"Save $1K + PER YEAR" These FOOD HACKS Will SAVE Your BUDGET & YOUR HEALTH | Carleigh Bodrug
In this episode of The School of Greatness, the host delves into Carleigh Bodrug's journey toward a plant-based lifestyle and success as a content creator. Bodrug shares her transition to plant-based eating, from its initial spark to building a vast following on social media through innovative series and consistent content creation.
The discussion covers Bodrug's mission to reduce food waste, from tackling inefficiencies in animal agriculture to minimizing household waste through meal planning and creative recipes. Bodrug also reflects on personal challenges and growth, emphasizing resilience, gratitude, and embracing joy amidst life's unpredictability.
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1-Page Summary
Carleigh's Plant-Based Journey
Carleigh Bodrug began her plant-based lifestyle after a WHO report labeled processed meats as carcinogenic, inspired by her father's colon cancer battle. She started an Instagram account (PlantU) to document her transition, sharing simple plant-based recipes. Bodrug attributes her large following to creative series-based content, willingness to adapt, and passion for plant-based eating.
Successful Content Creation
Carleigh grew her Instagram from zero to over 1 million followers through consistent posting, innovative video series like "Scrappy Cooking," and maintaining a focused brand presence. She overcame self-doubt after signing a book deal, leading to her debut cookbook becoming a NYT bestseller. Carleigh emphasizes building recurring income, an email list, and a website alongside social media.
Reducing Food Waste
Shocked by food waste's environmental toll, Carleigh became an advocate for minimizing waste through her "Scrappy Cooking" series. She highlights inefficiencies in animal agriculture and the impact of wasted food, calling for household meal planning to curb over-purchasing and use existing supplies creatively. Her recipes showcase ways to fully utilize plant ingredients.
Personal Challenges and Growth
During her mother's cancer battle, Carleigh found solace in her work and audience. The experience instilled resilience, emphasizing prioritizing health, living presently with gratitude, and embracing joy amidst life's unpredictability. Carleigh resolves to encourage a better world, treasure one's body to pursue purpose, and approach life lightheartedly.
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Counterarguments
- While Carleigh attributes her Instagram success to her content and adaptability, it's also important to consider the role of marketing strategies, networking, and possibly paid promotions in growing her following.
- The success of a cookbook can be influenced by many factors beyond the content, such as marketing, publisher reputation, and market trends, which are not mentioned.
- Emphasizing the importance of building recurring income and an online presence is sound advice, but it may not be feasible for all content creators due to varying resources and circumstances.
- Advocating for reducing food waste is commendable, but the "Scrappy Cooking" series may not address the systemic issues that contribute to food waste, such as supply chain inefficiencies or policies that affect food distribution.
- The focus on household meal planning to reduce food waste is a positive step, but it places the onus on individuals rather than larger entities that may have a greater impact on food waste.
- Carleigh's personal growth through her mother's cancer battle is inspiring, but others may cope with similar situations in different ways, and the narrative might not resonate with everyone's experience.
- The idea of treasuring one's body and pursuing purpose is a positive message, but it's important to acknowledge that individuals may have different interpretations of what it means to live a purposeful life.
Actionables
- You can start a personal challenge to eat plant-based for a month by documenting your journey on a private blog or journal, focusing on the health benefits and your personal experiences, which can help you reflect on the changes and motivate you to continue.
- By setting a clear timeframe and keeping a record, you create a structured approach to transitioning your diet. For example, you could write about how you feel each day, the new recipes you try, and any challenges you face. This personal account can serve as a reference for future improvements or even inspire others if you decide to share it later.
- Create a "Zero-Waste Week" in your kitchen where you challenge yourself to cook without creating any food waste, using every part of the ingredients you have on hand.
- This could involve planning your meals around the perishable items you already have, getting creative with leftovers, and finding new uses for things like vegetable peels or stems. For instance, you could make vegetable stock with scraps or use wilted vegetables in soups or stews.
