Growing and nurturing your email list, understanding your subscribers' needs, and creating lead magnets with Matt Molen from Email Crush. 

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Welcome to episode 516 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Matt Molen, the CEO of Email Crush. 

In this episode, Matt shares email marketing principles and why it’s one of the most powerful tools bloggers often overlook. He breaks down how to grow your list, why your subscribers are more valuable than you think, and how email can become a key revenue stream if you do it right!

Matt also offers practical tips on creating convert lead magnets, writing emails people want to read, and building trust through simple, effective sequences. Whether you’re starting from scratch or ready to level up, this interview is packed with email strategies you can start using today!

• Email marketing that actually pays off: For food bloggers, email is more than a newsletter — it’s a key revenue stream. From sharing your story to promoting products or partnerships, it’s one of the most effective ways to grow your income and your brand.
• How to build (and nurture) your list with intention: Your current traffic is your best resource for growing your list. With the right lead magnets—think quick-start guides, mini recipe series, or kitchen cheat sheets—you can attract the right audience and keep them coming back for more.
• Consistency and value drive results: Whether it’s a weekly roundup or seasonal content, consistent, valuable emails lead to higher engagement. Understand what your readers need, simplify your messaging, and make every email worth opening.

Resources:

• Email Crush
• MarketBeat
• EmailCrush’s Email Profitability Calculator
• Matt’s course, Email on Autopilot
• Email Matt!
• Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group

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 [email protected].

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Build relationships that last with brands, simplify brand outreach, and develop confidence in your offerings with Candice Ward from Eat More Cake

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Welcome to episode 515 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! For part three of our Diversifying Income Series, Bjork interviews Candice Ward from Eat More Cake.

In today’s crowded content landscape, with the rise of AI, increased competition, and more user-generated content, Candice shares how she built a stable business by diversifying her income and getting strategic with brand partnerships.

This episode breaks down Candice’s three-pillar approach to building relationships with brands: crafting a strong offer, getting more eyeballs on that offer, and—most importantly—learning how to sell your offer. She shares practical tips for using analytics to evolve your offerings, developing an email sequence that gets responses, and how to pitch brands with purpose. This episode will make you excited to rethink your brand partnership strategy — don’t miss it!

• Why you should be using the offer/market/sales framework for brand pitching — Candice explains the 3 main pillars of brand partnerships and how to optimize each phase of your outreach.
• Simple ways to use weekly workflows to make real connections with brands — Candice has incorporated brand outreach via email sequences, LinkedIn, and social media into her workflow and explains her process for communicating with brands and how to develop an email sequence so that you can easily begin the process yourself!
• How to build confidence in pitching — Very few content creators are confident pitching to brands right out of the gate. Candice explains her tips for becoming more confident (hint: repetition helps!) and how reframing pitching as building relationships with brands to help them solve a problem can help creators overcome their mental hurdles to communicating with brands.

Resources:

• Eat More Cake by Candice
• 310: The Confident Pitch – How to Naturally Build Relationships with Brands with Candice Ward
• Raptive
• Mediavine
• Pinch of Yum
• MALK Organic
• LinkedIn
• Superhuman
• Mixmax
• Confident Pitch Program
• Brand Magnet: How to Stand Out and Land Brand Deals as a Food Creator in 2025
• Follow Candice on Instagram
• Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group

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 [email protected].

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

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.

Jess 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!

• How to make decisions about diversifying your business — Jess’s current income distribution looks like this: 71% from ad revenue, 13% from cooking camps, 10% from her cookbook, and 6% from brand partnerships. However, when she first considered launching her cooking camps, it wasn’t driven by money but by creativity. In this discussion, Bjork and Jess talk about the importance of finding balance in your business to prevent burnout and ensure long-term success, and how to make decisions that reflect those values.
• The logistics of running your own cooking classes — Jess dives into the tools she uses to manage her cooking camps, including the software for registration, how she developed the curriculum, how she promotes the camps, how she built a team to support the operations, and why she isn’t interested in scaling her camps (yet). This episode has all the details you need if you’re considering launching something similar!
• How to launch cooking classes — Jess announced her summer camps in January 2024 and has sold out two consecutive summers of camps. She reveals how she pushed past her hesitations and shares the behind-the-scenes process of getting her cooking camps off the ground (spoiler: it was the toughest business challenge she’s faced yet)!

