I’m excited to share with you a new series for the blog, where I will be interviewing other bloggers, health professionals, entrepreneurs, activists, and other cool people making an impact in the health community! My intention with these interviews is not only to inspire you, but also to bring a community of like-minded people together and educate you (and me!) on different topics and ideas related to health and wellness!
To get this blog series going, I asked someone who I have been following since the beginning of my vegan journey about 2 years ago if she would be willing participate, and I’m happy to say she accepted! I had the absolute pleasure of getting to interview and chat with Meg Josephson, (formerly known as “withalmondbutterontop” on Instagram). Meg has not only been an incredible resource for me, but inspires and encourages so many others with her beautiful and delicious recipe posts, relatable and refreshing personality, and recently, meditation and mindfulness.
Meg was born in New York, and traveled around a bit growing up. She landed back in New York for college where she attended and graduated from Hamilton College, (small world, my brother went here), where she actually created her own major, Food Studies. Her passion for food and healthy living developed when she studied abroad in London, where she was exposed to yoga and veganism. Meg decided to start an Instagram account, and began posting pictures of vegan food, mainly just for fun. What most people don’t know, is that Meg didn’t even have a kitchen at the beginning stages of her Instagram! When she was at home for holiday or break, she would cook a bunch of different recipes, stock up on pictures, and post them while she was back at school. After Meg hit about 10,000 followers, she began getting more engagement with people curious about who she was and wanting her to share more recipes. Up until this point, Meg had yet to post a picture of herself, which in my opinion, is pretty incredible to build a following purely based on photography and recipes.
Talking to Meg was like talking with a friend I have known for a long time. She is humble, yet driven and confident, passionate, relatable, down to earth, genuine, funny. I love how her personality shines through on her Instagram page, and that was the same Meg I got to know on the phone.
A common phrase for us “20 somethings” is; “I have no idea what I’m doing with my life…I’m figuring it out,” and that is definitely a topic we discussed quite a bit. I think it’s easy to look at someone like Meg on Instagram and see that she has close to 40,000 followers, and assume that they’ve got it all figured out. But as humans, we are constantly changing, evolving, and growing, and that is exactly what Meg is doing as well. She has been so successful on Instagram with recipe creation and content, but her heart is pulling her to share more about a different passion of hers. Meditation and mindfulness is extremely important to Meg, and she’s beginning to open up about her journey with meditation and how it has positively impacted her life. She shares tips, meditation sessions, and information about how meditation and creating space in the mind is so vital for emotional and mental health. Her page is evolving into a holistic approach to health, including plant-based, vegan recipes, meditation, and cultivating self-love. I love that she is sharing the message that health is beyond just the food we eat, but incorporates our mental, emotional, and spiritual well being as well.
It can be scary opening up on social media, being vulnerable and worried about perfectionism and judgement from others, but Meg sees how this platform is so powerful for connection and creation. Social media, in Meg’s words, “is so social but antisocial, you can make it what you want, or it can control your mind.” She has been finding her balance with social media, but overall it has inspired growth and has connected her with like-minded influencers trying to spread the message of health and happiness.
Within the last month, Meg made a big life decision by quitting her day job to focus on her account, and committed to investing her time on her true passions. She was able to push past her fear, and take a step towards living a life that brings her joy and aligns with her purpose. “To have control of your life is such a blessing and something we all can take control of. We all can be doing it, and I just refuse to accept that we need to be living in an office waiting for the weekend until we retire.” This is such a powerful statement, and really the statement of our generation. We are starting to question and resist the 9-5, living for the weekend structure of society, and are working towards building and creating lives that bring us freedom and joy by doing what we love. But this requires determination, dedication, and pushing past the fear of the unknown. The choice is ultimately up to us, to stay the same and never grow, or push past the fear and believe that who you are and what you have to say is enough.
Meg’s passion for spirituality, healing, and holistic health radiates through her page. If you are looking for genuine, authentic, educated, and zen vibes, she’s definitely your girl. What’s next for Meg? Well she just completed and received her meditation training and certification, and is now active in her community leading and participating in meditation events. She hopes to create an online course, host meditation retreats, and eventually write a book. Thank you Meg for sharing your story with me, and for opening up to your followers. I am so excited to follow along on your journey as you continue to push past your fears and share your light with the world (: