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Crusading for a Kinder World

RISE AND THRIVE WITH ELLA MAGERS

Crusading for a Kinder World

Crusading for a Kinder World

with MICHELLE CEHN

Michelle Cehn is a vegan living crusader working to inspire positive change through her delicious recipes, educational resources, and relatable videos. In this interview we discuss her fascinating entrepreneurial journey and how being an extreme introvert has shaped the evolution of her career.

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<v ->No, do the intro separate so we can just dive right in.</v>

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<v ->Okay.</v>

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Is it okay if I change these earphones?

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<v ->Yeah, go for it.</v>

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<v ->Okay, one sec.</v>

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Make sure it’s recording correctly.

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Next chapter.

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Okay wait, say something one more time.

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<v ->Yeah, how about now?</v>

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Okay, great.

<v ->We’re good?</v>

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<v ->Yeah, I’m so not used to noise cancelling.</v>

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It makes me feel like I’m in a bubble, so this is awesome.

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<v ->Cool.</v>

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Oh Michelle, I am so excited to talk to you.

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Thank you for being here today.

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<v ->It’s such an honour to be here.</v>

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I’m so stoked too.

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I love everything you’re doing.

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<v ->Oh, thank you.</v>

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And I love everything you’re doing

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and there’s so many directions.

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And I find myself saying this with so many of our guests,

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like there’s a lot we can talk about today.

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So I’m going to try to keep us focused,

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but I was wondering if we could start with something

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kind of fun, a little lightning round.

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Would you be up for that?

<v ->Yeah.</v>

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Yeah, let’s do it.

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<v ->Okay, I’ve got five questions for you.</v>

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<v ->Okay.</v>

<v ->First one,</v>

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three staples in your kitchen

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that you couldn’t imagine living without.

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<v ->Okay.</v>

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Nutritional yeast, nooch, vegan fairy dust,

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whatever you want to call it.

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Okay, that.

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I’m going to have to say pasta.

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I know it’s not the most wellness inspired one,

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but it’s such a great base for so many things.

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And let’s go ground flax seeds,

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ground flax seed meal that you can use instead of eggs

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in like almost any baking recipe.

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Those are my three essentials.

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<v ->Good ones and I know this is supposed</v>

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to be a lightning round,

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but I have to have some follow ups for that.

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<v ->Yes, I want to know yours.</v>

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<v ->Okay well, nooch is like a big one for me right now.</v>

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I get kind of on these kicks and right now

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I’ve got this kale salad that I just put

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nutritional yeast and white beans

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and toasted pumpkin seeds.

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Well, I have to massage the kale with some olive oil.

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I just do,

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but that’s like my favourite right now.

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But somebody sent me,

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and I have it right over there ’cause I have to order it.

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A specific type of nooch that I didn’t realise

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there are so many, that it could taste different,

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the different kinds of nutritional yeast.

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And this one I am loving so much.

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So do you have a specific type that you found that you like,

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like a brand?

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Do you notice a difference?

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I didn’t know if that was just me.

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<v ->It is not just you.</v>

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I actually have a big huge like supersized mason jar

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on my counter with nooch.

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And so I’ll fill it up and oftentimes I’ll get it

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from bulk bins at the store ’cause it’s sustainable.

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And often more affordable and nutritional yeast

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can be really expensive

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if you get those little tiny containers.

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But the interesting thing is that when I fill it up

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with different brands, they’re like different colours,

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different size flakes.

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And then some of them like are loaded with B12,

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some of them have none of it.

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Like, it really does depend on the brand that you get.

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I haven’t done, I should do a taste test.

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I’ve done like vegan turkey taste,

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like all these different taste tests,

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but I never considered doing nutritional yeast.

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That’s a really good idea.

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<v ->Yeah.</v>

<v ->And what’s your favourite?</v>

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<v ->Well I hadn’t realised. It’s called Noochy Licious.</v>

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<v ->Okay, I’m going to write that down.</v>

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<v ->Yeah, I’ll give them a shout out.</v>

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And I forgot the guy’s name at the moment,

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but he actually emailed me and said,

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“I’ve got this Noochy Licious and I want to send you some.”

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And I’m thinking it’s nutritional yeast,

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like it’s all the same.

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And I literally was blown away.

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So I haven’t emailed him back yet,

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but I’m going to let him know

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that I really appreciate his Noochy Licious

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and it’s got a fun name.

<v ->That is awesome.</v>

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There was a brand that just came out

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with these little shaker,

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so it’s like a spice bottle, but filled with nooch.

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And I thought that’s brilliant.

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Although really I want to like take the cap off

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and dump the whole thing on my favourite plate.

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But to have like a little shaker that you could use

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like you would Parmesan cheese

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or something like that is so cool.

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<v ->Yeah, that works.</v>

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So just, yeah, my other ones are definitely chickpeas

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because I can’t live without chickpeas.

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And, oh, the other follow up question for you is,

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is there a specific type of pasta that you use?

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Now I’m curious.

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<v ->Oh, controversial as well in the health sphere, but yes.</v>

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I’ve been vegetarian since I was eight years old.

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And for a bunch of the years of being vegetarian,

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my diet was just all the white foods

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and pasta was one of those.

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Also lots of dairy, cheese,

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all the stuff that quickly I dropped when I went vegan.

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But pasta was the one thing that I sort of held onto

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as a base for lots of foods.

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And because I’ve eaten it like almost every day of my life,

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it’s so hard for me to turn to the alternative pasta.

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So I do, especially now that I have a kid

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and I really want to set like good examples

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and make sure that his palette is familiar and loving,

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like bean pastas and quinoa pasta and lentil pasta,

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all the different types and getting colourful with them.

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But I’m a semolina like basic white pasta girl myself.

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<v ->I am so glad you’re not afraid to admit that.</v>

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<v ->Yeah.</v>

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I have a lot of things that I could feel shameful for

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and instead I just choose to fully embrace them.

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There’s plenty of room

<v ->I love that.</v>

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<v ->For health and also having the things that we love.</v>

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<v ->Thank you.</v>

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Very well said.

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I love that.

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Okay, cool.

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Yeah, so for me, Banza, the Banza pasta,

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I really do like it.

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<v ->And they also came out with pizza crust, I believe,</v>

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and I can’t remember if they’re made from cauliflower

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or something, but they’re really good too.

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<v ->Is it?</v>

<v ->Banza is great.</v>

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<v ->Well they surprised me.</v>

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The one thing that happened once was that

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I saw a mac and cheese from Banza,

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that you could buy and I bought it.

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I guess I live in a bubble because-

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<v ->Did it have dairy?</v>

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<v ->It literally was dairy cheese.</v>

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<v ->Yeah.</v>

<v ->And I had no idea.</v>

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I mean, I read the ingredients and it didn’t even,

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isn’t that funny?

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Like it didn’t even occur to me that it would be dairy.

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<v ->And there’s so many amazing brands out there</v>

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that are fully plant-based

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that I do the same thing sometimes.

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I’m just like, oh my gosh,

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I thought this brand was totally plant-based.

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You do it enough times though and you’re like,

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okay, I’m going to just check everything.

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Even though a brand is like,

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we’re all plant, it says it on the package.

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That’s the other thing.

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Sometimes I’ll pick up a package that says plant-based

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and it has animal products in it.

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<v ->Right, yes.</v>

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The marketing is tricky.

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<v ->It is.</v>

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<v ->You got to read the ingredients.</v>

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Okay, finally, moving on to number two.

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What’s your morning self-care ritual or routine?

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<v ->Oh my gosh.</v>

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I need your help here.

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This has been a goal of mine actually for like two decades,

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at least a decade and a half

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you read the books,

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everyone who’s successful and it’s super awesome

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has a great morning routine. So I’ll construct them,

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I’ll craft them and I’ll follow them and it’s light for me.

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It’s like working out.

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Like I’ll do it a bit and then I will always slide off.

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So to be totally honest and transparent,

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I’ve just leaned into my morning routine.

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Well I have a kid, so I get my kid ready and everything

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and then I jump into work but for me,

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it’s calling me like I’m itching

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to like get started into the day

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and to fight that is such a mental challenge for me

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that that’s how I start.

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And I put my routine stuff and more of the like relax

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and decompress at the end of the day

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’cause I just feel like, okay, I’m accomplished.

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I’ve done the things that I need to do

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and now I can truly relax.

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So it was kind of a journey

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of like trying to work with my mind and how myself works.

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And even though it’s different from everyone,

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I just kind of leaned into it.

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But tell me yours.

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I always want to get inspired

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and I do little snippets like every once in a while

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I’ll do a few weeks of like a strong morning routine.

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It does feel good,

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but it’s like it’s fighting my natural urges.

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<v ->Yeah, well you know what,</v>

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I don’t think that there is a right or wrong

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and I think there are a lot of people in that scenario

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and I used to be in that place too

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of I was ready to jump out of bed and jump right in.

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So what could possibly be helpful

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is literally a five minute just intention setting.

