Erika’s path was definitely not a linear one, however. She jumped between roles in corporate communications and product management, even picking up an MBA. The blog, meanwhile, remained a passion project, a side gig but one with a loyal and growing audience.
Then came 2022. After moving to NYC for a new job, Erika was laid off 8 months later. And suddenly she was at a crossroads.
“It felt like the worst thing at the time,” she says. “But honestly, I never would’ve made the leap otherwise. I needed that push.”
So, instead of scrambling for the next tech job, Erika gave herself one full year to try the blogging thing out, full-time.
That one year ended up changing everything.
Erika’s values were always clear: “I don’t want to paywall my content,” she says. “It’s important that people can access it for free.”
That meant ads were the obvious solution. They kept the site accessible while helping Erika offset the costs for things like ingredients, hosting, and photo gear.
At first, she started small, with Google AdSense, and watched her revenue go from “hobby money” to “a living wage in New York City!”
Eventually, she upgraded to Raptive, a Google Certified Publishing Partner. “People kept raving about them,” Erika says. “The transition was hands-on, and they’ve given me more tools than any other network I’ve used.”
