Welcome to The Food Blogger Pro Podcast, hosted by Bjork Ostrom from Pinch of Yum! Our goal is to help you create a beautiful, functional, and profitable blog.
Making decisions about diversifying your business and launching and running a cooking camp for kids with Jess Smith from Inquiring Chef.
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Welcome to episode 514 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! For part two of our Diversifying Income Series, Bjork interviews Jess Smith from Inquiring Chef.
Diversifying Income Series: Cooking ClassesJess Smith launched her blog, Inquiring Chefs, in 2010 and has slowly but steadily transformed it into a thriving multi-six-figure business. In recent years, she’s expanded her income streams by publishing her debut cookbook, Start with a Vegetable, and launching Inquiring Chef Academy, which offers popular in-person cooking summer camps for kids in Kansas City.
In this episode, Bjork and Jess dive into the origins of Inquiring Chef Academy, exploring why and how Jess decided to add an in-person experience to her brand. Jess’s summer camps are a massive hit (with the 2025 sessions selling out in just a few hours), and they’ve reignited her passion for food blogging. Even if in-person cooking classes aren’t your thing, this episode will provide fresh insights on diversifying your income and your creative outlets — you won’t want to miss it!
Three episode takeaways:Resources:
This episode is sponsored by Clariti.
Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.
Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.
Generating recurring revenue through membership sites, the power of community, and how to scale your business with multiple income streams.
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Welcome to episode 513 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Adam Sobel.
Diversifying Income Series: Membership Sites with Adam SobelIn this week’s episode, Adam Sobel of Cinnamon Snail shares his journey from owning a restaurant to launching successful online cooking classes after the pandemic. He reveals how building a loyal community was key to his growth, along with using content marketing, lead magnets, and split testing to attract and convert customers. Adam also dives into how paid ads and staying adaptable in the digital world have been essential to his success.
It doesn’t stop there! Adam will also talk about scaling his business with multiple income streams, including membership programs and free offers, while automating key processes to generate steady revenue. Tune in for actionable insights on growing your business in today’s digital age!
Three episode takeaways:From Restaurant to Online Success: After the pandemic hit, Adam made a big shift from owning a restaurant to teaching cooking classes online. He quickly realized that building a strong community and customer loyalty was key to his growth.
Smart Digital Strategies: Content marketing, lead magnets, and split testing became game-changers for Adam. He also dives into how paid ads and constantly adapting to the digital world have been crucial for attracting and converting customers.
Scaling with Multiple Income Streams: By offering membership programs and leveraging free offers, Adam’s been able to create a steady stream of revenue. Automation has also helped simplify his business, making it easier to generate income while focusing on what matters most.
Resources:
This episode is sponsored by Member Kitchens and Cookie Finance. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.
Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.
Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.
Balancing creativity and consistency, maximizing productivity, and navigating food trends with RIz Asad from Chocolates and Chai.
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Welcome to episode 512 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Rizwan Asad from Chocolates and Chai.
How to Balance Creativity and Consistency in BloggingThis week, we’re chatting with Riz from Chocolates and Chai, who shares some amazing insights on balancing creativity with monetization. It can feel like a compromise when you’re trying to make money from your blog, but Riz breaks down how ad revenue, affiliate marketing, and licensing can actually work together with your content without sacrificing quality!
Riz also drops some valuable tips on staying efficient and consistent in your content creation. You’ll also hear him talk about how jumping on popular topics, like viral TikTok recipes, can really up your visibility and engagement. Lastly, we dive into the importance of finding your niche — understanding who your audience is and carving out a space that’s uniquely yours is the key to long-term success while staying true to your creative passion. You won’t want to miss this episode!
Three episode takeaways:Balancing Creativity and Consistency: Finding the sweet spot between staying true to your creative vision and consistently putting out content is essential for long-term success. Building trust with your audience while keeping things fresh and true to your style is key here!
Maximizing Productivity: If you’re juggling a full-time job or managing the pressures of blogging, Riz has been there and says that batching tasks and minimizing distractions can significantly boost your efficiency. Staying organized will help you keep the content flowing without burning out!
Navigating Trends and Monetization: Keeping an eye on trends, like those on TikTok, can help boost your content’s visibility. And while monetizing a blog can feel tricky or like you’re compromising your creativity, finding a balance that allows you to make money while staying true to what you love doing is possible.
Resources:
This episode is sponsored by Clariti and Cookie Finance. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.
Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.
Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.
Finding success as a personal brand, balancing creative work with financial sustainability, and leaving YouTube for Substack with Carla Lalli Music.
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Welcome to episode 511 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Carla Lalli Music.
