Pivot! A Vegan Business Interview Series

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Pivot! we delve into Carolyn Scott's multifaceted career as The Healthy Voyager. From her pioneering vegan travel show to her latest cookbook, Carolyn has been at the forefront of the global vegan movement. Discover how she's transforming mainstream dining, consulting with major hotel chains, and inspiring millions to embrace a plant-based lifestyle.

https://www.healthyvoyager.com/

Full Description / Episode Show Notes:

Join us for an incredibly interesting conversation with Carolyn Scott, aka The Healthy Voyager, as we explore her remarkable journey in promoting veganism globally. As a chef, nutritionist, and media personality, Carolyn has led initiatives that have reshaped the culinary landscape.

From her groundbreaking vegan travel show to her bestselling cookbooks, Carolyn's influence transcends borders. Tune in to discover how she's partnering with major brands and institutions to revolutionize plant-based cuisine.

We also explore Carolyn's latest projects, including her consultancy work with theme parks, air force bases, and even entire towns.Plus, Carolyn shares how she's leveraging her expertise to create sustainable, delicious vegan options for diverse audiences.

Check out this episode to learn the secrets to Carolyn's success and walk away with valuable insights into entrepreneurship, flexibility, and the power of positivity.

Get to know Carolyn Scott and the Healthy Voyager better here: https://www.healthyvoyager.com/

Show Notes:
🌎 [00:43] Being vegan not just in your backyard, but on a global scale.
✈️ [03:29] Healthy Vegan Show: becoming vegan and traveling was challenging, so Carolyn produced a healthy eating show that became her full-time business.
🥑 [09:30] Carolyn wanted to learn all about veganism and cooking: a personal choice that turned into a whole new world.
🥅 [12:19] Staying consistent. But don’t wait for the perfect time for anything.
🌍 [15:02] Travelling in faraway countries as a vegan: pre-planning and trust are crucial, and people will always help if you are patient.
🧳 [18:57] How to choose your destination: many resources are on Carolyn’s website.
🌱 [20:55] Carolyn is keeping herself very busy: cookbooks, TV presentations, veganizing different restaurants, nutritional coaching, and many more.
🎯 [23:37] Don’t turn away from your dream: becoming an early adopter of social media marketing.
🥚 [24:40] Flowing through issues: don’t throw all your eggs in one basket.
⚠️ [27:24] Learning all aspects of business is crucial: delegating and understanding roles people are doing.
🙃 [30:54] Being an entrepreneur means being ready for changes, and being flexible – you don’t know what is around the corner.

Links:

Website: https://healthyvoyager.com/
https://www.facebook.com/RdsmodaKovin
https://facebook.com/healthyvoyager

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Thanks for listening to Pivot, our vegan business interview podcast. This is recorded as a live-streaming session, so I hope you’ll join us for future interviews as well! If you are feeling inspired but unsure of how to take actionable steps to improve your business, I invite you to explore our two premium paid podcasts, Going Solo and Fix It.

Full Description:

Prepare to be inspired by the incredible journey of Nancy Leeds Gribble, the driving force behind NourishLiftGrow. Her story embodies the power of resilience and transformation. Nancy's life took an unexpected turn when she faced the profound loss of her husband to terminal cancer, leaving her a widowed single parent while navigating a turbulent real estate market. Later, she experienced the pain of losing a new love to cancer, prompting her to redefine her path and refuse to let adversity define her.

As someone who had been a vegetarian since her early twenties and a vegan for the past 17 years, Nancy's dietary choices were based on ethics rather than health. However, witnessing the devastating effects of disease and becoming the sole parent to her young son propelled her to seek the healthiest lifestyle possible. This awakening sparked a profound transformation journey encompassing health, fitness, self-development, and career.

Nancy Leeds Gribble is now the founder of NourishLiftGrow and a Plant-based Vegan Culinary Nutrition Expert specializing in empowering women in midlife. She helps them achieve weight loss, body confidence, optimal health, and vitality, making their second season of life their best season.

