The Food Blogger Pro Podcast

The shifting search landscape, AI-generated recipe errors, and leaning into email newsletters with Bjork Ostrom and Emily Walker from Food Blogger Pro.
-----
Welcome back to another Food Blogging News Roundtable! In this episode, we're diving into the biggest stories impacting food creators right now.
Bjork and Emily discuss everything from the "SEO is dead" panic to AI-generated Frankenstein recipes, smarter email automations, paid newsletters, and what's actually working on Pinterest in 2026.
Three episode takeaways:
Search isn't dead, but it is shifting — Data from Graphite shows SEO traffic is only down slightly (–2.5%), and overall search traffic has remained relatively stable, even ticking up slightly in 2025. Bjork shares how Pinch of Yum's search traffic has changed in the last year (and what they're doing about it) and we discuss why the recent search changes feel so different than past algorithm updates, how you should change your strategy, and lean into other methods of discovery.
Google's Personal Intelligence is sharing bad recipes —Google's new Personal Intelligence feature inside Gemini is generating personalized recipe responses — but sometimes botching the recipes and incorrectly attributing them to food bloggers. These Frankenstein recipes can damage trust when users think a flawed AI-generated recipe came from a favorite blogger and it's a reminder that AI accuracy and attribution still have a long way to go.
Owned platforms like email and paid newsletters matter more than ever — With traffic fluctuations across search and Pinterest, now is a great time to consider starting a paid newsletter. Bjork and Emily discuss the opportunity for paid newsletters to create recurring income, reignite the creative spark, and deepen audience relationships.
Resources:
Subscribe to the Food Blogger Pro newsletter!
Pinch of Yum
Debunking The Myth That Search Is Dying
Google Personal Intelligence Creates AI Frankenstein Recipes
10 email automation templates that save creators 20+ hours a week
The Top 5 Reasons Food Bloggers Should Consider a Paid Newsletter (And Who Probably Shouldn't)
How to win with the Pinterest algorithm in 2026
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Inside Crowded Kitchen's Strategy for Growing to 2.4 Million Followers on Facebook
Inspired Taste
Food Dolls — interview airing March 10!
Simple Pin Media
Email Emily
Best Served Hot
Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group
Thank you to our sponsors!
This episode is sponsored by Member Kitchens 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.

Building a food content business by creating what comes naturally, growing to 1 million followers on TikTok, and monetizing Substack with Claire Dinhut from Condiment Claire.
-----
Welcome to episode 558 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Claire Dinhut from Condiment Claire.
Trusting Your Creative Instincts to Build a Million Follower Food Brand
Claire Dinhut first started sharing food content on TikTok when she lost her job working on a food and travel docuseries during the pandemic. Since then, she has grown to over 1 million followers on TikTok, published a cookbook, and started a Substack blending food, travel, and history into a cohesive content brand. Claire's journey is a good reminder that you don't need to follow a rigid formula to succeed online. By leaning into what felt natural — documenting her interests, telling stories she genuinely cared about, and creating without overthinking — she built a business that feels aligned, sustainable, and creatively fulfilling.
Whether you're curious about Substack, growing on TikTok, or finding your own creative rhythm, this episode is packed with insight and encouragement to trust the way you create best.
Three episode takeaways:
Monetization works best when it's intentional — By waiting to monetize her Substack account and being thoughtful about what goes behind her Substack paywall, Claire built a smaller but deeply invested paid community alongside her massive free audience on social media. She also shares more about how she uses audience response to inform paid content and her content strategy overall.
Find the path of least resistance — Claire's success comes from leaning into how she naturally creates, posting often, and treating each platform differently.
How Claire grew to over 1 million followers on TikTok without consuming social media herself — Claire explains how posting consistently on TikTok and Instagram helped her find her voice and shares the tools she uses to write, film, and edit her content (you might be surprised!).
Resources:
Condiment Claire
The Condiment Book
JSTOR
CapCut
Follow Claire on Instagram and TikTok
Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group
Thank you to our sponsors!
This episode is sponsored by Grocers List 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.

Infusing your culture into your brand, launching a digital zine, and building your brand with Krista Linares.
-----
Welcome to episode 557 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Krista Linares of Nutrition Con Sabor. 
Infusing Your Culture into Your Brand and Launching a Digital Zine with Krista Linares
In this episode, Bjork is sitting down with Krista Linares, a dietitian who made the bold choice to transition back to a full-time job to reclaim her mental bandwidth (and yes, solve the health insurance nightmare). It's a refreshing look at why stability might actually be the secret ingredient to better creative work.
She didn't just change her job, though! She completely overhauled how she shows up online. With the nutrition space getting flooded by generic AI content, Krista realized standard blogging wasn't cutting it anymore. She opens up about her pivot to a "digital zine" — a mix of recipes, hot takes, and cultural deep dives — and why leaning into your specific, un-copyable voice is the only way to make it in today's digital landscape.
Three episode takeaways:
Trading the grind for stability: Why Krista decided to pivot from the stress of private practice (and navigating health insurance!) to a 9-to–5 role, and how that stability actually gave her more freedom to be creative.
Standing out in the era of AI: With the internet flooded by AI-generated info, Krista breaks down why leaning into your unique voice, cultural background, and personal opinions is the only way to really connect with an audience right now.
The return of the "zine" format: A look at Krista's cool new project—a digital zine—and why she's moving away from standard blogging to a format that blends recipes, articles, and hot takes to build a deeper community.
Resources:
Nutrition Con Sabor
ChatGPT
Erica Julson
Claude
Follow Krista on Instagram
Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group
Thank you to our sponsors!
This episode is sponsored by Allspice. 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.

