Eat Blog Talk | Megan Porta

In episode 528, Cheryl Norris teaches us the importance of our core belief system and how we to replace negative beliefs with positive affirmations. Cheryl Norris is a food blogger in Portland, OR where she lives with her husband. Her blog, Bakes by Brown Sugar, in business since 2018, specializes in desserts with a focus on using seasonal and quality ingredients. In addition to running her food blog business, she works full-time as an engineer. She loves to travel, with Paris being her favorite place to visit. In this episode, you’ll learn about the pervasive nature of negative self-talk and its consequences on self-perception, decision-making, and success, highlighting the importance of recognizing and managing these emotions to achieve personal growth. Key points discussed (and action items!): - Identify and Address Your Pain Points: Be aware of what you're thinking and saying about yourself and what you struggle with most. - Journal to Increase Awareness: Journal your thoughts so that you know exactly wha

In episode 527, Megan chats to Candice Ward about the importance of having multiple income streams and how to pitch brands in an effective and time efficient way. Candice is the Founder of Eat More Cake Dessert Blog, Food Photographer, Educator, and Sales Expert. Candice spent over a decade in corporate sales and translated that experience to help other food content creators monetize and scale their businesses. She has coached hundreds of food content creators in her business course, The Confident Pitch Program. She is passionate about helping other food bloggers reach their full potential! In this episode, you’ll learn about different ways to diversify your revenue streams, including freelancing, affiliate work and coaching, but most importantly how to tap into sponsored work by pitching brands using Candice’s time efficient, strategic pitching method (i.e. the Strategic Pitching Approach). Key points discussed: - Diversify Your Revenue Streams to Reduce Business Risk: Diversifying income sources helps mitig

Megan dives into the final part of her series on how to bring more money into your business, focusing on improving your financial mindset through positive language and preparing the way for financial abundance. What is the source of your income? Can the way you perceive this change your financial situation? And do you generally speak positively or negatively about money? Addressing these questions, Megan suggest various ways in which we can further shift our mindset when it comes to money in order to increase our revenue. Including, these key points: - Shift Your Perception of Income Sources: The true source of income lies beyond people and businesses, emphasizing a universal force as the primary source of abundance. - Release Mental Pressure on Income Channels: By reframing the source of income from external entities to a limitless universal force, you open yourself to alternative channels for financial flow, reducing pressure on specific revenue streams. - Align Actions with Serving and Value Creation: Reme

In episode 525, Nicole Winegardner teaches us the importance of staying true to who we are in a world full of distractions and focus on what lights us up. Nicole blogs with her bestie Andrea, who lives in Washington and you’ll find Nicole in Virginia. Together they have a food blog where they specialize in simple delicious recipes for busy families. Nicole is the one to do the recipe development and food photography and keyword research. Andrea takes care of the writing and Pinterest, web stories, social media and is currently learning video editing. Their blog was founded in 2021. In this episode, you’ll learn how to overcome blogging challenges like spreading yourself too thin, struggling to achieve your goals and feeling bogged down by your responsibilities. Key points discussed: - Focus: Evaluate where your focus lies regularly. Redirecting your focus can guide you towards positive outcomes and away from distractions. - Stay True to Yourself: Authenticity fuels success. It's crucial to reassess your goals

In episode 524, Megan talks to Lauren Woodger about why mindset is such an important element of building a successful business and 8 mindset hacks we can implement today. Lauren began "The Scatty Mum" in 2019 as a hobby blog to share allergy-friendly recipes when her daughter was diagnosed with multiple food allergies. In 2022, she took a leap and left her day job to focus on her blog full-time. Even though her daughter has outgrown her allergies, Lauren still understands the struggle of preparing meals for everyone. She's passionate about creating easy, allergy-friendly recipes that the entire family can enjoy. Lauren lives in Surrey in the UK, with her husband and two children. In this episode, you’ll learn about how to cultivate a positive mindset as a blogger and entrepreneur, including prioritizing networking, becoming a more productive entrepreneur and celebrating your progress every day. Key points discussed: - Connecting with other bloggers: Build connections within the blogging community through soci

