A Kynd Life

Amanda and her husband Matt created Herbidoor to supply ready made vegan meals to their local community. Five years on and the company has a wide range of meals delivered across Australia.

The inspiration behind Herbidoor was Matt's passion for re-creating childhood classics such as lasagne. The alternative meat products created for the meals were so popular, the couple created Plant Providore, a branch of Herbidoor which sells vegan steak, lamb, chicken, pepperoni, roast and brisket.

After being vegetarian for years, Amanda realised the dairy and egg industry wasn't as cruelty free as she first thought, so she became an ethical vegan. Growing up Amanda was a competitive swimmer and got involved in life saving. In her adult life, Amanda has competed as a vegan bodybuilder in Australia and the US and more recently took on a new challenge of completing a triathlon. 

In this episode, Amanda discusses why we should reconsider using the term "fake meat" and shares the challenges of running a small business in the current climate, as well as advice for people transitioning to veganism and raising vegan children.

https://www.instagram.com/amandaroseofficial/
https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaroseofficial
https://www.instagram.com/herbidoor/
https://www.tiktok.com/@herbidoor
https://herbidoor.com/

It's been a year since I first interviewed John Thomas and what better time to have him back on the show, than while he is in the middle of a bodybuilding competition prep!

John is aiming to compete in an amateur division bodybuilding class later this year. He is working with a coach who has no prior experience with a vegan competitor, which John sees as an opportunity to change the sport from the inside out.

Alot of changes have occurred in John's life since we last spoke; he recently moved to Tampa to surround himself with the top athletes in his sport, dyed his mohawk green to stand out and spark conversation about veganism, got tattoos, found a tumor on his chest and sadly his father passed away.

In this episode, John provides heartfelt reflections on the year that's been, how competition preparation is going and his plans for the future.

https://www.instagram.com/thebodybuildingvegan/

Being a qualified Clinical Nutritionist and vegan for twelve years, Lisa helps clients optimise their plant based lifestyle.

Going vegan sparked Lisa's curiosity to learn more about nutrition, so she studied a Bachelor of Nutritional & Dietetic Medicine, as well as a Bachelor of Complementary Medicine. Having worked in the health and wellness space for over a decade, Lisa recently opened her own private practice which has been warmly welcomed by the community.

Lisa is passionate about making evidence based nutrition advice more accessible; not only are her consultations available in person and online, she also recently released the first of many free downloadable mini guides and is working on a course for later in the year.

In this episode, Lisa shares the difference between a Nutritionist and a Clinical Nutritionist, as well as common diet deficiencies, nutrition hacks and her favourite meal - Rainbow Nasi Goreng.

https://www.instagram.com/lisavioletnutrition/
https://lisavioletnutrition.com/

Does anyone else love to celebrate their Veganniversary? Today marks my 6th year of veganism and it's already the best year so far!

Last year a good friend asked me "If you only had a year to live, what would you do?". I gave it some thought and knew that I would want to spend all my time helping the animals. 

So I quit my job, sold my house and moved closer to the Victorian Lamb Rescue (VLR) sanctuary. I have been a volunteer at VLR for over five years and it has become my second home and my happy place.

In this episode, I share how I took the leap of faith and why I'd encourage you to follow your dreams. 

https://www.instagram.com/akyndlife/
https://www.instagram.com/viclambrescue/

Lynne started Galahad's Animal Sanctuary to provide care and a forever home to as many rescued animals as possible.

Galahad's Sanctuary rescues and rehabilitates farm animals from various circumstances within the food system, as well as camels, horses, donkeys and dogs. These animal ambassadors spread the message that they deserve our compassion and respect. 

The sanctuary residents have inspired Lynne's quest to seek a harmonious and sustainable way to tread lightly on our planet and ecosystem using a plant based diet.  The sanctuary is now home to over 50 residents and aims to spread a message of hope and compassion.

Lynne recognises the importance of providing opportunities for people to relax and engage with animals as they are their own ambassadors, so she holds tours and events, as well as offering stays in the B&B.