Resources:

• Inquiring Chef
• Cook Smarts
• Snackdive
• Pembee
• Stripe
• The Faux Martha
• Canva
• Start with a Vegetable
• Inquiring Chef Academy
• Follow Jess on Instagram and Facebook
• Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group

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 [email protected].

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.

In 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!

• 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:

• Cinnamon Snail
• Open Broadcaster Software (OBS)
• Kit
• SamCart
• ClickFunnels
• ThriveCart
• The Ad Lab Method course by Josh Coffy
• The Ecommerce Alley podcast
• Facebook’s Advantage+ shopping campaigns
• Gillian Perkins’s podcast: Work Less, Earn More
• Russell Brunson’s podcast, The Russell Brunson Show
• Mighty Networks
• Circle
• Follow Adam on Instagram and Facebook
• Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group

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 [email protected].

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. 

This 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!

• 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:

• Riz’s food blog, Chocolates and Chai
• How to Read a Recipe Post from Chocolates and Chai
• EOS — Entrepreneurial Operating System
• Dubai Chocolate Bar from Chocolates and Chai
• Fluffy Chocolate Pancakes from Chocolates and Chai
• Google Year in Search 2023 Instagram Reel
• Google Year in Search 2023 YouTube Short
• Episode 505 of The Food Blogger Pro podcast: Maximizing Affiliate Revenue with Deep Linking
• Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport
• Send Riz an email!
• Follow Riz on Instagram
• Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group

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 [email protected].

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.

Carla 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.

• How to find success as a personal brand — Carla has created a business rooted in her personal brand and exceptional and reliable recipes rather than focusing on SEO. She prioritizes authentic connection with her audience, entertainment value, and community over crafting content purely for algorithmic success, a strategy that she is hopeful will help her recipes and content stand out in the age of AI.
• The challenges of balancing creative work with financial sustainability — Despite the joy she (initially) found when making YouTube videos for her channel and a team she loved collaborating with, the financial reality of her video production costs ($3500 per video) and the declining and limited revenue from Google ads led Carla to reevaluate her place on the platform. In addition, the tight production schedule required to produce four high-quality recipe videos a month left Carla with little bandwidth to create content for Substack or her upcoming cookbook.
• How to recognize when something is no longer serving you or your business — After producing 177 full-length episodes for Carla’s Cooking Show, Carla’s decision to step away from YouTube was ultimately a choice based on finances, psychological toll, limited bandwidth, and diminishing returns. Carla and Bjork discuss the sustainability of content creation on platforms like YouTube and how creators have to analyze what is moving the needle in their business and, ultimately, what kind of creator they want to be.

Resources:

• Carla Lalli Music
• Food Processing
• Bon Appetit
• Omega
• The True Costs of Being on YouTube
• That Sounds So Good: 100 Real-Life Recipes for Every Day of the Week: A Cookbook
• Follow Carla on Instagram and YouTube
• Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group

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 [email protected].

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.

This 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.

• How to negotiate your cookbook contract — Chelsea is no stranger to publishing cookbooks, but this was her first go-around in the traditional publishing space. She worked with a great agent and has lots of insights into how to negotiate your payments as an author (including negotiating the photography, the advance, the royalty structure, etc.).
• How to approach testing new ideas with your audience — Before the launch of A Feast of Thorns and Roses, Chelsea shared recipes in a specific, small niche (sous vide). In this interview, she shares how she approached this new venture with her audience, how it has reignited her love for recipe development, and how to use your audience when exploring new types of content.
• The pros and cons of self-publishing versus traditional publishing — Chelsea has literally written a course on self-publishing and knows the process backward and forward. She shares the advantages and disadvantages of each (speed, control, marketing, etc.) and provides insider knowledge to both sides of the publishing world for those looking to make a similar decision.

