The Unexpected Activist - A Vegan Podcast

Today I’m excited to share that we are headed back to Italy, this time to Bergamo, for a conversation with Claudia Pievani, Founder and CEO of fashion brand Miomojo.  Miomojo is a certified B Corp based in Bergamo, Italy. Founded by Claudia in 2012 they design and produce cruelty-free fashion accessories that do no harm to animals, humans, or our home: the beautiful planet we live on. All Miomojo fashion accessories are not only cruelty-free but are also made with the most innovative materials available in the world, sourced from oranges, cacti, apples, corn, and other high bio-based content, ensuring a minimal environmental footprint. This constant search for revolutionary materials establishes Miomojo as a leader in fashion innovation, aiming to guide the industry towards a kinder and more conscious future. With creativity and compassion, they have proved that is possible to have fashion, without fashion victims. Embracing the motto “you buy, we donate,” Miomojo actively supports animals in need by allocating  10% of the value of every purchase, both online and offline, to projects carefully selected in collaboration with leading international organizations dedicated to animal protection. Each Miomojo is more than just a bag; it is an Act of Love. You can find more information about the company and explore potential collaborations at: Website Miomojo | Italian, vegan handbags. LinkedIn Miomojo | Certified B Corp: Overview | LinkedIn and Claudia Pievani | LinkedIn Instagram Miomojo. Designed Kind. (@miomojo_italia) • Instagram photos and videos FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT podcast@theunexpectedactivist.com.

In today’s episode, I’ll share a few brief thoughts about being considered “vintage” and how that might be an interesting concept to apply to both my own work and segments of our movement.  I’d love to have your thoughts.  So please feel free to reach out to me at podcast@theunexpectedactivist.com Also, as I mentioned in this episode, I’d really love to help organizations that are working to take care of and find loving homes for senior dogs.  Here are a few of them that I hope you will follow and support their work: Muttville Senior Dog Rescue muttville.org Instagram: @muttvillesf Vintage Pet Rescue vintagepetrescue.org Instagram: @vintage_pet_rescue Touch of Grey Rescue  touchofgreyrescue.org Instagram: @touchofgrey_rescue FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT podcast@theunexpectedactivist.com.

In today’s episode, I’m joined by the lovely Angel Walkine.  Angel is a Well-being Coach, Author, Wellness Speaker, Retreat Leader, Certified Raw Vegan Chef, and a Certified Yoga Teacher (specializing in posture, breathing, and meditation) who is passionate about helping you to thrive on a healthy plant-based | vegan diet | raw vegan diet and lifestyle from head to toe. With decades of experience traveling around the world to over 30 countries, Angel has gained a deep appreciation for many cultures and healthy practices worldwide that have influenced her holistic wellness approach and she enjoys helping others to enrich their well-being through a healthy lifestyle at home and while traveling.  Living a holistic lifestyle, is very important to Angel, and involves more than just her high vibrations plant foods diet. She also focuses on practicing powerful habits such as meditation, yoga, gratitude, self-love, self-care, aromatherapy, herbalism, physical fitness, and healthy relationships, to achieve her high vibrations lifestyle.    Angel is happy to announce that she is hosting the 2024 Women’s Retreat: AWAKENING IN THE JUNGLE in magical Costa Rica.   Angel is based in the United States, and considers herself a global citizen.  You can connect with Angel and her community at: Website: https://happyenergyjourney.com/  Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Sdym3W  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnergyJourney  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happyenergyjourney/ FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT podcast@theunexpectedactivist.com.

Today I’m thrilled to have as my guest Rebecca Gade Sawicki, who is joining me from Detroit. Rebecca is the founder of the vegan travel company, Veggies Abroad. In an effort to align her professional pursuits with her ethics, Rebecca left her 15-year career in 2021 in order to start the company. Veggies Abroad offers a myriad of services including small group tours and custom trip planning that combine the thrill of exploration with a commitment to ethical practices. With a focus on plant-based cuisine and cultural immersion, Veggies Abroad invites travelers to discover the world in a way that aligns with their values. You can find information about all of Rebecca’s activities including her blog, her podcast, her travel planning services and upcoming tours on her website: Veggies Abroad | Vegan Travel & Tours And you can follow her on social media (she is most active on Instagram): @veggiesabroad FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT podcast@theunexpectedactivist.com.

