Branding, Blogging, and Q4: How to Stand Out Online with Madison Wetherill

Navigating burnout, creating unique content, and running a blog with 30 million monthly pageviews with Jeanine Donofrio from Love & Lemons. ----- Welcome to episode 536 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Jeanine Donofrio from Love & Lemons. The Journey to Reaching 30 Million Views a Month In this episode, Bjork chats with Jeanine Donofrio, the creator of the massively popular vegetarian food blog Love & Lemons, which now receives over 30 million monthly pageviews (!!!). Jeanine shares the story behind her blog’s evolution — from a personal creative outlet that she started in 2011 to a thriving business with multiple employees. Bjork and Jeanine also talk about how Jeanine balances creativity with content strategy, manages the pressure of staying consistent, and how she navigates seasons of burnout. Three episode takeaways: How and why Jeanine started focusing on SEO — Love & Lemons was monetized solely with sponsored posts for the first 8 years, before fellow food blogggers and friends convinced Jeanine to focus on SEO and monetize with ads in 2019. Jeanine explains more about why she resisted ads and SEO for so many years, and how she navigated the transition to creating content with SEO in mind. How to anticipate and navigate burnout — Jeanine has experienced four intense periods of burnout in her time as a food creator, often related to the creation and promotion of her cookbooks. She shares how she plans for these seasons, why she views burnout as a necessary step to making creative space, and how she avoids rushing herself through burnout. How Jeanine has grown her team and batches content — Jeanine explains how she has hired teammates over the years and why she decided to prioritize outsourcing certain tasks, like photography, to free up her time for recipe development, writing, and spending time with her family. She also shares a peak behind-the-scenes into her content batching process (and why she batches 30 recipes at a time). Resources: Love & Lemons Love & Lemons Cookbooks Smitten Kitchen 101 Cookbooks A Couple Cooks Semrush Lemon Water on Substack Register for our webinar with Grocers List Follow Jeanine 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.

Optimizing your website for Q4 success, making your personal brand stand out, and adapting to the changing landscape of content creation with Madison Wetherill from Grace and Vine Studios. ----- Welcome to episode 535 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Madison Wetherill from Grace and Vine Studios and Joyfully Mad. Branding, Blogging, and Q4: How to Stand Out Online In this conversation, Madison discusses the importance of personal branding and website optimization for food bloggers, especially as they prepare for the critical Q4 season. She emphasizes the need for food creators to carefully define their niche and audience, effectively communicate their brand message, and integrate your brand into your site. Madison also shares strategies for standing out in a saturated market and the significance of calls to action on websites. The discussion highlights the evolving landscape of content creation and the need for bloggers to adapt to stay relevant and connect with their audience. Three episode takeaways: How to audit your own content — Madison shares how to review your site for user experience and brand messaging. She explains how to optimize individual blog posts to convey your personal brand and voice, why you must always review your blog on mobile, and how to ensure that every page on your website reflects your brand. Madison describes this process as the foundational work that will make your brand sustainable in the years to come — sold. How to adapt to the changing landscape of content creation — Bjork and Madison discuss the importance of creating an online space and content style that is uniquely yours to stand out from AI (and in a saturated market). Engaging with your audience through personal stories can enhance connection, which is critical for building trust with your audience and moving beyond a transactional relationship for recipes. How can you be more helpful for your audience? What makes you different? How (and why) to prepare your site for Q4 — Q4 is a critical time for food creators thanks to increased site traffic and earning potential. But Madison explains that many creators forgot to get their websites ready and are missing an opportunity. She shares exactly how to do this and why website optimization is crucial for converting traffic into loyal followers. Resources: Grace + Vine Studios Joyfully Mad How to Optimize Your Website Design as a Food Blogger with Madison Wetherill The Vine Podcast MKBHD Pinch of Yum Ask From Food Blogger to CEO: How to Scale Your Blog Without Losing Yourself with Bjork Ostrom Follow Madison on Instagram 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.