Are your thoughts about money generally positive or negative? Megan discusses the topic of money as energy as well as wealthy habits that will help increase our revenue. This is Part 2 of 3 about 5 ways to help us bring more money into our business. Our thoughts and beliefs influence our financial situation. Megan emphasizes this by exploring the importance of tracking and appreciating every penny earned and encouraging us to adopt wealthy habits and qualities, suggesting that creating a welcoming environment for money can lead to increased financial prosperity. She covers the following key points: - Money as Energy: Thoughts, beliefs, and actions influence the flow of wealth in your life. - Track and Appreciate Every Penny: Track every penny earned or found, and express gratitude for all forms of income, no matter how small. - Adopt Wealthy Habits and Qualities: What are the habits and qualities of wealthy individuals? Emulate these traits to attract abundance into your life. - Create a Welcoming Environment

In episode 522, Elizabeth Emery teaches us how to create a sustainable income from blogging, finding joy and balance in our work without risking burnout. Elizabeth is a plant-based food blogger and recipe developer based in Vancouver BC. Her passion is showing people how fun and accessible vegan and plant-based eating can be. Elizabeth created and has run Vancouver with Love for 5 years and have turned it into a full-time income during that time. In this episode, you’ll learn about why you should find income streams that you are passionate about, why you should pick freelance work carefully, as well tips to work less hours for more money. Key points discussed: - Find Joy in Work: Find joy and passion in your blogging work to sustain long-term success. What aspect of blogging brings you most fulfilment? - Set Boundaries: Set clear boundaries to avoid burnout and work intentionally to condense work into four days a week, allowing for adequate rest and personal time. - Diversify Revenue: Diversifying revenue str

In episode 521, Megan chats to Jessica Mode about the impact of going to culinary school on her food blogging career, including learning new culinary skills, kitchen organization and choosing ingredients. Jessica Mode created Homebody Eats in 2019 as a way to teach home chefs how to master new culinary skills and create high-quality dishes in their home kitchens. With every recipe, she hopes to teach her readers one new kitchen skill that they can master and use in a future recipe. While you'll find a variety of recipes on her site, Jessica really enjoys baking and shaking up a good cocktail. Jessica has recently released her first online course, The Macaron Baking Experience, which teaches her readers how to successfully bake perfect macarons. In the coming year, Jessica hopes to release more online courses to share the skills she learned by attending culinary school in Italy. In this episode, you’ll learn about what to expect from culinary school, different courses available and how that translate your new

Do you want to earn more money? Most of us would answer ‘yes’ to that question, yet we don't feel like we can talk about money openly. Megan unpicks this topic from a mindset perspective. This is Part 1 of 3 about 5 ways to help us bring more money into our business. As food bloggers, we normally have the potential to earn a lot. We’re skilled and passionate about what we do, generous and willing to seek financial freedom for our families. Yet, if we are looking to achieve our financial goals, it’s important to embrace a positive attitude towards money, debunking limiting beliefs, including those inherited from childhood. Megan talks through her own example of having gone from unnecessary debt to financial empowerment and encourages us to rewrite our own money stories like she did. She covers the following key points: 1. Money Matters: Don’t be afraid to discuss money openly. 2. Budgeting is Important: Keep track of your income and expenses to avoid debt and make more money. 3.  Money Beliefs: Recognize and c

In episode 519, Madison Wetherill teaches us why it’s important to embrace the CEO mindset and implement regular CEO time in our businesses for risk management and goal-setting. Madison Wetherill is the founder of Grace + Vine Studios, as well as a food blogger and homeschooling mama to 3 boys. She is passionate about supporting bloggers and helping them to scale their blogs to increase their impact. She is the host of The Vine Podcast, sharing strategies for content creators to grow their food blog and connect with their audience. In this episode, you'll learn why scheduling regular CEO time can help your business grow, the importance of distinguishing between working on your business versus in it, and strategies for standing out in a crowded market. Key points include: - Is Your Blog a Business? If your blog is generating an income, you should start thinking of it as a business. - Regular CEO Time: Add regular CEO time to your calendar and involve your support system, like your spouse, to help you stick to

