We recently connected with Christina Finkel and have shared our conversation below.

Christina, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.

Right before COVID hit, I was feeling burnt out as a high school teacher. I had been feeling very strongly about my values as a vegan and decided that I wanted to try establishing myself as a vegan professional. I signed up for a consultant certification course immediately and started putting myself out there. While my ultimate goal has been to establish myself as a vegan hospitality consultant that helps restaurants to add vegan options to their menus, lately I have been working to establish myself in the vegan community and hospitality community on Long Island by hosting workshops and cooking classes. I still feel as though I am in the “planting seeds” stage of establishing my business, but I know I am moving in the right direction.

Christina, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

After several years of experience teaching at a public high school, while making changes to my own diet and lifestyle, I decided to align my educational zeal with my personal values through vegan hospitality consulting and community education. My admiration for nature, animals, as well as living a healthful life, has led me on a mission to make Long Island vegan-friendly so that both hospitality businesses and customers can benefit from more people making the switch toward plant forward consumption.

I am passionate about working with restaurants and cafés on Long Island to support their interest in welcoming vegan guests, increasing their kitchen efficiency and minimizing food waste when serving non-traditional customers, and boosting reviews by offering all guests a stellar dining experience. I am eager to work with food businesses that are interested in raising the standard in culinary creativity and inclusivity.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

Part of me wishes I had started my career in hospitality instead of education. However, I do feel like everything happens for a reason. Because of all my years at the front of a classroom, I have little to no hesitation or nerves when it comes to speaking in front of and educating others. I have simply translated my teaching skills from the classroom to the food sector. I think this is just the way that things were meant to play out. If I hadn’t started as a teacher I would not have built the foundational skills that help me as a vegan consultant and chef trainer.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

It has been quite difficult, especially with the current state of the economy, to find restaurants that are willing to hire me to consult for them. So, I’ve pivoted into hosting vegan hospitality related events that will help establish myself as a leader in the vegan community on Long Island. I started by hosting a series of sustainability workshops at yoga studios and organic food cafes, and have recently started hosting cooking classes at a local cafe and juice bar. Through these events, I have expanded my network and connected with others who are interested in working with me or wanting me to host events in their spaces. I am excited to see where these opportunities take me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: V.is.for.vegan
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/visforvegan.consulting/