July 23, 2025 • 31 mins
James chats with Sandra who is an award-winning communications professional, writer, former public relations agency CEO, author, wife, aunt, and vegan on a mission to amplify the world’s changemakers. Yoga, meditation, books, documentaries, and more tools have helped me become an ethical person and an impactful leader. She co-hosts VEG Networking Canada, where plant-based and vegan companies connect and collaborate. follow her at sandranomoto.com
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
So this show is called extra Connections, right, and so
I love finding guests who truly are the title of
the show because she is extra in the best ways
and she's a connector. So when I when I first
ran across her profile on LinkedIn, which is a great
place folks. By the way, it's said, this is a
(00:22):
quote book whisper for authors with impact. When I saw that,
I was like, I want to talk to her, and
I she said, Vegan Hipewoman, I really want to talk
to her.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
I did not there. So this is her bio. I
love her bio.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
So I'm going she wrote this not me as well,
she wrote, but I'm gonna change the pros me reading it.
Of course, she is an award winning communications professional, writer,
former populations agency CEO, author, wife aunt I love it
on thing and Vegan on a mission amplify the world's
change makers. So we're gonna talk to her about what
(00:58):
she does and what she'd be viewing and Sandronomoto dot
com is the place to go, Sata Momoto.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Sandra, how are you, James Lott Junior, I am great,
Thank you, thanks for having me here.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
It's my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Okay, So I want to start with the book Whisper
for Authors with Impact, and I read that.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
I thought, that's a great description. You don't see that
very often.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
And I work with a lot of people who are
impacting life. So explain what that means for you, book
Whisper for Authors with Impact.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Yeah, my business in the last five years has taken
a few different twists and turns. And twenty twenty was
when I started working with authors. I would say later
in the year, more than when the year started. And yeah,
about three years later I found myself working with authors,
but my title that I was using at the time
didn't really reflect that, and so I just came up
(01:58):
with book Whisper and it, Yeah, I've kind of been
using it ever since, so it's probably about two years now,
and it and I do a couple of different things.
So I can ghost write books, I can edit books,
and I can format books. I would say those are
my three core services, and you just can't get that
with one title. So I had to come up with something,
(02:19):
and so book Whisper is what I came up with.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
And then yeah, and then if.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
People are more intrigued, Okay, well what does that mean?
It's obviously something to do with books, then they can
ask ask more questions and we can get more into it.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Yeah, so book whisper I like that, So it explains it.
But so folks that just for folks at how I
don't know this. In the biz, there are ghost writers.
So can you explain what it is you do as
a ghost writer if someone says I need you to
full out a book, finish a book, or started, what
(02:51):
is it that you do for folks who don't know
what that means.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Yeah, for folks who are new to that term. In general,
I would say a ghostwriter is somebody who writes for
somebody else, and that somebody else. So let's say it's
a celebrity who's got a book deal they they you know,
have They're obligated to finish this book by a certain time,
but they don't have time to stit at a laptop
(03:15):
and do it all on their own, So they may
hire a ghost writer to work with them and create
that manuscript. It's a little bit different than a co
author because a co author will get the credit for
that writing, a ghostwriter does not. So a ghostwriter gets
paid to work with the author to create the work,
but they will not get that kind of author credit
(03:35):
on the cover of the book. And then how I
like to work, So I'm not like the traditional ghost writer.
I like to work with people who want their voices
preserved as much as possible. So these could be business
founders or just people with a really unique speaking voice,
and they don't want to tell their story to somebody
(03:55):
else and then have them basically write it in their
own way. And so how I like to work is
is hopping with folks on zoom and hitting record, and
maybe I'll introject some questions here and then, but most
of the time I like to just listen and let
people share their story and then I go off and
I clean up that that man that recorded manuscript. And
(04:18):
then uh, at the very end, when we finished all
our sessions and the book is finished, I give that
back to them and then they decide what they want
to do with it. So that's personally how I prefer
to work. It's not like the traditional ghostwriter, you know,
will charge twenty k up all the way up to
six figures and then really actually write the book in
their own style versus what the author might sound like.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
So example, I call you up with a girl I
can't finish writing this because I have two chapters. I
just can't finish. I'm too busy. I can't do two chapters.
So what I so, what would you need to know
from me? So I just like second sample and what
would you need to know for me?
Speaker 2 (04:55):
First?
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Like you say, James, you have what do you like?
Do you have a tie? Do you have the meat?
It's like what do you want for?
Speaker 4 (05:00):
Like?
Speaker 2 (05:01):
How would the first things you would ask me?
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Yeah, do you have time to sit and chat and
and speak out your book? That would that would be
the main thing, because if they don't have time to
sit and finish what they've started, but they could set
let's set aside. Let's say an hour a week. That's
usually what I recommend because it's enough time to get
you know, at least a couple thousand words done. But
(05:27):
it's it's it's a small enough time that I'm not
bugging them for the entire week.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Right.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
So let's say Monday at noon, we're gonna sit for
an hour. You're gonna tell as much as you can
in that hour, and then all go off between our
sessions too, Yeah, to go off and create.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
The written version of that session.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Basically, So and so, like you said, most time you
stay quiet, so you'll be like, okay, go and I
would just talk, and I would talk in first person.
Is kind of like, oh, I guess it depends on
the book, right, so be like, okay, well.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
Yeah, most times it's going to be first person.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
So I was walking down the street and I saw
this penny and the penny and said, you just literally
you quarrel that on zoom. And then you may ask
questions like clarification or something like did you mean to
say this or that kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
You're like, you say, you guys, exactly. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
And then when I tell this like this, I start
telling people this is my process. They say, well, how
do I know where, like where to start or what
I'm going to say? Well, well, we determined that with
an outline, so yeah, it's not going to be your
set table of contents, but but I like to come
up with an outline first, so we kind of have
a sense of where we are in the process. What
(06:38):
how many Yeah, and then once we start recording sessions,
we have a sense of like, okay, we'll need this
many more sessions to actually get the book finished based
on what we covered in an hour.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
So yeah, I like that idea.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Now when you say impact, I have an idea. I
know what that means. But like, for again, for folks
that they're is it serious topics or just mean books
that are going to kind of a positive help them?
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Like what do you like? What do you mean by that?
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Yeah, yeah, exactly what you started to say. People who
want to have a positive impact on others. So that
could be a business author that wants to share their expertise.
It could be a memoir somebody who wants to share
their story and inspire people. It could be fiction, most
likely not, but yeah, I mean I've had a fiction
(07:29):
author come to me and it was Yeah, it was
a great project.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
So I would say it's going to be more on
the nonfiction side.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
But so so long as that author wants to impact
people positively, like those those are the folks who I
want to work with.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Have you turn any by your way? I read a
project you were like, that's just not for me.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Well, there was there was an author who had written
or was close to finishing their book, but then they
wanted a ghostwriter to change the whole style and make
it sound like a classic American fiction book, like I
think it was Catcher in the Rye or some sort
of like classic book like that, and I'm just like, oh,
(08:10):
not my not my jam.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
So I actually suggested to.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Them, you know, you've written this whole book already, it's
in your voice like that's you know, but it's fine
if you still want to change the.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
Style, use AI.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
You know, I give AI that sample, see what it
can do, and if you're happy with it, you can
go in and rewrite your whole book that way, and
then and then I can work with you as your editor.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Good girl, I like that, like that. I love that
saying because you offer other services. So I guess you
can say, well, you go do that, come back when
you're ready, and I'll make it all look pretty.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
AI is a per Unit'll get excited it's not there yet.
