The Janine Bolon Show with Lou-Anne Hooper - 99 Authors Project, Season 6, Episode 3

The 99 Authors Project – Season 6 – Episode 3 with Lou-Anne Hooper18 min read

Like so many of us, Lou Hooper has many facets – wife, Mom to two fur-babes, daughter, friend to a close-knit circle of friends, vegan, entrepreneur, online course developer, writer, gardener and world-traveller. All of these facets have an impact on her life and make her the woman she is today.

One of the biggest impacts is her veganism which is a lifestyle that she began due to health issues and the desire to become healthier, but also, she wanted to be more cruelty-free and eco-friendly. It’s a lifestyle that has worked for her for the past seven years. But, as Lou well knows, transitioning to this vegan/plant-based lifestyle can be a helluva ride – it often involves a heavy sense of overwhelm, self-doubt and a feeling of being on one’s own.

This is why Lou started a new business called, Vegan Vagabonds, and developed an online learning experience for the vegan/plant-based curious or those just starting on this eating regime. Her online course, “The Vegan Journey: A Beginner’s Pathway” includes tips, tools, recipes and support – all the elements that will guide “virgin vegans” to becoming vegan eaters, and in turn, offer a positive impact on their lives, the lives of animals and our environment.

Get her free e-booklet, “5 Secrets to Plant-based Eating!

Transcript of the Show

Bryan Hyde
Welcome to the Janine Bolon show, where we share tips from around the globe. As we guide practical people with their finances using money tips, increase their incomes through side businesses, and maintain their sanity by staying in their creative zone.

Janine Bolon
Hello Janine Bolon here bringing you tips from around the globe as we guide practical people like yourself with their finances using money tips, increase their incomes through their side businesses and side hustles and maintain your sanity by helping you stay in that creative zone. The Janine Bolon Show is the syndicated program of four podcast shows that were combined in October of 2021. Three Minute Money Tips, The Thriving Solopreneur, The Writers Hour Creative Conversations, and The Practical Mystic Show were programs that were running since 2017. We have over 300 episodes, we’ve interviewed over 250 guests, and today we will be spotlighting one of our business leaders from Canada, Lou Hooper. Now Lou has been an entrepreneur for over 20 years first with her company, Lou-Anne Hooper and Associates, and most recently, and this is why we wanted her on our show, because as she started this amazing, amazing business called Vegan Vagabonds, absolutely love that. Lou has helped charities direct with their direct mail campaigns as well as raise funds for their various messages. But today she’s going to be talking to those vegan wannabes and those vegan curious who want to transition into that whole plant-based eating routine with clarity, consistency and confidence. Now, having clarity, having consistency and having confidence, you know, all of those are definitely needed to accomplish that. And she has this neat online course called the Vegan Journey of Beginner’s Pathway. So that’s also pretty epic. So welcome to the show. Lou.

Lou-Anne Hooper
Thanks, Janine, just absolutely thrilled to be here and to chat with you.

Janine Bolon
Well, one of the things I like to talk to people as I do all this networking as I meet all these different business owners, I definitely had a similar story in that there was a health issue that popped up in my life I went through veganism for a period of time dropped the cholesterol, that they were telling me I needed to drop, and then slid back into different eating habits, because that’s what I was supposed to do. But tell us a little bit about your health story. Just real quick, a summary of what got you into veganism because you’ve been at this for years now, it hasn’t just been a flash in the pan like mine was only six months.

Lou-Anne Hooper
No, I’ve been I’ve been a vegan for seven years. And it all started back when I walked into my doctor’s office one day for my usual checkup. And I was on high cholesterol, high blood pressure medications. And so she was just sort of going along and checking things out. And she said, I think I’ll increase your cholesterol meds.

Lou-Anne Hooper
What and why would that be? And she said, Well, I’m seeing some issues here. And she looked at me and I guess I must have had a kind of a puzzled look on my face. Because she said, you realize you’re going to be on these meds for the rest of your life, don’t you? And I said, no, no, I don’t, I don’t think so. And that’s when the ball dropped for me. I walked out of her office, obviously filled with some anxiety, for sure. But also a resolve to take control of my health and the health issues that I had, and to get off my meds. And that’s what the impetus was. And so I looked around, and I researched different things. But I found that the vegan plant base eating routine was probably going to be what was going to work for me. And work it did. Within probably about a month and a half, I was off my meds and my blood pressure was down, my cholesterol was down. And I never turned back.

Janine Bolon
And that’s what I hear over and over with people who really want to work with their, with their health and their eating and their lifestyle is the fact that they have something happened in there and they decide to take control. So let’s talk about the vegan curious and the vegan wannabes. Okay, they haven’t necessarily had that big strong kick in the pants like you were looking at a lifetime of prescription medicines of going to the pharmacy every month to pick them up. You know, when I start thinking or visualizing that it’s like, oh, what do I have to do to change that? What do I have to do so I don’t go there? Right. But to our people who are like you said, I love your term vegan curious. Yeah, they don’t have that kick in the pants. So what can we do to share that with them?