In today’s episode I’ll be speaking with Ellen Meijers. Ellen is a 23-year-old certified fitness trainer, soon to be a personal trainer. She adopted a vegan lifestyle almost 5 years ago after spending 2 years as a vegetarian. It was one short conversation with a vegan that planted a seed. And fast forward to today, she is thriving as a healthy and happy vegan. Ellen plans to join forces with her mother to combine vegan food recipes with workout inspiration and perhaps develop an app that combines the two. That sounds like a winning combination to me.  Ellen’s story is a reminder that as vegans our conversations can and do have impact. You never know what might result, so never stop talking. As she is developing other parts of her business/marketing, Ellen is focusing mainly on her Instagram professional pages... @pushupqueen__. @tofualwayswins I hope you’ll follow along and see where her passion and commitment take her. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT podcast@theunexpectedactivist.com.

Today I am joined by Linda Middlesworth, aka the VeganMentor. Linda has been living as an ethical plant-based vegan for over 35 years. As she turns 80, Linda can point to so many accomplishments including: creating the Sacramento Vegan Society in 2008 which boasts 5,200 members, and obtaining her certification in Plant-Based Nutrition from eCornell and the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition in 2018.Linda is incredibly passionate about physical activity and is an aerobics instructor for CA Family Fitness, where she has taught cardio and weight training classes for the last 20 years. She is a Certified Personal Trainer through AFFA and an event organizer for Get Healthy Sacramento.Having been an advocate in the whole food, plant-exclusive vegan lifestyle arena, Linda is the founder of Get Healthy Live!, a series of virtual summits designed to reach people around the globe with healthy, plant-exclusive teaching. The series, Get Healthy LIVE, Go Compassionate LIVE, and Go Sustainable LIVE, features doctors and leaders in health, animal advocacy, and climate change.Linda is also the co-owner (with her son Darren Middlesworth) of V-Dog.com, a vegan dog food business that she and her late husband, David, launched in 2005 so dogs could benefit from a healthy, cruelty-free and environmentally friendly dog food. V-Dog recently garnered international recognition as one of the Top 3 Best Specialty Dog Food Companies in the world.An active animal rights activist for PETA, Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), Sacramento Animal Rights, Sacramento Animal Save, and Sacramento Health Save, Linda also recently joined the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies CNS Medical Advisory Board in the role of Community Liaison. You can find Linda on her website www.veganmentor.com And follow her on her social media pages: LinkedIn: Linda (Vaughan) Middlesworth Instagram: @lindamvegan Facebook: @lindamiddles X: @farmanimalluv TikTok: lindamiddlesworth FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT podcast@theunexpectedactivist.com.

Today’s episode features and fascinating and inspiring conversation with Italian filmmaker Alessio Schiazza.   Alessio moved from Italy to Los Angeles to pursue his career in filmmaking 16 years ago. He worked on several Hollywood films as an editor, establishing himself in the industry.  In 2018, however, he watched the documentary Unity, and it forever changed his life. That same year he went vegan and decided to quit his job and focus on speaking up for the animals full time, through producing, directing and editing films.  He has worked with Shaun Monson (Earthlings) on several documentaries, they have collaborated with Joaquin Phoenix on a few projects in 2020 and 2021 as well as a short fictional piece to raise awareness about climate change – Guardians of Life (2020). In 2022 he edited Moby’s documentary Punk Rock Vegan, which won the Santa Monica and San Pedro International Film Festivals. He is the video manager for Generation Vegan, a non-profit focused on promoting a healthier, more sustainable and just food system for all. He is currently editing Finding Happy, a documentary on human-animal connection, directed by Maria Bertrand and produced by Jim Greenbaum (The Game Changers). He is managing the editing of additional content for Kip Andersen’s (Cowspiracy) new film Christpiracy. And he has been filming alongside Matthew Glover (Veganuary) and Christopher Shoebridge (Invisible) for The War on Truth documentary aimed for Netflix and slated for a 2025 release.  In 2023, Alessio founded We Are All Animals (WA3), a production company focused on speaking up for all animals. His first project, A Day in the Life of a Farmed Animal (2023) premiered at The International Istanbul Vegfest ’23 and the MiVeg ’23 in Milan. It is currently being reviewed by Academy Awards qualifying festivals such as Slamdance.   You can contact Alessio and/or follow his work at: weareallanimals.orgwfaday.orghello@weareallanimals.org Instagram: @weareallanimals_us FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT podcast@theunexpectedactivist.com.

