The Unexpected Activist - A Vegan Podcast

In today’s episode, my last before taking a summer break, I’ll be sharing a few thoughts on the literal and figurative turbulence we face in our lives. And our options for dealing with it.  Here’s the link to my YouTube skydiving video I reference in the episode: https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=tPLo3zWSIEp5-g1c&v=9Ph_ypxvXwQ&feature=youtu.be FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT [email protected].

Today I’ll be taking you to Innsbruck, Austria for a conversation with Kasper Pedersen, one of the owners of the 100% vegan restaurant Green Flamingo.  A good friend of mine recently spent a few days in Innsbruck and sent photos raving about this place. And about its owners. I have to admit I was somewhat surprised (and of course delighted) that he found such an amazing variety of vegan food during his time in Austria. And after what he shared, I just knew I had to reach out learn more about Kapser and this business.  Green Flamingo was started by Kasper and his girlfriend Kim back in 2019 and was born out of their desire to show anyone who wants to experience it, that you can eat great food without hurting and exploiting our animal friends. Animal products are not a necessity for a good and healthy (and sometimes not so healthy) diet.  ​ At Green Flamingo they offer a fun, relaxed and still professional atmosphere where equality, respect and good food & music are key words. Kasper and Kim believe that “We can change the world step by step and we will! It is time!” We’ll learn about Kasper’s journey to veganism and about his future plans for bringing vegan food to locals and tourists alike in Innsbruck. ​ You can follow Kasper on Green Flamingo’s social media pages: Instagram: @greenflamingo_innsbruck Facebook:  Green Flamingo Innsbruck Or their website: www.greenflamingoinnsbruck.com FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT [email protected].

Today I’m excited to share that we are headed back to Italy, this time to Bergamo, for a conversation with Claudia Pievani, Founder and CEO of fashion brand Miomojo.  Miomojo is a certified B Corp based in Bergamo, Italy. Founded by Claudia in 2012 they design and produce cruelty-free fashion accessories that do no harm to animals, humans, or our home: the beautiful planet we live on. All Miomojo fashion accessories are not only cruelty-free but are also made with the most innovative materials available in the world, sourced from oranges, cacti, apples, corn, and other high bio-based content, ensuring a minimal environmental footprint. This constant search for revolutionary materials establishes Miomojo as a leader in fashion innovation, aiming to guide the industry towards a kinder and more conscious future. With creativity and compassion, they have proved that is possible to have fashion, without fashion victims. Embracing the motto “you buy, we donate,” Miomojo actively supports animals in need by allocating  10% of the value of every purchase, both online and offline, to projects carefully selected in collaboration with leading international organizations dedicated to animal protection. Each Miomojo is more than just a bag; it is an Act of Love. You can find more information about the company and explore potential collaborations at: Website Miomojo | Italian, vegan handbags. LinkedIn Miomojo | Certified B Corp: Overview | LinkedIn and Claudia Pievani | LinkedIn Instagram Miomojo. Designed Kind. (@miomojo_italia) • Instagram photos and videos FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT [email protected].

In today’s episode, I’ll share a few brief thoughts about being considered “vintage” and how that might be an interesting concept to apply to both my own work and segments of our movement.  I’d love to have your thoughts.  So please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] Also, as I mentioned in this episode, I’d really love to help organizations that are working to take care of and find loving homes for senior dogs.  Here are a few of them that I hope you will follow and support their work: Muttville Senior Dog Rescue muttville.org Instagram: @muttvillesf Vintage Pet Rescue vintagepetrescue.org Instagram: @vintage_pet_rescue Touch of Grey Rescue  touchofgreyrescue.org Instagram: @touchofgrey_rescue FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT [email protected].