This episode offers a deeply moving and inspirational story of turning tragedy into triumph, embracing a vegan lifestyle, and empowering others to thrive.

Get to know Nancy Leeds Gribble and NourishLiftGrow better here: https://www.nancyleedsgribble.com

Quote:

I think when you start your business if you don't take the time to really figure out why you're starting it. If it was ‘This sounds like it will be fun” and then you find out it's not so fun all the time, you won't sustain it. So you really want to sit down and figure out why are you starting this business? Like, what is your driving force, aside from, we need to make money, we have to make money. But what are the other deeper reasons that this is so important to you? And that's going to help you when you hit that wall, and you will hit a wall and think it's very few people that they just start a business and off they go, and they're coasting and everything is great. You're going to hit the wall, whether it's because something didn't work, whether it's life, like God the world like COVID when it hit everybody, and you're going to have to either say, at that moment, I'm out, or no, this was important. And I'm going to figure this out, and I'm going to pivot And I'm going to adjust and, and you keep doing that you keep doing that until you hit the spot.

–Nancy Leeds Gribble

Show notes timestamps:

🏆 [00:42] Turning tragedy into triumph and successful business.

🤸‍♀️ [02:40] Growing up with the premise she needs to be skinny: going vegan due to ethical reasons.

🖤 [04:10] Family tragedy and bankruptcy: one more tragedy and Nancy’s realization about getting more healthy is the key.

🍏 [10:32] Nancy started focusing her business on healthy weight loss: most women are undernourished.

👉🏾 [14:49] Getting first clients: face-plant forward is failing in front of people.

🦄 [18:55] How to differentiate yourself on the market: worrying about clients you don’t have.

🙇‍♂️ [23:05] Realizing that in a new, starting business, entrepreneurs need to be humble.

🌞 [28:34] Figuring out the deeper reasons for starting a business.

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Thanks for listening to Pivot, our vegan business interview podcast. This is recorded as a live-streaming session, so I hope you’ll join us for future interviews as well! If you are feeling inspired but unsure of how to take actionable steps to improve your business, I invite you to explore our two premium paid podcasts, Going Solo and Fix It.

Full Description:

Mind Blown founders, mother-and-daughter team Shelly Van Cleve and daughter Monica Talbert, originally found success making gourmet seafood delicacies along the Chesapeake Bay. They started with a crab shack, Capt. Jack’s, which was wildly popular, leading them to create The Van Cleve Seafood Co.

The two began to see deep-seated issues with the global fishing industry right outside their front door, particularly with illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices from non-domestic mega-ships. As the plant-based industry began to boom, they founded Mind Blown. Rather than alienating the seafood industry with unsustainable market solutions, Mind Blown works alongside the industry.

Together, they create solutions that help to take pressure off of edge-of-extinction fish stocks, and regenerate abundant oceans, such as their future partnership with Atlantic Sea Farms, using their kelp. Today, their lineup includes Mind Blown Coconut Shrimp, Dusted Scallops, Crab Cakes and more. The company is backed by notable investors including eight-time James Beard recipient and host of Bravo TV’s Top Chef Tom Colicchio, as well as D.C. restaurateur, founder of PLNT Burger and Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelsohn.

Get to know Monica and Mind Blown and The Plant Based Seafood Co. better here: https://plantbasedseafoodco.com/

Quote:

If you're going through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, make sure that you let the downs go every day. Let that shit go at the end of every day and start every day new and fresh. Sounds simple, but it's very, very, very important.

