Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Dreyer.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
The first part of my journey started in 2010 when I went vegan. I made the connection to mama cow while nursing my third child. I watched him feed and had this instant a-ha moment. I had been reading The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone at the time and it all just clicked. I had been vegetarian for five years between my first and second pregnancies but my decision to go vegan was immediate and intense. I went plant-based overnight and never looked back.
It was lonely times for me in those first years as a vegan so I started a blog (VeegMama – that’s still the handle I go by on social) to find a community and connect with other veegs. I’ve always been a writer and found that I really loved blogging. I started to build some momentum and launched an eBook in 2013. In 2015, I published my first children’s book, Not A Nugget, and released the second book in the series, Not A Purse, last Fall in 2018.
During this time, while I was writing my children’s books and building my online community, I was a working mom with young kids and I was struggling. Struggling to feed my family healthy, homemade meals while juggling it all. Stumbling as I figured out how to live my plant-based lifestyle without my family joining me. I had become a short order cook and no longer enjoyed cooking and sharing meals with my family. The joy and enthusiasm I used to have had been replaced with stress and overwhelm.
I spent the next few years figuring it out! I was determined to simplify my meal prep and bring the joy back to my cooking. And gratefully, I did! Today, it’s my mission to help other families do the same. As a plant-based meal planning expert, I help busy parents bring more ease to their meal times so that they can sit down together more often with healthy, homemade, delicious food – because feeding your family should be joyful, not stressful, right?
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There have been many challenges along the way! My first hurdle was learning how to manage my omni-vegan household. Although my family respected my choice to go vegan, they weren’t ready to go on the journey with me. I learned quickly that forcing them to go plant-based and imposing my beliefs wasn’t the way to happy and peaceful household.
It wasn’t easy but all of the struggles got me to where I am today. They helped me establish systems and processes in my life and in our family that have shaped the content I provide to my community.
Today, my family is still mixed in their diets but we only eat vegan at home since I do the cooking! Everyone respects each other’s decisions and my 15-year-old is coming up on her four years anniversary as a vegetarian – completely her decision.
From a business perspective, the juggle is still a struggle! I work full-time in addition to writing my books, managing my StephanieDreyer.com community and being a mom. Finding the balance in it all is always challenging!
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’m a plant-based meal planning expert. Meal planning is my superpower! My secret sauce is the way I bring order and ease to meal times through my guides, processes and meal ideas.
I’m unique in that my whole family isn’t plant-based so I can relate to the diversity that exists in many households. It’s hard to please everyone but I’ve figured out how to do it without becoming a short order cook (and everyone eats what’s on the table!) I hope I inspire and motivate others – helping them realize that if I can do it, anyone can do it.
At the end of the day, I do what I do because the benefits of preparing daily, homemade meals are life-changing—not only in your health and wellbeing but also in the relationships and connections between everyone in your household. Sitting down to a home-cooked meal together at the end of the day sets you up to communicate and bond—all over tasty, healthy food! Making and sharing a meal together shows your family that you prioritize nutrition, self-care—and time with them. In that time around the table, I get to hear about my kids’ days, celebrate their highs (and sympathize with their lows), troubleshoot their worries and enjoy their company. At dinnertime, we slow down and connect in a way that’s not possible during the rest of the day. I cherish it more than anything and if I can help other families cherish and prioritize it in their lives, I’m a proud mama!
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I’m super excited about all that I currently have in the works: I’m working on two books that will allow me to share my plant-based meal planning knowledge and the deliciousness of vegan food. And I’ve got one more book in the Not A… series that I’m bursting to share. I’m also working on a unique subscription service. If all goes as planned, we’ll launch in January 2020!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://stephaniedreyer.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: instagram.com/veegmama
- Facebook: facebook.com/veegmama
- Twitter: twitter.com/veegmama
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/VeegMama/
Image Credit:
Cheryl Ogden Photography, Lana Lee Photography
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