Tastemaker Talk

In this week's episode, Kevin Curry (Fit Men Cook™️) and Abbey are chatting about what happened as Kevin's personal health mission grew into a community, a business, and eventually a brand with real-life reach. They're exploring why authenticity still matters (especially as the creator economy keeps changing), what people actually mean when they talk about listening to their audience, and what it looks like to balance growth and staying grounded.And of course, Kevin is giving us a sneaky peek at what he’ll be bringing to the Tastemaker Conference session in San Antonio with his session, Building a Mission-Driven Food Brand That Scales. We're so honored and excited to have him back! This might just be your sign to get your ticket if you haven't yet 👀Show NotesFollow Kevin on Instagram and on his websiteJoin us at Tastemaker Conference 2027 to learn and chat more with Kevin! Only 2 months to go 🤯

Alejandra Graf (aka AleCooks) is here to chat with us about how she's been able to find success sitting at the intersection of different cultures, dietary preferences, and languages. Ale started her blogging career creating and sharing vegan recipes after her son was born with a dairy allergy. As she's grown, her recipes have evolved to make sure everyone has a seat at her table. Ale is proof that humans often can't be summed up as just one thing, but that all the nuanced parts of our identity deserve to be seen and celebrated. We're so excited for her to bring this perspective to the Tastemaker stage in San Antonio, sharing her wisdom as part of our Belonging by Design panel! Be sure to snag your ticket if you haven't yet.Show Notes:Get your copy of Comemos!, Ale's beautiful cookbook!Follow Ale on Instagram and visit her blogJoin us for Tastemaker 2027 to hear Ale speak more on this topic during her panel presentation!

Heather Woodland is here, and she's got the "receipts 👏 proof 👏 timeline 👏" to show that it's never too late to make food content your full-time gig. We're talking all about how Heather worked through perfectionism, fear of being perceived, and tech roadblocks to share her recipes and grow her following. And not for nothing, but her YouTube reached 100,000 subscribers in just 10 months.If you've ever felt like food content is too saturated or like YouTube is too difficult, Heather is sharing some wisdom that you might find surprising and helpful!Show NotesVisit Heather’s website, KeepItSweetKitchen.comFollow along on YouTubeFollow along on FacebookFollow along on InstagramListen to our episode with Heather’s web designer, Jennifer Holt! Listen to our episode with Tara BenchCheck out Heather’s comfort watch 😉 Becky from Acre FarmsJoin Heather in San Antonio! Tastemaker 10 tickets here

And listen—no shade to anyone who does love a good bandwagon jump! Time and place, you know?In this episode, Michelle and Chandice are getting into Michelle's journey through the creator economy as the founder of Nom Nom Paleo. They're also teasing Michelle's upcoming appearance as the highly-anticipated closing keynote speaker for Tastemaker Conference 2027—and that's where the bandwagon comes in. Michelle argues that it's necessary to take a step back sometimes and think about what this is all for. It can't just be to get more followers, garner more views, and collect more accolades. You have to strategically decide what's important to you—and Michelle's got thoughts on how you might set about doing so!Show NotesFind Michelle at NomNomPaleo.comFollow along with Michelle on InstagramGET YOUR TICKET TO HEAR MICHELLE'S CLOSING KEYNOTE AT TC 2027 IN SAN ANTONIOThe Atlas of AI by Kate Crawford is the book Chandice mentions--bonus points if you read it and let us know what you think!

At some point, growing your business stops being just about getting more done and starts being about becoming the kind of leader who can support others as they build with you.In this episode, Barrett and Chandice are getting into the psychology of entrepreneurship, especially what happens when creators make the leap from working solo to managing a growing team. They talk delegation, risk, resilience, and the very real challenge of letting go of the idea that you have to do everything yourself.Barrett is a very well-loved speaker, mentor, and member of our Tastemaker community, and we think you'll understand why as you listen to this episode. Enjoy!Show NotesFind more from Barrett at barrettbrooks.comFollow along with Barrett on Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTubeListen to "Where Do You Go From the Top of the Class?" our episode with Allea Grummert where we discuss food bloggers being the honors' students of the creator economy!Get your ticket to TC 2027 for more convos like these