–Monica Talbert

Show notes:
🌊 [00:46] Vegan seafood: brands who innovate and disrupt landscapes of industries.
🦀 [03:06] Creating a sustainable seafood brand: unacceptable practices in seafood industries and innovative new products.
▶️ [06:34] Wanting to see change in the industry and food system: the journey of creating a brand.
👉🏾 [08:42] Direct-to-consumer is a great step to test your product.
🤯 [09:32] Naming your brand can be a struggle: “My mind is blown!”
🦞 [11:49] Plant-based seafood industry has the potential to address ocean sustainability issues: making vegan seafood is not easy.
🍥 [15:25] Benefits of vegan seafood: savings, consistency, and extended shelf life.
🌞 [16:43] Most changes happen from consumer demand: balance in the market and consumer demand will take 3–5 years.
🤔 [19:34] Challenges of mass adoption of new products: inflation, a problem with repeat purchases, and education of consumers.
🔑 [24:38] The Importance of gratefulness and focusing on the positive can help in running your business.
🧘‍♀️ [28:09] Handling stress differently is crucial for business owners: lean towards your mentors for help.
🎙️ [30:07] Learning from podcasts: there are so many lessons to learn from other entrepreneurs.

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Thanks for listening to Pivot, our vegan business interview podcast. This is recorded as a live-streaming session, so I hope you’ll join us for future interviews as well! If you are feeling inspired but unsure of how to take actionable steps to improve your business, I invite you to explore our two premium paid podcasts, Going Solo and Fix It.

Full Description:

Get ready to dive into the inspiring story of Kate Galli, the unstoppable force behind a mission to create a healthier, happier, and more compassionate vegan world. Kate's journey began in the fitness world, where she sought to transform not only her body but also her confidence. Over the years, she has helped thousands of individuals sculpt their bodies and lives in a way they love. For the past seven years, she has been dedicated to Vegan Health Coaching, using it as a powerful tool to advocate for animal welfare while promoting fitness, strength, and overall well-being.

During the episode, Kate opens up about the tensions and challenges faced by ethical vegans in their relationships. She candidly discusses the feelings of anger, frustration, and sadness that can arise when trying to navigate a compassionate lifestyle in a non-vegan world. However, Kate shares her personal story of how the toughest year of her life helped her transcend the negative emotions, while maintaining her passion for creating a compassionate vegan world.

As a Vegan Health Coach, author of "The Plant Positive Journal," and host of The Healthification Podcast, Kate is full of practical advice. She shares valuable tools, such as her 8 Step S.E.L.F. C.A.R.E. Acronym, the "Stop, Start, Continue" time magic'ing technique, and strategies to regain your exercising mojo. Additionally, she provides 10 Tips to Make Adopting a Plant-Based Lifestyle Easy, drawing from her own experiences and mistakes when she first transitioned to vegetarianism 30 years ago.

Don't miss this episode if you're looking for empowering insights, actionable tips, and a powerful story of love prevailing over hate on the journey to a compassionate vegan lifestyle.

Get to know Kate Galli and her mission better here: http://www.strongbodygreenplanet.com

Quote:

I bought into the ‘business from hell’, as I like to call it, and I learned so many lessons during that journey. The number one of which has really been so valuable is to back yourself 100%. You can't rely on circumstances or what's turning up today, tomorrow, or next year, but you can rely on yourself. And you can rely on yourself to turn up and to continually get better and to back yourself to come up with the goods.

– Kate Galli

Show Notes:
🤔 [00:45] Dynamic changes on your business journey can be a big struggle.
😇 [03:05] Mindset about eating and exercise choices: Kate has a lot of clients who have been with her for two decades.
✌️ [06:03] Laying foundations to success: do the do.
▶️ [09:19] Referrals are the best way to grow and maintain your business: creating a strategy that provides results.
🌞 [14:19] Journey from being a personal trainer, purchasing a franchise, and recreating all online: long-term entrepreneurs get bored and reinvent their business.
📗 [16:18] Plant Journal: vegan Trojan horse that helps to adopt a healthy plant-based lifestyle one step at a time.
⚡ [19:59] Getting professionals to help you in projects provides amazing products: creating content for Plant Journal.
😍 [22:54] Helping her mom to become vegan on Christmas: why she stopped being an angry vegan.
💚 [27:37] Focusing on love: it is hard being in a non-vegan world, but leading with love can help.
🎙️ [28:15] Healthification podcast: education in health, fitness and food.
🤓 [31:35] Importance of self-care and supporting yourself, and your body: implementing self-care steps daily for getting joy.

