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Planted in Miami

Planted in Miami is a podcast about conscious living in the Magic City. Every other week, hosts Alex & Jeanette, speak with locals who are pushing Miami to new heights through their conscious companies, activism, community involvement, and inspiring projects.
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Now displaying: 2016
Dec 18, 2016

Jules Aron wants to change your perception of what healthy tastes like. With the release of her book, Zen and Tonic: Savory and Fresh Cocktails for the Enlightened Drinker, you’ll be infusing superfoods into your cocktails in no time to make delicious, healthy, restorative drinks for you and your friends.

Jules grew up in Montreal and moved to New York for an internship she got at a magazine called Paper. It wasn’t long thereafter that she realized that the magazine publishing business wasn’t for her. Influenced by her bartending father who would make her herbal, plant-based tea infusions to strengthen her immune system when she was a kid, she soon got the knack for bartending which helped put her through school at NYU. During this time she also started to develop an interest in health and wellness and received a certification in health coaching.

It wasn’t until she detached herself from the noisy streets of New York City and found quiet in a cabin in upstate New York that she got the idea for Zen and Tonic. With both savory and sweet recipes, this book is one you’ll want to leave out on your coffee table. Beautiful photos accompany each recipe and many include great nuggets of information on superfoods and tips even a seasoned mixologist can appreciate.

We love how thoughtfully this book was put together and it was a pleasure speaking to the creative mind behind it all.  We are looking forward to Jules's next book which will be about simple, delicious, plant-based vegan cheese recipes!  Yes, please.

We hope you enjoy the interview,

Alex & Jeanette

For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @plantedinmiami

Dec 4, 2016

Loren Pulitzer understands how powerful food can be. It can provide nourishment to the body and soul, heal the sick and ailing, and bring people together. After being diagnosed with Lupus, Loren’s health journey has connected her intimately with what she puts on her plate and she’s made it her life’s work to show others the importance of food.

With a degree from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst in Hotel Restaurant Management and a degree in Pastry Arts, Loren founded Simply Sharon’s – a vegan/gluten free dessert company and works as a personal chef to help her clients eat healthier and wholesome food.

When she’s not busy in the kitchen, Loren is helping artists make their dreams come true with Feast Miami which she co-founded with Susan Caraballo. As winners of a Knights Art Foundation grant, Feast Miami’s mission is to raise money for local artists and local art spaces by providing plant-based, family style dinners and brunches where money raised from the event is awarded to the best project as voted by the attendees. With help from the Knight Foundation grant and Whole Foods Market, Susan and Loren have put on seven Feast events and are helping bring awareness to local artists here in Miami. With their eighth event slated for December 18th, Feast continues to give back to the community while at the same time exposing the many participants to delicious plant-based offerings.

Loren’s smile and laughter are contagious and we’re happy to welcome her to the ever growing Planted in Miami family.

We hope you enjoy the show,

Alex & Jeanette
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @plantedinmiami

For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit our website at www.plantedinmiami.com

Nov 21, 2016

Sometimes life deals people a bad hand and foster children are just one of many people to get the short end of the stick.  Being moved around from home to home, to different foster parents, and being separated from your siblings and parents isn’t what growing up should feel like for kids but for many this is their reality.  Not having a stable home and family support system to go back to at the end of the day has its set of challenges and many children miss out on opportunities in their lives to advance themselves and break free from an upbringing that they didn’t necessarily choose.

But thanks to selfless people like Steve Rios from Florida Reach, former foster child, Racquell ‘Rocky’ Perry, are given the opportunity to make lemonade out of lemons. Florida Reach helps foster children achieve a dream of higher education by mentoring and guiding them to the state programs available such as  free tuition and gratuitous monthly living stipends to help them on their journey on becoming the best versions of themselves.  Along with Educate Tomorrow, Florida Reach and the many people involved in these great organizations are helping make education attainable for foster children and many other disenfranchised kids in Florida.

Rocky is just one of the many success stories of these programs.  She dealt with a lot of adversity growing up but she didn’t want to fall victim to the system and become another statistic.  Through a fortunate encounter with Steve Rios, Rocky began a journey in her life that led her to graduating from FAMU and now she is Racquell Perry, J.D.  That’s right, an attorney!

Now Rocky has the tools she needs to give back to her community and help the children in the system she grew up in reach their goals.  That’s called coming full circle.

It was a pleasure meeting Rocky and Steve and learning about foster children, their struggles, and the dedicated people and programs in place to help them succeed in life.

