802: Beyond Ads - How to Build a Multi-Revenue Food Blogging Business with Yumna Jawad

Megan chats with Yumna Jawad about building a multi-revenue food blogging business through cookbooks, partnerships, affiliate marketing, speaking opportunities, and physical products. Yumna Jawad, who was born in Africa to Lebanese parents and moved to the US at 11 years old, is beloved by millions of fans globally on Instagram, TikTok, and her website, Feel Good Foodie for her unique, delicious, creative and easy recipes that often go viral on social media. She has grown her massive following from scratch the past decade and has recently founded a new culinary venture, Oath Oats, launched in November 2022. Yumna's viral food trends have been featured by Live with Kelly & Ryan, The Today Show, Good Morning America, PEOPLE, Vogue, and the New York Times. A graduate from the University of Michigan Business School, she now lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with her husband and two kids. Yumna's parents are both Lebanese so she proudly features Lebanese, middle eastern and Ramadan recipes as part of her heritage. Her first cookbook, The Feel Good Foodie Cookbook, launched in May 2024 (Penguin) and is filled with over 100 approachable, unique and delicious "Middle Eastern meets Midwestern" recipes for the entire family. The cookbook hit the bestseller lists on Amazon, USA Today and Publisher's Weekly. Ad revenue is no longer enough to support a long-term food blogging business. In this episode, Yumna shares the exact ways she diversified Feel Good Foodie into a recognizable brand with multiple income streams. This conversation is packed with practical ideas for experienced food bloggers who want more stability, visibility, and long-term growth. Key Topics Discussed: - Build revenue streams before traffic declines force you to. - Long term brand partnerships outperform one off sponsorships. - A cookbook strengthens authority far beyond direct sales. - Affiliate income grows faster when personality leads the content. - Email works best when it builds relationships instead of pushing recipes. - Video creates stronger audience connection than static content alone. Connect with Yumna Jawad Website | Instagram