Tastemaker Talk

Today we're sitting down with Emily Baksa to discuss how telling clearer, more authentic stories can help your content stand out in an AI-driven world. Emily is a copywriter and marketing strategist who helps food content creators gain creative and financial freedom so they keep loving what they do.

Hit play to explore Emily's insights on content rewriting and how to use AI tools for efficiency, not to replace your unique humanity. Emily also shares her tips for embracing change, branding with intentionality, and "de-optimizing" your old content.

Show Notes

• Get Emily's Cooking for Humans course here! $20 off with code: TASTEMAKER
• Check out Emily's website
• Follow Emily on IG
• Meet Emily IRL at Tastemaker Conf 2026!

We are SO excited to chat with the formidable Joanie Simon, aka The Bite Shot, today!

Press play to learn about Joanie's journey into food photography, including her transition from hobby to professional photographer. Today's Big Themes™️ uncover the importance of making mistakes, maintaining authenticity, and finding community in creative work. We also talk candidly about the business side of Joanie's photography practice, including her approach to cookbook projects, workload management, and balancing family life with professional pursuits.

Show Notes

• Read Joanies book recs: The Art of Possibility and Hook Point
• Follow Joanie on IG or find her at thebiteshot.com
• Get your Tastemaker 2026 tickets rn!

Matt Molen is CEO of Email Crush and a top educator in email marketing, and today we're lucky enough to pick his brain about why email marketing matters for bloggers and content creators.

Get your notebook ready, because this one is FULL of practical advice you can use immediately, including:

• Strategies for building and nurturing email lists through welcome sequences and consistent content delivery
• How to automate your systems for bigger impact

• Matt's FAVORITE subject line (that you can borrow)
• And so much more!

Show Notes:

• Matt's FREE ROI CALCULATOR
• Email Matt to continue the convo
• Follow Matt on IG
• Buy your Tastemaker Conference 2026 ticket to keep learning!

On today's episode, Toni Okamoto chats with us about her food blogging and content creation journey building Plant-Based on a Budget. Throughout the convo Toni shares her strategies for building a loyal community via personal connections and budget-friendly content. Tune in to hear Toni's favorite ways to connect with her audience, which also happen to impact her ability to monetize and grow her reach.

Show Links:

Check out Toni's blog

Follow Toni on IG

Listen to music from today's chat in our playlist!

Get your TC 2026 ticket!

By popular demand, we are sitting down with Casey Markee to cover all of your most pressing SEO questions! In this episode Casey shares extensive insights about Google's AI mode transition and its impact on content creation, emphasizing the importance of high-quality, unique content. We also discuss technical strategies to help bloggers adapt to future changes in the digital landscape.

Show Notes:

• ⁠Schedule an Audit with Casey (booking for August)⁠
• Google’s AI-Powered SERPs: Strategies for recipe, travel, and lifestyle bloggers
• How Evolving Search Results Impact Content Creators (TopHatChats)
• Niche blogging in the new Google reality: 5 strategies to thrive or die
• Find Casey at mediawyse.com, or connect in the Food Blogger Pro and Food Blogger's Central Facebook groups
• Join us for TC 2026 in Los Angeles!

Today we sit down as a complete Tastemaker Team--all 4 of us! 🤭 We clarify our roles, chat about how communication and flexibility is a key tenant to our success, and narrow in on our respective zones of genius. If you're itching for a look behind the scenes, wondering how to foster community and camaraderie with your own small team, or just want to giggle with us--press play!

Show Links:

• Abbey's fave creator: The New Yorker
• Chandice's fave creator: chefbae and isabelleheikens
• Leslie's fave creators: diasdechuvaseca and aysat_officiel

• Daphne's fave creators: ssense and lydialoo12
• Join us at Tastemaker 2026 in Los Angeles!

We are so excited to be chatting with our friend Izzah Cheema on today's episode! Izzah is the brilliant mind behind Tea for Turmeric, a trusted source for South Asian recipes with over half a million monthly views on less than 130 recipes.

We dig into Izzah's journey as a food blogger, the importance of authenticity in branding, and strategies for maintaining motivation and preventing burnout in the creator economy. Press play and let Izzah's warmth and wisdom brighten your day!

Show Links:

• Follow Izzah on Instagram
• Get your Tastemaker 2026 ticket!

You might have heard of this week's guest when you saw her create Bad Bunny's birthday cake? Or maybe you saw her on Netflix's "Is it Cake?" Or maybe you just know and love her from Sugar Geek Show, where you follow along for her amazing cakes AND amazing energy.

That's right: today we're chatting with renowned pastry chef, Liz Marek! Liz was generous enough to take time out of a dreamy Moroccan vacation to share her journey from being an uncertain teenager to becoming a successful cake artist and content creator.

We also yapped about the balance between creativity and profitability in their respective fields, and how to stop sacrificing the joy of making art for the algorithm alone.

Show Links:

• Get your armature wire here 😜

• Get Sugar Geek Fondant here

• Follow Sugar Geek Show on Instagram

• • Also find her @ SugarGeekShow on all socials

• Join us at Tastemaker 2026!

Today we're joined by Chef Evelyn Williams of ​Gourmet Grad School​! Evelyn was kind enough to discuss her journey in the food industry with us, starting from the top. Nothing is off-limits today: from the economy and the importance of diversifying income to Evelyn's transition into culinary entrepreneurship, we cover it all.

In this episode, Evelyn shares her strategies for avoiding burnout and identifying your unique strengths, plus her favorite ingredients, books, and dream collaborators.

P.S. Gourmet Grad School is expanding! Keep your eyes on their Signature Program for exciting updates. 👀

Show Links:

• Follow Chef Evelyn on Instagram
• Follow along with Gourmet Grad School
• Get your TC 2026 ticket!

We promised a follow-up convo, and this week we're delivering! Today Chandice sits down with Danielle from Liss Legal to provide an overview of recipe copyright laws and their application to food content creation.

If your copyright curiosity has recently been piqued, hit play to learn about legal protections for recipes and fair use guidelines in the USA. Danielle also touches on common copyright myths and shares her candid advice for what to do if you find yourself in tricky copyright situations.

Show Links:

• Get in touch with Danielle at Liss Legal
• Download one of Danielle's Businessese templates
• Join us in Los Angeles for TC 2026!