The Food Blogger Pro Podcast

Optimizing your website for Q4 success, making your personal brand stand out, and adapting to the changing landscape of content creation with Madison Wetherill from Grace and Vine Studios. ----- Welcome to episode 535 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Madison Wetherill from Grace and Vine Studios and Joyfully Mad. Branding, Blogging, and Q4: How to Stand Out Online In this conversation, Madison discusses the importance of personal branding and website optimization for food bloggers, especially as they prepare for the critical Q4 season. She emphasizes the need for food creators to carefully define their niche and audience, effectively communicate their brand message, and integrate your brand into your site. Madison also shares strategies for standing out in a saturated market and the significance of calls to action on websites. The discussion highlights the evolving landscape of content creation and the need for bloggers to adapt to stay relevant and connect with thei

Leveraging social media to grow your audience and building a community through your website with Danny Dobrzenski from Cooking in the Yard. ----- Welcome to episode 534 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Danny Dobrzenski from Cooking in the Yard.  From Pandemic Hobby to Full-Time Hustle with Danny Dobrzenski In this week’s episode, Bjork interviews Danny Dobrzenski, a food creator who turned a pandemic hobby into a full-time content career. After getting laid off in April 2020, Danny took a leap of faith and leaned into sharing his cooking journey online. With some serious hustle and smart use of platforms like Instagram and Facebook (particularly Facebook!), he built an engaged audience and started landing brand deals that helped turn his passion into a paycheck. Danny also reveals what it really takes to grow as a creator, from staying consistent with content to learning how to navigate ever-changing social media algorithms. He discusses how delegating and “buying ba

Reconnecting with creativity, redefining success as a creator, and creating without burnout or comparison with Sabrina Loyer. ----- Welcome to episode 533 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Sabrina Loyer. Building a Creative Life Beyond the Metrics In this episode, we’re chatting with Sabrina Loyer about what it really means to be successful as a content creator. Sabrina built a thriving business around helping others go viral, but she also experienced the anxiety, burnout, and pressure that can come with chasing metrics. She shares her journey of moving beyond the comparison trap, creating without boundaries, and learning to view social media as a tool rather than the end goal. Sabrina and Bjork also discuss the two powerful tools that have transformed her creative process (and life!) and Sabrina’s practical advice for simplifying content creation and using tools like ChatGPT effectively — all while staying grounded and joyful in your work. Whether you’re a seasoned c

The impact of the latest Google Core Updates, how AI can assist with content creation, and expanding your content's reach with Bjork Ostrom. ----- Welcome to episode 532 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, we’re doing something a little different and bringing on our very own Emily Walker (Associate General Manager, Food Blogger Pro) to chat with Bjork about the articles we shared in our latest blogging newsletter! Food Blogging News Roundtable: Core Updates, GEO, and Content Syndication Curious about the latest happenings in the food blogging sphere? In this episode, Bjork and Emily are chatting through the articles we shared in the Food Blogger Pro newsletter that went out last week and diving into what they mean for food creators. From Google’s recent Core Update (which actually brought some good news for bloggers!) to the continued importance of E-E-A-T, they’re breaking down how to keep your content high-quality and search-friendly. They’ll also discuss how AI is showing up in the w

Discoverability with Meta Ads, digital product sales funnels, and thinking beyond organic traffic with Tammy Overhoff from Organize Yourself Skinny. Welcome to episode 531 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Tammy Overhoff. Mastering Digital Products and Meta Ads Tammy started food blogging in 2011 and has reinvented her business many times over the last 14 years. After taking her food blog full-time in 2014 and being hit hard by one-too-many Google algorithm updates, Tammy knew she needed to make a change to her business so that she was no longer working from a place of desperation. In 2022, she took a step back from SEO and diversified her business by leaning into digital product sales. In this interview, Tammy explains her exact process (including numbers!) for selling digital products, including her Meta Ads strategy. For any creator, it can feel daunting to spend money to reach an audience when social media and organic traffic are free. But Tammy makes a really com

