Laura Klein - the co-founder of Organic Authority is a trained chef, and healthy living expert who has been featured on CNN and Oprah.com.
What inspires you?
There are so many things that inspire me! I was born with a fire in my gut that is a big driving force. It's what keeps me going, it's what motivates me to tackle the day and the issues we cover on OrganicAuthority.com and EcoSalon.com. I'm passionate about food and creating change. I feel that everyone should have access to delicious, healthy food. I feel that food is one of the most powerful healing tools we have on the planet. When given the chance, when the human body is fed nutritionally rich, whole foods diet, it will heal itself. I'm also passionate about America knowing the truth behind its food supply, how it's grown from seed, handled, processed, all the way to the store shelf. Whether is fruit, veggies, produce, meat, dairy, or processed foods, people need to know if their food was GMO'd, grown with or without chemicals, processed with preservatives and/or additives, or grown naturally the way Mother Nature intended.
Who has had the most impact in your life?
My mother. She is a strong woman. She was an entrepreneur and self-made woman. She taught me to believe in myself and go after my dreams and never, ever, give up. Never.
What is the hardest lesson you've had to learn?
There are so many! Here's a small sampling. Lesson 1: Focus. Harnessing and focusing your power will take you places. Entrepreneurs tend to have a "shiny object syndrome" which can lead to too many distractions and dilute their energy and focus. Lesson 2: sometimes you have to believe in other people's belief in yourself, before you can believe in yourself. Do it. 3. Never give up. Ever. Believe in the fire in your belly. 4. Delegate as much as you can as fast as you can. 5. The people you love may be your worst critics. Ignore the haters. They're just jealous. 5. You need a team just as passionate about your cause as you are to support and execute your vision.
What cause(s) or nonprofit(s) do you support?
I have a couple of nonprofits that are a favorite of my mine. A favorite local LA one I support is Father Gregory Boyle's Homeboy Industries. He rehabilitates former gang members and felons through job training, counseling, tattoo removal and more. They have an incredible model and program that's been replicated around the world. Visit their headquarters downtown LA, visit HomeGirl Cafe and take the tour. They have an onsite organic garden and the food and baked goods that come out of that kitchen are insanely delicious. But more important is the rehabilitation work Father G is doing with getting these people back into society to live normal everyday lives, rather than going back to our overcrowded prison system, which quite frankly, isn't working (the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world).
Another fave is The Environmental Working Group (EWG.org). They do the tough work of telling us which conventionally grown produce is sprayed with the most toxic chemical, pesticides and which are the cleanest. They created the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen. They also have a Skin Deep cosmetic beauty data base that lets you look up the chemicals in your beauty products to see if they're safe. They recently came out with their Food Score guide, that helps consumers navigate nutrition, ingredient and processing concerns with food. It is a super useful tool.
To read the rest of the TuesdayNights interview with Laura Klein visit Get Inspired.