Starting as a Food Blogger: Madison Reid of Mrs Madi

Madison Reid, founder of the baking website Mrs Madi, didn’t follow the traditional path into food blogging. Instead, she built her initial following through in-person cooking classes, hosting students in her home and teaching them the art and science of baking. However, after three years, the demands of hosting 16 people at a time in her home began to take their toll.

“I kind of peaked there,” Madison says, recalling the exhaustion that led her to switch gears. “There was no more room to grow in that format.” So, she turned to blogging, where she found much more creative freedom. Instead of repeatedly baking popular recipes like brownies and cakes for her classes, she now gets to experiment with something new each week, sharing them with a much broader online audience.

Transitioning from in-person classes to blogging wasn’t without its challenges. Madison acknowledges that growing a blog is a long game. “It takes at least 18 months to two years for a blog to really take off,” she explains. While social media might provide instant gratification, blogging is different. “There are no viral blogs,” Madison points out. Instead, building traffic requires consistent effort, patience, and a lot of hard work.

Madison acknowledges the often-overlooked challenges of starting out as a food blogger, especially with a small audience. “There’s a lot of talk about growing from 10,000 to 50,000 views,” she says, “but no one really talks about going from 100 to 1,000 views.” It’s a slow, sometimes discouraging process, but she stays positive by celebrating small wins along the way. “It’s all about being patient and enjoying the journey. There are no viral blogs,” she adds. Recently, Madison hit a big milestone—300 blog posts—just nine months into her blogging journey, and she continues to work toward bigger goals like reaching 10,000 views a month to start monetizing with ads.

Madison’s advice for new food bloggers is to start strong and not be afraid to ask for help. From the beginning, she sought mentorship from experienced bloggers like Carrian from Oh Sweet Basil and Elena from Cucina by Elena. She also finds value in resources like the Eat, Blog, Talk and Food Blogger Pro podcasts, although she notes they tend to cater to more established bloggers. “It’s so important to seek help where you need it,” she says. “Investing in mentorship has been one of the best decisions I’ve made. I’ve never been afraid to hire out what I’m not good at,” she adds. Whether it’s website design, email marketing, or photography, she believes in investing in experts so she can focus on what she loves—baking.

Madison’s creativity and understanding of food chemistry shine through in her work. Her Bakery-Style Cinnamon Rolls are a favorite, and she’s particularly proud of her unique twist for keeping them moist: spraying simple syrup on the rolls right out of the oven. This creates a caramelized, gooey texture without undercooking the dough. “It’s a game-changer,” she says with a smile.

Looking ahead, Madison dreams of branching out into video content, with the possibility of launching a YouTube cooking show. She’s also eager to master the art of croissants and plans to share a beginner-friendly recipe once it’s perfected. With a growing blog and big plans for the future, Madison Reid is just getting started on her food blogging journey.

Explore Madison’s recipes at Mrs Madi.