We hope you enjoy listening,

Alex & Jeanette

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @plantedinmiami

For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com.

Nov 7, 2016

“I had to go to war to find peace.” – Hipolito ‘Beardman’ Arriaga

For many, joining the military is a way of making a better life for themselves and their families.  Putting on the uniform and representing this country is an incredibly noble, selfless, and heroic job that comes with its set of challenges and uncertainties.  Soldiers return to civilian life changed forever with limited resources or outlets where they can express what they saw and experienced in-country.  But for four combat veterans from Miami, the MDC Live Arts’ season-long veterans’ initiative was the impetus for the creation of The Combat Hippies.  Led by world renowned theater artist and director Teo Castellanos, The Combat Hippies consist of Hipolito ‘Beardman’ Arriaga, Anthony ‘I.E.D.’ Torres, Allen ‘Tatsel’ Minor, and Andrew ‘Dru Phoenix’ Cuthbert.  Backed by a soundtrack courtesy of local DJ Brimstone 127, The Combat Hippies show, “Conscience Under Fire” is heralded as a raw, funny, and honest look at what coming home from war feels like for four young combat veterans as they broach the subject of Post Traumatic Growth, a term coined by psychologists Richard G. Tedeschi and Lawrence G. Calhoun at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in the mid 90’s.

These artists joined forces through the MDC Live Arts’ creative writing workshop for veterans’ in which they shared their experiences in an original spoken word piece, but Teo Castellano saw the immense potential of taking their words from the page to the stage.  Perhaps scarier than combat itself, these four wordsmiths summoned up the courage to step on stage for the first time and open their souls to an audience full of strangers to perform together at the Betsy Hotel Lounge.  Since then, The Combat Hippies have performed “Conscience Under Fire” multiple times, have become resident artists at the MDC Live Arts, and have been selected as finalists for a possible grant by the Knight Foundation.  (We’re rooting for you!)

It was a pleasure meeting these fine thespians at the beginning of their promising careers and we have a feeling they’re in for the long haul.  We want to thank Anthony and Hipolito for opening up to us and sharing their story so honestly with us.  Welcome to the Planted in Miami family.

We hope you enjoy the show,

Alex & Jeanette

For behind the scenes show notes, photos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com.

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @plantedinmiami

Oct 23, 2016

Millennials.  According to TIME magazine they've been dubbed the Me, Me, Me Generation - lazy, entitled narcissists who still live with their parents.  Ouch, Time magazine!  (Well, if you actually read the article you'll see why that's not exactly true)  And it's certainly not the case with our guests, Gigi and Ricky Gil, the brainchildren from Gold Lotus Brand.  In fact, it's quite the opposite.  Gigi and Ricky are young entrepreneurs who are laser-focused on making a mark in the Vegan clothing line game with their environmentally conscious, cruelty-free, PETA approved line of clothing.  Ricky went all-in and quit his day time gig so he could dedicate his time to the brand he envisioned when he was still a beardless youth in high school.  Together with his wife Gina (affectionately known as Gigi) they are the Gold Lotus Brand.  Their headquarters is their home where they live with their cat Einstein (and not their parents!) and where all the ideas, work, orders, and hustle take place.

Although still in its infancy, Gold Lotus Brand is the type of brand the world needs more of and they're more than happy to carry the torch.  Not only do they provide 100% certified organic, pesticide-free, made in the USA clothing, they will also have you thinking about where your clothes comes from, who made it, what materials were used, who or what was effected by making the product and how it impacts the environment, the animals, and the voiceless.

We hope you enjoy the podcast.

Alex & Jeanette

For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @plantedinimiami

Oct 10, 2016

What do you think a meat-free deli would sell?  Would pastrami on rye come to mind?  Or how about sausage marinara or burgers stacked high with tasty fixin's.  This is exactly what Ryan Bauhaus had in mind when he founded Atlas Meat-Free Delicatessen.  After meeting his vegetarian wife Amanda, Ryan slowly transitioned to eating less meat but struggled with giving up some of his favorite foods.

Having a love for cooking from a young age, he decided to get in the kitchen and figure out how he could still eat the foods he loved without having to go to the butcher.  Ryan incorporated the seasonings and flavorings found in traditional meats (sausages, pastrami, burgers) and cheeses and made them all delicious and plant-based.  He tirelessly tested recipes to make sure he wasn't calling a sandwich by a name it didn't deserve.  If he was serving a pastrami sandwich, he wanted you to feel like you were eating pastrami.  And because of his endless hours in the kitchen and dedication to quality, wholesome food, Altas Meat-Free Deli has gained a tasty reputation in South Florida and a legion of dedicated followers including us!

