663: The Truth About Traditional Cookbook Publishing (Do You Really Need a Large Social Media Following?) with Jess Smith
Release Date: 03/10/2025
690: Environmental Impacts of Generative AI and How to Use it Ethically as Small Business Owners with Danielle Madden
Eat Blog Talk
In episode 690, Megan chats to Danielle Madden about how generative AI uses significant environmental resources and how content creators can use the technology more ethically. Danielle Madden founded Project Meal Plan in 2016 after spending too many lunch breaks searching for mediocre food while working her office job. Her educational background includes a Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Science, and hands-on training as a Seattle Urban Nature Guide. Danielle loves being prepared (especially with food), and is usually the first one to arrive at a gathering with a homemade dish to share. At...
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689: How To Predict Content Success Instead of Guessing What Your Audience Wants with Dr. Kristen Wager
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In episode 689, Dr. Kristen Wager teaches us how to use research to drive our content strategy, in order to predict what content will perform well instead of guessing what our audience wants. Dr. Kristen Wager is a consumer researcher with over 15 years of experience and a Ph.D. in research. She has worked with major companies like Google, Amazon, and Meta, gaining firsthand insight into how research shapes strategy and drives growth. While these companies invest billions each year to understand their audiences, she believes creators deserve access to the same level of insight. Most recently,...
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688: 5 Ways to Reframe Your Thoughts Throughout the Day for More Joy (Mindset & Self-Care)
Eat Blog Talk
A practical guide to reframing negative thought patterns and inviting more joy, peace, and success into your daily life through intentional mental shifts. Today, I want to dive into the way we talk to ourselves and the narratives we create in our minds. Our brains are naturally wired to focus on the negative—but here’s the good news: we have the power to rewrite that narrative. In this episode, I’m sharing five transformative strategies to help you reframe your thoughts and invite more joy into your everyday life. Action Plan: 1 - Flip the “What If” Spiral: Challenge negative what-if...
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687: The Best Time Management Tip To Overcome Overwhelm And Hit Your Goals with Anna Dearmon Kornick
Eat Blog Talk
In episode 687, Megan chats to Anna Dearmon Kornick about why a Weekly Planning Session is the best time management tip to start overcoming overwhelm and hitting our goals. Anna Dearmon Kornick is a highly sought after time management coach and keynote speaker, top 1% globally ranked podcast host of It's About Time, and founder of the It’s About Time Academy. A true Louisiana firecracker who has become known for making time management fun, Anna helps busy professionals and business owners struggling with overwhelm manage their time using her personality-driven HEART Method. In this episode,...
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686: Thriving After 50 - How To Build a Food Business with Multiple Streams of Income with Christine Van Bloem
Eat Blog Talk
In episode 686, Christine Van Bloem shares how she was able to thrive in her niche and diversify her revenue after losing her cooking school in 2020, fighting against giving up on life post-50. Christine Van Bloem is the owner and head cook in The Empty Nest Kitchen, where she teaches empty nesters how to cook for one or two, while finding the fun in cooking with a healthy-ish vibe. She is also the creator of Menopause Meal Plans, providing tasty weekly menus utilizing the Mediterranean Diet for perimenopausal, menopausal, and post-menopausal women. Christine completed her Culinary Medicine...
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685: 5 Mindset Shifts From Attending In-Person Retreats (Mindset & Self-Care)
Eat Blog Talk
Have you ever considered attending an in-person retreat with like-minded individuals? In this episode, I talk through 5 major mindset shifts I’ve experienced from attending retreats and how they have impacted my bus I’m super excited to share with you the incredible mindset benefits I’ve discovered from hosting and attending in-person retreats. These aren’t just your typical business events - they’re life-changing experiences that can completely shift how you see yourself and your potential. If you’ve ever felt stuck or isolated in your entrepreneurial journey, this episode is...
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684: How to Grow Your Business While Being a Mom for the First Time with Chelsea Cole
Eat Blog Talk
In episode 684, Chelsea Cole teaches us how to creatively manage our time and build a successful business—all while navigating the challenges of first-time parenting. Chelsea Cole is a cookbook author, food blogger, and founder of The Cookbook Lab, a course that teaches self-publishing cookbooks. Her website, A Duck’s Oven, focuses on sous vide cooking. She has written two cookbooks, Everyday Sous Vide and Sous Vide Meal Prep and her third, "A Feast of Thorns and Roses," a fan cookbook inspired by the "A Court of Thorns and Roses" series, comes out April 1st. She currently lives outside of...