Leveraging AI to be a more efficient content creator and the role of keywords in today's SEO landscape with Aleka Shunk. ----- Welcome to episode 530 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Aleka Shunk from Aleka’s Get Together and Keywords with Aleka. She also happens to be one of our FBP experts!  How to Personalize AI for Better Content with Aleka Shunk In this conversation, Bjork and Aleka discuss the evolving landscape of SEO and content creation, particularly focusing on the role of keywords and the integration of AI tools like ChatGPT. They explore how keywords remain essential in SEO, despite changes in content creation approaches. Aleka will also share insights on how to use AI to streamline content creation processes, enhance brand collaborations, and personalize interactions for better outputs. The discussion emphasizes the importance of adapting to AI advancements and leveraging them to improve efficiency and creativity in content creation. Three episode takeawa

Editing more efficiently in Lightroom, using AI thoughtfully in your food photography, and developing a visual aesthetic that's uniquely yours with Roberta Dall'Alba. ----- Welcome to episode 529 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Roberta Dall’Alba. In this podcast interview, Bjork and Roberta discuss the importance of having your own distinct style or photography aesthetic to build your brand and why editing is such an essential part of this process. Roberta is an incredible food and travel photographer (trust me, you need to check out her food photographs!) and was a 2023 Lightroom Ambassador. Needless to say, she has spent a lot of time experimenting with Lightroom. Roberta dives into how she approaches editing food photos with integrity, efficiency, and her own unique style. From navigating AI tools responsibly to building a signature look in Lightroom, she offers practical tips to help creators stay authentic while working smarter. This is an excellent interview t

Committing to consistency, running strategic year-long marketing campaigns, and leaning into a niche with Kate Shungu from Gift of Hospitality. ----- Welcome to episode 528 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Kate Shungu from Gift of Hospitality. How Kate Shungu Grew to 800k Sessions a Year from Pinterest by Using a Marketing Campaign Kate first started food blogging in 2017 with no real focus or niche. In 2018, she rebranded to entertaining and hospitality but, understandably, had to pivot again during the summer of 2020. Since then, she settled into her niche of vintage recipes for modern cooks and quickly grew to 50k sessions by the spring of 2021. In this interview, Bjork and Kate discuss approaching your brand promotion via platform-specific, year-long marketing campaigns and how to think about marketing as investing your time versus spending your ad dollars. Kate’s success stories on both Pinterest and Facebook will be really inspiring to anyone looking to diversi

The power of storytelling, experimenting across platforms, and connecting with your audience with Brita Britnell.  ----- Welcome to episode 527 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Brita Britnell from Food with Feeling (who also happens to be our Social Media Video Expert!).  How Storytelling Helps Creators Stand Out Online with Brita Britnell In this episode, Brita shares how leaning into storytelling became the heart of her content strategy, and the secret behind quadrupling (!!!) her Instagram following in just one year. From freelancing to full-time content creation, she walks us through the lessons she’s learned about building meaningful connections, staying consistent, and creating content that resonates. Whether it’s reposting viral hits or crafting seasonal recipes, Brita’s approach is rooted in authenticity and real-life experiences. We also dive into why follower count isn’t everything (especially on Facebook), how Brita built a thriving email list, and what sh

Managing a rapidly growing business, growing an Instagram account to 520K followers, and scaling to 11 million pageviews in the first half of 2025 with Amy Coyne from Amy Bakes Bread. ----- Welcome to episode 526 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Amy Coyne from Amy Bakes Bread. How Amy Bakes Bread Grew from 500K to 11 Million Pageviews in Just Two Years Amy Coyne first started her blog in 2020 as a hobby. She’s always had a passion for sourdough and, combined with her background as teacher, felt like a food blog teaching others to bake sourdough and solve their baking problems was a perfect fit. In this episode, Amy discusses the evolution of her blog from hobby to full-blown business (with over 11 million pageviews in the first half of 2025!), the inflection points that led to significant growth, and the importance of community building on platforms like Instagram. She also shares insights on her business revenue streams, the challenges of work-life balance as a crea

