Episodes

  • VBT 176: How to Write, Publish & Leverage a Book to Boost Your Vegan Business with Mitali Deypurkaystha

    VBT 176: How to Write, Publish & Leverage a Book to Boost Your Vegan Business with Mitali Deypurkaystha
    Jun 2 2022
    Mitali Deypurkaystha is a former ghostwriter turned book consultant and publisher who is on a mission to turn vegan experts, business owners and C-suite executives into authors. Her new book The Freedom Master Plan: Put Your Mission, Movement and Message on the Map is a practical guide on how to free yourself from ‘selling’, and chasing clients or investors by writing a high-value business book and – importantly – how to leverage it. The book – which is an Amazon bestseller in several categories – sets out more than 20 proven strategies designed to dramatically increase referrals, boost your profits, and even build additional income streams. As a ghostwriter Mitali wrote seven business books that generated more than $6.5 million in additional revenue for her clients. Mitali has writing in her blood: Despite not speaking a word of English by the age of four, she taught herself to read in school libraries and co-wrote an episode of popular British soap opera Brookside when she was just 16. She recently renamed her book consulting and publishing company to The Vegan Publisher and offers a training program for anyone who wants to self-publish as well as an application-only hybrid publishing model where she works with you step-by-step to help you write your book which is published under her Let’s Tell Your Story imprint. In this episode Mitali discusses: • How one of her ghostwriting clients landed high-end coaching packages and speaking gigs – by giving her books away • Why the book itself is not the business • The pros and cons of the different types of publishing: Traditional, self, and hybrid • How much it costs to write and publish a high-quality book • How you can write a book even if you’re adamant that you ‘can’t write’ • And much more Get Mitali’s book The Freedom Master Plan: Put Your Mission, Movement and Message on the Map – For Vegan and Ethical Experts, Influencers and Entrepreneurs Check out Mitali’s self-study training for experts who want to write a book Grab Mitali’s book cover and typesetting templates for cash-strapped authors. Apply for Mitali’s Authority Program where you get help to write your book and be published under her Let’s Tell Your Story Imprint Find out more about Mitali’s Thought Leader Program for busy entrepreneurs and C-Suite executives (includes ghostwriting) RESOURCES: My Online PR Course for Vegan Business Owners & Entrepreneurs: Vegans in the Limelight My book Vegan Ventures: Start and Grow an Ethical Business Follow Vegan Business Media on: Facebook   Twitter  Instagram  Connect with me personally at: Facebook  Twitter  LinkedIn
    Show more Show less
    48 mins
  • VBT 175: Jecks Stone, Vegan Interior Designer On Taking a Stand to Stand Out

    VBT 175: Jecks Stone, Vegan Interior Designer On Taking a Stand to Stand Out
    Nov 25 2021
    In this episode, I interview Jecks Stone, interior designer and founder of Persona Abode in the UK. Her background in recycling management and historic building conservation were the foundation of marrying interiors with environmental impact. After wrestling with balancing her morals with the perceived frivolity of the interior design industry, Jecks became one of the first UK designers to be vegandesign.org certified. Through Persona Abode, her vegan lifestyle and interest in mental health she advocates for healthy living environments, being mindful of designing for people, place and planet. In this interview Jecks discusses: • How she got her first interior design client • The importance of your personal brand and sharing more of yourself, even if you’re an introvert • How she’s funding her interior design business for now by continuing to work at her full-time job • How Covid helped her business grow • Why she doesn’t feature the word ‘vegan’ prominently in her branding and marketing • How domestic violence, the importance of ‘home’, health and sustainability influences her work as an interior designer • Her somewhat controversial view on ‘trends’ • And more Visit the Persona Abode website Find out more about vegandesign.org RESOURCES: My Online PR Course for Vegan Business Owners & Entrepreneurs: Vegans in the Limelight My book Vegan Ventures: Start and Grow an Ethical Business Follow Vegan Business Media on: Facebook   Twitter  Instagram  Connect with me personally at: Facebook  Twitter  LinkedIn
    Show more Show less
    54 mins
  • VBT 174: Lena Ludwig of Vital Gains Mergers & Acquisitions Firm on How to Sell or Buy a Vegan or Alt Protein Business