In episode 518, Megan chats to Nadia Tariq about the transition from a food blogging hobbyist to business owner, highlighting key shifts in mindset, organization, and discipline. Nadia is a computer science graduate, x- project manager turned into pastry chef. She has been creating customized themed cakes for over a decade as a home business creating beautiful cakes for friends and family. Originally from Pakistan, she is based in Riyadh, KSA. Nadia started blogging in 2009 and only recently she decided to turn it into a business. Nadia is now working on her blog strategically in the quest to share her family recipes, Pakistani bakery and street foods to get recognized on the face of the culinary world She is also working as a food photographer, which was her long lost passion to generate some extra income which was not possible earlier due to raising a young family. In this episode, you’ll learn about why a food blogger would decide to turn their blog into a business, how to recognize that pivotal moment and

In this episode, Megan teaches us five practical ideas to alleviate the stress and overwhelm often associated with Mondays, offering insights and strategies to make the start of our week more manageable and fulfilling. Planning can make a notable difference to the start of your week. The better you prepare for what you have to do on a Monday, the better you will feel. In this episode, Megan explains how she prepares for Mondays in order to set a positive tone for the week ahead. Megan covers the following key points: 1. The 15 Minute Friday Plan: Plan ahead by dedicating just 15 minutes on Friday to map out your upcoming week. By scheduling downtime and aligning tasks with your goals, you can reduce mental clutter and increase productivity. 2. The One Hour Friday To-Do List Tackle: Allocate one hour on Friday or Saturday to tackle small tasks from your to-do list for the following week to minimize Monday morning stress and set yourself up for a smoother week. 3. Inbox Zero: Dedicate time on the weekend to cle

In episode 516, Jo Keohane teaches us how to style food to make it look as delicious as possible in order to drive more traffic to our blogs. Since graduating from Culinary School in NYC in 2010 Jo Keohane freelanced as a Recipe Developer and Food Stylist in test kitchens of many America’s best known publications, like Bon Appetit Magazine, Epicurious and Saveur. She has also worked with a variety of household brands like William Sonoma, Weightwatchers, Staub Cookware, Danone, Kraft and more. She started off life as a BBC journalist and then worked in PR in London. But a love of cooking and a desire to find a fulfilling career which would allow her to spend more time with her 3 kids took her back to school to study cooking. After moving to the USA in she was lucky enough to attend the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. Now she runs her own food blog - The Family Food Kitchen - helping other busy families to eat well even when time is short! her blog focusses on easy, delicious and do-able recip

In episode 515, Jenn Trepeck teaches us why comparison is natural and how to deal with it in a healthy way that leads us closer to our goals by building our confidence instead of creating self-doubt. Jenn Trepeck has been described as a "force of nature" in the wellness space, recognized as one of Podcast Magazine’s 40 under 40, and nominated for the 2022 International Women’s Podcast Award for Visionary Leadership. She is an Optimal Health Coach, Podcaster, and Business Consultant. After graduating from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, Jenn founded Better Life Now LLC while working full time in hedge funds. After over a decade of building her practice as a side-hustle, Jenn took the leap to full-time self-employment. That’s when she launched Salad with a Side of Fries Podcast, empowering larger audiences to achieve optimal health. She helps aspiring wellness warriors break into the health world, and mentors entrepreneurs to get started or level-up. In this episode, you’ll learn why our bra

Megan shares five powerful questions to help shift our perspective during challenging times and help us find clarity. What do you do when you are experiencing a tough time in your life? It is when we face challenges that mindset shifts can really make a difference. Megan talks through the diverse range of challenges faced by entrepreneurs and emphasizes the importance of embracing difficulties as opportunities for growth. She shares her recent experience with a significant challenge and reveals how she navigated through it using mindset strategies. She covers the following questions points: 1. Who would I be without this thought? Challenge your thoughts during a rough time and envision a perspective free from negativity and embrace acceptance and peace instead. 2. What if it's a gift? Challenges can be potentially life-changing in a positive way. Recognize the unexpected gifts that emerge from these times in your life. 3. Who would I be without this challenge? Consider the personal growth and resilience culti

