The Food Blogger Pro Podcast

Bjork Ostrom
  • 4.9 (387)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to The Food Blogger Pro Podcast, hosted by Bjork Ostrom from Pinch of Yum! Our goal is to help you create a beautiful, functional, and profitable blog. We interview successful food bloggers and industry experts in an effort to surface strategies that can help you more efficiently grow and monetize your site. You'll learn about recipe SEO, food photography, plugins, monetization, traffic, and more. New episodes every Tuesday! Learn more at foodbloggerpro.com/podcast

  1. How to Stop Relying on Traffic and Start Building a Business with Emily Baksa

    1d ago

    How to Stop Relying on Traffic and Start Building a Business with Emily Baksa

    Building a content ecosystem, turning readers into buyers, and solving problems for your audience with Emily Baksa. ----- Welcome to episode 577 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Emily Baksa from Craveworthy Copy. How to Stop Relying on Traffic and Start Building a Business Most food bloggers think about monetization in terms of ads, sponsored content, and affiliate marketing. But what if your content could do something more — actively nurturing readers into buyers and building a business that doesn't depend entirely on traffic? In this episode Emily and Bjork dig into the full picture of how to build a content ecosystem that converts — from the copy on your homepage to your email opt-ins to the products and experiences you sell. They talk about why your email list is the single most powerful connection-building tool you have and why you should focus on solving problems and offering solutions for your audience. Bjork also shares how Pinch of Yum made the leap into selling meal plans and got comfortable with selling — and why starting simpler than you think you need to is almost always the right move. Three episode takeaways: The three types of content every food blogger needs (and how they work together) — Emily breaks down the content framework she uses with food creator clients: visibility content (getting found), connection content (fostering relationships), and trust-building content (positioning you as the go-to resource). She and Bjork talk about how these three types of content form a marketing funnel and how shifting your focus from generating more traffic to building a more loyal audience changes everything about how you show up as a creator. How to get started selling products — Whether it's a meal plan, course, membership, or digital download, Emily makes the case that most food bloggers are closer to selling a product than they think. She walks through how to use lead magnets as beta tests to validate a concept before you invest in building it out and why solving one problem really well will always outperform trying to solve ten problems at once. How to get comfortable with selling and overcome the identity crisis that comes with it — For many food bloggers, the leap from free content creator to product seller comes with a real psychological hurdle. Bjork and Emily discuss how a focused niche makes both your marketing and your products stronger and how to position and market yourself in a way that feels authentic rather than salesy. Resources: Craveworthy Copy Plays Well With Butter 1000 True Fans Gro.co Tastemaker Manychat Pinch of Yum Follow Emily on Instagram and LinkedIn Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by Yoast. 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 podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

    59 min
  2. How Rebecca Blackwell Turned Food Blogging into a Six-Figure Digital Business from an RV

    Jun 23

    How Rebecca Blackwell Turned Food Blogging into a Six-Figure Digital Business from an RV

    Diversifying income streams, building community, and personal storytelling with Rebecca Blackwell. ----- Welcome to episode 576 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Rebecca Blackwell. Last week on the podcast, Bjork chatted with Jenna Arend. To go back and listen to that episode, click here. How Rebecca Blackwell Turned Food Blogging into a Six-Figure Digital Business from an RV Rebecca started out as a food blogger, but somewhere along the way, she traded a stable paycheck for a life on the road, running her digital business full-time from an RV! In this episode, she opens up about what that transition actually looked like: the risks she took by leaving a steady job, how the RV lifestyle reshaped her thinking about work and creative freedom, and why she made the strategic decision to manage multiple websites rather than rely on a single income stream. The conversation also gets into the community side of Rebecca's business. Specifically, how she's used Substack to build genuine connections with a growing audience of food writers. She shares practical advice on growing a newsletter, engaging readers, and landing sponsorships that feel like a natural fit. You'll also hear her talk about how she's navigating the challenges of AI and shifting search algorithms, why leaning into personal storytelling has been her biggest differentiator, and what she's learned from building community through mastermind groups and in-person retreats. Three episode takeaways: Diversify your income streams: Branching out to different avenues instead of relying on a single blog or platform gives you more creative freedom and financial stability, especially important in an era of unpredictable algorithm changes! Personal storytelling is your biggest differentiator: As AI and search engines continue to evolve, what sets your content apart isn't information. it's your unique voice, perspective, and lived experience. Rebecca's journey from food blogger to RV-dwelling digital creator is a perfect example of a story no algorithm can replicate. Community is a growth strategy: Whether it's building a newsletter on Substack, joining a mastermind group, or hosting retreats, investing in genuine relationships with your audience and peers pays dividends that go far beyond traffic and page views. Resources: A Little and a Lot Of Batter and Dough Rebecca's Substack: Let's Get Lost Tiny Shiny Home Designing Your Life Substack Mastermind for Food Writers The Food Writers Business Lab Kit Follow Rebecca on Instagram here and here Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by Member Kitchens. 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 podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