Living in London in the late 80s, Lynne went vegetarian because she wanted to see the end of animal suffering. Animals had always been her best friends and when she realised how cruel the dairy industry was, Lynne went vegan. Lynne has always been involved in activism, taking part in protests, marches, petitions and online advocacy.

In this episode, Lynne also provides an insight into Australia's horrific camel culling program, opportunities to help raise the sanctuary profile and the challenges of running a sanctuary.

https://www.galahads-sanctuary.com/
https://www.instagram.com/galahads_sanctuary/ https://www.facebook.com/GalahadPetTherapy/
https://www.tiktok.com/@galahadsanimalsanctuary?

Vegie Tribe Fundraising Event - 7th October 2023
https://www.facebook.com/events/2304466303090043?active_tab=about

Sanctuary videos
Visitors at the sanctuary, meeting all the animals -
https://www.tiktok.com/@galahadsanimalsanctuary/video/7266725035224714498?is_from_webapp=1
https://www.tiktok.com/@galahadsanimalsanctuary/video/7266008060726889729?is_from_webapp=1

Camel videos
Catapult crying while being stroked -
https://www.tiktok.com/@galahadsanimalsanctuary/video/7089251610785893634?is_from_webapp=1

Milkshake and Catapult jumping for joy for dinner -
https://www.tiktok.com/@galahadsanimalsanctuary/video/7088272237974834433?is_from_webapp=1 

Phoenix doing zoomies being introduced to other camels for the first time -https://www.tiktok.com/@galahadsanimalsanctuary/video/7243360137530887426?is_from_webapp=1

The conditions the rescue animals were living in next to the petrol station -
https://www.tiktok.com/@galahadsanimalsanctuary/video/7192207517798255873?is_from_webapp=1 

Amber has been a musician all her life and wants to use her musicianship as a platform to spread the animal rights message.

As a child, Amber's parents enrolled her in piano, violin and guitar classes, as well as choir.  Playing the piano has always been a big part of Amber's identity. In college, she graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Piano Performance and is now a piano teacher for children.

During COVID, Amber and her partner began curating music where he would DJ and she would play the piano. The couple were asked to go on tour with The Backstreet Boys to support their European tour and ended up playing at six shows! More recently, Amber travelled to Australia to perform at the Dominion Anniversary Animal Rights March. Being surrounded by passionate activists fighting for animals was such a special experience for Amber, she hopes to do it again soon.

Amber went vegan on a whim at age 18 because she cared about animals and the environment. Once she started educating herself on how animals in the agricultural system were treated, she knew she could never go back. Amber has an almost two year old son and believes it's important to cultivate his love for animals at an early age.

In this episode, Amber shares her experience with performance anxiety, the release of new songs later this year and her vegan pregnancy.

https://www.instagram.com/1pcok/
https://www.facebook.com/AmberPCok
https://www.youtube.com/veggilicious

Alyssa founded Victorian Kangaroo Alliance after recognising the need for a state-wide coordinated approach to targeting the persecution and exploitation of kangaroos, the victims of the world’s largest land-based wildlife trade.

Alyssa has been involved in wildlife advocacy for eight years, beginning with the Coalition Against Duck Shooting, followed by co-founding the Australian Native Parrot Protection Association and more recently as the Founder and President of Victorian Kangaroo Alliance.

Kangaroo advocacy found it's way to Alyssa when she was asked to set up a social media campaign for "Save the Kinley Kangas". The campaign transformed into the Victorian Kangaroo Alliance when a proposal for a kangaroo processing facility in northern Victoria reared it's head. Victorian Kangaroo Alliance experienced rapid growth; becoming incorporated and endorsing a full committee, as well as having great support from community groups across the state.

In addition to wildlife advocacy, Alyssa is passionate about death education and advocacy. Alyssa and her sister started a green burial business, Heaven and Earth Eco Burial Products, providing people an environmentally friendly end of life option that gives back to nature and creates protected habitat to benefit native animals and plants.