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It could be as little as five minutes of being still

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of a five minute guided meditation,

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a five minute just laying in bed,

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getting present and saying,

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“I’m excited and grateful to start this day.”

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Like it could be as small as that.

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And then, yeah, like you said, having your relaxation

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and doing some other things in the evening.

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So I don’t think there’s a right or wrong

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and just getting present I think

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five minutes before jumping into action

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of just being still and kind of getting present.

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<v ->In case anyone else struggles with the morning routine,</v>

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which inevitably is helpful when you can do it.

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There was an app that I used for a while

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and I keep going back onto it because it would basically,

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in the morning it would have you set your list,

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your routine, like drink a glass of water,

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take your five minutes,

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like set your three most important tasks for the day,

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whatever, you put it in the order

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and then it gives you this really satisfying like ding.

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So if you are someone that like me who just wants to jump in

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and start being productive and doing the things

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and it’s really tough to fight your urges.

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Those like, oh, I can check the box here

242

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and I am getting things done.

243

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I am being productive.

244

00:09:37.830 –> 00:09:39.603

Like, self-care is productive.

245

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That’s really helpful.

246

00:09:41.580 –> 00:09:43.590

It was really helpful and I stuck with it

247

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that was like my longest spurt and I feel inspired.

248

00:09:46.920 –> 00:09:49.170

After this, I’ll wake up tomorrow

249

00:09:49.170 –> 00:09:52.740

and I’m going to set up another routine.

250

00:09:52.740 –> 00:09:55.230

But the other one that is really helpful for me,

251

00:09:55.230 –> 00:09:59.677

I have a ADD brain, like my brain has a mind of its own.

252

00:10:01.590 –> 00:10:04.650

And so being intentional and taking the time to just like,

253

00:10:04.650 –> 00:10:08.280

before I start, think about what I want my day to be

254

00:10:08.280 –> 00:10:12.180

and then setting the three most important tasks.

255

00:10:12.180 –> 00:10:14.640

And oftentimes it ends up being more than three

256

00:10:14.640 –> 00:10:15.473

’cause I can’t help myself,

257

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but making sure that I look at what I need to do

258

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and pick the most important three

259

00:10:19.740 –> 00:10:23.700

’cause otherwise I find myself often just being productive

260

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but I’m not on the most important things.

261

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<v ->Yeah, that’s good.</v>

262

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Okay.

263

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Number three.

264

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A pivotal time or moment in your life

265

00:10:33.150 –> 00:10:37.233

when you were at the right place at the right time.

266

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<v ->Ooh.</v>

267

00:10:41.130 –> 00:10:41.963

Okay.

268

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Well, this is a weird one,

269

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but I feel like all of us being here is really lucky.

270

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Like that there was that exact right time,

271

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an exact right place that we’re now here is super crazy.

272

00:10:55.350 –> 00:10:56.820

For me, that’s like a little extra.

273

00:10:56.820 –> 00:11:00.270

I was adopted and so I was an accidental pregnancy

274

00:11:00.270 –> 00:11:02.640

one football day.

275

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My birth parents didn’t even know each other

276

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and I didn’t find them until way later in life

277

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so that definitely impacted my life a whole lot.

278

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I think the thing

279

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in terms of kind of creating a big direction in my life,

280

00:11:23.610 –> 00:11:25.860

so many things are accidental.

281

00:11:25.860 –> 00:11:29.406

Like, so many people I’d meet or bump into

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launched different interests

283

00:11:31.500 –> 00:11:34.080

or like the reason I became vegan

284

00:11:34.080 –> 00:11:36.420

was I met someone on the street

285

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and went to an event that they held

286

00:11:37.650 –> 00:11:40.200

and watched a documentary and that inspired me.

287

00:11:40.200 –> 00:11:41.553

So there’s a lot of that.

288

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Let’s see.

289

00:11:46.350 –> 00:11:49.530

And then, yeah, if anyone has like family or kids,

290

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like that’s kind of crazy

291

00:11:50.850 –> 00:11:52.380

’cause like how did you meet your partner?

292

00:11:52.380 –> 00:11:53.880

It was so incidental

293

00:11:53.880 –> 00:11:56.400

and that became the person that’s then like your best friend

294

00:11:56.400 –> 00:11:58.814

and your partner in life and creates some other, like,

295

00:11:58.814 –> 00:12:01.200

like that’s pretty crazy.

296

00:12:01.200 –> 00:12:02.033

<v ->Okay, so well</v>

297

00:12:02.033 –> 00:12:04.500

you might have to tell that little story then.

298

00:12:04.500 –> 00:12:07.290

<v ->Which one?</v>

<v ->How you met your partner.</v>

299

00:12:07.290 –> 00:12:08.820

<v ->Well I met my partner in college.</v>

300

00:12:08.820 –> 00:12:11.880

So it was just like the college, I grew up in California,

301

00:12:11.880 –> 00:12:13.920

sunny, beautiful California.

302

00:12:13.920 –> 00:12:15.060

I love California.

303

00:12:15.060 –> 00:12:18.570

And somehow I went to college in Cleveland, Ohio

304

00:12:18.570 –> 00:12:20.430

at Case Western Reserve University,

305

00:12:20.430 –> 00:12:22.140

which at the time I wanted to be a veterinarian

306

00:12:22.140 –> 00:12:25.080

and they have a really strong like pre-med programme

307

00:12:25.080 –> 00:12:26.520

and I went there.

308

00:12:26.520 –> 00:12:27.990

So that was really random.

309

00:12:27.990 –> 00:12:30.030

And then I was friends with his-

310

00:12:30.030 –> 00:12:32.490

you know, it’s just like the dorms were near each other.

311

00:12:32.490 –> 00:12:34.410

We became friends by happen chance.

312

00:12:34.410 –> 00:12:35.910

Like we even had friends that,

313

00:12:35.910 –> 00:12:39.030

like my husband now dated one of my friends back then

314

00:12:39.030 –> 00:12:41.550

and I sort of was with one of his friends.

315

00:12:41.550 –> 00:12:43.590

So it’s just all happenstance.

316

00:12:43.590 –> 00:12:46.080

And then at the end of college I graduated early

317

00:12:46.080 –> 00:12:48.033

and I stayed an extra,

318

00:12:49.470 –> 00:12:52.440

like I went back to move out of my apartment and everything

319

00:12:52.440 –> 00:12:55.980

and I had a few weeks where a friend of mine said

320

00:12:55.980 –> 00:12:57.870

I was just going to go home and like start working.

321

00:12:57.870 –> 00:12:59.640

And he said you should stay here longer

322

00:12:59.640 –> 00:13:03.060

because this is going to be the only time in your life

323

00:13:03.060 –> 00:13:04.830

where you truly have no responsibilities

324

00:13:04.830 –> 00:13:06.660

because it’s after college, you’re done with college

325

00:13:06.660 –> 00:13:09.510

and you haven’t started work or a career path or anything.

326

00:13:09.510 –> 00:13:14.250

And that advice to me ended up being the greatest gift

327

00:13:14.250 –> 00:13:16.320

’cause it truly was like the only few weeks

328

00:13:16.320 –> 00:13:18.900

in my whole life that I think I’ll not have had carried

329

00:13:18.900 –> 00:13:21.270

like the weight of everything in the world on my shoulders.

330

00:13:21.270 –> 00:13:22.800

I was just free.

331

00:13:22.800 –> 00:13:26.160

And in that time, Dan and I connected, my husband

332

00:13:26.160 –> 00:13:29.430

and he was finishing up college and when he finished,

333

00:13:29.430 –> 00:13:31.020

he moved back to California with me

334

00:13:31.020 –> 00:13:32.770

and ever since we’ve been together.

335

00:13:34.710 –> 00:13:36.360

<v ->I love those stories.</v>

336

00:13:36.360 –> 00:13:39.210

Okay, so let’s go with the next one, which is,

337

00:13:39.210 –> 00:13:42.330

what’s an interview you’ve done on your podcast

338

00:13:42.330 –> 00:13:44.600

that really maybe surprised you

339

00:13:44.600 –> 00:13:46.593

in one way or another and why?

340

00:13:48.000 –> 00:13:49.773

<v ->Okay, let’s see.</v>

341

00:13:53.400 –> 00:13:54.233

Okay.

342

00:13:56.010 –> 00:13:57.593

Oh my gosh.

343

00:13:57.593 –> 00:13:59.490

We’ve done so many interviews.

344

00:13:59.490 –> 00:14:04.490

We did one on with Dan Buettner on “The Blue Zones”

345

00:14:08.070 –> 00:14:11.553

and I just found that so fascinating.

346

00:14:12.690 –> 00:14:16.110

So there’s these zones, areas of the world,

347

00:14:16.110 –> 00:14:17.040

little pockets of the world,

348

00:14:17.040 –> 00:14:19.920

communities where a lot of the diseases

349

00:14:19.920 –> 00:14:23.490

that everyone else is experiencing just almost don’t exist.

350

00:14:23.490 –> 00:14:25.890

The rates of heart disease are almost non-existent.

