What's Happening This Week
Monday, August 17, 2026
Happy Monday everyone! Here’s what’s coming up in Mastermind For Food Writers and The Food Writers Business Lab.
Two weeks at a glance:
Coffee Break Chat with Linda Naylor: Substack LIVE, Monday, August 17 at 4:00pm EST
Business Strategy Meeting: For Paid Subscribers, Wednesday, August 19 at 6:00pm EST
Coffee Break Chat with Betty Williams: Substack LIVE, Thursday, August 20 at 3:00pm EST
How To Build a Platform That Will Sell Your Book with Stephanie Moon: Thursday, September 24, 1:00pm-2:30pm EDT
Coffee Break Chat with Rose Huxford: Substack LIVE, Tuesday, August 25 at 5:00pm EST
Coffee Break Chat with Rachel Ciordas: Substack LIVE, Thursday, August 27 at 1:00pm EST
DIY Cookbook Proposal, Session 2 with Kelsey Erin Shipman: Friday, August 28 at 1pm EST
Recording: The Heart of Your Brand
I’ve never seen even one episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, but I know who Guy Ferrari is and can tell you something about what he’s about. Isn’t that remarkable? He’s leaned so hard into his unique contribution to the food space that even someone who’s never watched his show knows what he’s about.
And that’s why the class I taught last week might be the most important class I’ll ever teach because it dives into work that only a few people take the time to do: get to the heart of your brand, articulate your distinctive point of view, and figure out where you fit in the marketplace.
Not many people do it because it’s hard. It’s really, really hard. And often, we think we’ve gotten there, when in truth, we’ve stopped too soon. I have been guilty of this many times, but I’m over it. I’m ready to do the hard work. I have something to say, and I’m ready to say it. You too?
Your brand is not your colors, your fonts, your logo, or the way your website looks. Those are the clothes your brand wears.
Your brand is the idea underneath the work. It’s the thing your audience connects with that keeps them coming back to you when they have nearly endless choices about where to spend their time and attention.
This class will help you see it, articulate it, own it, defend it, and know how to use it to move your business forward.
Coffee Break with Laurie Mucha
A couple of weeks ago, I heard a famous author and podcaster talk about how fortunate he feels to get to spend his days doing exactly what he wants to do. That is how I feel when I get to spend time with people like Laurie Mucha.
How lucky are we to have people like this in our world? People who are accomplished, knowledgeable, intelligent, and articulate, AND who understand the value of community and are wiling to invest in those around them. If you already know Laurie, you know this was a delightful conversation. If you don’t know Laurie, let me introduce you.
Platform Building Q & A with Stephanie Moon!
What a pleasure it was to speak with @Stephanie Moon today about platform building. We talked about Stephanie’s perspective on what it takes to build relationships with readers that lead to (eventual) book sales, and the key word there is relationships. As with almost everything in life, platform building is all about the relationships.
If you found this conversation as interesting and valuable as I did, join me in Stephanie Moon’s upcoming class, How To Build A Platform That Sells Your Book!
Recording from the August Mastermind Meeting
We covered a lot of ground in this month’s meeting! We talked about how to navigate this publication and find what you’re looking for. Then we dove into Substack’s new Audience Specific Blocks. Rebecca shared how she’s using them in her own publication as well as how she’s using them here, on Mastermind for Food Writers. We talked about the different ways this feature can be used to improve the reader experience.
We also talked about the many perspectives and decisions around turning on paid subscriptions, the value of our work, and how each of us is thinking about whether to offer a paid tier. Several members shared their thoughts about growth in general and the value of doing this work for the sake of it, because it makes us better. If structuring a paid option for your subscribers is something you find challenging, join the club. :-) You’ll find some good stuff in here.
Recording: DIY Cookbook Proposals
If you’re even remotely interested in writing a cookbook, you’ll get so much valuable, actionable information from this class.
One of the things I love most about how Kelsey Erin Shipman teaches this material is the way she shows you where and how to start. Starting a big project like this can often feel overwhelming, but Kelsey shows you where to start and then lays out the best path forward.
She also shows you how you can use the proposal writing process to build your platform, sharpen your focus, and flesh out all of the creative ideas rattling around in your head.
You’ll find detailed instructions for what belongs in each section of a proposal, along with examples of each section from real cookbook proposals.
This class comes with Kelsey’s proprietary Book Proposal Checklist, a 26-page workbook that was developed after years of writing and consulting on dozens of book proposals. The workbook will help you get started on your own book proposal today!
September Mastermind For Food Writers Meeting, North America and Europe
There are two different meetings in two different time zones this month. Both meetings are free to join. Here’s how to register!
Europe, Africa, Asia Pacific Meeting: Wednesday, September 9 at 8am BST
North American and Europe Meeting: Wednesday, September 23 at 11am EST
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.