- Develop a simple gratitude practice where you reflect daily on one aspect of your health or life you're thankful for, which can help cultivate resilience and a positive mindset.
- This could be as simple as writing down one thing you're grateful for each night before bed or taking a moment during your day to acknowledge something positive. Over time, this can help shift your focus from stress to appreciation, potentially improving your overall well-being. For example, you might feel grateful for a nourishing meal you cooked or a walk you took in fresh air.
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Carleigh's personal journey and motivation for plant-based living
Carleigh’s embrace of a plant-based lifestyle was born out of health concerns, inspired by a World Health Organization report and her personal family experiences.
Carleigh's transition to plant-based eating
After the World Health Organization report in 2015 labeled red and processed meats as carcinogens, Carleigh began her plant-based eating journey. Her father, a colon cancer survivor, played a significant role in her dietary change. She initially found it challenging, as she had never consciously had a vegan meal before.
Despite the difficulties, Carleigh remained committed to a whole food, plant-based diet, motivated by the profound personal implication of her father's cancer battle. She expressed a passionate message about the advantages of plant-based eating and believes that everyone can benefit from incorporating more plants into their diets.
Sharing the plant-based journey
Carleigh was determined to encourage others to adopt a more plant-based lifestyle. To do this, she started an Instagram account, PlantU, where she began documenting her experiences. She shared photos of her daily meals along with simple infographi ...
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Carleigh's personal journey and motivation for plant-based living
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Counterarguments
- While the WHO report does classify red and processed meats as potential carcinogens, it does not necessarily advocate for a completely plant-based diet; moderation and a balanced diet can also be a healthy approach.
- The benefits of plant-based diets are numerous, but they may not be suitable for everyone due to individual health needs, preferences, or cultural practices.
- Transitioning to a plant-based diet can be challenging for some due to socioeconomic factors, as access to fresh produce and plant-based alternatives can be limited in certain areas or more expensive.
- While Carleigh's father's experience with cancer was a motivating factor for her, it's important to recognize that diet is just one aspect of cancer risk, which can also include genetics, environment, and other lifestyle factors.
- The effectiveness of social media campaigns like PlantU in changing dietary habits can vary greatly among individuals and may not always lead to sust ...
Actionables
- You can start a personal journal to track your transition to plant-based eating, noting your feelings, health changes, and challenges. This can help you stay committed and observe patterns or benefits over time. For example, use a simple notebook or a digital app to log your daily meals, how you felt after eating, and any new recipes you tried, which can serve as a motivational tool and a personal record of your journey.
- Create a weekly meal plan using plant-based ingredients you're unfamiliar with to expand your dietary horizons and keep your meals exciting. Begin by selecting one new plant-based ingredient each week, researching its health benefits, and incorporating it into your meals. This could be anything from jackfruit as a meat substitute in tacos to using aquafaba (chickpea water) as an egg replacement in baking.
- Engage with a friend or family member to start a plant-based recipe swap ...
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Building a successful online presence and content creation business
The journey of Carleigh Bodrug, from starting an Instagram account to becoming a New York Times bestselling author, is an inspiring tale of creativity, consistency, and overcoming self-doubt in the world of content creation.
Carleigh's consistent and creative content, including the launch of her "Scrappy Cooking" video series, helped her grow her Instagram following from zero to over 1 million.
Carleigh attributes her success to her ability to develop engaging series-based content, her willingness to experiment and pivot as platforms evolved, and her passion for her mission of encouraging plant-based eating. She has produced nearly 100 episodes of her "Scrappy Cooking" series over two years, highlighting her commitment to producing content regularly. She also emphasizes the importance of maintaining a positive focus when engaging with her community, choosing to read five positive comments before responding to a negative one to maintain this focus.
Lewis Howes inquired about Carleigh's success in growing from zero to a million followers. Carleigh's major growth factors included her shift to video content when algorithms changed, increasing her visibility. Her innovative approaches to content, such as the "Scrappy Cooking" and "Sneaky Veggies" series and her 15-minute "quickie series," also helped structure her output and allowed her to explore new ways of reaching her audience.
