657: Your Brain is Not a Project Management System - How to Boost Productivity and Reduce Overwhelm in 2025 with Kara Myers

In episode 662, Christina Jolam and Nadia Shatila share how they were able to recover from devastating traffic loss following Google's Helpful Content Update (HCU). Nadia is the blogger behind Simple And Fraiche, a website dedicated to sharing wholesome recipes that utilize real foods with minimally processed ingredients. Her goal is to help people create recipes that not only fuel their bodies but also taste great. Christina Jolam helps home chefs get confident cooking seafood through her site, Weekday Pescatarian. The former communications consultant creates foolproof fish recipes that work whether you're shopping at a Portuguese fish market or your local grocery store. Cooking and writing from her adopted home in Portugal, she helps her followers master restaurant-quality seafood dishes and build a delicious, fish-forward lifestyle. In this episode, you’ll learn how to endure long periods of traffic loss and decide what action you should take to successfully regain momentum. Key points discussed include: - Accept the reality of change: Google updates aren’t personal; they aim to improve user experience. Adapting to change is key to long-term success. - Assess and improve your content: Review existing posts with a fresh perspective—focus on user experience, clarity, and overall helpfulness. - Strengthen EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness): Build credibility by showcasing expertise in your niche through an updated about page, author bios, and citations. - Optimize technical aspects: Ensure images, alt text, interlinking, and post formatting enhance usability and search visibility. - Diversify traffic sources: Relying solely on Google traffic is risky—invest in Pinterest, email lists, social media, and brand partnerships. - Update and refine posts regularly: Revisiting older content with new insights keeps your blog relevant and valuable. - Stay curious and keep learning: Instead of blaming algorithm changes, focus on learning, adapting, and finding new ways to serve your audience. If You Loved This Episode… You’ll love Episode 648: How to Bounce Back and Thrive After Significant Google Traffic Loss with Jules Grasekamp Connect with Christina Jolam Website | Instagram Connect with Nadia Shatila Website | Instagram

In this episode, we're going to talk about how to use fear as a catalyst for growth in five key areas to open up new opportunities this year. Fear can be a major roadblock, but what if we started viewing it as a guide instead? This year, I decided to challenge myself by facing fears head-on, and today, I’m sharing five powerful areas where stepping outside your comfort zone can lead to personal and professional growth. Whether it’s putting yourself out there in new ways, making bold business moves, or tackling financial and health challenges, embracing fear can open up new doors. Let’s dive in and get uncomfortable—in the best way possible! Action Plan: 1 - Personal Growth: Challenge limiting beliefs and take on new experiences that push you forward. 2 - Professional Growth: Show up boldly in your business, even when it feels scary or imperfect. 3 - Community: Connect with others, build relationships, and embrace the vulnerability that comes with it. 4 - Courageous Action: Take bold steps in life and business that may feel intimidating but lead to huge rewards. 5 - Health & Finances: Tackle fears around well-being and money to create a stronger foundation for success. Get in touch with Megan below. Website | Instagram

In episode 660, Megan chats to Lauren Less about how to quickly grow a Substack audience and harness the platform for food blogging and community engagement. Lauren Less combines her passions for food and helping others by creating a space where people can find allergy-friendly recipes, chronic illness support, non-toxic lifestyle suggestions, and health and wellness tips. She discusses everything from fitness with chronic illness to tips for traveling with food allergies and everything in between. In this episode, you’ll learn how Lauren grew her Substack from zero to 13,000 subscribers and how Substack can serve as both an email list and a blog, helping you connect with your audience in a more personal and customizable way. Key points discussed include: - Substack is more than just an email platform: It functions like a blog, allowing creators to share content and build a community. - Growing a subscriber base takes consistency: Lauren used Instagram and TikTok to direct her audience to her Substack. - Listening to your audience is key: Making adjustments based on subscriber feedback improves engagement and retention. - Monetization is built-in: Substack allows creators to offer paid subscriptions for exclusive content. - Cross-promotion helps growth: The recommendation feature on Substack lets creators share and promote each other’s newsletters. - Substack offers more than written content: Features like podcasting, video, and live interactions help creators engage with their audience in multiple ways. - Owning your audience is crucial: Unlike social media platforms, Substack ensures direct access to subscribers without algorithm limitations. Connect with Lauren Less Website | Instagram

