Explore every episode of the podcast Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 321: 99 Problems? Just Solve One | 27 oct. 2026 | 00:21:58 | |
Feeling overwhelmed by everything you need to do, decide, or figure out? Sometimes the best way forward is to solve just ONE problem. This week on Vedge Your Best, I'm sharing a little of my own overwhelm after returning from Greece—and how I caught myself turning a long list of ordinary tasks into 99 problems. (Apologies to Jay-Z) We do the same thing when we're starting or restarting a vegan or plant-based practice. Before we've figured out what to eat for lunch, we're worrying about protein, family dinners, holidays, travel, and every possible challenge that might come up. In this episode, we'll talk about:
Your All-or-Something challenge this week: Forget about finding the perfect next step. Choose one thing that's taking up space in your head and do something about it. Then take a moment to notice what you've accomplished. You don't need to solve all 99 problems today. Just solve one. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 320: Building Your Vegan Infrastructure | 20 oct. 2026 | 00:25:48 | |
Going vegan—or moving further in a plant-based direction—doesn't require more discipline. You just need a few things in place that make it easier to follow through. In this episode of Vedge Your Best, I’m talking about building the small systems that support a vegan practice in the life you actually have. In this episode:
This week: Put ONE thing in place before you need it. Mentioned in this episode Ben Meer’s “Year of Systems,” Field Roast Celebration Roast, and Gardein plant-based roasts. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 319: Vacationing While Vegan — Athens | 13 oct. 2026 | 00:27:48 | |
Visiting Athens as a vegan? My favorite meals weren’t at vegan restaurants. Beautiful seasonal vegetables, greens, split peas, tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes and mushrooms are the basis of Greek cuisine. In this episode:
Mentioned in this episode: Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 318: The Best Way to Go Vegan? That’s the Wrong Question | 06 oct. 2026 | 00:23:53 | |
86 days left in 2026! Does that make you think, " Time is running out.” Or "I'll just start fresh in January.” That's all-or-nothing thinking. What IS the best way to go vegan? It’s not by planning for open consistent days full of supportive friends and family. The next three months are likely to be full of travel, family, holidays, guests, meals out, and a lot less structure. Then we spend some time on protein, because it's having a “moment" and because "beans don't agree with me" is one of the most common reasons I hear from folks that they just… can't. In this episode: • Why "time is running out" and "I'll start in January" are the same mistake Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 317: Finding Room on Your Vegan “Dance Card." | 29 sept. 2026 | 00:28:23 | |
No more room on your "dance card" today. This week we take one idea from the Harada Method and use it to make "being vegan" feel a lot more manageable. Instead of one giant goal, a chart full of small, learnable skills. If you know why you want to eat fewer (or no) animal products, you've read the books and watched the documentaries, and you're STILL struggling, this episode is for you. Maybe you don't have a vegan problem. Maybe you have an empty square on your chart. IN THIS EPISODE Why "go vegan" sounds like one thing and is actually fifty or a hundred things. Maybe more depending on where you are starting. The Harada Method, the 64-square chart, and the one idea underneath it that changes how you look at your goal TRY THIS WEEK Take a piece of paper. At the top write: WHAT WOULD MAKE MY VEGAN LIFE EASIER? Start by listing 20 very specific things you could learn, practice, decide or solve. That's your chart. Then pick one, not the most important one, just one that would make your life a little easier, and pencil it in.Inspired by the Harada Method, developed by Japanese track-and-field coach Takashi Harada. If you want to go deeper, search "Harada Method" or "Open Window 64"; there are videos on it for every kind of goal you can imagine. LET'S TALK Email me or DM me on Instagram and tell me. If you'd like support with your own chart, I'm happy to chat by phone or email.
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 316: Find the Friction: Identifying the Drag on Your Vegan Journey. | 22 sept. 2026 | 00:34:41 | |
The late Thomas Leonard, the grandfather of life coaching, developed the idea of “tolerations.” Those everyday annoyances that wear you down or distract you. The drawer that sticks. The tap that drips. The email you're not answering. The monthly card game you no longer want to be part of. The windshield-washer fluid light that keeps coming on. (Ask me how I know.) None of them is big enough to force your hand, and that's exactly how they survive. But they aren't neutral. Each one is running in the background, taking a sliver of your energy, your attention and your confidence. Most of us assume the fix for a stalled goal is more discipline, more willpower, more grit. Doubling down on the goal. But, very often the real problem is that the runway is cluttered. You can have the best engine in the world and still not take off if there are tolerations littering the path or dragging you down. In this episode: Why working through tolerations was the first thing I ever did in coaching, and why I still do a version of it, which I call "find the friction," with my own clients How a closet full of clothes that no longer fit became the friction I'd stopped noticing, and how naming it out loud turned it into a decision with a plan. Why the same thing applies to a plant-based practice. The "pick one thing" idea from coach Natalie Bacon that stopped me from turning one small goal into twenty. A note before you listen: this episode touches on weight loss and dieting, a subject some of us find triggering. I don't go into much detail, and it's really just my example of a distraction I decided to deal with, but if it's a topic you'd rather avoid, please skip this one and take good care of yourself. I'd love to hear the friction or toleration you named while you were listening. You don't have to tell me what you're going to do about it. Naming it is the first move. Email me or DM me on Instagram, and we can always have a chat by phone or email. I want your runway clean and clear, so that you can Vedge YOUR Best. Mentioned in this episode Thomas Leonard, coach and founder of the modern coaching profession, and his concept of "tolerations" Natalie Bacon, coach, and her "pick one thing" approach to goals Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 315: Food Grief: What Are You Actually Afraid of Losing? | 15 sept. 2026 | 00:31:44 | |
What are we really afraid of losing when we change the way we eat? Sometimes it's the taste or smell of a favorite food. But often, the foods we worry about giving up are connected to something much bigger: a grandmother's recipe, a holiday table, a favorite place, a travel experience, or even our identity as someone who is adventurous, easygoing, or willing to eat anything. In this episode of Vedge Your Best, Michele explores the idea of food grief—the sense of loss that can come with developing a vegan or plant-based practice. Food carries an extraordinary amount of our lives with it. A smell can take us back to a kitchen we haven't stood in for decades. A cookie can mean Christmas. A bowl of soup can remind us of being cared for as a child. So when we change what's on our plate, it's understandable that it can feel as though we're changing something much bigger. But we don't have to rush to solve that feeling—or convince ourselves that nothing has been lost. Instead, we can get curious. In this episode:
Instead of asking, “How do I convince myself I'm not losing anything?” try asking: What do I feel like I'm losing? What am I actually grieving? And once you understand that: What do I want to do? Sometimes we preserve the tradition and change the food. Sometimes we preserve the connection and change the ritual. Sometimes we find a wonderful substitute. And sometimes we simply acknowledge that something we valued is different now. That's not a failure of your plant-based practice. That's part of developing one. You know what to do, Just Vedge Your Best. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 314: The Consistency Fantasy | 08 sept. 2026 | 00:19:06 | |
September energy is back. Use that energy. But watch out for the consistency fantasy: the idea that before we begin, we need to know how we’re going to keep doing this from now on. Consistency isn’t something you can accomplish today. Today, you can only do the thing. Yes consistency is important, but our desire to be consistent can sometimes keep us from getting started at all—especially when we’re trying to move in a vegan or plant-based direction. Instead of trying to solve December before you’ve even tried Tuesday, I’m offering three questions: • What could I actually do today? • What would be worthwhile even if I only did it once? • What’s already working that I don’t want to mess with? Your assignment this week isn’t just to pick one thing. It’s to only pick one thing. Make one choice. Try one thing. Learn one thing. Because vegan and plant-based momentum isn’t built by standing at the starting line wondering what your life will look like three months from now. It’s a practice you build day by day choice by choice.