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683: Why Food Bloggers Need to Know About Email Swaps (+How To Easily Add New Subscribers) with Chad Allen
Eat Blog Talk
In episode 683, Chad Allen delivers a game-changing strategy that could transform the way food bloggers think about growing their email lists: the powerful and often overlooked technique of email swaps Chad R. Allen is a writer, speaker, editor, and writing coach. A 25-year publishing professional, he has worked with such bestselling authors as Michael Hyatt, Caroline Leaf, Mark Batterson, and Phyllis Tickle. He is the creator of BookCamp, a training center and community for writers, as well as Book Proposal Academy, an online course. His passion is helping writers craft must-read books that...
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682: 5 Ways to Have More Discipline in Your Life (Mindset & Self-Care)
Eat Blog Talk
Discipline and freedom go hand in hand - implementing structure in your life can unlock creativity, joy, and long-term success. As entrepreneurs, we can have all the goals, dreams, and good intentions in the world, but without discipline, none of it matters. Lately, I’ve been reading The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin, and one section on discipline really stopped me in my tracks. It reminded me that discipline isn’t about restriction - it’s about creating the freedom to do what we truly love. Let’s dive into five ways you can build more discipline into your life! Action...
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681: Authenticity is The Secret to Long-Term Success (+How to Pivot as a Veteran Blogger) With Megan Keno
Eat Blog Talk
In episode 681, Megan chats to Megan Keno about key aspects of her 15-year blogging journey that have led to her success, including knowing where to spend your time and when to pivot. Megan is creator and CEO of Homemade Home, a veteran 15 year old food blog, focused on every day elevated dishes and cast iron cooking. Megan is also a cast member of season 4 of FOX's Next Level Chef with Gordon Ramsay. Oh yeah, and he has her cookbook. In this episode, you’ll learn about building a sustainable food blogging business while maintaining authenticity, and why saying ‘yes’ to unexpected...
info_outlineIn episode 663, Megan chats with Jess Smith to uncover the untold truths of traditional cookbook publishing—from crafting a winning proposal to landing a deal, and whether a large social media following really matters.
Jess is a mom to three girls based in Kansas City, Missouri. While living in Thailand and working at the U.S. Embassy in 2010 she took Thai cooking classes on the weekends and shared everything she learned on her food blog InquiringChef.com. In the years that followed she pursued her dream of making a career in food and became the chief recipe developer for the award-winning meal planning app Cook Smarts. Inquiring Chef has grown to over 6 million page views a year and has been featured in publications like Parade, Hallmark, and HuffPost. In 2024 Jess opened a cooking school for kids in Kansas City called Inquiring Chef Academy where she spends school breaks guiding elementary-aged kids through lessons on everything from baking sourdough to chopping vegetables to setting the table. Her first cookbook, Start with a Vegetable, will be released in January 2025.
In this episode, you’ll learn how to write a compelling proposal, find an agent, work with a publisher and balance the whole process with running a blog and looking after your family.
Key points discussed include:
- A strong proposal is essential: Jess spent 6–8 months crafting a compelling proposal, which played a crucial role in landing her book deal.
- An agent can be a game-changer: Having an agent helped Jess find a publisher and negotiate a significantly better advance.
- A huge social following isn't required: Jess landed a traditional publishing deal without massive social media numbers—her strong concept and blog traffic helped.
- Cookbook writing requires balance: Writing a book took time away from blogging, requiring a shift in priorities.
- The editing process is intense: Working with professional editors improved her writing and recipe development skills.
- Promotion is an ongoing effort: The marketing push doesn’t end at launch—Jess continues to promote her book through various channels.
- Photography can be a major challenge: Jess took all the photos for her book, which was rewarding but also a significant time commitment.
- Investing in support is worth it: Hiring help for styling, editing, and even dishwashing made the process smoother and more manageable.
Connect with Jess Smith