Stay ConnectedA podcast about conscious living in the Magic City. Every other week, hosts Alex and Jeanette, interview inspiring locals pushing the city forward through their actions.
You’ll hear from entrepreneurs, activists, community leaders, athletes, chefs and more who are working hard at changing the way people view Miami.
Get behind the scenes photos, show notes, etc. at www.plantedinmiami.com.
Connect with us: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @plantedinmiami.
“I had to go to war to find peace.” – Hipolito ‘Beardman’ Arriaga
For many, joining the military is a way of making a better life for themselves and their families. Putting on the uniform and representing this country is an incredibly noble, selfless, and heroic job that comes with its set of challenges and uncertainties. Soldiers return to civilian life changed forever with limited resources or outlets where they can express what they saw and experienced in-country. But for four combat veterans from Miami, the MDC Live Arts’ season-long veterans’ initiative was the impetus for the creation of The Combat Hippies. Led by world renowned theater artist and director Teo Castellanos, The Combat Hippies consist of Hipolito ‘Beardman’ Arriaga, Anthony ‘I.E.D.’ Torres, Allen ‘Tatsel’ Minor, and Andrew ‘Dru Phoenix’ Cuthbert. Backed by a soundtrack courtesy of local DJ Brimstone 127, The Combat Hippies show, “Conscience Under Fire” is heralded as a raw, funny, and honest look at what coming home from war feels like for four young combat veterans as they broach the subject of Post Traumatic Growth, a term coined by psychologists Richard G. Tedeschi and Lawrence G. Calhoun at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in the mid 90’s.
These artists joined forces through the MDC Live Arts’ creative writing workshop for veterans’ in which they shared their experiences in an original spoken word piece, but Teo Castellano saw the immense potential of taking their words from the page to the stage. Perhaps scarier than combat itself, these four wordsmiths summoned up the courage to step on stage for the first time and open their souls to an audience full of strangers to perform together at the Betsy Hotel Lounge. Since then, The Combat Hippies have performed “Conscience Under Fire” multiple times, have become resident artists at the MDC Live Arts, and have been selected as finalists for a possible grant by the Knight Foundation. (We’re rooting for you!)
It was a pleasure meeting these fine thespians at the beginning of their promising careers and we have a feeling they’re in for the long haul. We want to thank Anthony and Hipolito for opening up to us and sharing their story so honestly with us. Welcome to the Planted in Miami family.
We hope you enjoy the show,
Alex & Jeanette
For behind the scenes show notes, photos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @plantedinmiami
Millennials. According to TIME magazine they've been dubbed the Me, Me, Me Generation - lazy, entitled narcissists who still live with their parents. Ouch, Time magazine! (Well, if you actually read the article you'll see why that's not exactly true) And it's certainly not the case with our guests, Gigi and Ricky Gil, the brainchildren from Gold Lotus Brand. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Gigi and Ricky are young entrepreneurs who are laser-focused on making a mark in the Vegan clothing line game with their environmentally conscious, cruelty-free, PETA approved line of clothing. Ricky went all-in and quit his day time gig so he could dedicate his time to the brand he envisioned when he was still a beardless youth in high school. Together with his wife Gina (affectionately known as Gigi) they are the Gold Lotus Brand. Their headquarters is their home where they live with their cat Einstein (and not their parents!) and where all the ideas, work, orders, and hustle take place.
Although still in its infancy, Gold Lotus Brand is the type of brand the world needs more of and they're more than happy to carry the torch. Not only do they provide 100% certified organic, pesticide-free, made in the USA clothing, they will also have you thinking about where your clothes comes from, who made it, what materials were used, who or what was effected by making the product and how it impacts the environment, the animals, and the voiceless.
We hope you enjoy the podcast.
Alex & Jeanette
For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @plantedinimiami
What do you think a meat-free deli would sell? Would pastrami on rye come to mind? Or how about sausage marinara or burgers stacked high with tasty fixin's. This is exactly what Ryan Bauhaus had in mind when he founded Atlas Meat-Free Delicatessen. After meeting his vegetarian wife Amanda, Ryan slowly transitioned to eating less meat but struggled with giving up some of his favorite foods.