Leveraging social media to grow your audience and building a community through your website with Danny Dobrzenski from Cooking in the Yard. ----- Welcome to episode 534 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Danny Dobrzenski from Cooking in the Yard.  From Pandemic Hobby to Full-Time Hustle with Danny Dobrzenski In this week’s episode, Bjork interviews Danny Dobrzenski, a food creator who turned a pandemic hobby into a full-time content career. After getting laid off in April 2020, Danny took a leap of faith and leaned into sharing his cooking journey online. With some serious hustle and smart use of platforms like Instagram and Facebook (particularly Facebook!), he built an engaged audience and started landing brand deals that helped turn his passion into a paycheck. Danny also reveals what it really takes to grow as a creator, from staying consistent with content to learning how to navigate ever-changing social media algorithms. He discusses how delegating and “buying back time” helped him scale and why building a strong creator community is at the heart of everything he does. Now, he’s launching a new project to help other creators do the same: monetize their content and grow with intention! Three episode takeaways: From hobby to full-time hustle: Danny started his food creation journey during the pandemic as a hobby and then grew it into a full-time job (the dream!). He shares how a mix of taking a leap of faith, landing brand deals, and leveraging social media helped him make the transition. The power of having “home base”: While social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook are great for reaching new people, Danny stresses the importance of having a central hub, like a website, to drive traffic and build a strong community. Helping others win: With his new project, Danny is now focused on helping other creators navigate the tricky world of monetization. He’s passionate about sharing his knowledge and building a supportive community to help others succeed. Resources: Cooking in the Yard Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell Y Combinator Meta Business Suite Raptive Grocers List Pinterest YouTube The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel Check out Danny’s latest venture — Trust Me, Try It Episode 89 of The Food Blogger Pro podcast: 9 million visitors & 450 contributors: the Story of Her View From Home with Leslie Means Follow Danny on Facebook and Instagram Be sure to join us for our Live Q&A with Ben Jabbawy from Grocers List happening on Thursday, September 25th! 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.

Reconnecting with creativity, redefining success as a creator, and creating without burnout or comparison with Sabrina Loyer. ----- Welcome to episode 533 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Sabrina Loyer. Building a Creative Life Beyond the Metrics In this episode, we’re chatting with Sabrina Loyer about what it really means to be successful as a content creator. Sabrina built a thriving business around helping others go viral, but she also experienced the anxiety, burnout, and pressure that can come with chasing metrics. She shares her journey of moving beyond the comparison trap, creating without boundaries, and learning to view social media as a tool rather than the end goal. Sabrina and Bjork also discuss the two powerful tools that have transformed her creative process (and life!) and Sabrina’s practical advice for simplifying content creation and using tools like ChatGPT effectively — all while staying grounded and joyful in your work. Whether you’re a seasoned creator or just starting out, this episode will help you reconnect with your creativity, quiet your inner critic, and redefine success on your own terms. Three episode takeaways: How to redefine success — As a creator, it can be really easy to define success by the number of pageviews, followers, or likes you get. But churning out more and more content in service of those goals can be stressful and lead to burnout. It can also zap your creativity! In this episode, Sabrina explains how to refocus your workflow to emphasize joy and authenticity, not just numbers. Two exercises that will transform your creativity — Sabrina explains two exercises she has incorporated into her life — morning pages and artist dates — that help reconnect with your inner child and creative self. How to avoid burnout — Sabrina shares how she works with clients to reorganize their content strategy with pillars, ChatGPT prompts, and mindful creation to avoid burnout. Resources: Follow Sabrina on Instagram and TikTok HairCut Harry “The Story of the Chinese Farmer” by Alan Watts The Artist’s Way clearspace Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by Raptive and 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 [email protected]. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

