In episode 469, Megan chats to Callan Wenner about how she planned and executed a schedule and content calendar so that she could take 4 months off for maternity leave. Callan started her food blog, The Cozy Plum, in spring 2020 with a focus on elevating classic baked goods and savory appetizers and small bites. After quickly honing in on her photography and videography skills, as well as thorough recipe development techniques, she was able to quit her corporate job after a year and a half to pursue The Cozy Plum full-time. In this episode, you’ll learn how to stay efficient and organized, creating a month-to-month calendar for the year, outsourcing tasks and using project management software to stay on track. - Define the priorities and goals for the year, and for the months you are taking off. - Create a month-to-month calendar for the year with each week having a general focus. - Create weekly/daily tasks each week from there. - Build in buffers and scheduled time off, but keep to the schedule as closely as possible. - Outsource what you can and create a strong SOP to help keep your hands off.   - Be as efficient as possible by combining process shots and video during shoots. - Use project management software to help keep you on track - review your daily to-do every evening/morning. - Have a go-getter attitude - it will be more work than usual up front, but will be worth it once the time comes. - Let go of the need to grind and enjoy that time off. Connect with Callan Wenner Website | Instagram

469: How to Plan and Execute a Schedule and Content Calendar to Take Extended Time Off with Callan Wenner

Eat Blog Talk is the one-stop podcast for food bloggers, delivering value and instilling confidence so you can level up in your business. The podcast features interviews with food bloggers and other experts who deliver valuable and relevant information and insights to the blogging space. 

We cover all the hot food blogging topics such as SEO, social media strategies, keyword research, how to pitch yourself to brands and which keyword research tools to use. We also focus on improving your mindset, as this will help improve your job performance, creativity, productivity and add value to your business. 

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In episode 542, Kathie Lapcevic teaches us how to create products that fill us up creatively and make customers happy, while making a profit. Kathie Lapcevic is a blogger and teacher living in northwest Montana. She is a quiet rebel, embracing a simple and seasonal life that isn’t exactly mainstream. She can often be found either making a mess in the garden or in the kitchen where she focuses on intentional living that showers love upon the important people in her life. In this episode, you’ll learn about how to brainstorm ideas for products that could work well for your niche and why testing the idea is essential before investing time and money into it. Key points discussed: - Align Your Product and Actions With Your Values: If you stay true to your niche you’ll feel good about your product and selling it will come more naturally. - How to Think Outside of the Box with New Products: Look at your competition - what are they selling? Will it work for your audience? Use it as inspiration but do not copy. - Research the Market Before You Launch a Product: Ask your audience directly what they want to learn from you - use a survey with a few specific options. - Digital Products Become Passive Income: Digital products may require a lot of work upfront but beyond that you earn money from them with minimal time spent. - Add a Personal Touch to Your Products: How can you make your products unique and personal to your brand? - Know Your Ideal Profit Margin Before You Start: Tally up costs of production (if any) with your time spent to work out a suitable price for your products - avoid undervaluing yourself and remember that success takes time. - Reach Out to Other Bloggers: Are there other bloggers or brands you can collaborate with? Subscribe to newsletters in your niche to stay up to date with trends and potential collaborations. Guest Details Connect with Kathie Lapcevic Website |  Instagram

542: How to Make a Profit By Selling Products That Fill Your Creative Soul and Make Customers Happy with Kathie Lapcevic

Do you finish your projects or do you postpone them indefinitely? It’s important to finish projects off in order to open up doors to new opportunities. Megan shares 5 things you can finish this week to reap the rewards waiting for you. Finishing off work projects can be hard. It’s sometimes easier to get started on an exciting new idea, but seeing it through to the end requires perseverance. Besides work, there are other things in our life that often get put on the back burner. But what if we just finished them? Stubborn admin tasks, home projects and other to do list items. Imagine the relief you’ll feel if you finish off one thing this week. Action Plan: 1. Finish off a house project: make it small and manageable like tidying up a drawer before moving on to bigger tasks. 2. Finish off a work project. Especially as an entrepreneurs, we tend to collect unfinished projects. If you’re putting something off the whole time, is it really worth your time at all? 3. Finish off a conversation with a family member, friend or colleague. Are there any important topics that could be a game changer in life or business? 4. Finish off an admin task. What easy admin task can you finish this week? 5. Finish off a to do list item, either work or personal. Are there any to do list items that have been on your radar for months? Do them this week! Get in touch with Megan if there is a specific mindset and self-care topic you'd like her to cover. Website | Instagram   Brand Positioning Coach (Carrie Tyler)    Explore Megan’s recommended books and resources at eatblogtalk.com/books.  