Atlas has been in business at the Yellow Green Farmer's Market for a few years and now Ryan has decided to expand the company with a food truck at the Wynwood Yard during the month of October as well as opening Miami's First Plant-Based Butcher Shop in Little River in early 2017. We were super excited to grab a few moments with Ryan and we think you are going to love our conversation.

Alex & Jeanette

For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @plantedinmiami

Sep 26, 2016

In a busy, fast-paced world where Keurig machines and the like are as ubiquitous as Starbucks coffee shops, the guys over at JoJo Tea are on a mission to create a bona-fide American tea culture and show Miamian’s how to slow down, count their breaths, and experience drinking authentic tea as it was meant to be.

Michael Ortiz and Tico Aran are business partners and life-long friends and JoJo Tea, tucked away in an unlikely location off of LeJeune Road in swanky Coral Gables, is where they perform their magic – offering tea flights and traditional, genuine tea ceremonies to curious locals, tea connoisseurs, and novices alike.  Although the presentation from start to finish is meticulously crafted with attention to detail from the brewing of the water to the pouring of the tea into handmade tea cups courtesy of Tico, these tea guru’s intention is not to scare anyone away with their beautiful artistry.  Instead, they want to “demystify” as Michael says on the podcast, the “intimidation factor” of drinking tea.

Get ready to cleanse your pallets and make sure to “steep” yourself into a cozy chair while Michael and Tico take you on a journey into The Future of Tea.

For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @plantedinmiami.

Jun 5, 2016

Growing up in North East Los Angeles wasn't easy for our guest, Karina Rain.  Raised by her grandmother from the ripe age of five, she lost her mother to Multiple Sclerosis and had an abusive father who she lost last year from Multiple Myeloma Cancer.  As a teenager she became rebellious and self-destructive, experimenting with drugs and running away from her home in Elysian Valley.  She was homeless by age 15 and stuck in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend at the time.  But after turning 18 she had enough and decided that that life wasn't for her; her perspective on life had changed and she got a job, went back to school and started the difficult process of reinventing herself and turning her life around - and she did just that.

Karina is now an activist, a writer for Urban Native Magazine and she has her very own YouTube channel where she seeks to share her story with the world and help others who might be going through tough times in their lives.  She is also very active in the Native American community, educating others on Native American culture, stereotypes, and the plight they still face today.

Before we began recording this podcast she thanked us for inviting her to be on the show, but we want to thank her for sharing her story with us so we could get to know a little more about this beautiful soul, Karina Rain.

We hope you enjoy this episode,

Alex & Jeanette

For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com.  Follow us on social @plantedinmiami on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

May 9, 2016

Meet Veronica Menin and Diego Tosoni, two of five partners from the newly opened Love Life Wellness Center in the hip and funky Wynwood district.  Love Life is a socially conscious “all-in-one” wellness center where you can get your yoga on, get a massage, experience reiki, enjoy a plant-based meal and even bring your dog in for a class of Doga. (Yoga for Dogs!)

We first introduced you to Veronica in Episode 3 where she spoke about her former company, Peace A’ Cake and how she broke into the vegan bakery business.  After making the decision to step away from Peace A’ Cake, she contemplated moving, getting far away and clearing her mind.  But before she could hop on a plane, an opportunity presented itself to her that she couldn’t ignore.  Spurred by her yoga teacher, Megan Elizabeth to create a juice bar/yoga studio, Love Life Wellness Center was born thanks to the collective minds of Megan, Nick, Veronica, Joe and Diego – Love Life’s backbone and guiding forces.

Diego first met Veronica earlier in his life but as fate would have it, their paths crossed again years later and now Diego is an integral piece of the Love Life equation.  As we affectionately refer to him,  he is the “Diego Of All Trades” because he contributes in so many different facets to Love Life’s look – from the mural on the front of the building to the tables and artwork that you see inside.  His creative eye and artistic touch is sprinkled all over Love Life in obvious and not so obvious places and together, Veronica and Diego are each other’s Yin and Yang.

With the Wynwood Walls as its backdrop, Love Life Wellness Center could not have found a better place to open its door to the community and offering a sanctuary for people who want to connect more closely with themselves and others.  Together with partners Megan, Nick and Joe they are helping to bring practices and food that are healing to the body as well as the soul.

