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 THI...

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 durin...

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...

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 podcast@theunexpectedactivist.com Also, as I mentioned in this episode, I’d really love to help organizations that are working to take...

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...

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 co...

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 m...

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...

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 ve...

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 te...

What an amazing, enriching, educational and just plain fun experience this first year of creating The Unexpected Activist Podcast has been. I look forward to catching up with everyone in the new year. Until then, happy holidays and best wishes for a wonderful 2024! FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpect...

Sharing some thoughts about a milestone birthday I have coming up. And what I have decided to do to make the coming year fun and productive and to make me the best and most effective advocate for animals I can 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...

Today’s guest is the one and only Jamie Logan (who I thought was going to be joining me from NY but popped up from Portland OR). I’ve been following Jamie’s work online for a while now and it’s great to have a chance to speak with her. I talk a lot about creating your own brand of activism.  And Jamie has surely done just that.  How Jamie describes herself: “I’m an animal advocate, YouTuber, Filmm...

In today’s episode, I’ll recount a recent trip I took to Milan to attend a national animal rights protest, why it was so important that I was there, and what I took away from my visit.  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 podcast@theunexpectedac...

Content and trigger warning: This podcast contains references to addiction, sexual assault, child abuse, suicide, depression, infant and pregnancy loss. In today’s episode, we’re going to take a little diversion from the subject matter I’ve been covering up to this point.  And we’re going to focus on another pillar of the podcast’s mission.  In addition to advocating for animals, I am also passion...

In today’s episode, I’ll share some thoughts about “being normal”, my own experience on the subject, and questions about normality as an aspirational concept. . 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 podcast@theunexpectedactivist.com.

Today I’m excited to have with me Todd Sinclair, who is joining me from his childhood hometown on Prince Edward Island in Canada. I’m so grateful that he took some time out of his family holiday to speak with us.  Here’s a little bit about Todd: Todd is a writer, podcaster and speaker, specialising in vegan lifestyle and travel. He’s the bestselling author of the Rebel Vegan trilogy: REBEL VEGAN L...

Today we are going back to Italy, this time to Milan, to speak with Edoardo Valsecchi, Owner, Founder and CEO of Linfa – Eat Different, a wonderful restaurant that became an instant favorite of mine after visiting in July of this year.  He is an Italian plant-based entrepreneur and a prominent figure in the restaurant and hospitality industry. After obtaining a degree in Management and Economics,...

In today’s episode, I share a story of how a little brindle dog named Creature changed my life and opened the gates of compassion for me.  From professed dog lover to vegan activist…a little bit about my journey. I also discuss how lovers of companion animals are wonderful candidates for conversations about veganism and expanding our circles of compassion.  I would also like to share some informat...

In today’s episode, I share some thoughts on the role tradition plays in preventing change and the adoption of a vegan lifestyle.  And what we, as activists, might want to consider in addressing this challenge.  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...

Today we’re staying in Scotland to visit with my guest Rebecca Knowles who is joining us from Aberdeenshire. Rebecca is the Founding Director and Head of Farm Transitions at Stockfree Farming, an organization whose mission is to inspire and support farmers in the migration away from animal agriculture and the move to alternative livelihoods that are far more sustainable and humane. They also condu...

Joining us today from Sunny Southern California is Tracy Keys, founder of Tracy Keys Consulting.  She has spent her entire career in the non-profit sector, and recently set out on her own as a consultant. She specializes in working with animal non-profits to strengthen their donor relationship programs and thereby increase donor retention.  If you’ve ever worked in a non-profit, you’ll know how in...

Could our messaging around wins in the area of farmed animal welfare create obstacles to our ultimate fight for animal rights and abolition of animals in our food system? Here are my thoughts.

In this episode I am joined by Amanda Trenchard, a long-time vegan, animal advocate and dog-mom of two. Her activism began in college when she was president of the veg club on campus and interned for the Humane League as a Campus Organizer. Shortly after graduating, she interned at the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and has spent the past 5 1/2 years working on the Food Service Innovat...

In this episode I’ll share a conversation with my friend, fellow activist, and social media mentor John Oberg.  John Oberg is an animal activist dedicated to making the world a kinder place for animals by utilizing the power of social media. In late 2018, he became an independent animal advocate, funded through individual donations , focusing on amplifying pro-animal content in the digital space....