Lou-Anne Hooper
Well, I guess the thing is that a lot of people, there’s something in their life that makes you want to look at a different eating routine. Now, in terms of veganism, it may be your health, it may be because of the treatment of animals and you want to do something about that. Or it may be you want to improve the environment which a vegan plant based eating routine will do. But there’s always something there. But it’s that there isn’t enough to move people into the actual, the actual doing of it. And I think that that has to do with maybe a bit of fear, because they don’t know what it’s about. And they think, oh, I’m going to be eating these weird and wacky, you know, meals and, you know, so it’s all this and they don’t have that self confidence in the kitchen when they go to make meals. So they’re just curious, and they’re trying to figure out, is this for me, or isn’t it for me? So that’s where I try and I try and get people who, who are, you know, maybe have been working for months trying to do something a little bit different, or maybe even years. And they really haven’t taken that step because they haven’t had the right guidance to do that. So I think that that’s the that’s where I try and get people as they’re just as they’re just beginning so that they can get a firmer foundation.

Janine Bolon
I know one of the things that I really enjoyed when I first started speaking with you, Lou was the fact that you and I had both seen all those wonderful documentaries that came out and kind of opened up people to like Food Inc, where people were like, Oh, my gosh, this is really where my food comes from. And they were starting to make like you say, , spiritual, ethical, other reasons, not just healthcare reasons. And then we had the Fat Sick and Nearly Dead when people started healing themselves through food. This is not something unusual. This has been around for a long time. And the other fun thing was the Forks Over Knives, they not only had the documentary, they had the book, they had online help helping you with menus and stuff. And I was one of those people that during that period of time, that’s when my health issue happened. And I went to that, but one of the things that you do that was like, oh my gosh, where were you when I was struggling with all this, right? Because you were busy building your business at the time.

The fact that you actually coach people through this, so talk to us a little bit about the beginner’s pathway, and what are the what are some of the two or three things that people come to you because they’re struggling with that. So what is your what is your course solve for them?

Lou-Anne Hooper
Okay.

Lou-Anne Hooper
It’s a six-week course that includes and I think this is where the different sort lie it is face to face, as face to face as we get right now, but I do live support so you get a video but then you also get an hour of me coaching you through and talking about your problems and that sort of thing. And I think that’s where things are really different is that a lot of people will take you to a Facebook and join the Facebook group and you know, I do have that as well. But I also have this so that if you’ve got an issue right now, we can talk about it.

Lou-Anne Hooper
So a lot of people come because they’re confused. There’s just so much information out there. And where do I begin? How do I start this thing? You know, what am I supposed to eat? How much am I supposed to eat? You know, what? Am I going to get enough nutrients? That’s another thing that a lot of people are concerned about, because they’ve heard the myths of, you know, oh, the first thing you’ll always hear when you go on a vegan plant-based diet is, oh, my God, where will you get your protein? And so a lot of people have misconceptions about what the, the, the eating routine the diet is all about. So that’s, you know, it’s that, that confusion and the need for self-confidence, and in building that up so that you can step out on your own and to be able to do that. And, and also consistency, no, it’s a matter of, well, I’ll be on the, you know, the routine this week, but maybe after a couple of weeks, I won’t be on it. But it’s showing you how to, to have that consistency in in this in this particular eating routine. And all the benefits that come from that help. I mean, a lot of people come to me because of health issues, you know, animals and environment, that’s certainly important for, you know, I think, probably a younger group. Whereas most of the people I get are concerned with, as I say, their health and their longevity. And, you know, and this gives you the basis to be able to move forward and, you know, improve your health and have that self-confidence.

Janine Bolon
Well, I like the fact that you give people six weeks of attention and care and help them feed themselves because they know that’s, that’s like you said very complicated. Can you give us a few tips or golden nuggets on how you help them with their clarity? How do you help people with their clarity, because a lot of people are like, oh, I want to be 145 pounds, or I you know, some people, it’s very easy in the weight loss industry, you know, people are using the scale, and they’re starting to find out that BMI isn’t necessarily a good indicator and stuff like that. Right? So how do you help people figure out their personal clarity?

Lou-Anne Hooper
Well, I’ve based this program on something that I’ve developed over, like seven years of my experience, and all the research that I’ve done, and I you know, it’s sort of like I’ve done all the research so that you don’t have to kind of thing. But it’s, it’s a matter of I developed this program, and it’s the five, these stepping stone sequence. So it’s be alert, be mindful, be prepared, be accountable, and above all be supported. So I walk people through that. And I think some of the tips that I have tips and tools and recipes as well, because people are always looking for great recipes.

Lou-Anne Hooper
But I think the big thing is you start off at the beginning, you have to have a goal, you have to have a why? Why are you doing this, because if you don’t have a why you’re not going to maintain it, you’re not going to stick through with it. Like I say mine to start off with was my health. I wanted to get off dangerous, dangerous drugs. So that was my motivation. I wrote that down on sticky notes, I put it on my bathroom mirror, I put it on my refrigerator, I put it on the dashboard of my car, so that I always saw that. So if I was having a weak moment, I would see this and it would yes, that’s right, I want to get off these drugs. That’s what I want to do. So it’s really good to write to know your why and to write it down. And also write down goals. Like you said, I want to lose, you know, I want to be at 145. Whatever those goals are, you write them down, you make them specific, ya know, I’m going to stop eating you know, carnivorous meals three times a week, then five times a week, and you know, whatever that may be.

