The Vine Podcast

I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that no one got into food blogging to write emails. But every blogger I know who has a stable, profitable business has one thing in common, and it's not their SEO strategy or their Instagram following. It's their email list. So I called in email marketing expert Liz Wilcox to help us fix that, because she makes email way less painful than you think it needs to be. Liz Wilcox is an email strategist and keynote speaker showing small businesses how to build online relationships and make real money with email. She's best known for turning a $9 offer into multiple six figures without ads, and for helping you untangle the email "knot" with her Email Staircase. In this conversation, we cover why email is a full business and not just a side channel, how to build real connection with your subscribers, why your emails don't need to look perfect to convert, and how to write subject lines people actually want to open. Connect with Liz: 🔗 Website: https://lizwilcox.com/ 🔗 Join her $9 membership TODAY! Sign up here!   Related Episode: EP 223: Why Your Welcome Sequence Is Your Secret Weapon Against AI (And How to Build One That Actually Works) with Allea Grummert   Connect With Madison Instagram | Website | YouTube | Show Notes Work with Grace + Vine in 2026: Design Services for Food Bloggers Our newest way to redesign your website! Learn more here.

If you've been blogging for more than a year, you probably have a few things you'd do differently if you were starting today. In this episode, Madison shares nine of hers, including some mistakes you can skip entirely and a few strategies she's still working to build into her own blogs. This one is a little unscripted, and Madison is upfront about where she's still catching up. You'll hear about the platform she'd start on, why an email list matters so much, how consistent emailing has changed her results, and the systems she wishes she'd put in place before her content library grew to a thousand posts. In this episode: Why self-hosted WordPress is the best place to start Building your audience with strategic opt-ins Emailing your list consistently Why video takes repetition, not perfection Connecting with your audience and remembering you're not your ideal reader Creating a system for content updates Hiring out writing sooner Building multiple streams of revenue, even small ones Building authority through a podcast or YouTube channel Connect With Madison Instagram | Website | YouTube | Show Notes Work with Grace + Vine in 2026: Design Services for Food Bloggers Our newest way to redesign your website! Learn more here.

Remember when E-E-A-T was the hot SEO topic, and then it just kind of faded from the conversation? With AI completely reshaping search results, it's back, and it might be your biggest competitive advantage. In this episode, I break down why E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) matters more now than it ever has. AI can generate a recipe in seconds, but it can't generate your actual experience or expertise, and that's exactly what sets real food bloggers apart. I share three quick wins you can put in place this week: How to actually optimize your About page (hint: two sentences and a photo won't cut it) Why inconsistent authorship might be quietly hurting you, and exactly how to fix it How to build authority outside of your own site so Google and readers both trust you're the real deal Connect With Madison Instagram | Website | YouTube | Show Notes Work with Grace + Vine in 2026: Design Services for Food Bloggers Our newest way to redesign your website! Learn more here.

If you're relying solely on ad revenue for your food blog, you're probably leaving money on the table. In this episode, Madison breaks down 15+ proven income streams that give you way more control over your financial future than waiting for traffic to go up. You'll learn: The 15 income streams that actually work for food bloggers (from digital products and online courses to brand deals and local events) Realistic earnings expectations for each one (so you know what's actually possible) Which income streams align with the work you're already doing The three questions to ask yourself before picking your first income stream Why diversification matters for your business stability and peace of mind Whether you're a newer blogger just starting to monetize or an established creator ready to add new revenue streams, there's something here for you. Plus, Madison shares the real talk about why most bloggers get overwhelmed by options and exactly how to avoid that trap. By the end of this episode, you'll have at least 2-3 new ideas you can actually implement, plus clarity on which one to start with first! Connect With Madison Instagram | Website | YouTube | Show Notes Work with Grace + Vine in 2026: Design Services for Food Bloggers Our newest way to redesign your website! Learn more here.

Your logo isn't your brand. And if you've been leaning on a pretty Canva design to do all the heavy lifting, this video is for you. In this episode, I'm breaking down 3 brand mistakes I see food bloggers make over and over again, mistakes that quietly stall growth even when the recipes are great. After 10 years of working with food bloggers on their websites and branding, I can tell you exactly what separates the blogs that grow from the ones that plateau. Here's what we cover: ✨ Mistake #1: Thinking your logo IS your brand (it's not, and here's why that matters) ✨ Mistake #2: Showing up completely differently on social vs. your blog ✨ Mistake #3: Hiding behind your blog instead of building your personal brand (this one's big) If you've ever wondered why your blog isn't growing despite doing everything "right," this is a great place to start. Want help defining your actual brand, not just your logo? Grab my Personal Brand Playbook here! Connect With Madison Instagram | Website | YouTube | Show Notes Work with Grace + Vine in 2026: Design Services for Food Bloggers Our newest way to redesign your website! Learn more here.