Eat Blog Talk | Megan Porta

In episode 338, Megan chats to Kathleen Pope about starting a food blog late in life, a mindset for a new, exciting and successful career and how to keep motivated. Kathleen especially encourages us not to give up until we start reaping the fruit from our hard work. Kathleen transitioned into food blogging after running her own product marketing and development business for non-profit organizations. Since 2017, she shifted her focus to her passions of cooking and hospitality and runs the blog, The Fresh Cooky, which now has over 500 recipes. She encourages families to get together, make healthier food choices and invite others to the table. In this episode, she explains the advantage of becoming a food blogger later in life, including having less inhibitions to try something new and more resilience to keep going. - Find a career that allows you to schedule your life the way you want. - The older we are ,the less inhibited we are to try and fail until we succeed. - If you say you can’t, it really means you won

In episode 337, Megan talks to Sue Ringsdorf about starting a food blog as a second chapter in life and seeing blogging from a different perspective. It is not only about making money but also the legacy you leave behind. Sue started Sue Bee Homemaker on her 50th birthday after wondering for several months what her next phase in life would be. With a soon-to-be empty nest, she wanted to find a new passion to invest her time in and was encouraged by several friends’ to start a blog. Sue’s cooking is inspired by her mother and now she helps make other people feel comfortable in the kitchen, learning new recipes to nourish and treat their families without breaking the bank. In this episode, she unpacks common feelings that hold us back from starting something new, regardless of our age (e.g. imposter syndrome) and why despite those obstacles you can succeed. - We are often held back by comparing ourselves to others. - Can you succeed doing your blog your way? - Define your primary goal for your blog. - Recognise

In episode 336, Megan chats with Johanna Voss, about the benefits of hiring a talent manager, especially how and why this can land you groundbreaking deals for your business. Johanna is a talent manager for social media influencers who want clarity for their brands, their businesses and plan strategically for the future. She has closed up to $3.5 million in brand deals and speaking engagements on behalf of her clients. In this episode, she delves into the process of when and why you would need a talent manager for brand deal negotiations. Find out how you can make more money by getting the best partnerships and save time by having a talent manager take care of communication and project management involved in partnerships.  - First decide: Why do you want a talent manager? - Talent managers only get paid through commission so if they land a deal for you. - The brand agrees to work with the talent because of their portfolio of work; the manager negotiates the best deals. - It is not a manager’s responsibility t

In episode 335, Michelle Boulé teaches us how to bring universal laws into our businesses and apply them to our processes so that we can boost our confidence in the decisions we want to make and reach our goals more easily. Michelle is a transformational life and business coach who helps compassionate business owners and creative entrepreneurs all over the world clarify their goals and make their visions a reality with confidence. She has a multi six-figure coaching business that offers different coaching programmes, speaking engagements, in-person retreats and teaching. Drawing from 20 years of practice in somatic therapy, energy medicine, mindset psychology, spirituality and her award-winning career in dance, she explains how to identify our innate wisdom and authentic self. In this episode, find out why this will help you clarify next steps in your business and optimize your processes to fulfill your vision. - You have an innate wisdom guiding you towards your most ideal life. - Learn to be present with yo

In episode 334, Megan chats to Katie Jasiewicz, author and owner of Katie’s Cucina, about mistakes made by veteran bloggers and how to avoid them in order to let your business flourish with the times. Katie has been blogging for 12 years. For the first couple of years she shared her recipes with family and friends as a way to fill up her time. She never imagined that she would be able to make this her full-time job. In 2014, she quit her marketing job to become a full-time blogger. It became an increasingly flourishing business the more she learned about the industry. In this episode, she shares what she has learned and compiles a list of recommendations for us based on her experience. - Don’t underestimate the importance of SEO. - An SEO audit can point out technical mistakes and help you write optimal blog posts. - Expect slow and steady growth. - Regularly update your About and Home page with relevant information (i.e. seasonal recipes and credentials). - Maximize video content and related social platforms

