Become a Mission-Focused Blogger with Brian Dixon

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As a food blogger one of the biggest struggles can be simply showing up to do the work day in and day out. Today’s guest, Brian Dixon, specializes in helping entrepreneurs not only find their audience but also discover their mission and purpose. Learn his tips on how to become a mission-focused blogger!

A photo of Brian Dixon with the text indicating he's the next guest on the Chopped Podcast.

About Brian Dixon

Brian Dixon is this author of Start with Your People: The Daily Decision that Changes Everything. He has a doctoral degree in education from the University of San Diego.

He has consulted with universities, publishers, nonprofits, and hundreds of coaching students to help them clarify their message and serve their ideal audience. As a podcaster, conference speaker and consultant, Brian is passionate about helping high performers thrive in a world of overwhelming options.

How to AMP-lify your Blog!

If you don’t know who your business is for, you will always struggle. Brian Dixon has a mission to teach you AMP — Audience, Message, and Products. If you know these three things your food blog is well on its way to becoming a success!

Become a Mission-Based Blogger

If you started your blog with a mission — maybe it’s to help people with special diets find really delicious meals — you need to be able to follow through on that mission. And that means you have to find a way to be financially successful as well. Because a blog that isn’t successful financial is a hobby. So, in order to turn your hobby into a passion-filled business, you need some proven strategies for success!

One of the ways to be a mission-based blogger is to quit blogging for yourself or for other bloggers. Brian encourages you to create an avatar of your your audience and picture her every time you post on Instagram or YouTube.

Instead of looking at your food blog as a potential empire. Instead of thinking about your Instagram following going from 10,000 to 100,000 or 1,000 to 10,000, what if you thought about that one person you’re truly meant to serve. It changes the way you think about content. It changes the way you post and it also changes the way you show up for people. — Brian Dixon

Start With Your People

Brian created an example of his audience called Cheryl. So, stop worrying about the others, worry about Cheryl.

When you post on IG, it’s a one picture at a time medium. That’s the only picture they’re looking at at that time. You may not have their attention very long, but for a few seconds, you’ve got their attention.

It begins with the people who are already following your blog. They’re already on your mailing list. Why constantly be seeking to reach a larger audience if you’re not serving the ones who are!

Ask yourself — how can I serve them? Where are they stuck. It becomes a magic formula!

Compare Yourself to Your Future You

Brian says that he doesn’t want to compare himself to other people. It’s not a helpful practice because you’re not always seeing the true version of others. However, Brian says what he does instead is compares himself to a future version of himself.

He imagines who he wants to be or could be a year from now and then he compares himself to that. Wow! What a powerful practice!

Then, to continue with this thought, Brian also compares himself to who he was three years ago. And he realizes that the Brian from three years ago would be so proud of where he’s at today. That is fuel and motivation to move forward!

How to Know Your Audience

As a food blogger, you’ve already narrowed down you’re topic — FOOD! However, Brian reminds us there are “riches in the niches!” The more you can narrow your topic, the better. Think about it this way, your audience has questions and you want your blog to answer those questions in a very specific and tangible way.

Small is the new big. — Seth Godin

Focus on a specific person with a specific problem. Imagine their life. Where are they right now? Think of your ideal reader. Who is she specifically and what questions/problems is she dealing with. This exercise will give you clarity about what to write about on your blog.

If your audience is seeking content from a crowded field such as food blogging, they’re going to go to what is easiest. That means you have to think of ways you can better serve your audience — such as a weekly call-in session or a membership program.

Becoming a Profitable Mission Focused Blog

There’s so many mindset difficulties as an entrepreneur, especially around money. Brian explains that there can also be difficulties around growing your audience and remaining authentic.

Some common struggles when transitioning to a profit-based mission is the whole concept of making money. A “Wantreperneur” is someone who hasn’t figured out yet how to make money yet. A real business makes money. So, it’s important to give some things away, but it is equally important to think about ways you can make money so your business can be sustainable.

Work Life Integration

Brian said in the research for his book, Start With Your People, he couldn’t find one successful business book that had a chapter dedicated to the importance of your family. There is a gap in the conversation about commitment to work and a commitment to family. Brian recommends work-life integration rather than balance.

Have a conversation with your loved ones and tell them what your goal is. Let them know you want to work hard over the next month to grow your blog. Let them know that in addition to your regular job, you want to cook an hour a week. It might mean hiring some extra help to clean up the kitchen or to help with social media. By integrating your family into your mission, they will have the opportunity to buy into the goal as well.

Have a Finish Line

Allow yourself to have an end. As soon as a post does well, you’re ready for the next one. However, Brian recommends finding some event or planning some activity that you’re looking forward to. Create that as your “finish line” and then work hard until that date. That way you can use the event as an opportunity to celebrate your hard work!

Focus this year on the things that you know are doing well. If there are things others are talking about, such as some new social media platform, put that in a “parking lot” list that you can work on for next year.

Entrepreneur Self Care

Brian follows the practice of self care in the way of a morning routine. His mentor refers to this as the “rudder of the day.” A rudder is not very big but it steers the boat. Your morning routine can help steer your day.

Brian recommends a Mirror Exercise to help get your day started with lots of inspiration! He recommends looking in a mirror and repeating a saying. Develop a statement by thinking about who is that you want to serve.

Maybe your statement would be something like this: I help moms of kids with gluten allergies prepare healthy food by…daily posting on instagram, a weekly video, and…”.

Fill in the blank with something that people have to pay to get. That way your statement acknowledges what you provide for free and what you’re charging money for. When you realize what you do for free and what you ask your audience to pay for, it can be a game-changer.

Show Notes:

Here are the important references mentioned on today’s episode on How to Find Your Audience with Brian Dixon.


Posted in Mindset, Podcast