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 313: Can You Be Committed Without Being Certain? | 01 sept. 2026 | 00:31:36 | |
Do you need to know that you can live vegan forever before you take one action today? Last week, we talked about practical uncertainty in a vegan practice: restaurant plans, backup meals, and the possibility of ending up with romaine lettuce and French fries for dinner. This week, we go one level deeper. What happens when you ask your future self to guarantee that you will follow through perfectly for the rest of your life? Michele often hears people say, “I’m not like you. I don’t stick with things. I don’t have discipline.” That’s usually not even true.. In this episode:
Your September Experiment Complete these three sentences: For September, I am committed to __________. Right now I do not need to know __________. This week, I am going to learn or practice __________. Keep the commitment meaningful, but make the experiment small enough to give you real information. At the end, you do not need to give yourself a grade. Ask what worked, what did not, and what you would like to try next. Not knowing is not a problem. It means the answer is still open—and an open answer gives you room to learn, change, and surprise yourself. You can be serious about your values and curious about your methods. You can be committed without being certain. Book mentioned: Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 312: Vegan Certainty Principle | 25 août 2026 | 00:34:06 | |
How much certainty does your vegan practice actually need? It’s hard to know what being vegan will look like until you get tarted. My job is to help you “stay in the game” long enough to get some traction, gain some skills and have some fun. After Episode 309 on having a "Plan B," many of you reached out.. Turns out none of us is simply "comfortable" or "uncomfortable" with uncertainty. The unknowns that barely register for one person can take up enormous space for another — and two people with the very same goal may need completely different kinds of support. In this episode:
The four audit questions:
Mentioned in this episode:
What kind of uncertainty doesn't bother you much — and what kind makes you panicky? Let me know! Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 311: Install Your Vegan Program — Why Willpower Isn’t the Problem | 18 août 2026 | 00:48:07 | |
You know why you want to eat more plant-based. So why do you keep returning to old choices? It’s not be a willpower problem. More likely, it’s a programming problem. For most of our lives, we have repeated the same food choices within our families, communities, celebrations, restaurants, and daily routines. Those choices eventually become automatic. When we try to override decades of habit through determination alone, it can feel like pushing a boulder uphill—especially when life becomes stressful. In this episode, I explore how old food programming operates beneath our conscious intentions and why familiar choices can return so quickly during travel, illness, fatigue, family gatherings, or an ordinary difficult day. More importantly, I share two simple tools for beginning to install a different program: the redo and the rehearsal. A redo helps you revisit a moment that did not go the way you wanted and calmly practice another possible response. A rehearsal lets you imagine handling an upcoming restaurant meal, family gathering, work event, or stressful evening as the person you are becoming. You do not have to fight the old program or make one enormous decision. Through awareness, repetition, and practice, plant-based choices can gradually become more familiar, natural, and automatic. Try This: A 60-Second Rehearsal Choose one moment tomorrow that could be challenging. Perhaps you will be tired at dinnertime, eating with family, attending an event, or looking at a menu with few obvious vegan choices. Relax your shoulders. Unclench your jaw. Take a full breath. Now imagine yourself moving through that moment calmly. See yourself asking simply for what you need or choosing the food that supports your plant-based practice. Let the choice feel ordinary rather than dramatic. You are giving your brain a new possibility to practice. The Key Takeaway You are not the old program. You can notice the patterns that have been running automatically and begin installing patterns that better support the way you want to live. With repetition, today’s awkward and unfamiliar actions can become second nature tomorrow. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 310: Vegan “Drift" | 11 août 2026 | 00:25:09 | |
Drifting" away from your plant-based intentions? Here's how to gently turn back toward what you value. Maybe you started the year strong and now it's August and there's cheese back in the fridge? This one's for you. Inspired by the Gottman Institute's famous relationship research (hat tip to Maggie Reyes of The Marriage Life Coach Podcast), this episode borrows a powerful idea: relationships rarely end in explosive fights. They drift — slowly, silently, through a failure to connect in tiny everyday moments. Your relationship with your vegan intentions works exactly the same way. The gap between where you meant to be and where you are isn't failure. It's drift. In this episode:
I'd love to hear from you: Where did you notice yourself drifting this summer — and what's one turn you made back toward what you want? Send me a message; your answer might make it into a future episode. If this episode helped you, please share it with someone who could use a soft place to land this August — and leave a rating or review to help others find the show. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 309: Plan B — Decide It BEFORE You Need It | 04 août 2026 | 00:29:36 | |
One thing almost every great goal is missing? A Plan B. Whether you're going vegan, strength training, starting a business, or cutting back on alcohol, most of us have only ever had Plan A: perfection. And when it cracks — it always does — we don't slow down. We stop. Stop planning only for perfection. Start planning in advance for reality - YOUR reality. Just like professional educators. Mentioned in this episode • Sid Garza-Hillman — MOTT: "most of the time” • Marcus Aurelius: "You have to assemble your life yourself, action by action.” • Day-tight compartments (Dale Carnegie) • The abstinence violation effect (relapse research) • Rigid vs. flexible dietary restraint Having a clear Plan B isn't planning to fail — it's the reason you won’t. Plan B is there to jump in the moment you'd usually give up so you keep making progress. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 308: A More Powerful To-Do List | 28 juil. 2026 | 00:26:43 | |
Does your to-do list say things like doctor, camp, garden, library, tofu—or simply dump? Those words may remind you that something needs attention, but they don’t tell you what to do next. Often, a vague item keeps moving from list to list because it isn’t actually a task yet. It may be a project, an unresolved question, a missing decision, or something that requires another person’s help. In this practical end-of-July episode, Michele shares how to turn vague reminders into specific next actions your future self can actually use. You’ll learn: • Why one-word list items are often topics or projects rather than tasks Michele also applies the idea to plant-based living. Instead of writing vegan or tofu, your real next action might be finding a vegan lasagna recipe, adding extra-firm tofu to the grocery order, asking a restaurant server about vegan options, or calling your doctor to discuss appropriate bloodwork. Try this Find three vague items that have been sitting on your list. For each one, ask:
Then put that specific action on your list, your calendar—or, when appropriate, someone else’s calendar. You don’t need a new planner, a complicated system, or color-coordinated markers. You need a list that helps you make progress. Mentioned in this episode April Perry and LearnDoBecome’s work on Context-Based Next Actions Lists: https://learndobecome.com/episode63-2/ This week’s reminder Your to-do list should not be a collection of mysterious documents for your future self to puzzle over. Make it specific enough to show you where to begin—and then take the next small step toward vedging your best. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 307: My Vegan “Personal Curriculum” - Peter Singer's Animal Liberation Now. | 21 juil. 2026 | 00:26:59 | |