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Thanks for listening to Pivot, our vegan business interview podcast. This is recorded as a live-streaming session, so I hope you’ll join us for future interviews as well! If you are feeling inspired but unsure of how to take actionable steps to improve your business, I invite you to explore our two premium paid podcasts, Going Solo and Fix It.

In this episode, we sit down with Rey Ortega, a true pioneer in the vegan food industry. Rey's health struggles led him on a path of discovery, from battling chronic illness to becoming a successful vegan entrepreneur.

Rey's journey began with health issues that left him feeling unwell and desperate for answers. After identifying an egg allergy, he transitioned to a vegetarian diet, which significantly improved his health and led to a remarkable 95-pound weight loss. Inspired by dairy-free, eggless cookies at the Sacramento Natural Foods Coop, Rey decided to start his own vegan baking venture, the Alternative Baking Company.

Despite initial challenges and setbacks, Rey's business flourished, reaching nearly $1 million in sales.

However, a difficult partnership forced him to start over. With a loan from a trusted friend, he founded Sun Flour Baking Company and continued to expand his presence in the vegan food market.

Rey's expertise spans all aspects of the business, offering invaluable insights for aspiring vegan entrepreneurs. Join us to learn from Rey's experiences, avoid common pitfalls, and embark on your own journey to a profitable and successful venture in the world of plant-based living.

Get to know Rey Ortega and Sun Flour Baking Company better here: https://www.sunflourbaking.com

Quote:

When I first started an alternative baking company, I got so much slack for people not wanting me to put the word ‘vegan’ on my package. I had so many people say, “That's going to kill your sales”. I didn't care! I was an angry vegan at the time. In fact, when I became vegan, I became vegan for health reasons.

– Rey Ortega

Show notes with timestamps:
🍪 [00:43] Cookies and entrepreneurship: health challenges and tasty pivots: dominating market with vegan cookies.
😎 [02:30] In cookie business for almost 30 years: How he became an angry vegan.
😇 [06:53] Learning how to make cookies without eggs: starting first company with just $5000 and huge passion.
😋 [08:54] Taking slack for creating a vegan baking business in 1994: giving away cookies for convincing people of its great taste.
👉 [12:30] Vegan cookies these days don't have issues with taste but with competition: saturated market.
👀 [15:20] Plant-based but not vegan: vegan products are getting to the mainstream, but we still need to look at labels.
🤕 [17:48] From illness to entrepreneurship: struggles with chronic illness made him learn about food digestion, and his sicknesses catapulted Rey into veganism.
💚 [23:25] Rey’s passion comes from veganism.
👨‍🍳 [26:16] Vegan cannabis producer of edibles: becoming a serial entrepreneur is a natural way of entrepreneurship life.

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Thanks for listening to Pivot, our vegan business interview podcast. This is recorded as a live-streaming session, so I hope you’ll join us for future interviews as well! If you are feeling inspired but unsure of how to take actionable steps to improve your business, I invite you to explore our two premium paid podcasts, Going Solo and Fix It.

Full Description:

Get ready to be inspired by the remarkable journey of Crystal Bonnet, the mastermind behind Crystal Dawn Culinary. As a raw food chef, instructor, and cookbook author, Crystal embraces her culinary artistry as a potent form of activism, changing skeptics' minds about vegan food. Join us as we explore her captivating foray into entrepreneurship and how she leverages her passion for plant-based cuisine to make a positive impact on the world.

Having honed her culinary skills at Matthew Kenney Culinary Academy and Pure Joy Academy, Crystal's deep knowledge of raw foods led her to establish Crystal Dawn Culinary. Here, she shares her insights with students eager to discover the health benefits of plant-based living.

Beyond creating delectable plant-based menus for new restaurants and catering health retreats across Canada and Europe, Crystal is passionate about using her culinary skills as a form of activism to influence change. She shares her experiences of how she effortlessly showcases the ease and deliciousness of raw desserts, proving that choosing plant-based options doesn't mean compromising on taste or satisfaction.