They make mistakes too, is all. It makes mistakes to
I like that because you're you're a you're a one
stop shop in the pre release process.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Five times.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
Yeah, yeah, pretty much like the only thing I don't
do is cover design. You know, happily we'll outsource set
to somebody else. And then just recently actually have started
to offer podcast publicity services to authors because I found
I'm actually doing publicity for some other clients. But then
(09:26):
for the authors, I would, you know, help them edit
and format and we can get it up online and
then goodbye, good luck to you. And then I realized,
why don't I just help folks on that other end too,
because the marketing is almost half the work once you
get the book up there. So that's how I got
in touch with you. Actually, I found out you've got
your podcast, and so now I've got you kind of
on my list if yeah, if authors come to me
(09:49):
and they want that post launch support, so yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
No, that's that's good. That's I like that. So it's
all because once you write the book and nobody reads it,
it's just it's a shelf somewhere. You get out there
and you know, and podcasts, you know, podcasts are not
just not the future did the way now? Podcasts are in.
I mean they're not going nowhere. They are here. Everybody
(10:14):
has one. But it's still it's a good it's a
good place to go. Podcasts have impact. Some podcasts have
real big impact.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Do I do with that now for you?
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Because you have your own interest, but you also market
this stuff because what's say, with the vegan lifestyle, and
I was this is this is totally like I just
thought this question right now as I'm talking to you.
If someone's like a book about meat, could you could.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
You do it?
Speaker 3 (10:46):
I mean it could, but probably not because again, is
that under you know my definition of impact, right, So
probably not. There's plenty of other folks you could go
to for for what you need for that book. But yeah,
I've been blessed to work with several vegan authors now
just because they know I'm vegan, and you know you
like to work with people with similar interests, right, it
(11:09):
just makes sense.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
And so almost tongue in cheekly, I bring it up
because all because because I've turned down things too actually,
and I'm like, because because you're saying, is here's the deal,
and here's the here's the question for you, because how
do you keep your integrity versus making money Because we're
all try to make money, and we're all we're gig workers,
(11:29):
you and our gig workers, and at the core of it,
where we whereas good as our last gig.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
I mean, that's kind of what we're doing, you know
we're doing.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
So I don't for me it hasn't been that hard,
but a couple of times I was like, all the
money would.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Be No, I got it.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
I got to stick to you who I am because
in the end I'll feel better.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
How do you how do you do that? How do
you do that? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (11:52):
I mean if you come to my site you'll see
values are very important to me. That's why I use
the title book Whisper for authors with impact.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
Yeah. I don't know what else to say.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Yeah, I'm gonna say, but but how do you keep
your integrity in this business? Because you could you can
easily write for anybody door you could do it. I mean,
I'm sure you do anything. But you're saying I have
a specific thing that I believe in and can work
happened from that? That's good by saying that, how do
you keep the other stuff out? And that just go?
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (12:25):
And also because I'm very specific in my on my
website and my socials about who I want to work with,
I think the folks who align with that are the
folks who come to me anyway.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
Good.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
Yeah, Like like again, there's there's a million other ghostwriters
and editors that you can work with, and so you're
probably not gonna find my site. If you if you're yeah,
you know you're typing in certain words, you'll find that
person who's who's a betterfit for you?
Speaker 4 (12:54):
So yeah, I don't find it that hard, honestly good.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
No good, Well wait, wait, but if somebody does find
You're siding to say, if somebody finds it because you're
on the web like everybody else, they type it in
and go, oh, who's this she seems I like her,
I like her values, but I guess, you know, I don't.
I'm not vegan. I just always wonder what that you know,
what that would mean for you to come to you
and say, you know, yeah, you can give a consultation.
You're like, you know, I mean I think I mean saying,
(13:19):
but you said you found a way to do that,
so you're good. So you're like, you know, you know,
you would you would politely asked them, probably to just
kind of may you find somebody else to have more
aligned with them?
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Probably?
Speaker 4 (13:29):
Yeah, yeah, And I like to do that too.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
If I know I'm not a good fit for somebody,
I will, like, I've got a whole roster of other
editors that I that I have referred people to. Yeah,
and the funny thing is when I started in twenty twenty,
I very specifically on my landing page said vegan and
spiritual authors and.
Speaker 4 (13:46):
I loved it.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
At then I said, let's see who comes to me,
and just folks from outside of that sphere started coming
to me, and so I thought, well, you know, I
limit myself. And so again that's where that word impact
comes in. You know, I don't really care what john
are you you write in so long as you have
this specific intention of inspiring people or impacting them positively,
(14:08):
we're yeah, that's a great fit.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
So yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Now, also you said you co host a something in Canada,
a networking it's going coast the coast the shots of
the show, or it's a plant based vegan company connect
and collaborate things. So what tell us about that?
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Yeah, So our group is called veg Networking Canada. We
are the only vegan networking group for professionals and business
owners that exists in the country.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
It started about five years ago.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
I joined in twenty twenty one, and then about a
few months later, the one of the co founders stepped
down and asked me to step up as co hosts.
So it's myself and my colleague, Justin Manning. Justin is
more of kind of the face of the podcast interviews
that you'll see on YouTube, but I do more of
the back end stuff, so bringing in new members who
are vegan. And and then the folks who we interview
(15:01):
on YouTube, they're not necessarily vegan, so long as they
work for or they run a plant based company operating
in Canada, or if it's not operating Canada, they themselves
are Canadian, so long as there's.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
That tie to Canada. Yeah. Yeah, that's that's who we
like to meet.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
And and just we picked their brain about how they
started their businesses, where their businesses are going, kind of
their tips on surviving and succeeding.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
And then all of us in our group were about
forty ish members all across the country.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
We're all vegan.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
So yeah, I guess vegetarian is adjacent to you guys
then for that kind of thing, you would you said,
law as they're running its plant based Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Yeah, So not all of our guests are vegan. They
might be somewhere on the plant based spectrum, but the
requirement to join our group is that everybody is vegan.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
So yeah, now'll explain because I want people just my
fancy or this. What do you consider vegan vegan? What
is your what is your philosophy on that or being vegan?