The impact of the latest Google Core Updates, how AI can assist with content creation, and expanding your content's reach with Bjork Ostrom. ----- Welcome to episode 532 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, we’re doing something a little different and bringing on our very own Emily Walker (Associate General Manager, Food Blogger Pro) to chat with Bjork about the articles we shared in our latest blogging newsletter! Food Blogging News Roundtable: Core Updates, GEO, and Content Syndication Curious about the latest happenings in the food blogging sphere? In this episode, Bjork and Emily are chatting through the articles we shared in the Food Blogger Pro newsletter that went out last week and diving into what they mean for food creators. From Google’s recent Core Update (which actually brought some good news for bloggers!) to the continued importance of E-E-A-T, they’re breaking down how to keep your content high-quality and search-friendly. They’ll also discuss how AI is showing up in the world of content creation and how creators are using it while still keeping things real and personal (aka human!). Plus, you’ll hear some ideas for getting your content in front of more eyes by expanding beyond SEO to platforms like LinkedIn and Threads. If you want to stay current, get inspired, and pick up some practical tips, this is a great episode to tune into! Three episode takeaways: The scoop on Google’s latest Core Update: Google’s latest update actually brought good news for food bloggers by reinforcing the importance of high-quality, trustworthy content. The emphasis on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) continues to be a key factor in search visibility. AI is becoming an integral part of content creation: A recent survey of 2,000 Substack publishers revealed how creators are leveraging AI tools. While AI can be a helpful assistant, the human element and personal voice remain essential! Expanding your content’s reach takes more than just SEO: While you should still continue to develop your content SEO strategy, it’s also imporatnt to understand user intent and syndicate content. Believe it or not, platforms like LinkedIn and Threads can significantly boost visibility and engagement! Resources: Visit the Food Blogger Pro site to subscribe to our email list! Pinch of Yum Search Engine Journal Ahrefs Tastemaker Conference TopHatRank Analyzing pages that improved following the June 2025 core update — Maria Haynes Will GEO replace SEO – or become part of it? — Search Engine Land ChatGPT ProRata Gist Substack The Substack AI Report Claude Granola superwhisper Episode 518 of The Food Blogger Pro podcast: How Molly Thompson Grew Her Email List from 15K to 100K New Platforms, Real Results: How Creators (and Brands) are Winning on Threads and LinkedIn in 2025 — Later WhatsApp Follow Pinch of Yum on Threads Follow Food Blogger Pro on Instagram 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.

Discoverability with Meta Ads, digital product sales funnels, and thinking beyond organic traffic with Tammy Overhoff from Organize Yourself Skinny. Welcome to episode 531 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Tammy Overhoff. Mastering Digital Products and Meta Ads Tammy started food blogging in 2011 and has reinvented her business many times over the last 14 years. After taking her food blog full-time in 2014 and being hit hard by one-too-many Google algorithm updates, Tammy knew she needed to make a change to her business so that she was no longer working from a place of desperation. In 2022, she took a step back from SEO and diversified her business by leaning into digital product sales. In this interview, Tammy explains her exact process (including numbers!) for selling digital products, including her Meta Ads strategy. For any creator, it can feel daunting to spend money to reach an audience when social media and organic traffic are free. But Tammy makes a really compelling case for investing in Meta Ads as a different opportunity for discoverability to allow you to think beyond organic traffic for growing your business online. If you’re looking to diversify your traffic (hello, who isn’t!?) or dive into digital product sales, you won’t want to miss this interview. Three episode takeaways: How to run successful Facebook ad campaigns — Tammy breaks down how she fine-tunes the creative elements and messaging in her Meta ads. She highlights the importance of testing different ad variations — exploring various themes, angles, and messaging — and explains when to optimize your ad sets for better performance. How to analyze Facebook ad data effectively — Tammy and Bjork dive deep into the analytics behind Meta ads, discussing key metrics like ROAS (Tammy aims for a range between 1.6 and 1.85). They share real numbers around daily ad spend and email leads, and walk through how to scale your ad budget strategically. While ads can ensure visibility, they emphasize the importance of making sure your content delivers a strong return on investment. How to strategically build and nurture your community — Tammy shares actionable strategies for growing an engaged audience that’s ready to buy. She emphasizes the value of offering helpful, problem-solving content and explains how to use email sequences, sales funnels, and automation to build a sustainable business, without burning out. Resources: Organize Yourself Skinny Tasty Digital Eats Reset and Flourish Shop Canva Raptive Future Current by Melyssa Griffin ThriveCart Shopify Intentional Spark FREE Nurture to Sales Primary Funnel Audit Checklist Follow Tammy on Instagram 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.