Resources:

• A Duck’s Oven
• A Feast of Thorns and Roses: The Unofficial Cookbook of a Court of Thorns and Roses
• 187: How to Self-Publish Your Own Cookbook with Chelsea Cole
• 364: Self-Publishing a Cookbook as an Online Food Creator with Chelsea Cole
• Everyday Sous Vide: It’s All French to Me
• Sous Vide Meal Prep
• The Cookbook Lab
• The Unofficial Sims Cookbook: From Baked Alaska to Silly Gummy Bear Pancakes, 85+ Recipes to Satisfy the Hunger Need
• A Court of Thorns and Roses
• The Ekus Group
• 391: Behind the Scenes of the Cookbook Publishing Process with Sally Ekus
• Insight Editions
• Simon & Schuster
• The Personal MBA
• Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
• The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
• Snackdive
• Follow Chelsea on Instagram and Facebook
• Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group

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 [email protected].

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.

We 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.

• The importance of updating content — After hitting a traffic plateau in September 2023, Elena realized that some of her older content wasn’t serving her audience (or Google!) anymore. Instead of leaving it stagnant, she began steadily auditing her old blog posts. Elena speaks to the importance of continually evaluating the value of your content and knowing when to take action to improve your site. Her approach was key to her traffic growth and helped her bounce back better than before.
• How to choose the right marketing channels for your food blog — When it comes to marketing, knowing which channels work for your brand is everything. Elena relies on email marketing, Pinterest, and Instagram (especially Reels) to drive traffic, engage her audience, and build brand loyalty.
• Prioritizing providing value to your readers — Elena has a really wonderful perspective on creating content that serves your readers above all else. She shares more about how she guides readers through her blog, how she helps them achieve their goals, and how that mindset has changed her business.

Resources:

• Cucina by Elena
• 372: How Elena Davis Went From 20k to 100k+ Monthly Pageviews and Got Accepted Into Mediavine
• TopHatRank
• Clariti
• Traditional Panettone Recipe
• Kit
• Manychat
• Grocer’s List
• Pinch of Yum
• Simply Recipes
• Follow Elena on Instagram
• Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group

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 [email protected].

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. 

This 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!

• 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:

• Britney Breaks Bread
• Sweet Tea and Thyme
• Media Wyse
• Top Hat Rank
• Episode 360 of The Food Blogger Pro podcast: How Eden Westbrook Shifted Her Mindset and Became a Full-Time Food Blogger
• Interview with Eden and Arson 11:10
• February’s Live Q&A with Casey Markee: State of SEO
• KeySearch
• Semrush
• Bake from Scratch Magazine
• Episode 502 of The Food Blogger Pro podcast: Finance Mini-Series: How to Become a Sponsor Magnet with Justin Moore
• Sponsor Magnet by Justin Moore
• Britney’s cookbook, Bake Until Golden Brown
• Follow Britney on Instagram
• Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group

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 [email protected].

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.

In 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!

• Understanding your “why” — Alexandra speaks to the importance of defining your “why” as an entrepreneur to help provide clarity and direction for your business and to ensure that your time and efforts align with your core goals.
• Surround yourself with a supportive community — As a Ukrainian immigrant, Alexandra has had to navigate the challenge of pursuing a career path that breaks the mold of the more “traditional” jobs that her family might have chosen for her. She stresses the importance of having a supportive network of fellow food creators who understand the unique challenges of building a business in this space.
• How to overcome the fear of taking your food blog full-time — Alexandra reflects on the early years of her career as a food creator and what she would do differently now. She breaks down how she knew when she was ready to reduce her freelance work and commit to her site full-time and shares the advice she would give to beginner food bloggers waiting to make the leap.

Resources:

• The New Baguette
• Mediavine
• QuickBooks
• Monarch
• Start with why – Simon Sinek | TEDxPugetSound
• 390: Overcoming Burnout and Building a Successful Career as a Food Creator with Karishma Pradhan
• Home Cooking Collective
• Curbly
• Notion
• Media Wyse
• Cooking with Keywords
• FBP Rewind: How to Increase Your Organic Traffic with Keyword Research with Aleka Shunk
• KeySearch
• Follow Alexandra on Instagram and Substack
• Email Alexandra
• Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group

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 [email protected].

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.