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Yeah, well, I mean I take I follow the Vegan
Society's definition. They're the ones who came up with this
term in nineteen forty four. So it's a lifestyle that
aims to uh reduce consumption of animals as well as
exploitation of animals in any way. And so I know
(16:26):
that it's not completely possible to be vegan because we
you know, when we step outside on the sidewalk, we're
probably killing cemants along the way. So it's not possibly
one hundred percent vegan all the time. But the goal
of it is intentionally not having it in your diet
or going to places like zoos and aquariums and circuses
(16:46):
and things like that where we know that animals are
being used. So it's not just a diet. A lot
of people think it's just a diet thing, but it
is an entire lifestyle.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
Clothes, you know, so what there.
Speaker 4 (16:57):
Was absolutely yeah clothing.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Yeah, yeah, I know yet, but my twin sisters he's vegan,
so I understand she's.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
She's been ford. I guess now ten eleven years. Think
now she's been vegane I'm seven years in seven years?
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Very good, Okay, we're gonna be And some people were like,
because I've gone a figing restaurants with her, I always
find somebody. I mean, I'm fine. I find things out
to have meat every day, so I have fine with it.
And but my friends were like, well I saw French
fries on the menu and the advice I go, well,
chances are there not being fried in like animal oils
or anything.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
But yeah, potatoes are there? Plans?
Speaker 1 (17:33):
I mean, I was saying for you to say to
my fans out there, like you're right in the public.
Some of then they don't know what that means. They
hear we're vegan, and they assume it's just one. I'm like,
but no, yeah, it's it's potatoes.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Are that? And you cause?
Speaker 1 (17:45):
But but it's also what are they fried in? I
had there's like what is that made?
Speaker 2 (17:51):
And beans? Bean? Oh? Yeah? Beans are I mean, but
it's where they was stock? Are they made in? It's right,
That's that's the all thing, isn't that?
Speaker 4 (17:58):
Yeah? Yeah? Absolutely?
Speaker 2 (17:59):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (18:00):
And so what is your what is your do you do?
You do the faux meats and the foe thing that.
Do you like a last stuff too?
Speaker 3 (18:07):
Yeah, I try and limit it during the week because, yeah,
you don't want to be eating too much, too much
process stuff. But every now and then, like I'll make
a Mexican dish and like, you know, you want to
throw on your vegan cheese shreds in there. Same thing
with the meats. But generally I try and cook more
whole food, plant based during the week, and then weekends
are kind of where I'm like, I'm okay with junk food.
(18:29):
Whatever I'm craving, let's yeah, I'll eat vegan. So yeah,
so what made you got to keep a nice balance?
Speaker 2 (18:36):
I know what made you go vegan seven years ago?
So it was.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
Actually quite a long transition that took me eleven years.
So I saw the documentary Earthlings at the end of
two thousand and seven, and that's sort of what kicked
it off. So it took me a couple of years
to remove meat from my diet. I started there, and
then for a good chunk of time I was still
eating dairy, seafood, a eggs. Was never a big fan
(19:01):
of seafood or eggs. But yeah, again, it kind of
limited that two weekends as I looked as I learned
to cook during the week more plant based, and then
said goodbye to seafood. When my husband and I ate
at arn Cheff Morne Moto's restaurant in New York City
on our honeymoon, that was my last seafood meal.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
And then from there it was just dairy.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
And I actually kicked dairy for health reasons because I've
always had these digestive symptoms that my health team was
never able to get to the bottom of. And then yeah,
I finally went back to her and said, you know,
I need to get to the bottom of this, Like
I just had a really bad incident of acid reflux
in the middle of the night, and she's like, let's
(19:40):
try food sensitivity tests and I found out day was
one of those things on the list. So yeah, once
I did that cleanse, this was twenty eighteen, I came
to the end of that and I was like, yeah,
I can do it without dairy.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
So that was it.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
That was That's kind of the date that they count
from spring twenty eighteen. And then once you do diet,
like everything this is so much easier, Like clothing, beauty products,
household products.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Yeah, yeah, I have. I have some beauty products and
stuff that are vegan. They're not you know, no animal
testing all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
And and there's a lot of really great, actually vegan food.
I can try to tell people there's great food out there,
some great tasting food I've had. I've gone to some
great in La especially. I say, I like I live
in LA because there's a lot of vegan restaurants.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Yeah. Yeah, so, I mean even in the valley. I
was in the valley.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
I was like wow, I was like, all these great
places here, and the food is really good.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
I mean, I just I have no problem with that.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
I've gone vegan myself, but I but I do, but
I have I have no problem doing a meatless Monday
or just like it just kind of you know, we
a little bit counsel and I guess it's like that's
that's always the thing, because I'm like, yeah, I don't
want to because I can feel the difference. I don't
want all that meat all the time either. I don't
all the time. You feel there's so you must feel,
you must feel clearer, you must feel lighter. I mean,
(20:54):
being Vegas probably hasn't changed your kind of molecular structure.
Speaker 4 (21:01):
That's a great question.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
I mean, I guess it can answer that for sure,
But I'd like to think so because you are what
you eat, right, and we know that a lot of
chronic diseases are caused by diet and lifestyle. Like there
is no cholesterol in the plant world, right, you can
only get that from meat. And so again, if you
(21:22):
have a history of heart disease and that kind of thing,
you want, you want to try and avoid those foods. Yeah,
in terms of like physical I guess physical changes, Like
I found the biggest change was when I first gave
up meat, like right off the bat, lost ten pounds.
Of course, over the years of gain that back hopefully
and muscle. I like to think, yeah, that was the
(21:45):
biggest difference. And that and then whenever I would go
for a run or do some sort of workout, I
find the recovery time is a lot faster than it
used to be. So like if I did a pretty
heavy workout, like it would take a couple of days usually,
but I've find two days or less, like I'm good,
I'm good to go again.
Speaker 4 (22:04):
So I think those are the two biggest changes.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
And then interestingly, my one of my clients published a
book this year called The Vegan Transformation, and it's centered
mostly around the mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits of going vegan.
And I was one of the people that she interviewed,
and yeah, it's it's amazing how a lot of people
have reported, like, you know, they don't really ascribe to
(22:27):
any religion, but they once they went vegan, they really
felt like a sense of community, a sense of connection
with the animals and the planet too. So yeah, it's
super interesting, Like I think it'll affect people in different
ways for sure.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
So going back to your projects, so we talk about
all your spirituality, the veganism, your your talent. Obviously you're
doing all this stuff. Has there been a project that
you can think of that has really impacted you working
on it?
Speaker 4 (22:59):
Oh? Can I talk about my own project?
Speaker 2 (23:02):
Yeah that's fine.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean because it's true.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
So I came up with the idea for a vegan
marketing book in twenty twenty one, and I was like,
let's see if somebody has done this, And not only
had nobody written the book published the book, there was
only one book that existed called Vegan Ventures that was
about how to run a vegan business, and I went,
that's it, like what an underserved market, And then here
(23:29):
we were. It's a little bit different now, but certainly
during the pandemic, like plant based eating was just on
the rise, like everybody was moving at least trying to
try to move more towards the plant based lifestyle. So yeah,
so I said, well, I've got to be the first
one to write this. So I started, yeah, emailing companies
in the fall and saying, submit your story, submit your
(23:52):
case study about what makes your company successful in terms
of marketing and what tactics you're using. And so I
published that book in the fall of twenty twenty two,
so it's been three years. Want a Vegan Choice Award
a year later. And then the biggest thing that I
didn't expect, of course, I was hoping, like maybe I'll
get some clients out of this hopefully, was that book
(24:15):
sort of the fast track to getting speaking opportunities. Like
I have zero goals to become a speaker. Yes, I've
been on plenty of podcasts, and you know, of course
that's you have to do that to.