351

00:14:25.890 –> 00:14:29.719

Diabetes, all these things that we struggle with as a world

352

00:14:29.719 –> 00:14:31.860

don’t exist in these populations.

353

00:14:31.860 –> 00:14:36.695

And so he studied them and identified these blue zones

354

00:14:36.695 –> 00:14:40.380

and then studied them to figure out why,

355

00:14:40.380 –> 00:14:41.697

like, why these diseases didn’t exist.

356

00:14:41.697 –> 00:14:44.160

And a lot of it had to do with what they were eating

357

00:14:44.160 –> 00:14:48.960

their lifestyle, eating a lot of plants, not eating animals,

358

00:14:48.960 –> 00:14:51.120

like all these things, that is so fascinating

359

00:14:51.120 –> 00:14:53.403

but it was what I didn’t realise,

360

00:14:54.385 –> 00:14:55.650

I didn’t know that,

361

00:14:55.650 –> 00:14:57.750

like the person who invented that concept,

362

00:14:57.750 –> 00:14:59.970

I’d heard of it so many times, like is here

363

00:14:59.970 –> 00:15:02.223

and like did all that research himself.

364

00:15:03.960 –> 00:15:06.330

So bringing him on the podcast and like learning like,

365

00:15:06.330 –> 00:15:10.230

oh, Dan Buettner created this whole phenomenon

366

00:15:10.230 –> 00:15:13.500

that’s now kind of driving a lot of the health awareness

367

00:15:13.500 –> 00:15:15.570

and knowledge today is so cool.

368

00:15:15.570 –> 00:15:17.580

It’s like the power of what one person can do

369

00:15:17.580 –> 00:15:21.960

who just has an interest to learn and explore

370

00:15:21.960 –> 00:15:23.640

and gain knowledge.

371

00:15:23.640 –> 00:15:24.900

It’s pretty cool.

372

00:15:24.900 –> 00:15:26.910

<v ->Yeah, he’s amazing.</v>

373

00:15:26.910 –> 00:15:28.950

Okay, I’m going to have to make a note.

374

00:15:28.950 –> 00:15:30.511

Get him on this show too.

375

00:15:30.511 –> 00:15:31.680

<v ->Yeah, yeah.</v>

376

00:15:31.680 –> 00:15:33.240

He was a good podcast guest.

377

00:15:33.240 –> 00:15:35.640

<v ->Okay, well last one, one more podcast one.</v>

378

00:15:35.640 –> 00:15:38.970

Who is someone you have not yet had on your podcast

379

00:15:38.970 –> 00:15:40.950

that you’re dying to interview?

380

00:15:40.950 –> 00:15:42.540

<v ->Ooh, okay.</v>

381

00:15:42.540 –> 00:15:45.597

Oh, we just had Peter Singer who’s like one-

382

00:15:45.597 –> 00:15:47.130

<v ->Oh.</v>

<v ->I love him so much.</v>

383

00:15:47.130 –> 00:15:48.380

He was great.

<v ->Wow.</v>

384

00:15:49.302 –> 00:15:54.302

<v ->I would love to have Jane Goodall.</v>

385

00:15:56.340 –> 00:15:57.173

<v ->Mm, yes.</v>

386

00:15:57.173 –> 00:16:00.180

<v ->As a kid she was such a hero to me</v>

387

00:16:00.180 –> 00:16:05.180

and she’s just done so much and she’s been around for a bit.

388

00:16:06.720 –> 00:16:09.060

So I just think it would be really, really special

389

00:16:09.060 –> 00:16:09.893

to have her on.

390

00:16:09.893 –> 00:16:11.490

And I’m also so curious to pick her brains.

391

00:16:11.490 –> 00:16:16.200

Like obviously her focus is chimpanzees and wildlife

392

00:16:16.200 –> 00:16:18.240

and protecting our planet,

393

00:16:18.240 –> 00:16:21.390

but she also has really strong feelings about what we eat

394

00:16:21.390 –> 00:16:23.490

and how we can eat sustainably and healthfully

395

00:16:23.490 –> 00:16:25.830

and in alignment with our world.

396

00:16:25.830 –> 00:16:27.720

And I would love to like learn more

397

00:16:27.720 –> 00:16:30.540

about her philosophy around that and where she stands

398

00:16:30.540 –> 00:16:33.810

and encourage her to do more advocacy

399

00:16:33.810 –> 00:16:35.313

on the plant-based front.

400

00:16:36.150 –> 00:16:37.620

<v ->Yes, I love that.</v>

401

00:16:37.620 –> 00:16:39.450

Okay, fabulous.

402

00:16:39.450 –> 00:16:41.010

Okay, I’d love to shift.

403

00:16:41.010 –> 00:16:46.010

Can you share what you believe is your life’s purpose

404

00:16:46.770 –> 00:16:48.423

and how you came to realise it?

405

00:16:50.760 –> 00:16:52.860

<v ->I believe my life’s purpose</v>

406

00:16:52.860 –> 00:16:57.060

is to help create a kinder world

407

00:16:57.060 –> 00:17:00.123

in the greatest capacity that I can.

408

00:17:02.010 –> 00:17:05.520

And I came to that, I think it started early,

409

00:17:05.520 –> 00:17:07.623

I think it’s always kind of been in me.

410

00:17:11.640 –> 00:17:13.230

When I was eight years old

411

00:17:13.230 –> 00:17:16.200

is when I kind of decided to stop eating animals.

412

00:17:16.200 –> 00:17:17.490

It really wasn’t then

413

00:17:17.490 –> 00:17:19.650

that I thought I could impact the world.

414

00:17:19.650 –> 00:17:21.630

But once I learned about factory farming

415

00:17:21.630 –> 00:17:23.880

and just like started to become aware

416

00:17:23.880 –> 00:17:25.650

of a lot of the really terrible things

417

00:17:25.650 –> 00:17:26.580

that are happening in our world

418

00:17:26.580 –> 00:17:28.110

that none of us are paying attention to,

419

00:17:28.110 –> 00:17:30.180

we’re just like going and grabbing a Starbucks

420

00:17:30.180 –> 00:17:33.900

and driving around and playing games and watching TV

421

00:17:33.900 –> 00:17:36.450

when there’s suffering happening.

422

00:17:36.450 –> 00:17:38.190

There’s really terrible things

423

00:17:38.190 –> 00:17:39.540

and we just don’t even look at it.

424

00:17:39.540 –> 00:17:42.810

And a lot of us have such power to make a huge impact

425

00:17:42.810 –> 00:17:45.450

that we just either don’t know about or haven’t tapped into

426

00:17:45.450 –> 00:17:48.750

or are just avoiding or don’t pay attention to.

427

00:17:48.750 –> 00:17:50.880

So I think there’s so much change

428

00:17:50.880 –> 00:17:52.440

and shift that can happen.

429

00:17:52.440 –> 00:17:54.844

So much suffering that can be relieved

430

00:17:54.844 –> 00:17:58.320

if people just like wake up a little bit more.

431

00:17:58.320 –> 00:18:01.140

And so that’s what I’m trying to do

432

00:18:01.140 –> 00:18:04.920

is just like tap on what we all already want,

433

00:18:04.920 –> 00:18:06.930

which is just to be good kind human beings

434

00:18:06.930 –> 00:18:07.980

and enjoy our lives

435

00:18:07.980 –> 00:18:10.950

and have other people enjoy their lives too

436

00:18:10.950 –> 00:18:13.830

and have a planet that lasts.

437

00:18:13.830 –> 00:18:16.260

So to just kind of be a resource

438

00:18:16.260 –> 00:18:18.363

to help people find easy ways to do that.

439

00:18:19.620 –> 00:18:20.550

<v ->Amazing.</v>

440

00:18:20.550 –> 00:18:22.920

Can you talk a little bit about the evolution

441

00:18:22.920 –> 00:18:26.010

of your career, of your entrepreneurship,

442

00:18:26.010 –> 00:18:27.840

how that all came to be?

443

00:18:27.840 –> 00:18:30.750

<v ->Yeah, so I’ve always been a huge animal lover</v>

444

00:18:30.750 –> 00:18:32.040

and that’s how it started.

445

00:18:32.040 –> 00:18:34.320

I mentioned earlier that I wanted to be a veterinarian

446

00:18:34.320 –> 00:18:36.330

’cause I just thought that was the way I could plug in

447

00:18:36.330 –> 00:18:40.350

and help animals but I did not go that route.

448

00:18:40.350 –> 00:18:41.280

And I realised like,

449

00:18:41.280 –> 00:18:44.340

there’s lots of people treating people’s pets.

450

00:18:44.340 –> 00:18:47.850

But when I learned about the advocacy work

451

00:18:47.850 –> 00:18:51.390

and basically became aware

452

00:18:51.390 –> 00:18:55.200

of like how much change can happen on a far greater scale

453

00:18:55.200 –> 00:18:58.410

than individually helping individuals, individual animals,

454

00:18:58.410 –> 00:19:00.810

then I started shifting my thinking to like,

455

00:19:00.810 –> 00:19:04.353

how could I apply myself to really make a huge impact?