The Cost of Content and Why Carla Lalli Music left YouTubeCarla Lalli Music has been a fixture of food media for the last 15 years, including six years as the Food Director of Bon Appetit. You might also know Carla from her incredibly popular YouTube series, Carla’s Cooking Show, her two cookbooks (with a third one in the works!), or her Substack newsletter, Food Processing.
In this interview, Carla dives into her recent viral Substack post about her decision to leave YouTube, including her transparent breakdown of the costs of creating content on YouTube (spoiler alert: she was losing money). Carla also explains more about why she doesn’t create recipes for SEO and how she uses connection with her audience as her north star when making business decisions.
Three episode takeaways:Resources:
This episode is sponsored by Clariti.
Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.
Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.
Reinventing your brand, transitioning from self-publishing to traditional publishing, and developing a cookbook for a fan base with Chelsea Cole from A Duck's Oven.
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Welcome to episode 510 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, we are welcoming back Chelsea Cole from A Duck’s Oven.
Publishing a Fan Cookbook for A Court of Thorns and RosesThis is Chelsea’s third (!!!) appearance on the podcast and we’re thrilled to have her back. In her previous two interviews, she has shared her wisdom on self-publishing and creating content within her sous-vide niche. But today she is back on the podcast with a bit of a 180 — to discuss her first traditionally published cookbook in a totally different niche — a fan cookbook for the A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series.
In this interview, Bjork and Chelsea discuss cookbook publishing and how it can be a part of your overall business strategy. Chelsea also shares how she chose the subject matter for her new cookbook and what it was like to write and develop a cookbook for a (very devoted) fan base, all while giving birth to and raising her first child!
Chelsea also explains more about the royalty structure for cookbooks, how cookbooks can be a source of passive income for food creators, and how she is thinking about her current reinvention as a food creator.
Three episode takeaways:Resources:
This episode is sponsored by KeySearch and Clariti.
Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.
Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.
Prioritizing providing authentic value to your readers, updating old content, and choosing the right marketing channels for your content with Elena Davis from Cucina by Elena.
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Welcome to episode 509 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Elena Davis from Cucina by Elena.
Creating Reader-First Content and Growing to 800,000 Monthly Page Views with Elena DavisWe are so excited to welcome back Elena Davis to the podcast this week. When we first chatted with Elena in 2022, she had just hit 100,000 page views and qualified for Mediavine. Three years later, Elena’s site, Cucina by Elena, gets over 800,000 monthly page views! But her journey to get there has not been without it’s challenges.
In this interview, Elena catches us up on the last few years of her business — including a major traffic decline in 2023 (and how she recovered from it) and how her mindset around her business, and the value she provides to her community, has changed.
Three episode takeaways:Resources:
This episode is sponsored by Member Kitchens.
Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.
Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.
Understanding active passive income, creating authentic content, and navigating brand partnerships with Britney-Brown Chamberlain from Britney Breaks Bread.
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Welcome to episode 508 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Britney Brown-Chamberlain from Britney Breaks Bread.
How Britney-Brown Chamberlain Grew Her Food Blog to a $20K/month BusinessThis week’s podcast features Britney Brown-Chamberlain of Britney Breaks Bread, who shares her inspiring journey from a $200/month blog to a $20,000/month business. Britney discusses the strategic approach to “active passive income,” offering practical advice on SEO, trend analysis, and maximizing online revenue.
Britney also dives into the power of authenticity and how it plays a huge role in building a loyal following. She shares her social media strategies, how she balances creating content she loves with what her audience craves, and the importance of high-quality content that reflects her unique style. Plus, she goes beyond blogging and talk cookbooks (yep, she wrote one!), brand partnerships, and the difference between marketing content vs. a physical product. Be sure to tune in to learn more about how to take your blog to the next level!
Three episode takeaways:How Britney Went From $200 to $20k: Britney shares her journey from a $200/month side project to a $20,000/month business, highlighting the importance of strategic planning and execution. She discusses the concept of “active passive income” and how it has fueled her success, along with practical tips for SEO, keyword research, and capitalizing on seasonal trends.
The Power of Authenticity: Britney emphasizes the critical role of authentic content creation in building a loyal audience. She also explores the importance of social media marketing, email list building, and fostering genuine engagement to expand reach and cultivate a thriving community.
Going Beyond the Blog: Beyond blogging, Britney discusses her experiences with writing a cookbook, navigating brand partnerships, and the nuances of product versus content marketing. She’ll also dive into the importance of continuous learning and adaptation in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
Resources:
This episode is sponsored by KeySearch. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.
Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.
Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.
Building a full-time business as a food creator over the course of eight years, understanding your 'why,' and meeting your goals with Alexandra Shytsman from The New Baguette.
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Welcome to episode 507 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Alexandra Shytsman from The New Baguette.
Key Strategies for Taking Your Blog Full-TimeIn this podcast episode, Alexandra shares the ins and outs of becoming a full-time food creator and her reflections on what she would have done differently to meet her goals more quickly if she had the chance to start over.
