Vegan Business Talk

In this episode I interview Renee Hasseldine, a course creation and leverage expert from Share Your Passion in Melbourne, Australia. After a corporate career that included stints in the tech and finance sectors, Renee ran a careers coaching firm for 11 years. During that time she was also part of the senior leadership team for Robbins Research International, leading and coaching participants through Tony Robbins’ personal and professional development programs. Determined to not only live a fulfilled life herself as an entrepreneur, Renee founded Share Your Passion in 2014 to help other entrepreneurs do the same, by leveraging their expertise, particularly by creating courses. She shares her signature 7-stage process of course creation in her bestselling book Share Your Passion, which provides experts and entrepreneurs with a simplified system to launch their courses. In this interview Renee discusses: •    How to know when you’re ready to create a course and the four foundations you need in place to do i

In this episode I interview photographer Hannah Kaminsky in San Francisco. Hannah works with top food publications and manufacturers across the US, creating photographs for the glossy pages of magazines, cookbooks, and product packaging. She is also the author of the books My Sweet Vegan, Vegan Desserts, Vegan a la Mode, Easy as Vegan Pie, and the upcoming title Real Food, Really Fast. Working independently for over a decade has provided her with professional experience in all aspects of a photography project from start to finish. This includes cooking and styling, as well as the capturing and editing of each image with her own signature style. Her latest recipe creations, photos, and musings can be found on her Bitter Sweet blog. In this interview Hannah discusses: •    Mistakes vegan business owners make when taking their own photos •    The 3 things that make a good photo •    Lighting tips for taking a great photo (and why you should mostly avoid flash) •    The benefits and disadvantages of phot

In this episode I interview Maureen Mahon, an award-winning interior designer in Los Angeles. Maureen is a designer on HGTV’s House Hunters Renovation and was named one of Angeleno Modern Luxury Magazine’s Dynamic Women of Los Angeles. She began her foray into home renovation when she bought a dilapidated duplex near Los Angeles’ trendy Melrose Avenue and did much of the remodeling work herself. She later sold the house for nearly four times what she’d paid and invested in an ocean-front property in Rosarito, Mexico. She and her brother purchased all the furniture and accessories for the 3,000 sq. ft. luxury condo from Thailand, and the home was featured in Distinctive Homes Magazine. After being commissioned to decorate several turnkey oceanfront vacation properties in Baja, Maureen decided to make interior design her new career and attended the Architectural Interior Design Program at Santa Monica College. Maureen worked almost exclusively on residential projects in LA until being hired to design office

In this episode I interview Ron Prasad, a communications and public speaking trainer and author from Impetus Success Australia in Melbourne. Ron has provided coaching and public speaking training to CEOs, professional sports people, and to Aboriginal youth. He’s also a popular keynote speaker and MC, leading audiences of all sizes, from small groups and corporate meetings to those numbering in the thousands. His expertise as a keynote speaker lies in personal development, sales and service, and effective communication. Ron is the author of Welcome to Your Life: Simple Insights for your Inspiration and Empowerment, which received praise from several luminaries in the personal development field including author and teacher from the movie The Secret, Bob Proctor; bestselling author Jack Canfield; and Dr Phil’s money expert Loral Langemeier. Passionate about empowering people in the animal advocacy community, Ron has been a speaker and MC at a range of animal rights and vegan events across Australia and is t

In this episode I interview Brenda Morris, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ from Humane Investing in Virginia. Armed with just a notion of ‘helping people’, Brenda changed her major five times over the course of four years, ending up with a double major in English and Psychology from the College of William and Mary. Despite no intentions of entering the finance industry, Brenda began her career in banking, helping clients with both lending and investment needs. After spending over a decade in the financial industry she left the corporate world in 2008 and became an investment advisor representative through First Affirmative Financial Network, a group of investment professionals committed to sustainable, responsible, impact investing. This relationship allows Brenda to provide people with expert financial advice on how to achieve their dreams and live the life they want while investing ethically in regards to people, animals and planet. In 2009 she founded her business Humane Investing. In this interview B

In this episode, I interview Kiki Adami, founder of Veganizer, a consulting company based in New York that is committed to getting vegan food into omnivore restaurants. Kiki was a cruise director for five years, traveling all over the world, experimenting with vegan food everywhere. In 2014, she held the first restaurant veganization in New York through her work with Gust Organics, which hit the headlines when paleo customers were unhappy with the switch to a plant-based menu. Since then, Kiki has worked with more than a dozen businesses across the US to hold Veganizer events, where for one evening their entire existing menu is turned vegan. Many of those eateries have gone on to veganize many more of their options on a permanent basis. Veganizer – which has added international chapters – also has the first food service vegan kitchen certification program which aims to educate omnivorous business owners on the importance of veganizing their foods. Kiki is also part of a team that aims to open NYC’s first

In this episode I interview Dan Pinne, a vegan Facebook marketer and founder of Organik Digital in Melbourne, Australia. Dan works with clients from across the globe, tailoring Facebook advertising solutions for them by creating a full campaign from start to finish. He specializes in small businesses that are looking to scale their operations through methods that are right for their particular model. An experienced digital marketer, Dan has a background and interest in sport. He’s held positions at Swimming Victoria and professional rugby team Melbourne Storm and was the social media consultant at Channel 10’s ‘Thursday Night Sports Show’. Some of the brands he’s worked with include the Australian Open tennis tournament and organic, fair trade footwear company Etiko. In this interview Dan talks about: •    The two key types of organic posts that are most important and getting strong reach right now on Facebook •    How organic and paid reach work together •    Whether or not to use Facebook’s ‘Boost’ b

In this episode I interview Adam Sobel, founder of The Cinnamon Snail food truck and restaurant in New York. Adam worked as a chef for several vegetarian, vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants for more than 12 years before launching the food truck in 2010. Since then he’s grown the business into a vegan food empire that employs more than 50 staff. He creates the recipes, specials, permanent menu items, catering items, and plans new locations for The Cinnamon Snail. As well as a permanent eatery at the Pennsy local food hall in downtown Manhattan, the company also has a catering arm and an online store as well as providing wholesale donuts. The food trucks continue to service New York and New Jersey for select public events. The company has won several awards, and Adam also the author of Street Vegan, a cookbook on vegan street food. When he’s not working at The Cinnamon Snail he teaches free yoga classes and rescues animals (in fact, he had a very cute Australian mammal on his bed during our interview!).

In this episode I interview Nikki Duong Koenig, the founder of Cykochik Custom Handbags, in Dallas, Texas. Nikki started the vegan handbag company back in 2003 when she was an art student. After graduating, she took up a career in corporate marketing as an art director and creative director, working in New York City and Dallas for American Express, AT&T, Bank of America, Barneys New York, Hilton Worldwide, Hewlett Packard, and many other global brands. In 2013, Nikki left the corporate world to focus full time on growing Cykochik, collaborating with local, national and international artists, while supporting environmental causes and animal and human rights. Within a year, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) honored Cykochik with the “Compassionate Business Award” for being an “exceptional cruelty-free company” and Nikki became the first Texas fashion and accessories designer to collaborate on a collection with PETA. In this interview Nikki discusses: •    Why she chooses to manufacture her

In this episode I interview Robyn Chuter, a naturopath, counselor and EFT therapist from Empower Total Health in Sydney, Australia. Through her one-on-one consulting and membership program EmpowerEd, Robyn specializes in helping people reverse serious and chronic illnesses such as autoimmune conditions, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as emotional eating and food addiction, using a plant-based diet and emotional healing. Her dual background as a physical and mental health professional allows her to not only educate her clients about what to do to be healthy and happy, but also provide them with the ability to do it by getting past their psychological, behavioural and social barriers to change. Robyn is currently completing an Honours degree in preparation for a PhD in plant-based nutrition research, with a focus on behaviour change strategies. Her Honours research project is examining the value of membership in a Facebook group for helping people adopt and mainta