What happens when you stop letting the algorithm choose what you learn and start building your own course of study? In the first installment of my summer" personal curriculum," I open Peter Singer’s Animal Liberation Now: The Definitive Classic Renewed, the updated 2023 edition of his influential 1975 book, Animal Liberation. Why start here? Singer’s work supplied much of the vocabulary and philosophical framework still used in conversations about animals today. We break down speciesism, sentience, utilitarianism, and the difference between animal welfare and animal rights—without assuming you already speak the language of philosophy. ( Because I don’t.) We look at factory farming and animal experimentation, how Singer weighs a human preference for taste or price against an animal’s interest in avoiding suffering, and why the question of plant sentience does not necessarily weaken the vegan case. There are criticisms of Singer’s work, including disability-rights objections to his views on euthanasia and profound cognitive disability. This episode is neither a blanket endorsement nor a takedown. It is an invitation to read critically, understand some of the ideas that helped shape modern animal ethics, and decide what holds up for you.IN THIS EPISODE
CONTENT NOTE This episode includes discussion of factory farming, animal experimentation, animal suffering, euthanasia, disability rights, and ethically complex questions involving infants with profound, life-limiting disabilities. What subject would you choose for a personal curriculum of your own? And how does this new series land for you—intriguing, too academic, or exactly the nudge you needed? Reach out and let me know.The next personal-curriculum book episode will arrive in a couple of weeks. Until then, I’ll be here every week to cheer you on as you Vedge Your Best. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 306: You’ve Seen Cowspiracy. Now Build Your Own Vegan Curriculum. | 14 juil. 2026 | 00:34:09 | |
What would it look like to build your own Personal Curriculum around veganism, animal advocacy, and our relationships with other animals? This week, Michele introduces a summer reading series centered around her Personal Curriculum for the summer of 2026 and invites the listeners to join her. Shared references can help us have better conversations — more precise, more thoughtful, and more useful — especially in a world where we are often working from different facts, different frameworks, and different emotional starting points. Documentaries like Cowspiracy, Earthlings, The Game Changers, and Dominion have helped bring countless people into the vegan and plant-based conversation. But books offer something different: the chance to slow down, build an argument, question assumptions, take notes, push back, and develop a more durable intellectual framework. Deep reading can help us become harder to fool, better able to name what we are seeing, and more equipped to understand the language used around food, animals, “humane” labels, sustainability, health, and ethics. Maybe reading is an important form of activism. What books have shaped YOUR thinking? What belongs in a shared set of references for vegan and animal advocacy conversations? What perspectives are missing from the usual lists? What have you read recently that challenged you, changed you, frustrated you, or helped you think more clearly? Books Michele is considering for her personal curriculum: Animal Liberation by Peter Singer Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows by Melanie Joy Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer The Sexual Politics of Meat by Carol J. Adams Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy by Matthew Scully Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat by Hal Herzog Michele wants to hear from you: What books belong in this conversation? Particularly those from a non-white, indigenous or colonialized perspective. Which books shaped your vegan, vegetarian, plant-based, or animal advocacy practice? Which arguments have helped you? Which ones have not? You can leave a short voicemail through SpeakPipe, DM Michele on Instagram at @Vedge_Your Best, or send an email to info@micheleolendercoaching.com By leaving a voicemail, you are giving permission for your message to potentially be played on a future episode of Vedge Your Best podcast. No mandatory homework. No quizzes. No pressure to keep up. Just an invitation to read, think, question, take notes, and connect over some shared references — one chapter at a time. Links: SpeakPipe voicemail: https://www.speakpipe.com/VedgeYourBest Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 305: What If Vegan Backlash Is a Good Sign? | 07 juil. 2026 | 00:33:06 | |
This week on Vedge Your Best podcast, we revisit the Save Our Bacon Act and the 2026 US Farm Bill, and ask what backlash against veganism, animal welfare, and plant-based change actually mean? There’s still time to communicate with the Senate here. It can feel discouraging when vegan, plant-based, and animal advocates are trolled online or dismissed as extreme. But what if some of that backlash is also a sign that compassionate food movements are becoming visible enough to challenge powerful systems? We explore how social change happens, why we may not need everyone to agree all at once, and what we can learn from research on active participation, coalition-building, and visible support. Drawing on Erica Chenoweth’s work on nonviolent movements and the “3.5% idea,” we see why visibility matters, why purity debates can shrink movements, and how widening the on-ramp can help more people take meaningful action.You’ll hear about:• How visible participation helps others feel less alone• Why backlash can be a signal that a movement is being noticed• What vegan and animal advocacy can learn from the anti-smoking movement• Why coalitions matter, even when people do not agree on every tactic• How schools, restaurants, hospitals, and laws can build better “infrastructure” for compassionate choices• Why imperfect participation can still move us forward• Practical ways to show up more visibly without burning outMaybe we don’t need everyone to do everything. We need more people doing something, more visibly, together, over time. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 304: "But Bacon Tho…" - The Save Our Bacon Act and What You Can Do | 30 juin 2026 | 00:20:30 | |
The 2026 House Farm Bill — a $1.4 trillion piece of legislation — contains a provision called the Save Our Bacon Act that would wipe out every state-level animal welfare standard for farm products in the United States, current and future. It passed the House 224–200 and is now heading to the Senate for debate in July. This episode explains what's at stake, who it affects, and exactly how to make your voice heard before it's too late.TAKE ACTION — US LISTENERS The most important thing you can do right now is contact your senators directly. https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm Enter your state and you'll get your senators' phone numbers, email contact forms, and office locations. A phone call takes two minutes. A message through their contact form takes five. What to say: "I am calling to ask Senator [Name] to oppose the Save Our Bacon Act — the preemption provision in the 2026 Farm Bill (H.R. 7567, Section 12006). Please protect state animal welfare standards." Capitol Switchboard (they'll connect you to your senator's office): (202) 224-3121 Find and contact your senators These states have senators on the Senate Agriculture Committee, which is where the bill is being shaped: Arkansas · Mississippi · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Alabama · South Dakota · North Dakota · West Virginia · Nebraska · Minnesota · New Jersey · Illinois · California · Pennsylvania · Michigan · Colorado · New Mexico · Georgia · Vermont Pre-made action alerts (they do the work for you) These organizations have built easy contact tools — you can send a message to your senators in under five minutes: Humane World for Animals — Stop the Save Our Bacon Act https://humaneaction.org/protect-state-laws ASPCA — Oppose Attacks on Animal Protection Laws in the Farm Bill https://secure.aspca.org/action/fsfp-act Animal Legal Defense Fund https://aldf.org/project/oppose-the-farm-food-and-national-security-act-of-2026-house-farm-bill-federal/ BACKGROUND AND FURTHER READING What is the Save Our Bacon Act? https://www.humaneworld.org/en/news/whats-happening-california-prop-12-farm-bill-save-our-bacon-act Why the Farm Bill is no place for this provision (Civil Eats op-ed, May 2026) https://civileats.com/2026/05/28/the-farm-bill-is-no-place-for-big-porks-save-our-bacon-act/ ASPCA on the federal attack on state animal welfare laws https://www.aspca.org/news/federal-attack-farm-animals-and-states-rights-revived Senate Agriculture Committee — signs of resistance https://sentientmedia.org/senate-ag-committee-set-to-spare-this-animal-welfare-law/ The 2026 House Farm Bill (H.R. 7567) — full text on Congress.gov https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7567 INTERNATIONAL LISTENERS United Kingdom The UK-US trade deal (2025) opened British markets to US beef produced under welfare standards that would be illegal in the UK — putting British farmers who invested in higher welfare practices at a competitive disadvantage. Compassion in World Farming — UK trade deal and animal welfare: https://www.ciwf.org.uk/our-campaigns/other-campaigns/trade-and-animal-welfare/ European Union The EU's Farm to Fork strategy promised to phase out cage farming across member states. Those commitments have been dropped from the 2026 Commission Work Programme after years of delays. EU Animal Welfare Intergroup — warning on 2026 Work Programme: https://www.animalwelfareintergroup.eu/news/intergroup-warns-against-omission-animal-welfare-proposal-2026-work-programme Canada Animal Justice published a national vision report in 2026 calling for stronger federal animal welfare standards. Animal Justice — National Framework for Farmed Animal Protection: https://www.animaljustice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Vision-Report-2026.pdf | |||
