Me (Stacia) loving the beach!
Erin looking gorgeous as usual!Hi All! Stacia here, Tess's assistant. This is my first time blogging for Tess and I wanted to begin by introducing myself, as well as Tess's fabulous intern, Erin, who will also be blogging on here! We are both super excited to be able to share with you all and you can all look forward to many great blogs to come! :)
So that you can have a better idea or who Erin and I are, we both answered some questions about ourselves....Enjoy! 

...And please feel free to contact either of us if there's anything that you'd like us to blog about! :)

When and why did you go vegan?

Stacia: I went vegan when I was 16 – in 2002 after a year of being a vegetarian. I had already been thinking about making the switch to being vegan because of animal rights issues. Then one day, I had a conversation with Tess (who happens to be my cousin and a longtime positive influence in my life!) about milk, and she said that a cow's milk is meant for a baby cow. That statement was all it took for me to stop consuming dairy products. While I was at it, I cut out eggs, too. Fortunately, it was an easy change for me. While my switch to a vegan diet was originally inspired by my love for animals, over time, it has evolved to be a choice for my health, the environment, and for spiritual reasons, too. I love being vegan!

Erin: I became vegan about 3 years ago after being vegetarian off and on for numerous years before that. I decided to become completely vegan for a variety of reasons, but mostly health. I read Dr. Campbell's book "The China Study" and it completely opened my eyes to the benefits of a vegan diet as well as the problems in our food industry. I never looked back, and love this peaceful and clean lifestyle. My "side effects" of going vegan: I lost 30 lbs almost without trying, my skin cleared up and I have nonstop energy. I love it, and seeing all of the benefits actually happen to me personally, I am convinced to never go back and help people live cleaner, happier lives themselves.

How did you get started working for Tess?

Stacia: Before working for Tess, I was working as a traveling sales rep and totally burnt out. Right at the time I decided to quit my job, Tess was at a point with her business that she decided she had to have an assistant. I told her I was interested, and we both decided that I was the perfect fit for the job! I couldn't ask for a better job or person to work for. Tess has always been a major inspiration for me, and now I get to help out with all of her extremely inspiring work – it's wonderful!

Erin: I had been following Tess' Facebook page for a very long time. One day, out of the blue, and on a complete whim, I decided to message her asking if she could use any kind of additional help! She messaged me back, I had a conference call with Stacia and her and just started working for her and learning from her! It all happened so fast! (I WAS SO NERVOUS.... but immediately Stacia and Tess were so welcoming and warm and really were excited to have me help~ they're awesome!!!)
 
What originally inspired you about what she's doing, that made you want to be part of it?
Stacia: Over the years, I've observed Tess inspire so many people (including myself!) to make positive, healthy life changes. The idea of being able to help bring people the information and resources they need to make positive changes was a major inspiration for me in wanting to be a part of the work Tess does.
Erin: The thing I noticed the most was how positive and happy Tess always was. I noticed how much she adores health and food and how involved she was with her followers. I really love Tess' personal health story and admire how hard she has worked to get where she is now. She is a great role model and someone I knew I could learn a lot from. She also has very similar views on food and health as I do, so I knew it could be a good fit! 
 
What do you like most about working for Tess (if, in fact, there is anything you like)?
Stacia: I'm just here for the food....LOL. Just kidding! Although, I certainly do love getting to help spread the message of how delicious and nutritious vegan food can be! I also love all of the awesome skills that I've picked up working for Tess and her business partner, Dr. Mary, who I also work for. I feel like I've learned so much already! I'm so excited and grateful to be a part of it all!

Erin: I love how positive and encouraging Tess is. I am learning a lot from working with her, and she is so patient and kind towards me, especially if I do something silly or completely wrong.... It is very refreshing to have her support. She always makes sure that we are happy, not stressed and enjoy what we're doing. Tess also absolutely loves and is so passionate about what she is doing, and wants both Stacia and I to learn from her and enrich our own lives. I guess what it comes down to is that she really cares about everyone who helps her and works with her. She puts other people first, and this is so obvious from day to day.
Describe your ultimate vegan menu fantasy.
Stacia: Oooooh this is a fun one! Let's see, I would want a meal created from produce picked from an organic garden – a beautiful salad with a homemade dressing, roasted potatoes, green juice, and home brewed Kombucha- and copious amounts of it (yeah, I might have a kombucha addiction)!!! Dessert would be chocolate – LOTS of raw, vegan, organic chocolate :)

Erin:Well, this is extremely difficult to answer..... I am in love with food. However...my favorite food in this whole entire universe has always been ravioli..they're like little delicious culinary presents that hold pure amazing-ness, and you can have them however you want in a million different ways. My ultimate dream ravioli platter would be 10 lined up, all stuffed with something different: beets with rosemary and potatoes, maple syrup soaked squash, quinoa, pumpkin, cashew cheese, tomatoes/basil, eggplant...etc.. drizzled with a coconut oil/garlic sauce.... Then for dessert: a giant plate of fruit to dip in pure dark chocolate with an almond-milk cappuccino on the side. yum.yum.yum. I love simple and delicious food. 
 
What are you most passionate about? What are your long term goals?
Stacia: I am super passionate about following my bliss and living my life to the fullest. I love to travel, run, meditate, practice yoga, grow my own food, and I LOVE developing deep and meaningful connections with others. I don't have many long term goals, except to be happy, develop into a more aware person, travel more, and grow my own food! :) Oh, and someday, I'd like to be a hypnotherapist!

Erin: I love cooking, running, biking, traveling, juicing and drawing. I like to invent new recipes, cook for people and show them fun ways to eat healthy. I also am very interested in alternative medicine and how food/herbs can be medicine and heal the body from the inside out! I am currently in school working toward becoming a registered dietitian while minoring in biochemistry.... (I'm kind of a nerd!).... Eventually, I would love to open my own holistic health practice that encourages growing your own food, supporting local community and educating communities on living happy, healthy lives! 


Connect with me on Instagram at username staciaaashna or email via staceyrenee4@gmail.com. Please feel free to show some love to Erin by "liking" her awesome Facebook page, 20 Something Holistic Living, find her on Instagram at 20_something_holistic_living, or connect with Erin via email at 20somethingholisticliving@gmail.com