On my way home from an amazing vacation trip to Nicaragua and Costa Rica, my family (my husband, 10-year old son and I) stopped at Juke Joint, an airport restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia, to grab a quick bite to eat before a connecting flight to Newark, New Jersey.
Eating out at airport restaurants is often a challenge, but we settled in and ordered our food, and as I was finishing my veggie soup and munching on my husband’s french fries (the only two vegan items on the menu), I heard the guy at the table right next to us (only about 1/2 foot away – as the restaurant was really crowded and the tables really tightly spaced) inquire about the “Juke Joint Wings” dish, specifically asking how big it was.
The waitress explained that there were 8 wings.
Which to me immediately brought to mind that 4 animals had to be killed to create this one meal.
Just heartbreaking.
The guy ended up ordering something else, but as the veggie soup was the only vegan item on the menu (even most salads these days contain animal ingredients) — there were still animals that had to be killed to satisfy his appetite.
I’m not saying it to judge this particular guy– to be fair, my husband is not vegan either, and my son is only vegetarian, and most if not all of the people in that restaurant were doing the same thing.
And I’m not saying this to judge this particular food joint. Most restaurants are like that.
However, even though I’ve been vegan for only three years now, I’m really getting sick and tired of constantly having to search through the menus, hoping to find the ONE item that is vegan that also looks appetizing, looks like something that I’d actually like to eat, praying that it’s not just the plain house salad, french fries or spaghetti marinara (again!), or having to come up with–and explain to the wait staff–my own combinations based on the ingredients I find on the menu, usually ending up having a boring dish that’s just blah, while everybody else around me is gorging on animal foods like there is nothing wrong with it, not even giving it another thought.
I’m also sick and tired of when, after going through the effort of ordering and explaining, I still end up with a dish sprinkled with cheese or cooked in butter, or something similar.
UGHHH!
How much longer do we have to wait before the world starts to take notice?
How much longer do we have to wait before the world starts to change?
Well, truth is, probably much, much longer than we’d like, unless we (vegans) do something about it.
And, I’m not saying that nothing is changing, it is, but as I’ve mentioned, I’ve been vegan for three years, and I’m getting really impatient….however…
Unless we step up our game and start spreading the message, in a BIG WAY, the changes (which are happening now) will take much too long, in my opinion, and certainly much longer than they need to.
Truth is, with the online technologies and all the business tools and strategies that are available today, we could be making a bigger progress and much faster than we probably realize.
But we must be willing to learn to use these tools, and use them STRATEGICALLY to really LEVERAGE their true power.
And although it does take some time and effort to master them — in the end, it’ll be so worth it.
Truth is there are many people out there TODAY, right this minute, surfing the internet, searching for information, who are READY to hear this message, but are not hearing it.
And they will not hear it if all of us, vegans, keep our mouths shut and wait for the world to notice.
My online journey started ten years ago, when after birth of my son, I quit my job and was searching for a new way to make a living. I wanted to be able to work from home, so I decided to try to make money online, and I’ve been doing that ever since, building websites, doing social media marketing and promoting healthy living, juicing and green smoothies. Three years ago I became vegan and it has been a life-changing experience for me.
Right now, my mission is to use my skills and experience online to help spread the word about VEGANISM as the ethical, just, compassionate, fun and delicious (!) way of living, while also helping vegans make money online (and thus busting the myth that there’s no money in veganism).
Why I Started Vegan Success Mastery
Even though veganism has made great advances in the past decades, it’s still on the sidelines of the mainstream culture, so even people who are ready to hear this message, aren’t hearing it.
I know because used to be one of them.
I have always been interested in healthy living, and I’ve been reading lot about health and nutrition, but the topic of ethics, justice and environment as it relates to our food choices never (or rarely) came up. Of course, deep down I must have known about what was really going on, but because animal exploitation is so deeply rooted in our culture, I convinced myself that it’s okay to do it. After all, everybody is doing it, right?
So even though deep down I knew — I was afraid to go there to explore the truth – I think partly for fear of discovering something very upsetting, while at the same feeling powerless and unable to do anything about it.
Another reason was that I did not believe I could ever become vegan. My few attempts to go vegetarian failed miserably – I could not stick with it for more than a few days. I didn’t have the knowledge how to do it right and I didn’t have any support system.
You see, I never even personally met a vegan in my life – until I became vegan myself, and began seeking them out. I’d met a few vegetarians years ago – but they were not close to me – just people I met once or twice, never to see them again. For most part my family and friends are very meat oriented in their food choices (I come from Poland, the land of pork chops and kielbasa), and when I tried even reducing meat consumption in my diet – I was met with strong opposition, harsh criticism, and ridicule (I’m sure none of you can relate to that…LOL).
Then, in 2012, I went to Green Festival in New York City and witnessed a panel discussion of five (!) vegans about plant based diet – that was more vegans that I saw in one day than vegetarians that I’ve met in my entire life!