In episode 333, Sarah Barnes teaches us how to grow our Instagram and TikTok to more than 70K in an organic and enjoyable way. She explains how she has done this for her own brand, Taming Twins, in 90 days by focusing on what her audience really needed and not trying to win the algorithm. As a food blogger and a twin mom, Sarah is driven by the question, “What’s for dinner?”. She is inspired to help other busy parents with the answer by providing quick, affordable recipes. Her blog has 8 million views a year and she has been featured in publications such as The Times, The BBC and The Daily Mail. Her success on Instagram and TikTok came after the traffic she got on Pinterest slowed down. She decided to reinvest her time in something that would make a difference in her business again. In this episode, she explains the strategy she used to succeed on these platforms in a short amount of time and without having to ‘play the algorithm’, which made it an enjoyable, meaningful experience for her and her followers. -

Peter Taunton founded one of the largest wellness brands in the world with over 6,000 franchises or licenses across 3 brands in 28 countries- LIFT Brands.   He’s also the 2010  Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Peter is currently a Forbes Master Class instructor at the Forbes School of Business.  Peter’s business accomplishments have been well-recognized by the business community. He and his companies have been featured in many business and industry publications such as Forbes, Entrepreneur 500, Inc 5000, Top Global and Franchise 500.  Peter also wrote a #1 best selling book sold on Amazon called “Impossible Hill”... which shares 30 years of real life stories laying out the mindset that helped Peter build his business empire.  Peter is ever-committed to coaching and inspiring people in both their business and personal lives as they navigate through life striving to light the fire with-in and make their  impossible dreams… possible! Go into being an entrepreneur with your eyes open - it cost

In episode 332, Barbara Curry teaches us about why it’s essential to collaborate and build community as food bloggers and why this will help build and sustain our blogs.  Barbara is an attorney who started a food blog, Butter & Baggage, as a hobby when her children moved out of the house. In 2018, she turned it into a business sharing her special recipes for comfort food with a Southern flair and obsession with butter. As someone who came to food blogging at a later age and having to manage an intense full-time job, Barbara soon found that seeking out help from her blogging community would propel her business in the right direction quicker. Tune in to find out about the different ways she met and collaborated with other bloggers and how this has lessened frustration and uncertainty. - Mastermind groups provide a great support structure. - Everyone has something valuable to add to these groups. - Having a coach gives you more concentrated personal attention. - Receive objective perspectives on different as

In episode 331, Megan chats to Jen Wooster, founder of Peal with Zeal, about how to set up your business so that you can take extended periods of time off worry-free and how to future-proof your business. Previously a COO, managing organisations of 2000 people or more, Jen retired at a young age and started her gluten-free food blog, Peal with Zeal. At first a hobby, she has built it into a full-time business sharing her easy, gluten-free recipes. In this episode, she explains how she is able to take 2 to 6 months off a year by using pre-planning, batching and other productivity techniques. Tune in to find out more about how to maximise the flexibility you have as a content creator so that you too can live the life you want. - Work out how much content you need to release. - Plan how you can produce it effectively in the months you’re working. - Think through everything you need for social media, email etc. - Can you innovate your productivity techniques? - Maintain traffic by combining seasonal and evergreen

In episode 330, Jessica Holmes teaches us how to use words to connect with our readers more deeply. This encourages them to consume our content eagerly, which leads to them staying longer on our food blogs. Jessica has worked as UX copywriter and digital strategist for more than 10 years while also creating her own food blog: Sweetest Menu. When her blog took off, she turned her side-hustle into her full-time job, growing a large following of bakers across the world. With expertise in using words as efficiently and effectively as possible, she explains how this can help you increase pages views and pages per session by making it an enjoyable experience for your readers. In this episode, find out how to avoid common writing mistakes and tips to help you stand out from other food bloggers. -Word choice can determine how long people stay on websites. -Great writing can help bloggers connect with their readers. -Create a writing brand style and stick to it. -Break out of using common words, find inspiration in ot