In this episode I interview insurance expert Steven Griswold in Los Angeles. Steven is President of Griswold & Griswold Insurance Agency, a second-generation, family-run firm that has been around since 1948. With over 16 years of experience, Steven provides innovative solutions and fresh perspectives on risk management to small and mid-sized businesses in a variety of fields including startup, technology, healthcare, and non-profit. The company is the only insurance agency in Southern California – and one of only a handful in the world – that is certified as a B-Corporation. In 2016 Steven launched Vegan & Animal Professionals Insurance Agency (VAPI), an idea that had been gestating since he first became an ethical vegan in 2012. VAPI provides a diverse range of insurance broking services to vegan-run businesses in the US and international companies that sell products or services in the US, as well as for professionals working in the animal advocacy and non-profit sectors. In this interview Steven discu

In this episode I interview Susan Prolman, who started Veg Shop on the Etsy platform a year ago as a hobby to test the waters in becoming a business owner. Susan is a lifelong advocate for animals. She’s served as Executive Director of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and as Director of International Campaigns for The Humane Society of the United States. She's lobbied against factory farming and for environmental protection in Washington, DC for years. Before graduating Georgetown University Law Center with honors, she helped to create the school's first animal law course. Veg Shop features Susan’s handmade jewelry and accessories with messages such as ‘Go Veg’ and ‘I Love Pigs’. The aim is to help customers express the joy of being vegan. In this interview Susan talks about: •    The benefits of Etsy, particularly if you have little money to invest up front to sell your products •    The challenges of selling on a crowded platform, particularly when you’re starting out •    The quickes

In this episode I interview Andy Tabar, owner of Compassion Co, an organic, US-made vegan clothing line that he runs out of his van while traveling across the US to vegfests each year. Andy is an animal rights activist who completed three trips with Farm Animal Rights Movement’s 10 Billion Lives tour, traveling to nearly every continental state and having more than 10,000 one-on-one conversations educating college students and concert-goers about the cruelty inherent in animal agriculture. His business is very much connected with this activism by producing t-shirts featuring messages that start conversations around veganism or the treatment of animals and which are made as ethically as possible. He’s also the co-host of the Bearded Vegans podcast, with Paul Steller, in which the pair discuss a range of vegan issues. In this interview Andy talks about: •    How his experience touring with punk rock bands has helped him in running his business •    The challenges and benefits of running your business from

In this episode I interview Naijha Wright-Brown and Greg Brown, founders of vegan soul food bistro The Land of Kush in Baltimore, Maryland. Naijha, a native New Yorker, born in Manhattan’s lower east side and raised in the South Bronx, is a people person, with over 20 years of customer relations experience. She’s held managerial, technical and administrative positions at Verizon Wireless, Dow Jones Markets, and Credit Suisse First Boston. She co-founded and organizes Vegan SoulFest, an annual vegan festival for Baltimore’s inner-city communities which attracts around 7,000 attendees. She is also the Executive Director of the Black Vegetarian Society of Maryland, an organization that connects people wherever they are on their journey to veganism with a focus on the Black and Latino communities. Greg had no intention of becoming a vegan chef. Like Naijha, he had a career in corporate America – in fact they worked together at Verizon. After becoming vegetarian in the late 1990s and then vegan, he learned how

In this episode I interview Ed Lower and Malindi Lovegrove from The Chocolate Yogi in Sydney, Australia. Ed, who’s from the UK, worked as a bookkeeper for many years in the media, entertainment and technology industries, while nurturing his creative side with a side hustle as a voice-over artist for TV adverts, cartoons and online media. Malindi, who’s Australian, has worked as a Community Development Worker in South Africa, the UK and in Tanzania, where she lived and taught about sexual health and HIV prevention in a rural village for six months.  She’s also taught yoga and meditation all over the world. After returning to Australia in 2013, the husband and wife team started their business because they both had dairy allergies and couldn’t find creamy vegan chocolate that they liked. They began experimenting in their home kitchen and started to get involved with Sydney Vegan Club, educating themselves about how animal agriculture impacts people, the planet and animals. Already vegetarian, they quickly m