Speaker 4 (24:27):
Promote your book.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
But I did not expect the amount of people that
would ask me to speak somewhere, and then people started
offering to pay me.
Speaker 4 (24:37):
So yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
So so last year I did kind of three big
vegan events back to back. So planted Expo here in Vancouver,
Nanaimo Vegfest, which is in our province but on Vancouver
Island a month later, and then in September Vancouver Vegan
Festival it invited me to speak, So yeah, I just
kind of thought to myself, like, this is a system
(24:58):
and for anybody who wants those paid speaking opportunities, your
fast tracked to.
Speaker 4 (25:04):
Getting those is publishing a book. So you really got
to think.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
And I've been trying to position myself this year too
to more speakers because I don't feel like enough people
are talking about this. It's like a secret that I
only I'm trying to shout out there. So yeah, so
I discover that just through my own journey and process,
and I'm trying to, yeah, work more with clients who
want that opportunity to publish your book, have it in
(25:30):
book form, and then it'll get you the chance to
speak on stages.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
I'm not agree with you, and I you know, I
just coin could engagements I have books and stuff. I
was taught by somebody product product product. You have a product,
and that's concludes books. You're a product you'll get out there.
And I think it's as well as I'm not saying
it's easy, but it's just as one of those low
hanging fruits that are really good if you can get
a good book out there with a point of view
(25:56):
that's almost broad enough to be a place of for
that niche, but also specific enough that it's you, the
world is yours. But that totally opens up. And I
just I just think that's that's great advice, folks. So
take that advice, folks. He's telling you it's true. But
I think that a lot of people just think it's
just so hard. Oh my god, right me, right on?
(26:16):
Somebody other people write books, like any people? Really do
you think it's other people and other things? And you're
saying it could be anybody, or you can hire her, right,
And I brought that back around to assist you in
that in that process, and I think that's that's that's
that's great. I love Vancouver. I've been in Vancouver several times.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
What is the vegan scene there?
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Have Vancouver, Richmond, grand really always plain something that what
is the what is the scene there.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Like, yeah, it's it's pretty robust here. We've unfortunately had,
you know, our number of vegan restaurants that have closed
in the last few years, but that's with any kind
of industry, right, But yeah, I would say we've got
a good number of vegans here. So whether you're an activist,
there's folks, there's folks you can connect to, there's vegan meetups,
(27:08):
and then yeah, and it's pretty vegan friendly. Like most
restaurants that are yeah, like they carried omnivores, they will
have options for vegans as well. So yeah, I would
say it's pretty good here.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Because I know, I know here in La the first
thing was all the gluten free stuff, disease and stuff,
and so I see a lot of restaurants now doing
the gluten free breads and all that kind of stuff.
I'm seeing more and more in front than the first
one is vegetarian. That was like the option. But you
always question how do they still cut the knife with
the city, you know, you always kind of questioned that
(27:41):
in the background. So I'm glad to see that there's
actually been a movement to be really cautious about preparing
vegan meals in non vegan restaurants or if you just
give me careful And I'm glad that's happening more now
I've seen that. I know my sister was like, oh no,
they cut they cut the cheese, is it that? And
do this like it's like the vegan chiefs over here
(28:02):
in the wheels, Like, I know it's kind of weird,
but I know in l A they've made a big
conscious effort.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
But is there a big movement in Canada?
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Is there a bigger is there because I know and
parts of the States it's a big movement, But is
there a big movement in Canada about veganism?
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Yeah, I would say it's probably going to be more
obvious in the major cities and then Toronto, I would say,
is probably a little bit more active than we are
on the activist side. But they've got a bigger population too.
But I mean that being said, like we I've just
brought in some members, uh, some vegan members on the
Atlantic coast of Canada, and I just had no idea
(28:37):
whether I mean, I knew there were vegans out there
because there's Facebook groups, but but but yeah, like folks.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
Folks have found yeah, found easily.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
Yeah, we have one who just joined from Nova Scotia
and one on Prince Edward Island. So yeah, very good,
finally reaching reaching that coast.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
It took us five years, but is as long as America.
It's long, folks. I've been.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
I've been to Vancouver and I've been to Montreal, so
I've been the two ends. Yeah, same, yeah, so it's
been two ends.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
So it's like Canada's long. It's a long. It's also
high to a lot. It's far up to you.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
That's very cool. So if people want to hire you,
or when a consultational want to talk to you, where's
the best way for them to even reach you that
you that you would like.
Speaker 4 (29:27):
I mean, if you've got a quick question.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
I'm pretty active on social media, so yeah, feel free
to slot into my DMS. I've got a couple of
different forms on my website depending on whether your business
or you're an author, so you can fill out the
right one depending on what's right for you. And and
literally today I just install the chatbot, so that should
make it a little easier. Again, if you've got a
(29:48):
quick question and you arrive on my site, try out
by chatbot and.
Speaker 4 (29:53):
Let's let's say. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:55):
So from what I've seen, it takes about a minute
for the message to get to me like on the app,
so it's not instantaneous as social media. But but you
can give that a try too, Ill.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
Today get her, Just say wait a minute, they'll get there. Yes,
Moto is the dot com is and it's s A
N D R A O N O m A. Oh
my god, all these o's.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
It's s A E R A N O M O
t oh.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
That's why I was trying to get to you. It'll
be a description. Of course, you can find it and
find her, and I say, she's on LinkedIn. Also you
can look under Standsmoto on there too. That's where I
found her. I like LinkedIn. I make a lot of
connections on there.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
I do.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
I'm I've been more active on there in the last
couple of years, and like anything, you see results when
you're active. Like you said, we see now we made
each other. So now we're each other's orbits. And yes,
send your folks to me. Anybody wants to kind of
me eye, I'll talk about it.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
I want I want to connect with everyone in the world.
So thanks for being on the show. Thank you.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
This was a real treat.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
James, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
Follow her, Follow her do please, i'd underneath you can
talk to her. It's all about connections, folks, and we
need to connect, whether it's Canada to America, or from
west coast to East coast or wherever all over the world.
I'm all about connection and I just think it's makes
the world go around. No person is an island.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
We really are.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
We're all a giant village. That's what the show is
all about. You can follow us on social media, of course,
on Facebook. We're on every street service platform we can
think of, except for Google. It's no Google podcasts anymore.