Turning older content into revenue and structuring your content for discoverability with Sandie Markle of Blueberri. ----- Welcome to episode 525 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Sandie Markle from Blueberri.  Unlocking the Hidden Value of Your Recipe Content with Sandie Markle of Blueberri In this episode, Sandie Markle shares her journey from working at SideChef to launching her own venture, Blueberri. She and Bjork dive into the evolving world of food content creation, especially how creators can structure their content to boost visibility, make it more discoverable on different platforms, and turn old recipes into new revenue. Sandie also sheds light on the unique value that nano and micro influencers bring to brand partnerships. They also unpack how creators can tap into licensing opportunities, work with tech companies, and even use overlooked platforms like LinkedIn to find new gigs. Whether it’s understanding the worth of a single recipe or building smart, no

Creating multiple revenue streams, making $100 a day from affiliate revenue, and committing to consistent content creation with Mary Smith from Mary's Whole Life. ----- Welcome to episode 524 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Mary Smith from Mary’s Whole Life. How Mary Smith Uses Her 500k Instagram Followers to Monetize Across Platforms This week is our third (and final!) episode in our mini-series with Grocers List. In this episode, we chat with a gluten-free food creator who’s built an incredible business by staying consistent, continually learning, and always looking for new ways to serve her audience. Today, Mary gets over 600,000 monthly blog page views and brings in revenue through ads, affiliate links, and brand partnerships. She shares more about her Instagram strategy (with over 500k followers), including her tips for viral Reels, how she uses Grocers List to capture emails, make deep links, and customize meal plans, and how working with a management company

Leveraging social media and your email list to make your content work smarter with Ben Jabbawy from Grocers List. ----- Welcome to episode 523 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Ben Jabbawy from Grocers List.  Turning Followers into Revenue with Ben Jabbawy from Grocers List In this week’s episode, we’re continuing with our Grocers List mini-series with Ben Jabbawy, the founder of Grocers List! He’ll dive deep into how creators can truly leverage social media — not just for likes, but for real, tangible growth. The key is to shift your mindset from surface-level content to strategic storytelling that drives your business forward. You’ll also hear about why email lists are a creator’s secret weapon. While algorithms change, your direct connection with your audience shouldn’t. Building a list gives you control over your communication and creates consistent revenue opportunities. Plus, he’ll unpack how to make your content work smarter by using automation, repurposing ass

Making Instagram work smarter for your business, repurposing old content, and making the most out of DM automation tools with Lindsay Ostrom from Pinch of Yum. ----- Welcome to episode 522 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week, Bjork interviews Lindsay Ostrom from Pinch of Yum. How Pinch of Yum Uses Instagram to Grow Their Email List Welcome to the kickoff episode of our new mini-series, sponsored by Grocers List! In this conversation, Bjork and Lindsay are diving into how Pinch of Yum is rethinking its Instagram strategy, especially when it comes to using Reels, DM automation tools, and driving email list growth. They chat about how to balance creativity with conversion, and Lindsay shares why her opinion of DM automation tools has completely changed over time. Lindsay also gets into the nitty-gritty of repurposing blog content and using Grocers List as a strategic bridge to get Instagram followers into the email ecosystem. If you’re looking to work smarter with your content and make Instagram actually

Scaling a Brand, Navigating Burnout, and Finding Your Why with Joanie Simon of The Bite Shot. ----- Welcome to episode 521 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Joanie Simon from The Bite Shot.  Joanie Simon of The Bite Shot on Scaling, Burnout, and Finding Joy Again In this week’s episode, Joanie gets real about the not-so-glamorous side of turning a creative passion into a full-on business. She shares how her love for food photography grew into something much bigger (and messier!) than she expected, from hiring a team to navigating the financial and emotional rollercoaster that comes with scaling. Spoiler: it wasn’t always smooth sailing, but it was 100% worth the ride! We also explore the tricky balance between staying creative and keeping up with the structure a business demands. Joanie opens up about burnout, the pressure to please everyone, and how she lost touch with her audience along the way. Through mentoring, self-care, and redefining what success actually look