| 303: Is Veganism Contagious? | 23 juin 2026 | 00:22:44 | |
What if the reason you're struggling with your plant-based choices has less to do with willpower — and more to do with the food culture surrounding you? In this episode, I got completely hooked by a New York Times piece about financial habits — and couldn't stop thinking about how perfectly it applies to the way we eat. The article, by Paulette Perhach, makes the case that every friend group has a financial culture, whether anyone named it or not. Turns out, every friend group has a food culture too. And most of us didn't choose ours on purpose. We absorbed it. We talk about what social contagion actually is, why it's not as scary as it sounds, and how it might explain why plant-based eating can feel so much harder than it should. We also talk about how to use it in your favor — without lecturing anyone, debating at dinner, or turning into the vegan police. In this episode:
Three questions from this episode:
Resources mentioned:
This week's challenge: Choose one place to be less passive. Suggest the restaurant. Bring the dish. Tell the host ahead of time. If you're just starting out, find one recipe that excites you, one account that makes this feel doable, or one person who gets it. That's enough. Enjoyed this episode? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it helps more people find the show. And if this one resonated, share it with someone who might be ready to hear it. You don't have to do it perfectly. You just have to Vedge Your Best. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 302: The Hidden Cost of Waiting | 16 juin 2026 | 00:23:42 | |
This episode drops on my 67th birthday. One thing I really wish I'd understood earlier? Waiting isn't the safe choice. It just sends the bill to your future self. We tend to think that waiting is the less costly option. That the right time is out there, and when it arrives, the awkwardness will be gone, the support will be in place, and the path will be clear. But that perfect moment doesn't tend to show up. And while we're waiting for it, we're not building any of the skills we'll need when we get there. This episode isn't about blame — yours or mine. It's about what's actually going on when we keep putting things off, and what it might look like to start practicing instead. In this episode:
The question from this episode: What would you do a little differently if you believed that waiting is costing you something? Resources mentioned:
This week's invitation: You don't have to solve the hard part first. If there's one food, one situation, one habit you're waiting to have figured out before you start — set it aside for now. What's one thing you can do? One meal, one choice, one grocery item. That's the practice. That's where it begins. If this one landed for you, share it with someone who might need to hear it. And I'd love to know — what have you been waiting on? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or come find me and tell me. As always: you don't have to do it perfectly. You just have to Vedge Your Best Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 301: " Vegan? Must be Nice…" | 09 juin 2026 | 00:24:46 | |
“Oh Vegan? Must be nice…." Some people hear words like "change” or “goal” and feel intrigued. Others feel offended. As if YOUR growth is a comment on who THEY are. In this episode, we talk about why that happens, what those people are actually protecting, and how understanding it can give you more insight and compassionate for them AND yourself. We also talk directly to the RE-starters. If you've had a gap in your plant-based or vegan practice, this one is for you. IN THIS EPISODE:
RESOURCES MENTIONED: Carol Dweck — Mindset: The New Psychology of Success Brené Brown — research on shame, vulnerability, and courage (brenebrown.com) Kristin Neff — self-compassion research (self-compassion.org) Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 300: What Have You Been Practicing? | 02 juin 2026 | 00:25:46 | |
You’re more consistent than you think, because not practicing is also a practice. In this milestone 300th episode of Vedge Your Best, Michele reflects on what it really means to show up week after week. This episode explores the stories we tell ourselves about discipline, follow-through, and identity and how those stories can become self-protective. If we say, “I’m just not wired that way,” we may be protecting ourselves from shame, disappointment, or other people’s expectations. But we may also be protecting ourselves from evidence that we are capable of more than we think. For anyone who has ever thought, “I’m not consistent enough to be vegan,” “I’m not that kind of person,” or “I could never stick with that,” this episode offers a compassionate reframe. A vegan or plant-based practice can be about ethics, compassion, health, and the planet — and it can also be a way to update your belief in yourself. In this episode:
Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 299: Vegan Anniversaries and Big Days. | 26 mai 2026 | 00:24:36 | |
What if the episode before the milestone is actually the point? This week on Vedge Your Best, Michele reflects on the strange pressure of recording Episode 299 — the one right before 300 consecutive weekly episodes. Instead of treating it as a drumroll for the “big” episode, she uses it as a chance to talk about overthinking, milestones, and the stories we attach to numbers, birthdays, anniversaries, and fresh starts. Overthinking often disguises itself as responsibility, preparation, or “just wanting to get it right.” But maybe the most valuable thing is not a perfect plan. It’s simply to keep going, keep learning, and keep engaging. For anyone starting, restarting, or re-energizing a vegan or plant-based practice, this matters. The hard part isn’t always the food, it is the meaning we attach to every little choice. What does it mean if I say I’m vegan? What does it mean if I make a mistake? What does it mean if my family isn’t doing this with me? This episode is an invitation to stop treating every choice like a final exam and remember that the small step IS the transformation. In this episode:
Listener Challenge Choose one thing you’ve been overthinking. Ask yourself:
Then take that step in the next 24 seconds, 24 minutes, or 24 hours. Don’t wait for Monday. Just take the next step. Key Takeaway Most of life is not the big milestone. Most of life is Episode 299 — the ordinary, unglamorous step that makes the milestone possible. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 298: Email Apnea, Anxiety & Sleep with Henry & Henry - The Vegan Breathing Coaches | 19 mai 2026 | 00:52:41 | |
Ever noticed yourself holding your breath while checking your email? Or reading the news? Or seeing a text notification flash on your phone? This week on Vedge Your Best, Annette and Graham Henry, AKA the Vegan Breathing Coaches join the pod. Berlin-based Brits Annette and Graham are vegan. They are breathing coaches. And they are talking to us about something most of us assume we already know how to do: breathe. We talk about mouth breathing, nose breathing, over-breathing, breath-holding, snoring, sleep, anxiety, posture, modern stress, and the very real phenomenon sometimes called “email apnea.” But this conversation is really about something bigger than breath. It’s about noticing what we didn’t know we weren’t noticing. So many of us walk around thinking, “I’m just anxious,” or “I just don’t sleep well,” or “I’m just overwhelmed,” when sometimes there may be something very basic happening in the body that we have not even considered. And if you are part of the Vedge Your Best community, you know how much of changing our lives begins with awareness. We inherited a way of eating. We inherited ideas about animals, food, normalcy, health, and comfort. And apparently, many of us may also have inherited or developed breathing habits that are not serving us as well as we think. This is not a magic wand episode. Breathing does not fix everything. Veganism does not fix everything. No single practice fixes everything. But sometimes change begins with one small question: What if this thing I thought was “just me” is actually something I can understand, support, or gently