In today’s episode, I’m joined by the lovely Angel Walkine.  Angel is a Well-being Coach, Author, Wellness Speaker, Retreat Leader, Certified Raw Vegan Chef, and a Certified Yoga Teacher (specializing in posture, breathing, and meditation) who is passionate about helping you to thrive on a healthy plant-based | vegan diet | raw vegan diet and lifestyle from head to toe. With decades of experience traveling around the world to over 30 countries, Angel has gained a deep appreciation for many cultures and healthy practices worldwide that have influenced her holistic wellness approach and she enjoys helping others to enrich their well-being through a healthy lifestyle at home and while traveling.  Living a holistic lifestyle, is very important to Angel, and involves more than just her high vibrations plant foods diet. She also focuses on practicing powerful habits such as meditation, yoga, gratitude, self-love, self-care, aromatherapy, herbalism, physical fitness, and healthy relationships, to achieve her high vibrations lifestyle.    Angel is happy to announce that she is hosting the 2024 Women’s Retreat: AWAKENING IN THE JUNGLE in magical Costa Rica.   Angel is based in the United States, and considers herself a global citizen.  You can connect with Angel and her community at: Website: https://happyenergyjourney.com/  Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Sdym3W  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnergyJourney  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happyenergyjourney/ FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT [email protected].

Today I’m thrilled to have as my guest Rebecca Gade Sawicki, who is joining me from Detroit. Rebecca is the founder of the vegan travel company, Veggies Abroad. In an effort to align her professional pursuits with her ethics, Rebecca left her 15-year career in 2021 in order to start the company. Veggies Abroad offers a myriad of services including small group tours and custom trip planning that combine the thrill of exploration with a commitment to ethical practices. With a focus on plant-based cuisine and cultural immersion, Veggies Abroad invites travelers to discover the world in a way that aligns with their values. You can find information about all of Rebecca’s activities including her blog, her podcast, her travel planning services and upcoming tours on her website: Veggies Abroad | Vegan Travel & Tours And you can follow her on social media (she is most active on Instagram): @veggiesabroad FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT [email protected].

In today’s episode I’ll be speaking with Ellen Meijers. Ellen is a 23-year-old certified fitness trainer, soon to be a personal trainer. She adopted a vegan lifestyle almost 5 years ago after spending 2 years as a vegetarian. It was one short conversation with a vegan that planted a seed. And fast forward to today, she is thriving as a healthy and happy vegan. Ellen plans to join forces with her mother to combine vegan food recipes with workout inspiration and perhaps develop an app that combines the two. That sounds like a winning combination to me.  Ellen’s story is a reminder that as vegans our conversations can and do have impact. You never know what might result, so never stop talking. As she is developing other parts of her business/marketing, Ellen is focusing mainly on her Instagram professional pages... @pushupqueen__. @tofualwayswins I hope you’ll follow along and see where her passion and commitment take her. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT [email protected].

Today I am joined by Linda Middlesworth, aka the VeganMentor. Linda has been living as an ethical plant-based vegan for over 35 years. As she turns 80, Linda can point to so many accomplishments including: creating the Sacramento Vegan Society in 2008 which boasts 5,200 members, and obtaining her certification in Plant-Based Nutrition from eCornell and the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition in 2018.Linda is incredibly passionate about physical activity and is an aerobics instructor for CA Family Fitness, where she has taught cardio and weight training classes for the last 20 years. She is a Certified Personal Trainer through AFFA and an event organizer for Get Healthy Sacramento.Having been an advocate in the whole food, plant-exclusive vegan lifestyle arena, Linda is the founder of Get Healthy Live!, a series of virtual summits designed to reach people around the globe with healthy, plant-exclusive teaching. The series, Get Healthy LIVE, Go Compassionate LIVE, and Go Sustainable LIVE, features doctors and leaders in health, animal advocacy, and climate change.Linda is also the co-owner (with her son Darren Middlesworth) of V-Dog.com, a vegan dog food business that she and her late husband, David, launched in 2005 so dogs could benefit from a healthy, cruelty-free and environmentally friendly dog food. V-Dog recently garnered international recognition as one of the Top 3 Best Specialty Dog Food Companies in the world.An active animal rights activist for PETA, Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), Sacramento Animal Rights, Sacramento Animal Save, and Sacramento Health Save, Linda also recently joined the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies CNS Medical Advisory Board in the role of Community Liaison. You can find Linda on her website www.veganmentor.com And follow her on her social media pages: LinkedIn: Linda (Vaughan) Middlesworth Instagram: @lindamvegan Facebook: @lindamiddles X: @farmanimalluv TikTok: lindamiddlesworth FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT [email protected].