456

00:19:05.400 –> 00:19:08.970

And a big thing is just like being a support for people.

457

00:19:08.970 –> 00:19:10.470

Like showing people an example.

458

00:19:10.470 –> 00:19:12.030

Like there is a way to live healthier.

459

00:19:12.030 –> 00:19:13.710

There is a way to live kinder,

460

00:19:13.710 –> 00:19:15.240

there’s a way to live more sustainably

461

00:19:15.240 –> 00:19:17.040

and it doesn’t have to be harder or not fun.

462

00:19:17.040 –> 00:19:18.813

It can be amazing.

463

00:19:20.040 –> 00:19:22.680

And so I started down that path.

464

00:19:22.680 –> 00:19:25.920

In the early days, I guess I would’ve considered myself

465

00:19:25.920 –> 00:19:27.510

like an animal activist.

466

00:19:27.510 –> 00:19:31.360

I’d go to protests for things that I believed were wrong

467

00:19:32.430 –> 00:19:37.260

and whatnot but I’ve evolved away from that.

468

00:19:37.260 –> 00:19:38.883

I’ve found that like the most,

469

00:19:40.740 –> 00:19:44.220

I have much more impact when I’m just being a kind,

470

00:19:44.220 –> 00:19:48.390

happy example and supportive of people

471

00:19:48.390 –> 00:19:50.310

and being super non-judgmental

472

00:19:50.310 –> 00:19:52.770

and instead of like kind of the in your face approach,

473

00:19:52.770 –> 00:19:55.950

just like sharing amazing food

474

00:19:55.950 –> 00:19:58.200

and being a source of inspiration

475

00:19:58.200 –> 00:20:01.260

that people can choose if they want.

476

00:20:01.260 –> 00:20:03.090

So that’s kind of been the evolution.

477

00:20:03.090 –> 00:20:06.930

And then I worked for different non-profits for a while.

478

00:20:06.930 –> 00:20:09.480

So that’s kind of the initial career path that I took.

479

00:20:09.480 –> 00:20:12.600

And I was actually, I got laid off from a job

480

00:20:12.600 –> 00:20:15.840

and that’s when I decided to start World of Vegan.

481

00:20:15.840 –> 00:20:18.570

Also by happenstance a friend met me in a cafe

482

00:20:18.570 –> 00:20:19.920

and I was trying to figure out

483

00:20:19.920 –> 00:20:20.903

what company do I want to work for,

484

00:20:20.903 –> 00:20:22.590

I’m not really sure.

485

00:20:22.590 –> 00:20:23.423

And he was like,

486

00:20:23.423 –> 00:20:25.440

why don’t you just start your own?

487

00:20:25.440 –> 00:20:28.590

And I didn’t have that belief in myself

488

00:20:28.590 –> 00:20:31.377

to even consider doing that or think that I could.

489

00:20:31.377 –> 00:20:34.380

And I really didn’t believe it would stick or stay

490

00:20:34.380 –> 00:20:37.620

or that I’d be able to make that my full-time career.

491

00:20:37.620 –> 00:20:39.960

But I thought, okay, I’ll take a couple of months

492

00:20:39.960 –> 00:20:41.040

and just start something.

493

00:20:41.040 –> 00:20:43.140

So like in my parents’ basement,

494

00:20:43.140 –> 00:20:45.060

basically I started World of Vegan.

495

00:20:45.060 –> 00:20:47.100

I had no HTML knowledge,

496

00:20:47.100 –> 00:20:50.280

I just created a website and started doing that

497

00:20:50.280 –> 00:20:51.810

while doing freelance work on the side

498

00:20:51.810 –> 00:20:53.700

with like photography and stuff.

499

00:20:53.700 –> 00:20:56.580

And it blossomed into something where every single month

500

00:20:56.580 –> 00:21:01.580

after that, I somehow made more income

501

00:21:01.620 –> 00:21:03.540

than I was on my other job.

502

00:21:03.540 –> 00:21:06.930

And I hustled, I worked a lot,

503

00:21:06.930 –> 00:21:09.750

but the point was it was not a sacrifice.

504

00:21:09.750 –> 00:21:12.270

Like I was able to do even more by myself

505

00:21:12.270 –> 00:21:15.240

and it just continued to grow.

506

00:21:15.240 –> 00:21:16.830

I never expected to have a team.

507

00:21:16.830 –> 00:21:20.490

And now we have like an incredible team at World of Vegan.

508

00:21:20.490 –> 00:21:22.020

We just relaunched our site at World of Vegan,

509

00:21:22.020 –> 00:21:24.510

which is so cool ’cause it’s a huge investment.

510

00:21:24.510 –> 00:21:27.840

And I never really invested in what I was doing

511

00:21:27.840 –> 00:21:29.700

because I didn’t think of it as a business.

512

00:21:29.700 –> 00:21:31.320

I just thought of it as like a passion

513

00:21:31.320 –> 00:21:33.960

a project to help the world and help people.

514

00:21:33.960 –> 00:21:37.320

And so now I’m shifting to try and think of,

515

00:21:37.320 –> 00:21:41.370

okay, this is a thing and it’s amazing

516

00:21:41.370 –> 00:21:42.720

and I’m trying to learn

517

00:21:42.720 –> 00:21:46.380

how to think more like an entrepreneur and a business

518

00:21:46.380 –> 00:21:48.875

and how can we make the most out of

519

00:21:48.875 –> 00:21:51.000

the opportunities that are now here

520

00:21:51.000 –> 00:21:53.310

that we’re reaching people.

521

00:21:53.310 –> 00:21:56.970

So how can we create great change with what we’ve now built?

522

00:21:56.970 –> 00:21:58.050

So it’s pretty cool.

523

00:21:58.050 –> 00:22:00.660

It’s an exciting pathway as an entrepreneur.

524

00:22:00.660 –> 00:22:02.010

<v ->That’s so amazing.</v>

525

00:22:02.010 –> 00:22:05.970

What year was it that you started World of Vegan?

526

00:22:05.970 –> 00:22:10.080

<v ->I started in 2015, but I actually started,</v>

527

00:22:10.080 –> 00:22:12.660

so the earlier version was called Vegan Break,

528

00:22:12.660 –> 00:22:14.070

Bite-Sized Vegan Videos.

529

00:22:14.070 –> 00:22:16.020

And I did that like at the beginning of YouTube.

530

00:22:16.020 –> 00:22:19.860

It was like, I think 2009, 2008-2009,

531

00:22:19.860 –> 00:22:21.480

I started creating videos just to try

532

00:22:21.480 –> 00:22:24.420

and basically be a friend because at that time,

533

00:22:24.420 –> 00:22:25.253

if you were vegan,

534

00:22:25.253 –> 00:22:26.910

you didn’t know other vegans a lot of the time.

535

00:22:26.910 –> 00:22:29.149

So you felt very alone.

536

00:22:29.149 –> 00:22:31.770

You’re around your family, like no one gets it.

537

00:22:31.770 –> 00:22:34.560

So it was just that like online resource for people

538

00:22:34.560 –> 00:22:38.070

and it started very small, but it was very fulfilling

539

00:22:38.070 –> 00:22:40.740

because there wasn’t a lot of other content out there.

540

00:22:40.740 –> 00:22:42.180

And boy have things changed.

541

00:22:42.180 –> 00:22:44.160

Now everybody is a content creator

542

00:22:44.160 –> 00:22:47.040

and there’s so many resources out there

543

00:22:47.040 –> 00:22:49.680

and so many more people are stepping into

544

00:22:49.680 –> 00:22:51.090

living helpfully and compassionately

545

00:22:51.090 –> 00:22:53.670

so it’s really cool to see that progress.

546

00:22:53.670 –> 00:22:54.503

<v ->So cool.</v>

547

00:22:54.503 –> 00:22:57.690

I remember starting Sexy Fit Vegan as a website

548

00:22:57.690 –> 00:22:59.970

and a blog in 2013.

549

00:22:59.970 –> 00:23:01.022

<v ->Oh my gosh.</v>

550

00:23:01.022 –> 00:23:01.855

<v ->Yeah.</v>

551

00:23:01.855 –> 00:23:03.270

And I had no idea what I was doing

552

00:23:03.270 –> 00:23:06.540

or how that was ever going to turn into a business.

553

00:23:06.540 –> 00:23:08.160

I just felt called to do it.

554

00:23:08.160 –> 00:23:11.662

And so yeah, I can totally relate.

555

00:23:11.662 –> 00:23:15.720

Who do you envision

556

00:23:15.720 –> 00:23:18.510

when you think about who you built this for?

557

00:23:18.510 –> 00:23:21.390

And can you just tell us a little bit more about

558

00:23:21.390 –> 00:23:23.340

what people can find on the website

559

00:23:23.340 –> 00:23:26.283

and how it can help them of all walks of life?

560

00:23:27.489 –> 00:23:31.440

<v ->I’ve really built it for kind of myself when I was younger</v>

561

00:23:31.440 –> 00:23:33.270

and transitioning to be vegan.

