Michele Olender - Podcast Details

Shows

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 274: The Weakest Link in Your Vegan PracticeYour plant-based practice isn’t limited by your motivation, your recipes, or your compassion — it’s limited by its weakest link. In this episode, Michele explores the Theory of Constraints and how a single bottleneck can shape your vegan practice, your daily choices, and even your confidence.Using a classic car-factory example, Michele breaks down how systems stall when one step is overloaded — and how the same thing happens in our own lives. Whether you’re starting, restarting, or re-energizing your vegan journey, identifying the real constraint (the one you may be avoiding) can unlock ease, momentum, and clarit...

2025-12-0222 min

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 273: Vegan VoyeursIt’s Thanksgiving week in the U.S.—maybe you’re driving to a family gathering, getting in a pre-pie walk, or just bracing yourself for the conversations ahead. Wherever you are, Michele invites you to pause and notice: are you a vegan voyeur? Someone who loves the idea of plant-based living, follows all the vegan doctors, and streams every documentary—but hasn’t quite stepped fully into the practice?In This EpisodeMichele unpacks the idea of the “vegan voyeur”—and why it’s not a failure but a natural stage in any behavior-change journey. Drawing on research from b...

2025-11-2521 min

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 272: When Facts Backfire - Behavioral Science, Vegans, and the Holidays.If facts were enough, everyone would already be vegan, right?We think the facts are on OUR side — but no one’s listening — what then?This week, Michele explores why information alone so often fails to change hearts or habits, and what behavioral science says to do instead. Drawing on the research of cognitive neuroscientist Gleb Tsipursky, whose EGRIP framework (Emotions, Goals, Rapport, Information, Positive Reinforcement) explains how minds actually shift, Michele shares practical tools for calmer, more compassionate conversations — especially around vegan and plant-based choices.Whether you’re navigating holiday dinners, fa...

2025-11-1820 min

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 271: Waiting to Vedge Your Best?Are you waiting to “start fresh” after Halloween? After Thanksgiving? After the holidays?So many of us tell ourselves we’ll get back on track when things calm down — but what if waiting is just another diet culture trick keeping us from living the life we want right now?In this episode, Michele explores how the mindset of “I’ll start when…” has its roots in commercial diet culture — and how that logic keeps us spinning in cycles of perfectionism, guilt, and delay. Whether it’s your vegan journey, your creative work, or your personal growth, Michele shares how to br...

2025-11-1115 min

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 269: The Vision Thing — Back to Your Vegan FutureDescription: In this solo episode, Michele invites you to look ahead to the final nine weeks of 2025 — and beyond — through the lens of “The Vision Thing.” Michele explores how vision keeps us growing when life feels settled or stuck.Drawing inspiration from author Tracy Goss, Michele shows how we can stop letting the past dictate what’s possible next — especially when it comes to living more intentionally and compassionately.Humor, psychology, and even a little Back to the Future wisdom, this episode helps you create a clearer picture of your “invented vegan future.”...

2025-10-2823 min

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 268: Angry Vegan to Leading with Love: Kate Galli on Protein, Muscle & MindsetDescription:Vegan health coach and Healthification host Kate Galli joins Michele to talk about trading outrage for effectiveness—and the practical mindset and protein strategies that keep a plant-strong life doable in midlife.Kate shares her memorable 5-S Protein Strategy, why muscle is metabolism, and the simple mindset shift that neutralizes overwhelm: only focus on what you can control.She opens up about moving from training omnivores to working with vegans and “vegans at heart,” and why structure isn’t pressure—it’s freedom.Whether you’re re-starting, leveling up, or leading by exa...

2025-10-2147 min

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 260: Permission to Be Bad: Master of NoneWhat if the most meaningful, exciting, and vibrant years of your life require you to be bad at things—on purpose?In this episode, Michele explores why midlife and beyond might be the perfect time to stop chasing mastery and start embracing messy, awkward beginnings. If you’ve been stuck in “I should already know this,” or “I’m too old to try that,” Michele makes the case for becoming a beginner again—on your terms, with your timeline, and with plenty of self-compassion.What You’ll Hear:Why “Master of None” isn’t a character flaw...

