A Kynd Life

Mike recently retired after 40 years of service with Ambulance Victoria.Mike's father died of sudden cardiac arrest when he was 19 years old. It was a huge loss for his family, however Mike found his purpose in life when he decided to become a paramedic. Initially Mike trained as a paramedic before he started working on the road as a clinician and more recently a local supervisor, managing a team of 45 staff.Mike's vegan journey began when he attended a horse riding accident. While caring for the patient, he noticed her horse was bleeding, suffering and in severe distress. The patient's mother advised she had a called a vet, however the events that unravelled still haunt Mike to this day. Mike then started asking questions about how animals were treated. He initially went vegan in 2014 for health reasons, but quickly felt deceived by animal agriculture.After making enquiries about local animal rights groups, Mike learnt about the Animal Justice Party and felt at home with like minded people. Mike ran as a lower house candidate in the last state election and enjoyed being on the campaign trail. Seeing kangaroos in his local area and hearing about the Victorian kangaroo harvest program, Mike puts his efforts into advocating for kangaroos through letter writing, blogging and advertising campaigns.In this episode, Mike shares the highs and lows of his emergency services career, life after retirement as well as his fourth successful attempt at the 100km Great Ocean Walk.https://www.facebook.com/mike.fueryhttps://www.instagram.com/furious_mike01/

Louise reflects on pivotal moments in her life and there are a few common threads - reading Peter Singer's books and the birth of her first child, all of which had a profound impact and led her to where she is today. During Louise's university studies, she read Peter Singer's book "Practical Ethics" which covered a range of ethical issues, including animal rights. This book absolutely changed how Louise felt about animals, because it brought their suffering to the forefront and as a result, she went vegetarian. Soon after the birth of Sebastian, Louise saw a television story on bobby calves in the dairy industry. She had experienced the strong bond between mother and child and knew she couldn't contribute to such a cruel industry, so she went vegan. Across her financial services career, Louise has worked in a variety of roles including retail banking, institutional funds management, stockbroking and financial advisory. In 2011, Louise read Peter Singer's "The Life You Can Save" and knew she needed to do more to help end human suffering. Louise and her family pledged to give a percentage of their household income to help those experiencing extreme poverty across the world. In a beautiful twist of fate, Louise joined The Live You Can Save team as Director of Philanthropy eighteen months ago. Louise recognises the importance of politics in bringing about change for animals, so she joined the Animal Justice Party over five years ago. Not long after joining, Louise was asked to stand as a candidate and has since been a candidate four times. In addition, Louise has held several leadership positions including SA State Convenor and was recently elected as President of the AJP Board of Directors. In this episode, Louise shares how she helped secure political reform for animals during the 2022 SA state and federal election, as well as donating with confidence and how she enjoys spending her free time. https://www.instagram.com/veganmamaboss/https://au.linkedin.com/in/louise-pfeifferhttps://twitter.com/LVPC

Phoebe co-founded Companion Cows after falling in love with cows and years of experience rescuing and fostering them.  Companion Cows is on a mission to create a kinder world for dairy cows and their babies. Starting as a volunteer with Til the Cows Come Home who were working with The Owl and the Pussycat, Phoebe quickly learnt how to care for rescue calves. Although it was a steep learning curve, it was hugely rewarding. Phoebe put her hand up to be their first foster station in NSW and during that time, she was involved in the rescue of over 100 calves and thousands of battery hens. Phoebe soon took on the full time role of Animal Rescue and Foster Care Coordinator for Til the Cows Come Home. Phoebe crossed paths with a Tasmanian foster carer Krystal who decided to start her own organisation Companion Cows. Phoebe fell in love with the idea of a charity dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming dairy cows, so she joined Krystal in setting up the charity. Companion Cows has a strong focus on sharing the stories of cows who come into their care, as they believe it is critical to help the public connect with dairy cows and raise awareness about their plight. Advocacy is another important pillar of their work, with the organisation supporting people to ditch dairy. Last Christmas, Phoebe received a call from a farmer who had twin calves needing a home. Phoebe rushed to pick up Missy and Bart and they instantly found a place in her heart. Phoebe could not part with Missy and Bart and they are one month off celebrating their first birthday in her care.  In this episode, Phoebe shares her years of experience rescuing animals, as well as Missy and Bart's heart warming rescue story and some of the challenges involved in caring for cows. https://www.instagram.com/wanderingphebes/https://www.instagram.com/companion_cowshttps://www.companioncows.org/

After ten years trialling beauty products, Marisa founded Wild & Cruelty Free - an online boutique featuring a carefully curated collection of tried and tested vegan beauty products. Marisa's always loved beauty, having started blogging over a decade ago and gaining a qualification in makeup artistry. Everything changed for Marisa during Christmas 2018, when she saw an Edgar's Mission billboard on the highway, featuring a picture of a pig and the statement "My name is Penelope Sue, not dinner". This image hit Marisa's heart, feeling a lot of sadness and guilt, so she told her husband Jason she didn't want to eat animals anymore.It didn't take long for Marisa to make the connection between beauty products and animal testing, vowing to no longer use products tested on animals. Thanks to some thoughtful conversations with a vegan on social media, seeds were planted about products not truly being cruelty free unless they are vegan. This extended Marisa's circle of compassion and she decided to go vegan at the start of this year.Wild & Cruelty Free was born out of Marisa's love for beauty and cruelty free content creation. Marisa values giving back to animal charities, providing a monthly donation to an animal organisation based on the sales from her business.In this episode, Marisa shares how she researched beauty products for their vegan and cruelty free merits, as well as customer advocacy for brands to go vegan and future plans for Wild & Cruelty FreeFor the month of November, Wild & Cruelty Free will kindly be donating money from every sale to Victorian Lamb Rescue.https://www.instagram.com/wildandcrueltyfree_ http://www.wildandcrueltyfree.com.au https://www.instagram.com/marisarobinsonbeautyhttp://www.marisarobinsonbeauty.com