Today’s episode features and fascinating and inspiring conversation with Italian filmmaker Alessio Schiazza.   Alessio moved from Italy to Los Angeles to pursue his career in filmmaking 16 years ago. He worked on several Hollywood films as an editor, establishing himself in the industry.  In 2018, however, he watched the documentary Unity, and it forever changed his life. That same year he went vegan and decided to quit his job and focus on speaking up for the animals full time, through producing, directing and editing films.  He has worked with Shaun Monson (Earthlings) on several documentaries, they have collaborated with Joaquin Phoenix on a few projects in 2020 and 2021 as well as a short fictional piece to raise awareness about climate change – Guardians of Life (2020). In 2022 he edited Moby’s documentary Punk Rock Vegan, which won the Santa Monica and San Pedro International Film Festivals. He is the video manager for Generation Vegan, a non-profit focused on promoting a healthier, more sustainable and just food system for all. He is currently editing Finding Happy, a documentary on human-animal connection, directed by Maria Bertrand and produced by Jim Greenbaum (The Game Changers). He is managing the editing of additional content for Kip Andersen’s (Cowspiracy) new film Christpiracy. And he has been filming alongside Matthew Glover (Veganuary) and Christopher Shoebridge (Invisible) for The War on Truth documentary aimed for Netflix and slated for a 2025 release.  In 2023, Alessio founded We Are All Animals (WA3), a production company focused on speaking up for all animals. His first project, A Day in the Life of a Farmed Animal (2023) premiered at The International Istanbul Vegfest ’23 and the MiVeg ’23 in Milan. It is currently being reviewed by Academy Awards qualifying festivals such as Slamdance.   You can contact Alessio and/or follow his work at: [email protected] Instagram: @weareallanimals_us FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT [email protected].

Welcome to Season 2 of The Unexpected Activist Podcast. It’s so great to be back up and running. We’ve got lots to share with you and I think 2024 is going to be an amazing year.  In the coming weeks we’ll be talking about all kinds of things including filmmaking, Italy, fitness, vegan mentoring and vegan pet food.  We have some of the most interesting and inspiring guests with great stories to tell and I can’t wait to share them with you. Some might be names you recognize, others you may not.  For some it will be their first podcast.  But I’ve invited them as my guests because they all have, in their own ways, impressed me with their commitment and the actions they are taking to make this a more compassionate world.  I’ll also continue, periodically, to share some of my own thoughts on a variety of subjects related to my own vegan activism and personal and professional activities.  On that note, I’m heading to Italy soon, where I have to testify in a court case (not so much fun), but then I am off on an epic Italian adventure with my sister Megan to start work on a vegan lifestyle project we have in development for Four Dogs and a Fish Productions.  If you love travel, great food,  veganism, animals, and/or a good old fashioned road trip, (and really, who doesn’t love at least one of those things) then I think you’ll enjoy what we are planning. We’re on a mission to prove that two vegans over 50 (me soon to be over 60) really CAN and DO have more fun. Watch this space.  And I hope you’ll continue to follow along as we launch this new season. Please do listen, like, comment, subscribe and share the podcast. If you haven’t caught up on all episodes from Season 1, you can find links to all of them on my website, theunexpectedactivist.com or wherever you get your podcasts.  It’s only with your support that I can build something special that will help to make this world a better place for animals and people.  I have lofty goals, I know, but a girl can and should dream.  FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT [email protected].