    VBT 174: Lena Ludwig of Vital Gains Mergers & Acquisitions Firm on How to Sell or Buy a Vegan or Alt Protein Business
    Nov 11 2021
    In this episode I interview Lena Ludwig, founder and principal of Vital Gains mergers and acquisitions consultancy in Washington D.C. A vegan of 26 years, Lena started working in mergers and acquisitions and finance over 20 years ago, and she’s helped hundreds of businesses with successful acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic growth planning. For the past 10 years, she’s been a financial and administrative executive in the plant-based foods and animal rights movements. Vital Gains is a woman-owned, women-operated mergers and acquisitions consultancy, focused on the alt-protein sector. In this interview Lena discusses: • Business valuations and the different ways they’re calculated • How to determine if you’re ready to merge or be acquired • What to look for if you want to buy or sell a business • What steps are involved in a merger or acquisition • Red flags to be aware of when considering a merger or acquisition • The importance of ethical clauses to protect your brand during an acquisition • The costs involved in a merger or acquisition • And more Visit the Vital Gains website RESOURCES: My Online PR Course for Vegan Business Owners & Entrepreneurs: Vegans in the Limelight My book Vegan Ventures: Start and Grow an Ethical Business Follow Vegan Business Media on: Facebook   Twitter  Instagram  Connect with me personally at: Facebook  Twitter  LinkedIn
    Show more Show less
    43 mins
  • VBT 173: Natasha and Ed Tatton of BReD on Opening a Vegan Bakery in a Ski Resort in Canada

    VBT 173: Natasha and Ed Tatton of BReD on Opening a Vegan Bakery in a Ski Resort in Canada
    Oct 28 2021
    In this episode I interview Natasha and Ed Tatton, co-founders of BReD, a vegan, organic, sourdough bakery in the ski resort town of Whistler in Canada. Both originally from the UK, Natasha is a former English teacher, and Ed is a professional fine-dining chef. The couple moved to Canada, became vegan and passionate environmentalists and opened BReD three years ago. Earlier this year, the husband and wife team recently won the Best Youth Entrepreneur Award at the Small Business British Colombia Awards. In this interview Natasha and Ed discuss: • Why they decided to sell their house in the UK and open a vegan bakery in a ski resort in Canada • How they tested the market with little financial outlay before opening their store • The impact of Covid on their fledgling business that was in two sectors hit the most hard and how a fast pivot and adding extra streams of income saved the day • How they’ve grown BReD into a thriving business, despite locals telling them it wouldn’t work • How they landed local and national media coverage, including in Forbes, by doing their own PR – and the positive impact on the business • Why they started out using the term ‘plant-based’ but are now using ‘vegan’ a lot more • How Natasha has used the challenges of growing up in foster care to help her become a more resilient entrepreneur • And more Visit the BReD website RESOURCES: My Online PR Course for Vegan Business Owners & Entrepreneurs: Vegans in the Limelight My book Vegan Ventures: Start and Grow an Ethical Business Follow Vegan Business Media on: Facebook   Twitter  Instagram  Connect with me personally at: Facebook  Twitter  LinkedIn
    Show more Show less
    49 mins
  • VBT 172: James McInnes of Odd Burger on How to Scale a Vegan Fast Food Restaurant Chain

    VBT 172: James McInnes of Odd Burger on How to Scale a Vegan Fast Food Restaurant Chain
    Oct 15 2021
    In this episode I interview James McInnes, co-founder of Odd Burger vegan fast food chain in Ontario, Canada James, who was a software executive, was diagnosed with high blood pressure in 2014 and changed his lifestyle for the better by going vegan. He and his wife Lia began developing their own plant-based meats and soon were selling vegan meal kits featuring local ingredients. But they couldn’t shake the idea that what the world needed was vegan fast food, at a price that could compete with animal foods. In 2016 they debuted a food truck with a chickpea burger they called the “Big McInnes,” earning them a cease-and-desist from McDonald's – and they knew they were onto something. Formerly called Globally Local, Odd Burger produces its own meat and dairy alternatives for use in its restaurants. In April 2021, the company went public, and plans to have 20 locations by this time next year. In this interview James discusses: • How he turned getting a legal letter from McDonald's into an advantage • How he successfully scaled the business from a food truck to several restaurant chains • How smart tech in the making of food as well as with self-serve options has helped the business remain sustainable and able to thrive during during Covid when other restaurants folded • The benefits of having your own production facility instead of relying on third-party vendors • Why, after spending years building a brand, he decided to change the company’s name, and the benefits and challenges that brought • Why he took the company public and how to know when to do this • And more Visit the Odd Burger website RESOURCES: My Online PR Course for Vegan Business Owners & Entrepreneurs: Vegans in the Limelight My book Vegan Ventures: Start and Grow an Ethical Business Follow Vegan Business Media on: Facebook   Twitter  Instagram  Connect with me personally at: Facebook  Twitter  LinkedIn
    Show more Show less
    51 mins
  • VBT 171: Tyler Mayoras of Cool Beans: From Investor to CEO of a Vegan Food Brand

