Eat Blog Talk | Megan Porta

When is the right time to start hiring out tasks in your food blogging business? Erin Jensen teaches us when to start building a small team and how to make sure you hire the right people early on.   Erin created The Wooden Skillet in 2016 to have a creative outlet after long days working as an attorney and raising her young family. In the years since, Erin has built a team and steadily grown her website, social media presence, and most recently, Substack presence. Erin's main goal is to help women get excited to cook dinner with her easy and flavor-packed recipes. Erin is the recipe developer and food photographer for all of her recipes and has been featured on Kare11, Food52, FeedFreed, CountryLiving, Shape, Elle, Self, and The Plan To Eat Podcast.    Experienced food bloggers hit a ceiling when they try to do everything alone. This episode breaks down what it actually takes to hire, train, and retain the right people without burning out or losing control of your brand. It is a practical look at turning

Megan chats with Adam Sobel about advanced email personalization strategies that increase conversions and create a more tailored experience for your audience.   Adam Sobel is the chef and owner of The Cinnamon Snail, a vegan food truck, restaurant, and catering company serving New York and New Jersey. Adam has cooked at the James Beard House, represented the USA at the World Street Food Congress in the Philippines, and teaches cooking at the Institute for Culinary Education, De Gustibus Cooking School, and independently online. Adam has appeared on the food network, Cooking Channel, PBS, and several networks, and is the author of the popular cookbook Street Vegan.   If your email strategy feels flat or underperforming, this episode shows how to turn your list into a revenue driver. Personalization goes far beyond first names. It is about delivering the right content, offer, and message based on behavior and intent. This is the next level for bloggers ready to monetize smarter.   Key Topics Discussed: -

Laura Piper teaches us what changed with Pinterest in 2025 and how to adjust our strategy to get more targeted traffic and better results. Laura is a Pinterest expert who works exclusively with food bloggers. Her mission is to help them make Pinterest their #1 traffic source without feeling frustrated or overwhelmed. Using her proven Pinterest strategies, along with in-depth Pinterest trends and keyword insights, she simplifies the platform for food bloggers, allowing them to focus on what they love most—creating amazing new recipes. Pinterest is no longer a volume game. This episode breaks down the shift toward intent driven discovery and why broad keywords are losing. If your traffic has dropped or stalled, this is the reset you need to attract higher quality clicks and stay competitive in a more advanced algorithm landscape. Key Topics Discussed: - Broad keywords are losing effectiveness in favor of highly specific search intent. - Long tail keywords drive more clicks even with lower impressions. - Pin

Megan chats with Kim Cauti and Reed Dunn about what happens inside the Eat Blog Talk Inner Circle and how it helps bloggers gain clarity, connection, and momentum. The Eat Blog Talk Inner Circle is a supportive community for food bloggers who crave more focus, accountability, and connection. Inside, you'll connect with like-minded creators, stay motivated through weekly check-ins, and gain fresh ideas through group discussions and expert insights. With a private Slack space, live calls, and collaborative opportunities, this is a flexible, encouraging environment designed to help you grow your blog with clarity, consistency, and confidence. This episode gives a behind the scenes look at the Inner Circle experience through real member voices. If you are feeling isolated, overwhelmed, or stuck in your blogging business, this conversation shows how the right community can provide clarity, accountability, and faster progress without adding pressure or complexity. Key Topics Discussed: - Blogging alone can cre

Megan chats with Josh Gale about using Facebook to unlock a powerful new revenue stream through consistent content, smart reposting, and platform specific strategy. Bio: Josh, creator of The Chef Out West, is a rapidly growing content creator with a booming social media presence. In just eight months, he has grown his audience to 325K on Instagram and 512K on Facebook, gaining thousands of new followers daily. He also runs a Substack community of 23K subscribers, built in only five months. With recent Facebook monetization generating over $10,000 in a single month from views alone, Josh brings valuable insight into high-performing content and audience growth. His platforms reached approximately 50 million views on Facebook, 44 million on Instagram, and 150K on Substack in the past month, making him a compelling voice on content strategy and growth. This episode breaks open a major opportunity most food bloggers are overlooking. Facebook is quietly paying creators for views, and the barrier to entry is lower t

Megan chats with Chris Pieta about using AI strategically to streamline workflows, improve content quality, and grow your blog without sacrificing your voice or credibility. Chris Pieta runs the operations and AI side of Food Blog Coaching, founded by his wife Kayla Burton, where they help food bloggers turn their blogs into thriving businesses and become confident entrepreneurs. They also run the food blog Broken Oven Baking Company together. What they teach in FBC, they first test and refine on their own blog. Chris has been using and testing AI in his businesses since 2022 and has been building AI-powered workflows and tools specifically for food bloggers. Previously he ran a photo and video agency and coached creatives on business. AI is already reshaping how food bloggers create, publish, and grow. This episode cuts through the noise and shows experienced bloggers how to actually use AI in a way that saves time, improves output, and strengthens their brand instead of diluting it. If you want to stay comp

Megan chats with Martin Glover about building a sustainable food blog when time is limited and the industry feels uncertain. Martin Glover is a dad, home cook, and the main chef in his household who is passionate about proving that anyone can create great food without being overly fancy. Through Dad What Cooks, he shares approachable recipes for BBQ, bread, and pizza while keeping a close eye on the budget, showing families that delicious, satisfying meals don't have to be expensive or complicated. If you are balancing a full time job, family life, and constant industry changes, this episode will show you how to focus, simplify, and keep moving forward without burning out. Martin shares practical systems that help him grow traffic steadily while keeping blogging fun and manageable. Key Topics Discussed: -Work with the time you have, not the time you wish you had. -Focus on what is already working and double down. -Use AI as a strategist and editor, not a replacement. -Refresh and improve old posts before chas

Megan chats with Emily Christensen about turning strategic Instagram growth into a six figure blog in under a year. Emily Christensen is a sourdough baker, educator, and food blogger behind Country Roads Sourdough. What started as selling bread locally and teaching community classes grew into a profitable food blog after she leveraged Instagram to build trust and drive traffic. Emily monetized her blog within a year and now helps home bakers make sourdough feel simple, approachable, and realistic for everyday life. Emily went from teaching local sourdough classes and selling bread out of a tiny kitchen to qualifying for Raptive in just a few months. This episode breaks down exactly how she used Instagram to drive serious traffic, build multiple revenue streams, and treat her blog like a real business from day one. If you are an experienced food blogger wondering whether Instagram is still worth your time, this conversation gives you a clear answer and a practical roadmap. Key Topics Discussed: -Social media i

Megan chats with Laura Arnold about what is actually working in SEO right now and how to build a food brand that can withstand AI and platform shifts. Laura Arnold is the founder of Dang Good Digital, a food focused digital strategy studio specializing in recipe SEO and social media growth. With over a decade in food media and marketing, she helps creators increase visibility, traffic, and long term growth. An Emmy nominated culinary television producer with credits on The Kitchen and The Chew, and a cookbook consultant on multiple New York Times bestselling titles, Laura brings a behind the scenes perspective on how food content is created and discovered across platforms. Search is changing fast. Relying on Google alone is no longer a safe strategy. In this episode, you will learn how to think beyond individual blog posts and start building a diversified, resilient brand that drives traffic from multiple sources and keeps growing even as AI evolves. Key Topics Discussed: -Diversify or stall: Relying on SEO a

Megan chats with Melodee from Pretty Focused about the Buyers Club hiring grant and why now is the time to stop doing everything yourself. Melodee is the creator and owner of Pretty Focused. She's a wife, homeschool mom and a second grade teacher turned food photographer. Melodee started working as a food photographer for food bloggers in 2016. In 2017, she started to have friends ask her to teach them how to do it too, so she did, and that's when Pretty Focused was born. Since then, she's had over 1,000 students join Pretty Focused to learn how to photograph food for food bloggers. Melodee connects them with potential clients inside their marketplace when they graduate. Over the last 3 years, 69% of our grads reported making $50,000+ working as food photographers for bloggers. If you are feeling stretched thin, navigating industry shifts, or walking through a hard season of life, this episode matters. Melodee shares a practical path to buying back your time, building real support into your business, and step

Megan chats with Megan Flatt about building a weekly planning system that actually works and helps you finish your most important work. Megan Flatt is the founder of Let's Collective, a business strategy firm helping entrepreneurs achieve more revenue, time, and fulfillment, without the hustle. Megan is also the author of Focused: Reclaim Your Time, Ditch Overwhelm, and Do Less Better, where she blends research and practical strategies to help people do less, better. When she's not strategizing, Megan can be found with a stack of romance novels, a fresh set of office supplies and usually a latte. Learn more at letscollective.co If your weeks feel full but your biggest goals keep slipping, this episode gives you a repeatable planning process that protects your time, your energy, and your priorities even during busy or disruptive weeks. Weekly planning saves time, not wastes it: Intentional planning prevents task jumping and reactive work. Your calendar is the container, not your to-do list: You can only commit

Megan chats with Amy Reid about self publishing a cookbook, choosing the right timing, and building a profitable income stream outside of ad revenue. Amy Reid is the voice-behind and creator-of Baking with Granny. The daughter of a professional baker, Amy grew up in a house which was filled with cakes & bakes. Once her own two children came along (and her mother became "Granny"), it was suddenly obvious that many of their family recipes would be lost in time, if not written down now. And Baking with Granny was born! Amy now takes recipes from years gone by and transforms them into easy home baking recipes that people around the world can make and enjoy. If writing a cookbook has been sitting on your someday list, this episode might be the push you need. Amy Reid from Baking With Granny shares exactly how she self published her first cookbook, why she chose that route, and what it really took to make it profitable. This is a practical, honest look at cookbook creation for food bloggers who want more contro

Megan chats with Maria Lucey about how she built a profitable food brand through YouTube alone and why long form video is one of the smartest growth moves food bloggers can make right now. Maria Lucey is a Registered Dietitian and content creator who launched her YouTube channel at the end of 2023 and grew it to over 44,000 subscribers in just over two years. Her channel focuses on long-form nutrition education and practical recipes that help people meet their health goals. Although she didn't have a blog when she started YouTube, Maria quickly recognized how the two platforms could complement each other and began building her blog soon after. Today, YouTube is her second-largest traffic source after Google and has helped her grow an email list of more than 6,000 subscribers, primarily through YouTube opt-ins, despite her blog still being relatively small. She monetizes through brand partnerships, YouTube and Mediavine ad revenue, and digital products. Maria is passionate about showing that anyone can start f

Megan chats with Liz Pollio about how to stay motivated when progress feels slow, growth stalls, or the work starts to feel repetitive. Liz Pollio founded Flour de Liz in 2016 as a way to share easy, approachable dessert recipes. She truly believes that anyone who wants to bake can bake, and she strives to create a fun, welcoming, and judgment-free space for home bakers of all skill levels. Are you showing up consistently but not seeing the results you hoped for? Liz shares honest mindset shifts that help her stay motivated during plateaus, boredom, and seasons of uncertainty. This is a grounded conversation about playing the long game, finding small wins, and remembering why you started in the first place. Key Topics Discussed: Future wins matter more than current frustration: The work you are doing now sets you up for growth later even when you cannot see it yet. Small data wins are still real progress: Looking at year over year data can reveal growth you might miss in the day to day. Quarterly check ins be

Megan chats with Zhen Zhou about surviving a massive traffic hit, rebuilding income through diversification, and rethinking what it really means to build a sustainable food blog. Zhen Zhou downshifted from a corporate track post-MBA to full-time content creation and is loving it. She currently runs three blogs: greedygirlgourmet.com, alovelettertoasia.com, and tjtakesthetrain.com. If your blog has felt like a roller coaster since the HCU, this episode will feel grounding. Zhen shares what happened when her traffic dropped by 70 percent, why she stopped obsessing over Google, and how systems, funnels, and brand clarity helped her move forward without burning out. This is not a silver bullet episode. It is an honest look at adapting in a landscape that keeps changing. Key Topics Discussed: Stop waiting for Google to save you: Relying on one traffic source is no longer realistic and waiting it out keeps you stuck. Diversification works but it is not simple: Running multiple sites helped offset losses but also re