In episode 513, Megan chats to Samantha Blake about the lessons she learned from her experience as a food blogger, including the importance of niching down, SEO strategy, web design and building a blogging network. Sam began a web design & SEO business after food blogging didn’t go as planned. While she still enjoys cooking and baking as a hobby, she learned she truly had a love for web design & SEO pieces when it comes to business. Sam particularly loves designing and developing websites & coming up with SEO strategies for food bloggers - it's the best of both worlds! She is so excited about the opportunity to share her experience and knowledge about SEO to help more food bloggers grow their blog. In this episode, you’ll learn about the common mistakes made by food bloggers, such as neglecting niche selection and keyword strategy, underestimating the value of backlinks, and prioritizing design over functionality. Key points include: - Niche and Keyword Strategy: It's crucial to pick a clear niche

In episode 512, Janelle Hama teaches us how to build a supportive community, especially around your blog’s niche, highlighting the benefits of collaboration, networking, and accountability within such communities. Janelle is a keen plant based recipe blogger specialising in vegan Lebanese food. Due to having to change her diet a few years ago for health reasons, this, coupled with her love of cooking, started Janelle on a blogger journey 3 years ago. In this episode, you’ll learn about whether you should create your own group or join an existing one as well as these topics: - Benefits of Community: Networking, collaboration, and seeking advice from others are key benefits of being part of a community. - Experience Sharing: Engaging with bloggers from diverse backgrounds brings different perspectives and learning opportunities. - Friendships and Support: Community offers emotional support, understanding, and celebration of achievements among bloggers. - Accountability: Being part of a community helps in settin

Have you ever felt worried about your screen time? Megan shares her personal struggles with tech addiction and offers five actionable strategies to limit tech usage for improved well-being. In this episode, you’ll learn practical methods to reduce tech dependency and reclaim control over your time and mental space. While technology makes our lives more comfortable, Megan emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries and creating healthy habits to foster a balanced relationship with tech. She covers the following key points: - Set Times for Email Dipping: Establish specific times during the day for checking and responding to emails to prevent constant distraction and maintain focus on important tasks. - Establish Downtime Before the Week Begins: Plan and schedule dedicated downtime periods in your calendar to disconnect from technology and prioritize self-care and family time. - Set Timers for Social Media: Use timers to limit the duration of social media usage, gradually reducing dependency and reclaiming v

In episode 510, Megan chats to Lily Payen about how to transition from a full-time job to full-time blogging without getting overwhelmed and while managing responsibilities as a parent. Lily, a mom of three and former math teacher turned food blogger, never envisioned ever leaving the world of teaching, but the opportunity to blog somewhat fell into her lap and she’s now enveloped into that world. When Lily had her second son, she started sharing baby-led weaning recipes online and discovered a community of parents who were also looking for similar recipes. Things took off from there and she found herself in this new profession of blogging. Now Lily can't imagine doing anything else. In this episode, you'll learn about the importance of starting with a specific niche to make it easier to rank, maintaining consistency in content creation without burning out, having backup content prepared and not being too hard on yourself when you need to rest. - Start Specific: Learn the importance of starting with a specifi

In episode 509, Amy Whiteford teaches us what to do when our niche no longer aligns with our personal or professional circumstances and the importance of mindset shifts in sustaining a successful food blog. Amy Whiteford is a food enthusiast originally from Scotland, now residing in Sydney, Australia, and has been the driving force behind the blog Healthy Little Foodies since 2012. Amy is a mum of two "Little Foodies", Finlay (12) and Rory (9), and has a background in Food Science, Education, and Childhood Nutrition. Amy is on a mission to simplify mealtime for parents of babies / young children by providing healthy and delicious recipes and feeding tips. In this episode, you’ll learn about the challenges and rewards of maintaining a niche food blog as well as insights about rebranding, staying inspired, and focusing on the expertise you've gained even if you've outgrown your niche. - Niche Evolution: Sometimes you have to adapt your blog’s niche to changing circumstances. - Rebranding Strategy: Rebranding ca