2025-08-2622 min

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 259: Not Enough Is WAY More Than ZeroWhat if "not enough" action is actually the most powerful thing you can do?In this episode, Michele reflects on the overwhelm and discouragement that can come with new habits—especially in our 24 hour, performative culture. Drawing inspiration from her 30-day Substack challenge (How You Go Vegan Is How You Do Everything) and psychotherapist Britt Frank’s work on the intention-action gap, Michele unpacks what it means to show up imperfectly.Whether you're trying to go vegan, declutter, write, start a side hustle or a plant-based business, this episode is your reminder that not-zero counts—and ov...

2025-08-1927 min

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 257: How You Go Vegan Is How You Do Everything – Writing a Book in 30 Days Using the Vedge Your Best Coaching MethodWhat if the way you go vegan is the way you do everything else in life?This week, we go behind-the-scenes with Michele Olender writing the first draft of a book in 30 days using the very same coaching method she’s used to help hundreds of people start, restart, or re-energize their vegan and plant-based practices—especially in midlife and beyond.This isn’t just about writing a book. It’s about facing resistance, moving forward without the perfect plan, and becoming the kind of person who keeps going. Whether you’ve been stuck on a big goal, s...

2025-08-0521 min

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 256: Does "Aging Gracefully" Just Mean “Shut Up”?What happens when “gratitude” starts to feel like guilt? When “aging gracefully” sounds more like “don’t complain?” This week, Michele shares a reflective episode (aka RANT) on the ways we’re told—directly or indirectly—that our pain, concerns, or values aren’t serious enough to matter.From personal health challenges to compassionate food choices, Michele explores:How toxic gratitude shuts down real feelingsThe silent pressure to minimize our sufferingThe myth of the "worthy" transformation storyWhy caring about animals and climate isn’t out of touchThe problem with being told to “age gracefully”

2025-07-2920 min

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 255: The Vegan Blame GameWhy do we say we want to go vegan—or at least more plant-based—and then we don’t follow through? Why does it sometimes feel so hard to align our actions with what we deeply believe?In this episode, we explore the "Blame Game"—the very human habit of explaining away our inaction by pointing to our personalities, families, jobs, pasts, or even our cats. You’re not lazy, weak, or failing. You’re not behind. You’re not alone.Join Michele as she shares why blaming (ourselves or others) off...

2025-07-2214 min

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 252: The Vegan We’re Waiting For (Might Be You)Even small choices create a ripple effect. In fact we probably can’t succeed without your smallest actions.Episode Summary: Feeling overwhelmed by the news? Wondering if your vegan lunch really matters? In this episode, Michele Olender explores the power of shifting from passive observer to active participant — in culture, in climate, in your plant-based journey.. Maybe even in traffic..Inspired by Jonathan Safran Foer’s powerful book We Are the Weather, Michele invites us to rethink our role in the systems we say we want to change.

2025-07-0119 min

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 249: Vedge Lit: Quit Lit for Your Plant-Based Practice - It’s Never Too Late to Go Vegan by Carol J AdamsEpisode Summary:Ready for a summer reading program? In this first installment of the Vedge Lit series, Michele reflects on Never Too Late to Go Vegan by Carol J. Adams, Patti Breitman, and Virginia Messina, RD. The episode dives into the doubts many people face when they consider going vegan later in life—and how this book offered a perspective shift that shaped Michele’s work and mission.Whether you’re trying plant-based living for the first time, returning after a “sabbatical,” or unsure what your next step looks like—this episode is for you.You’ll Hear:

2025-06-1024 min

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 241: Vague Vegan ProblemsFeeling stuck with your vegan or plant-based goals? You're not alone — it might just be that your problem is too vague for your brilliant brain to solve. This week, Michele shares some behind-the-scenes chaos (hello taxes, travel, and vegan restaurant reservations!) and how it mirrors what many of us experience on our plant-based journey: overwhelm, foggy goals, and spinning our wheels without action.You can't solve a vague vegan problem. Whether it's “I need to eat better,” “I want to be more consistent,” or “I should cut back on dairy,” vague thoughts won’t move the needle.

2025-04-1523 min

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 168: The Vegan ArrivesIn this episode, we delve into the challenges of “Thanksgiving while vegan."Key Topics:1. Thanksgiving Travel Trends:*Discussion about the increase in travel during Thanksgiving week in the US, with reference to AAA's estimates and the kickoff of the holiday season in the US.2. A Halloween Perspective: Michele shares her hot take on Halloween.3. Thanksgiving Reflections: Personal reflections on the significance of Thanksgiving, especially in light of the isolation experienced in 2020 due to the pandemic.4. Navigating Veganism Du...