We get mad at me. But they had on Apple,
on iHeartRadio, we're on Spotify, We're on these are cast box,
on all these things of course. YouTube JJ Meidia that's right,
(31:39):
that's my main page. Please go ahead and like it,
subscribe and comment, and when you visit her, tell him
James on Junior sent you. She knows that this came
from us. That's what we hear from the interview. We're
here every Wednesday, and we'll see you next time.
So this show is called extra Connections, right, and so
I love finding guests who truly are the title of
the show because she is extra in the best ways
and she's a connector. So when I when I first
ran across her profile on LinkedIn, which is a great
place folks. By the way, it's said, this is a
(00:22):
quote book whisper for authors with impact. When I saw that,
I was like, I want to talk to her, and
I she said, Vegan Hipewoman, I really want to talk
to her.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
I did not there. So this is her bio. I
love her bio.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
So I'm going she wrote this not me as well,
she wrote, but I'm gonna change the pros me reading it.
Of course, she is an award winning communications professional, writer,
former populations agency CEO, author, wife aunt I love it
on thing and Vegan on a mission amplify the world's
change makers. So we're gonna talk to her about what
(00:58):
she does and what she'd be viewing and Sandronomoto dot
com is the place to go, Sata Momoto.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Sandra, how are you, James Lott Junior, I am great,
Thank you, thanks for having me here.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
It's my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Okay, So I want to start with the book Whisper
for Authors with Impact, and I read that.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
I thought, that's a great description. You don't see that
very often.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
And I work with a lot of people who are
impacting life. So explain what that means for you, book
Whisper for Authors with Impact.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Yeah, my business in the last five years has taken
a few different twists and turns. And twenty twenty was
when I started working with authors. I would say later
in the year, more than when the year started. And yeah,
about three years later I found myself working with authors,
but my title that I was using at the time
didn't really reflect that, and so I just came up
(01:58):
with book Whisper and it, Yeah, I've kind of been
using it ever since, so it's probably about two years now,
and it and I do a couple of different things.
So I can ghost write books, I can edit books,
and I can format books. I would say those are
my three core services, and you just can't get that
with one title. So I had to come up with something,
(02:19):
and so book Whisper is what I came up with.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
And then yeah, and then if.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
People are more intrigued, Okay, well what does that mean?
It's obviously something to do with books, then they can
ask ask more questions and we can get more into it.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Yeah, so book whisper I like that, So it explains it.
But so folks that just for folks at how I
don't know this. In the biz, there are ghost writers.
So can you explain what it is you do as
a ghost writer if someone says I need you to
full out a book, finish a book, or started, what
(02:51):
is it that you do for folks who don't know
what that means.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Yeah, for folks who are new to that term. In general,
I would say a ghostwriter is somebody who writes for
somebody else, and that somebody else. So let's say it's
a celebrity who's got a book deal they they you know,
have They're obligated to finish this book by a certain time,
but they don't have time to stit at a laptop
(03:15):
and do it all on their own, So they may
hire a ghost writer to work with them and create
that manuscript. It's a little bit different than a co
author because a co author will get the credit for
that writing, a ghostwriter does not. So a ghostwriter gets
paid to work with the author to create the work,
but they will not get that kind of author credit
(03:35):
on the cover of the book. And then how I
like to work, So I'm not like the traditional ghost writer.
I like to work with people who want their voices
preserved as much as possible. So these could be business
founders or just people with a really unique speaking voice,
and they don't want to tell their story to somebody
(03:55):
else and then have them basically write it in their
own way. And so how I like to work is
is hopping with folks on zoom and hitting record, and
maybe I'll introject some questions here and then, but most
of the time I like to just listen and let
people share their story and then I go off and
I clean up that that man that recorded manuscript. And
(04:18):
then uh, at the very end, when we finished all
our sessions and the book is finished, I give that
back to them and then they decide what they want
to do with it. So that's personally how I prefer
to work. It's not like the traditional ghostwriter, you know,
will charge twenty k up all the way up to
six figures and then really actually write the book in
their own style versus what the author might sound like.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
So example, I call you up with a girl I
can't finish writing this because I have two chapters. I
just can't finish. I'm too busy. I can't do two chapters.
So what I so, what would you need to know
from me? So I just like second sample and what
would you need to know for me?
Speaker 2 (04:55):
First?
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Like you say, James, you have what do you like?
Do you have a tie? Do you have the meat?
It's like what do you want for?
Speaker 4 (05:00):
Like?
Speaker 2 (05:01):
How would the first things you would ask me?
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Yeah, do you have time to sit and chat and
and speak out your book? That would that would be
the main thing, because if they don't have time to
sit and finish what they've started, but they could set
let's set aside. Let's say an hour a week. That's
usually what I recommend because it's enough time to get
you know, at least a couple thousand words done. But
(05:27):
it's it's it's a small enough time that I'm not
bugging them for the entire week.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Right.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
So let's say Monday at noon, we're gonna sit for
an hour. You're gonna tell as much as you can
in that hour, and then all go off between our
sessions too, Yeah, to go off and create.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
The written version of that session.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Basically, So and so, like you said, most time you
stay quiet, so you'll be like, okay, go and I
would just talk, and I would talk in first person.
Is kind of like, oh, I guess it depends on
the book, right, so be like, okay, well.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
Yeah, most times it's going to be first person.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
So I was walking down the street and I saw
this penny and the penny and said, you just literally
you quarrel that on zoom. And then you may ask
questions like clarification or something like did you mean to
say this or that kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
You're like, you say, you guys, exactly. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
And then when I tell this like this, I start
telling people this is my process. They say, well, how
do I know where, like where to start or what
I'm going to say? Well, well, we determined that with
an outline, so yeah, it's not going to be your
set table of contents, but but I like to come
up with an outline first, so we kind of have
a sense of where we are in the process. What
(06:38):
how many Yeah, and then once we start recording sessions,
we have a sense of like, okay, we'll need this
many more sessions to actually get the book finished based
on what we covered in an hour.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
So yeah, I like that idea.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Now when you say impact, I have an idea. I
know what that means. But like, for again, for folks
that they're is it serious topics or just mean books
that are going to kind of a positive help them?
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Like what do you like? What do you mean by that?
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Yeah, yeah, exactly what you started to say. People who
want to have a positive impact on others. So that
could be a business author that wants to share their expertise.
It could be a memoir somebody who wants to share
their story and inspire people. It could be fiction, most
likely not, but yeah, I mean I've had a fiction
(07:29):
author come to me and it was Yeah, it was
a great project.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
So I would say it's going to be more on
the nonfiction side.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
But so so long as that author wants to impact
people positively, like those those are the folks who I
want to work with.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Have you turn any by your way? I read a
project you were like, that's just not for me.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Well, there was there was an author who had written
or was close to finishing their book, but then they
wanted a ghostwriter to change the whole style and make
it sound like a classic American fiction book, like I
think it was Catcher in the Rye or some sort
of like classic book like that, and I'm just like, oh,
(08:10):
not my not my jam.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
So I actually suggested to.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Them, you know, you've written this whole book already, it's
in your voice like that's you know, but it's fine
if you still want to change the.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
Style, use AI.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
You know, I give AI that sample, see what it
can do, and if you're happy with it, you can
go in and rewrite your whole book that way, and
then and then I can work with you as your editor.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Good girl, I like that, like that. I love that
saying because you offer other services. So I guess you
can say, well, you go do that, come back when
you're ready, and I'll make it all look pretty.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
AI is a per Unit'll get excited it's not there yet.