Having a love for cooking from a young age, he decided to get in the kitchen and figure out how he could still eat the foods he loved without having to go to the butcher. Ryan incorporated the seasonings and flavorings found in traditional meats (sausages, pastrami, burgers) and cheeses and made them all delicious and plant-based. He tirelessly tested recipes to make sure he wasn't calling a sandwich by a name it didn't deserve. If he was serving a pastrami sandwich, he wanted you to feel like you were eating pastrami. And because of his endless hours in the kitchen and dedication to quality, wholesome food, Altas Meat-Free Deli has gained a tasty reputation in South Florida and a legion of dedicated followers including us!
Atlas has been in business at the Yellow Green Farmer's Market for a few years and now Ryan has decided to expand the company with a food truck at the Wynwood Yard during the month of October as well as opening Miami's First Plant-Based Butcher Shop in Little River in early 2017. We were super excited to grab a few moments with Ryan and we think you are going to love our conversation.
Alex & Jeanette
For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @plantedinmiami
In a busy, fast-paced world where Keurig machines and the like are as ubiquitous as Starbucks coffee shops, the guys over at JoJo Tea are on a mission to create a bona-fide American tea culture and show Miamian’s how to slow down, count their breaths, and experience drinking authentic tea as it was meant to be.
Michael Ortiz and Tico Aran are business partners and life-long friends and JoJo Tea, tucked away in an unlikely location off of LeJeune Road in swanky Coral Gables, is where they perform their magic – offering tea flights and traditional, genuine tea ceremonies to curious locals, tea connoisseurs, and novices alike. Although the presentation from start to finish is meticulously crafted with attention to detail from the brewing of the water to the pouring of the tea into handmade tea cups courtesy of Tico, these tea guru’s intention is not to scare anyone away with their beautiful artistry. Instead, they want to “demystify” as Michael says on the podcast, the “intimidation factor” of drinking tea.
Get ready to cleanse your pallets and make sure to “steep” yourself into a cozy chair while Michael and Tico take you on a journey into The Future of Tea.
For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @plantedinmiami.
Growing up in North East Los Angeles wasn't easy for our guest, Karina Rain. Raised by her grandmother from the ripe age of five, she lost her mother to Multiple Sclerosis and had an abusive father who she lost last year from Multiple Myeloma Cancer. As a teenager she became rebellious and self-destructive, experimenting with drugs and running away from her home in Elysian Valley. She was homeless by age 15 and stuck in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend at the time. But after turning 18 she had enough and decided that that life wasn't for her; her perspective on life had changed and she got a job, went back to school and started the difficult process of reinventing herself and turning her life around - and she did just that.
Karina is now an activist, a writer for Urban Native Magazine and she has her very own YouTube channel where she seeks to share her story with the world and help others who might be going through tough times in their lives. She is also very active in the Native American community, educating others on Native American culture, stereotypes, and the plight they still face today.
Before we began recording this podcast she thanked us for inviting her to be on the show, but we want to thank her for sharing her story with us so we could get to know a little more about this beautiful soul, Karina Rain.
We hope you enjoy this episode,
Alex & Jeanette
For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com. Follow us on social @plantedinmiami on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Meet Veronica Menin and Diego Tosoni, two of five partners from the newly opened Love Life Wellness Center in the hip and funky Wynwood district. Love Life is a socially conscious “all-in-one” wellness center where you can get your yoga on, get a massage, experience reiki, enjoy a plant-based meal and even bring your dog in for a class of Doga. (Yoga for Dogs!)
We first introduced you to Veronica in Episode 3 where she spoke about her former company, Peace A’ Cake and how she broke into the vegan bakery business. After making the decision to step away from Peace A’ Cake, she contemplated moving, getting far away and clearing her mind. But before she could hop on a plane, an opportunity presented itself to her that she couldn’t ignore. Spurred by her yoga teacher, Megan Elizabeth to create a juice bar/yoga studio, Love Life Wellness Center was born thanks to the collective minds of Megan, Nick, Veronica, Joe and Diego – Love Life’s backbone and guiding forces.
Diego first met Veronica earlier in his life but as fate would have it, their paths crossed again years later and now Diego is an integral piece of the Love Life equation. As we affectionately refer to him, he is the “Diego Of All Trades” because he contributes in so many different facets to Love Life’s look – from the mural on the front of the building to the tables and artwork that you see inside. His creative eye and artistic touch is sprinkled all over Love Life in obvious and not so obvious places and together, Veronica and Diego are each other’s Yin and Yang.
