If you attended the 2018 International Food Bloggers Conference, you likely caught The Food Hussy (Heather Johnson) during the Lightning Talks session — a high-energy five minutes full of humor and practical advice for food bloggers.
Heather began food blogging in 2008 and brings more than 20 years of marketing agency experience. For the past decade she balanced a marketing career by day with blogging nights and weekends. That dual perspective — understanding both brands and bloggers — led her to manage influencers in her day job and eventually transition to working with influencers full-time, while continuing her own work as a food influencer.
The Food Hussy’s perspective is practical and direct, and she delivers it with energy that can revive even the sleepiest conference audience. Her five-minute talk left attendees wanting more, so we followed up with a short interview.
Q: First things first — what’s a Food Hussy?
A: Besides the obvious answer of “ME!”, I use “hussy” playfully. I call friends that when I like them — it signals honesty, openness, and someone who tells it like it is. If that describes you, you might be a hussy too. But there’s only one Food Hussy.
Q: How and why did you start as a food and travel blogger?
A: I started because I love food and I’m opinionated — I like to share my thoughts. I began with restaurant reviews in Cincinnati and later expanded to recipes, road trips, DIY projects, and product reviews. I also appear regularly on local TV news segments.
Q: After 10 years, what’s next for The Food Hussy?
A: My long-term dream is The Food Network, but in the near term I’m expanding my recipe work, reviews, and road-trip content while increasing my speaking engagements at industry events.
Q: Your IFBC lightning talk offered quick, actionable advice for bloggers working with brands. Can you expand on that?
A: Sure.
Q: What are website mistakes that frustrate you when you’re researching bloggers for brand work?
A: Two things stand out. First, list your email address clearly on your site (not just a form) so brands and agencies can reach you easily — if you’re trying to avoid bots, write it out like “foodhussy at gmail dot com” but don’t hide it. Second, set social links to open in a new tab. Agencies need to move quickly between sites and social profiles, and opening in a new tab keeps users on your blog if they click away.
Q: From your agency experience, what tips help bloggers succeed when working with brands?
A: Take deadlines and details seriously — brands and agencies do. If a project isn’t a fit, say so, and recommend others who might be better matches. For example, a gluten-free brand once reached out to me; it wasn’t my niche, but I connected them with friends who were a perfect fit.
Q: As a blogger, what practical advice do you have?
A: A few core tips:
- Know your rates. Decide what you charge so you can respond quickly and confidently. If a brand wants you, they’ll negotiate if necessary.
- Learn to say no. Not every offer is worth your time; don’t be afraid to decline projects that don’t fit your brand or energy.
- Offer options. Present tiered packages — for example, recipe creation, using one of the brand’s recipes, adding a video, or extra social posts — so a brand can choose based on budget.
- Outsource tasks you dislike. If you dread creating Pinterest pins or scheduling posts, hire a virtual assistant. It’s often affordable and frees you to focus on income-generating work.
Q: Can you explain “options equal more money”?
A: Everyone has different skills and markets. Think beyond recipe posts. I earn well from sponsored TV appearances, which isn’t feasible for every blogger. Other opportunities include book projects, professional photography services, or organizing local blogger events. Identify what you can offer that others may not.
Q: What’s a common mistake bloggers make?
A: Some bloggers hoard tips, contacts, or strategies out of fear of competition. I prefer collaboration. I call it the Sisterhood of the Traveling Spatulas — share what works and introduce brands to bloggers who might be a better fit. Helping others builds goodwill and often comes back to you.
Q: Where will The Food Hussy be speaking next?
A: I’m scheduled to speak at TBEX next week on a panel about blogging income, and I hope to return to IFBC in Juneau, Alaska next year.
Q: Where can people find The Food Hussy online?
A:
Blog: www.thefoodhussy.com
Facebook: facebook.com/thefoodhussy
Twitter: twitter.com/foodhussy
Pinterest: pinterest.com/foodhussy
Instagram: instagram.com/foodhussy
If you’d like to contact me directly, email: [email protected]