In episode 329, Megan chats with Sally Ekus, lead agent and co-owner of the Ekus group, about different routes in cookbook publishing and her new course that covers the topic in detail. As an author representative, Sally delves into different publishing routes, including self-publishing, the role of the agent, obstacles authors currently face and tips to overcome them. The Ekus Group is a full-service culinary agency that represents a large group of diverse authors in cuisine, skin colour, topics, and techniques. An agent who is passionate about cooking, Sally helps food writers, bloggers and chef with the development of their book idea and the comprehensiveness of the proposal. Her other responsibilities include matching the book with the best editor and negotiating the contract with the publisher. She therefore has in-depth knowledge of industry trends. Tune into this episode to find out everything you need to know about book proposals, publishing routes and whether a cookbook is a profitable option for foo

In episode 328, Megan chats to Lani Jackson about how to create a flexible business strategy that allows female entrepreneurs to get out of survival mode and create a clear action plan to grow their business, have a steady income while enjoying the freedom to work when and where they want. Lani is a clarity and strategy business coach and hosts the podcast, Brilliant Mompreneurs. Her passion is to help mom entrepreneurs double their income without doubling their workload and help them release mom guilt. Find out how you can create a clear plan of action that will allow you to prioritize your family while still hitting great income goals. - Have a flexible business strategy. - Be purposeful with the time you spent on your blog. - You don’t have to overwork yourself to be successful (25 hour weeks are possible!) - Entrepreneurs get frustrated when they are not clear on what they want. - Assess how much energy and concentration tasks require. Plan your week accordingly. - Mindset can be the difference between gr

In episode 327, Megan chats to Addison LaBonte about pursuing a passion project while still maintaining another job. They discuss how to handle various responsibilities, time management hacks and keeping motivated while your food blog grows. Addison is the recipe developer and content creator at Organically Addison. She specialises in gluten-free recipes that are easy to make, delicious and family-friendly. Conscious of different dietary requirements, she also includes diary-free, nut-free and vegan recipes to her site to make sure there is something for everyone. With such a passion for food blogging, she explains how she grew her blog, increasing her page views significantly, while maintaining a full-time job in finance. In this episode, you’ll learn how to endure and work towards making your passion project your career. - Decide on how much time you want to dedicate to your blog. - Keyword research can be a turning point in your blogging career (e.g. Keysearch and Google). - Great photography can make a di

In episode 326, Monica Davis, creator of The Hidden Veggies, teaches us how to use our niche to rapidly grow our email list, keep them engaged and make them feel valued. This will improve our email subscriber open rate and link click-through rate by making them excited about new recipes on our site. With over 22 years experience being vegan, Monica specializes in vegan comfort food and basics sharing her recipes for vegan cheese, butter and popular dishes on her blog, The Hidden Veggies. Applying in-depth knowledge of her niche, she has used an exciting method to gain new subscribers to her email list and keep them engaged with her content. In this episode she shares tips on how to apply the same method to your own business. - To grow your email subscribers, decide what kind of people visit your site.  - Encourage visitors to your blog to subscribe to your mailing list by offering a resource that solves a problem they have. - Offer opt-ins that are specific to the main pillars of your content. - If your free

In episode 325, Megan chats to Cari Garcia about why TikTok is the best platform for growing your online following right now. The video platform can more than double your social media reach within a year, which will generate more page views for your blog. Cari is a healthcare worker turned content creator who currently makes a living through food blogging, sharing latin-inspired recipes on Fat Girl Hedonist. With currently more than 156k followers on TikTok, she explains why it is an effective and fun way to promote your blog and funnel viewers to your page. Find out more about how to start, what content to post and what filming equipment to use as well as other useful tips to grow in 2022. -Maximise your potential, stick to your niche. -Audio is just as important as visuals. -Does your music choice affect the number of views you get? -Simpler videos will help you go viral quicker on TikTok. -Post more frequently than is normal for Instagram. -Behind the scenes shots and food hacks work well. -Reach a new, yo

