Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age

Michele Olender
  • 5.0 (58)
  • Food
  • Updated Weekly

There has never been a more important time to be Vegan. Vedge Your Best is the only podcast aimed at teaching midlife women how to limit and eliminate the consumption of animal products without feeling deprived, overwhelmed or unsupported, even if no one you know is Vegan. Life Coach Michele Olender will show you how living Vegan is the superpower that will unlock your possibilities and give you the confidence to take on your next impossible goal, by doing it YOUR way. Vedge YOUR Best and there’s nothing you can’t do.

  1. 1d ago

    312: Vegan Certainty Principle

    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: Your "uncertainty profile" — and why knowing yours changes everythingTwo kinds of Plan B: logistical (what will I actually eat?) and emotional (what will I tell myself when it's hard?)Two ideas from Simone Stolzoff's new book How to Not Know: the certainty anchor, and building small experiments in order to learnWhy one-size-fits-all advice ("prepare more!" "be flexible!") misses the real problem — and how coaching finds itThe Best-Case-Scenario Audit: a four-question exercise to try this week The four audit questions: What has to go right for my current plan to work?Which part of the uncertainty actually bothers me most?Does this problem need better logistics, more emotional resilience, or some of each?What stays true even when the plan changes? (That's your certainty anchor.) Mentioned in this episode: How to Not Know: The Value of Uncertainty in a World That Demands Answers by Simone Stolzoff — https://simonestolzoff.com/how-to-not-knowWhat 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/⁠

    312: Vegan Certainty Principle

  2. Aug 18

    311: Install Your Vegan Program — Why Willpower Isn’t the Problem

    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/⁠

    311: Install Your Vegan Program — Why Willpower Isn’t the Problem

  3. Aug 11

    310: Vegan “Drift"

    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: How the Gottman Institute's "drift" research applies to your plant-based practice (and your fitness, finances, and relationships too)The currents that move all of us: busy weeks, travel, family reunions, the path of least resistance with Parmesan on itWhy noticing you've drifted is good news — it means you're paying attentionLook where you want to go: what skiing, and driving  teach us about target fixation and steering toward your futureData, not drama: borrowing the scientist's lab coat so your meals become data points, not a moral report cardWhy every plant-based meal counts even if you're not fully vegan — three plant-based dinners a week is 150+ meals a year, and consistency compounds.If "vegan" feels overwhelming as an identity, make it an action instead: just vedge your best 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/⁠

    310: Vegan “Drift"

  4. Aug 4

    309: Plan B — Decide It BEFORE You Need It

    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/⁠

    309: Plan B — Decide It BEFORE You Need It

  5. Jul 28

    308: A More Powerful To-Do List

    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• Four questions to ask when something keeps getting postponed• Why asking, deciding, researching, and delegating all count as progress• How to add the context your future self will need• Why action verbs such as call, ask, choose, schedule, log in, buy, and order make a list more useful• How context-based next actions can help you organize tasks by where, when, or with whom they can be completed• How the “one big, two medium, three small” approach can make an overwhelming day more manageable 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: What did I mean when I wrote this? Is there something I still need to know, find out, or decide? Does someone else need to be involved? What is the next action I can actually complete? 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/⁠

    308: A More Powerful To-Do List

  6. Jul 21

    307: My Vegan “Personal Curriculum” - Peter Singer's Animal Liberation Now.

    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 What a personal curriculum is—and why it can be an antidote to fragmented, algorithm-driven learningWhy Animal Liberation Now is the first book in my vegan personal curriculum• Speciesism and the equal consideration of interests• Utilitarianism explained in plain EnglishThe difference between animal welfare and animal rightsFactory farming, laboratory research, and the scale of animal suffering• Singer’s most controversial arguments and disability-rights criticismWhy plant sentience does not necessarily undermine the vegan caseFood, memory, displacement, and the Viennese recipes that close the bookCONTENT 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/⁠

    307: My Vegan “Personal Curriculum” - Peter Singer's Animal Liberation Now.

  7. Jul 14

    306: You’ve Seen Cowspiracy. Now Build Your Own Vegan Curriculum.

    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/⁠

    306: You’ve Seen Cowspiracy. Now Build Your Own Vegan Curriculum.

  8. Jul 7

    305: What If Vegan Backlash Is a Good Sign?

    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/⁠

    305: What If Vegan Backlash Is a Good Sign?
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About

There has never been a more important time to be Vegan. Vedge Your Best is the only podcast aimed at teaching midlife women how to limit and eliminate the consumption of animal products without feeling deprived, overwhelmed or unsupported, even if no one you know is Vegan. Life Coach Michele Olender will show you how living Vegan is the superpower that will unlock your possibilities and give you the confidence to take on your next impossible goal, by doing it YOUR way. Vedge YOUR Best and there’s nothing you can’t do.

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