Pivoting from the courtroom to the kitchen, building an authentic brand, and how systems can help you run your business.
-----
Welcome to episode 556 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Tanya Harris of My Forking Life. 
The Reality of Career Pivots and Building an Authentic Brand with Tanya Harris
Have you ever wondered what it takes to walk away from a "prestigious" career to chase a creative dream? In this episode, former attorney turned food blogger Tanya Harris gets real about the guilt, identity shifts, and mental hurdles of trading in the courtroom for the kitchen. She opens up about the challenge of redefining success on her own terms and why aligning your work with your personal values is the secret to longevity.
But it's not just about mindset—Tanya also pulls back the curtain on the business side of full-time blogging. From the dynamics of working with her spouse to using AI tools to avoid burnout, she shares practical strategies for building a sustainable brand. Whether you're looking to grow your email list or just need permission to be your authentic self online, this conversation is a must-listen.
Three episode takeaways:
The journey from the courtroom to the kitchen: Tanya opens up about the identity shift of leaving a high-status law career to become a food blogger. She talks about navigating the "prestige guilt," ignoring societal expectations, and the mental work required to finally align her career with her personal values.
Why authenticity prevails in content creation: It's time to forgo the perfectly curated feed — Tanya breaks down why authenticity and personal branding are the future of growth. She shares how showing her face and being vulnerable helps her connect deeper with her audience and grow an email list that actually converts.
How systems saved her sanity: How do you run a business without burning out? Tanya shares her behind-the-scenes secrets, from the dynamics of working with her husband to using tools like ClickUp and AI to streamline her workflow so she can take actual breaks.
Resources:
My Forking Life
From Suits to Slippers: How an Air Fryer Turned a Lawyer into a Food Blogger — Kit
Claude
Wisper Flow
Gemini
ClickUp
SmarterQueue
Follow Tanya on Instagram, YouTubeand Facebook
Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group
Thank you to our sponsors!
This episode is sponsored by Allspice. 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.

Actionable advice for finding success on Pinterest, building trust with users, and showing Pinterest (and your audience) that there's a real human behind your content with Kate Ahl from Simple Pin Media.
-----
Welcome to episode 555 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Kate Ahl from Simple Pin Media.
Pinterest Strategy for Food Creators in 2026
Pinterest has changed a lot in the last year — and food creators are feeling it. With the rise of AI-generated content (aka "AI slop"), many established bloggers have seen traffic declines, while newer creators are still finding success on the platform.
In this episode, we're joined by Kate Ahl of Simple Pin Media, to break down what's really happening on Pinterest right now. We talk about how AI has impacted the platform, whether Pinterest still offers a strong ROI for food creators, and what strategies actually work in 2026 — especially if you're an established creator wondering whether Pinterest is still worth your time.
Kate also shares practical, actionable advice for using Pinterest more intentionally, building trust with users, and showing Pinterest (and your audience) that there's a real human behind your content.
Three episode takeaways:
Pinterest can still be a valuable traffic and revenue driver — While overall Pinterest traffic is down year over year, the platform continues to deliver high RPMs, meaning the traffic you do get can be more valuable. Instead of chasing volume, creators should focus on quality traffic, clear intent, and how Pinterest fits into a broader marketing strategy.
Human-generated, trust-building content matters more than ever — As AI-generated content floods Pinterest, users (and the platform itself) are craving signals of authenticity. Showing your face, branding your images, and creating recognizable visual styles help Pinterest understand that there's a real person behind your content — and help users decide who they trust enough to click.
Pinterest success requires patience, experimentation, and intentional strategy — Pinterest is no longer a "set it and forget it" platform. Keyword research, thoughtful image design, testing different formats, and committing to a strategy for 6–9 months are key. Creators who treat Pinterest as a long-term marketing channel (rather than a quick win) are best positioned to succeed.
Resources:
Simple Pin Media
Pinch of Yum
Pinterest Predicts 2026
Canva
Safiya Nygaard — I Bought Scam AI Dresses from Pinterest
Skool
SPM Insiders
The Last Invention
The Simple Pin Podcast
Follow Kate on Instagram and Facebook
Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group
Thank you to our sponsors!
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.