Moreover, we delve into Crystal's inspiring journey as an entrepreneur. Armed with determination and a vision for a more compassionate world, she ventured into the world of business, founding Crystal Dawn Culinary almost four years ago. Throughout her entrepreneurial voyage, she has encountered failures and mistakes, but she embraces them as invaluable lessons that have contributed to her growth and success.

Join us as Crystal shares her insights on transforming failures into stepping stones and the resilience required to navigate the world of entrepreneurship. Her passion for culinary activism and unwavering dedication to her mission will leave you inspired to make positive changes in your own life and the world around you.

Don't miss this empowering episode, where we celebrate the fusion of culinary artistry, activism, and entrepreneurship with the incredible Crystal Bonnet.

Get to know Crystal Bonnet and Crystal Dawn Culinary more here: https://crystaldawnculinary.com/

Quote:

If you are feeling you're feeling stuck, and you're feeling overwhelmed and stressed – it will pass. Just know that this means that you're on the right path, you're growing, you are doing something important. And just keep going – they say that only 4% of business owners don't quit and keep going. So be that 4%. Be that 4% because those 4% are the ones that succeed. So just keep going and don't quit, and it will all work out.

–Crystal Bonnet

Notes:

👩🏻‍🍳 [02:03] Activism intertwined with entrepreneurship: Crystal embraced culinary activism.

🌞 [03:45] From raw food classes to creation of an online academy and raw dessert culinary course.

👂🏻 [06:15] How Crystal serviced her community: polls, surveys, market searches and finding gaps in the market.

😇 [08:01] Fun dehydrating series: what is a successful online course?

😎 [10:19] Crystal’s priority is her students: being present and super engaged is her secret sauce.

🤓 [13:59] The biggest risk Crystal takes: when you create a product that is not suitable for business growth.

🙃 [16:23] Managing your emotions and difficult decisions: growing and learning as a person together with your business.

📸 [19:19] Tech challenges, photography, filming and food preparation Crystal does all by herself.

📕 [21:31] Cookbook The Art of Raw Desserts: it took two years to create this project.

🤹🏻‍♀️ [23:41] Managing multiple projects at the same time: keeping your business sustainable and having multiple revenue streams.

⚡ [26:26] Only 50% of her students are vegans: other people just enjoy the food.

⚖️ [28:24] Taking breaks and taking time off is hard for Crystal: balancing work and her time.

🎯 [33:23] If you don’t feel like you want to quit - you are not doing it right: be the 4% of the ones who never give up!

-----

Thanks for listening to Pivot, our vegan business interview podcast. This is recorded as a live-streaming session, so I hope you’ll join us for future interviews as well! If you are feeling inspired but unsure of how to take actionable steps to improve your business, I invite you to explore our two premium paid podcasts, Going Solo and Fix It.

Get ready to be inspired by the remarkable journey of Crystal Bonnet, the mastermind behind Crystal Dawn Culinary. As a raw food chef, instructor, and cookbook author, Crystal embraces her culinary artistry as a potent form of activism, changing skeptics' minds about vegan food. Join us as we explore her captivating foray into entrepreneurship and how she leverages her passion for plant-based cuisine to make a positive impact on the world.

Having honed her culinary skills at Matthew Kenney Culinary Academy and Pure Joy Academy, Crystal's deep knowledge of raw foods led her to establish Crystal Dawn Culinary. Here, she shares her insights with students eager to discover the health benefits of plant-based living.

Beyond creating delectable plant-based menus for new restaurants and catering health retreats across Canada and Europe, Crystal is passionate about using her culinary skills as a form of activism to influence change. She shares her experiences of how she effortlessly showcases the ease and deliciousness of raw desserts, proving that choosing plant-based options doesn't mean compromising on taste or satisfaction.

Moreover, we delve into Crystal's inspiring journey as an entrepreneur. Armed with determination and a vision for a more compassionate world, she ventured into the world of business, founding Crystal Dawn Culinary almost four years ago. Throughout her entrepreneurial voyage, she has encountered failures and mistakes, but she embraces them as invaluable lessons that have contributed to her growth and success.

