him

Common mindsets for entrepreneurs, how to find success through breakthroughs, and how to grow a podcast into a success with Natalie Eckdahl. ----- Welcome to episode 108 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks to Natalie Eckdahl about growing her podcast into a six-figure success. From Struggling Podcast to Six-Figure Success “If you build it, they will come.” That’s what Natalie thought of her audience when she first built her podcast back in 2014. While that wasn’t exactly the case, Natalie started to understand her audience and quickly grew her struggling podcast, The Biz Chix Podcast, to a six-figure business. Along the way, Natalie has coached many different types of women entrepreneurs, and she has learned about their struggles, issues, and tools for success. The lessons she has learned helps her educate, encourage and promote entrepreneurial women looking to grow their businesses. In this episode, Natalie shares: Why she decided to start her podcast How she scaled that p

Why “going viral” early might not be best with Sarah Wu. ----- Welcome to episode 107 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks to Sarah Wu about her viral blog and why “going viral” quickly might not be the best thing for everyone. How to Go Viral, Kill Your Blog, and Start Over Going viral. It’s the dream for all bloggers, right? Not exactly. Sarah Wu experienced what it’s like to have a viral blog early in her blogging career. She was featured on news outlets like Good Morning America, AOL, and Yahoo, saw her page views quickly grow, and started getting more comments. However, going viral wasn’t what was best for Sarah and her blog about school lunches. In this episode, Sarah shares: Why she decided to document school lunches How her blog grew Why she decided to start as an anonymous blogger How she was featured on Good Morning America, AOL, and Yahoo Why you should focus on becoming an expert Why smaller goals are important for growing your blog Why going viral early might no

How to refine your brand, share your story, and help others with Carol Cox. ----- Welcome to episode 106 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks to Carol Cox about refining your brand and sharing your story. Discovering Your Unique Brand How would you define your brand? It’s an interesting and important question to answer about your business. Carol, however, thinks it's even more important to gauge how your audience defines your brand. Once you understand that, you can then refine your brand and use your expertise to support your audience. Carol’s advice will show you how you can help your readers by choosing the stories you share and the niche you pick. In this episode, Carol shares: What a brand actually is How to gauge the way your audience views your brand How to refine your brand Why you should excavate your story Why failures make good stories How to create a story bank Why you should process through your story before you write about it How to help someone along their “He

How to pick a course topic, price your course, and feel confident to teach with Randle Browning. ----- Welcome to episode 105 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks to Randle Browning from Teachable about creating courses to generate income and leads. How Food Bloggers Use Courses to Build their Businesses What are you an expert at? Maybe it’s cake decorating. Maybe it’s vegan cooking. Or maybe it’s cooking with the ever-so popular Instant Pot. Regardless, you can make a course about it. And creating that course is a great way to build your online presence and business. Randle Browning works for Teachable, a site that helps you build and sell your own online courses. She has so many tips that will help you pick the perfect course topic, create your course, and then successfully launch your course. In this episode, Randle shares: Why you should pre-sell a course How to segment your email list based on a course How to gauge interest in your course idea How to price your course H

How to track expenses, pay yourself, and set up bank account for your business with Cathy Derus. ----- Welcome to episode 104 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks to Cathy Derus about tax advice for bloggers. How Bloggers Should Handle Their Taxes and Accounting Photographing, cooking, connecting, writing…these are typically the aspects of blogging we all love. Cathy, on the other hand, loves spreadsheets, tracking expenses, and talking to other bloggers about taxes. Cathy started her businesses, Brightwater Financial and Brightwater Accounting, as a way to help small business owners like bloggers navigate the confusing tax side of their businesses. It’s a topic that is incredibly important for all bloggers to understand, and Cathy’s goal is to make the process a little easier. From setting up a bank account for your business to tracking expenses, this episode is a crash-course to understanding taxes and accounting. In this episode, Cathy shares: How her diverse knowledge he

How to find inspiration, deliver value, and grow your engagement with the Pinch of Yum Team. ----- Welcome to episode 103 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks to Lindsay and Alana from Pinch of Yum about creating awesome recipe videos. Answering Questions about Recipe Videos Spend five minutes on Facebook or Instagram, and I bet you’ll see at least one or two recipe videos in your feed. Recipe videos are the thing for food bloggers right now, and we always get questions from bloggers about how they can make viral food videos that will help deliver value, boost engagement, and grow followings on social media. That’s exactly what Alana, Bjork, and Lindsay talk about today. Today we’re sharing the Q&A session from our recent One-Day Recipe Video Bootcamp event. Alana, Bjork, and Lindsay answer some of your questions about gear, lighting, writing engaging captions, and their personal success with recipe videos in this Q&A. In this episode, Alana, Bjork, and Lindsay share:

How to write with focus, read with purpose, and build your community with Gabriela Pereira. ----- Welcome to episode 102 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks to Gabriela Pereira about becoming a better writer and building a community around your writing. How to Write with Focus, Read with Purpose, and Build Your Community Gabriela got her MFA in 2010, and after she graduated, she realized that a lot of people don’t actually need a formal education process in order to write. If you give yourself permission to own your creativity and writing, and if you learn a few key skills along the way, you can be a writer. She started DIY MFA to teach others how they can do exactly that. By focusing on the work at hand, Gabriela has been able to practice, evaluate, and fine-tune her craft and teach others how to do the same. Gabriela’s strategies about finding the right writing system, tracking productivity, staying inspired, and understanding strengths and weaknesses all play into finding

How to trust your gut, why you need to build your own path, and why you should pursue the work (not the end) with Bjork Ostrom. ----- Welcome to episode 101 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks about the lessons he learned after five years of publishing Income Reports on Pinch of Yum. What I Learned After Five Years of Income Reports The Pinch of Yum Income Reports chronicle the experiment Bjork and Lindsay started as a way to find out if it was possible to create an income from a food blog. Spoiler alert: It is. After five years of publishing these income reports and sharing the process of turning Pinch of Yum into a business, Bjork has learned quite a few lessons. From learning to trust his gut to building their own path to learning how to learn, the 20 lessons Bjork discusses will help anyone in pursuit of starting their own business and becoming their own boss. In this episode, Bjork shares: How and why he started writing the Pinch of Yum Income Reports Why you need to l

Our listeners' favorite FBP podcast episodes, what they've learned, how how they've applied what they've learned to their blogs ----- Welcome to episode 100 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week, we’re celebrating our 100th episode with a special community episode! How FBP Listeners Have Used the Podcast to Grow their Blogs and Businesses There have been 99 Food Blogger Pro Podcast episodes before this one, and we’ve heard from a lot of amazing people. From full-time bloggers to SEO experts to social media pros, this podcast has seen no shortage of inspirational interviewees! We’re really excited about this episode because we’re hearing from you. We asked our listeners what their favorite Food Blogger Pro Podcast episode was, and we’re so excited about the response. It’s so exciting to hear which episodes came to you at a specific point in your blogging career and how the podcast helped you overcome obstacles, become more confident, and grow your business. We hope that this episode will help you find an

How to price sponsored content, what type of business structure you should have for your blog, and what legal essentials your blog should have ----- Welcome to episode 99 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Danielle Liss from Hashtag Legal about how you can create solid sponsored content. Sponsored Content and Getting Paid What Your Work is Worth If you do sponsored content, you know how much work a campaign can be. From developing the recipe to aligning with the brand’s goals, many considerations go into creating solid sponsored content for a brand. From understanding FTC guidelines to knowing the legal disclaimers all blogs should have on their sites, Danielle and her business partner cover it all at their practice, Hashtag Legal. While most bloggers want to focus on the creative side of their businesses, it’s important to have a handle on the business and legal side of things as well. Danielle saw this as an opportunity to help get bloggers to the point where they’re

How recipe creation is like architecture, how to improve your food photography, and how to become a full-time freelance food photographer. ----- Welcome to episode 98 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Ashley McLaughlin from Edible Perspective about becoming a full-time freelance food photographer. An Architect’s Journey to Becoming a Full-Time Freelance Food Photographer Architecture and food…it doesn’t sound like there would be many similarities between the two, right? But there are, and Ashley’s background in architecture helped her understand experience, perspective, and design in a culinary setting. After staring her blog, Edible Perspective, as a way to stay creative, Ashley’s love of food transformed into a love of photography. After a long learning process, she went from a complete novice with a DSLR to understanding exposure meters, shooting in manual mode, and writing a food photography series on her blog. Now she’s a full-time freelance food photographer who

How to make money from blogging, why you should divide your income into eggs, and how to fill your egg carton with Bjork Ostrom. ----- Welcome to episode 97 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks about dividing income into multiple “eggs” in a carton of blogging income. How to Create a Full-Time Income from Blogging using The Egg Carton Method For a lot of us, “pro” blogging (i.e., making a full-time income from blogging) is the dream. In order to do that, however, income needs to be coming in from multiple channels. Bjork likes to think of these “channels” as eggs in an egg carton; you need to fill your egg carton with different revenue streams in order to create a sustainable income from your blog. It’s really difficult to create a full-time blogging income from only one “egg,” so diversifying your egg carton can help you get there even sooner. In this episode, Bjork shares: Two things that make an impact on making an income on your blog How to divide your income stream into