Tastemaker Talk

James Baldwin from Raptive, a strategic partner and sponsor of Tastemaker Conference, joined the Tastemaker team to discuss their industry-leading ad management platform and business solutions. James is the SVP of the Creator Performance and Technical Support Teams at Raptive, and the conversation covered the evolving nature of content creation, the importance of optimizing ad layouts, and the impact of privacy regulations on digital advertising. 

Listen now, and be sure to book 1:1 appointments with the Raptive team at Tastemaker Conference 2025 in the Whova app!

This episode covers:

🎁  Technical SEO Tips to untangle the Grinchy glitches holding back your site.

🎁  Schema Magic to make your recipes sparkle in search results.

🎁  Content Optimization Secrets to whip up irresistible posts for search engines and readers alike.

🎁  Insights into the latest trends and issues impacting content creators, so you stay ahead of the game.

Each "day" brings a new layer of actionable advice, and a sprinkle of holiday cheer to ensure your content sleighs the competition.

Don’t let your site sit on Google’s naughty list this season—tune in and make your blog the gift that keeps on giving! 🎅

To get in touch with Casey, reach out at mediawyse.com/contact

To make a donation to the Baja Animal Sanctuary, go to https://www.bajaanimalsanctuary.org/

This BONUS episode of Tastemaker Talk focused on financial planning for food bloggers and influencers, featuring financial advisor Shannon Avery. Shannon discussed the challenges of transitioning from hobby to business, emphasizing the importance of setting realistic financial goals, managing cash flow, and aligning business strategies with financial objectives. The conversation also covered Shannon's upcoming session at Tastemaker Conference 2025, her financial advising services, and practical tips for budgeting and tracking expenses.

Check out the financial planning tools she mentioned in the episode!

We hosted Amanda Martin, Mediavine’s Chief Revenue Officer, who gave us a sneak peek of industry trends in 2025 and how they could impact food bloggers. Mediavine is our Title Sponsor for Tastemaker Conference next month, and as an ad management company and monetization partner to thousands of publishers, we turn to them for insider info from a publisher perspective. 

Tune in to this episode for fresh tips from Amanda to set you up for success in the new year and beyond!

TC 2025 Tickets Here!

In Episode 15 of Tastemaker Talk, Abbey and Chandice were joined by Jen from Memberful, a sponsor at the Tastemaker Conference 2025. The team discussed the potential of food bloggers to adopt membership models, striking the balance between paid & free content, and the key features and benefits of Memberful. They also emphasized the importance of community engagement in the food industry and how to utilize membership sites as consistent revenue sources for food bloggers.

Join us for Tastemaker Conference 2025 in Las Vegas to network with Memberful and learn more about how to use their services to diversify your revenue streams and give your audience more of what they love! Buy one of the last remaining tickets HERE!

In Episode 14 of Tastemaker Talk, Chandice (COO of Tastemaker Conference), Erin (author of Let's Bake Gluten-Free), and Morgan (owner of Firewire Publishing) discussed various topics related to food blogging and cookbook creation, covering all of the benefits of independently publishing your own cookbook. 

They explored the finer details of publishing, including the ideal quantity of cookbook orders for bloggers, the value of physical cookbooks in a digital age, and the fulfillment process in cookbook publishing. The conversation concluded with Morgan's advice for taking the first step in cookbook publishing and Erin's mantra of "everything is figure-outable."

Connect with the Firewire team at firewirepublishing.com or on Instagram.

And don't forget to join us at Tastemaker Conference 2025 to chat with Morgan IRL! Tickets are almost gone - buy yours here.

In Episode 13 of Tastemaker Talk, Abbey and Chandice discuss the importance of brand storytelling for food creators. Tune in to hear the Tastemaker duo emphasize the need to establish a strong brand identity, including defining your brand values. 

This topic became CRUCIAL after the recent Google update, which negatively impacted creators without a clear brand story. As AI continues to advance, audiences will crave authentic human connections even more, and your branding can create that framework of trust.

You can find our FREE Build a Brand Workbook HERE.

Buy one of the LAST tickets to Tastemaker Conference 2025 HERE.

In Episode 12 of Tastemaker Talk, Abbey and Chandice were joined by Tastemaker 2025 sponsor, Deep Roots Hosting! 

Peter Green and Morgan Foster have been in the web hosting business since 1999, and the conversation focused on their prioritization of building relationships to personally meet their clients' unique needs. Listen today for insights on how to create sustainable business partnerships, what hosting means and how it benefits bloggers when done well, and ways to improve project structure and communication as a whole team.

You can find Peter and Morgan at deeprootshosting.com , or shoot an email to [email protected], where "conversation is always free!" 😊

And don't forget to join us at Tastemaker Conference 2025, where you can meet 1-on-1 with Peter and Morgan to learn more about how Deep Roots Hosting can benefit your blogging biz. Buy your tickets HERE (before they're gone for good!).

In Episode 11, Abbey and Chandice talked all things Q4 and holiday content creation! The Tastemaker duo discussed strategies to maximize audience engagement and revenue during the holiday season, such as auditing past content, identifying what worked well, and repurposing it for the current season.

The discussion also highlighted the importance of metrics and indicators in data analysis for food bloggers and content creators. They also emphasized the importance of understanding audience preferences and expectations for content creation around the holidays.

The conversation also explored strategies for effectively partnering with brands during the holiday season, strategies for diversifying content across platforms, and the importance of prioritizing family time during the holiday season.

For Episode 10 of Tastemaker Talk, Abbey and Chandice were joined by the lovely and intelligent Alexandria Drzazgowski, known by many as the founder of The Foreign Fork blog! 

The conversation explored the importance of effective communication, building rapport, and persistence in sales meetings and pitches for food bloggers specifically. Alexandria also shared strategies for engaging with brands and managing communication. The conversation led to a discussion on the differences in leading meetings and pitches at various stages of one's career and the significance of confidence and communication in their work.

You can get in touch with Alexandria at one of her many exciting platforms below: 

The Foreign Fork: https://foreignfork.com/

The The Domestic Spoon: https://thedomesticspoon.com/

IG: intagram.com/theforeignfork

Sealed Deal School: https://forms.gle/6r1YcqdCA5ZG3qhS9

Probing Guide Freebie: https://sincere-sun-353.myflodesk.com/ga13o7ft6k

And join us for Tastemaker Conference 2025 in Las Vegas if you are passionate about taking your food blog biz to the next level! Only a few tickets left - buy yours here: https://whova.com/portal/registration/taste_202503/