change? In this episode, we talk about: Why Annette and Graham call themselves the Vegan Breathing Coaches What “email apnea” is and why so many of us may be holding our breath without realizing it How modern stress, phones, inboxes, posture, and daily habits may affect the way we breathe The difference between mouth breathing and nose breathing Why “just take a deep breath” may not always be the most helpful advice How breathing patterns can relate to sleep, anxiety, snoring, and feeling constantly on alert Why the diaphragm matters more than many of us realize The connection between awareness, body signals, and lasting change Why noticing your breath can be a useful practice — without turning it into one more perfectionist project Important Note This episode is for education and curiosity. It is not medical advice. If you have sleep apnea, significant breathing concerns, chronic insomnia, panic attacks, serious snoring, or you are considering something like mouth taping — especially for a child — please work with a qualified professional Resources Learn more about Annette and Graham Henry and their breathing resources here: https://www.henryandhenryeu.com/ Mentioned in this episode: Breath by James Nestor Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 297: The Olender Test - for Vegan Representation in Popular Culture | 12 mai 2026 | 00:15:11 | |
What if the way vegans show up in movies, TV, and books is shaping how we’re treated in real life? This week, Michele introduces The Olender Test — a simple idea inspired by the Bechdel Test — to explore how vegan characters are portrayed in popular culture. From fruitarians played for laughs to vegan characters reduced to punchlines, Michele walks through a few familiar examples — and highlights what’s missing. What IS the connection between media representation and real-life experiences? It may not be random. This episode brings in a touch of behavioral science — including the availability heuristic and social norms — to explain why repeated portrayals matter more than we think. The Olender Test isn’t about perfection.
The Olender Test A film, show, or book passes the Olender Test if:
Referenced in This Episode
Listener Invitation Try the Olender Test on something you’re watching or reading this week. Does it pass? Send Michele your examples — she’d love to feature listener submissions in a future episode. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 296: Uncomfortable Conversations and Happy Cow | 05 mai 2026 | 00:19:34 | |
Would you ever give a vegan restaurant a “bad” review? In this solo episode, we talk uncomfortable conversations and whether we sometimes grade vegan businesses on “a curve.” Of course we want to support vegan businesses at home and on the road. AND we also want to give honest information and useful feedback. As someone who is much more comfortable encouraging and amplifying than criticizing, I share why this has felt like such an uncomfortable conversation for me to finally have. We discuss the challenge of relying on review platforms while traveling, the importance of thoughtful standards in vegan dining, and why clear, respectful feedback may actually be real support. This is a conversation about honesty, expectations, and the difference between loyalty and lowered standards. In this episode:
Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 295: Plant Based With Kids: Erin Stanczyk from EatMoveRest.com | 28 avr. 2026 | 00:53:06 | |
This week on Vedge Your Best, Erin Stanczyk of EatMoveRest.com shares the health struggles that pushed her to question the standard American diet and eventually build an entirely different life around food, movement, and rest. Symptoms like anxiety, brain fog, sluggish digestion, irregular cycles, and high cholesterol in her twenties led Erin to search for answers beyond quick fixes, which led her to a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle. One step led to the next. After hearing Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, letting go of animal products one step at a time, working through protein fears, and discovering that simple really is sustainable, Erin and her husband Dusty went on to build EatMoveRest.com. Now they share recipes, wellness tools, an app, retreats, and their family cookbook, The Happy Healthy Plant-Based Cookbook. (The Stanczyks | EatMoveRest) Michele and Erin also talk about raising plant-based kids without perfectionism, leading by example instead of pressure, making healthy food colorful and fun, and why “rest” is about much more than sleep. This is a practical conversation for anyone who wants to feel better, start smaller, and build a plant-based life that works in real life with real friends and family, not just in theory. In this episode, we talk about:
Resources Mentioned:
Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 294: The Human Cost of Farming Animals - The Transfarmation Project.org | 21 avr. 2026 | 00:41:29 | |
Factory farming is an animal issue, but it is also a story about debt, lost autonomy, pollution, and the pressure many farm families face when powerful companies control the terms. This week, Megan Hunter, Senior Program Specialist for Transfarmation joins the pod to talk about what happens when farmers want out — and what it can look like to build something different in its place. Megan explains how Transfarmation helps farmers transition from industrial pig, chicken, and some dairy operations into specialty crop production such as mushrooms, hydroponic lettuce, microgreens, herbs, flowers, fruits, and vegetables. She also shares examples of farmers in North Carolina, Iowa, and Indiana who have repurposed former animal agriculture spaces into new local food businesses. We talk about the debt loop many contract farmers face, the lack of transparency in the system, the environmental burden of waste, the next generation’s reluctance to inherit this model, and why supporting local farmers and diversifying what we eat can be part of a more just and resilient food system. On the eve of Earth Day, this conversation feels especially timely. In this episode, we talk about: • how factory farming contracts can trap farmers in debt Megan Hunter was born and raised in the Midwest and previously worked as a 911 emergency dispatcher in rural Indiana. At TheTransfarmationProject.org, she works closely with farmers as they move away from factory farming and helps document their experiences so other farmers can see that another path may be possible. If this episode gives you a new way to think about factory farming — especially the human side of it — please share it with someone who might not usually listen to a vegan podcast. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 293: Your "Vegan Muscle” Powers Your Whole Life | 14 avr. 2026 | 00:19:18 | |
What if the thing that helps you stay vegan isn’t more willpower, more discipline, or a more perfect plan? This week we talk about resilience — not as a trait you either have or don’t, but as something you build. Just like a muscle. After a stretch of medical challenges left me feeling deconditioned and frustrated, I found myself back with much lighter weights than I used to lift. And that experience reminded me of something I see all the time in vegan and plant-based change: people don’t usually fail because they don’t care enough. They struggle because they try to lift too much, too soon. If you’ve ever told yourself you should be further along by now… if you’ve started over more times than you can count… if you’ve made a setback mean you’re weak, inconsistent, or not cut out for this, this episode is for you. We talk about why resilience matters more than perfection, why smaller changes are often the smarter strategy, and how supporting yourself through the wobble is what actually helps you build a practice that lasts. In this episode:
If you’ve been trying to do this the hard way, let this be your reminder: you do not need to start at the advanced level. You need to start where you are, build from there, and learn how to come back when things get messy. Resilience - that’s your vegan muscle. Strengthening it will power a whole lot more than what’s on your plate or the weight rack. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 292: Vegan Made Easy - A Practical Guide to Plant-Based Living with Joanne Kong | 07 avr. 2026 | 00:48:10 | |
What if veganism is not as complicated as people think? This week Joanne Kong, co-author of Vegan Made Easy: A Practical Guide to Plant-Based Living, visits to discuss what makes veganism more approachable and practical, Joanne explains why she and her co-author, Dr. Camila Perussello, wanted to create a book that readers could flip through easily for answers, encouragement, and clear next steps. They talk about the difference between plant-based and vegan, why that language matters, and why Joanne sees going vegan not as adding more complication, but as a return to basics. Joanne also shares why, for her, going vegan became more than a health choice — it became an emotional and even spiritual opening toward greater kindness and connection. Michele and Joanne explore perfectionism, food labels, non-vegan partners and family members, cultural conditioning around food, and the importance of being a positive role model rather than leading with blame or shame. Joanne also discusses her TEDx talk, her music-based advocacy work through Vegan Virtuosi, and why art and music can sometimes reach people more deeply than facts alone.In this episode:
Mentioned in this episode:
Connect with Joanne at vegansmakeadifference.comPublisher: This book is published by Lantern Publishing & Media, a mission-driven publisher focused on veganism, animal rights, social justice, humane education, and related work. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 291: What Am I Not Noticing? A Tool for Getting Unstuck | 31 mars 2026 | 00:18:43 | |
What if the story making you feel stuck isn't wrong — it's just incomplete? War, inflation, outrage and doomscrolling. This week Michele shares one of her favorite coaching tools — a single question that interrupts that tunnel vision and opens up what you couldn't see before. In this episode:
The question at the center of it all: The 4-step practice:
Resources mentioned:
Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 290: Out of Sight - An Undercover Investigator’s Fight for Animal Rights and Her Own Survival with Gail Eisnitz | 24 mars 2026 | 00:47:54 | |
What does an undiagnosed neurological disorder and the hidden cruelties of American factory farming have in common? More than you'd think. Gail Eisnitz spent most of her life unable to get answers about a visual processing condition that doctors dismissed, denied, and couldn't explain — leaving her to quietly wonder if she was imagining her own experience. That challenge turned out to parallel Gail's life's work: investigating an industry that depends on the public not seeing what's right in front of them. Chief investigator for the Humane Farming Association, Gail Eisnitz discusses her recent book, Out of Sight: An Undercover Investigator's Fight for Animal Rights and Her Own Survival For those of us on a vegan journey, Gail's story will resonate. So much of what we've come to understand about animal agriculture is a story of things hiding in plain sight — protected by powerful lobbies, sanitized language, and our own cultural conditioning. This conversation will sharpen your vision. Resources: Out of Sight by Gail Eisnitz · Humane Farming Association: hfa.org · HBO's Death on a Factory Farm Website: https://www.gaileisnitz.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gaileisnitz/ Facebook: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gail-eisnitz-20a9889b/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gail-eisnitz-20a9889b Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 289: "Plant Based People Are Hiding" - Nancy Albertson, Virtual Assistant | 17 mars 2026 | 00:52:30 | |
What is plant-based in “real life?" This week Nancy Albertson—Michele’s long-time Virtual Assistant and behind-the-scenes right hand since the beginning—talks about her vegan practice, the health changes, and why she believes “plant-based people are hiding in their homes.” You’ll hear about everyday choices, the social hurdles, and the kind of community support that helps people stick with it.
Connect with Nancy Albertson at http://Proadminme.com RESOURCES MENTIONED Forks Over Kniveshttps://www.forksoverknives.com/ Food Revolution Network Plant-Based Coaching Certificatehttps://certificate.foodrevolution.org/join/ PCRM – Building Healthy Communitieshttps://www.pcrm.org/buildinghealthycommunities Rockport Public Library event listing (Nancy’s Plant-Based Curious talk)https://www.rockportlibrary.net/event/curious-about-a-plant-based-diet/ Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 288: The V Word - The Psychology of Saying “Vegan” | 10 mars 2026 | 00:23:32 | |
Does saying “I’m vegan” feel uncomfortable? Does “plant based” feel empty? This episode breaks down why that reaction is so common—and how a few behavioral science concepts can help you stay regulated in social situations, and keep moving forward without needing to be “audit-ready.”In this episode, you’ll learn:
Listener practice for the week: Try one “label-light” sentence one time, in the wild:
You’re not doing this for other people’s comfort. You’re doing it to keep yourself regulated while you learn, experiment, and build a practice that lasts. That awkward, self-conscious feeling isn’t proof you’re doing it wrong. It’s a normal human response to belonging and identity—and it gets easier with practice. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 287: Vegan Strength Training, Protein, and Healthy Aging With Karina Inkster | 03 mars 2026 | 00:56:54 | |
Vegan fitness coach Karina Inkster (aka Coach K) joins Michele to talk about strength training for healthy aging, vegan protein needs, and how to build a fitness routine that stays consistent in real life—especially in midlife and beyond. Karina shares her practical Health Hierarchy Pyramid for health and body composition, why so many of us get stuck in overwhelm, what “effective” strength training actually looks like, and how to stop relying on motivation or willpower to stay on track. Key Topics (Vegan Fitness + Healthy Aging)
Karina’s website gets you to all her info, resources and podcast:karinainkster.com Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 286: Singletasking Your Vegan Life | 24 févr. 2026 | 00:22:00 | |
How you go vegan is how you do EVERYTHING. This week we talk multi-tasking vs. single-tasking—and why trying to “do it all” seems so positive, but it’s one of the sneakiest ways your plant-based momentum gets stalled. You’ll learn how to close the mental tabs, choose the next right thing, and build a practice that fits inside a real life. Because you don’t need more discipline.IN THIS EPISODE, WE COVER
YOUR 7-DAY LISTENER CHALLENGE Pick ONE thing to single-task for the next 7 days:
Ask yourself:What would make this 10% easier?What open loop can I close? Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 285: "What Difference Does It Make?" Choosing Vegan When The World Is On Fire | 17 févr. 2026 | 00:24:24 | |
Ever hear yourself think, “Who cares?” or “What difference does it make?”—especially when the world feels heavy and the news feels relentless? In this solo episode, Michele takes on the two-word excuse that can quietly sabotage your vegan (or plant-based) intentions—and honestly, your intentions in every other part of life too. “Who cares?” Answer for yourself. This episode also makes space for “not knowing” in your plant-based journey: you don’t need perfect certainty or a lifelong declaration to make your next aligned choice. In This Episode
Key Takeaway You don’t need perfect certainty. You need the next aligned choice. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 284: Stop the Press: Athena Kugblenu on Veganism, Humor & the Media | 10 févr. 2026 | 01:01:46 | |
Guest: Athena Kugblenu — comedian, author, commentator, and former Papercuts podcast regular Athena Kugblenu is a UK-based comedian and writer known for her sharp cultural commentary and her ability to use humor to explore power, media narratives, and social change. In this episode, Athena joins me for a serious AND funny conversation about how veganism is being covered in the news — and what gets lost when complex ideas are flattened into headlines. We talk about: Why declaring “veganism is over” is a lazy media story, Why the real barriers to eating more plants are poverty, time, kitchens, and access, Why the alternative to meat isn’t fake meat — it’s a completely different way of thinking about food. Along the way, Athena explains why comedy can work when arguments fail, how laughter creates shared reference points, and why humor can help people listen to ideas they might otherwise reject. In this episode, we cover:
Why this conversation matters right now At a time when the news cycle thrives on outrage and oversimplification, this episode offers a steadier lens — one that rejects either/or thinking and makes space for nuance, compassion, and clarity. Notice where headlines try to “bait” you into a binary — about food, politics, identity or anything else. Listener challengeAsk yourself: What’s missing from this story? Or Who?Learn more about Athena Kugblenu at https://athenakugblenu.co.uk/ Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 283: Plant-Based in Public — Self-Advocacy for Vegans | 03 févr. 2026 | 00:35:31 | |
Hey kids — it’s Michele. And here’s the twist: plant-based consistency in the real world isn’t mostly about food. It’s about asking. Asking questions, requesting swaps, clarifying ingredients, and tolerating a few seconds of social awkwardness without abandoning yourself. If you’ve ever eaten something “just to keep things simple”… this one’s for you.