Leveraging AI to be a more efficient content creator and the role of keywords in today's SEO landscape with Aleka Shunk. ----- Welcome to episode 530 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Aleka Shunk from Aleka’s Get Together and Keywords with Aleka. She also happens to be one of our FBP experts!  How to Personalize AI for Better Content with Aleka Shunk In this conversation, Bjork and Aleka discuss the evolving landscape of SEO and content creation, particularly focusing on the role of keywords and the integration of AI tools like ChatGPT. They explore how keywords remain essential in SEO, despite changes in content creation approaches. Aleka will also share insights on how to use AI to streamline content creation processes, enhance brand collaborations, and personalize interactions for better outputs. The discussion emphasizes the importance of adapting to AI advancements and leveraging them to improve efficiency and creativity in content creation. Three episode takeaways: Keywords are still relevant, but AI can be your co-pilot: Don’t ditch those keywords! They’re still super important for getting your content found. Think of AI as your super-efficient sidekick that can help you with everything from brainstorming ideas and creating outlines to finding new content opportunities. Personalize your AI for pro-level results: Just like you wouldn’t give every human the same instructions, don’t treat AI tools the same! The more you personalize your interactions and even create custom GPTs for specific tasks, the better and more relevant your AI-generated content will be.  Keeping it real in the age of AI: AI can seriously speed up your workflow and help you refine your content, saving you a ton of time, but remember, the human touch is what makes your content truly unique and engaging! You can leverage AI to boost your efficiency, but always keep your personal style and voice front and center. Resources: Aleka’s Get Together Cooking with Keywords Be sure to check out Aleka’s new course, Blogging with AI! Use the code FBP30 for 30% off the course! ChatGPT Episode 518 of The Food Blogger Pro podcast: How Molly Thompson Grew Her Email List from 15K to 100K Claude Gemini KeySearch Granola Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell Episode 484 of The Food Blogger Pro podcast: The Importance of Building Community with A Couple Cooks Liss Legal Follow Aleka on Instagram here and here! 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.

Editing more efficiently in Lightroom, using AI thoughtfully in your food photography, and developing a visual aesthetic that's uniquely yours with Roberta Dall'Alba. ----- Welcome to episode 529 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Roberta Dall’Alba. In this podcast interview, Bjork and Roberta discuss the importance of having your own distinct style or photography aesthetic to build your brand and why editing is such an essential part of this process. Roberta is an incredible food and travel photographer (trust me, you need to check out her food photographs!) and was a 2023 Lightroom Ambassador. Needless to say, she has spent a lot of time experimenting with Lightroom. Roberta dives into how she approaches editing food photos with integrity, efficiency, and her own unique style. From navigating AI tools responsibly to building a signature look in Lightroom, she offers practical tips to help creators stay authentic while working smarter. This is an excellent interview to help you take your photography and editing to the next level. Three episode takeaways: How to use AI thoughtfully in food photography and editing — Roberta shares her approach to using generative AI tools in editing. While she’s open to retouching photos, she avoids adding anything artificial, always considering if edits will help readers successfully replicate the recipe and/or align with her values. Efficient editing leads to better results — Roberta walks through her streamlined Lightroom workflow, from importing and filtering/organizing, to color grading, taking a step back, and final reviews on mobile, to ensure efficient, high-quality results (and to avoid over-editing). Build a visual style that’s truly yours — She emphasizes the importance of creating your own presets over buying someone else’s, why you should deepen your understanding of color theory, and how to develop editing efficiencies that reflect your brand’s unique style. Resources: Roberta Dall’Alba Photography Roberta’s Lightroom Transforms Course — use code FBP10 for 10% off! Pinch of Yum Lightroom Photoshop Follow Roberta 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 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.

