The Food Blogger Pro Podcast

• Monique Volz On Reinventing Ambitious Kitchen Over 14 Years

  Creating with purpose in a changing digital world, behind-the-scenes of running Ambitious Kitchen for 14 years, and managing burnout with Monique Volz. ----- Welcome to episode 544 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Monique Volz from Ambitious Kitchen. Monique Volz On Reinventing Ambitious Kitchen Over 14 Years Monique launched Ambitious Kitchen in 2011 as a passion project and now it has grown into her full-time business (with several employees) and a New York Times bestselling cookbook (and another cookbook on the way). In this interview, Monique shares how she has adapted to all of the changes in the food creator landscape over the last 14 years, how her priorties and definition of success have changed, and the different "eras" of her business. Due in part to an incredible season of growth during the pandemic, by 2022, Monique was burned-out. The pressure of keeping up with constant content demands — especially in the age of TikTok and Reels — prompted her to take a step back and refocus. She shifted away from the pursuit of virality, re-centered her creative goals, and leaned into the process of writing her first cookbook. In recent years, Monique has downsized her team so that she can focus on creating content (as opposed to managing a team) and returned to what she loves most: creating from a place of joy. Three episode takeaways: Building a brand takes time and adaptability — Monique spent years balancing her blog with a full-time job before taking her site full-time. In this interview, she chats about the combination of hustle, constant learning, and "right time right place" that led to the success of Ambitious Kitchen. Burnout is real, even when you're doing what you love — The constant pressure to create high-performing content eventually led Monique to reevaluate her approach and change her relationship with social media. Reinvention is essential in a changing industry — By reducing her team size, walking away from YouTube, and refocusing on meaningful content (like her cookbooks!), Monique is embracing a new chapter that aligns more closely with her values. Resources: Ambitious Kitchen Broma Bakery The Iced Coffee Hour Johnny Brunet on YouTube Slack Asana The Ambitious Kitchen Cookbook Follow Monique on Instagram and Facebook Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by Member Kitchens and Raptive. 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.

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• Food Blogging News Roundtable: Black Friday Strategies, New Raptive Requirements, and a Guide to GEO for 2026

  The future of search, using the exposure effect to build trust, and adapting your content strategy for 2026.  ----- Welcome to episode 543 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, we're bringing our very own Emily Walker (Associate General Manager, Food Blogger Pro) back to chat with Bjork about the articles we shared in our latest blogging newsletter! Food Blogging News Roundtable: Black Friday Strategies, New Raptive Requirements, and a Guide to GEO for 2026 In this episode, Bjork Ostrom and Emily Walker discuss the latest articles from the Food Blogger Pro blogging newsletter. They talk about where digital marketing is headed and how to make sure your brand doesn't get left behind. Spoiler alert: If you're only focused on Google, you're missing out! Bjork and Emily break down the reality that users under 45 are looking for answers across an average of five different platforms (yes, we're talking TikTok, Reddit, and all the rest). We delve into the exposure effect, which is a fancy way of saying that the more consistently people see you in different places, the more they trust you. Tune in to learn why adapting your content (aka not just copying and pasting) to fit all of those channels is your biggest opportunity right now for brand discovery and building genuine credibility with your audience! Three episode takeaways: Search is multi-platform now: People under 45 are using an average of five platforms (hello, TikTok and Reddit!) to search for things. If your brand is only visible on one, you're missing out on serious discovery. Use the "exposure effect" to build trust: This concept shows that the more often people see your brand pop up across different channels, the more credible and trustworthy you become. Consistency is the key to building audience loyalty! Adapt your content strategy: Since readers are everywhere, your content has to evolve. You need to tailor your approach; think short-form videos, engaging in forum discussions, etc. to fit the specific demands of each platform for better engagement. Resources: Black Friday strategies that grow revenue, not your workload — Kit Must-Have Q4 Email Strategies to Grow Your List + Boost Traffic — Happy Subscribers Be sure to check out Allea's podcast, Happy Subscribers, here! Opening the door to more creators who meet Raptive quality standards — Raptive Creator Levels — Raptive Mediavine Mediavine Requirements Grocers List ManyChat How to plan for GEO in 2026 and evolve your search strategy — Search Engine Land Seven Sundays Google Tests "Analytics Advisor" Inside GA4, According To Reports — Search Engine Journal Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by Yoast and Raptive. 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.

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• Scaling a Team and Reaching 2 Million Monthly Pageviews with Isabel Orozco-Moore from Isabel Eats