This week we talk to Bronwyn Currie,  Animal Justice Party's State Convenor in Victoria,  as she shares everything you need to know about the upcoming AJP National Conference. The conference is being held on 11th & 12th November 2023 at the Fitzroy Town Hall, with the option to attend online as well. The theme of this year's conference is "It's Politics" and will host an impressive list of speakers (also previous podcast guests) such as Georgie Purcell, Emma Hurst, Matt Stellino, Paul Bevan and Emma Hakansson. Be sure to tune in to the episode for all of the essential details such as what's included in the ticket fee, the conference dinner social event, volunteering opportunities and raffle prizes up for grabs.  GET YOUR TICKET- https://vic.animaljusticeparty.org/2023_ajp_national_conferenceBronywn Currie for Mulgrave - https://vic.animaljusticeparty.org/bronwyn_currie_for_mulgrave

In 2012, after a 33 year career with Victoria Police, mostly in the mounted branch, Jan went vegan and faced what she describes as an “existential crisis”.  What she did next changed the trajectory of her entire life! Jan's vegan journey started after she saw the Four Corners expose on Live Export, "A Bloody Business". She signed up to the Animals Australia newsletter and soon after learned the truth about bobby calves, which at the time, seemed almost unbelievable. Jan always loved horses and had begun her working career in the industry after leaving school.  Once she went vegan and saw the use of animals by humans differently, she was at a loss as to how to provide for herself going forward.As she struggled to find her purpose, her natural affinity for travellers and travelling resulted in her “accidentally” creating a fully fledged vegan business - The Beet Retreat.  The Beet Retreat, now Australia's longest running all-vegan B&B, started on Jan's original 20 acre property in the Yarra Valley, VIC. In 2019 she moved it to 3 tranquil acres in Noosa, QLD.Specialising in private, personalised 3 and 7 day retreats, Jan also offers cooking classes, simple bed and breakfast stays, meals, guided hikes, healing and active time in nature. At age 45, Jan started adventure racing and then at 51, ultra-running. She was drawn to the mental and physical challenges associated with endurance sports and the types of people attracted to these adventures in wild, beautiful and remote locations.  Jan, now 61, is making a return to ultra-marathon running next month with a gruelling 160km race on the Grampians Peak Trail in Victoria.  She is hoping to raise $1160 for Happily Heifer After. In this episode, Jan shares her sustainability plans for The Beet Retreat and the secrets behind her unique blend of vegan vitality and gentle advocacy.https://www.instagram.com/thebeetretreat_veganbnb/https://www.facebook.com/thebeetretreathttps://thebeetretreat.com.au/

Tully is an entertainer, entrepreneur and educator. Be prepared, this episode will have your mouth watering as Tully shares his passion for creating easy and authentic vegan curries. Growing up in Amritsar, the food capital of Punjab, Tully developed his passion for food while enjoying local cuisine and learning to cook with his mother. At age five, they moved to an army base where his mother was assigned a teaching role and Tully became more curious about different foods and cultures. Tully realised Indian recipes were the easiest to remove the meat and dairy and still retain amazing flavours. He took to social media five years ago, showcasing fun, easy and delicious vegan food, gaining over half a million followers in a short time. Wanting to help others, Tully has created curry sauces inspired by his mother's recipes, that make meal time super convenient. In this episode, Tully shares his childhood experiences, favourite recipes and upcoming launch of new products.Tully has kindly offered a discount to A Kynd Life listeners - Save 15% off your order when using code "KYND15" https://www.tullyzkitchen.com/https://www.instagram.com/tullyzkitchen/https://www.tiktok.com/@tullyzkitchenhttps://www.instagram.com/tullyzcurries/https://www.facebook.com/tullyzcurries/https://www.youtube.com/c/TullyzKitchenhttps://www.tullyzkitchen.com/

Alicia recently opened her own real estate agency Saint & Wood after being involved in real estate for over two decades. The agency is well on the way to being an entirely vegan agency, with 3 staff already vegan and one vegetarian. Alicia went vegan overnight after reconnecting with a friend over Facebook who happened to be vegan. She studied all of the animal rights content on her friend's page and was shocked at what she learnt. Alicia has 3 children, all of whom are vegan, including one from birth. Over the years Alicia has been heavily involved in activism including attending rallies, marches and protests as well as joining the Animal Justice Party (AJP) soon after going vegan. Alicia stood as a lower house candidate for AJP three times and worked for the political party during the last state election, as a coordinator of three electorates. Alicia's passion for real estate is what has kept her in the industry since she was 18. Starting in reception and administration, Alicia then moved into property management, sales and onto co-owning a successful agency with her dad. Alicia's prime motivation behind Saint & Wood is to give back to the community, with a portion of the funds going to charities that align with the company values. In this episode, Alicia also shares her vegan love story, returning to her real estate career and being the best example of a vegan she can. https://www.instagram.com/saint_and_wood/https://www.instagram.com/alii_kate/https://www.facebook.com/saintandwoodhttps://saintandwood.com.au/

Jess was inspired to sign up as a volunteer at Liberation Sanctuary after going vegan. Less than a year later, Jess started working at the sanctuary, managing social media and coordinating volunteers.As a child, Jess wanted to help animals by becoming a vet. She always thought she would go vegetarian when she grew up and started her journey by refusing to eat pig products when she was young after watching Babe. Seeing a video of Milly the cow enjoying cuddles at Happily Heifer After helped Jess to make the decision to go vegan. It wasn't long before she started researching the dairy industry and was horrified by what she learnt.Jess went vegan in February 2021 and applied a few months later to become a volunteer at Liberation Sanctuary. Jess enjoys the variety in her role and values spending time with the animals, capturing and sharing their stories for social media.In this episode, Jess shares insights into her role at Liberation Sanctuary, volunteer opportunities and speaking at Vegan Easy's World Vegan Day event in 2022.https://www.instagram.com/liberationsanctuary/https://www.facebook.com/liberationsanctuaryvichttps://www.instagram.com/animallib/https://www.instagram.com/veganeasy/https://www.instagram.com/jess_m_wright/https://www.liberation.org.au

