Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Redcross-West.
Stephanie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
In 2009, I knew that I was ready for a change. I had spent 15 years working in marketing for both small businesses and Fortune 500 companies and, while I loved what I did, I wanted more freedom.
I wanted to be able to choose how I spend my time, how I spend my money, and how I invest in others. I began building myself a business that allowed me those freedoms!
I had a passion for veganism and saw how it had the potential to make a real difference in the world. I knew I wanted my business to support bringing veganism to the mainstream, and Vegan Mainstream was born.
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?
If there is anything I know for sure after working with busy entrepreneurs with businesses of all kinds, it’s that it’s never really a smooth road! There are some months and even some years as an entrepreneur where it almost feels like addressing obstacles and challenges is the job.
It was a challenge for me to get my business to function without me making every decision, working on all projects, and being the gatekeeper of all major activities. It eventually became unsustainable.
Luckily, I have built an incredible network of supporters and mentors who know what my mission is. Through discussion with them, I saw the changes I needed to make. We changed the way we hire. I bring on team members to own specific projects and responsibilities from the beginning. My team was really designed to support me in the past, whereas now they’re designed to support projects or specific clients.
This change unlocked a new capability in my business, allowing me to take things to the next level.
Any challenge or obstacle has the potential to take you down as a business owner. But what I’ve come to realize is that they usually represent an opportunity. If I allow myself a moment to look at the big picture, there’s always a solution around the corner or a new direction we can take things in.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Vegan Mainstream is grounded in the concept that there is room for all types of vegan business owners, not only those developing and selling food-related products. We need vegan carpenters, fashion designers, accountants, and more.
It is only by developing a new way of doing business, by encouraging ethical, compassionate practices that are woven through the fabric of the business world, that we will see true and lasting change. So, the idea may start with asking people to look at what is on their plate, but that’s just the beginning. When we start to see ethical options for everything we consume, every service we experience, every single choice we make with our wallets, that’s when we will start to see the real power behind the vegan business movement.
I decided I could best support the movement by supporting the brave entrepreneurs starting and building vegan businesses. I started developing tools, training, and support to help them find the same success and freedom I had been seeking.
Vegan Mainstream now provides hands-on training, advice, and education for new and established vegan business owners across North America and the world. We offer a wide variety of services, including free webinars, podcasts, resource articles, business coaching, marketing consulting, and a wide variety of self-paced online courses. We help authors, manufacturers, artists, chefs, personal trainers, coaches, and all kinds of vegan entrepreneurs launch and maintain successful vegan businesses.
I am immensely proud of the work that Vegan Mainstream does to help business owners achieve their goals. I am also incredibly proud and so grateful for the community of support that has been born out of the work our team does. Vegan entrepreneurs know they have a place they can go for real, honest support and encouragement and practical strategies they can use in their businesses.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
Books:
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
https://www.amazon.com/Essentialism-Disciplined-Pursuit-Greg-McKeown/dp/0804137382
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
https://markmanson.net/books/subtle-art
Podcasts:
Brown Girls Self-Care
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brown-girl-self-care/id1463356560
Marketing Book Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-marketing-book-podcast/id961463317
Larry Wilmore
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/larry-wilmore-black-on-the-air/id1234429850
The Love Letter Project
Online Marketing Make Easy
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/online-marketing-made-easy-with-amy-porterfield/id594703545
Apps:
Loom for teaching and training people. I love the personal touch of creating individual videos for my clients to help them more fully understand concepts.
Spotify for a mid-afternoon 5-minute dance session when I hit the mid-day energy dip!
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/spotify-music-and-podcasts/id324684580
Bloom helps keep me focused on maintaining positive mental health: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bloom-cbt-therapy-journal/id1475128511
Pillow helps me monitor my sleep. As an entrepreneur, it is easy to work until you pass out at night. Now I prioritize my sleep and make sure I’m getting the recovery I need.
Peloton for staying physically active. I love spinning–it helps me clear my mind in the morning and start the day with a much-needed energy boost.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/peloton-fitness-workouts/id792750948
Pivot! While it’s a little self-promotional, Vegan Mainstream’s vegan business interview podcast really does inspire me. We interview all kinds of vegan entrepreneurs and business owners about how they’ve pivoted when faced with challenges in their business or personal life. I learn so much from other entrepreneurs, and hearing their stories reminds me I’m not alone on the journey!
https://veganmainstream.com/podcast/pivot-a-vegan-business-interview-podcast/
Contact Info:
- Website: https://veganmainstream.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veganmainstream/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/veganmainstream
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/veganmainstream
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/veganmainstream
Image Credits
Hugh Mills