    56 min
  3. Inside Pinch of Yum's Strategy for Email Growth and Content Distribution with Jenna Arend

    Jun 16

    Inside Pinch of Yum's Strategy for Email Growth and Content Distribution with Jenna Arend

    Welcome to episode 575 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Jenna Arend. Inside Pinch of Yum's Strategy for Email Growth and Content Distribution with Jenna Arend This week, Bjork sits down with Jenna Arend, General Manager of Pinch of Yum, as part of our ongoing GRO mini-series. In this episode, she shares how Pinch of Yum is navigating the biggest shifts in the digital landscape right now, from the decline of third-party cookies to the rise of AI, and why those changes have pushed the team to double down on email and Facebook as their most reliable channels. Jenna also gets into the strategy behind keeping a long-running food blog relevant and thriving — from improving older content to creating targeted resources like meal plans and freezer meals. She shares how GRO has helped streamline the process of converting social media followers into loyal email subscribers, and why building that direct line of communication with your audience matters more than ever. If you've been thinking about how to future-proof your content strategy, this one is worth a listen! Three episode takeaways: Adapt your strategy as the digital landscape shifts: With changes like the decline of third-party cookies and the rise of AI, relying solely on search traffic is risky. Pinch of Yum has leaned into email and Facebook as more stable, direct channels — and it's paying off. Don't overlook your existing content: Improving older posts can be just as valuable as creating new ones, especially for a long-running blog looking to maintain relevance and traffic in an ever-changing algorithm environment. Make it easy for followers to become subscribers: A clear call to action paired with genuinely helpful resources — like meal plans or freezer meal guides — gives your audience a real reason to join your email list, and tools like GRO can make that conversion process even smoother. Resources: Pinch of Yum GRO Episode 547 of The Food Blogger Pro podcast: Inside Crowded Kitchen's Strategy for Growing to 2.4 Million Followers on Facebook Pinch of Yum - Freezer Meals Get Pinch of Yum's Trader Joe's Meal Plan for free here! See the Trader Joe's DM automation in action here! Episode 563 of The Food Blogger Pro podcast: Using AI to Eliminate Busywork and Unlock Creative Time with Jason Glaspey OpenClaw Live Q&A with Jenna: Marketing Your Content Follow Pinch of Yum on Instagram and Facebook Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by GRO. 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 podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

    55 min
  4. How Mika Kinney Turned Her 480,000 Instagram Followers into Site Traffic and Revenue

    Jun 9

    How Mika Kinney Turned Her 480,000 Instagram Followers into Site Traffic and Revenue

    Increasing revenue without increasing your workload and mastering Instagram strategy with Mika Kinney from Joy to the Food. ----- Welcome to episode 574 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week, Bjork is back with part two of our GRO mini-series — this time chatting with Mika Kinney from Joy to the Food. How Mika Kinney Turned Her 480,000 Instagram Followers into Site Traffic and Revenue Two years ago, Mika Kinney had 1,000 Instagram followers. Today she has 480,000 — and both she and her husband work full-time on Joy to the Food. That kind of growth doesn't happen by accident, and in this episode Mika breaks down exactly how she did it. Mika started her site in 2021, left her job in September 2023, and went all in on Instagram in January 2024. What followed was a masterclass in understanding what social media can do for a food business — not just as a vanity metric, but as a genuine traffic and revenue source. In this episode, Bjork and Mika dig into the super intentional content strategy behind her growth, how she uses GRO to capture the value of her Instagram audience and drive traffic back to her site, how she (easily!) increased her affiliate income, and why she and her husband recently launched a membership program — all without dramatically increasing their workload. Three episode takeaways: What's actually driving Mika's Instagram growth — Mika breaks down the difference between videos that get reach and videos that get followers and the role of calls to action in Reels. She also shares why showing your face and bringing your personality to your content is one of the most important things you can do and how she structures her content schedule in a way that keeps her consistent without burning out. How Mika uses GRO to turn Instagram attention into real business results —Mika walks through how DM automation and story replies work to reduce friction for her audience, why carousels are her go-to format for reaching a large portion of her existing followers, and how conversational hooks have changed the way she thinks about content. Most importantly, she shares how direct traffic to her site has increased continuously because of GRO — including during a stretch of six to eight months without a single viral video. How Mika is diversifying her revenue without adding to her workload — From sharing two to three affiliate deep links per day (generating an extra $2,000–$3,000 per month) to launching a weekly exclusive recipe membership program with GRO, Mika has built multiple revenue streams on top of her existing content workflow rather than in addition to it. She and Bjork talk through how each revenue stream works, how the membership is structured, and why diversifying away from a single traffic or income source has become essential for food bloggers navigating the current landscape. Resources: Joy to the Food From 1K to 250K: The Instagram Growth Strategy That Transformed Joy to the Food GRO LTK Butcher Box Creator Coach Shop My Maximizing Affiliate Revenue with Deep Linking Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook Feast Mika Creative Follow Mika on Instagram Register for the Q&A: Google Updates, AI Search, and What Actually Matters for Your Blog in 2026 Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by GRO. 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 podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