With the Wynwood Walls as its backdrop, Love Life Wellness Center could not have found a better place to open its door to the community and offering a sanctuary for people who want to connect more closely with themselves and others. Together with partners Megan, Nick and Joe they are helping to bring practices and food that are healing to the body as well as the soul.
We hope you enjoy the podcast,
Alex & Jeanette For behind the scenes show notes, photos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com.
Follow on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter @plantedinmiami
As Queen B so beautifully taught us this weekend, when life gives you lemons you must make lemonade. For the first time in Planted in Miami history, we do not have an interview portion of the show. Due to technical issues (i.e. computers losing their minds) our file was corrupted. But as we all know, sh*t happens so we decided to practice the art of letting go and just have fun with it. We'll be back to our regular schedule in two weeks, in the meantime, we hope you enjoy this episode!
Alex & Jeanette
Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Music
For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook + Instagram @plantedinmiami
After a long and fast-paced stint in the corporate marketing and advertising world, Melanie Oliva left the harsh winters of Chicago and her nine-to-five with her husband and two cats and moved to Miami so she could reconnect with her fine arts roots and enjoy the endless summers of South Florida. With Miami as her new muse, she began to focus her creative energy on painting again and we’re sure glad she did because when you’re inspired you can change the world.
This eco-artist and activist might seem soft-spoken, but her passion to bring awareness to the environmental issues facing our planet as well as all of its inhabitants is loud and clear. With every brushstroke, Melanie is giving a voice to the plants, animals, and insects that are in need of an empathetic advocate to help secure their futures. Through Inspiration Pollination, a group comprised of over 600 artists from around the world, she hopes to shine a light on the very serious state pollinators, such as bees, are in and why they play such a pivotal role in our ecosystem.
Her paintings are vibrant, colorful, and bright and many of them showcase the various species she is helping to protect. With Melanie’s advocacy and through the help of the many artists she has collaborated with to bring this important subject to the masses, she is well on her way in leaving her mark on this planet we all call home.For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @plantedinmiami
Who Saved Who? This ubiquitous bumper sticker can be seen on the cars of those lucky pet owners that have adopted a dog or a cat from a rescue shelter. In this episode we sit down with Caroline and Isaac Saiz, the husband and wife team behind the local Save The Strays Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to rescuing stray animals, placing them in foster and/or permanent homes and educating the public on animal-welfare issues.
Caroline and Isaac are animal advocates with a variety of experience in business, law, and marketing and their love and respect for animals is a common bond they both deeply share. Save The Strays is a volunteer-based, non-profit organization and all donations and adoption fees go to the care of the rescues and operating expenses. Because they rely heavily on loving homes in order to save more animals, they ask that you reach out to them if you can foster any animals or if you are ready to provide a permanent home for them.
Caroline and Isaac are truly inspiring locals who are pushing our city forward through their fantastic foundation and selfless devotion to animals. We hope you enjoy the podcast and become inspired to become a foster parent or to rescue one of the many dogs or cats that are in need of loving owners and homes.
Alex & Jeanette
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @plantedinmiami
For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com
When Miami native, Ellen Kanner isn’t blogging, writing books, hosting plant-based feasts or educating locals on the power of plants through her syndicated column in the Miami Herald, The Edgy Veggie, you can probably find her in the kitchen developing recipes or lounging around her house reviewing books.
Ellen was an early adopter of the veggie lifestyle and she made the switch at the ripe, young age of 13 because of her love of animals. Since then, she has been a powerful and influential spokesperson in the South Florida community, introducing others to this sustainable, healthy lifestyle and spreading its many benefits to a mass audience. (Thank you, Ellen!) She believes learning about your food and how it’s sourced is important, no matter what kind of diet you may subscribe to and the real magic is in food’s ability to bring people together; and isn’t that what’s it’s all about?
It’s possible that some of the greatest conversations have occurred while breaking bread around a table with good company and we think our conversation with The Edgy Veggie is just that.
We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
Alex & Jeanette
For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more, visit www.plantedinmiami.com
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @plantedinmiami
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