Carleigh highlights the importance of having a theme or series for her content, which makes creation easier and more enjoyable. She points out that consistency is a distinguishing factor in her success, with her philosophy being never to go a week without posting since she started. Additionally, personal branding, including wearing certain colors and maintaining a consistent message, helped her to differentiate and solidify her brand.
Carleigh's content creation journey took an unexpected turn when she was offered a book deal, which led her to leave her full-time job and focus on her online business.
Despite initial self-doubt and imposter syndrome, Carleigh's first cookbook, "PlantYou's Scrappy Cooking," became a New York Times bestseller, marking her as a leading voice in the plant-based food space. This shift happened after she was messaged by a literary agent and signed a book deal only a couple of months after leaving her full-time job. Leading up to the launch of her first book, Carleigh invested in a camera to take her own cookbook pictures and sought therapy to cope with her fears of being exposed as an imposter.
Carleigh discusses the gro ...
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Building a successful online presence and content creation business
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Counterarguments
- While Carleigh's approach to focusing on positive comments is commendable, it might also be beneficial to consider constructive negative feedback to improve her content and address audience concerns.
- The success attributed to series-based content and regular posting may not be replicable for all content creators, as success in content creation can also depend on niche, audience preferences, and market saturation.
- The emphasis on personal branding and maintaining a consistent message can sometimes limit a creator's ability to evolve and adapt their content or personal brand over time.
- Transitioning to full-time content creation based on a single successful venture, such as a book deal, might not be a sustainable strategy for everyone, as it carries financial risks if the content does not continue to perform well.
- The growth of Carleigh's follower count after focusing on content creation full-time suggests a correlation, but it does not necessarily imply causation, as other factors could have contributed to the increase.
- The advice to have recurring income before transitioning to full-time content creation is sound, but it may not ...
Actionables
- You can diversify your online presence by starting a niche-themed newsletter that complements your social media content. For instance, if you're passionate about sustainable living, create a weekly newsletter sharing tips, personal stories, and curated news on the topic. This not only builds a direct line of communication with your audience but also provides a platform that isn't subject to social media algorithms.
- Develop a personal content calendar with themed days to streamline your creative process and maintain consistency. For example, if you're into fitness, you might have "Motivation Monday" for inspirational stories, "Workout Wednesday" for exercise tips, and "Foodie Friday" for healthy recipes. This approach can help you stay organized and ensure a steady stream of content without feeling overwhelmed.
- Create a vir ...
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The Importance of Reducing Food Waste and Increasing Plant-Based Eating
Carleigh Bodrug's Environmental Wake-Up Call
Shocked by the significant environmental impact of food waste, Carleigh Bodrug has become a vocal advocate for minimizing food waste and incorporating plant-based ingredients fully in one's diet. Her enthusiasm led to the creation of her "Scrappy Cooking" series, which provides innovative ways to repurpose leftovers and minimize kitchen waste, quickly becoming a viral sensation.
Carleigh discusses the inefficiencies of animal agriculture, noting that producing beef requires 20 times more land and emits 20 times more greenhouse gases compared to plant proteins, a fact that propels her mission for a shift toward plant-based eating.
The Environmental Cost of Wasted Food
Bodrug underlines the staggering realities of food waste, from being responsible for around 8% of global emissions—nearly double that from transportation—to contributing more greenhouse gases than the entire airline industry. Discovering that 30 to 40% of food in the US ends up in landfills, she recognized an urgent need to address food waste at its most significant source: consumer homes.
Tackling Food Waste through Plant-Based Recipes
Carleigh leverages every part of plant-based ingredients to demonstrate the potential for culinary creativity while reducing waste. She showcases inventive recipes such as lemon peel pesto—using lemon skins in place of basil—and aquafaba desserts, drawing attention to typically discarded ingredients like broccoli stems by turning them into nutritious and flavorful additions.