562

00:23:33.270 –> 00:23:37.680

So I decided I wanted to go vegan when I was in college.

563

00:23:37.680 –> 00:23:39.180

And at the time,

564

00:23:39.180 –> 00:23:41.370

like I was so passionate about helping animals,

565

00:23:41.370 –> 00:23:43.290

as soon as I realised what was happening

566

00:23:43.290 –> 00:23:45.030

in the dairy and egg industries and everything,

567

00:23:45.030 –> 00:23:47.940

I was like, okay, even if it’s going to be bad for my health,

568

00:23:47.940 –> 00:23:48.960

which I thought it would be,

569

00:23:48.960 –> 00:23:51.738

and even if it was going to be like terrible for me

570

00:23:51.738 –> 00:23:55.023

and a huge sacrifice, I was going to do it.

571

00:23:56.190 –> 00:23:59.010

And over time, I realised holy moly,

572

00:23:59.010 –> 00:24:00.960

this is actually so much better for my health

573

00:24:00.960 –> 00:24:03.090

and it’s so delicious and it’s not a sacrifice.

574

00:24:03.090 –> 00:24:06.420

But that took like a decade to like really learn how to cook

575

00:24:06.420 –> 00:24:08.460

and get all this information.

576

00:24:08.460 –> 00:24:10.950

And it’s kind of like when you take a course on something,

577

00:24:10.950 –> 00:24:13.440

instead of it taking 10 years to learn yourself,

578

00:24:13.440 –> 00:24:16.440

you can learn it in like a day or a week.

579

00:24:16.440 –> 00:24:18.360

You just accelerate the knowledge

580

00:24:18.360 –> 00:24:22.590

and it prevents a lot of the pain points

581

00:24:22.590 –> 00:24:23.910

of making the transition.

582

00:24:23.910 –> 00:24:26.940

So I created World of Vegan

583

00:24:26.940 –> 00:24:28.980

to help alleviate those pain points,

584

00:24:28.980 –> 00:24:30.990

make it easier for people to transition

585

00:24:30.990 –> 00:24:33.570

in the direction that they already know they want to go in

586

00:24:33.570 –> 00:24:36.900

and make it really fun

587

00:24:36.900 –> 00:24:41.900

to make it not, like I always say vegan is not a diet.

588

00:24:43.230 –> 00:24:47.820

This is not a thing you’re making yourself do.

589

00:24:47.820 –> 00:24:51.420

This is like an amazing compassionate lifestyle.

590

00:24:51.420 –> 00:24:56.420

And to focus on all the vibrant ingredients and foods

591

00:24:56.610 –> 00:24:59.880

and recipes and choices that we can be making

592

00:24:59.880 –> 00:25:01.830

that feel so good.

593

00:25:01.830 –> 00:25:03.510

Not only because they’re fueling our body

594

00:25:03.510 –> 00:25:05.670

in really helpful ways,

595

00:25:05.670 –> 00:25:07.320

but also because they’re standing for something

596

00:25:07.320 –> 00:25:08.886

that means something to us.

597

00:25:08.886 –> 00:25:12.180

It feels so satisfying going to sleep at night

598

00:25:12.180 –> 00:25:15.270

knowing my choices were aligned with our planet

599

00:25:15.270 –> 00:25:19.770

and our ecosystem and the best choices that I could make

600

00:25:19.770 –> 00:25:20.670

with what I know

601

00:25:20.670 –> 00:25:23.580

to make sure I’m treating my fellow human beings well

602

00:25:23.580 –> 00:25:26.370

and animals well, kindly.

603

00:25:26.370 –> 00:25:29.910

So it just, yeah, across the board felt good.

604

00:25:29.910 –> 00:25:31.230

<v ->Yeah.</v>

605

00:25:31.230 –> 00:25:34.440

I remember listening to you get interviewed

606

00:25:34.440 –> 00:25:36.780

and you talking about being an introvert

607

00:25:36.780 –> 00:25:38.526

and this is interesting

608

00:25:38.526 –> 00:25:40.980

for somebody who’s in front of people

609

00:25:40.980 –> 00:25:43.740

and kind of putting yourself out there

610

00:25:43.740 –> 00:25:46.980

as the face of this and being an example.

611

00:25:46.980 –> 00:25:50.460

And I can relate ’cause I’m an extreme introvert myself

612

00:25:50.460 –> 00:25:55.460

and that interesting dynamic of feeling

613

00:25:56.970 –> 00:26:01.970

called to be in front of the camera and sharing

614

00:26:02.250 –> 00:26:05.730

and at the same time really preferring not to be

615

00:26:05.730 –> 00:26:08.291

in the limelight whatsoever.

616

00:26:08.291 –> 00:26:10.290

<v ->Yeah.</v>

617

00:26:10.290 –> 00:26:11.937

<v ->How do you navigate that?</v>

618

00:26:11.937 –> 00:26:14.820

How has that kind of shaped how you do things?

619

00:26:14.820 –> 00:26:16.110

How you think about what you do

620

00:26:16.110 –> 00:26:18.693

and your career and business?

621

00:26:19.710 –> 00:26:20.970

<v ->It’s really interesting</v>

622

00:26:20.970 –> 00:26:23.310

because a lot of online content creators

623

00:26:23.310 –> 00:26:27.150

that I’ve met over time are also introverts

624

00:26:27.150 –> 00:26:28.410

and are also like,

625

00:26:28.410 –> 00:26:31.380

I meet them out at events and as public figures

626

00:26:31.380 –> 00:26:33.690

for different organisations or companies

627

00:26:33.690 –> 00:26:36.210

and we’re out there doing the work

628

00:26:36.210 –> 00:26:39.243

even though it is super draining and exhausting.

629

00:26:40.590 –> 00:26:42.690

For me, when I was in college

630

00:26:42.690 –> 00:26:44.970

and I decided I didn’t want to be a veterinarian.

631

00:26:44.970 –> 00:26:47.220

I wanted to just help create a kinder world.

632

00:26:47.220 –> 00:26:50.310

I thought based on what I had seen modelled

633

00:26:50.310 –> 00:26:51.870

that the only route to do that

634

00:26:51.870 –> 00:26:53.850

and to really make an impact on people

635

00:26:53.850 –> 00:26:55.800

was to become a public speaker.

636

00:26:55.800 –> 00:26:58.200

And there’s nothing that I dreaded more

637

00:26:58.200 –> 00:27:00.120

than getting up on a stage and speaking.

638

00:27:00.120 –> 00:27:01.140

It wasn’t just dread.

639

00:27:01.140 –> 00:27:04.470

Like, when I get up on a stage, my mind goes blank

640

00:27:04.470 –> 00:27:06.843

my mouth is dry, I have to poop.

641

00:27:07.800 –> 00:27:09.870

Tony and I, my podcast co-host and I

642

00:27:09.870 –> 00:27:12.000

always talk about how there’s like the nervous poops

643

00:27:12.000 –> 00:27:15.150

when you go on, like before something, you’re nervous

644

00:27:15.150 –> 00:27:16.290

or you go on TV.

645

00:27:16.290 –> 00:27:17.790

Immediately right before the show

646

00:27:17.790 –> 00:27:20.250

you’re always like, ah, I got to poop.

647

00:27:20.250 –> 00:27:22.320

But like, just all the things in your body

648

00:27:22.320 –> 00:27:24.090

just being like making it so hard

649

00:27:24.090 –> 00:27:26.460

to push through those to deliver a message.

650

00:27:26.460 –> 00:27:27.660

And I tried, I did.

651

00:27:27.660 –> 00:27:29.250

So I pushed myself in that direction

652

00:27:29.250 –> 00:27:32.580

because I knew there’s not a lot of voices out there

653

00:27:32.580 –> 00:27:35.790

like, I need to do this. And so I will just learn.

654

00:27:35.790 –> 00:27:37.290

I signed up for Toastmasters

655

00:27:37.290 –> 00:27:40.080

to learn how to give speeches better.

656

00:27:40.080 –> 00:27:41.070

<v ->Yeah, me too.</v>

657

00:27:41.070 –> 00:27:43.410

<v ->Oh, it was paralysing, it was petrifying,</v>

658

00:27:43.410 –> 00:27:45.810

but also, you get more comfortable doing it

659

00:27:45.810 –> 00:27:48.033

but it didn’t feel me.

660

00:27:49.200 –> 00:27:51.540

I always walked away feeling like

661

00:27:51.540 –> 00:27:54.930

I did not communicate myself as well as I wish that I had

662

00:27:54.930 –> 00:27:58.170

so it didn’t feel good, but I did it.

663

00:27:58.170 –> 00:28:00.810

And when I worked for nonprofits,

664

00:28:00.810 –> 00:28:03.720

I would speak with the news or I would host events.

665

00:28:03.720 –> 00:28:08.520

I was a very public figure and I stepped into those roles.

666

00:28:08.520 –> 00:28:12.000

But today the options are so vast.