Welcome to Season 2 of The Unexpected Activist Podcast. It’s so great to be back up and running. We’ve got lots to share with you and I think 2024 is going to be an amazing year.  In the coming weeks we’ll be talking about all kinds of things including filmmaking, Italy, fitness, vegan mentoring and vegan pet food.  We have some of the most interesting and inspiring guests with great stories to tell and I can’t wait to share them with you. Some might be names you recognize, others you may not.  For some it will be their first podcast.  But I’ve invited them as my guests because they all have, in their own ways, impressed me with their commitment and the actions they are taking to make this a more compassionate world.  I’ll also continue, periodically, to share some of my own thoughts on a variety of subjects related to my own vegan activism and personal and professional activities.  On that note, I’m heading to Italy soon, where I have to testify in a court case (not so much fun), but then I am off on an epic Italian adventure with my sister Megan to start work on a vegan lifestyle project we have in development for Four Dogs and a Fish Productions.  If you love travel, great food,  veganism, animals, and/or a good old fashioned road trip, (and really, who doesn’t love at least one of those things) then I think you’ll enjoy what we are planning. We’re on a mission to prove that two vegans over 50 (me soon to be over 60) really CAN and DO have more fun. Watch this space.  And I hope you’ll continue to follow along as we launch this new season. Please do listen, like, comment, subscribe and share the podcast. If you haven’t caught up on all episodes from Season 1, you can find links to all of them on my website, theunexpectedactivist.com or wherever you get your podcasts.  It’s only with your support that I can build something special that will help to make this world a better place for animals and people.  I have lofty goals, I know, but a girl can and should dream.  FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT podcast@theunexpectedactivist.com.

What an amazing, enriching, educational and just plain fun experience this first year of creating The Unexpected Activist Podcast has been. I look forward to catching up with everyone in the new year. Until then, happy holidays and best wishes for a wonderful 2024! FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT podcast@theunexpectedactivist.com.

Sharing some thoughts about a milestone birthday I have coming up. And what I have decided to do to make the coming year fun and productive and to make me the best and most effective advocate for animals I can be. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT podcast@theunexpectedactivist.com.

Today’s guest is the one and only Jamie Logan (who I thought was going to be joining me from NY but popped up from Portland OR). I’ve been following Jamie’s work online for a while now and it’s great to have a chance to speak with her. I talk a lot about creating your own brand of activism.  And Jamie has surely done just that.  How Jamie describes herself: “I’m an animal advocate, YouTuber, Filmmaker, Content Creator and Podcast Host. I’m based in NYC and I make videos that get people thinking—Some call it ruining lives and pushing my agenda but I like to think of it as sharing an obvious truth that most people tend to ignore.” I think you’ll really enjoy learning more about Jamie.  For information on her work or to find episodes of her YouTube show and her Podcast, you can visit her website: www.itsjamiescorner.com Or follow her on social media: Instagram/Threads: @itsjamielogan Facebook: Jamie Logan For information about the The Next Girl Film: Home - The Next Girl Film And the VKind Experience event in Los Angeles, November 11-12 2023 where the film will be premiering: Home - The Vkind Experience AND FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT podcast@theunexpectedactivist.com.

Today I’m excited to have with me Todd Sinclair, who is joining me from his childhood hometown on Prince Edward Island in Canada. I’m so grateful that he took some time out of his family holiday to speak with us.  Here’s a little bit about Todd: Todd is a writer, podcaster and speaker, specialising in vegan lifestyle and travel. He’s the bestselling author of the Rebel Vegan trilogy: REBEL VEGAN LIFE: A Radical Take on Veganism for a Brave New World, REBEL VEGAN LIFE: Plant-Based Nutrition and Beginner’s Guide, and REBEL VEGAN TRAVEL GUIDE: Veganism on the Go. After growing up on his family’s dairy farm in eastern Canada, Sinclair knew farming wasn’t for him. So he moved continents to set up a new life in London and come out as queer. He spent 12 years working for one of the UK’s leading homelessness charities, managing a multi-million-pound budget for a 29-bed accommodation centre for vulnerable men with substance misuse issues, before being bitten by the travel bug. Sinclair’s love of travel led to a 12-year career as an international tour leader for Tucan Travel and G Adventures. He also ran his own business leading bespoke tours including some vegan tours through Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. After becoming ill in Vietnam six years ago, he was nursed back to health after being fed a plant-based diet by forward-thinking monks. He has been a devoted vegan advocate ever since and helped him gain a new sense of awareness and purpose. When the world shut down in 2020 Sinclair used that time to write the Rebel Vegan trilogy to show how vegan values are a fundamental way forward to avoid future pandemics, protect animals and the planet, and take care of our health. Today Sinclair lives his best Rebel Vegan Life in London, UK. CONTACT LINKS: Website: https://www.rebelveganlife.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebelVeganLife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebelveganlife/ LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-sinclair/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RebelVeganLife FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT podcast@theunexpectedactivist.com.