Chloe and Jacques are the organisers of Vegan Kids Gold Coast, while raising two vegan children and embarking on a year long trip around Australia in 2024. Chloe was seven when she made the connection between eating meat and the animals she loved so dearly. She had been vegetarian for years when she met Jacques. Not long after they began dating, Jacques decided to go meat free for a month and ended up also going vegetarian. In a chance encounter with activists in Brisbane, the couple were prompted to question if being vegetarian was enough. After going away and doing research, Chloe went vegan, followed by Jacques declaring he would also go vegan on their wedding night.  Noah, their six year old son, started feeling isolated and asked if they were the only vegans in the world. This led Chloe to ask in a Gold Coast vegans facebook group if there were other vegan families. They were inundated with responses and decided to create a facebook group for vegan children on the Gold Coast. They hosted the first event at their family home and the group has grown to become a strong community that holds monthly events. Noah and Chloe are also creating a children's book together about Noah's experience being a child who feels like he found his place in the vegan community. In this episode, Chloe and Jacques share their alternative way of living, travel plans for next year and how raising their vegan children has inspired their family. https://www.instagram.com/the.alternative.root/https://www.facebook.com/groups/vegankidsgoldcoast

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/@amandaroseofficialhttps://www.instagram.com/herbidoor/https://www.tiktok.com/@herbidoorhttps://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 2023https://www.facebook.com/events/2304466303090043?active_tab=about Sanctuary videosVisitors at the sanctuary, meeting all the animals -https://www.tiktok.com/@galahadsanimalsanctuary/video/7266725035224714498?is_from_webapp=1https://www.tiktok.com/@galahadsanimalsanctuary/video/7266008060726889729?is_from_webapp=1 Camel videosCatapult crying while being stroked -https://www.tiktok.com/@galahadsanimalsanctuary/video/7089251610785893634?is_from_webapp=1Milkshake 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/AmberPCokhttps://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/VictorianKangarooAlliancehttps://vickangas.org/how-to-helphttps://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/

Jess quit her eight year career as a Midwife and founded Project Bali Dog to protect and restore the welfare of dogs in Bali, Indonesia. Jess has sponsored Robbie, a rescued street dog in Bali for eight years. On her last visit, Jess walked out of the shelter where Robbie lives a safe and comfortable life and saw street dogs needing help on the other side of the gate. Having always loved animals and being vegan since 2014, Jess knew she needed a change. She made the decision to quit her job and go to Bali in February this year, to find out what she could do on the ground to help Bali's dogs. Before leaving, Jess set herself a volunteer challenge to help at 30 animal organisations in a 30 day period. Under the Project Bali Dog initiative, Jess has started Bowls for Bali, where she makes and provides 5L dog bowls, distributing them to local businesses to provide a fresh water supply to dogs in the area. Jess recognises the importance of a sterilisation program for Bali dogs and has launched a fundraiser to help Bali Pet Crusaders perform mobile sterilisation of 217 cats and dogs. Jess needs to raise $5000 to fund the project and when the target is achieved, she will shave her long blonde hair. In this episode, Jess teaches us about Bali dogs, the issues they are facing, as well as Sunny's rescue story and insights into her 30 day volunteer challenge. Fundraiser - https://www.mycause.com.au/p/316465/unleash-the-power-of-the-clippers-shave-to-sterilise-balis-dogshttps://www.instagram.com/projectbalidog/https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088277264909

Liz went vegan in the 80s and dived straight into activism. She got involved in chicken rescues from the broiler farm and egg industries and in 2013, Melbourne Chicken Rescue was born. Liz grew up in England and moved to Adelaide when she was three. She went vegetarian in 1984, signed up to Animal Liberation SA a year later and went vegan in 1986.  Liz became heavily involved in the South Australian Anti-Vivisection Union, protesting at universities, as well as raising money to replace animals with machine models and purchase vivisection books for university libraries. Following her passion for music, Liz moved to Melbourne in 1996.  She became involved in the Animal Save Movement and other activism opportunities which led Liz to rescuing day old broiler farm chicks. Her next rescue was of three battery hens Kath, Kim and Chrissie, who became Liz's first adopted chickens.  Melbourne Chicken Rescue focuses on rescue, rehabilitation, rehoming and education and has helped thousands of chickens over the last ten years. Liz shares life with her partner of 41 years, rescue chickens, a rescue dog and cat. In this episode, Liz shares an insight into animal rights activism in the 80s, caring for chickens and some of her rescue chickens stories. https://www.instagram.com/melbourne_chicken_rescue/https://www.facebook.com/Melbournechickenrescue

Geelong Duck Rescue actively worked to protect native waterbirds at Lake Connewarre and Lake Modewarre for the 2023 duck shooting season. Opening day of the season was met with the presence of a Parliamentary Inquiry Committee and barrage of media, a lack of regulatory authorities and shooters breaking the rules.  Three weeks into the season, Lake Connewarre was closed due to the presence of the Orange Bellied Parrot, a threatened native bird species. The team then moved to Lake Modewarre, adapting to the different geography, waterbird species and shooting strategies. In this episode, the Geelong Duck Rescue team share their first hand experience of what they witnessed at the wetlands as well as confrontation with shooters, sea lice encounters and the next stages of the Inquiry. https://www.instagram.com/geelongduckrescue/https://www.facebook.com/geelongduckrescue

Alix identified there was a gap in the advocacy of Australian wildlife and created a coalition initiative called Defend The Wild. Defend The Wild focuses campaigning efforts where agriculture and wildlife intersects such as lethal dingo control, crocodile farming, emu farming and kangaroo culling. Last year the initiative launched a campaign highlighting the decimation of dingoes through the Victorian Government's lethal dingo control program. Alix's animal advocacy work started in the investigative space, working to uncover animal cruelty that is standard practice within Australia's farming system. She went on to co-found Kindness Project and soon realised that her concept of animal liberation had shifted towards protecting the integrity of wild animals. Growing up in a farming family, Alix witnessed things that made her question our relationship with animals. At age 16, Alix took an Animals Australia pledge and went vegetarian. At 21 she made the decision to stop her use of any animal products. In this episode, Alix chats about collaboration with stakeholder groups, her passion for dingoes and growing a community of people dedicated to protecting Australia's wildlife and their natural habitat.https://www.instagram.com/defendthewild/ https://www.defendthewild.org/Defend the Dingo Event - 1st July 2023https://events.humanitix.com/defend-the-dingo

Ingrid, her husband and two children went vegan during lockdown.A friend suggested she watched Seaspiracy and Ingrid was blown away, it was the catalyst that changed everything. Ingrid first went vegetarian and then went vegan after seeing male chicks being ground alive in Dominion. Last year Ingrid became involved in activism, starting with Animal Rights Activism Sydney cubes, protests and outreach events. She has found a love of visiting and volunteering at animal sanctuaries, as it is not only rewarding to help the animals, but has also helped Ingrid connect with other vegans. Being a primary school teacher for 13 years, Ingrid identified that the current curriculum is not a true representation of the animal agriculture industry and nutritional needs. Ingrid hopes to change this, allowing future generations to make more informed choices.Stepping outside her comfort zone, Ingrid recently stood as an Animal Justice Party candidate in the NSW state election, which was a rewarding experience.In this episode, Ingrid chats about raising a vegan family, finding community and her drive to help teach children kindness to all beings.https://www.instagram.com/ingrid.living.vegan/

Kate's maritime journey began when she moved to Australia almost ten years ago and started volunteering for Sea Shepherd and Coast Guard. By chance, Kate and her friends attended a Sea Shepherd screening of Cowspiracy. It turned out to be a life changing experience, as Kate changed her diet immediately and signed up to be a Sea Shepherd volunteer. Her time as an onshore volunteer has seen Kate be involved in ship tours, events, merchandise sales, beach cleans and outreach events. It wasn't long until Kate signed up to the offshore crew and experienced her first campaign as a deckhand on the Steve Irwin for Operation Nemesis in Antarctica. She has been involved in Operation Milagro, a campaign to save the most endangered marine mammal in the world – the vaquita marina porpoise, as well as a clean up of illegal fishing equipment from the Cocos Islands. Kate co-founded Daughters of the Deep, an organisation that supports women in the marine industry by addressing and exposing gender inequality. The organisation raises funds and advocates for women to pursue careers in marine industries and has projects running in Nicaragua, Thailand, Madagascar, Melanesia and Indonesia. In this episode, Kate highlights the importance of veganism for ocean conservation, building maritime skills with Coast Guard and suggests documentaries to learn more about the ocean.https://www.instagram.com/ladyparker1984/https://www.instagram.com/daughtersofthedeepofficial/https://daughtersofthedeep.org/Recommended documentaries Racing extinction - https://www.opsociety.org/our-work/films/racing-extinction/Sea of Shadows (about Operation Milagro) - https://films.nationalgeographic.com/sea-of-shadowsBag it (about plastics) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1612246/How sentient can a fish be? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QevWGsd96xQFeral (book) by George Monboit -https://www.booktopia.com.au/feral-george-monbiot/book/9780141975580.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwpPKiBhDvARIsACn-gzATp9f-CYKWNsB6BxyBH3CkfEQMbq6NKy0xoWS8Grk8zr0d0yavT28aAgBlEALw_wcB

Astrella created Cause & Events to support small vegan businesses, encourage people to implement a vegan lifestyle and showcase organisations fighting animal cruelty.Born and raised in Bombay, Astrella's childhood was influenced by western culture. At ten years old, she had an epiphany and went vegetarian after realising meat came from an animal who didn't want to die. Seven years ago, Astrella went vegan overnight when she learnt about the dairy industry in Cowspiracy.  Astrella's vast career experience across many corporate roles led her to venture out on her own and create Cause & Events.  Since it's inception last year, Cause & Events has hosted high tea fundraisers, wine and cheese tasting, networking, dating and workshops and raised over $5000 for charities.  In this episode, Astrella shares her hopes for the future of her organisation, upcoming events and lessons learnt. https://www.instagram.com/cause.events/https://www.facebook.com/vegancauseshttps://www.cause.events/whatson

Em has been meat free for 18 years and counting!Em has always been passionate about animals and their wellbeing. She recalls witnessing animals being poorly treated while growing up, which led her to no longer consume them at age 12. As a teenager, Em would go between vegetarian and vegan, until six years ago when she researched the dairy and egg industry and went vegan. Like many of us, Em enjoys good vegan food and has started creating vegan versions of traditional Maltese dishes to share with her family. She also loves showcasing delicious vegan food that is easy to prepare while camping. In this episode, Em chats about her boyfriend going meat free after their visit to Edgar's Mission, supporting vegan events and sanctuaries and attending her first protest. https://www.instagram.com/melbvegangal/