In episode 659, Allea Grummert shares seven common email marketing mistakes and how to fix them to create happy, engaged subscribers. Allea Grummert is an email marketing strategist, conversion copywriter and tech expert who helps bloggers make a lasting first impression through automated welcome and nurture sequences. She helps her clients create strategic email sequences that engage email subscribers, build brand loyalty and optimize conversions for sales and site traffic. She is the host of Happy Subscribers podcast. In this episode, you’ll learn why a thorough welcome sequence is crucial for building an engaged subscriber list and why you should clean out your email list regularly. Key points discussed include: - Welcome new subscribers properly. Many bloggers miss the chance to make a strong first impression—use a welcome page and an introduction video to engage them right away. - Make your first email personal. Avoid generic confirmation emails; instead, reflect your brand personality and set clear expectations for subscribers. - Set up a welcome sequence. A structured email sequence helps introduce new subscribers to your best content and builds a strong connection. - Personalize content wisely. Use segmentation to send relevant emails without overcomplicating your strategy. - Drive traffic back to your funnel. Regularly promote your freebies and opt-ins within your email list to keep subscribers engaged. - Clean your email list regularly. Remove inactive subscribers to improve deliverability and engagement. - Keep track of what’s being sent. Maintain an SOP (standard operating procedure) to stay organized and ensure your emails align with your strategy. Connect with Allea Grummert Website | Instagram

In this episode, we're going to talk five simple yet powerful mindset shifts that can instantly bring more positivity into your life. Some days just feel off. No matter how much we plan or try to stay positive, life, work, and everything in between can throw us off track. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to stay stuck in that negative space. I’ve found that small, intentional shifts can turn a rough day around fast, and today, I’m sharing five simple things you can do right now to boost your mood and bring more positivity into your life. These aren’t big, time-consuming tasks—they’re quick, effective, and totally doable. Action Plan: 1 - Actually Listen: Be fully present in conversations and truly hear others. 2 - Offer Undeserved Grace: Show kindness and forgiveness, even when it’s not expected. 3 - Experience a Moment: Pause and appreciate the present, no matter how small. 4 - Lose the Phone: Step away from your screen to reconnect with yourself and others. 5 - Spend 10 Minutes Decluttering: Clear your space to create mental clarity and peace. Get in touch with Megan below. Website | Instagram

In episode 657, Megan chats to Kara Myers about how to organize and automate your blogging business for success in 2025. Kara is the recipe developer, photographer, and voice behind Sweetly Splendid, where she shares comforting Southern and Tex-Mex recipes. She is a 6th-generation Texan and has a passion for nostalgic flavors that bring people together. Her work has been featured in outlets like Woman’s World and Food & Wine. She is a seasoned entrepreneur with multiple successful businesses, and specializes in helping others streamline their workflows and build efficient processes. Kara likes to use the approach of combining real-world experience with actionable insights for creators looking to grow and thrive. When she's not working, Kara loves camping, reading, and spending time with her daughter and dogs. In this episode, you’ll learn actionable strategies for streamlining workflows, implementing project management systems, and creating a sustainable approach to blogging. Key points discussed include: - Your brain is not a project management system: Storing everything in one place frees up mental space and increases productivity. - A time audit reveals hidden inefficiencies: Track your tasks for a week to identify bottlenecks and areas that slow you down. - Content planning reduces stress and boosts efficiency: Even planning one month ahead prevents last-minute scrambling and saves time. - Choosing the right project management tool is key: ClickUp, Asana, and Airtable help streamline tasks—pick one that fits how your brain works. - Automations free up valuable time: Tools like Zapier, Wordable, and Finite Analytics handle repetitive tasks so you can focus on growth. - Small organizational changes lead to more revenue: The more systematized your business is, the more time you have to scale and make money. - Break down big goals into actionable steps: Instead of vague yearly goals, set specific, trackable monthly milestones. - Give yourself grace and stay flexible: Life happens—adjust your systems and goals as needed without guilt. Connect with Kara Myers Website | Instagram

In episode 656, Alicia Wolf shares how to transform personal struggles into a thriving niche blog that supports others facing similar challenges, just as she has done with her own medical journey. Alicia Wolf created a food blog after being diagnosed with chronic vestibular migraine and losing her career in design. Her blog is seen as a very small niche and not widely understood by companies, but 10% of the world population lives with migraine attacks. Alicia has been able to grow a small website that was focused on helping people with a migraine diet into 400K sessions a month with multiple sources of revenue outside of ad income as well as 2 published cookbooks. In this episode, you’ll learn tips for diversifying income outside of ad revenue, how to deal with blogging setbacks and the importance of community in a chronic-illness focused blog. Key points discussed include: - Community is key: Building a strong, engaged audience is essential for niche blogs, especially those focused on chronic illness. - Diversify your income: Relying solely on ad revenue can be risky—explore brand partnerships, consulting, books, and affiliate marketing. - Leverage your expertise: Alicia collaborates with medical professionals to add credibility to her content, making her blog a trusted resource. - Be adaptable in blogging: Google updates and social media shifts can impact traffic, so diversifying content distribution is crucial. - Consistency and patience pay off: Growing a niche blog takes time, but staying committed to quality content and engagement leads to success. - Your story is your strength: Sharing personal experiences builds trust and authenticity, helping you connect deeply with your audience. - Keep learning and evolving: Whether through domain research, audience feedback, or SEO strategies, continuous learning is key to staying relevant. Connect with Alicia Wolf Website | Instagram  