  Embracing slow and steady growth, scaling a food blog without losing joy or balance, and hiring team members with Isabel Orozco-Moore from Isabel Eats. ----- Welcome to episode 542 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Isabel Orozco-Moore. Scaling a Team and Reaching 2 Million Monthly Pageviews In this episode, we're welcoming back Isabel Orozco-Moore from Isabel Eats, who first joined us on the podcast back in 2019, just after she had narrowed her niche to Mexican recipes. Since then, she's grown her blog from 650,000 to over 2 million monthly pageviews and grown her team to 3 full-time employees (including her husband!) and several contractors. Isabel shares how she's built a sustainable business by focusing on slow, intentional growth, smart hiring, and maintaining joy in her work. Bjork and Isabel chat about how she avoids the comparison trap, what it's like working with her husband, and how she uses tools like Airtable to stay organized while managing a growing team. Isabel also gives us a peek into her upcoming cookbook project (coming spring 2027!) and shares what it really takes to scale a business while still loving what you do. Three episode takeaways: How Isabel balances making, managing, and scaling — Even as her traffic and team have grown, Isabel has stayed connected to the creative side of her business by focusing on what she loves most — developing recipes in her niche and creating videos — not managing a team. Systems and support are game changers — Hiring strategically, using tools like Airtable, and taking advantage of Raptive's SEO support have helped Isabel delegate tasks, stay organized, and focus on the creative work she loves. Balance fuels longevity — From setting boundaries around her work to prioritize family time to avoiding comparison, Isabel shares how finding balance has kept her passionate, efficient, and motivated. Resources: Isabel Eats The Freedom of a Niche with Isabel Orozco-Moore The Future of Wanting (in an age of A.I.) Slow Productivity Toggl Focus Things App How to Get Things Done, Stay Focused and Be More Productive with Dr. Cal Newport Asana Airtable Buy Back Your Time Slack Semrush Pinch of Yum Email Crush Diversifying Income Series: Monetizing Your Email List with Matt Molen Email Marketing for Bloggers with Matt Molen WisprFlow Grammarly Raptive Tastes Better from Scratch Follow Isabel on Instagram Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by Raptive. 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.

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• Maximize Efficiency with AI (Without Losing Your Voice) with Trey Griffin from Raptive

  The future of AI, leveraging custom GPTs, and the importance of personal branding with Trey Griffin from Raptive. ----- Welcome to episode 541 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Trey Griffin from Raptive.  Maximize Efficiency with AI (Without Losing Your Voice) with Trey Griffin from Raptive In this episode, Bjork and Trey Griffin get real about AI, which is here to be your new workhorse, not your competition. They dive into how tools like Custom GPTs can give you a massive efficiency boost, helping you move past the grunt work of brainstorming and drafting so you can focus on creative risks and developing better ideas. By letting AI handle the routine tasks, you're freeing up your most valuable resource (your time!!!) to strategize and stay ahead of a rapidly changing content landscape. The biggest factor that will keep you relevant? Your human touch. Since AI can create a mountain of content, your unique personal branding and authentic storytelling is now more crucial than ever. They'll talk about why the creators who build genuine connections and layer their own personality into their work are the ones who will stand out in a saturated market. This episode provides the blueprint for leveraging AI for speed while ensuring your core content remains something only you can create. Three episode takeaways: Think of AI as an assistant rather than a replacement: Think of tools like Custom GPTs as a way to ditch the grunt work, like brainstorming or first drafts. That way, you can spend more time on the things that truly matter. The efficiency boost is real, letting you take more creative risks and move faster. Your "human touch" is the secret sauce: With AI making it easier for everyone to create something, your personal branding and unique storytelling is what will make you stand out. The human element — your voice, your perspective, your emotion — is what people connect with and what AI simply can't replicate. Don't overlook it! Staying nimble in a changing landscape: There's no denying that the content game is being reshaped by AI, which brings both opportunities and threats to creators. This technology is only going to get better, so keep experimenting with new tools and be ready to adapt how you create and how people consume content. Resources: Raptive OpenAI DevDay 2025 ChatGPT Episode 424 of The Food Blogger Pro podcast: The Future of Content Creation (and Protection) in a World of AI with Paul Bannister from Raptive Sora — OpenAI ElevenLabs Anthropic VO3 If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies Alpha Evolve AlphaFold Claude Connect with Trey on LinkedIn Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by Raptive. 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.

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• Authenticity, AI, and Audience Connection with Stephanie Woodin from Raptive

  Building relationships with your audience, thriving as a content creator in a crowded market, and adapting to AI with Stephanie Woodin from Raptive. Welcome to episode 540 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This is the first episode of Can't Be Automated: A Raptive Series on Scaling, Standing Out, and Staying Human. To kick-off the series, Bjork interviews Stephanie Woodin from Raptive. Authenticity, AI, and Audience Connection This week, we're joined by Stephanie Woodin to pull back the curtain on her brand-new podcast with Raptive, Ctrl+Alt+Ask, and dive into the fast-changing world of the creator economy. Stephanie has spent years working with top creators at Raptive, and now, as the host of Ctrl+Alt+Ask, she's taking calls from creators to talk about everything from burnout and branding to revenue strategies, AI, SEO, and more. She's the perfect person to chat with Bjork about the unique challenges creators face today. In this episode, Bjork and Stephanie unpack what it takes to thrive as a content creator in a crowded space, how AI is reshaping the industry, and practical ways to grow and connect with your audience. Three episode takeaways: Authenticity is key to standing out —Stephanie shares how standing out today means showing up as your real, relatable self. Authenticity is key to building trust, positioning yourself as an expert, and staying ahead of AI-generated content. Building relationships with your audience is crucial — Success isn't just about great content, it's about connection. Stephanie explains how treating your audience like real people (because they are!) can transform your brand and build long-term loyalty. How AI is transforming content creation and brand deals — Stephanie breaks down how AI is shifting the way brands work with creators — and why being the "face" behind your blog or business matters more than ever. Resources: Raptive Ctrl+Alt+Ask Search Quality Rater Guidelines: An Overview 424: The Future of Content Creation (and Protection) in a World of AI with Paul Bannister from Raptive 410: AI, Third-Party Cookies, and Changes in Video Advertising Standards with Paul Bannister from Raptive 352: How to Optimize Your Ad Revenue with Paul Bannister and Courtney Kahn from AdThrive Inspired Taste Email Stephanie at Ctrl+Alt+Ask Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by Raptive. 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.

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