Join us as Crystal shares her insights on transforming failures into stepping stones and the resilience required to navigate the world of entrepreneurship. Her passion for culinary activism and unwavering dedication to her mission will leave you inspired to make positive changes in your own life and the world around you.

Don't miss this empowering episode, where we celebrate the fusion of culinary artistry, activism, and entrepreneurship with the incredible Crystal Bonnet.

Get to know Crystal Bonnet and Crystal Dawn Culinary more here: https://crystaldawnculinary.com/

Quote:

If you are feeling you're feeling stuck, and you're feeling overwhelmed and stressed – it will pass. Just know that this means that you're on the right path, you're growing, you are doing something important. And just keep going – they say that only 4% of business owners don't quit and keep going. So be that 4%. Be that 4% because those 4% are the ones that succeed. So just keep going and don't quit, and it will all work out.

–Crystal Bonnet

Notes:
👩🏻‍🍳 [02:03] Activism intertwined with entrepreneurship: Crystal embraced culinary activism.
🌞 [03:45] From raw food classes to creation of an online academy and raw dessert culinary course.
👂🏻 [06:15] How Crystal serviced her community: polls, surveys, market searches and finding gaps in the market.
😇 [08:01] Fun dehydrating series: what is a successful online course?
😎 [10:19] Crystal’s priority is her students: being present and super engaged is her secret sauce.
🤓 [13:59] The biggest risk Crystal takes: when you create a product that is not suitable for business growth.
🙃 [16:23] Managing your emotions and difficult decisions: growing and learning as a person together with your business.
📸 [19:19] Tech challenges, photography, filming and food preparation Crystal does all by herself.
📕 [21:31] Cookbook The Art of Raw Desserts: it took two years to create this project.
🤹🏻‍♀️ [23:41] Managing multiple projects at the same time: keeping your business sustainable and having multiple revenue streams.
⚡ [26:26] Only 50% of her students are vegans: other people just enjoy the food.
⚖️ [28:24] Taking breaks and taking time off is hard for Crystal: balancing work and her time.
🎯 [33:23] If you don’t feel like you want to quit - you are not doing it right: be the 4% of the ones who never give up!

-----

Thanks for listening to Pivot, our vegan business interview podcast. This is recorded as a live-streaming session, so I hope you’ll join us for future interviews as well! If you are feeling inspired but unsure of how to take actionable steps to improve your business, I invite you to explore our two premium paid podcasts, Going Solo and Fix It.

Get ready to be inspired by Benjamin Hagerty, co-founder of It’s Bree and Ben, as he takes us on a journey through his experiences as a vegan traveler and researcher. Benjamin and his wife, Brianne Nemiroff, embarked on a remarkable two-year-long trip across Canada and the U.S., uncovering and showcasing vegan businesses in their travel guides.

Driven by the desire to highlight the stories of vegan entrepreneurs and their contributions to society, Benjamin entered grad school and embarked on a research project exploring the operationalization of the vegan philosophy in businesses. His findings, published in the academic blog series, "Ben’s Vegan Vancouver," offer unique perspectives on business, inclusivity and other topics not typically found in mainstream literature.

During the episode, Benjamin discusses the challenges faced by vegan entrepreneurs in Vancouver. Despite the city's reputation for being vegan-friendly, he reveals how businesses often encounter discrimination, leading some to hide their certifications, even after going through rigorous processes like PETA certification. These insights expose the struggle that vegan communities face to gain acceptance in mainstream culture, despite the growing popularity of veganism.

Join us as we explore the intriguing intersection between veganism, entrepreneurship, and societal norms, and how certifications become vital indicators of safety and inclusivity for consumers.

Don't miss this enlightening conversation that will broaden your perspective on vegan entrepreneurship and the transformative power of the vegan philosophy in the business world.

Get to know Benjamin Hagerty and his valuable research at It’s Bree and Ben here: https://itsbreeandben.com/

Quote:

The best lesson I've learned is, if you encounter any difficulty, don't hate yourself, take a breath, and then see, ‘What is it that I really need to learn? What is it that I'm expecting of myself? Is it practical?’. If it is, and if it fits with your mission, look for resources and people who can help you get there. And if you are just honest and kind to yourself, then awesome. The kindness will gravitate to others who want to help you in your mission.