Today we are going back to Italy, this time to Milan, to speak with Edoardo Valsecchi, Owner, Founder and CEO of Linfa – Eat Different, a wonderful restaurant that became an instant favorite of mine after visiting in July of this year.  He is an Italian plant-based entrepreneur and a prominent figure in the restaurant and hospitality industry. After obtaining a degree in Management and Economics, he pursued his passion for food and embarked on a career in the industry. He honed his skills by training in the operational, marketing, and management areas of the most prestigious hotel facilities around the world.Today, Edoardo is the Owner, Founder, and CEO of Linfa - Eat Different, a highly regarded, high-end vegan restaurant based in the heart of Milan, Italy. With years of experience in the industry, Edoardo has built a reputation for creating innovative, high-quality cuisine that is delicious, sustainable, and healthy. His unwavering commitment to using high-quality, fresh, organic, and locally sourced ingredients has earned him recognition from food critics and customers alike.Under his leadership, the restaurant has become a beloved destination for locals and tourists and has garnered numerous awards and accolades. Despite the challenges of the global pandemic, Edoardo realized his life dream and career goal of founding Linfa, a chic, responsible, fully plant-based restaurant and hospitality concept.Edoardo's passion for food and commitment to sustainability continues to inspire his culinary innovation and elevate the dining experience for guests.: To learn more about Edoardo and the restaurant or to make reservations please visit their website: linfamilano.com And you can follow find them on social media at: Facebook: facebook.com/linfaeatdifferent Instagram: Linfa - Eat Different (@linfaeatdifferent) • Instagram photos and videos You can find Edoardo at: LinkedIn: Edoardo Valsecchi | LinkedIn  Instagram: instagram.com/edoardo_valsecchi/ FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT podcast@theunexpectedactivist.com.

In today’s episode, I share a story of how a little brindle dog named Creature changed my life and opened the gates of compassion for me.  From professed dog lover to vegan activist…a little bit about my journey. I also discuss how lovers of companion animals are wonderful candidates for conversations about veganism and expanding our circles of compassion.  I would also like to share some information about a great organization I reference in this episode, Animal Place and their Food For Thought Program. You can find them at: Website: Food For Thought - Animal Place Instagram: @foodforthoughtprogram Facebook: www.facebook.com/animalplacefoodforthought FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT podcast@theunexpectedactivist.com.

Today we’re staying in Scotland to visit with my guest Rebecca Knowles who is joining us from Aberdeenshire. Rebecca is the Founding Director and Head of Farm Transitions at Stockfree Farming, an organization whose mission is to inspire and support farmers in the migration away from animal agriculture and the move to alternative livelihoods that are far more sustainable and humane. They also conduct and publish research on the farming sector and use their knowledge to influence UK government officials in agriculture policy.  She is also the force behind the volunteer advocacy group Vegan Outreach Scotland.   Rebecca has a degree in Agriculture from the University of Aberdeen. Her past farm experience includes hill sheep, beef, and market gardening. I first encountered Rebecca when she participated in an online Rancher Advocacy Summit in the summer of 2021 and I was very excited to learn about all she was doing in my adopted home country. So when I learned that she would be at COP26 in Glasgow, I made sure to find her and to learn more about her work. I’ve been following her ever since. I consider it a great privilege to know Rebecca and to participate whenever I can in her projects. I hope you’ll enjoy and be inspired by my conversation with her. There is so much to learn about how we can move to a more humane world while providing sustenance and sustainable livelihoods.  If you would like to follow and support Rebecca’s work, you can find her at the links below. Stockfree Farming: https://stockfreefarming.org/ rebecca@stockfreefarming.org Vegan Outreach Scotland: https://veganoutreachscotland.co.uk  https://www.facebook.com/groups/774087146054514/ Vegan Outreach Scotland (@veganoutreachscotland) | Instagram FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT podcast@theunexpectedactivist.com.

