How a Home Baker Grew a $95K Food Blog in 3 Years

Turning a Home Kitchen into a Six-Figure Blog

In early 2020, Kayla Burton was feeling the weight of her corporate healthcare role. To unwind, she returned to a childhood favorite: baking cookies with her grandma. A broken oven and a partner’s lens on her creations sparked something bigger. Within weeks, she had an Instagram account that drew curious food lovers—and by May she’d launched Broken Oven Baking Company.

From Instagram to Blogging Platform

Sharing high-quality photos and simple recipes gave Kayla the confidence to build a website. She chose WordPress as her platform and dove into SEO basics. Finding the right keywords was messy at first, but each post taught her more. By early 2021, she reached 10,000 followers on Instagram. That milestone proved this could be more than a hobby.

Quitting to Focus Full-Time

With brand shout-outs and small ad deals in her pocket, Kayla saved enough to cover living costs for several months. In May 2021, she walked away from her 9-to-5 and dedicated herself to Broken Oven Baking full-time. Her routine shifted: mornings crafting recipes, afternoons optimizing posts, and evenings emailing readers. It felt risky, but progress kept stacking up.

Building Multiple Income Streams

Today, Broken Oven Baking earns revenue through three main channels: sponsored partnerships, an ad network called Mediavine, and one-on-one coaching. Brand deals paid early bills, Mediavine boosted earnings in 2022, and coaching pulled in extra cash last year. Kayla now teaches other bloggers how to replicate her process.

Smart Growth Tactics

Kayla credits her rise to consistent publishing, solid keyword research, and cross-channel promotion. Most readers arrive via Google and Pinterest, so she tailors recipes and pins accordingly. A weekly email newsletter keeps her audience engaged and returning for new content.

Scaling with a Remote Team

Once content volume spiked, Kayla brought on four part-time helpers: a Pinterest manager, a writer, a photo editor, and a video editor. Freelance platforms and DMs on Instagram helped her find talent. Delegating routine tasks freed her to plan new recipes and coaching programs.

Key Lessons and What’s Next

Kayla’s advice is simple: invest in reliable hosting, nail down SEO early, and don’t ignore the basics like email marketing. She’s working on group coaching, resource bundles, and community spaces where bakers can swap tips. Even with others doing the day-to-day, she stays hands-on with strategy to keep her own blog aligned with industry shifts.