Portfolio

Head of Publishing, Bigger Bolder Baking

I spent about half a decade as the Head of Publishing for Bigger Bolder Baking, an international baking show and online destination for bakers worldwide, helmed by celebrity chef Gemma Stafford. Here are some key successes before a deep dive into specific projects in the next sections.

Grew organic traffic to the site to almost 5 million site visitors a month in 2020 by optimizing posts, new and old, and using proper SEO tactics on BiggerBolderBaking.com
Grew the Bigger Bolder Baking Facebook pages to 3 million followers, YouTube to 2.6 million
Created the Knead To Know baking podcast
Managed a content team and an intense publishing schedule on track to new pieces of content every day, including contributors and freelancers
Created campaigns and content strategies to ensure Bigger Bolder Baking is the #1 authority in baking
Helped create the Bold Baking Academy, an online baking school, just launched in Nov 2021
All traffic is organic, no paid advertising.

NOTE: Every piece explained and linked to in this portfolio was personally copyedited by me and tailored to fit essential SEO practices, if applicable.

Branded Content

Pavilions, a major grocery store brand here in California owned by the parent company Albertsons, which also owns Vons, reached out to us for a sponsored recipe and video that had to be made entirely on a grill.

I ran point on all communications with the brand, while working with our production and design teams to meet their specifications while honoring our own brand. We delivered early, to order, and with a special recipe: grilled angel food cake with tart cream and strawberries. The performance was so much so that Pavilions has since worked with the Bigger Bolder Baking brand multiple times. You can see the final results right here.

Plates with shortbread next to a bag spilling strawberries

Baking pans stacked up in front of a brick wall

As brand ambassadors for the bakeware brand GoodCook, we had a very close relationship that led to multiple branded content pieces. The one I’m most proud of, however, is an entire guide to bakeware. It was a deep dive into the pans and dishes we all use, but a look at their specific use cases, materials, and pros/cons.

This campaign was created and developed by me to capture SEO rankings for the phrase “guide to bakeware” while simultaneously delivering a sponsored opportunity to GoodCook.

As of now, while I write this, Bigger Bolder Baking ranks #1 on Google for that exact phrase. Check it out right here.

The Triple Grands recipe and episode are truly the definition of “from scratch” — it’s a dessert with no category. It’s a cookie, shaped like a cupcake, filled with cheesecake.

The hurdles here were to create something nobody had ever seen before and make it a hit with our fans and strangers alike, which we accomplished. Currently, it has 88k views on YouTube, and from a traffic standpoint, it was such a success that our partnership with Ghirardelli continued well into the next year.

Get the recipe and see the work, right here.

Education, Guides, and Subscription Services

A woman standing at a counter full of pies, with labels supporting people to become a better, bolder baker

In 2021, Bigger Bolder Baking launched an online baking school under a subscription model. Not only did I build the website from scratch alongside co-owner Kevin Kurtz, but I also designed many of the graphics and wrote all the copy.

The Bold Baking Academy was loved by subscribers who wanted a more elevated, in-depth learning experience beyond our free YouTube episodes, complete with in-depth guides, recipes, and breakdowns.

I also designed the launch campaign, combining our growing email list (100k+ subscribers), social media, website, and YouTube to promote and market the courses.

Beyond recipes and bakeware, I also helped develop specific educational guides.

I sourced expertise, conducted SEO research, designed the launch campaign, and tracked results for every piece of content during my tenure at Bigger Bolder Baking, and one of our hit pieces of education was a guide to eggs. We covered sizes, substitutes, and more, and developed easy-to-download charts for fans everywhere to instill further confidence in their own baking journeys.

Find the egg guide here.

Six eggs in a holding tray, one of them is cracked open

SEO Success: Video & Google

Here are some video + website success stories to further emphasize my grasp of not just webpage SEO but also video SEO — and successful positioning on YouTube and Facebook.

3 Ingredient Flatbread // 1.9m views + #1 Google Result

2 Ingredient Homemade Pasta // 1m views + #1 Google Result

Simplest Sourdough // 634k views + Google 1st Page

Chocolate Mug Cake // 430k views + Google 1st Page

A screenshot of google search results showing flatbread recipes

Campaigns

Screenshots of holiday cookies and social media posts featuring them

I have successfully designed, prepped, scheduled, and executed campaigns for all sorts of things — from launching two fully published cookbooks and landing on top sellers lists on Amazon, to growing email lists to maintain the direct relationship we had with our fans and supporters, and even a yearly 12 Days of Cookies campaign on social media.

Of course, those are just a few examples of the coordinated efforts I’ve completed over my 13+ years in online editorial.

Publishing a cookbook is no easy task, let alone two! Part of my position as the Head of Publishing at Bigger Bolder Baking was to help design and coordinate pre-order campaigns for Gemma’s best-selling cookbooks, as well as post-launch sales campaigns, especially during the holidays.

Both books cracked the top of Amazon’s baking/cookbook lists for pre-orders and sales.

Two book covers side-by-side featuring the same woman

Content Marketing

A screenshot of the cover of a white paper about OTT deliveries

I spent some time as a Content Marketing Manager at Zype (now Backlight), a B2B company.

From creating an Editorial Calendar for them to writing blog posts covering the technical aspects of OTT (Over-the-Top) video distribution, I also created flowcharts and contributed to a white paper on OTT services. I helped edit, re-write, and organize sections of this helpful tool for companies looking to deliver their video content to platforms like Roku and custom apps.

Writing, Editing, and Interviews

I have visited CES (The Consumer Electronics Expo) multiple times in my career. First in 2016 as the Head Writer for a now-defunct website called FirstSlice, and then again in 2018 with my own tech review site called GoGoDadget.com. GoGoDadget was a source for my technology opinions, focusing on how gadgets could impact lives, regardless of specs.

Technology has always been a passion of mine, and if I’m not covering and reviewing it, I’m applying it to every aspect of my career.

A webpage screenshot featuring an article about CES in 2016

A man wearing glasses in black and white

In 2017, I was the Managing Editor and head writer for a website called SuitedMag, which covered everything in Las Vegas. Beyond the news, we also conducted deep-dive interviews.

One of those was meeting up with Sisun Lee and his supposed “hangover cure,” Morning Recovery, for a drink in LA. Lee has since pivoted to other spaces, but after growing the company to $30m+ in sales during his time as CEO.

A man with a beard smiling at the camera, this is Brian Barnes

Should you need any further content from my career, please do not hesitate to request it by reaching out via the form on the home page.