Joey Thurman:
Ashley Wilke, vegan fitness coach and content creator, welcome to Talking Plant Protein.

Ashley Wilke:
Thank you so much, guys. I'm so excited to be here.

Speaker 1:
You're vegan, and have been vegan for quite some time. How did you start building an online vegan community?

Ashley Wilke:
Oh, man. You know what, I think it was really just not giving a bleep and knowing that this is what I'm passionate about and what I'm going to stand for, and take it or leave it. People just really reciprocated to that well and, I think, appreciated that I was coming from a different angle. I think a lot of, especially a couple years ago, a lot of the big vegan influencers were coming at it from more of the PETA-type angle, which is more in-your-face, maybe a little bit more graphic. I think my approach has always been to shed more of a positive light and to shed an impact in just a positive.... just showing animals in sanctuaries and showing amazing food. I think that both ways work, but I think for me and for my audience, just sharing that positive side of things has really helped.

Speaker 3:
Amazing. Ashley, since you've transitioned to become vegan, how has your creative strategy changed, and how has the process of creating content evolved for you?

Ashley Wilke:
Sure. I've actually been vegan for about seven years. To be honest, I think when I really started growing as a content creator, I was already vegan, but definitely in terms of creating content in collaborations and working with different brands, the biggest thing for me is, obviously, making sure the brand is vegan and that they're cruelty-free, so that they're not testing on animals. Obviously, I think it's so important for me to stay true to my values and to really only support and share brands that are on the same wavelength and the same page as me.

Speaker 3:
Amazing.

Speaker 1:
Yeah. You touched on this a little bit, but you have to be approached by a lot of plant-based and vegan companies, so is there a process that you have? Say a protein powder company is coming at you, and another one. What's your process with actually, "Okay, I want to work with these individuals"?

Ashley Wilke:
Yeah. Obviously, the credibility of the company is going to come into play. But in terms of if they're vegan and if they're cruelty-free, there's two things that come to mind.

Ashley Wilke:
The first one is a lot of brands will, I think, just throw at me, "Oh yeah, we're vegan. We're plant based," and then I look at the ingredients and I'm like, "Actually, no, you have gelatin in your pill, so you're not." So it's really just being aware, because I don't think necessarily some of these companies are trying to dupe me, but they just don't know. Maybe they have one vegan-friendly product, so they're assuming their whole range of products are. It's really just me doing my due diligence.

Ashley Wilke:
Then secondly, just really talking to them and seeing what their values are. Obviously, companies that are going to give back to charity and are involved in the vegan or animal rights community, that's going to be, obviously, where my heart is naturally going to draw to. That would be the companies that I would work with most.

Speaker 3:
Amazing. Ashley, we know you're also a fitness coach. I know in the fitness world, there's a lot of pushback against athletes that are vegan. How has that affected you, and how do you incorporate that into your fitness career?

Ashley Wilke:
Yeah, this is a great question. I honestly feel like being in the fitness space has made me just want to work out even more, just to prove and be that voice for the animals, that I can do this without any animal products. I think especially being a fitness coach, obviously, people are probably like, "Yeah, maybe you have a vegan plan, but what are you still doing to get that protein?" There's still this huge disassociation, but I am totally 100% practice what you preach.

Ashley Wilke:
I think that people, especially nowadays, are warming up to the idea. I think it's going to take some time. There's, I think, so many products now and so many just amazing companies that are vegan, so I think we're working in that direction where people are opening their minds a little bit more.

Speaker 1:
Well, besides, when you're staying true to you, it really shows. You have a large following and engaged following as well. Speaking of that, if somebody wants to become a vegan content creator, what advice would you have for them?

Ashley Wilke:
Oh, gosh. I would say, as with any content creator, find your niche. Whether it's makeup or fitness or fashion, find whatever you feel like resides with you best. Then, again, just do your research. Do your due diligence. Make sure that you're connecting with brands and only promoting products that, obviously, are vegan friendly, that aren't tested on animals.

Ashley Wilke:
There's this huge disconnect, I think, between animal testing and veganism. A lot of people assume that just because a brand isn't tested on animals, they may assume that it's also vegan, but that's not true. Especially from an ethical side, you really want to make sure that the brands you're promoting are not tested on animals, but also vegan as well.

Ashley Wilke:
Just don't be afraid to ask. I've got in a lot of heated conversations with brands who are giving me the runaround; but if that's what's important to you, knowing that the product that you're promoting is vegan, then don't be afraid to ask. If a brand that maybe you had your heart set on, that you wanted to work with or create content for, you realized it isn't quite the right fit, that's totally fine. There's 100 other amazing companies out there, especially small brands, small businesses, that are 100% vegan. I think really tapping into that is great.

Speaker 1:
Yeah. That's great advice. Your yes will never be powerful unless you learn to say no. Ashley, thank you for coming on Talking Plant Protein.

Ashley Wilke:
Thank you, guys, so much.