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.
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From Side Hustle to Full-Time Food Blogger with Amina Al-Saigh
Monetizing a food blog, building a brand, and implementing systems and strategies with Amina Al-Saigh from Hungry Paprikas. ----- Welcome to episode 501 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week, Bjork interviews Amina Al-Saigh from Hungry Paprikas, where she shares recipes from across the Middle East with an authentic Arab voice. From Side Hustle to Full-Time Food Blogger In this interview, Amina shares her journey from starting out as a food content creator on Instagram while working full-time as an engineer to today as a full-time food creator with a brand new cookbook (Souk To Table). Amina explains how she balanced her food blog with her full-time job in the early days, the importance of her niche in attracting brand partnerships, and the qualities that made her a desirable partner for brands, even when she had a small following. Bjork and Amina also chat about the strategy of incremental stacking when adding tasks and processes to your workload and how workflow changes when you take your food blog from side hustle to full-time. This is a really inspiring interview for anyone, but especially those currently balancing a food blog with a full-time job. Three episode takeaways: Growing and monetizing on Instagram versus a blog — Amina shares when and why she decided to start her website in addition to her Instagram (which now has almost 200,000 followers) and how she qualified for Mediavine within a year. She also explains what it was like to start monetizing her site with ads, and how it compared to when she first started making money from brand partenrships with her Instagram account. Incorporating systems and processes into your business — Before becoming a full-time food blogger, Amina worked as an engineer. And her background as an engineer is ever-present in the systems and processes she has incorporated into her business to make her life easier and work more efficient. Amina shares her processes and tips for organizing your workflow, from content scheduling to photography and editing to collaboration with her team. Making progress while letting go of perfection — Success looks different for every creator, but Amina believes that if you continue to show up every day, prioritize learning, trust your gut, and let go of perfection, every food blogger will be able to reach their goals. Resources: Hungry Paprikas Mediavine Asana Airtable Lightroom Foodie Digital Food Network CBC Creator Community SOUK TO TABLE: Vibrant Middle Eastern Dishes for Everyday Meals Email Amina Follow Amina on Instagram Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by Siftr and Memberful. 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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1:04:01
Finance Mini-Series: The Smart Creator’s Guide to Taxes with Nate Coughran
Setting up an LLC, claiming unique deductions, and deciding on when to hire a tax professional with Nate Coughran from Cookie Finance. ----- Welcome to episode 500 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This is the second episode of our finance mini-series, and we’re excited for Bjork to sit down with Nate Coughran from Cookie Finance. Finance Mini-Series: The Smart Creator’s Guide to Taxes with Nate Coughran In our latest episode, Nate Coughran from Cookie Finance shares key tips for getting your finances on track as a creator. First off, setting up an LLC can protect your personal assets and reduce audit risk. Nate also recommends keeping separate bank accounts for your business—this makes tracking your money way easier and less stressful. When it comes to taxes, creators can claim unique deductions, but it’s important to find the right balance. Nate emphasizes staying on top of your bookkeeping throughout the year to avoid end-of-year stress. And if you’re making over $75K, it’s worth hiring a pro to ensure your tax strategy is solid and you’re setting aside enough for taxes. It’s all about staying ahead and keeping things simple! Three episode takeaways: Financial Setup for Creators: Creators should consider forming an LLC to protect personal assets and reduce audit risk. Keeping separate bank accounts for business transactions and tracking finances regularly helps you stay on top of your money Tax Strategy & Deductions: Creators can often claim unique deductions that traditional businesses can’t. However, to avoid end-of-year stress, it’s important to balance aggressive and conservative deductions and be proactive with bookkeeping throughout the year. Know When to Get Professional Help: DIY bookkeeping works for smaller incomes, but if you’re making over $75K, it’s worth hiring a professional. Also, setting aside money for taxes is key to avoiding surprises and ensuring accurate tax reporting. Resources: Cookie Finance Wells Fargo Chase Capital One Mercury Gusto QuickBooks Xero Follow Cookie Finance on Instagram Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by 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.