Located 20 minutes north of Byron Bay, The Owl & The PussyCat Farm Animal Sanctuary is home to 70 rescued animals. The sanctuary's mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome animals from the farming industry, as well as provide opportunities for people to spend time with, and learn about, farmed animals.Starting over five years ago, the sanctuary grew quickly as animals in need found their way to a safe haven. Even though the sanctuary is family-run and supported by a very small volunteer base, they continue to rescue animals, provide emergency and long term accommodation, and help rehome unwanted individuals.The Owl & The PussyCat invites everyone to enjoy time with the rescue residents, holding regular tours and events. For something a little more intimate, you are welcome to stay onsite in the sanctuary accommodation or hold a private event at the 130-acre paradise.The sanctuary was hard hit during last year's floods, experiencing five flooding events in a six month period. Thankfully all of the animals were safe, however the property sustained significant damage. Learn more about how the sanctuary started, plans for wellness events and ways to support their work in this episode. https://www.instagram.com/owlandpuscatfarmsanctuary/https://www.facebook.com/OwlandPusCatFarmhttps://www.owlandpussycatfarm.com.au/

I want to be like Ruth when I grow up.. here's why! Ever since going vegan at age 62, Ruth has given the animals her all. An absolute all-star at Edgar's Mission, Ruth retired and began mucking out barns twice a week. It wasn't long before she moved closer to Edgar's and was trusted to transport surrendered animals to the sanctuary and veterinary appointments. Ruth extends her support to other sanctuaries and rescue organisations in Victoria. If that's not enough, Ruth is equally as passionate about activism. Having found activism through Facebook, Ruth joined the Save Movement to participate in rallies and vigils. Recognising the benefit in disrupting activities that exploit animals, Ruth has been involved in disruptions at slaughterhouses, factory farms and a rodeo with Direct Action Everywhere, Meat The Victims, Dominion and most recently Vegan Rising.  In this episode, Ruth also chats about abolition vs welfarism, the concept of animal "ownership" and the importance of activists not taking on too much.  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002844522819

Tammy is a Melbourne based tattoo artist with over 20 years experience. Her creativity extends into illustrating and painting, using her talents to raise much needed funds for animal charities. After years of being vegetarian, Tammy's world changed when she went on a Sea Shepherd ship tour. Tammy connected with the volunteers, friendships were formed and while spending time with the group, she became immersed in veganism. Tammy then decided to do her own research on the dairy industry and went vegan overnight. It wasn't long before Tammy began advertising as a vegan tattoo artist and organised fundraiser flash days for Sea Shepherd, Dominion and animals affected by the bushfires. Tammy participated in a 24 hour tattoo fundraiser, where 3 tattoo artists tattooed 3 people and raised money for 3 charities. After years of illustrating, Tammy found her love of painting. Last month Tammy held her first solo exhibition and can't wait to do it again. In this episode, Tammy chats about tattoos being a vegan conversation starter, as well as her dreams of holding an animal art exhibition and the importance of staying positive in a world filled with injustice. https://www.instagram.com/tammyleightattoos/

Zac Bird is a global dance icon, vegan chef and cookbook author, even Jacinta Ardern loves our dear Zac, calling his first published cookbook a "real winner". Describing himself as a little vegetarian activist growing up, Zac turned to cooking out of necessity after going vegan in his early 20s. He initially started an Instagram account to create a vegan network, but it didn't take long for people to start following his food journey. In his early days, Zac took lots of vegan cooking jobs to build his skills and credibility within the industry. After writing his first e-book, Zach found an opportunity to create his first full length cookbook “Vegan Junk Food" and nailed it in just six weeks. PETA awarded his second cookbook “The Vegan Butcher” Best Vegan Cookbook in 2021. What's next you ask? Zac's third cookbook "The Vegan Baker" scheduled for release later this year. In this episode, Zac shares his favourite Melbourne vegan eats, the secret to a good vegan pavlova and negotiating vegan dating. https://www.instagram.com/zaccharybird/https://www.facebook.com/zaccharybird/https://www.tiktok.com/@zaccharybirdhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-5Xlxfr3rmXO0Ik8uDqJ8Qhttps://www.zaccharybird.com/The Ultimate Vegan Pavlova https://www.veganeasy.org/discover/christmas/ultimate-vegan-pavlova/

Sophie always wanted to bring together her love of music and passion for helping animals. Her dream came true two years ago, when she was asked to perform at the Sydney Animal Rights March. Sophie and Kai have performed at both marches and recently started busking on the street. While the duo busk, passers-by stop, watch slaughterhouse footage on a laptop and are encouraged to learn more about the animal holocaust.  Starting her activism journey seven years ago, Sophie took a deep dive into all forms of activism; beginning with Cube of Truth, chalking, stickering, vigils and protests. Her long term plan was to get involved in direct action, rescues and investigation work. Wanting to make her investigation work more personal and relatable, Sophie recently made the brave decision to start showing her face during actions. This has helped people connect with what they are seeing and her most recent video at a piggery has been seen by 180,000 people so far. In this episode, Sophie discusses using your skills to help animals, inspirational women in her life and managing burnout. https://www.instagram.com/thesophiemouse/

Alison Waters is Animal Justice Party's lead candidate for the Upper House in the upcoming New South Wales state election. With over 20 years experience as a social worker, Alison wants to bring about legislative change for animals and people this election. Ally's passion for social justice stemmed from her early placement in programs supporting women in the domestic and family violence space. Having lived and worked in Lismore since 2001, Ally felt compelled by the recent catastrophic flooding her community experienced and wanted to take action as a candidate.  In this episode, Ally shares the changes she would work on when elected, her vow to live in a cage for a week to highlight the plight of battery hens and raising vegan children.  https://www.instagram.com/alisonwaters.ajp/https://www.facebook.com/AJP.Watershttps://nsw.animaljusticeparty.org/alison_waters