Lou-Anne Hooper
So you know, being specific, but also writing down. I found that when I was going through this, one of the greatest things that really helped me was a food diary. And I wrote down everything I ate and drank and the time and how much and that really helped me figure out where I was going, what I was doing, what I needed to adjust. So that’s another thing that I think is really important is to know your why, write down things and the other thing is be supported. When I was going through this, my husband, wonderful man that he is he joined me on this journey. But we he didn’t know any more than I did. So it was like the blind leading the blind kind of thing but so that’s what I really missed was that support of having someone where I could go and turn and talk to somebody and say, I’m having a real difficult time this week, and I really need help with this, or, you know, I’ve read that you need to have B 12. Is that true? Whatever the case may be, it’s important to have somebody there that can, can put, you know, help you through this. And I’ve been there, I’ve been there, and I’ve done it. And so I have the experience that I pretty well know what people are going through.

Janine Bolon
And that always helps.

Janine Bolon
And that always helps to have that kind of person sitting there working with you. Totally an understanding. I mean, this really goes back to ancient times, I’ve got to share with you that when I was living in Japan, they would talk about how certain models of the healthcare system and it’s not that way today. But back when I was there in the 19, early 1960s, they were talking about how you would pay the doctor and the doctor’s job was to keep you feeling healthy and doing well. And then if you got sick, the doctor would put you with other people who had similar conditions so they could support each other. And I love that you’ve taken this very ancient wisdom. And you’re like, been there, done that, got the t shirt, bought the factory, now produce a course. And so I just have to compliment you on the bravery that that takes to open yourself up to that so vulnerably. And then at the same time saying, oh, and by the way, we can help you get where you want to go. This is how you stay consistent. This is how we help you with your confidence. And we do that in six weeks. And then there’s opportunities for you to check in. I mean, that just says so much that other groups, I just don’t see that. That’s why I got so excited about being able to interview you today for the Janine Bolon Show.

Janine Bolon
So tell me a little bit about what you have coming up and we’ll go ahead and close this out for today.

Lou-Anne Hooper
All right, well, I have my course which I run on a fairly regular basis. Because it’s six weeks, it’s it’s an electronic space. But I also have a five day quest. And it’s called Plant Based Eating: The Easy, Tasty, Cheap, Healthy Way. So it gives people a little bit of an idea of what’s taking place because everyone says, oh, well, you know, vegan eating, it’s gonna be expensive, it’s gonna be boring, it’s not gonna have any taste, it’s gonna be healthy. So this sort of touches base on all those things. And then that leads once again, as I say to the, to the course that that I run so.

Janine Bolon
And where can people find you? What’s your website, talk to us?

Lou-Anne Hooper
It is www.veganvagabonds.ca.

Janine Bolon
And that’s because people she is up in Canada, and if you think groceries can get expensive. Let’s talk about Canada for a minute, right? So this woman has a lot to share. Lou can help you not only with the budgeting and how to find the least expensive groceries and how to use the pantry principle. All those things that you maybe have heard about, but haven’t integrated into your eating. This lady can definitely help you do that. Any gold nuggets for us, Lou before we take off today?

Lou-Anne Hooper
I think you know, it’s just a matter of grabbing the bull by the horns. And although you wouldn’t do that, because that’s not right. But anyway, you know what I mean. Taking hold and trying it and you know, and finding out like I said, I did it. I’ve been a vegan for seven years. And I wish I wish I had started so much sooner. You know, and I’d be that further that further ahead. So if you’re thinking about it, please look me up and we’ll see what we can do for you.

Janine Bolon
It sounds fabulous. Thank you so much for being on the show today with us Lou.

Lou-Anne Hooper
Oh, thank you so much Janine, I really, really appreciate it. It’s always such a pleasure talking with you.

Janine Bolon
And thank you so much for listening to the Janine Bolon Show. We’re here every week bringing you quality conversations on money, business, creativity, keeping your sanity. Be sure to subscribe to our show notes. You can go to theJanine BolonShow.com where you’re gonna find a transcript of the show, as well as other resources. The Janine Bolon Show is sponsored by the 8 Gates LLC, a company dedicated to the financial stability of families using the 60/40 principle. Be sure to visit our sponsor at the8gates.com. Until next week, keep your feet firmly on the ground. Keep reaching for those stars and do some things fun for yourself today. See you next week.

Bryan Hyde
Thank you for listening to the Janine Bolon show. Be sure to subscribe to our show notes by going to www.theJanineBolonshow.com, where you’ll find additional resources as well as the opportunity to sign up to receive our program in your email each week. Be sure to visit our sponsor at www.the8gates.com.

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