    54 min
  5. What's Actually Working for Food Creators Right Now with Ben Jabbawy from GRO

    Jun 2

    What's Actually Working for Food Creators Right Now with Ben Jabbawy from GRO

    Increasing your traffic, growing your email list, and diversifying your revenue with Ben Jabbawy from GRO. ----- Welcome to episode 573 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, to kick-off a new mini-series, Bjork is interviewing Ben Jabbawy from GRO (formerly known as Grocers List). What's Actually Working for Food Creators Right Now If you've been looking for a smarter way to turn your social media followers into website visitors, email subscribers, and paying members — this episode is for you. Ben Jabbawy and his team at GRO have sent over 100 million DMs across Instagram and Facebook on behalf of their food creator customers. That kind of scale gives Ben a uniquely data-driven lens into what's actually working for food creators right now — and in this episode, he shares it with us! Bjork and Ben chat about recent changes in the social media landscape, dig into the strategies of successful food creators, and discuss why Facebook is suddenly driving a major surge in traffic for food bloggers. They also get into the email side of things and how GRO's new membership program lets food bloggers offer an ad-free experience or exclusive recipes directly on their site — no coding required. Three episode takeaways: What's actually working on Instagram and Facebook right now — Ben and Bjork dive into why carousel posts are performing so well for creators right now, including how to capture an audience with carousel posts and how to reuse your evergreen content for carousel posts. They also chat about Facebook strategy and explain where to include recipe links in your posts to get the biggest reach and the most click-throughs. How to grow your email list using the content you're already creating — Ben walks through two high-converting email list growth strategies that food bloggers can implement right now: a simple "email to save recipe" prompt and a comment-for-DM lead magnet approach that delivers real value to your audience while building your list. He and Bjork talk about why building your email list through social media is one of the most important things you can do to protect your business from algorithm changes, and how GRO's improved functionality makes this easier than ever. How to launch a membership program directly on your food blog — GRO's new membership feature lets food bloggers offer an ad-free experience or exclusive recipes to paying members — integrated directly into their site. Ben shares the key ingredients for building a meaningful revenue stream out of memberships, including the price points he recommends, what actually drives sign-ups, and how to think about what recipes to put behind a paywall. Resources: GRO.co Pinch of Yum Pinch of Yum Trader Joe's Meal Plans Inside Crowded Kitchen's Strategy for Growing to 2.4 Million Followers on Facebook How Food Dolls Turned Facebook Into Their Top Traffic Source Sally's Baking Joy to the Food Stay Snatched Mediavine Raptive Kit — affiliate link! How Pinch of Yum Uses Instagram to Grow Their Email List Substack Food Empires Follow GRO on Instagram Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by GRO. 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 podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

    58 min
  6. How to Sustain Long-Term Creativity Without Burning Out with Josh Zimmerman

    May 26

    How to Sustain Long-Term Creativity Without Burning Out with Josh Zimmerman

    Avoiding creator burnout and reconnecting with your "why" with Josh Zimmerman of Creator Coach.  ----- Welcome to episode 572 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Josh Zimmerman.  How to Sustain Long-Term Creativity Without Burning Out with Josh Zimmerman What happens when your personal brand is you and the work starts to feel like too much? Josh Zimmerman knows this territory well. After a career in journalism, he made the pivot to life coaching specifically for creators, drawn to the unique pressures that come with building a business around your identity and your output. In this episode, Josh and Bjork dig into the mental side of creative work; specifically, why burnout hits creators differently, how to reconnect with the "why" behind what you do, and what it actually looks like to build a sustainable creative business for the long haul. They also talk about the role of fractional C-suite executives and how bringing in the right support can help you manage the business side of things without losing your creative spark. If you've ever felt the weight of your work pressing in on your sense of self, this episode is a great reminder that you're not alone. and that there's a way forward. Three episode takeaways: Your identity and your work are not the same thing: When your personal brand is built around who you are, it's easy for criticism or creative slumps to feel deeply personal. Recognizing that separation — and actively protecting it — is key to long-term sustainability as a creator.  How to reconnect with your "why": When motivation starts to fade, the answer isn't always to push harder. Getting clear on your core motivations and the reasons you started creating in the first place can be one of the most practical things you do for your business. You don't have to run every part of your business alone: Bringing in outside support can free you up to focus on the creative work you actually love, without letting the operational side of your business drain your energy and spark. Resources: Creator Coach YouTube Nation jzmanagement Episode 563 of The Food Blogger Pro podcast: Using AI to Eliminate Busywork and Unlock Creative Time with Jason Glaspey Follow Creator Coach on Instagram Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by Member Kitchens. 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 podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