Traci DeForge teaches us why podcasting can be one of the most sustainable ways to grow a food blog, create multiple revenue streams and build valuable relationships. Traci, founder of Produce Your Podcast, an award-winning full-service production and audience growth marketing agency, is recognized as an international podcast expert, sought-after speaker, and media contributor. The creator of the Podcast Management Academy, the industry's only certified podcast manager training program, PodHive, and Co-Founder of the Podcast Professionals Association.  Traci hosts the Growth Accelerator Podcast, and co-hosts the popular Ask Brien Radio Show in Los Angeles.  She's been featured on all three major networks, including CNN, CTV, American Express Open, and RadioINK. She is also a member of the Rolling Stone Culture Council. Podcasting is often dismissed as too much work or not visual enough for food creators. In this episode, that assumption gets challenged. Traci breaks down why audio builds deeper trust, ho

Megan chats with Christine Pittman, Meredith Kruse, and Melissa Erdelac about what makes Flavor Media Summit unlike any other blogging conference. This is an exclusive event for experienced food bloggers who have successful and income-generating businesses. Our goal is to unite accomplished food bloggers for strategic networking, empowering them to thrive, collaborate and ignite long-term growth in an exclusive and transformative gathering. Not all conferences are created equal. This episode pulls back the curtain on Flavor Media Summit and explains why experienced food bloggers keep returning year after year. From deep dive sessions and intentional speakers to real connection, real food, and real conversations, this is a look at what happens when an event is designed for growth instead of noise. What makes Flavor Media different: Smaller rooms create bigger breakthroughs: Real conversations happen when you are not lost in a crowd of thousands. Advanced topics deserve advanced spaces: Flavor Media is built fo

Megan chats with Chanda Coston about building real success without burnout and why hustle culture is not worth the price. Chanda Coston is a U.S. Navy Veteran, Business Strategist, and Founder of Chanda Co., where she helps entrepreneurs build profitable, purpose-driven businesses without sacrificing peace or passion. With over 20 years of leadership experience and a background in project management, she teaches systems, mindset, and strategy that enable creative professionals, like food bloggers, to grow sustainably, delegate effectively, and avoid burnout. Her coaching blends structure and soul, because clarity and calm are the ultimate success tools. Burnout is not a badge of honor. In this episode, Chanda breaks down what sustainable success actually looks like and why systems, boundaries, and self trust matter more than working harder. This conversation is a reset for anyone who feels overwhelmed, reactive, or constantly behind. Key Topics Discussed: Burnout is a warning, not a requirement: If your busin

Vinny DelGuidice teaches us how to build a sustainable food blogging workflow using batching, planning ahead, and reusing what already works. Vinny DelGiudice is the creator of Always From Scratch, an Italian-American family food blog he started six years ago. He is a professional photographer, dad, and husband who focuses on developing nostalgic family recipes from his and his wife's childhood, meals that make it easier for families to sit down at the table and enjoy time together. Burnout is not a requirement for success. Vincent shares how he stopped forcing creativity, built a repeatable workflow, and learned to do less while growing more. This episode is a reality check for food bloggers who feel overwhelmed, scattered, or stuck in constant decision mode. Key points discussed include: Choose your creative time: You will make better content faster when you stop forcing creative work into the wrong hours. Batching saves your sanity: Planning shoots and tasks in advance removes decision fatigue and keeps mo

Megan chats with Cheryl Norris about what the transition from corporate employee to full time blogger really looks like and how to navigate it with purpose. Cheryl Norris is the founder of the Bakes by Brown Sugar baking blog, where she specializes in baked goods for the homebaker. She combines her technical background as a mechanical engineer and self-taught baker to write detailed recipes and explain the baking science behind her recipes. She lives in Porltand, OR with her husband. She recently left her full time job and now operates her food blog full time. In addition to her business, Cheryl loves to travel. Her favorite city is Paris, but her favorite food country is Japan. She also loves to read and is always up to learning something new. Cheryl's story is raw, honest, and deeply helpful for anyone dreaming of going full time. She walks through the emotional and logistical challenges of leaving a 37 year career, the mindset shift that changed everything, and the systems that helped her step into entrepr