In this episode I interview Cayla Mackey and Dave Pittman from Unicorn Goods, whose tagline is ‘the world’s largest vegan store’, in Rhode Island, New England. The couple have run several social enterprises including Nashville’s culture magazine Native, and Taco Bike, a certified organic restaurant. They started Unicorn Goods, an online store, in November 2014, offering a large range of vegan goods across a number of categories using an affiliate model. CEO Cayla oversees the overall vision and strategy of the company, while CCO Dave, a former creative director of advertising company Young & Rubicam, oversees the creative vision of the brand. Dave is an industrial designer focusing on vegan manufacturing and animal-free design at the Rhode Island School of Design. In this interview Cayla and Dave talk about: •    Why they chose to use an affiliate model for the business and the pros and cons of this approach •    Why they made the company a public benefit corporation •    How collaboration and communit

In this episode I interview Susie Pusch, owner of handbags and accessories company Bungalow360 in California. Bungalow360 is renowned for its whimsical animal themes, exemplifying the company’s commitment to protecting the planet’s species and environment. Products are crafted of natural cotton canvas and printed with water-based inks. The line consists of handbags, wallets, kids’ accessories and vegan leather items, with a new bamboo line in the works. Susie started out hand-crafting the bags herself nearly 20 years ago in 1998, while working as a receptionist at Mossimo, a trendy lifestyle brand in California. She learned about sales and distribution which came in handy when she decided to quit her job and work full time on Bungalow360. Her products are available in 2,000 independent boutiques, gift shops and health food stores across the US. She operates the business from her home, on a farm in Fallbrook, California. Bungalow360 is big on sustainability, using alternative energy sources such as solar

In this episode I interview Tracie O’Keefe, clinical hypnotherapist, naturopath and wealth builder in Sydney, Australia. And full disclosure, she also happens to be my wife! Over four and half decades she has started, owned and run several business in many industries in different parts of the world. While at college at 15 in the UK, studying the beauty business, Tracie worked three part-time jobs and started her first business which provided home hairdressing services. She went on to be a partner in a chain of health clubs in her teenage years with a champion weight lifter and national weight loss competition winner. She’s owned her own dance company, was co-owner of an employment agency and ran and owned a Rolls Royce and Bentley dealership that shipped collectors’ models to the US. She’s sold European fine water colours and oil paintings into the US auction houses in New Orleans, Florida and New York and founded one of England’s first organic hotels and restaurants. For more than 20 years, Tracie has h

In this episode I interview Stephanie Prather, co-founder of the Vegan Gastronomy Culinary Academy on the Spanish island of Mallorca. Vegan Gastronomy is a vegan cooking school that offers in-person training in the city of Palma, with a focus on teaching students to create healthy, delicious, sustainable, and economical vegan dishes. Through its Global Vegan program, it also takes its training on the road to other cities across the globe and has recently partnered with equipment maker Fisher & Paykel to offer classes in New York; Sydney, Australia; and more. Stephanie, who lived in Las Vegas for 20 years, has had a varied career, including selling mortgages to seniors, working at an LED lighting company and teaching children. Food has always been her passion and in 2013 she started Mallorca Vegan, a guide to the island’s best restaurants, eco-farms, workshops and wellness facilities with a plant-based focus. After running short workshops in vegan cooking, she opened Vegan Gastronomy with Manuel Lynch to

In this episode I interview food scientist Mary Mulry, managing director at product development consulting firm FoodWise One in Denver, Colorado. After gaining a PhD in food science and human nutrition, Mary’s first jobs were with Kellogg’s and Kraft in the early to mid-1980s, working in both analytical chemistry and product development. She entered the natural and organics industry when she took a position in product development at herbal tea company Celestial Seasonings in 1989 and has worked with many companies in this sector, both in the US and internationally since then. Along with an extensive array of industry partners and connections, Mary brings her wealth of expertise to a range of businesses, from startups to large consumer packaged goods firms. As well as consulting and guidance, she provides technical work, including help with food safety processes and documentation, sourcing ingredients and project management. In this interview Mary talks about: •    The technical challenges and considerat