Lasagne For Breakfast was born during COVID, when Italian couple Sarah and Gianluca wanted to create and share beautiful vegan food. Spreading their wings, the team began catering for weddings and organising fundraising events for their favourite animal charities. Sarah and G moved to Australia ten years ago and met when they crossed paths at a restaurant. Being Italian, food is in their DNA so after going vegan, Sarah and G started experimenting to create cruelty free versions of their favourite dishes. The couple enjoy eco friendly travel, documenting and sharing their adventures on their "Vegan Travel Diaries" account. Sarah and G recently held their first (of many) five day vegan culinary retreat in the Hunter Valley, featuring cooking classes, wine tasting, yoga, meditation and environmentally friendly activities. In this episode, Sarah and Gianluca share their tips on making great vegan food and their top five holiday destinations around the globe.  https://www.instagram.com/lasagne_for_breakfast/https://www.instagram.com/vegan.traveldiaries/https://www.facebook.com/LasagneForBreakfasthttps://www.facebook.com/VeganTravelDiarieshttps://www.youtube.com/@VeganTravelDiaries

Recently elected as an Upper House Member for Northern Victoria, Georgie freely admits she never thought she'd run for Parliament, yet here she is. Georgie's inaugural speech received a standing ovation, as she shared her journey becoming the second youngest woman to ever be elected to the Upper House in Victoria. She used the opportunity to highlight the injustices animal experience and her commitment to create a kinder world for animals over the next four years. Hitting the ground running, Georgie and her team are calling on the government to put an end to duck shooting, greyhound racing, jumps racing and cruel farming practices such as gas chambers for pigs and maceration of day old chicks. In this episode, Georgie chats about levers within Parliament to bring about change, dealing with online haters and creating a safer space for women in politics. https://www.instagram.com/georgie.purcell.ajp/https://www.facebook.com/georgie.purcell.ajp/https://twitter.com/georgievpurcell

Eva turned her baking hobby into a business and prides herself on creating good vibes for customers and staff. After going vegan six years ago, Eva began baking because she found limited food choices. What began as a hobby for friends and family, quickly turned into a business which has grown to now employ four staff  supplying cafes and special events. Eva initially tried a 2 week raw vegan challenge as a health reset. She felt a huge shift in her health and went vegan from there. It didn't take Eva long to research veganism, when she stumbled across documentaries that showed factory farming practices. This helped Eva to realise we all play a part in ending animal suffering. In this episode, Eva chats about building a community, trying new things and creating a positive work environment. https://www.instagram.com/evagreenbaking/https://www.evagreen.com.au/

Paul is the Founder and CEO of Magic Valley, a company pioneering the cultivated meat market here in Australia. Being vegan, Paul's mission is to remove animals from the supply chain by creating meat products without animal slaughter. Paul went vegan nine years ago, following almost 20 years of being vegetarian. He was encouraged by a well known activist to take action, which led him to take on a leadership role with Animal Justice Party QLD Branch as well as stand as Lead Senate candidate in the 2016 election. Paul became frustrated with the effectiveness of activism and took a year off. During this time, he researched what he could do to have a bigger impact for animals and that's when Paul came across cultivated meat technology. Magic Valley is one of only two companies cultivating meat products in Australia. In this episode, Paul shares the process behind cultivated meat, environmental outcomes and the ethical differences between Magic Valley and other producers. https://magicvalley.com.au/https://www.instagram.com/magicvalley2020/

Bella is a vegan foodie, content creator and animal rights activist. Bella and her partner Kais went vegan eight years ago. Following Kais' cancer treatment, they were on a journey for years to find a healthy lifestyle and stumbled across a plant based diet and decided to change overnight. It wasn't long before Bella came across Earthlings which shook her to her core, she went vegan, as she had never realised what she was supporting. Bella dived straight into activism, protesting a circus held in Adelaide as well joining a group conducting outreach events. Spending time with animals is crucial for Bella, so she visits sanctuaries and loves spending time with her vegan dog Sally. If you don't follow Bella on Instagram, you are missing out on her brilliant wit! Bella is passionate about creating content that shares the animal rights message and uses humour to get people thinking. In this episode, Bella shares the importance of finding your community and the impact of activism. https://www.instagram.com/bellas_vegan_adventures/https://www.tiktok.com/@bellas_vegan_adventureshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCidvqgEaKMI_xnwuUjsuY6g

As the Director of Campaigns for Sea Shepherd Global, Peter has dedicated the last 20 years of his life to ending whaling and illegal fishing across the globe. Two life changing events occurred for Peter at age fourteen - he saw a picture of a Minke whale being pulled up the slipway of a whaling ship in the Southern Ocean and met a girl at school who taught him about the plight of animals farmed for food. Having a deep connection to whales, Peter submitted an application to join Sea Shepherd as soon as he was old enough. He began his career as an engineering assistant, playing his part in getting a ship ready for time at sea. He progressed to working on the deck, bridge and then with alot of time at sea and school, he was given command of the MY Bob Barker nine years ago. Peter spent more than ten years chasing Japanese whaling ships in the Southern Ocean. As whaling in the Antarctic drew to a close, he was able to focus on a different poaching issue - poaching of the Patagonian toothfish. This mission led to the world's longest sea chase, spending 110 days following "Thunder" a poaching vessel wanted by Interpol on several international blacklists. Over recent years, Peter has been working on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing across Africa. The success of IUU is highlighted by 83 vessels being brought to justice across eight countries to date.  In this episode, Peter shares his experiences at sea, tips for sustainable activism and how you can help Sea Shepherd defend, conserve and protect our oceans. https://www.seashepherd.org.au/https://seashepherd.org/https://www.instagram.com/seashepherdaustralia/https://www.instagram.com/seashepherd/TEDx Talk - Is Saving a Life Enough to Save the Ocean? https://youtu.be/QA-NdWiREOo