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 92: Interview withThe Vegan Publisher, Mitali DeypurkaysthaMitali DeypurkaysthaFounder, The Vegan PublisherEmail -mitali@theveganpublisher.com Https://www.theveganpublisher.comMitali’s Book, The Freedom Master Plan thefreedommasterplan.com~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Plant Based / Vegan Life Coaching. If you’ve ever thought that avoiding or eliminating animal products would be a great idea, but you didn’t know where to start, this Podcast is for you.For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit ⁠veganatanyage.com⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠or email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠info@micheleolendercoaching.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠“Buy Me A Coffee” Donate ButtonFacebook pageInstagramCircumstance, Thought, Feeling, Actions PDFPlant-Based and Vegan Resource L...

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 87: The Soulful Vegan - interview with Ellen KannerELLEN KANNERsoulful vegan writer:www.soulfulvegan.comellen@soulfulvegan.comtwitter / @soulfulveganFeeding the Hungry Ghostwww.huffingtonpost.com/ellen-kanner/https://www.miamiherald.com/living/food-drink/edgy-veggie/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Plant Based / Vegan Life Coaching. If you’ve ever thought that avoiding or eliminating animal products would be a great idea, but you didn’t know where to start, this Podcast is for you.For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minut...

2022-05-0340 min

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 86: How to Love Animals in a Human Shaped World. Interview with Henry ManceHenry Mance is Chief Features Writer at the Financial Times of London and the author of How to Love Animals in a Human Shaped WorldHenry is very active on Twitter @henrymance and a bit less so on Instagram @henry_mance.Want a FREE copy of Henry’s book?Just write an iTunes podcast review of Vedge Your Best with 5 stars if you think we’ve earned it.Screenshot your review and email to info@micheleolendercoaching.com or post on Ins...

2022-04-2649 min

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 85: Vegan Fashion and Style - Ginger BurrLearn all about Ginger Burr and her 6 Week Course starting April 29.Create Your Personal Style in 6 Weeks!Missed this course? Ginger offers them regularly, so follow Ginger Burr on Instagram and Facebook to keep current on all her classes and services.Can’t get enough, Ginger’s website is full of ideas, tricks, resources and information.And YES, Ginger is Vegan. Everything you see Ginger recommend and share is cruelty free to the best of her knowledge.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Plant Based / Vegan Life Coaching. ...

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 77: Interview with The Speedy Vegan, Elspeth FeldmanLinks and Info for Elspeth Feldman and The Speedy Vegan:- Elspeth Feldman’s website with recipes and cooking classes and more: www.TheSpeedyVegan.com- Elspeth’s affiliate link for Chef AJ’s Ultimate Weight Loss Bundle (UWL Bundle) Monday, February 21 through Wednesday, March 2nd - Link for the National Health Association and where folks can subscribe to Health Science Magazine where Elspeth is featured this winter.Also look for Elspeth Feldman and The Speedy Vegan on Facebook and Instagram.Some of...

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 71: Win The Food Fight with Michele VilseckTo learn more or connect with Michele, visit: https://michelevilseck.comOr, connect on Facebook at https://facebook.com/michele.vilseckWin the Food Fight Live - Discover how to lose the next, stubborn 15lbs with EASE and SPEED in a fun 1/2 day workshop, and...learn the tools you need to be 100% done fighting with food.https://www.winthefoodfightlive.com/Virtual Garden Parties - Meet up virtually on zoom with like-minded plant-eating enthusiasts to build each other up and break through barriers. RSVP link is in the Win the Food Fight Facebo...

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 59: Re-Listening Party - What Do You Practice Not Practicing?Plant Based / Vegan Life Coaching. If you’ve ever thought that avoiding or eliminating animal products would be a great idea, but you didn’t know where to start, this Podcast is for you.Links to resources mentioned in Episode 5:Plant Based PhysiciansDr. Michael Greger at Nutrition FactsDr. Laurie MarbasJoel Kahn MDDr. Caldwell EsselstynDr. Kim WilliamsPlant Based CoursesForks Over Knives Plant Based Cooking Course, Documentary and BooksCertificate in Plant...

