We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Maggie Ortlieb. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Maggie below.

Hi Maggie, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Our mission at VegOut is to inspire people to adopt a more plant-based lifestyle. I started the company as a way to show my friends and family how delicious vegan food can be. When I first went vegetarian as a kid, my activism was very intense and unforgiving. It has softened over the years. I find the best way to encourage people to consider veganism is to present it as a positive, desirable option. For my company, that means posting lots of photos of gorgeous, delicious dishes that just happen to be 100% plant-based. Over time, we’ve expanded our content to include beauty, culture, celeb interviews, and more. Our goal is to make veganism mainstream and accessible to all.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m originally from Michigan. I went to school for creative advertising and worked in a variety of industries prior to starting my company. I moved to Los Angeles eight years ago to pursue a career in advertising. However, creating campaigns for brands I didn’t align with morally felt wrong and unfulfilling. I eventually found myself in a marketing position for a nonprofit-focused accounting firm and, at about the same time, was working on what would be the beginnings of VegOut. Those two things, along with my past experience in AmeriCorps, the restaurant and hospitality industry, and other marketing positions played into where I am right now.

VegOut is a media company offering a quarterly print magazine and free daily content via our website and social media pages. We provide engaging material to our readers and advertising and promotional services to our clients. We connect vegan and vegan-friendly brands with people looking for plant-based options. I’m most proud of our intentionally curated focus—from the content we put out to the brand partners we work with—resulting in our highly engaged, cult-like following.

Company growth has been organic and intentional from the beginning. I never sought or desired outside investing or went through typical hiring procedures that most companies do. Instead, I bootstrapped the company financially and allowed employee talent to find its way to me, building a solid financial foundation and a team of genuine, gifted people. Our staff and the fact that we truly care about the well-being of our readership is what sets us apart.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

I once heard that people don’t quit bad jobs, they quit bad bosses. I’ve had bad bosses in the past, which made me keenly aware of the kind of leader I didn’t want to be. I’ve also had a good number of great bosses. They’ve been my inspiration.

In order for my team to do the best work possible, I try to treat them the way I would want to be treated as an employee. They have the freedom to make creative decisions concerning the work they do and to offer input on business direction and strategy. Yes, I’m ultimately the one in charge, but we’re a team, a group of passionate individuals working together to build something pretty cool and significant to society. I may be steering the ship, but everybody on board plays a key role in keeping it afloat. My bottom line is to treat my staff with respect and appreciation and to support them in what they do.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I kept (and still keep) costs low. My parents were good with money, and they taught me the importance of being financially literate from a young age. With the business, I knew I didn’t want to take on investors, so I strategized how to build on a budget. Our first logo cost $5. Friends and family helped me with different tasks for free. The brand began as a passion project—I never intended for it to become a nationwide media company. We operated on a limited budget for a few years and only then started bringing in money.

One of the most difficult challenges to monetizing was the fact that I didn’t have a product to sell—we were a media company with free content. Advertisers didn’t want to work with us until we built an audience and established ourselves. I used money I had made from my accounting firm position to fund the few expenses I had. Then I slowly built. I see a lot of companies pursue investing and grow really fast. It’s hard not to compare my journey to theirs, but the slow and steady growth has benefited us in the long run.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://vegoutmag.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vegoutmagazine/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vegoutmag
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/vegoutmagazine

Image Credits
Kimberly Tran and Joel Alatorre