In this episode, Alyssa discusses the difference between commercial and non-commercial killing of kangaroos, the impact of pressuring big sporting brands to ditch kangaroo leather and her experience balancing the transition to veganism whilst maintaining her recovery from an eating disorder.

https://www.instagram.com/victorian_kangaroo_alliance/
https://www.facebook.com/VictorianKangarooAlliance
https://vickangas.org/how-to-help
https://heburials.com.au/

Holly is an Ecologist working with a national conservation NGO to save threatened species. She is extremely passionate about identifying the early warning signs of decline in common species, so we can act before it's too late. 

Growing up in England, Holly was influenced by her father's love of bird life, enjoying family field trips admiring the wildlife. After studying Ecology in Scotland, Holly moved to Australia and started her career at the Broome Bird Observatory. She became interested in justice for First Nations People and worked in community development programs in Alice Springs. 

Holly returned to Ecology, deciding to further her study with a PhD and later became a Research Fellow at Melbourne University, focussing on wildfire ecology. 

During her school years, Holly remembers being disgusted by the idea of eating animal flesh, so she went vegetarian. After going vegan in 2017, Holly embarked on her own research mission, reading many books, watching documentaries and googling animal rights organisations. 

Holly quickly joined her local Animal Justice Party group and welcomed a strong sense community. Holly, now the Ballarat Sub-Regional Group Leader, ran as the AJP candidate for Ripon in the last state election and is excited for the next opportunity to represent animals in an election.

In this episode, Holly discusses scientists and their role in advocacy, vegan book recommendations and her experience presenting at the recent Victorian Inquiry into Victoria's recreational native bird hunting arrangements. 

https://www.instagram.com/hollysitters/
https://www.facebook.com/carrie.thunderwood.7

Krystal's purpose in life changed after rescuing two bobby calves, Frankie and Fletcher. She founded Companion Cows, a registered charity on a mission to create a kinder world for dairy cows and their babies.

Krystal, her husband and two children moved to Tasmania four years ago.  They very quickly saw the realities of the dairy industry when they came across a bobby calf on a dairy farm. It didn't take long for Krystal to step into action, she became a foster carer for a charity rescuing and rehoming calves.

In July 2022, Krystal started her own charity, Companion Cows and now operates the charity with her friend Phoebe. Companion Cows has grown, with foster stations in Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales, rehoming all the calves rescued into safe and loving homes.

Through her rescue journey, Krystal gained a much deeper understanding of the broken system alot of farmer's find themselves in and wanted to help on a much bigger scale. Krystal launched Farm Transitions Australia, a charity helping farmers transition out of animal agriculture into plant based agriculture or a new career.  The charity provides services to farmers free of charge and involves a collaborative approach with an advisory panel and third partner providers.

In this episode, Krystal shares her first hand experiences saving dairy cows, being a guardian of bovines and her long term solution to the bandaid fix of rescue.

https://www.instagram.com/companion_cows/
https://www.instagram.com/farm_transitions_australia/
https://www.companioncows.org/
https://www.farmtransitionsaustralia.org/

Working as an educator in an animal sanctuary, Emma saw the impact sharing animal's stories had on people. She had the opportunity to curate their stories through film and found it so fulfilling, that Emma and her partner John decided to become full time filmmakers, co-founding Veganography.

Emma has been a classical musician from a very young age and went on to study Cello Pedagogy at University. She went vegan during her university studies and realised that being a Cello teacher wasn't impacting those she cared most about - animals and the environment.

Emma left music entirely to become the director of education and development at an animal sanctuary.  She learnt invaluable skills in communicating and educating people about animals and their sentience. Emma and John witnessed the impact their videos of sanctuary residents had on creating lifestyle change in members of the public.

In creating Veganography, Emma and John hope to empower people to make more plant based choices through inspiring and informational storytelling. Their films have been accepted at 12 international film festivals and won awards at 7 so far. The couple are also writing a book on how to be the most effective vegan advocate, to help amplify an individual's impact.

In this episode, Emma shares lessons learnt in delivering the vegan message and her favourite rescue story of Lucky the cow.

https://www.instagram.com/veganography.films/
https://www.facebook.com/veganography.films/
https://veganography.org/