541: 5 Things to Finish This Week (Mindset & Self-Care)

In episode 540, Dyutima Jha teaches us how to keep readers on our food blogs for longer by creating visually compelling narratives with our photos, and which common mistakes to avoid. Dyutima is an architect-turned commercial and editorial food photographer and podcaster based in Singapore. She is the first South Asian woman to host a food photography podcast, My Food Lens. After 15 years as an architect, designing healthcare facilities around the world, she found her passion in food styling and photography. Today, she has a successful business working with clients around the world and teaching other photographers how to do so as well. Her work has been featured in a range of food & photography magazines like Thrive magazine, Whalebone magazine etc. and she has worked with several prestigious clients like The Intercontinental Hotel Singapore, McCormick etc. In this episode, you’ll learn about the importance of visual storytelling, lighting, angles, and consistency in creating compelling narratives that engage and retain the viewer's attention. Key points discussed: - Plan Food Photo Shoots in Advance: Use a storyboard to stay focused creatively and save time during a photo shoot. - Think of Your Recipe as a Story: Like a movie, there's a plot, hero, theme and genre. Use these elements to tell your story. - Bring Readers into Your Story Through the First Image: Improve first impressions with powerful opening photos that hook readers emotionally or visually - Activate the Viewer's Imagination: Create a sequence of events and narrate this through your photos using ingredients, movement and context. - Readers Disengage with Technically Weak Photos: Check lighting, camera angles, storytelling cohesion, and color editing in photos. - Readers Disengage with Disconnected Visuals: Do your photos match with the vibe, colors and branding of your website? Do they match the specific type of recipe? - Show Readers the Bigger Picture: As a final photo, include the context of where readers might enjoy the recipe; use props to narrate this visually. - Make Dull Food Look Appetizing: By adding contrasting colors using herbs or flowers and by using macro shots, you can make unappealing food look great. Connect with Dyutima Jha Website | Instagram

540: How to Keep Readers on Your Page By Bringing Powerful Storytelling to Food Photos with Dyutima Jha

 In episode 539, Megan chats to MaryAnne Hoekstra about why joining an accountability group can help you refocus and gain direction, especially after a drop in traffic. MaryAnne is the writer, recipe developer, and photographer behind Gastronotherapy, where she creates delicious recipes that are mainly vegetarian and vegan. MaryAnne grew up in Minnesota with a fondness for baking, and lived in NYC for 17 years. While there, she sharpened her palate over the years while taking cooking and baking classes, making dinner for friends, and trying as many restaurants as she could afford. In this episode, you’ll learn about 7 benefits of joining an accountability group, including having a supportive community with which to share resources, ideas and receive weekly support to help you set and achieve your blogging goals. Key points discussed: - Get Specific Support From an Engaged Community: Unlike general food blogger groups, a focused accountability group, like the Eat Blog Talk Accountability group, allows for more specific support from bloggers who are invested in each other’s success. - New Ideas for Diversifying Your Income etc.: An accountability group helps you share your ideas and get inspired by others in the group when it comes to diversifying income and other topics. - Set and Achieve Goals: You’ll be encouraged to set blogging goals and will receive support to achieve them, helping you stay motivated. - Receive Diverse Resources: Accountability groups consist of bloggers with diverse skills - you’ll be able to improve your knowledge and skills and share useful resources.  - Benefits of the Eat Blog Talk Accountability Group: The Slack channel, leverage the knowledge of the other group members, the twice-weekly productivity focus calls and once a month Zoom calls with specific topics. - Why is the Investment Worth It?: By investing in a resource like an Accountability Group, you regain your blogging motivation, narrow down your priorities and invest in a successful blog.  

539: The Low-Cost Investment That Can Change Your Blogging Career - Benefits of Joining an Accountability Group with MaryAnne Hoekstra

Time off can often derail us from our goals. In this episode, Megan talks through 5 ways you can prepare for time off, whether planned or unplanned, so that you get back into work without disruption. Whether it’s a planned vacation or sudden sickness, if we don’t plan for time off, it can be challenging to get back on track when we return to work, especially as entrepreneurs. Therefore, some entrepreneurs never take time off. But there’s a way around it!  Action Plan: - Plan ahead and have your content ready and scheduled a few weeks or months in advance. - When planning time off, allow for wiggle room so that you give yourself time to get back into your routine - Don’t overload your to do list on the first day back! - Set a ‘jump back in date’ and stick to it to avoid compounding work. This counts for your self-care and workout routine as well. - Work on your mindset as many of the struggles related to getting back into work after “time off” is related to mindset. - Do not feel guilty for taking time off - it’s essential to maintain a healthy balance and you’ll be more productive if you allow time for self-care. Resources  Food Photography by Ikram Ali   Promote your food blogging services: www.eatblogtalk.com/audioclip   Explore Megan’s recommended books and resources at eatblogtalk.com/books.  Get in touch with Megan if there is a specific mindset and self-care topic you'd like her to cover. Website | Instagram  

469: How to Plan and Execute a Schedule and Content Calendar to Take Extended Time Off with Callan Wenner

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