They make mistakes too, is all. It makes mistakes to
I like that because you're you're a you're a one
stop shop in the pre release process.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Five times.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
Yeah, yeah, pretty much like the only thing I don't
do is cover design. You know, happily we'll outsource set
to somebody else. And then just recently actually have started
to offer podcast publicity services to authors because I found
I'm actually doing publicity for some other clients. But then
(09:26):
for the authors, I would, you know, help them edit
and format and we can get it up online and
then goodbye, good luck to you. And then I realized,
why don't I just help folks on that other end too,
because the marketing is almost half the work once you
get the book up there. So that's how I got
in touch with you. Actually, I found out you've got
your podcast, and so now I've got you kind of
on my list if yeah, if authors come to me
(09:49):
and they want that post launch support, so yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
No, that's that's good. That's I like that. So it's
all because once you write the book and nobody reads it,
it's just it's a shelf somewhere. You get out there
and you know, and podcasts, you know, podcasts are not
just not the future did the way now? Podcasts are in.
I mean they're not going nowhere. They are here. Everybody
(10:14):
has one. But it's still it's a good it's a
good place to go. Podcasts have impact. Some podcasts have
real big impact.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Do I do with that now for you?
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Because you have your own interest, but you also market
this stuff because what's say, with the vegan lifestyle, and
I was this is this is totally like I just
thought this question right now as I'm talking to you.
If someone's like a book about meat, could you could.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
You do it?
Speaker 3 (10:46):
I mean it could, but probably not because again, is
that under you know my definition of impact, right, So
probably not. There's plenty of other folks you could go
to for for what you need for that book. But yeah,
I've been blessed to work with several vegan authors now
just because they know I'm vegan, and you know you
like to work with people with similar interests, right, it
(11:09):
just makes sense.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
And so almost tongue in cheekly, I bring it up
because all because because I've turned down things too actually,
and I'm like, because because you're saying, is here's the deal,
and here's the here's the question for you, because how
do you keep your integrity versus making money Because we're
all try to make money, and we're all we're gig workers,
(11:29):
you and our gig workers, and at the core of it,
where we whereas good as our last gig.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
I mean, that's kind of what we're doing, you know
we're doing.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
So I don't for me it hasn't been that hard,
but a couple of times I was like, all the
money would.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Be No, I got it.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
I got to stick to you who I am because
in the end I'll feel better.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
How do you how do you do that? How do
you do that? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (11:52):
I mean if you come to my site you'll see
values are very important to me. That's why I use
the title book Whisper for authors with impact.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
Yeah. I don't know what else to say.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Yeah, I'm gonna say, but but how do you keep
your integrity in this business? Because you could you can
easily write for anybody door you could do it. I mean,
I'm sure you do anything. But you're saying I have
a specific thing that I believe in and can work
happened from that? That's good by saying that, how do
you keep the other stuff out? And that just go?
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (12:25):
And also because I'm very specific in my on my
website and my socials about who I want to work with,
I think the folks who align with that are the
folks who come to me anyway.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
Good.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
Yeah, Like like again, there's there's a million other ghostwriters
and editors that you can work with, and so you're
probably not gonna find my site. If you if you're yeah,
you know you're typing in certain words, you'll find that
person who's who's a betterfit for you?
Speaker 4 (12:54):
So yeah, I don't find it that hard, honestly good.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
No good, Well wait, wait, but if somebody does find
You're siding to say, if somebody finds it because you're
on the web like everybody else, they type it in
and go, oh, who's this she seems I like her,
I like her values, but I guess, you know, I don't.
I'm not vegan. I just always wonder what that you know,
what that would mean for you to come to you
and say, you know, yeah, you can give a consultation.
You're like, you know, I mean I think I mean saying,
(13:19):
but you said you found a way to do that,
so you're good. So you're like, you know, you know,
you would you would politely asked them, probably to just
kind of may you find somebody else to have more
aligned with them?
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Probably?
Speaker 4 (13:29):
Yeah, yeah, And I like to do that too.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
If I know I'm not a good fit for somebody,
I will, like, I've got a whole roster of other
editors that I that I have referred people to. Yeah,
and the funny thing is when I started in twenty twenty,
I very specifically on my landing page said vegan and
spiritual authors and.
Speaker 4 (13:46):
I loved it.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
At then I said, let's see who comes to me,
and just folks from outside of that sphere started coming
to me, and so I thought, well, you know, I
limit myself. And so again that's where that word impact
comes in. You know, I don't really care what john
are you you write in so long as you have
this specific intention of inspiring people or impacting them positively,
(14:08):
we're yeah, that's a great fit.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
So yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Now, also you said you co host a something in Canada,
a networking it's going coast the coast the shots of
the show, or it's a plant based vegan company connect
and collaborate things. So what tell us about that?
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Yeah, So our group is called veg Networking Canada. We
are the only vegan networking group for professionals and business
owners that exists in the country.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
It started about five years ago.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
I joined in twenty twenty one, and then about a
few months later, the one of the co founders stepped
down and asked me to step up as co hosts.
So it's myself and my colleague, Justin Manning. Justin is
more of kind of the face of the podcast interviews
that you'll see on YouTube, but I do more of
the back end stuff, so bringing in new members who
are vegan. And and then the folks who we interview
(15:01):
on YouTube, they're not necessarily vegan, so long as they
work for or they run a plant based company operating
in Canada, or if it's not operating Canada, they themselves
are Canadian, so long as there's.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
That tie to Canada. Yeah. Yeah, that's that's who we
like to meet.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
And and just we picked their brain about how they
started their businesses, where their businesses are going, kind of
their tips on surviving and succeeding.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
And then all of us in our group were about
forty ish members all across the country.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
We're all vegan.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
So yeah, I guess vegetarian is adjacent to you guys
then for that kind of thing, you would you said,
law as they're running its plant based Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Yeah, So not all of our guests are vegan. They
might be somewhere on the plant based spectrum, but the
requirement to join our group is that everybody is vegan.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
So yeah, now'll explain because I want people just my
fancy or this. What do you consider vegan vegan? What
is your what is your philosophy on that or being vegan?
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Yeah, well, I mean I take I follow the Vegan
Society's definition. They're the ones who came up with this
term in nineteen forty four. So it's a lifestyle that
aims to uh reduce consumption of animals as well as
exploitation of animals in any way. And so I know
(16:26):
that it's not completely possible to be vegan because we
you know, when we step outside on the sidewalk, we're
probably killing cemants along the way. So it's not possibly
one hundred percent vegan all the time. But the goal
of it is intentionally not having it in your diet
or going to places like zoos and aquariums and circuses
(16:46):
and things like that where we know that animals are
being used. So it's not just a diet. A lot
of people think it's just a diet thing, but it
is an entire lifestyle.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
Clothes, you know, so what there.