In this episode, we're going to talk five key replacements you can make in your life and business to help you achieve entrepreneurial success. Ever feel like you’re stuck in a rut, spinning on an endless hamster wheel, or trapped in an out-of-control wash cycle? I’ve been there, and I know how hard it can be to break free. That’s why I’d like to share these five powerful replacements you can make in your life and business to help you reset, refocus, and find success. If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or just a little lost, these shifts might be exactly what you need. Action Plan: 1 - Replace fear with courage. 2 - Replace comparison with community. 3 - Replace scarcity with abundance. 4 - Replace perfection with progress. 5 - Replace overwhelm with clarity. Get in touch with Megan below. Website | Instagram

In episode 654, Megan chats with Ashley Freeman about professional food styling, including how to embrace ‘mess’ and other key elements that make food images visually appealing and unique. Ashley Strickland Freeman is the creator of the blog Little Black Skillet. Just like a "Little Black Dress," she strives to create approachable, everyday recipes her audience can trust and turn to again and again. With over 19 years of experience as a food stylist, cookbook author, recipe developer and tester, and culinary producer (culinary content creator for short), Ashley offers a unique perspective having worked on all sides of culinary publishing. In addition to developing recipes and food styling for some of her favorite brands, she's currently working on her fourth cookbook. In this episode, you’ll discover the essential equipment for capturing mouthwatering food photos, how props can make or break your shots, and the role of color theory in food photography. Key points discussed include: - Invest in a quality camera and lens: Having the right equipment, such as a DSLR camera and a versatile zoom lens, can make a significant difference in your food photography. - Use a sturdy tripod: A geared tripod, like the Manfrotto, allows you to achieve precise angles and compositions for your shots. - Experiment with budget-friendly props: Look for unique items at thrift stores, fabric shops, and even your own home to create visually appealing scenes. - Embrace color theory: Understand how complementary colors can enhance the visual appeal of your food photos. - Prioritize composition: Use odd numbers, multiples, and strategic placement to guide the viewer's eye through your images. - Enhance food appearance: Techniques like brushing cheese with oil or using thickened syrups can help make your food look fresh and irresistible. - Embrace the "mess": Don't be afraid to capture the natural imperfections and realistic details that make your food photos more approachable. - Practice and trust your intuition: Continuous practice, studying other photographers' work, and having confidence in your own style are key to improving your food photography. If You Loved This Episode… You'll also love Episode 492: Exquisite Food Photography – How to Tell a Story with Lighting, Props, Food and Textures with Murielle Banackissa. 20% Discount code for Southern Ash Surfaces: Littleblackskillet20 Connect with Ashley Freeman Website | Instagram

In episode 653, Meggen Wilson teaches us how to create our own product line to become a profitable business without relying on ad revenue. Meggen Wilson is the founder of Pine and Palm Kitchen, a specialty food company based in Northwest Montana that creates premium, small-batch vanilla and vinegar products using organic, locally sourced ingredients like honey, apples, and spirits. A retired real estate investor and dedicated advocate for Montana’s natural habitats, Meggen combines her entrepreneurial spirit with a passion for exceptional culinary craftsmanship. Her products celebrate the land she loves, inspiring home cooks and bakers to create with care and intention. you'll discover how to choose the perfect product for your audience, along with the most effective strategies for manufacturing and selling it. Key points discussed include: - Identify your signature product: Look at your most popular recipes and consider creating a complementary product, like a spice blend or specialty ingredient, to offer your audience. - Test the market first: Start with a cottage license to validate your product idea and gather customer feedback before investing in a commercial license and scaling up. - Leverage your community: Use farmers markets, pop-ups, and local partnerships to test your product and build relationships with your target customers. - Prioritize quality and sourcing: Invest in high-quality, locally-sourced ingredients to create a premium product that reflects your brand's values. - Seek support from local resources: Reach out to your county health department and extension offices - they want to help you succeed as a small food manufacturer. - Control your distribution: Selling directly through your own online store gives you more control over pricing, branding, and the customer experience. - Have a long-term vision: Develop a 5-year plan for your product line and be patient as you build the business - it takes time to get the formula right. Connect with Meggen Wilson Website | Instagram