667

00:28:12.000 –> 00:28:14.520

Like if you don’t want to be in front of an audience

668

00:28:14.520 –> 00:28:15.720

of 1,000 people,

669

00:28:15.720 –> 00:28:18.780

you can be in the comfort of your own office

670

00:28:18.780 –> 00:28:21.540

with like your nice candle flickering next to you

671

00:28:21.540 –> 00:28:23.940

and no one here

672

00:28:23.940 –> 00:28:26.100

and you can still talk to 1,000 people.

673

00:28:26.100 –> 00:28:27.900

In fact, you can talk to a million people,

674

00:28:27.900 –> 00:28:30.030

you can talk to 10 million people.

675

00:28:30.030 –> 00:28:34.140

You can find the ways that you can use your voice

676

00:28:34.140 –> 00:28:35.430

or if it’s not your voice,

677

00:28:35.430 –> 00:28:38.280

whatever gifts that you have to share

678

00:28:38.280 –> 00:28:39.720

or things that you want to share.

679

00:28:39.720 –> 00:28:42.120

There’s infinite ways to do it.

680

00:28:42.120 –> 00:28:47.120

And I think a lot of the online resources and creativity

681

00:28:47.430 –> 00:28:50.801

really suited my introvert life well.

682

00:28:50.801 –> 00:28:51.993

<v ->Yeah.</v>

683

00:28:51.993 –> 00:28:54.420

<v ->Because yeah, you can do it in your pyjamas.</v>

684

00:28:54.420 –> 00:28:56.310

You don’t have to interact with a human being

685

00:28:56.310 –> 00:28:59.040

and that like, I don’t feel tired after doing that.

686

00:28:59.040 –> 00:29:00.450

I feel like I want to stay up all night

687

00:29:00.450 –> 00:29:03.360

and jump up the next morning and do it again.

688

00:29:03.360 –> 00:29:08.360

So I’ve really leaned into that

689

00:29:08.580 –> 00:29:10.320

but I’ve also still tried to push myself

690

00:29:10.320 –> 00:29:11.670

outside of my comfort zone

691

00:29:11.670 –> 00:29:13.080

’cause that’s where growth happens

692

00:29:13.080 –> 00:29:15.240

and you do see it become so much easier.

693

00:29:15.240 –> 00:29:17.310

I did not used to be able to talk in front of a camera,

694

00:29:17.310 –> 00:29:19.470

like my early YouTube videos.

695

00:29:19.470 –> 00:29:22.920

Oh, they’re so painful to watch because I was so nervous

696

00:29:22.920 –> 00:29:25.200

but now, the nerves are gone.

697

00:29:25.200 –> 00:29:27.583

So on the one hand like push through

698

00:29:27.583 –> 00:29:30.082

like your own boundaries

699

00:29:30.082 –> 00:29:34.110

and try and challenge yourself, but on the other hand,

700

00:29:34.110 –> 00:29:35.760

like this is your life

701

00:29:35.760 –> 00:29:38.910

and you want to do things that really fuel you

702

00:29:38.910 –> 00:29:41.280

and don’t leave you permanently exhausted all the time.

703

00:29:41.280 –> 00:29:42.690

That’s a road to burnout.

704

00:29:42.690 –> 00:29:46.200

So finding things that align with your natural tendencies

705

00:29:46.200 –> 00:29:47.943

is I think really important too.

706

00:29:48.810 –> 00:29:50.670

<v ->Yeah, and I think you’re absolutely right.</v>

707

00:29:50.670 –> 00:29:54.539

And that’s also a component of being healthy

708

00:29:54.539 –> 00:29:57.900

from a holistic standpoint.

709

00:29:57.900 –> 00:30:00.810

What would your definition of holistic health be?

710

00:30:00.810 –> 00:30:02.810

It’s something I’d like to ask, I guess.

711

00:30:03.840 –> 00:30:04.683

<v ->Interesting.</v>

712

00:30:05.910 –> 00:30:10.910

I think, well, personal wellbeing, considering everything,

713

00:30:11.490 –> 00:30:14.280

like all the parts, like it’s not just food,

714

00:30:14.280 –> 00:30:15.450

it’s not just one thing,

715

00:30:15.450 –> 00:30:20.390

it’s just yeah, considering everything.

716

00:30:22.320 –> 00:30:24.013

<v ->Well, so considering everything,</v>

717

00:30:24.013 –> 00:30:29.013

what components of holistic health have come relatively

718

00:30:29.250 –> 00:30:33.600

or come relatively easy for you, and then vice versa,

719

00:30:33.600 –> 00:30:37.800

which components have been the most challenging for you?

720

00:30:37.800 –> 00:30:39.060

<v ->Okay.</v>

721

00:30:39.060 –> 00:30:41.100

One of the things that’s really important to me

722

00:30:41.100 –> 00:30:43.473

is removing stress from my life.

723

00:30:45.240 –> 00:30:47.370

I have IBD, I have ulcerative colitis,

724

00:30:47.370 –> 00:30:48.930

which is an autoimmune condition.

725

00:30:48.930 –> 00:30:52.440

And one of the things that can trigger it is stress.

726

00:30:52.440 –> 00:30:54.990

And it’s kind of scary because a lot of times

727

00:30:54.990 –> 00:30:56.970

you can’t control stress in your life

728

00:30:56.970 –> 00:31:01.590

but it’s very interesting how mindset is so powerful.

729

00:31:01.590 –> 00:31:03.125

And I’ve just found like

730

00:31:03.125 –> 00:31:06.540

there’s a lot you really can control in terms of stress

731

00:31:06.540 –> 00:31:09.360

and what you allow yourself to take on and what you don’t.

732

00:31:09.360 –> 00:31:10.920

Some things are unavoidable,

733

00:31:10.920 –> 00:31:13.890

but like my motto is now just like, it’s what it is.

734

00:31:13.890 –> 00:31:15.300

Like get a parking ticket.

735

00:31:15.300 –> 00:31:16.553

It’s what it is.

736

00:31:16.553 –> 00:31:20.441

Everything comes crashing down, it’s what it is.

737

00:31:20.441 –> 00:31:24.150

You work with what you have and whatever happens.

738

00:31:24.150 –> 00:31:28.380

And that in itself has removed stress a lot from my life,

739

00:31:28.380 –> 00:31:32.940

which for me it has a very tangible relation to wellbeing.

740

00:31:32.940 –> 00:31:34.500

But I think in general,

741

00:31:34.500 –> 00:31:38.430

even looking at longevity and mental health

742

00:31:38.430 –> 00:31:42.929

and wellbeing, stress is so important.

743

00:31:42.929 –> 00:31:45.850

It’s important to not have in a bad way

744

00:31:46.763 –> 00:31:48.810

but to push ourselves toward it in a good way.

745

00:31:48.810 –> 00:31:50.553

So that’s one thing.

746

00:31:52.020 –> 00:31:53.460

On the food front,

747

00:31:53.460 –> 00:31:57.690

it’s like the basics of wellbeing and health.

748

00:31:57.690 –> 00:32:01.710

And I think everyone’s kind of got to find their own,

749

00:32:01.710 –> 00:32:05.013

like what aligns with them. It’s different for everyone.

750

00:32:06.990 –> 00:32:09.780

Eating the perfect, optimal healthy diet

751

00:32:09.780 –> 00:32:12.720

might be super aligned with someone

752

00:32:12.720 –> 00:32:15.360

and that is the best way that they can live

753

00:32:15.360 –> 00:32:17.610

and they get up and feel so good

754

00:32:17.610 –> 00:32:19.110

and they’re going to live the longest life.

755

00:32:19.110 –> 00:32:22.500

But if that’s a struggle for you every single day,

756

00:32:22.500 –> 00:32:25.770

that’s maybe not the perfect way for you.

757

00:32:25.770 –> 00:32:29.823

Like for me, I’ll eat pasta.

758

00:32:31.200 –> 00:32:34.410

I’ll eat things, but then I’ll also infuse a lot of health

759

00:32:34.410 –> 00:32:39.360

and that’s been the way that food is like my best friend

760

00:32:39.360 –> 00:32:41.340

and in no way my enemy

761

00:32:41.340 –> 00:32:44.490

and also brings no stress into my life.

762

00:32:44.490 –> 00:32:46.440

I love it, I love eating healthy food,

763

00:32:46.440 –> 00:32:50.850

but I also, I don’t hold myself back from things.

764

00:32:50.850 –> 00:32:55.260

So for me that, like finding a very comfortable

765

00:32:55.260 –> 00:32:57.693

and healthy balance, a lot of it is like,

766

00:32:57.693 –> 00:33:00.330

it’s just tuning in and being thoughtful

767

00:33:00.330 –> 00:33:04.248

about all these different aspects of like, it’s meditation,

768

00:33:04.248 –> 00:33:06.960

something you want to incorporate and all these things.

769

00:33:06.960 –> 00:33:09.240

Trying them, seeing how they fit with you

770

00:33:09.240 –> 00:33:10.505

and how they resonate

771

00:33:10.505 –> 00:33:13.500

and trying to find ways that feel good.

