Stephanie is the award-winning author of the book The Skinny On Eating Like You Give A Damn (Jan 2019 print release). Her mission is to empower people to make informed food choices that reflect their values of personal health and compassion for all beings. Stephanie’s philosophy is “good food can be enjoyed without dire consequences to our health, the animals involved, and our shared planet.” After earning her Degree in Elementary Education with continued studies in Professional Communications at Old Dominion University, she began her journey to becoming vegan in 2009 after hearing accounts from factory farm workers about the unthinkable conditions of animal agriculture and its impacts on the animals welfare, the environment, and every person’s health. She retired her old southern meat, egg and dairy-based recipes and learned how to create a menu of delicious and nutritious plant-based comfort foods. She sought out doctors and dietitians such as T. Colin Campbell, M.D., Brenda Davis, R.D., Michael Greger, M.D, and Julianna Hever, N.D. to learn how a wholesome vegan lifestyle could prevent her and her future children from many of the diet and lifestyle related diseases and ailments most of us see our loved ones battling every day. After just a short time, she experienced a host of noticeable improvements to her health as a result of choosing vegan foods. Most notably, a chronic digestive disorder she had suffered from since childhood, diagnosed as IBS and declared irreversible by gastroenterologists, was suddenly healed. Passionate about the power of a wholesome vegan lifestyle in all areas of life, including physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, Stephanie pursued her formal nutrition education with the American School of Natural Health in 2014 while working as the assistant to the founder and president, a European Naturopathic Doctor. She has since been sought by practicing physicians as a consultant for helping patients to implement vegan nutrition, and has been a practicing Vegan Health and Lifestyle Mentor since 2016. Her most significant personal achievement was helping a chronically ill family member drop 50lbs, reverse fatty liver disease, normalize blood pressure, gain more energy, and go from 14 medications to 4; all within just a few short months on a whole foods vegan diet. She is a graduate of Quantum Leap with New Peaks (now Success Resources), and holds multiple certifications as a Trainer, Coach, and Mentor in the areas of Business and Professional Development. As an educator, author and speaker, Stephanie is committed to helping others experience freedom from dieting by connecting to their power to make a difference as a rebel for compassion for optimal health and vitality.