Key Takeaways
For the next week, make one small request per day—at a restaurant, with a friend, at work or home, anywhere. Rules:
If you do it, I want to hear what you asked for and what you noticed. Mentioned
Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 282: Strategy or Tactics? Why Your Vegan Intentions Keep Stalling | 27 janv. 2026 | 00:21:42 | |
In this episode, Michele explores a powerful but often overlooked distinction that can make or break any meaningful change: strategy vs. tactics. Inspired by a coaching conversation with a client struggling through Veganuary, this episode unpacks why caring deeply—and even making a strong values-based decision—is often not enough to create consistent follow-through. Whether your goal is moving in a vegan or plant-based direction, improving your health, writing a book, changing your drinking, or following through on any important intention, this episode will help you identify what might be missing—and how to make change feel lighter instead of heavier.In this episode, you’ll learn:
Mentioned in this episode:
Listener reflection: Ask yourself:
Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 281: Concern, Projection, and the Myth of the Extreme Vegan | 20 janv. 2026 | 00:14:22 | |
What happens when you get sick—and you don’t eat animals? In this uncharacteristically candid solo episode, Michele shares a personal rant sparked by a winter virus, a year full of medical appointments, and the familiar (and frustrating) question many plant-based and vegan people hear when something goes wrong: Drawing from her own experience all while receiving consistently excellent bloodwork and zero nutritional concern from her medical team—Michele unpacks why these comments feel so patronizing, why they persist, and why they’re often not actually about health at all. This episode is not about denying medical advice. It’s about rejecting the myth that being vegan requires asceticism, self-neglect, or irrational dogma—and offering reassurance to anyone who has felt judged, scrutinized, or quietly undermined for their choices. In this episode, we explore:
Michele also reflects on how deeply embedded cultural assumptions—what psychologist Melanie Joy calls “normal, natural, and necessary”—shape the way vegan choices are perceived, especially when health enters the conversation.A reminder worth repeating: Veganism is not a purity test. As Michele puts it: how you go vegan is how you do everything—with realism, compassion, and respect for the external realities of your life.Listener Reflection / Invitation Ever had someone question your health or judgment because you’re vegan or plant-based? Michele would love to hear from you. And if your version of “Vedge-ing Your Best” right now isn’t perfect, ideal, or 100%—let that be okay. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 280: Re-Introducing Vedge Your Best: Why Most Change Fails—and What Actually Works | 13 janv. 2026 | 00:18:36 | |
It’s January. We’re past Quitter’s Day. In this re-introduction to Vedge Your Best, Michele shares why most New Year’s resolutions fall apart not because people are lazy or unmotivated, but because they’re using the wrong mindset for change. This episode explores the powerful shift from outcome-based thinking (“I’ll feel proud when I get there”) to a process-based mindset—and why that shift changes everything, not just when it comes to veganism, but in every area of life. Drawing on lived experience, behavioral psychology, and a very human understanding of how change actually works, Michele explains why treating veganism as a practice—rather than a pass/fail identity—creates consistency, confidence, and momentum over time.In this episode, we cover:
If you’ve ever:
You’re in the right place. This episode is an invitation to stop chasing perfect outcomes—and start building a process that actually supports the life you want to live. Because how you go vegan is how you do everything. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 279: Staying Alive: Sherry Shrallow Talks Heart Disease, Food, and the Vegan Volunteer Corps | 06 janv. 2026 | 00:56:48 | |
What if a life-threatening health crisis wasn’t just a tragedy — but an opportunity? In this episode of Vedge Your Best, Michele talks with Sherry Shrallow, author of Staying ALive, plant-based educator, and longtime advocate for using food as a tool for prevention, healing, and service. At 56, Sherry was an active, fit woman eating what she believed was a heart-healthy diet when she suffered a sudden heart attack while at work. What followed included emergency surgery, a complicated recovery, and a profound reckoning with what she had not been told about heart disease, lifestyle, and prevention. Sherry shares how discovering whole-food, plant-based nutrition — including the early work of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn — changed the course of her health and her life. She also reflects honestly on depression after surgery, rebuilding strength and routine, navigating imperfection, and learning how to get back on track without shame. This conversation goes beyond food. Sherry talks about meditation, yoga, purpose, and why helping others — including through the Vegan Volunteer Corps, where she helps provide plant-based meals to people experiencing homelessness — has become a central part of her healing and happiness. If you’ve ever wondered whether change is still possible, whether it’s “too late,” or how to move forward without perfection, this episode offers clarity, realism, and hope.In this episode, we discuss:
Sherry’s YouTube Channel — Chef Sherry’s Plant-Based Kitchen Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 278: 7 Themes From 2025 (and What We’re Carrying Into 2026) | 30 déc. 2025 | 00:18:56 | |
As 2025 comes to a close, Michele reflects on the patterns, lessons, and insights that showed up again and again this year—in her own life, on the Vedge Your Best podcast, and in her work with clients. This episode isn’t about resolutions or reinvention. It’s about continuation. Drawing on behavioral science, psychology, and lived experience, Michele shares seven themes that shaped 2025 and offers a grounded, compassionate framework for carrying those lessons into 2026—especially for anyone moving in a plant-based or vegan direction and wondering why change can feel so hard even when it matters deeply. If you’ve felt discouraged, stuck, or “behind,” this episode is a reminder that you’re not starting from scratch—you’re starting from experience.In This Episode, We Explore:
Key Takeaways:
Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 277: When the Day Falls Apart | 23 déc. 2025 | 00:16:29 | |
Ever wake up with the best intentions — to eat plant-based, stay consistent, finish what matters — only to feel everything unravel by late afternoon? You’re not broken. You’re human. In this episode, Michele breaks down why so many good intentions collapse by the end of the day, especially when you’re trying to move in a vegan or plant-based direction. Using simple brain science, behavioral economics, and a whole lot of compassion, she explains what’s really happening when motivation fades — and why relying on willpower alone almost guarantees frustration. You’ll learn why mornings feel easy, why evenings feel impossible, and how your brain quietly shifts from long-term values to short-term relief as stress and decision fatigue build. Most importantly, you’ll hear why self-blame and shame actually make follow-through harder — not easier. This episode isn’t about trying harder. It’s about working with your brain instead of against it.In this episode, we cover:
If you’ve ever said, “I’ll be good tomorrow,” this episode will help you understand why — and what to do differently next time. Your intentions are not weak. Your values are not unclear. You just need a plan that supports the way your brain actually works. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 276: Want Change? Remember - You’ll Forget. | 16 déc. 2025 | 00:26:40 | |
If you’ve ever wondered why you don’t follow through on things you truly want — going vegan, strengthening your body, decluttering your home, writing your book, or simply showing up as the version of yourself you keep imagining — today’s episode is for you.. Michele breaks down one of the most overlooked truths about personal growth: The hardest part of change isn’t doing the thing. The hardest part of change is remembering — TODAY — to DO the thing. Michele reveals why intention and action so often drift apart. Where she saw it in her own life, and why it’s not a character flaw. Inside this episode:
You’ll learn how to work with your brain instead of against it, how to create simple cues that support the person you’re becoming, and how to release the shame around forgetting. Because forgetting isn’t failure. This week’s challenge: Choose one thing you meant to do today and create one cue you’ll see tomorrow — a note by the coffee maker, a reminder on your phone, a visible tool or ingredient — something that makes remembering easier and forgetting harder. Small cues + gentle repetition = meaningful change. Want support building the life you imagine? Coaching offers the structure, reminders, and accountability that help your brain learn new patterns. Because how you go vegan is how you do everything. Thanks for listening, and as always… Vedge Your Best. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 275: Cut, Char, Season: Chef Ed Harris on Making Vegan Food Unforgettable | 09 déc. 2025 | 00:44:12 | |
Plant‑Powered Flavor Architect — Elevating Restaurants, Kitchens & Your Next Bite Aaward-winning plant-based chef Ed Harris joins Michele to share his journey from omni-chef to global plant-based innovator. Chef Ed breaks down the art of building flavor, why cutting and charring vegetables changes everything, and how simple techniques can transform everyday vegan cooking into unforgettable meals.
With warmth, clarity, and contagious enthusiasm, Chef Ed shares: How to Build Real Flavor in Vegan Food
Behind the Scenes of Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay & Iron Chef
Shifting to a Plant-Based Life
Helping Restaurants Modernize Plant-Forward Menus
Chef Ed and his wife have created a vibrant online community where members learn plant-based cooking, explore global flavors, and share their stories. As he says, a “rich life” is about family, culture, and connection—not money. Connect with Chef Ed and Jane Harris at The Rich Life. Or on Instagram @Chefedharris Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 274: The Weakest Link in Your Vegan Practice | 02 déc. 2025 | 00:22:57 | |
Your plant-based practice isn’t limited by your motivation, your recipes, or your compassion — it’s limited by its weakest link. In this episode, Michele explores the Theory of Constraints and how a single bottleneck can shape your vegan practice, your daily choices, and even your confidence. Using a classic car-factory example, Michele breaks down how systems stall when one step is overloaded — and how the same thing happens in our own lives. Whether you’re starting, restarting, or re-energizing your vegan journey, identifying the real constraint (the one you may be avoiding) can unlock ease, momentum, and clarity. Michele also shares one of her own constraints around visibility and asking listeners to share the show — modeling how naming a bottleneck creates a path forward. If you’ve been overthinking your vegan practice, trying to “fix” everything except the thing that truly needs attention, this episode will help you locate the actual sticking point and begin addressing it gently and effectively. What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Episode Highlights
Try This This Week Identify one bottleneck in your plant-based practice:
Choose one constraint and gently place your attention there — not on all the other things that feel imperfect. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 273: Vegan Voyeurs | 25 nov. 2025 | 00:21:25 | |
It’s Thanksgiving week in the U.S.—maybe you’re driving to a family gathering, getting in a pre-pie walk, or just bracing yourself for the conversations ahead. Wherever you are, Michele invites you to pause and notice: are you a vegan voyeur? Someone who loves the idea of plant-based living, follows all the vegan doctors, and streams every documentary—but hasn’t quite stepped fully into the practice?In This Episode Michele unpacks the idea of the “vegan voyeur”—and why it’s not a failure but a natural stage in any behavior-change journey. Drawing on research from behavioral psychology, neuroscience, and habit science, she explains how our brains give us a little dopamine hit just for learning about change, even before we act. We all do it: reading about fitness instead of moving, watching decluttering videos instead of cleaning, or binge-listening to inspirational podcasts instead of starting that project. It’s called vicarious learning, part of the contemplation stage described by psychologist James Prochaska’s Transtheoretical Model of Change. Behavioral economists call the internal tug-of-war cognitive dissonance—the tension between comfort and growth. And as BJ Fogg reminds us, we often “celebrate the idea instead of the action.” The good news? Readiness doesn’t come before action—it’s built through it.Takeaway / Challenge This week—especially amid Thanksgiving travel, traditions, and turkey talk—notice where you might be a vegan voyeur, a researcher, or an eavesdropper. Then take one real-world step: make that saved recipe, order the vegan option, try a new non-leather belt, or plan a visit to an animal sanctuary. Action creates evidence, evidence builds identity, and identity sustains the habit. Learning about veganism can change your life. Living it changes the world. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||
| 272: When Facts Backfire - Behavioral Science, Vegans, and the Holidays. | 18 nov. 2025 | 00:20:17 | |
If facts were enough, everyone would already be vegan, right? We think the facts are on OUR side — but no one’s listening — what then? This week, Michele explores why information alone so often fails to change hearts or habits, and what behavioral science says to do instead. Drawing on the research of cognitive neuroscientist Gleb Tsipursky, whose EGRIP framework (Emotions, Goals, Rapport, Information, Positive Reinforcement) explains how minds actually shift, Michele shares practical tools for calmer, more compassionate conversations — especially around vegan and plant-based choices. Whether you’re navigating holiday dinners, family debates, or the classic “I could never give up steak” moment, you’ll learn the single “magic question” proven to open minds and lower defenses — and discover why curiosity always beats convincing. In this episode:
Listen if you want to: …have kinder, calmer, more effective conversations about veganism, climate, or any polarizing topic — and stay connected to the people you care about most. KEY TAKEAWAYS
Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners. For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/ | |||