We hope you enjoy the podcast,

Alex & Jeanette

For behind the scenes show notes, photos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com.

Follow on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter @plantedinmiami

Apr 24, 2016

As Queen B so beautifully taught us this weekend, when life gives you lemons you must make lemonade.  For the first time in Planted in Miami history, we do not have an interview portion of the show.  Due to technical issues (i.e. computers losing their minds) our file was corrupted.  But as we all know, sh*t happens so we decided to practice the art of letting go and just have fun with it.  We'll be back to our regular schedule in two weeks, in the meantime, we hope you enjoy this episode!

Alex & Jeanette

Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Music

For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook + Instagram @plantedinmiami

Apr 12, 2016

After a long and fast-paced stint in the corporate marketing and advertising world, Melanie Oliva left the harsh winters of Chicago and her nine-to-five with her husband and two cats and moved to Miami so she could reconnect with her fine arts roots and enjoy the endless summers of South Florida. With Miami as her new muse, she began to focus her creative energy on painting again and we’re sure glad she did because when you’re inspired you can change the world.

This eco-artist and activist might seem soft-spoken, but her passion to bring awareness to the environmental issues facing our planet as well as all of its inhabitants is loud and clear. With every brushstroke, Melanie is giving a voice to the plants, animals, and insects that are in need of an empathetic advocate to help secure their futures. Through Inspiration Pollination, a group comprised of over 600 artists from around the world, she hopes to shine a light on the very serious state pollinators, such as bees, are in and why they play such a pivotal role in our ecosystem.

Her paintings are vibrant, colorful, and bright and many of them showcase the various species she is helping to protect.  With Melanie’s advocacy and through the help of the many artists she has collaborated with to bring this important subject to the masses, she is well on her way in leaving her mark on this planet we all call home.

For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @plantedinmiami

 

Mar 28, 2016

Who Saved Who?  This ubiquitous bumper sticker can be seen on the cars of those lucky pet owners that have adopted a dog or a cat from a rescue shelter. In this episode we sit down with Caroline and Isaac Saiz, the husband and wife team behind the local Save The Strays Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to  rescuing stray animals, placing them in foster and/or permanent homes and educating the public on animal-welfare issues.

Caroline and Isaac are animal advocates with a variety of experience in business, law, and marketing and their love and respect for animals is a common bond they both deeply share.  Save The Strays is a volunteer-based, non-profit organization and all donations and adoption fees go to the care of the rescues and operating expenses.  Because they rely heavily on loving homes in order to save more animals, they ask that you reach out to them if you can foster any animals or if you are ready to provide a permanent home for them.

Caroline and Isaac are truly inspiring locals who are pushing our city forward through their fantastic foundation and selfless devotion to animals.  We hope you enjoy the podcast and become inspired to become a foster parent or to rescue one of the many dogs or cats that are in need of loving owners and homes.

Alex & Jeanette

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @plantedinmiami

For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com

Mar 13, 2016

When Miami native, Ellen Kanner isn’t blogging, writing books, hosting plant-based feasts or educating locals on the power of plants through her syndicated column in the Miami Herald, The Edgy Veggie, you can probably find her in the kitchen developing recipes or lounging around her house reviewing books.

Ellen was an early adopter of the veggie lifestyle and she made the switch at the ripe, young age of 13 because of her love of animals.  Since then, she has been a powerful and influential spokesperson in the South Florida community, introducing others to this sustainable, healthy lifestyle and spreading its many benefits to a mass audience.  (Thank you, Ellen!)  She believes learning about your food and how it’s sourced is important, no matter what kind of diet you may subscribe to and the real magic is in food’s ability to bring people together; and isn’t that what’s it’s all about?

It’s possible that some of the greatest conversations have occurred while breaking bread around a table with good company and we think our conversation with The Edgy Veggie is just that.

We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Alex & Jeanette

For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more, visit www.plantedinmiami.com

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @plantedinmiami

Feb 29, 2016

Sabra Seligman is a fireball of energy and maybe that’s because the food she is serving at her new plant-based restaurant, Manna Life Food, is giving her all of that divine nourishment.

With her background deeply rooted in the wellness industry, Sabra set out to open a Wellness Center in Miami after spending a majority of her life living abroad. But she quickly came to realize that the last thing Miami needed was another spa. Instead, she set her sights higher and created Manna Life Food, a space where people can connect with mind, body and soul.

Born in West Africa from parents of Canadian and Colombian descent and under the tutelage of Chef Mark Reinfeld, she has drawn from her extensive travels and experiences to offer menu items and flavor combinations as diverse as all of the exotic places she's lived and visited.