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1:06:32
Leveraging 3 Million TikTok Followers to Launch a Product with Dana Hasson
Launching a cookie starter kit product, growing a TikTok following to 3 million followers, and networking with Dana Hasson. ----- Welcome to episode 499 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Dana Hasson, an entrepreneur, content creator, self-taught baker, and founder of Homemade Ish. Leveraging 3 Million TikTok Followers to Launch a Product Dana Hasson has spent the last decade building her business — reaching over 3 million followers on TikTok and launching her first physical product, Homemade Ish Cookie Starter Kits. In this interview, Dana explains how (and why) she transitioned from beauty and fashion content to food content and how she balanced networking and creating in the early days of building her brand. Bjork and Dana also discuss the process of launching a physical product, including how she is pairing the brand with her existing content and leveraging her huge social media following. Three episode takeaways: Why consistency is the secret to success on social media — Dana shares more about how she grew her TikTok following to over 3 million followers and explains why she thinks posting consistently (5x/day, every single day, for over a year!) was the key to her success. How to launch a physical product — Dana recently launched Homemade Ish, her line of Starter Cookie Kits. Learn how she built her team behind the product, developed a scalable recipe for her cookies (hint: it requires a food scientist!), and everything else you need to consider when developing a product. The importance of a season of quiet hustle — Dana shares more about the early days of building her brand, when she focused on learning, networking, and understanding the industry — as she first started posting on social media. Resources: Dana’s website Homemade Ish Chiara Ferragni Addison Rae How Faith Christensen Grew Her TikTok and Instagram Platforms to 2.5 Million Followers Good Girl Snacks Kit Maximizing the Impact of Your Email List with Nathan Barry from Kit Follow Dana on Instagram and TikTok Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by Siftr and Memberful. 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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57:48
Finance Mini-Series: Investing in Your Business with Megan Porta
Investing in Yourself and your Business, managing seasons of burnout, and the importance of time tracking with Megan Porta. ----- Welcome to episode 498 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Megan Porta from Eat Blog Talk and Pip and Ebby. Investing in Your Business You might recognize Megan Porta from her podcast, Eat Blog Talk (chances are, if you listen to this podcast, you also listen to hers)! Megan has also been a food blogger herself for over 14 years at Pip and Ebby and knows a lot about balancing her time between her many areas of focus. In this podcast interview, Bjork and Megan chat about all things investing as an entrepreneur. Megan shares her strategies for making decisions about investments, how to invest in yourself, how to invest in your business in the early stages, and how investing in yourself and your business can help you overcome plateaus and avoid burnout. Three episode takeaways: How to invest in your business (when you don’t have any money to do so) —Bjork and Megan chat about how to approach investing in your business when you’re in the early stages and hesitant to spend the money and how to make decisions about investments. How to get started investing in your business — Megan suggests starting by time tracking and reflecting on the current pain points in your business. You can then begin your investment journey by investing in solutions to remove those pain points. How to get through seasons of burnout — Investing in your business (and yourself) is a critical component of avoiding and overcoming plateaus, burnout, or even quitting. Megan shares more about her personal journey with this and her strategies for managing seasons of burnout as an entrepreneur. Resources: Pip and Ebby Eat Blog Talk Easy Breakfast Ideas 101 Buy Back Your Time: Get Unstuck, Reclaim Your Freedom, and Build Your Empire Big Band Software Riverside Intentional Spark 045: How to Use Facebook Ads to Reach the Right People with Tony Rulli from IntentionalSpark.com Clariti Nathan Barry Kit Toggl Hard Seasons and Wild Hearts Eat Blog Talk Investment Download Follow Eat Blog Talk on Instagram and Pip and Ebby on Instagram Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsor! This episode is sponsored by Cookie Finance. 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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56:01
How to Reclaim Your Time and Find Your Focus
Mastering time management, outsourcing, and creating a vision for your life with Jaimee Campanella. ----- Welcome to episode 497 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Jaimee Campanella. How to Reclaim Your Time and Find Your Focus In this episode, Jaimee Campanella gets real about the time management struggles bloggers and entrepreneurs face. She shares her journey of finding the balance between work and family and how being intentional with your time is a game-changer. From doing a time audit to figuring out how to prioritize tasks, Jaimee explains how you can stay on track without burning out and make time for what really matters. Jaimee also talks about creating a joyful structure for your business, knowing when to outsource, and why documenting processes is key for sustainability. It’s all about blending creativity with structure so that you can stay productive without losing your passion. If you’re ready to break free from the time scarcity trap and create a work-life balance that actually works, this episode will be right up your alley! Three episode takeaways: Time Management Starts with Intentionality: A clear vision for your life can help you you structure your time around what truly matters. Jaimee’s advice: setting realistic expectations and prioritizing tasks based on interest and importance can help you prevent burnout and make your time feel more rewarding! Outsource Wisely, but Don’t Rush: Outsourcing tasks can free up valuable time, but timing is everything. Make sure it aligns with your goals and comes after you’ve figured out where your time is really going. A time audit is a great first step! Creativity and Structure Can Coexist: Building a structured approach to managing your time doesn’t come at the expense of your creative flow. With the right processes in place and a good team, you can have both productivity and passion without feeling overwhelmed. Resources: The Jaimee Campanella Company Things Asana Episode 165 of The Food Blogger Pro podcast: Getting Things Done with David Allen Kit Follow Jaimee on Instagram and Other platform - facebook, youtube, tiktok, whatever seems most important for them Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! 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.
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
Ireland