Alexandra breaks down the strategies and decisions that have moved the needle over the years — from projecting expenses and investing in courses or audits to building a community of fellow food creators and batching your time. It’s a really practical and inspiring episode for beginner food bloggers looking to take your food blog to the next level!
Three episode takeaways:Resources:
This episode is sponsored by KeySearch.
Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.
Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.
Understanding Reddit's community dynamics, Reddit posting strategies, and how to maintain a work-life balance with Jacqueline Schell.
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Welcome to episode 506 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Jacqueline Schell from Crafty Cookbook.
How to Grow Your Audience as a Food Creator on RedditIn this episode, Jacqueline Schell from Crafty Cookbook talks all about how to navigate the world of content creation on Reddit and how to connect with like-minded people by engaging with established communities. Jacqueline also shares why authenticity is essential (Redditors are all about genuine content!), but balancing that with strategic posting can help boost your visibility.
And if you struggle with time management at all, we’ve got you covered — Jacqueline will talk about how conducting time audits, setting aside dedicated time for side projects, and using mobile tools can keep you productive without burning out. Whether you’re posting on Reddit or balancing a busy content creation schedule, Jacqueline’s advice will help you stay on track and organized! Don’t miss out on this episode for practical tips on growing your online presence and keeping your workflow efficient. ✨
Three episode takeaways:Reddit’s Unique Community Dynamics: Reddit offers a unique space for content creation, but understanding Subreddit rules, community norms, and moderator roles is key. Engaging with established communities can give you valuable feedback and help grow your presence.
Authenticity & Strategy Matter: Redditors appreciate personal, authentic posts, so focus on being genuine with your content. At the same time, keep in mind that strategic posting can boost visibility, and securing a subreddit name can be a smart branding move.
Maintaing a Work-Life Balance as a Content Creator: Time management is crucial for content creators. Conducting time audits, scheduling side projects, and utilizing mobile tools can help you stay productive and maintain a work-life balance.
Resources:
This episode is sponsored by Member Kitchens.
Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.
Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.
Using deep links, understanding your audience's behavior, and tracking links with Scott Allan from URLgenius.
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Welcome to episode 505 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Scott Allan from URLgenius .
Maximizing Affiliate Revenue with Deep LinkingEver wondered how to squeeze every last drop of revenue from your affiliate links? In this week’s episode, Scott Allan from URLgenius reveals how deep linking can boost affiliate sales by preventing commission losses, especially on mobile and social platforms like TikTok. It’s a game-changer for driving conversions and preventing missed opportunities.
Scott also discusses the importance of understanding your audience’s app behavior to tailor your affiliate strategy, plus the power of testing and tracking links to optimize revenue. Tools like URLgenius make it easy to track, test, and tweak your links for better results — small adjustments can lead to big boosts in income! Don’t miss this episode packed with actionable tips!
Three episode takeaways:Deep Linking is a Game Changer for Affiliate Sales: Using deep links in your content (especially on mobile and social media) can boost conversions and prevent lost affiliate commissions. This is key for ensuring you’re not missing out on sales, especially when users are on apps like TikTok or mobile shopping platforms.
Understanding Your Audience & Their App Behavior is Crucial: Knowing how your audience shops — whether they’re on mobile or desktop, and what apps they use — can help you tailor your affiliate strategy. Influencers and creators, especially, need to be aware of app usage to maximize sales and engagement.
Testing and Tracking Links to Optimize Revenue: Regularly testing different link strategies and using tools like URLgenius to track and optimize your affiliate links can help you understand what works and adjust for better results. Small tweaks can lead to bigger revenue boosts!
Resources:
This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.
Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.
Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.
Using data to navigate helpful content updates and drive social media success and taking your blog full-time with Mika Kinney from Joy to the Food.
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Welcome to episode 504 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Mika Kinney from Joy to the Food.
From 1K to 250K: The Instagram Growth Strategy That Transformed Joy to the FoodMika and her husband Dan launched their food blog, Joy to the Food, in 2021 with the goal of building a successful brand and business. Just a few years later, Mika has left her full-time job as a civil engineer, they’ve qualified for Raptive, and their Instagram following has soared to over 250,000.
In this interview, Mika reveals the exact strategies that fueled her rapid growth—from 1,000 to 250,000 followers on Instagram in just one year. She also shares how they’ve weathered the recent Helpful Content Updates and come out stronger, plus how she leverages analytics to drive key decisions.
This conversation is a must-listen for anyone eager to supercharge their social media strategy in 2025 or seeking affirmation that they, too, can transform their food blog into a full-time career with the right approach.
Three episode takeaways:Resources:
This episode is sponsored by Member Kitchens.
Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.
Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.