At the beginning of 2022, Mon set herself a challenge of living as though she only had "A Year to Live".  By chance, Mon crossed paths with a woman Kerri who shared the tragic loss of her teenage daughter Lauren.  Kerri shared that Lauren left a bucketlist for her family and friends and at the top of the list was a trip to Africa to see elephants in the wild. Mon knew she was going to make this dream a reality, so she worked her magic and in August this year, Mon and Kerri set out on a trip to Kenya. During the trip, Mon visited the Masai Mara and met a local woman and trailblazer Hellen. Hellen founded an eco camp, nursery school and widow's village in her community. Hellen started a movement "Don't trade girls for cows, give them an education" where she aims to bring about generational change by rescuing girls, giving them an education and brighter future.  Now at capacity for the number of children Hellen can help, she has a dream to build 4 more classrooms and a cafeteria. Hearing Hellen's story and the story of girls in Hellen's community, shook Mon to her core, she knew had to do something to help. Mon has launched "$30k in 30 days" a crowdfunding project to raise enough money for the first classroom to be built. This is phase one of the project, eventually Mon aims to raise the total project cost of $120,000 to complete the school. Learn more about Hellen and the Tepesua Nursery School - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0VsHYIjwL8DONATE to help build a classroom and educate children in Kenya https://gofund.me/e4b47c6cFollow the project https://www.instagram.com/alwaysawayproject/Follow Mon https://www.instagram.com/moniquemedved/

Nicole has been a freelance vegan, cruelty free hair and makeup artist for over 30 years, showcasing that no animal needs to suffer for human vanity. At eight years old, Nicole decided she would be a hairdresser when she grew up. She worked part time in salons from age 14 and began her apprenticeship in year 11. Her passion for cruelty free beauty products was sparked when working in one of the first salons to use Aveda products which are cruelty free. Nicole wanted to raise awareness about cruelty free product choices, so she started volunteering with Choose Cruelty Free (CCF) in a PR and marketing role.  In 2019, Nicole became the President and then in 2021 when CCF and Cruelty Free International merged, Nicole was employed as the Australian Programmes Manager. She has witnessed a great shift towards cruelty free beauty products in the last ten years. Having an interest in organic and natural living, Nicole also founded LivingSafe.com.au - a vegan health and safety blog. To keep busy during the pandemic, Nicole began sewing face masks and donating $5 from each sale to Animals Australia. She also co-created vegan gift packs for 800 COVID nurses at the Alfred Hospital.  In the little spare time Nicole has, she enjoys fostering and caring for small animals. In this episode, Nicole highlights the difference between vegan and cruelty free, animal testing protocols and some of the celebrities she has worked with. https://www.instagram.com/nicolegroch_hairmakeup/http://www.nicolegroch.com.auhttp://www.crueltyfreeinternational.org

Mo has worked with organisations to enter many slaughterhouses and "lock on" causing disruption to their operation. She began advocating for animals soon after going vegan twelve years ago. Mo knew she needed to drive change, so started by holding a sign on the side of the Bridge to Brisbane event. In 2016, Mo's friend invited her to be part of Eggs Exposed, a "lock on" inside an egg hatchery and slaughterhouse for male chicks. Mo and the other activists chained themselves to the conveyor belt and managed to rescue 150 chicks. Mo has since been involved in Ditch Dairy, Luvaduck and Dominion Anniversary (Carey brothers abattoir) actions. As a result of her involvement, Mo has received death threats and been raided by police. In this episode, Mo shares her experience inside slaughterhouses and the importance of drawing public attention to the abhorrent cruelty inside these facilities. https://www.facebook.com/MooMoo.orrEggs Exposed  Footage https://www.farmtransparency.org/campaigns.php?article=eggs-exposedLockon  https://vimeo.com/176329555?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=14443181 Ditch Dairyhttps://vimeo.com/animallibqld/ditchdairyCarey Bros Slaughterhouse - Dominion National Day of Actionhttps://www.farmtransparency.org/campaigns/carey-bros-abattoir

Dean Maher is the first vegan in the world to summit the south face of Mt Everest with all vegan gear, clothing and food. After travelling South East Asia and never finding a favourite place, he wanted to experience the infamous Nepal for himself. Dean first tackled Annapurna circuit and basecamp, the tenth highest mountain in the world and became hooked.  After completing a gruelling eight month training plan, he set off on the challenge of a lifetime. Dean shares the mental and physical barriers he needed to overcome to stand on top of Mt Everest holding the vegan flag!During a trip to Vietnam eight years ago, Dean saw dogs in a cage on the back of a motorbike and was horrified about their fate. Within five minutes, he saw another bike, with chickens in a cage. He recognised their suffering and knew they'd have the same fate. This experience got him thinking about his food choices. In this episode, Dean shares upcoming challenges including a 100 mile race and ultra running from north to south Wales over six days. He also explains his passion for using fitness to fundraise as well as cleaning up the environment. https://www.instagram.com/dean_maher/https://icouldnevergovegan.co.uk/

Did I plan to stand as a candidate for the Animal Justice Party? NoWould I do it again? Hell yes!In this episode, I share my experience running in the 2022 Victorian State Election - how it happened, what was involved, what I learnt and why I would recommend you do it too!https://www.animaljusticeparty.org/https://www.instagram.com/akyndlife/

Are you disillusioned with politics? Not sure what difference voting makes?Hear Andy Meddick share his insights into being the first Animal Justice Party (AJP) Member of Parliament in Victoria.Over the four year term, Andy and his team have bought about big change for animals, people and the planet but it's not over yet! This is our chance to help Andy get re-elected as well as more AJP representatives in Parliament. Andy unapologetically shares how he feels about his time as an MP, unfinished business and what he wishes he knew before being elected. He also chats about hot topics such as duck shooting, Veticare - a universal healthcare system for animals and the difference between AJP and the Greens.Want to help AJP this election? https://vic.animaljusticeparty.org/electionsShow Andy support https://vic.animaljusticeparty.org/andy_meddick_for_western_victoria_region