2021-10-1927 min

2021-10-1223 min

2021-10-0524 min

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 56: Interview with Kathy Davis from Veginspired.comKathy A DavisWebsite: VegInspired.comInstagram Facebook YouTube Pinterest TwitterLinkedin Kathy’s Cookbooks:Super Easy Plant-Based Cookbook: Healthy Recipes for One Pot, 5-Ingredient, 30-Minute, No-Cook Meals30-Minute Whole-Food, Plant-Based CookbookBudget-Friendly Plant Based Diet Cookbook: 3 Whole-Food Meals a Day for Just $7~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Plant Based / Vegan Life Coaching. If you’ve ever thought that avoiding or eliminating animal products would be a great idea, but you didn’t know where to start, this Podcast is fo...

2021-09-2850 min

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 55: Vegan in France with Annie Sargent from Join Us in France PodcastJoin Us In France Podcast“A Guide For Vegans Visiting France,” Episode 226 March 2019Apps to help find Vegan, Vegetarian and Vegan Friendly restaurants:HappyCow.comVegOresto VoiceMap Self Guiding Tour Apps of Paris by Annie~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Plant Based / Vegan Life Coaching. If you’ve ever thought that avoiding or eliminating animal products would be a great idea, but you didn’t know where to start, this Podcast is for you.For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coac...

2021-09-2152 min

2021-09-1419 min

2021-09-0726 min

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 52: Howard Jacobson Interview - You Can Change Other PeopleYou Can Change Other People by Peter Bregman and Howard JacobsonPeter Bregman Ted Talk - I Don’t Know~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Plant Based / Vegan Life Coaching. If you’ve ever thought that avoiding or eliminating animal products would be a great idea, but you didn’t know where to start, this Podcast is for you.For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit ⁠veganatanyage.com⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠or email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠info@micheleolendercoaching.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠“Buy Me A Coffee” Donate ButtonFacebook pageInstagramJoin the Vedge Heads today and receive Michele's ebook here:5 Reasons Vegan Challenges are Impossible (And Why You Should Do Them Anyw...

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 45: Stephanie Mathers Veg-X.com InterviewStephanie Mathers joins Michele Olender on Vedge Your Best for episode 45 to discuss Veg-X.com, a Vegan / Adventure blog. Stephanie and her partner Drew created Veg-X.com to draw attention to exploration and compassion and to spotlight animal sanctuaries around the country. En route, they share travel tips, advice and links to locations, food, gear and Veganism.Stephanie Mathers Links:https://www.instagram.com/vegxbloghttps://www.twitter.com/vegxbloghttps://www.facebook.com/vegxbloghttps://www.pinterest.com/VegXblog(Email) info@veg-x.com

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 37: VINE Animal Sanctuary - Interview with Anna BoariniBook mentioned by Anna Boarini as "required reading for Vegans” in interview:“Sexual Politics of Meat,” by Carol J Adams.To Donate to VINE sanctuary via PayPalVINE Animal Sanctuary websiteVINE Sanctuary FacebookVINE Sanctuary Twitter~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Plant Based / Vegan Life Coaching. If you’ve ever thought that avoiding or eliminating animal products would be a great idea, but you didn’t know where to start, this Podcast is for you.For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book...

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 33: Interview - Stephanie Dreyer of BatchCookingClub.comStephanie Dreyer is a plant-based meal planning expert and the founder of Batch Cooking Club™, a weekly plant-based meal prep membership. She helps busy, vegan parents make dinner easier by providing weekly plans and recipes without time consuming prep.Stephanie is also the award-winning author of the vegan picture books, Not A Nugget and Not A Purse, (both available on Amazon).Stephanie lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three children, who are not vegan. She’s a pro at balancing her vegan lifestyle while feeding her omni family, and loves to help...

2021-04-2057 min

Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age 32: Sid Garza Hillman Interview - Six TruthsThis week’s guest on Vedge Your Best is Sid Garza Hillman.Sid Garza-Hillman is the author of three books:Approaching the Natural: A Health Manifesto,Raising Healthy Parents: Small Steps, Less Stress, and a Thriving Family and Six Truths: Live by these truths and be happy. Don’t and you won’t.Sid holds a BA in Philosophy from UCLA, is a public speaker, podcaster (What Sid Thinks Podcast), certified nutritionist & running coach, and founder of smallsteppers.com. He is the Stanford Inn & Res...