Happy Monday, everyone! Here’s what’s coming up in Mastermind For Food Writers and The Food Writers Business Lab.
A little over a year ago, I asked all the people who were in attendance at that month’s mastermind meeting if anyone might be interested in hosting a second meeting in a time zone that’s friendlier to people who live on the other side of the world. I had received a couple of messages from people living in Australia and Taiwan about how much they would like to participate, but the time zone difference made it difficult.
Liza Debevec immediately stepped up and volunteered. Since late last year, Liza has run a second meeting, scheduled for people who live in Europe and Asia Pacific. Mastermind meetings are always free for anyone to attend, so Liza offered her time generously and freely.
After a year of volunteering, she’s decided to step back from running a monthly meeting. I am incredibly grateful to her for the value she added to this group over the past year, but if I’m really honest, I am most grateful to her for the value she’s added to my life.
Because Liza volunteered to run a second meeting, I have had the chance to get to know her, and she is one of the most interesting people I know. She speaks 7 languages (!!!), has a PhD in Social Anthropology, has lived in many countries, is possibly the most avid reader I’ve ever met, and is a remarkably talented coach, writer, and artist. She has a heart for justice, equality, and creative expression. She has a gift for listening and insight, and a way of interacting that makes you feel really, truly seen.
Over the past year, Liza and I worked together in a variety of ways, doing a couple of Subtack LIVEs, and co-teaching a class about creating a values-driven brand. Every time we’d get on a zoom call together to plan whatever we were working on, we’d end up spending much of the time just talking about life. Because when you get on a call with someone as interesting as Liza, the list of topics is inexhaustible.
Thank you, Liza, for sharing your time, energy, and talents with this group over the past year and with me personally. I appreciate you so much.
Gratefully, Liza is still co-leading the Food Readers Book Club with Linda Naylor and there is another meeting coming up in December. The December meeting date is coming soon, but the book is Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin.
So, for now there is one meeting a month, led my me, at 11am Eastern. If anyone reading this is interested in leading a second mastermind meeting in a time zone that’s friendly to food writers living on the other side of the world, let me know.
If you are not already subscribed to Liza’s Substacks, I encourage you to do so. Both are brilliant: Sharing Secrets and Scattered Crumbs and Tangled Tales.
Two weeks at a glance:
Coffee Break Chat with Stephanie Hansen: Tuesday, October 20 at 4:00pm Eastern
Coffee Break Chat with Shell Plant: Substack LIVE, Wednesday, October 21 at 12:30pm Eastern
Business Strategy Meeting: Wednesday, October 21 at 3pm EST
Coffee Break Chat with Kimberly Nichols: Substack LIVE, Thursday, October 29 at 3:00pm Eastern
Recording from the October Mastermind Meeting
Thank you to everyone who was able to attend this month’s meeting and contribute to the conversation. Special thanks to Rachel Ciordas, Kate McDermott, and Betty Williams for sharing their experience with how they are using Substack LIVE to expand their reach and create more engagement.
If you missed it, here’s where you’ll find the recording:
November and December Mastermind Meeting Dates
For those of you who like to plan ahead, our next meeting will be on Wednesday, November 11, at 11:00am EST. Register here.
The main topic of the November meeting will be discovery. How do new readers find your work? And what makes them stick around? That will be the focus of our November mastermind meeting. We’ll talk about how to identify where your readers are coming from, share what’s working, and explore practical ways to reach more people on and off Substack.
If growth and engagement are top of mind for you right now, register now for the November meeting!
The December meeting will be on Wednesday, December 9, at 11:00am EST. Register Here.
Available now in the class library: SEO for Food Writers
Help the right readers find your work—and give them a reason to stay.
You put so much time and energy into your work. Helping people discover it deserves that same attention. In this 90-minute class for food writers, we’ll connect the essentials of SEO to a bigger question: How do you reach the people who will value your work and turn that connection into a stronger business?
You’ll learn how to clarify who you’re writing for, make your work easier to discover, and create return paths so people come back to you over and over again.
This class comes with a 22 page workbook that will show you how to create a manageable strategy including where to focus your efforts, how to recognize progress, and what to do next.
The Food Writers Business Lab
The Food Writers Business Lab is an online community for food writers who want practical, affordable guidance for growing their businesses, expanding their audience, and building sustainable careers.
Here you’ll find classes and workshops taught by experienced food writers who understand the unique challenges and opportunities of this industry. It’s education for food writers taught by food writers.
There are four on-demand classes available now in the Class Library.
Workshop Topics that are coming soon: Organizational strategies and tools for food writers, Cookbook self-publishing, How to create an additional income stream with cooking classes, and How to use video to reach new readers and build engagement.
Coffee Break Chats!
Last week I got to talk with CulinUrsa — Elizabeth Baer and learned that she helped write the American Heritage Dictionary and that the word Sangiovese comes from the Latin phrase blood of Jupiter. These are the kinds of fun facts you learn when you talk to a former Latin teacher turned food writer.
Coffee Breaks are 30-ish minute chats over Substack LIVE with the paid members of this community. It’s a chance to learn more about them and their work and talk about some of the real challenges and opportunities of being a food writer today.
I have gotten to talk with 12 members of this community so far and I’ve learned so much from each conversation. Here’s where you’ll find all of the recordings and see who I’m talking with next!
Remember that the Mastermind for Food Writers chat is a great place to ask questions, get feedback, share ideas, and connect with other food writers on Substack.
Have a wonderful week!
The goal of Mastermind for Food Writers and The Food Writers Business Lab isn’t simply to gather more information. It’s to build a better business alongside people who genuinely want to see each other succeed.
Questions?
Send a direct message to Rebecca Blackwell, or leave a comment on this post.
Thank you so much Rebecca, for the kind words and introducing me to more people. It has been a joy to connect with you and with all the people that joined the calls and the book club. You, Rebecca, are a true star, your generosity, positivity and leadership are inspiring.[Also, I speak eleven languages, but I guess one could stop counting after seven 😂]