    VBT 171: Tyler Mayoras of Cool Beans: From Investor to CEO of a Vegan Food Brand
    Sep 30 2021
    In this episode I interview Tyler Mayoras, CEO and co-founder of Cool Beans, a plant-based food company in Chicago whose first products are globally-inspired, healthy frozen wraps. After nearly two decades investing in agriculture and food brands, Tyler had seen the dark underside of the American food industry first hand. After learning about the negative impact of animal agriculture on the environment, he began a journey into plant-based eating. Tyler co-founded Cool Beans in 2018 with a few other like-minded investors and to date the product is in 1200 retail stores across the US. In this interview, Tyler discusses: • The ‘dark undersides’ of the American food industry that he’s witnessed • How he helped Boca Burger (Kraft Heinz’s veggie burger) go from $7M to $50M in revenue over 3.5 years • Why he segued from impact investor to starting his own company • Why Cool Beans launched with frozen products – and the new technology of freezing that keeps products fresh • What ‘digital demos’ are and why he prefers them to in-store demos • Why the company is not creating its own online store • His predictions for the future of the vegan and plant-based sector • And more Visit the Cool Beans website RESOURCES: My Online PR Course for Vegan Business Owners & Entrepreneurs: Vegans in the Limelight My book Vegan Ventures: Start and Grow an Ethical Business Follow Vegan Business Media on: Facebook   Twitter  Instagram  Connect with me personally at: Facebook  Twitter  LinkedIn
    Show more Show less
    Less than 1 minute
  • VBT 170: Bailey Ruskus on What Happened When She Turned Her Private Chef Business Vegan

    VBT 170: Bailey Ruskus on What Happened When She Turned Her Private Chef Business Vegan
    Sep 16 2021
    In this episode I interview Bailey Ruskus (aka Chef Bai). Classically trained at Le Cordon Bleu in San Francisco, Bailey has been in business for herself for 10 years, but three years ago made the switch to become a completely vegan business. Host of the Plant Remedy podcast, she’s been a long-time warrior of endometriosis and has discovered her own tools to heal her body through food and health. Now based in San Diego, she cooks for top executives, professional athletes, and others, hosts virtual cooking classes in her online membership and hosts corporate wellness programs around the globe. Her first book Cook. Heal. Go Vegan! has just been launched. In this interview Bailey discusses: • The moment she decided to turn her business vegan while gutting a fish as she remembered a talk by a well-known animal activist • How she handled losing clients and dealing with a lot of online hate after announcing she was transitioning her business to be vegan • The impact of endometriosis and chronic pain on her life and business • How the Covid situation initially decimated her business (and marriage plans), until a pivot turned it around and landed her a book deal • Knowing her worth and negotiating a higher advance with her publisher • And more Visit Bailey’s Chef Bai website Check out Bailey’s podcast Plant Remedy Find out more about Bailey’s book Cook. Heal. Go Vegan! RESOURCES: My Online PR Course for Vegan Business Owners & Entrepreneurs: Vegans in the Limelight My book Vegan Ventures: Start and Grow an Ethical Business Follow Vegan Business Media on: Facebook   Twitter  Instagram  Connect with me personally at: Facebook  Twitter  LinkedIn  
    Show more Show less
    Less than 1 minute
  • VBT 169: Mitchell Scott of The Very Good Butchers on Scaling from Farmers’ Markets to Going Public within 4 Years

    VBT 169: Mitchell Scott of The Very Good Butchers on Scaling from Farmers’ Markets to Going Public within 4 Years
    Sep 3 2021
    In this episode I interview Mitchell Scott, co-founder and CEO of The Very Good Butchers, a Canadian plant-based meat company. After selling out the farmers’ markets on Denman Island, British Columbia, Mitchell and his co-founder and fellow ‘bean butcher’ James Davison knew they were onto something. They brought their beans to Victoria and opened the Canadian West Coast’s first plant-based butchery. The pair are currently opening a new facility that will be able to produce up to $100 million more in product a year which is an increase of more than 2,500%. Last year they became the second plant-based meat company to release an IPO. In this interview Mitchell discusses: • Why they use the terms ‘butcher’ and ‘butchery’ • How they raised $600k from 240 investors in an equity crowdfunding campaign in 2018 • The unexpected turn of events after they received several offers of a deal on Dragon’s Den (Canada) • Why they went public last year and the benefits and challenges it’s brought • How to go public and how much it costs • And more Visit The Very Good Butchers website RESOURCES: My Online PR Course for Vegan Business Owners & Entrepreneurs: Vegans in the Limelight My book Vegan Ventures: Start and Grow an Ethical Business Follow Vegan Business Media on: Facebook   Twitter  Instagram  Connect with me personally at: Facebook  Twitter  LinkedIn
    Show more Show less
    37 mins