It wouldn’t be a blogging conference without at least one food blogger, right? Portland local Kelly Bejelly is the force behind the popular Paleo blog A Girl Worth Saving. Her site is filled with recipes, gorgeous food photos, and general cooking and baking tips, like how to make ingredient substitutions or how to freeze peaches. Her work includes vegan and allergy recipes as well, to make them accessible to the greatest number of people.

A sample of her photos:

Now I’m hungry. Must have chocolate! Er, cacao. 🙂

Like many, Kelly started blogging as a hobby, but over time has not only turned her blog into a business, but has branched out into other sites, like meal-planning resource 20 Dishes. Her work has been featured in Cosmopolitan, Huffington Post, Redbook, Parade, and Natural Solutions Magazine. On top of all that, she recently completed a cookbook, Paleo Eats: 111 Comforting Gluten-Free, Grain-Free and Dairy-Free Recipes for the Foodie in You, that’s available now.

One of the things that Kelly does really well is tying her blog into social media. She has a strong presence on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, produces a regular newletter, a podcast and the occasional webinar, and even has a store on her site for recommended products. She’s going to be talking at Press Publish Portland about how to turn your blog into a business, sharing what has worked (or not) for her in her path to (successfully) monetizing her blog.

Get to know her a little bit right now, and get your ticket to Press Publish to see her in person!

Q. What made you start blogging on (your main blog)?

A. This is highly embarrassing, but true. I was new mom in search of helpful information about how to wrangle my newborn, so I turned to mom blogs to figure out if the lack of the sleep was normal. I noticed that most mom bloggers work with brands by reviewing products. I quickly became a giveaway junkie. One day a light bulb went off, and I realized that I could do this too. At that point, my blog was born again.

Q. What kept you (and still keeps you) posting regularly?

A. A Girl Worth Saving transitioned from “Mommy-life” to a food blog that shares about my grain-free/paleo lifestyle years ago. I’ve found that knowing that my recipes are helping others in their lifestyle (especially the kids) keeps me creative in the kitchen and leads to regular posts.

Q. What’s your most popular post? 

A. A paleo slow cooker round up. This goes to show how much people love their slow cookers!

Q. Is that also your favorite post? If not, what are a few of your favorite posts, and why?

A. No, while I adore my slow cooker, my favorite post is my recipe for a Raspberry Pop Tart. I was really trying to push the idea of “Paleo” and do so in a way that everyone with allergies could enjoy. The recipe is nut-free, egg-free and dairy-free, but it’s tasty and a well-loved recipe.

Q. How have readers responded to your writing?

A. In my line of work, it’s the recipe, not the writing. I get praised on how easy and quick, as well as delicious, my recipes are. Is there anything you’re hoping to share with the Press Publish audience? I hope to share my journey as a blogger and the tips and tricks I have learned along the way.

Q. Is there anything you’re hoping to learn at Press Publish?

A. I’m always on the lookout for the newest trends and how to better serve the paleo community.