772

00:33:13.500 –> 00:33:15.360

And if it’s not feeling good,

773

00:33:15.360 –> 00:33:16.734

it doesn’t mean that it’s wrong.

774

00:33:16.734 –> 00:33:19.230

Meditation is so painful in the beginning

775

00:33:19.230 –> 00:33:22.110

when you’re not used to it. It doesn’t mean that it’s wrong,

776

00:33:22.110 –> 00:33:26.640

but maybe there could be a different approach

777

00:33:26.640 –> 00:33:28.410

that feels better for you

778

00:33:28.410 –> 00:33:31.110

so that it doesn’t feel like you’re fighting yourself

779

00:33:31.110 –> 00:33:31.943

in them.

780

00:33:33.450 –> 00:33:37.080

<v ->Yeah, I think what you’re referring to in some sense</v>

781

00:33:37.080 –> 00:33:40.110

is the relationship you have, like with food for example,

782

00:33:40.110 –> 00:33:41.940

you have this relationship with food

783

00:33:41.940 –> 00:33:43.470

where you’ve found the balance

784

00:33:43.470 –> 00:33:45.450

that really just works for you.

785

00:33:45.450 –> 00:33:48.990

And there’s some people that are salt, oil, sugar free

786

00:33:48.990 –> 00:33:52.833

and I am pretty much sugar free, but like I said,

787

00:33:54.270 –> 00:33:56.790

I like to massage my kale with olive oil.

788

00:33:56.790 –> 00:33:59.490

I like to incorporate some of those things,

789

00:33:59.490 –> 00:34:02.610

but it’s done consciously and it’s done mindfully.

790

00:34:02.610 –> 00:34:05.550

And I think that’s the key.

791

00:34:05.550 –> 00:34:07.950

Taking the stress out of eating

792

00:34:07.950 –> 00:34:11.940

because food is not inherently good or bad.

793

00:34:11.940 –> 00:34:13.830

Food’s just food.

<v ->Yeah.</v>

794

00:34:13.830 –> 00:34:16.320

<v ->I love how you talked about kind of letting go</v>

795

00:34:16.320 –> 00:34:18.870

of the things that you don’t have control over

796

00:34:18.870 –> 00:34:22.050

because fighting that is just putting up resistance

797

00:34:22.050 –> 00:34:23.190

that’s causing stress

798

00:34:23.190 –> 00:34:26.130

that is going to end up harming our health.

799

00:34:26.130 –> 00:34:28.773

So that makes a lot sense.

800

00:34:28.773 –> 00:34:31.050

<v ->Yeah and I guess on many fronts,</v>

801

00:34:31.050 –> 00:34:34.680

but especially the food front, if you find your why,

802

00:34:34.680 –> 00:34:37.110

like why do I care about food?

803

00:34:37.110 –> 00:34:39.060

Like do I care about like

804

00:34:39.060 –> 00:34:40.800

living to see my great grandchildren

805

00:34:40.800 –> 00:34:42.930

or do I care about being able to run the marathon

806

00:34:42.930 –> 00:34:45.210

like the fastest or do I care about,

807

00:34:45.210 –> 00:34:46.980

making sure that I’m protecting our planet

808

00:34:46.980 –> 00:34:48.510

and eating as sustainably as possible

809

00:34:48.510 –> 00:34:51.000

or do I care about making sure that no animals are harmed

810

00:34:51.000 –> 00:34:51.960

in the process?

811

00:34:51.960 –> 00:34:54.810

Once you figure out what you really care about,

812

00:34:54.810 –> 00:34:57.390

then the choices that align with that feel good,

813

00:34:57.390 –> 00:35:00.629

you feel really fulfilled by them.

814

00:35:00.629 –> 00:35:02.730

It has another meaning beyond

815

00:35:02.730 –> 00:35:04.380

just the food on your plate.

816

00:35:04.380 –> 00:35:06.750

And then those choices don’t feel hard, they feel easy.

817

00:35:06.750 –> 00:35:10.320

So it’s like these little mind shifts that we can have

818

00:35:10.320 –> 00:35:12.930

that make the things that could feel so hard

819

00:35:12.930 –> 00:35:15.840

with one approach instead feel really easy.

820

00:35:15.840 –> 00:35:16.673

And yeah.

821

00:35:16.673 –> 00:35:18.930

And another thing is just having sources of inspiration,

822

00:35:18.930 –> 00:35:20.490

like listening to podcasts

823

00:35:20.490 –> 00:35:24.030

or for Tony and I hosting the Plant Powered People podcast

824

00:35:24.030 –> 00:35:26.130

every guest that we have on

825

00:35:26.130 –> 00:35:28.170

I leave inspired to do another thing

826

00:35:28.170 –> 00:35:30.870

and it’s not, oh I’m going to make myself do this

827

00:35:30.870 –> 00:35:33.180

’cause it is January 1st and I want to be healthy.

828

00:35:33.180 –> 00:35:34.230

Like, it’s not that at all.

829

00:35:34.230 –> 00:35:35.970

It’s just like, oh my God, I cannot wait.

830

00:35:35.970 –> 00:35:37.020

Like right now

831

00:35:37.020 –> 00:35:39.453

I cannot wait to go make a massaged kale salad.

832

00:35:40.744 –> 00:35:42.660

I’m craving it.

833

00:35:42.660 –> 00:35:45.876

So surrounding yourself by sources of inspiration

834

00:35:45.876 –> 00:35:49.200

and things that will just draw you

835

00:35:49.200 –> 00:35:52.890

towards what is aligned with what you deep down want

836

00:35:52.890 –> 00:35:54.930

is really, really helpful.

837

00:35:54.930 –> 00:35:55.893

<v ->Cool.</v>

838

00:35:55.893 –> 00:35:56.726

Side note about kale,

839

00:35:56.726 –> 00:35:59.269

because I’m literally like on this kale kick

840

00:35:59.269 –> 00:36:04.269

and I know there is a point that you can eat too much.

841

00:36:04.290 –> 00:36:06.690

I mean, you can eat too much of anything, right?

842

00:36:06.690 –> 00:36:09.900

Lately, I’ve been eating it for breakfast and lunch

843

00:36:09.900 –> 00:36:11.670

and then if I need a snack in the afternoon

844

00:36:11.670 –> 00:36:13.743

I’m like, oh my gosh, am I eating too much kale?

845

00:36:13.743 –> 00:36:16.980

Like that sounds ridiculous, but yeah.

846

00:36:16.980 –> 00:36:18.753

<v ->Well, you are not green yet.</v>

847

00:36:19.980 –> 00:36:22.680

I’m curious if your pee ever turns green, but

848

00:36:22.680 –> 00:36:23.513

<v ->I’ll let you know.</v>

<v ->Yeah.</v>

849

00:36:23.513 –> 00:36:24.630

I can’t imagine too much kale.

850

00:36:24.630 –> 00:36:26.520

It’s so cool because it could be in so many forms

851

00:36:26.520 –> 00:36:28.635

like oh, kale is so good.

852

00:36:28.635 –> 00:36:29.820

<v ->Kale’s good.</v>

853

00:36:29.820 –> 00:36:32.910

Especially when massaged with olive oil.

854

00:36:32.910 –> 00:36:33.840

<v ->Yes, yes.</v>

855

00:36:33.840 –> 00:36:38.370

<v ->So, was there any aspect or component of holistic health?</v>

856

00:36:38.370 –> 00:36:41.763

I know you also mentioned about embracing imperfection,

857

00:36:42.675 –> 00:36:44.790

it’s a focus for you.

858

00:36:44.790 –> 00:36:47.100

Can you talk a little bit about that?

859

00:36:47.100 –> 00:36:49.740

<v ->Yeah, so this is something that comes to play a lot</v>

860

00:36:49.740 –> 00:36:53.160

within the vegan and plant-based space.

861

00:36:53.160 –> 00:36:55.650

And there’s a lot of like nitpick

862

00:36:55.650 –> 00:36:56.790

are you sure?

863

00:36:56.790 –> 00:36:59.640

Nitpicking, like is it vegan?

864

00:36:59.640 –> 00:37:00.870

Is it not vegan?

865

00:37:00.870 –> 00:37:01.980

Oh my God, I can’t eat this.

866

00:37:01.980 –> 00:37:04.590

I need to get the ingredients on all the menu items

867

00:37:04.590 –> 00:37:05.820

at a restaurant.

868

00:37:05.820 –> 00:37:09.210

And ultimately again, it comes back to what’s your why.

869

00:37:09.210 –> 00:37:11.640

If your why is protecting animals,

870

00:37:11.640 –> 00:37:13.350

it does not make a difference

871

00:37:13.350 –> 00:37:17.280

whether your brussel sprouts were,

872

00:37:17.280 –> 00:37:20.130

I don’t know how to give an example that’s healthy.

873

00:37:20.130 –> 00:37:22.560

Were fried in the same oil as an animal product,

874

00:37:22.560 –> 00:37:23.790

but you know what I mean?