Committing to consistency, running strategic year-long marketing campaigns, and leaning into a niche with Kate Shungu from Gift of Hospitality. ----- Welcome to episode 528 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Kate Shungu from Gift of Hospitality. How Kate Shungu Grew to 800k Sessions a Year from Pinterest by Using a Marketing Campaign Kate first started food blogging in 2017 with no real focus or niche. In 2018, she rebranded to entertaining and hospitality but, understandably, had to pivot again during the summer of 2020. Since then, she settled into her niche of vintage recipes for modern cooks and quickly grew to 50k sessions by the spring of 2021. In this interview, Bjork and Kate discuss approaching your brand promotion via platform-specific, year-long marketing campaigns and how to think about marketing as investing your time versus spending your ad dollars. Kate’s success stories on both Pinterest and Facebook will be really inspiring to anyone looking to diversify their traffic sources away from Google! Three episode takeaways: How Kate doubled her Pinterest traffic in one year — Kate spent a year devoted to growing her Pinterest account, and it (majorly) paid off. Pinterest is now Kate’s biggest traffic driver and has kept her afloat through many Google algorithm updates. Kate shares her keyword research strategy on Pinterest, her pinning schedule, and more in this interview. How to develop “marketing campaigns” to promote your brand — Kate uses her background in marketing to develop year-long “marketing campaigns” for her brand and has seen huge success when committing her time to different social media platforms (so far, Pinterest and Facebook) for an entire year. She shares why you don’t need to worry about over-promoting your content, and how you can get started with your own marketing campaigns. The importance of clarifying who you’re marketing to — Bjork and Kate discuss the benefits of constraints for creators, and how committing to a niche and defining the person you’re marketing to can transform your marketing strategy. By focusing on your reader — how they use the internet and what platforms they’re on, you can simplify your brand and clarify your business. Resources: Gift of Hospitality Food with Feeling Loom Follow Kate on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by Yoast 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

The power of storytelling, experimenting across platforms, and connecting with your audience with Brita Britnell.  ----- Welcome to episode 527 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Brita Britnell from Food with Feeling (who also happens to be our Social Media Video Expert!).  How Storytelling Helps Creators Stand Out Online with Brita Britnell In this episode, Brita shares how leaning into storytelling became the heart of her content strategy, and the secret behind quadrupling (!!!) her Instagram following in just one year. From freelancing to full-time content creation, she walks us through the lessons she’s learned about building meaningful connections, staying consistent, and creating content that resonates. Whether it’s reposting viral hits or crafting seasonal recipes, Brita’s approach is rooted in authenticity and real-life experiences. We also dive into why follower count isn’t everything (especially on Facebook), how Brita built a thriving email list, and what she’s learned from years of experimenting across platforms. If you’ve ever wondered how to turn your personal story into a creative brand that lasts, this episode is packed with inspiration, insight, and plenty of real talk. Three episode takeaways: The power of real connection: Whether it’s at a conference, through email lists, or in the comments section, Brita shows how building real relationships (online and off) can lead to big opportunities. She emphasizes that collaboration and community often open more doors than follower counts ever could. How to create content that clicks: From storytelling and seasonal posts to reposting viral hits, Brita breaks down how she keeps her audience engaged and why follower count isn’t the whole story, especially on platforms like Facebook. Her success proves that staying authentic and experimenting with your content strategy pays off. Experiment, evolve, and stay consistent: Brita shares how she’s mixed freelancing, focused learning, and a whole lot of trial-and-error to grow a fulfilling and financially stable career as a creator. Her journey is a great reminder that you don’t need to have it all figured out — you just need to keep moving forward! Resources: Food with Feeling Fit Foodie Finds Crowded Kitchen Meta Business Suite Grocers List What Molly Made Episode 518 of The Food Blogger Pro podcast: How Molly Thompson Grew Her Email List from 15K to 100K Charles and Allie: Charles Trippy’s YouTube channel Copycat Chipotle Sofritas Recipe from Food with Feeling Follow Brita on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by Member Kitchens 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.