Speaker 4 (16:57):
Was absolutely yeah clothing.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Yeah, yeah, I know yet, but my twin sisters he's vegan,
so I understand she's.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
She's been ford. I guess now ten eleven years. Think
now she's been vegane I'm seven years in seven years?
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Very good, Okay, we're gonna be And some people were like,
because I've gone a figing restaurants with her, I always
find somebody. I mean, I'm fine. I find things out
to have meat every day, so I have fine with it.
And but my friends were like, well I saw French
fries on the menu and the advice I go, well,
chances are there not being fried in like animal oils
or anything.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
But yeah, potatoes are there? Plans?
Speaker 1 (17:33):
I mean, I was saying for you to say to
my fans out there, like you're right in the public.
Some of then they don't know what that means. They
hear we're vegan, and they assume it's just one. I'm like,
but no, yeah, it's it's potatoes.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Are that? And you cause?
Speaker 1 (17:45):
But but it's also what are they fried in? I
had there's like what is that made?
Speaker 2 (17:51):
And beans? Bean? Oh? Yeah? Beans are I mean, but
it's where they was stock? Are they made in? It's right,
That's that's the all thing, isn't that?
Speaker 4 (17:58):
Yeah? Yeah? Absolutely?
Speaker 2 (17:59):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (18:00):
And so what is your what is your do you do?
You do the faux meats and the foe thing that.
Do you like a last stuff too?
Speaker 3 (18:07):
Yeah, I try and limit it during the week because, yeah,
you don't want to be eating too much, too much
process stuff. But every now and then, like I'll make
a Mexican dish and like, you know, you want to
throw on your vegan cheese shreds in there. Same thing
with the meats. But generally I try and cook more
whole food, plant based during the week, and then weekends
are kind of where I'm like, I'm okay with junk food.
(18:29):
Whatever I'm craving, let's yeah, I'll eat vegan. So yeah,
so what made you got to keep a nice balance?
Speaker 2 (18:36):
I know what made you go vegan seven years ago?
So it was.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
Actually quite a long transition that took me eleven years.
So I saw the documentary Earthlings at the end of
two thousand and seven, and that's sort of what kicked
it off. So it took me a couple of years
to remove meat from my diet. I started there, and
then for a good chunk of time I was still
eating dairy, seafood, a eggs. Was never a big fan
(19:01):
of seafood or eggs. But yeah, again, it kind of
limited that two weekends as I looked as I learned
to cook during the week more plant based, and then
said goodbye to seafood. When my husband and I ate
at arn Cheff Morne Moto's restaurant in New York City
on our honeymoon, that was my last seafood meal.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
And then from there it was just dairy.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
And I actually kicked dairy for health reasons because I've
always had these digestive symptoms that my health team was
never able to get to the bottom of. And then yeah,
I finally went back to her and said, you know,
I need to get to the bottom of this, Like
I just had a really bad incident of acid reflux
in the middle of the night, and she's like, let's
(19:40):
try food sensitivity tests and I found out day was
one of those things on the list. So yeah, once
I did that cleanse, this was twenty eighteen, I came
to the end of that and I was like, yeah,
I can do it without dairy.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
So that was it.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
That was That's kind of the date that they count
from spring twenty eighteen. And then once you do diet,
like everything this is so much easier, Like clothing, beauty products,
household products.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Yeah, yeah, I have. I have some beauty products and
stuff that are vegan. They're not you know, no animal
testing all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
And and there's a lot of really great, actually vegan food.
I can try to tell people there's great food out there,
some great tasting food I've had. I've gone to some
great in La especially. I say, I like I live
in LA because there's a lot of vegan restaurants.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Yeah. Yeah, so, I mean even in the valley. I
was in the valley.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
I was like wow, I was like, all these great
places here, and the food is really good.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
I mean, I just I have no problem with that.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
I've gone vegan myself, but I but I do, but
I have I have no problem doing a meatless Monday
or just like it just kind of you know, we
a little bit counsel and I guess it's like that's
that's always the thing, because I'm like, yeah, I don't
want to because I can feel the difference. I don't
want all that meat all the time either. I don't
all the time. You feel there's so you must feel,
you must feel clearer, you must feel lighter. I mean,
(20:54):
being Vegas probably hasn't changed your kind of molecular structure.
Speaker 4 (21:01):
That's a great question.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
I mean, I guess it can answer that for sure,
But I'd like to think so because you are what
you eat, right, and we know that a lot of
chronic diseases are caused by diet and lifestyle. Like there
is no cholesterol in the plant world, right, you can
only get that from meat. And so again, if you
(21:22):
have a history of heart disease and that kind of thing,
you want, you want to try and avoid those foods. Yeah,
in terms of like physical I guess physical changes, Like
I found the biggest change was when I first gave
up meat, like right off the bat, lost ten pounds.
Of course, over the years of gain that back hopefully
and muscle. I like to think, yeah, that was the
(21:45):
biggest difference. And that and then whenever I would go
for a run or do some sort of workout, I
find the recovery time is a lot faster than it
used to be. So like if I did a pretty
heavy workout, like it would take a couple of days usually,
but I've find two days or less, like I'm good,
I'm good to go again.
Speaker 4 (22:04):
So I think those are the two biggest changes.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
And then interestingly, my one of my clients published a
book this year called The Vegan Transformation, and it's centered
mostly around the mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits of going vegan.
And I was one of the people that she interviewed,
and yeah, it's it's amazing how a lot of people
have reported, like, you know, they don't really ascribe to
(22:27):
any religion, but they once they went vegan, they really
felt like a sense of community, a sense of connection
with the animals and the planet too. So yeah, it's
super interesting, Like I think it'll affect people in different
ways for sure.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
So going back to your projects, so we talk about
all your spirituality, the veganism, your your talent. Obviously you're
doing all this stuff. Has there been a project that
you can think of that has really impacted you working
on it?
Speaker 4 (22:59):
Oh? Can I talk about my own project?
Speaker 2 (23:02):
Yeah that's fine.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean because it's true.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
So I came up with the idea for a vegan
marketing book in twenty twenty one, and I was like,
let's see if somebody has done this, And not only
had nobody written the book published the book, there was
only one book that existed called Vegan Ventures that was
about how to run a vegan business, and I went,
that's it, like what an underserved market, And then here
(23:29):
we were. It's a little bit different now, but certainly
during the pandemic, like plant based eating was just on
the rise, like everybody was moving at least trying to
try to move more towards the plant based lifestyle. So yeah,
so I said, well, I've got to be the first
one to write this. So I started, yeah, emailing companies
in the fall and saying, submit your story, submit your
(23:52):
case study about what makes your company successful in terms
of marketing and what tactics you're using. And so I
published that book in the fall of twenty twenty two,
so it's been three years. Want a Vegan Choice Award
a year later. And then the biggest thing that I
didn't expect, of course, I was hoping, like maybe I'll
get some clients out of this hopefully, was that book
(24:15):
sort of the fast track to getting speaking opportunities. Like
I have zero goals to become a speaker. Yes, I've
been on plenty of podcasts, and you know, of course
that's you have to do that to.