875

00:37:23.790 –> 00:37:25.200

If it touched an animal product,

876

00:37:25.200 –> 00:37:27.570

it doesn’t make a difference for your why.

877

00:37:27.570 –> 00:37:30.510

But is is it vegan if it touched something?

878

00:37:30.510 –> 00:37:33.240

But the point is a lot of people put these labels

879

00:37:33.240 –> 00:37:35.400

and then try and be perfect within the labels

880

00:37:35.400 –> 00:37:38.250

and that adds a source of stress, frustration,

881

00:37:38.250 –> 00:37:40.320

wanting to give up, feeling not good enough.

882

00:37:40.320 –> 00:37:42.450

All of these things that are not great for our mental health

883

00:37:42.450 –> 00:37:44.520

and the longevity of doing what you want.

884

00:37:44.520 –> 00:37:45.540

A lot of people abandon it

885

00:37:45.540 –> 00:37:48.060

’cause they feel like they can’t do it perfectly.

886

00:37:48.060 –> 00:37:51.870

And so I think if you just take a more holistic approach

887

00:37:51.870 –> 00:37:56.870

and gentle approach of just trying to evolve as a human

888

00:37:57.690 –> 00:37:59.790

and make the best choices that you can with what you know

889

00:37:59.790 –> 00:38:01.560

and constantly be learning.

890

00:38:01.560 –> 00:38:02.730

And when you find out like,

891

00:38:02.730 –> 00:38:04.410

oh, I bought this product from a company

892

00:38:04.410 –> 00:38:06.570

I thought was vegan, and they’re not, interesting.

893

00:38:06.570 –> 00:38:08.040

You don’t have to beat yourself up about it.

894

00:38:08.040 –> 00:38:09.480

We’re not perfect human beings.

895

00:38:09.480 –> 00:38:11.640

We’re not robots and that’s not going to help anything.

896

00:38:11.640 –> 00:38:14.070

The point is just finding these ways

897

00:38:14.070 –> 00:38:17.130

to live in alignment with what we believe

898

00:38:17.130 –> 00:38:19.920

and what’s good for us and what’s good for our world

899

00:38:19.920 –> 00:38:21.960

with the best that we know.

900

00:38:21.960 –> 00:38:23.910

So it’s been a big sort of like

901

00:38:23.910 –> 00:38:26.880

through line in the work that I do at World of Vegan

902

00:38:26.880 –> 00:38:29.400

just because there are a lot of different approaches online

903

00:38:29.400 –> 00:38:32.583

and some of them are a little bit more hard lined,

904

00:38:33.540 –> 00:38:35.160

a little bit more hard lines

905

00:38:35.160 –> 00:38:36.870

where you are vegan or you’re not vegan,

906

00:38:36.870 –> 00:38:38.880

you can be in this club or you can’t,

907

00:38:38.880 –> 00:38:41.100

and we really don’t take that approach.

908

00:38:41.100 –> 00:38:42.780

If you just want to try eating plant-based

909

00:38:42.780 –> 00:38:44.790

for one day a week or whatever,

910

00:38:44.790 –> 00:38:47.400

like any positive choice is a win for you

911

00:38:47.400 –> 00:38:48.720

and it’s a win for our world.

912

00:38:48.720 –> 00:38:53.675

So yeah, we try and remove this idea of perfection

913

00:38:53.675 –> 00:38:58.675

so for yourself, you try and remove the idea of perfection

914

00:38:58.800 –> 00:39:00.480

and then also for everybody else,

915

00:39:00.480 –> 00:39:03.000

like there’s so much judgement . They’re not doing it right.

916

00:39:03.000 –> 00:39:04.200

You’re not this enough.

917

00:39:04.200 –> 00:39:06.390

Like you don’t care about thIS.

918

00:39:06.390 –> 00:39:09.780

And it’s so silly because all of us are flawed.

919

00:39:09.780 –> 00:39:12.060

Like we all have things that we could be doing better.

920

00:39:12.060 –> 00:39:14.280

So just the reminder to ourselves

921

00:39:14.280 –> 00:39:16.650

to just shine that light on ourselves, instead of worrying

922

00:39:16.650 –> 00:39:19.080

about what someone else isn’t doing right.

923

00:39:19.080 –> 00:39:21.570

If we have the capacity to be worrying about that

924

00:39:21.570 –> 00:39:22.590

and doing something about it,

925

00:39:22.590 –> 00:39:23.767

let’s look at ourselves and say,

926

00:39:23.767 –> 00:39:25.710

“well, what could I be doing a little bit better?”

927

00:39:25.710 –> 00:39:28.350

And I guarantee you every single person

928

00:39:28.350 –> 00:39:31.680

can find something that we can be doing better.

929

00:39:31.680 –> 00:39:33.450

<v ->That’s for sure.</v>

930

00:39:33.450 –> 00:39:35.670

Michelle, it’s like everything you’re saying

931

00:39:35.670 –> 00:39:38.310

it feels like a breath of fresh air.

932

00:39:38.310 –> 00:39:39.660

<v ->Aw.</v>

<v ->It really does.</v>

933

00:39:39.660 –> 00:39:41.940

I think it’s beautiful and inspiring

934

00:39:41.940 –> 00:39:45.330

and I think our audience is going to take so much away

935

00:39:45.330 –> 00:39:46.163

from this interview.

936

00:39:46.163 –> 00:39:48.030

I feel like I could talk to you for hours,

937

00:39:48.030 –> 00:39:51.000

but I really, really appreciate you being here.

938

00:39:51.000 –> 00:39:54.390

We’ve got the Plant Powered People podcast,

939

00:39:54.390 –> 00:39:56.040

worldofvegan.com.

940

00:39:56.040 –> 00:39:57.660

Where else can people connect with you

941

00:39:57.660 –> 00:40:00.180

and get your resources?

942

00:40:00.180 –> 00:40:01.013

<v ->Awesome.</v>

943

00:40:01.013 –> 00:40:03.390

I’m most active on Instagram and my Instagram handle

944

00:40:03.390 –> 00:40:06.023

is just vegan, so you can find us there.

945

00:40:06.023 –> 00:40:07.655

<v ->That is amazing.</v>

946

00:40:07.655 –> 00:40:09.120

That is amazing.

947

00:40:09.120 –> 00:40:12.000

<v ->Yeah, you start content early enough</v>

948

00:40:12.000 –> 00:40:14.670

and I highly recommend when there’s new social platforms,

949

00:40:14.670 –> 00:40:17.100

get those keywords ’cause they’re really helpful.

950

00:40:17.100 –> 00:40:19.950

But yeah, I’m doing lots of stuff on Instagram.

951

00:40:19.950 –> 00:40:21.210

A little less active on YouTube,

952

00:40:21.210 –> 00:40:22.560

but we’re on all the social media.

953

00:40:22.560 –> 00:40:25.470

Just socialmedia.com/worldofvegan,

954

00:40:25.470 –> 00:40:30.150

Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, all the things.

955

00:40:30.150 –> 00:40:33.840

<v ->Yeah, and we’ll put all those links in the show notes.</v>

956

00:40:33.840 –> 00:40:34.770

Thank you so much.

957

00:40:34.770 –> 00:40:37.290

This has been such a pleasure having you here.

958

00:40:37.290 –> 00:40:38.610

<v ->Oh, it was such an honour.</v>

959

00:40:38.610 –> 00:40:41.220

And thank you for creating so much good in the world

960

00:40:41.220 –> 00:40:42.720

and inspiring so many people.

961

00:40:42.720 –> 00:40:43.553

So thank you.

962

00:40:43.553 –> 00:40:44.386

<v ->Yes, you too.</v>

SHOW NOTES

“I believe my life’s purpose is to help create a kinder world in the greatest capacity that I can.”

Michelle Cehn is a vegan living crusader working to inspire positive change through her delicious recipes, educational resources, and relatable videos.

She is also a wonderful example of how someone’s life can be so powerfully and profoundly impacted by seemingly accidental events. From the moment of our births, to the people we meet, and the paths we take, the decisions we make can shape and mold us in the most unexpected ways.

In this interview we discuss her fascinating entrepreneurial journey and how being an extreme introvert has shaped the evolution of her career.

We also dive deep into the importance of embracing imperfection and how she’s been able to CHOOSE a relatively stress-free way of life, and the habits she has developed that have helped her thrive (physically and emotionally).

I have a feeling you’re going to agree when I tell you that today’s guest, Michelle Cehn feels like a breath of fresh air… From her honesty and authenticity, to her perspectives on holistic health, healthy living, eating, entrepreneurship, and purpose. I can hardly wait for you to experience her energy, and utilize the tools she shares to create new, healthy ways of both ‘doing’ and ‘being’ that will benefit yourself, other people, animals, and the planet!

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Connection is EVERYTHING! Join me as I share the latest discoveries and updates as related to Sexy Fit Vegan, holistic health and fitness, veganism, and playfully navigating this adventure we call life, delivered to your inbox every Sunday.    – Ella