Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Crawford.
Hi Michelle, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
When I met my now-husband Jarrett six years ago, I was struggling to adopt a healthier lifestyle. I knew I needed to clean up my diet and was aware of the research behind plant-based eating, but I was having trouble making the switch. I’m southern born and bred – a 5th generation Lakeland native – and our culture is intimately tied to food consumption and not the healthiest foods by any means! There just wasn’t a lot of support for me, a young, single mother and busy professional, to make the transition easy.
Lucky for me, Jarrett was ready to learn all that I had discovered about plant-based food. We embarked on the journey together, and I finally had the support I needed. We cooked, ate, and got fitter and healthier. We fell in love with the food, the lifestyle, and each other. We got married in 2016 and Jarrett adopted my son in 2017.
But not everyone has a plant-based partnership like we do. Some folks are doing it alone, trying to convince family members of the importance and working on getting their friends on track to a healthier lifestyle. Cooking everything yourself, even knowing where to start with which ingredients, is a huge hurdle.
That’s why we started Cult Legume. We know that convenience foods don’t have to be detrimental to our health. We make the healthy choice the easy choice with our packaged plant-based foods. All our offerings are the familiar favorites that families love – burgers, tacos, meatballs, and more – only made with 100% whole food plant-based ingredients, no added oil, and low sodium. We pack our items with superfood ingredients like flaxseed, cauliflower, tofu, walnuts, and turmeric so you can eat for health with minimal thought and effort.
But our commitment to wellness is just one piece of our business model. We also strive to be an example of outstanding corporate responsibility: we have pledged to donate all our profit to charity forever. When you support Cult Legume, you’re caring for your own well-being and the health of our planet while supporting a local, mom-and-pop duo who truly cares about the community.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Perhaps our biggest struggle is misinformation. We spend a good amount of time educating potential customers about healthy eating. With the rise in chronic, lifestyle-related diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer, and our steadily increasing rates of overweight and obesity, we have to be clear and specific about what constitutes a healthy diet and lifestyle. Dangerous fad diets, like keto, trade short-term benefits for long-term health disasters. Although Cult Legume did not start out with specific plans for education and outreach, we’ve learned that this will be an important part of our mission moving forward.
We’ve been impressed with Cult Legume, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We’ve been encouraged to see more vegan offerings in restaurants and grocery stores lately, but unfortunately, many of these items are exclusively focused on animal and planet welfare, ignoring the need for more healthful, whole food items. As such, overly processed, oil-packed meat replacements line the shelves and are a little better human health-wise when compared to actual meat.
At Cult Legume, we only use whole plant ingredients. Our foods are lovingly hand-crafted in a kitchen, not scientifically formulated in a lab. Cult Legume foods are the same kind that you would make and feed your family, if only you had the time to do so. Buying from Cult Legume is like having your own personal plant-based nutritionist and chef!
If you are ready to take the next step, visit us at CultLegume.com and sign up for our mailing list. We’ll keep you informed on where you can find our products (like the Lakeland Curb Market and other local events), plus send you exclusive, subscribers-only deals.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
In business, we’re often encouraged to see others as “competition” to work against and “beat out.” Instead, I encourage entrepreneurs to see others as inspirations and potential collaborators. When we work together towards a better world, everyone wins. Seek out opportunities to partner with others who share your mission – after all, traveling together is always more fun than going it alone!
Contact Info:
- Email: Info@CultLegume.com
- Website: www.CultLegume.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cultlegume/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CultLegume