Pitching, writing, publishing, and marketing a cookbook with Erin Clarke from Well Plated by Erin. ----- Welcome to episode 520 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Erin Clarke from Well Plated by Erin. What It Really Takes to Publish a Cookbook with Erin Clarke from Well Plated by Erin In this episode, we are thrilled to welcome back Erin Clarke (after 9 years!!!) to dive into the behind-the-scenes journey of traditionally publishing a cookbook — from developing the recipes and managing timelines to copy-editing and more. Erin opens up about how she balanced her cookbook projects with her ongoing blog work, as well as the challenges and rewards of publishing a cookbook. Bjork and Erin also chat about the marketing side of cookbook creation — how Erin mapped out the social media strategy for her cookbook promotion, why she crafted all of her captions in advance, and how she documented the entire cookbook process on social media to create excitement and drive sales. Erin

The power of consistency, community, and time management with Christina Leopold from Addicted to Dates.  ----- Welcome to episode 519 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Christina Leopold from Addicted to Dates.  How Christina Leopold of Addicted to Dates Turned Content into Community and Hit 550K Followers This week’s episode dives deep into the journey of food blogger Christina Leopold, who built and scaled her brand, Addicted to Dates. Her story is packed with gold for anyone looking to grow their online gig. One of the biggest takeaways? Consistency is key, but working smarter with your content is essential for staying sane. Christina also spills the tea on turning her passion into a full-time hustle. She had to get down to business with things like SEO and figuring out how to make money. Plus, she emphasizes the power of knowing your worth and when to bring in some extra hands. Finally, we chat about the importance of connecting with your community and fellow creat

Surveying your audience, building effective lead magnets, and staying consistent with emails with Molly Thompson from What Molly Made. ----- Welcome to episode 518 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Molly Thompson from What Molly Made. How Molly Thompson Grew Her Email List from 15K to 100K Tired of the ever-changing Google algorithms, Molly Thompson decided to lean into email marketing a few years ago and has since developed a super effective four-part system for growing her email list. In this episode, Bjork and Molly delve into Molly’s strategies for growing her email list from 15,000 to 100,000 subscribers within a year (and how that has led to an increase of 300,000 pageviews every month!). Molly shares her insights on repurposing content across platforms, surveying her audience for pain points, using her website as a central hub, and her strategies for driving traffic back to her site. Three episode takeaways: The importance of consistency in email engagement —

Crafting a brand with meaning and scaling a business with Shen Chen from Just One Cookbook. ----- Welcome to episode 517 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Shen Chen, who jointly runs the English-language Japanese food blog Just One Cookbook with his wife Nami.  Preserving Tradition While Scaling a Modern Business with Shen Chen from Just One Cookbook This week on the podcast, Bjork sits down with Shen Chen — one-half of the powerhouse duo behind Just One Cookbook. Shen shares the behind-the-scenes story of how a humble food blog grew into a multifaceted business, spanning YouTube, e-commerce, and digital memberships. He talks about the impact of shifting traffic trends, how COVID–19 changed the game, and why sometimes a business pivot isn’t just smart—it’s necessary. Shen also opens up about his newest venture: a brand inspired by Japanese craftsmanship and cultural preservation. From navigating the complexities of physical products to using social media and SEO to fu

Growing and nurturing your email list, understanding your subscribers' needs, and creating lead magnets with Matt Molen from Email Crush.  ----- Welcome to episode 516 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Matt Molen, the CEO of Email Crush.  Diversifying Income Series: Monetizing Your Email List with Matt Molen In this episode, Matt shares email marketing principles and why it’s one of the most powerful tools bloggers often overlook. He breaks down how to grow your list, why your subscribers are more valuable than you think, and how email can become a key revenue stream if you do it right! Matt also offers practical tips on creating convert lead magnets, writing emails people want to read, and building trust through simple, effective sequences. Whether you’re starting from scratch or ready to level up, this interview is packed with email strategies you can start using today! Three episode takeaways: Email marketing that actually pays off: For food bloggers, email is mor