In episode 324, Megan chats to Chandice Probst, founder of This Vivacious Life, about knowing when to hire out in blogging and how this can rapidly increase your blog growth. Chandice is the co-author of Gluten-Free on a Budget and with a degree in health science she is passionate about raising awareness for coeliac disease across the nation. She delves into a few crucial questions for bloggers when it comes to outsourcing. For example, why will it increase your business growth and when is the best time to invest in your blog? Learn more about this topic, including the best tools you can use to lessen your workload and how to go about finding the right person for the job. -Hire out from the get-go. -You could hire out any tasks that will free up your time, including household tasks. -More than double your growth by investing in SEO and blogging tools like RankIQ. -Investing includes training or mastermind groups. -You can’t be an expert in every category. -Podcasting opens up a new avenue to gain new knowledg

In episode 323, Megan chats to Anika Gandhi, founder of Anika’s DIY Life, about how to use videos and reels to generate engagement on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.  Anika specializes in woodwork and DIY, helping beginners make pro-level projects. She has a strong presence online across multiple platforms and shares her experience in reaching even more people through short-form video. Find out what types of reels perform the best, what is the ideal length and how to use video to drive traffic to your blog posts. -Save time and repurpose your videos on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram. -Using Facebook reels is a viable way to reach more people. -Instagram favors reels and these types of posts get more engagement. -Short and sweet is most effective. -Spend more time on the first few seconds as this draws viewers in. -This is one of the best ways to gain followers and drive traffic to your website. -Be consistent. Connect with Anika Gandhi Website | Instagram

In episode 322, Aubree Malick, host of the Freelancer to CEO podcast, teaches us how to monetize the blogging skills we’ve mastered by turning them into invaluable services we can offer other bloggers and businesses. Aubree helps people in conventional careers become freelancers, growing their own online businesses. She shares the tactics bloggers can use to identify their strengths and outsource this to other bloggers who might find the same tasks tedious or who’ve got too much on their plate. In this episode, she unpacks the most important steps to start a successful freelance career. -Find your ideal clients in online communities and in your local network. -Niche down with the type of service you offer or the type of client you serve. -Research other freelancers’ pricing to find a good balance between NOT undervaluing or overpricing yourself. -Ask yourself: What price point is going to make me feel resentful? What is going to make me feel good? -Best way to build relationships with your audience is through

In episode 321, Megan chats with Molly Madigan Pisula, founder of Vanilla Bean Cuisine, about how food blogging gives you the opportunity to live a mobile life. Have a successful career anywhere in the world, while being in control of your time, so that you can spend more of it with the people you love. Molly and her husband moved to France where she went from being a personal chef to food blogger, specializing in healthy recipes using seasonal ingredients. With in-depth knowledge of overcoming the obstacles of moving to a new country, she discusses lifestyle differences between France and America, why enjoying food allows us to slow down and how you can choose the lifestyle you want, anywhere in the world. Find out more about her experience in this episode. -Live in a foreign country like France to enhance your senses and food knowledge. -Experience a different lifestyle that gives you more opportunities to be creative and appreciate life to the full. -Have the freedom to spend time with friends and family w

In episode 320, Megan chats with Izzah Cheema, founder of Tea for Turmeric, the largest Pakistani food blog, about why creating more content for your blog does not necessarily lead to growth. Izzah specializes in Pakistani recipes and with less than a 100 recipes on her site, she has over 350 thousand page views a month or about 2 million views a year. In this episode, she explains why posting lots of recipes regularly is not necessarily a wise growth strategy and why curating content specifically for your audience, helping them solve their problems, will get you much further. - Are you producing content that you will NOT be ranked for? - Build unshakable EAT (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust). - Treat each blog post with extra care to improve EAT. - Provide a solution to a specific problem in your market to rank more easily. - Do the work nobody else wants to do (which food solutions or information have not been written about yet?) - Roundups is a smart way to market what you already have instead of writi