What does it take to build a stunning brand and create a food blog empire? This week, I'm thrilled we have my dear friend Dana Shultz of Minimalist Baker to help us find out! Dana is the creator and founder of Minimalist Baker, an amazing website dedicated to simple vegan cooking with recipes requiring 10 ingredients or less, 1 bowl, or 30 minutes or less to prepare. She's also an author, and I've got her cookbook proudly displayed in my kitchen -- it rocks!We're talking about Dana's story, diving deep into the inner workings of Minimalist Baker. We're rewinding the tapes to her first attempt at blogging, a more general website dedicated to her interests and everyday life.Though her first blog didn't get much traction, Dana noticed the popularity of her food-focused blog posts.She decided to get laser focused, fusing her recipe creating and food photography skills to craft a crisp, clear brand with beautiful & compelling imagery.  Minimalist Baker has garnered a colossal following with a published cookbook to go with it, and Dana didn't just get lucky or stumble upon the right idea on accident. Her approach to branding is her secret sauce, and it's one we can all learn from: an excellent mashup of simplicity, dedication, discipline and authenticity. In the Courage half, you'll hear:All about Minimalist Baker and how Dana & her husband / partner in crime (John) earn their living with the site How she got here, and the roadblocks along the way A peek into the lessons and pivots that led to Minimalist Baker's wildfire successAnd then in the Clarity part, we're talkin':Specific mistakes Dana made with her first blog, and what she sees so clearly in looking backHow a brand can evolve over time without turning an audience off The power of a truly compelling mission statement, why you need to write one and how to do itWhat to do if your message feels murky -- how to find your core and use it to attract eager readersWhat makes a truly excellent brand, and how each of us can strengthen ours "People don't have time to figure out what you do, you have to be really really clear about what you do.""I don't think that you have to be the best at something, you just have to be interesting, value-adding and consistent."