Cass is a personal trainer whose priority is to promote strong vegans. Cass is also a qualified vegan nutritionist and volunteer for Death Row Unchained (DRU) sanctuary. Cass started training in the gym and within a few weeks, her trainer suggested she compete. Cass was initially hesitant but said yes to the challenge. She trained for 5 months and went on to win the Australian Title of IFBB Novice Figure Champion. This led Cass to gain her PT and nutrition certification. Cass went vegetarian in her 20s after clicking on animal activism links on Pink's website. She went vegan not long after, however during her competition prep, Cass re-introduced eggs and then meat products. She openly discusses the loss of her ethical mind, until four years ago when she removed all animal products and went vegan for the animals. Cass found DRU online and knew that she wanted to visit once they moved to Brisbane. Cass and her partner joined a sanctuary tour and fell in love with the animals. She then applied for a volunteer position and was asked to join the team who cares for the resident pigs. Cass recently launched vegan fitness merchandise with $5 from each item donated to DRU. In this episode, Cass shares the importance of being transparent and finding a vegan community online. https://www.instagram.com/veganlovebycass/https://cassandrahaddadfitness.com/

Bailey is a young animal rights activist, known for disrupting a dolphin show at Dolphin Marine Conservation Park when he was 14 years old.Bailey went vegan after watching YouTube videos which connected him to how meat, dairy and eggs are created. He was shocked and appalled that these companies were meant to be RSPCA approved and he instantly knew he no longer wanted to support them. Bailey's love for marine life, and dolphins in particular was forged after watching the documentary "Black Fish".  Bailey regularly protests dolphins being kept in captivity and is calling on the government to support retirement plans for dolphins currently kept in captivity. Bailey works with a number of organisations that align with his values including PETA, World Animal Protection and Animal Justice Party. Recent PETA demonstrations include human meat trays in Pitt Street Mall, forced mouse swim tests in Bondi Pool and a greyhound protest at Wentworth Park. Bailey is also involved in wildlife advocacy campaigns such a koala extinction, Drop Croc and the Nike Kangaroo Massacre. He is a Youth Ambassador for The Plant Based Treaty calling on politicians and councils to recognise the link between animal agriculture and climate change. In this episode, Bailey shares the importance of political parties in bringing about change for animals, transitioning captive dolphins to sea sanctuaries and connecting with nature. https://www.instagram.com/warriorforanimals/

Lisa started Love Eat Cake by Lisa eight years ago and it fast became the home of the decorated biscuit. Lisa transitioned the business to a vegan one after going vegan herself.Lisa always loved cooking, she has fond memories of baking cakes from a Women's Weekly cookbook at seven years old. She later decided to quit her corporate job and dive into creating her own handmade speciality biscuit business. Lisa went vegetarian 15 years ago. Lisa and her partner decided to go vegan after learning more about the animal agricultural industry. Her business was non vegan at the time, so Lisa set about transitioning the customers to vegan biscuits over a few years. Lisa experimented with many variations of her recipes and even created her own vegan butter to get the best vegan biscuit.  The business experienced great growth over the last three years, allowing Lisa to rent a commercial space. It is not uncommon for Lisa to be baking 8 trays of cookies at a time, pushing out orders of 500 cookies for her corporate clients. Lisa finds alot of joy in what she creates, with each biscuit a canvas for her creativity. In this episode, Lisa shares her insights into scaling and supporting small business, as well as cooking for friends. https://www.instagram.com/love.eat.cake.by_lisa/https://www.facebook.com/LoveEatCakebylisa/http://www.loveeatcakebylisa.com

Craig and his wife Sam started Five Vegans after recognising a great opportunity to source and sell vegan products online and at local vegan events. The business name is inspired by them being a vegan family of five. One of Five Vegans core values is giving back, so they designed a mystery box where $10 per box is donated to a different animal charity each month. So far, they have donated over $2000 to charities. Craig went vegetarian at age 30 after seeing an article in the newspaper and footage of sheep in the Middle East. Almost 10 years later, Craig watched a number of videos including What The Health and James Aspey's speech and he went vegan. Although Craig was motivated by the ethical side of veganism, he was also interested in the health benefits, as he suffered from an auto immune arthritis called Ankylosing Spondylitis.   Not long after going vegan, Craig met the Perth Anonymous for the Voiceless organiser and began participating in Cube of Truth events. He is regularly involved in animal rights activism events such as outreach and marches. In this episode, Craig also shares their hopes to expand the business, as well as advice for vegan parents and businesses. http://www.fivevegans.com.auhttps://instagram.com/fiveveganshttps://fb.com/fiveveganshttps://www.tiktok.com/@fiveveganshttps://pinterest.com.au/Fivevegans/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXtCQfFVpc1RgThDgj5kpWg

Liora booked a one way ticket to Bali in 2018 and ended up living in a dance based community that was predominantly vegan and sober. Prior to Bali, Liora had spent 10 years travelling and living overseas, having visited Portugal, Spain, Guatemala and Europe. Liora grew up dancing, she participated in ballet and contemporary dance throughout her schooling  During her time in Bali, Liora enjoyed a slow lifestyle which involved yoga, meditation and ecstatic dance. She describes this time as a heart opening experience, where she was supported to fully express herself. Since returning, Liora regularly participates in Melbourne's thriving dance community. Liora was raised vegetarian, as her mum never cooked meat. A chance encounter with a member of Melbourne Chicken Save, sparked Liora's curiosity about the egg industry. She then watched Dominion which helped make the connection and veganism slowly spread into all areas of Liora's life. Liora has supported Til The Cows Come Home (TTCCH) for a number of years. Her workplace offered the opportunity for staff to undertake voluntary work, so Liora reached out to TTCCH. She recently took on a HR role supporting the foster, adoption and administration team. Liora also started an instagram page called "Is it kind" after coming up with the concept during her last trip to Bali. She is using the platform to explore how we communicate veganism in an authentic way. In this episode, Liora shares her passion for movement, living a sober lifestyle and the importance of reaching out to organisations you support and offering to help. https://www.instagram.com/liorakiki/https://www.instagram.com/isitkind.co/