– Benjamin Hagerty

Show Notes:
▶️ [02:01] How ‘It’s Bree and Ben’ was created: from becoming vegans, through the transcontinental journey to a website for shopping, traveling and learning kindly.
🧳 [07:16] First eight months of traveling: establishing routine and working full time on the road.
😍 [10:06] Working and traveling: be kind to yourself, be honest and check with your body and travel partners.
😇 [11:35] Difference in planning your traveling vs. day-to-day itineraries on the road: find your strengths.
🍀 [13:03] Diversity within veganism geographically and culturally.
🎓 [14:07] The research project on veganism: how vegan entrepreneurs in Vancouver, BC, experienced and operationalized the vegan philosophy.
4️⃣ [19:58] The four main themes for vegan entrepreneurs: health, environment for greater inclusivity and business spaces, mistrust for veganism, and costs of vegan entrepreneurship.
⚠️ [23:06] Many cities have sustainable actionable projects and goals in mind, but they should think about getting entrepreneurs to reach those goals.
🌟 [26:48] We define success in a very limited way that prizes exploitation: how to define success as a cultural policy that safeguards what is precious to us.
🦸🏾 [29:26] Examples of businesses with empathy as the first idea in mind: combining compassion and bottom line to impact your community with your business.
📈 [35:52] Success doesn't begin with being mean to yourself and others.
✌🏾 [37:29] Stephanie believes that people sometimes set expectations that don’t serve us: being on the grind is not helpful.

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Thanks for listening to Pivot, our vegan business interview podcast. This is recorded as a live-streaming session, so I hope you’ll join us for future interviews as well! If you are feeling inspired but unsure of how to take actionable steps to improve your business, I invite you to explore our two premium paid podcasts, Going Solo and Fix It.

 Jay Barrett is a globally experienced human resources professional and an empathetic and passionate advocate of veganism. With a commitment to fostering a more compassionate and sustainable world, he strives to reduce society's reliance on animals for food, materials, testing, and entertainment. After dedicating 12 years to the fashion industry, Jay embarked on a new path as a consultant, merging his passion for veganism with his expertise in human resources.

Jay is currently on an entrepreneurial journey, establishing a business and brand that creates opportunities for others. As the visionary behind Culture Canopy, a human resources consultancy, he focuses on collaborating with purpose-driven clients who aspire to make a positive impact on the world, particularly within the realms of social impact, veganism, sustainability, and animal advocacy.

Culture Canopy is at the forefront of developing people-centric, sustainable, and holistic human resources initiatives and services. Their approach is tailored to each organization's unique ambitions and goals, ensuring a perfect fit. Jay and his accomplished team design compassionate and effective people strategies, providing transformational human resources solutions to enhance employee performance and elevate their overall experience.

In this episode, we delve into the fascinating concept of fractional HR and how it empowers organizations with invaluable access to expert guidance and services. Jay also shares profound insights on strategic planning for future growth, encouraging organizations to embrace scalability and evolution over time. Don't miss this opportunity to gain unparalleled wisdom and learn how to shape a brighter future for your organization. Tune in and be inspired by Jay's extraordinary journey, brimming with passion, purpose, and meaningful impact.

 Get to know Jay and Culture Canopy better here: https://www.culturecanopy.com/ 

Quote

When you're leading people, your role is to determine what your team needs, because everyone is different. Some people need more structure, some are good with ambiguity and the freedom to go and figure it out. And some people want to know, ‘This is exactly what I need to do. These are the kinds of boundaries that I work with.’ It's finding that happy medium that works with everyone. 

– Jay Barrett

Show Notes

🙋🏾‍♀️ [00:43]Today's topic is HR: how to create a culture within an organization that supports people and our ethical standards.

👨‍💼 [03:09] Functional HR: James is passionate about working with organizations that are growing.