Besides teaching economical food use, Carleigh establishes a broader dialogue about waste reduction, emphasizing that households often overlook waste due to convenience and a lack of meal planning.
Strategic Meal Planning to Combat Waste
Advocating for proactive measures, Carleigh suggests that careful meal planning is the key to preventing excess waste. She recommends families plan weekly meals ...
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The Importance of Reducing Food Waste and Increasing Plant-Based Eating
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Counterarguments
- While plant-based diets can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, they may not be suitable for everyone due to nutritional needs, personal health conditions, or cultural dietary practices.
- The claim that animal agriculture is categorically inefficient may not consider sustainable or regenerative farming practices that can mitigate environmental impact.
- The comparison of food waste emissions to the airline industry might oversimplify the complexities of each sector's environmental impact.
- The statistic of 30 to 40% of food waste in the US might not account for recent efforts or regional differences in waste management and reduction strategies.
- Encouraging the use of every part of plant-based ingredients assumes that all parts are edible or palatable, which may not always be the case.
- Strategic meal planning, while beneficial, may not be feasible for individuals with unpredictable schedules, limited time, or those living in food deserts with less access to fresh ingredients. ...
Actionables
- You can start a "leftover swap" with friends or neighbors to exchange uneaten portions of meals, preventing food from going to waste and encouraging variety in your plant-based diet. For example, if you've made a large batch of lentil soup and your neighbor has an excess of veggie stir-fry, swap portions to enjoy different meals and ensure the food is consumed before it spoils.
- Create a digital pantry inventory using a simple spreadsheet or note-taking app to track what you have on hand, which can help you avoid overbuying and reduce waste. Update it every time you shop or use up an item, and before making a meal plan, check the inventory to prioritize using ingredients that you already have, especially those nearing their expiration date.
- Experiment with "r ...
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Carleigh's personal challenges and lessons learned
Carleigh shares her journey through a deeply personal trial as she balanced nurturing her mother through terminal cancer with her entrepreneurial endeavors, leading to profound lessons on resilience, health, and balance.
Carleigh's personal life underwent tremendous strain due to her mother's terminal cancer diagnosis. This tumultuous period coincided with the expansion of her online business and the development of her second cookbook.
Despite the emotional and practical challenges
During this time, Carleigh often worked on her brand and manuscript while accompanying her mother to chemotherapy sessions. She found that the flexibility of her job was a blessing that allowed her to cherish time spent with her mother during this illness.
Carleigh discovered that her work was not just a professional pursuit but also provided solace; the joy she could bring to her audience became a source of comfort during one of the most traumatic times of her life. This difficult experience led her to a deeper appreciation of life, underscoring the importance of living each day with gratitude and being present in the moment. She reflects on the warmth and closeness of the relationship she shared with her mother and how it sustained her through the grief of loss.
Carleigh's experiences have instilled in her a deeper understanding
Carleigh's journey has instilled in her a deep understanding of the power of personal resilience, the value of health, and the significance of finding joy and balance in life. She highlights three guiding principles stemming from her challenging experiences:
Carleigh's three core "truths" s ...
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Carleigh's personal challenges and lessons learned
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Actionables
- You can create a "joy jar" where you write down moments of gratitude or joy each day and place them in the jar to visually accumulate the positive aspects of your life.
- This strategy helps you focus on the positive experiences and maintain a light-hearted approach to life. For example, if you enjoyed a coffee with a friend, jot it down and add it to the jar. Over time, you'll have a collection of happy memories to reflect on, especially during challenging times.
- Start a weekly "presence hour" where you dedicate 60 minutes to completely unplugging from technology and engaging in an activity that requires your full attention, like painting or playing a musical instrument.
- This practice encourages being present in the moment and appreciating life as it unfolds. For instance, if you choose to paint, concentrate on the colors and strokes, immersing yourself in the creative process without any distractions.
- Implement a daily "health habit swap" by replacing a less he ...
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