With Manna Life Food slated to open on March 7th, Sabra has worked dutifully to offer Miami’s residents and visitors a healthy alternative in Downtown Miami to those that want to taste a little piece of heaven.

For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com.

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @plantedinmiami

If you like the show, please leave us a review on iTunes. We really appreciate it.  Thanks for listening!

Feb 15, 2016

Back in Episode 4, we sat down with Alexis Garcia to discuss his upcoming challenge of running across the entire island of Cuba. Now he's back for Round 2 on the podcast to tell us all about this amazing feat and he brought his side-kick and planner extraordinaire wife, Marlene.  After dealing with arduous conditions, the Cuban police and scarce resources, they completed the goal of running the entire island, 1,000 miles in less than 35 days.  We talk all about their adventures and the upcoming documentary that they filmed of their experience.  This is a laugh out loud episode that you don't want to miss.

For behind the scene photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @plantedinmiami

Feb 1, 2016

Be Bold. Be Daring. Be Relevant. Maybe this is a phrase you would expect to hear from a cutting edge sports apparel line or from some new age inspirational Guru; but not from a small, local community theatre. But the Main Street Players is just that.

As they prepare to kick off their 2016 season, we sit down with Robert Coppel and Dennis Lyzniak, the Artistic Director and Playhouse Manager, respectively, and talk about how they got started in the theatre business as well as the impact theatre can have in our lives and our community and everything in between.

The Main Street Players Community Theatre is a hidden gem located in the quaint town of Miami Lakes. For as little as $25 per show, you can watch Pulitzer Prize winning plays for a fraction of the cost of the big, professional theatre’s while simultaneously supporting small business and up-and-coming actors. Their season opens with the award winning play, Water by the Spoonful, by Quiara Algería Hudes, directed by Robert Coppel and continues with Stage Kiss, Songs for a New World, and closes with another Pulitzer Prize winning play, Clybourne Park.

Affectionately coined (by us) the Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak of the local theatre scene, Robert brings his love and passion of acting, directing and theatre to bring bold, daring and relevant plays to his audience. And Dennis, a.k.a. the Theatre god (lowercase g) brings his structural engineering background and years of business acumen to build the sets, handle the cash flow and so much more. The Main Street Players is most definitely a success because of this dynamic theatre duo, but also because of all the volunteers behind the scenes and on stage who are making theatre going accessible to the masses.

Their commitment to this challenging but cathartic art form is apparent when they speak and they live up to their motto: Be bold, be daring, be relevant.

We hope you enjoy the interview.

See behind the scenes photos and show notes at www.plantedinmiami.com

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @plantedinmiami

Jan 18, 2016

For Oscar Fuentes, a.k.a. The Biscayne Poet, Miami has served as a beautiful, motivating inspiration. His love of jazz and poetry were intensified after a brief stint in New York but Miami with all of it’s passion, culture and mystery was the muse he needed to fully expand his art. He’s commonly seen at events with one of his 11 typewriters creating poems on the spot or performing beat poetry with latin jazz group, The Oscar Fuentes Combo. We talk about how he overcomes his vulnerabilities to courageously share his work, what’s the deal behind his signature look and why Miami’s culture is richer than we believe.  We hope you enjoy the convo.

For behind the scenes photos, shows notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @plantedinmiami.

Jan 3, 2016

If you think vegans are all tree hugging, pachouli oil wearing hippies (not that’s there’s anything wrong with that) then you’re wrong. Enter John Lewis, more commonly known as Bad Ass Vegan. John is a 6’6 powerhouse who created the brand Bad Ass Vegan (BAV) to bust the stereotypes of what vegans look like and to prove that begin vegan is cool.

Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, John wasn’t exposed to vegetarianism until he moved to Florida and discovered foods like avocados, plantains and mangos. When his mother was diagnosed with colon cancer and her doctor told him that too much animal protein was to blame, he finished making the transition to veganism. Now, nearly 10 years laster, John is a successful entrepreneur who has taken the BAV brand he thought of while out on a run one day to nationwide and worldwide prominence.

Through personal training, consultations and his popular 'Midnight Motivation' on Instagram, John has been able to help motivate and inspire countless individuals to transition to a vegan lifestyle and live a more healthy and conscious life. His outspoken, straightforward approach is both refreshing and captivating and we had a blast interviewing Miami’s own Bad Ass Vegan.

For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @plantedinmiami

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