Compared to other well established plant-based, vegan and vegetarian cities in America, Miami may not be one that people think of as a non-meat lovers haven, but today’s guests, Alex Cuevas and Lori Zito have set out on a mission to change that. Alex is the founder and owner of Choices Organic Cafe and Lori is the President and backbone of the operations. With three locations in Miami, Alex and Lori have their sights set on opening 100 Choices locations throughout the country.
Growing up the son of a Rancher in San Jose, CA, Alex ate the standard American diet of burgers and pizza as well as the rice, beans and burritos typical of his Mexican descent. But after making the connection of how the food he was eating made its way to the table he had an “awakening” and made the decision to never eat animals again. This realization would set in motion a series of events that would eventually culminate in opening a restaurant that inspires compassionate choices by serving delicious, healthy, and organic plant-based food prepared with love for people, animals and the planet.
And behind every great man there is a great(er) woman; enter Lori Zito. Raised in up-state New York and of Italian-Irish descent, Lori was not always a vegan but her love of animals eventually led her to see the same connection her counterpart, Alex did. Together, Alex and Lori have helped put Miami on the map as a plant-based/vegan friendly city with their very popular restaurants and this is only the beginning for them.
We are happy to share with you their story of how they turned their vision into a reality that is helping make a difference in people’s lives and our community.
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"Progress comes from practicing patience, persistence, and perseverance, and success comes from being completely dedicated to your dreams."
Powerful words from an inspiring, humble athlete, motivational speaker, coach, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Chad Weller.
As a young model in Europe, Chad decided to lace up his running shoes as a way to discover the various cities he was working in. But this casual “Adventure Running” soon transitioned to serious running and eventually a career as a Top Ranked Pro Ultramarathoner and Running Coach.
With over 221 races under his belt, 14 years of coaching experience and 20 years as a vegan, Chad sits down with us to speak about what he does to plan and prepare in order to tackle 50 and 100 mile endurance races. He talks about nutrition, the importance of form and the mental aspect of long distance running and his passion for running clearly permeates throughout the podcast. As the owner of R U Running he trains runners to not only become better, more efficient runners, but also to achieve what they may think is impossible.
And even greater than his running accomplishments and success is his passion for giving back and helping others. He dedicates himself to empowering people to succeed in all aspects of their lives. As an Ambassador of Prevent Child Abuse America, an organization dedicated to preventing the abuse and neglect of our nation’s children, Chad inspires youth to overcome obstacles in their lives through education, passion, health and fitness. And Chad also dedicates himself to giving shoes to youth so they may experience the exhilaration of success through hard work.
This was our first time meeting Chad and we were happy that he could share his story with us and all of you.
For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com.
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One of the things you notice right away from our next guest when you meet her may be her purple, curly hair or her infectious laugh or if you’re lucky it might be a sample of her delicious organic green popcorn she’s offering you.
The story of how this Florida-raised actress turned hippie turned entrepreneur is sure to capture your heart and your imagination. Shawnee’s adventures through the 70’s and the 80’s are reminiscent of the Forrest Gump movie with her seeming to be everywhere at the right time. Through protests, marches and more, Shawnee’s life has been filled with purpose and sadly, sorrow.
Her addictive popcorn, Shawnee’s Greenthumb Popcorn, would have never came to be if not for a major turning point in her life. We loved sitting down with Shawnee and we know you’ll find her just as interesting and entertaining as we did.
For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more, visit www.plantedinmiami.com.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @plantedinmiami