The Plant Girl Magic podcast is here, y’all! In this very first episode of the show, I’m sharing my personal vegan journey from sneaking bites of meat when I was seven years old to becoming an award-winning celebrity vegan chef. You might have heard me talk about my parents raising us vegan, but there are some details in here I have not shared before, so be sure to tune in! If you love this episode, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and tell a friend to tell a friend!

In this episode, I talk about:

• Sneaking in meat after my parents said our family was going vegan


• The one time I almost died eating pork


• The vegan foods available to us when I was a kid vs. what we have now


• Venturing back into eating meat in my teens


• Having cooking competitions with my family… and losing


• My career as a makeup artist and model before I became a chef


• How I blew a professional chef’s mind with my vegan cooking


• My struggling with feeling like being a vegan chef was putting myself into a box


• How a Mac & Cheese competition changed my career and my life forever

Welcome to Plant Girl Magic! I’m Chef Joya, a celebrity vegan chef known for making the vegan versions of your favorite soul food and afro-caribbean dishes so good they rival the originals. On this podcast, I’m sharing the stories behind the magic, from my own vegan journey and celebrity stories, to topics I care deeply about like food injustice, family, and life as an influencer. If you have a topic you want me to cover on the podcast, please send me a DM on Instagram @cookingwithjoya.

The Plant Girl Magic theme music is produced by my brother, Y’oMusic.

Connect with Chef Joya!

• Instagram


• TikTok


• YouTube


• Facebook


• Website


• Chef Joya’s Nest