Speaker 4 (24:27):
Promote your book.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
But I did not expect the amount of people that
would ask me to speak somewhere, and then people started
offering to pay me.
Speaker 4 (24:37):
So yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
So so last year I did kind of three big
vegan events back to back. So planted Expo here in Vancouver,
Nanaimo Vegfest, which is in our province but on Vancouver
Island a month later, and then in September Vancouver Vegan
Festival it invited me to speak, So yeah, I just
kind of thought to myself, like, this is a system
(24:58):
and for anybody who wants those paid speaking opportunities, your
fast tracked to.
Speaker 4 (25:04):
Getting those is publishing a book. So you really got
to think.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
And I've been trying to position myself this year too
to more speakers because I don't feel like enough people
are talking about this. It's like a secret that I
only I'm trying to shout out there. So yeah, so
I discover that just through my own journey and process,
and I'm trying to, yeah, work more with clients who
want that opportunity to publish your book, have it in
(25:30):
book form, and then it'll get you the chance to
speak on stages.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
I'm not agree with you, and I you know, I
just coin could engagements I have books and stuff. I
was taught by somebody product product product. You have a product,
and that's concludes books. You're a product you'll get out there.
And I think it's as well as I'm not saying
it's easy, but it's just as one of those low
hanging fruits that are really good if you can get
a good book out there with a point of view
(25:56):
that's almost broad enough to be a place of for
that niche, but also specific enough that it's you, the
world is yours. But that totally opens up. And I
just I just think that's that's great advice, folks. So
take that advice, folks. He's telling you it's true. But
I think that a lot of people just think it's
just so hard. Oh my god, right me, right on?
(26:16):
Somebody other people write books, like any people? Really do
you think it's other people and other things? And you're
saying it could be anybody, or you can hire her, right,
And I brought that back around to assist you in
that in that process, and I think that's that's that's
that's great. I love Vancouver. I've been in Vancouver several times.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
What is the vegan scene there?
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Have Vancouver, Richmond, grand really always plain something that what
is the what is the scene there.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Like, yeah, it's it's pretty robust here. We've unfortunately had,
you know, our number of vegan restaurants that have closed
in the last few years, but that's with any kind
of industry, right, But yeah, I would say we've got
a good number of vegans here. So whether you're an activist,
there's folks, there's folks you can connect to, there's vegan meetups,
(27:08):
and then yeah, and it's pretty vegan friendly. Like most
restaurants that are yeah, like they carried omnivores, they will
have options for vegans as well. So yeah, I would
say it's pretty good here.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Because I know, I know here in La the first
thing was all the gluten free stuff, disease and stuff,
and so I see a lot of restaurants now doing
the gluten free breads and all that kind of stuff.
I'm seeing more and more in front than the first
one is vegetarian. That was like the option. But you
always question how do they still cut the knife with
the city, you know, you always kind of questioned that
(27:41):
in the background. So I'm glad to see that there's
actually been a movement to be really cautious about preparing
vegan meals in non vegan restaurants or if you just
give me careful And I'm glad that's happening more now
I've seen that. I know my sister was like, oh no,
they cut they cut the cheese, is it that? And
do this like it's like the vegan chiefs over here
(28:02):
in the wheels, Like, I know it's kind of weird,
but I know in l A they've made a big
conscious effort.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
But is there a big movement in Canada?
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Is there a bigger is there because I know and
parts of the States it's a big movement, But is
there a big movement in Canada about veganism?
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Yeah, I would say it's probably going to be more
obvious in the major cities and then Toronto, I would say,
is probably a little bit more active than we are
on the activist side. But they've got a bigger population too.
But I mean that being said, like we I've just
brought in some members, uh, some vegan members on the
Atlantic coast of Canada, and I just had no idea
(28:37):
whether I mean, I knew there were vegans out there
because there's Facebook groups, but but but yeah, like folks.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
Folks have found yeah, found easily.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
Yeah, we have one who just joined from Nova Scotia
and one on Prince Edward Island. So yeah, very good,
finally reaching reaching that coast.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
It took us five years, but is as long as America.
It's long, folks. I've been.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
I've been to Vancouver and I've been to Montreal, so
I've been the two ends. Yeah, same, yeah, so it's
been two ends.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
So it's like Canada's long. It's a long. It's also
high to a lot. It's far up to you.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
That's very cool. So if people want to hire you,
or when a consultational want to talk to you, where's
the best way for them to even reach you that
you that you would like.
Speaker 4 (29:27):
I mean, if you've got a quick question.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
I'm pretty active on social media, so yeah, feel free
to slot into my DMS. I've got a couple of
different forms on my website depending on whether your business
or you're an author, so you can fill out the
right one depending on what's right for you. And and
literally today I just install the chatbot, so that should
make it a little easier. Again, if you've got a
(29:48):
quick question and you arrive on my site, try out
by chatbot and.
Speaker 4 (29:53):
Let's let's say. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:55):
So from what I've seen, it takes about a minute
for the message to get to me like on the app,
so it's not instantaneous as social media. But but you
can give that a try too, Ill.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
Today get her, Just say wait a minute, they'll get there. Yes,
Moto is the dot com is and it's s A
N D R A O N O m A. Oh
my god, all these o's.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
It's s A E R A N O M O
t oh.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
That's why I was trying to get to you. It'll
be a description. Of course, you can find it and
find her, and I say, she's on LinkedIn. Also you
can look under Standsmoto on there too. That's where I
found her. I like LinkedIn. I make a lot of
connections on there.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
I do.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
I'm I've been more active on there in the last
couple of years, and like anything, you see results when
you're active. Like you said, we see now we made
each other. So now we're each other's orbits. And yes,
send your folks to me. Anybody wants to kind of
me eye, I'll talk about it.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
I want I want to connect with everyone in the world.
So thanks for being on the show. Thank you.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
This was a real treat.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
James, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
Follow her, Follow her do please, i'd underneath you can
talk to her. It's all about connections, folks, and we
need to connect, whether it's Canada to America, or from
west coast to East coast or wherever all over the world.
I'm all about connection and I just think it's makes
the world go around. No person is an island.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
We really are.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
We're all a giant village. That's what the show is
all about. You can follow us on social media, of course,
on Facebook. We're on every street service platform we can
think of, except for Google. It's no Google podcasts anymore.
We get mad at me. But they had on Apple,
on iHeartRadio, we're on Spotify, We're on these are cast box,
on all these things of course. YouTube JJ Meidia that's right,
(31:39):
that's my main page. Please go ahead and like it,
subscribe and comment, and when you visit her, tell him
James on Junior sent you. She knows that this came
from us. That's what we hear from the interview. We're
here every Wednesday, and we'll see you next time.
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