🍀 [07:23] HR is helping you bring your vision to life: internal systems, team dynamics and contexts for navigating, so everyone in your team is set up for success.

✌🏾 [10:12] Two most important HR aha moments for Stephanie. 

⚠️ [12:44] The one-year annual performance process is not enough to build a good team: talent nurture, workforce planning, communication channels, regular feedback and talent management that speaks with the culture.

2️⃣ [16:28] Two reviews per year: when business is changing, multiple reviews are needed. 

⚡ [19:05] Keeping communication and collaboration boundaries clear: importance of having specific time and space for one-on-one meetings to discuss what the team needs.

🥅 [21:57] How consistency and process helped Stephanie’s team to get the same type of support for everyone in her team.

🌟 [23:33] Leading a team means determining what your team needs.

🛣️ [25:28] Remaining agile and be prepared for changes: don’t be rigid - you are on a journey.

😎 [27:23] HR consultancy and James’ pro bono support for organizations in animal and vegan advocacy space.

🏆 [30:46] You need to be prepared for pivoting: don’t forget to refine and look back on your achievements. 

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Thanks for listening to Pivot, our vegan business interview podcast. This is recorded as a live-streaming session, so I hope you’ll join us for future interviews as well! If you are feeling inspired but unsure of how to take actionable steps to improve your business, I invite you to explore our two premium paid podcasts, Going Solo and Fix It. 

Maria Cebrian is a three-time entrepreneur and with 14 years of experience in the digital and wellness industries. After selling her second company, she set out to build the most sustainable supplements on earth after learning about the impact of this industry on animals and the environment. Every year, the US supplement industry kills 24 billion animals and creates 1.8 billion plastic pill bottles. 

In 2016 Maria and her co-founder Hava Horowitz wanted to simplify and complete vegans’ nutritional needs with sustainable and ethical supplements that have no impact on the planet. 

In this episode of Pivot, we speak to Maria, the co-founder and CEO of Terraseed, about her entrepreneurship journey and how the business became what it is today.

Terraseed has partnered with the non-profit Animal Save Movement to make a petition to the FDA to implement more transparent regulations for supplement companies, which would mandate companies to disclose if their supplements contain animal byproducts. Terraseed has secured almost 5,000 signatures and is on a mission to gather 25,000 signatures to pass them along to the FDA.

Maria shares what it takes to revolutionize an entire industry by transforming the way things are done to truly make an impact on the world.

Get to know Maria and Terraseed better here: https://terraseed.com/

Quote 

I truly believe that a company or a startup is an extension of who we are…we are absolutely connected. I'm very spiritual in that way. My recommendation is that you build something that is 100% aligned with who you are, as a human being. Because if there's no alignment, when you start bumping into all these challenges and all issues, it’s really hard. This is brutal, especially when you have a physical product. So if your business is not 100% aligned with you, and without a very clear mission that you can hold on to, is going to be very difficult.

—Maria Cebrian

Show notes timestamps

💊 [00:43] How vegan businesses can disrupt industries: what it takes to lead a revolution in the supplements industry. 

🤦‍♀️ [02:24] So many ingredients in supplements come from animals: building something that is totally different from what you can find in the market. 

😲 [05:30] A lot of supplements have animal ingredients: the supplement industry kills 24 billion animals a year, mostly fish. 

🧪 [08:56] Lack of transparency and scientific approach in the supplement industry. 

😇 [12:42] Maria’s biodegradable package for supplements: journey and tests to create compostable tubes for their products.

🎯 [16:03] Building a mission-driven business is inspiring you to take the extra mile. 

✌️ [17:56] The two keys to a resilient and positive mindset. 

✍️ [20:46] Online petition to include info on animals in supplement facts labels. 

💎 [24:47] Build a business that is 100% aligned with who you are.

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Thanks for listening to Pivot, our vegan business interview podcast. This is recorded as a live-streaming session, so I hope you’ll join us for future interviews as well! If you are feeling inspired but unsure of how to take actionable steps to improve your business, I invite you to explore our two premium paid podcasts, Going Solo and Fix It.