    57 min
  7. Leaving Your Day Job and Scaling a Food Blog with Pinterest with Sharlene Murrell

    May 19

    Leaving Your Day Job and Scaling a Food Blog with Pinterest with Sharlene Murrell

    Leveraging Pinterest for growth and the "ready, fire, aim" mindset with Sharlene Murrell of Good Enough Moming.  ----- Welcome to episode 571 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Sharlene Murrell.  Leaving Your Day Job and Scaling a Food Blog with Pinterest with Sharlene Murrell In this episode, Bjork Ostrom sits down with Sharlene to explore her journey of building a thriving food blog by mastering Pinterest. Sharlene shares how adopting a "ready, fire, aim" mindset and overcoming early struggles with keyword research helped her rapidly scale her traffic and income after leaving her day job. The conversation also dives into actionable Pinterest strategies, including targeting broad keywords, creating multiple pins per post, and leveraging tools like Canva. They round out the conversation with practical advice on capitalizing on seasonal trends, maintaining consistency, and overcoming imposter syndrome. No matter where you are in your food blogging journey, this episode is packed with inspiration and tactics for creators ready to take action! Three episode takeaways:  The "ready, fire, aim" mindset: Sharlene's success highlights the importance of the "ready, fire, aim" approach. Launching quickly and iterating based on feedback can accelerate your growth and help you identify what resonates with your audience.  Leveraging Pinterest for growth: By mastering keyword research and targeting broad keywords, Sharlene effectively used Pinterest to drive significant traffic to her blog. Consistency and understanding the platform's seasonal nature are crucial for success. How to repurpose content creatively: Sharlene emphasizes the value of repurposing content across different platforms and formats. This strategy not only saves time but also maximizes exposure and engagement with diverse audiences! Resources: Good Enough Moming Farmhouse on Boone Raptive Mediavine The Simple Pin Podcast PinClicks PinnerAnalytics EasyPinScheduler PinnerPress Canva Chuy's Follow Sharlene on Instagram and Pinterest Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by Yoast. 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 podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

    55 min
  8. How Jenn Lueke Grew to 1.7 Million Followers with Budget Meal Planning Content

    May 12

    How Jenn Lueke Grew to 1.7 Million Followers with Budget Meal Planning Content

    Strategies for growing on Instagram and Substack, the importance of staying consistent, and leaning into data with Jenn Lueke from Jenn Eats Goood. ----- Welcome to episode 570 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Jenn Lueke. How Jenn Lueke Grew to 1.7 Million Followers with Budget Meal Planning Content Jenn Lueke started Jenn Eats Goood in 2018 as a college student — no strategy, no monetization plan, just a hobby Instagram account she loved running. For five years, growth was slow, but she remained consistent. Then in 2023, something clicked. She leaned into meal planning and budget grocery content, and everything changed. Within a year, she went from stalling in the thousands to crossing one million followers. In this episode, Jenn and Bjork chat about all of it — what finally worked, how she prioritizes data in her content strategy, which platforms she's focusing on right now, and why she now considers her Substack newsletter her number one priority. Three episode takeaways: The importance of leaning into what is working — It took five years of trial and error, learning, experimenting, and testing before Jenn's following on social media started to grow. Her meal planning content really resonated with her audience, so she capitalized on the momentum of the series to grow her community (rather than reinventing the wheel)! How Jenn built her team — Growth brings new challenges, and Jenn is candid about how hard it was to build a team in the beginning and what the division of labor looks like now that she's figured it out. Why Jenn made Substack her number one priority — After just a couple of years, Substack is now the biggest revenue driver in Jenn's business. She and Bjork talk about how she balances free and paid content, what drives growth on Substack, and why it is the most important part of her business right now. Resources: Jenn Eats Goood Liz Moody Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell Q&A: Using Substack as a Food Creator — for Food Blogger Pro members Don't Think About Dinner Follow Jenn on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Substack, and YouTube Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! 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 podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

    50 min
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Welcome to The Food Blogger Pro Podcast, hosted by Bjork Ostrom from Pinch of Yum! Our goal is to help you create a beautiful, functional, and profitable blog. We interview successful food bloggers and industry experts in an effort to surface strategies that can help you more efficiently grow and monetize your site. You'll learn about recipe SEO, food photography, plugins, monetization, traffic, and more. New episodes every Tuesday! Learn more at foodbloggerpro.com/podcast

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