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, Kristen led consumer research at Raptive, collaborating with some of the biggest food bloggers in the industry, including Half Baked Harvest, Tastes Better from Scratch, Just One Cookbook, Hey Grill Hey, and The Woks of Life. During this time, she developed a deep appreciation for the creator space and identified a significant gap: many creators lack access to first-party data to inform their business decisions.

When Raptive ended its research program, Kristen launched CreatorPulse to continue supporting creators—particularly in the food and lifestyle space—with real-time audience feedback. Her mission is to help creators make smarter, data-backed decisions that truly reflect what their audience wants.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to build a purposeful, proactive content strategy, how to leverage research to guide your approach, and why this can have a powerful impact on your food content business.

Key points discussed include:

- The Importance of Research: Research is crucial for understanding your audience’s needs and evolving trends, helping you predict content success rather than guessing.

- Moving Beyond Gut Feelings: While intuition has its place, relying solely on it can lead to echo chambers and content burnout; scalable growth requires data-backed decisions.

- Defining a Strategic Content Strategy: A proactive content strategy is built with purpose, intention, and your audience’s needs in mind, aligning with your business growth.

- Methods of Research: Use various research methods, from simple polls to in-depth surveys and social listening, to gather audience insights.

- Types of Research: Different types of research, like audience insights, competitor benchmarking, and brand perception, offer unique benefits for shaping your content and brand.

- Real-Time Data: Emphasize real-time data to stay ahead of trends and understand current audience needs, rather than relying solely on historical performance metrics.

- Turning Data into Action: Translate data into actionable steps by identifying content themes, creating messaging frameworks, and aligning content with business goals.

- Busting Research Myths: Overcome misconceptions about research by recognizing that it doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive, and that audience feedback is invaluable.

Connect with Dr. Kristen Wager

Website

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 scenarios by intentionally creating positive, empowering alternative narratives.

2 - Rewrite Your Personal Stories: Recognize that the stories you tell yourself are often assumptions, and consciously choose more compassionate interpretations.

3 - Refuse Negative Talk: Disengage from gossip and complaints, instead redirecting conversations towards positivity and inspiration.

4 - Shift “I Have To” to “I Get To”: Transform obligations into opportunities by reframing mundane tasks as privileged experiences.

5 - Replace Comparison with Inspiration: When you catch yourself comparing, pause and ask how another’s success can motivate rather than discourage you.

Get in touch with Megan below.

Website | Instagram

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, you’ll discover how to revolutionize your time management by creating a personalized weekly planning system for your food blogging business, including the best tools to use and strategies for building habits that last.

Key points discussed include:

- Weekly Planning is Critical: A consistent weekly planning session can help you anticipate challenges and create smoother transitions between tasks and responsibilities.

- Customize Your Approach: There’s no one-size-fits-all method for planning; adapt the strategy to fit your unique personality and lifestyle.

- Use High and Low-Tech Tools: Combine digital tools like Asana with a physical notebook to capture and track ideas and tasks effectively.

- Account for Transition Time: Build in buffer time between activities to reduce stress and prevent perpetual lateness.

- Start Small and Reward Yourself: Begin with a bare minimum planning session and create a reward system to build a sustainable habit.

- Embrace Flexibility: Your weekly planning can evolve and be completed in segments rather than one strict sit-down session.

- Imagination Matters: Use creativity and forward-thinking to design a time management system that works uniquely for you.

Connect with Anna Dearmon Kornick

Website | Instagram