They looked perfectly normal – more than that – they looked great. They seemed like interesting people: book authors who spoke with joy and enthusiasm about their choices – not some weird hippies or malnourished zealots that many people picture vegans to be.
While at the festival, I stopped by a few tables of animal rights organizations promoting veganism and picked up some brochures, but I was still putting off reading them.
Then, I mastered the courage to read “Eating Animals” that I found in my local library. It was sitting on the shelf right next to the Cooking section, and although I noticed it before, I kept avoiding it for fear that it will be too upsetting to read. I finally read it – and that was it.
That, and a comment made by a close family member about vegans being like fascists. The comment was made after a vegan friend took that family member and his guest to a vegan restaurant, where there was “nothing to eat.” This sparked a discussion about how the vegan friend was selfish and inconsiderate–like fascists (!)– not to take into account the non-vegan appetites.
That comment hit me like sack of bricks.
I could not believe my ears.
For the first time I felt shame and anger, like never before, for not standing up for something that I deeply cared about.
I was upset at the person who made the comment and at myself, for being such a hypocrite and a coward.
That was it.
I became vegan on the spot.
I was at the ripe age of 46.
I wish I’d done it sooner.
That’s why I want to help get this message out to more people using the online marketing tools and business building strategies that I have learned over the many years that I’ve been online.
That’s why I’m on a mission to help vegans (you!) leverage the power of online technology and business building strategies to take our online presence and activism to the next level.
I strongly believe that by building a MASSIVE PLATFORM online for positive change (and profits), including creating websites, exploding social media presence, writing and publishing ebooks, creating information products, ecourses, newsletters, webinars, podcasts, and membership sites; as well as using various business building strategies, we can create more LEVERAGE, build more MOMENTUM, and start taking our MESSAGE out to the world in a BIG WAY to make a bigger difference for the animals, to create the vegan world that we so desire, while also living the lifestyle that we want.
Whether you have one hour per day, per week or per month, with the right tools you could probably do much more that you are currently doing — you’d really be surprised!
Whatever your OFFLINE expertise or passion, you can do what you love, make a bigger difference, while also making money ONLINE, without compromising your values.
Don’t wait another year, don’t wait another day.
Start building something online TODAY.
1. Choose your AUDIENCE
2. Build a MASSIVE PLATFORM (website, email list, social media profiles) for positive change and profits
3. Provide VALUE (share links, write blog posts, publish ebooks, create and sell products and courses)
4. Build a COMMUNITY of people who love you and value your opinion
5. Ask and LISTEN to what your audience wants & give it to them
6. Tell YOUR STORY and educate them about VEGANISM
7. Make money in the process, so you can do more of the above to BUILD MOMENTUM and make an even BIGGER DIFFERENCE for the animals.
What can I help you with?
Check out my courses and coaching programs. I also provide one-on-one consultations and done-for-you services.
- How to choose your topic and niche (no, you don’t have to start another vegan recipe website, unless you really want to, but even then there is the RIGHT way to do it, and I can show you how).
- How to build an audience and attract big following of not just vegans, but people who are not vegans YET, but are ready to hear this message (so you are not preaching to a choir).
- Why and how to build an email list of followers – your greatest asset (even if you have a huge following on the social pages – you still MUST build a list, and I’ll tell you WHY and HOW).
- How to setup a website for best results and biggest impact. No programming or HTML skills required! No need to spend thousands of dollars.
- How to make money online without compromising your values–by writing ebooks, creating courses, recording webinars, etc. I’ll show you how to do it, regardless of your background and expertise (you don’t have to write another vegan recipe book, unless you really want to).
- How to promote your website, your books and products to a large audience.
- And much more…!
Remember, nothing will happen, until you take action!
Let’s change the world TOGETHER; sooner, rather than later!
Let’s make the change happen together–sooner, rather than later!
Joanna Slodownik
Vegan Online Success Coach
PS. I’m currently putting together a series of ebooks, courses and coaching products that are designed to help vegan bloggers, authors, activists, coaches, entrepreneurs, business owners, or just individuals with a passion for spreading the vegan message, who want to create a bigger impact fast – to help them take their online presence to the next level.
I welcome any comments, questions and suggestions that you may have that will make this program as helpful and impactful as possible.
Sign up for the Vegan Online Success newsletter HERE to receive more details and notifications.
About
Joanna Slodownik is a Vegan Success Coach on a mission to help vegans (you!) leverage the power of online technology and business building strategies to stop playing small and take our online presence, activism, and profits to the next level, to reach the tipping point faster.
I strongly believe that by building a MASSIVE PLATFORM online for positive change (and and making money in the process)–including creating websites, exploding social media presence, publishing ebooks, creating information products, ecourses, newsletters, webinars, podcasts, and membership sites; as well as using various business building strategies–list building, joint ventures, mastermind groups, and other; so that we can create more LEVERAGE, reach more people faster, build more MOMENTUM, and start taking our MESSAGE out to the world in a BIG WAY to make a bigger difference for the animals, while living the ethical lifestyle that we desire.