Joining us today from Sunny Southern California is Tracy Keys, founder of Tracy Keys Consulting.  She has spent her entire career in the non-profit sector, and recently set out on her own as a consultant. She specializes in working with animal non-profits to strengthen their donor relationship programs and thereby increase donor retention.  If you’ve ever worked in a non-profit, you’ll know how incredibly important that is and I’m very excited to speak with Tracy about how this translates into increased revenue that can be put to work for good. And I’m also looking forward to hearing what it has been like for her beginning this exciting new entrepreneurial chapter in her life.  Tracy is a seasoned professional fundraiser, with experience across multiple disciplines, and she’s a dedicated animal advocate. When she is not traveling, she volunteers her time each weekend at the Laguna Beach Animal Shelter. To learn more about Tracy and her work or to reach out to engage her consulting services at the link below: tracykeysconsulting.com And you can follow her on social media at: Facebook: facebook.com/tracy.keys.3781 Twitter: Tracy Keys (@Tkeys4animals) / Twitter Instagram: instagram.com/tracykeysconsulting/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tkeysconsulting/ FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT podcast@theunexpectedactivist.com.

Could our messaging around wins in the area of farmed animal welfare create obstacles to our ultimate fight for animal rights and abolition of animals in our food system? Here are my thoughts.

In this episode I am joined by Amanda Trenchard, a long-time vegan, animal advocate and dog-mom of two. Her activism began in college when she was president of the veg club on campus and interned for the Humane League as a Campus Organizer. Shortly after graduating, she interned at the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and has spent the past 5 1/2 years working on the Food Service Innovation team there, working to increase access to plant-based entrees throughout the food service industry. In her spare time, she volunteers as a Lead Coordinator to plan and execute the annual Richmond VegFest and two years ago, she founded Advocacy Collaborative, an online educational platform for animal advocates. Information on the work Amanda is doing and the organizations with which she is affiliated can be found below: Advocacy Collaborative Website: advocacycollab.com Instagram: @advocacycollab Twitter: @advocacycollab Humane Society of the United States’ Food Forward Website: foodforward.org Instagram: @forwardfoodcollaborative Twitter: @ForwardFood Richmond (VA) VegFest Website: veggiefest.org Instagram: @rvavegfest Twitter: @RVAVegFest FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT  podcast@theunexpectedactivist.com.

In this episode I’ll share a conversation with my friend, fellow activist, and social media mentor John Oberg.  John Oberg is an animal activist dedicated to making the world a kinder place for animals by utilizing the power of social media. In late 2018, he became an independent animal advocate, funded through individual donations, focusing on amplifying pro-animal content in the digital space. Previously, he served as Director of New Media for The Humane League and as Director of Communications for Vegan Outreach. In his decade of experience in social media advocacy, he has accumulated 250,000 followers, his posts have been seen hundreds of millions of times, and he has heard directly from thousands of people who've been influenced by his work. In alignment with his efforts to inspire other advocates to improve their efforts for animals on social media, he launched three online courses through the online educational platform, Advocacy Collaborative. Below please find information on how you can follow and support John’s work: Official website: JohnOberg.org Donations (via Patreon) Patreon.com/JohnOberg Donations (via Donorbox): Donorbox.org/JohnOberg General social media course: https://advocacycollab.com/mastering-social-media/ Twitter course: https://advocacycollab.com/mastering-twitter/ Instagram course: https://advocacycollab.com/mastering-instagram/ Twitter: Twitter.com/JohnOberg Instagram: Instagram.com/JohnOberg Facebook: Facebook.com/JohnObergOfficial YouTube: YouTube.com/user/JohnOberg FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT  podcast@theunexpectedactivist.com.

In this episode we will visit with Simone Scampoli, a seasoned Italian animal rights activist who helps manage a beautiful oasis for animals in the hills of Lazio about an hour from Rome, Santuario Capra Libera Tutti. (The interview is in English.) I met Simone when we were both participating in outreach events at COP26 in Glasgow organized by the Plant Based Treaty Team. And then had the opportunity to visit the Sanctuary in 2022 when I was in Italy working on my book. Listen as Simone tells us about the evolution of this magical place and how they are creating not only “La Dolce Vita” for the animals, but a center for meaningful conversations about animal rights, both human and non-human. You can find more about the Sanctuary and follow their amazing stories at: Website: www.capraliberatutti.org Facebook: Facebook.com/santuariocapraliberatutti Instagram:  Instagram.com/capraliberatutti/ Twitter: Twitter.com/capraliberatutt TikTok: Tiktok.com/@capraliberatutti YouTube: Youtube.com/channel/UCI5vlgEYfb8cwTbxy1rjxPQ abillion: Download the app and review vegan products (food, beauty, clothing, household products, etc.) and you earn donation credits that can be directed to one of the organizational partners.  Capra Libera Tutti is one of the organizations they support.  FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY WORK, INCLUDING THIS PODCAST, MY BOOK, MY PRODUCTION COMPANY and MY NON-PROFIT, PLEASE GO TO theunexpectedactivist.com  AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT  podcast@theunexpectedactivist.com.