We recently connected with Tiarra Adams and have shared our conversation below.

Tiarra , appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Before I decided to make Viva La Vegan a business back in 2018, I really enjoyed creating and cooking different vegan cuisines for my interest. Early on before Viva La Vegan I had a lot of aches, pains, and brain fog. At the time I was going through a very rough relationship and I was having mental brain fog and high anxiety. I was so stressed out to the point I was loosing sight of who I was. Then I came across an article that said a plant based diet would clear brain fog, so I cold turkey stopped all meat, dairy, and process food and ate plant based foods for two weeks straight. My body started going through a full detox. I mean releasing what was old and no longer needed in my mind, body, and soul. Did I go back to eating meat? Yes I did and I instantly felt the heaviness in my body. At that point I wanted to eat a full fledge vegan diet in hopes to not ever look back. When it came to me eating a vegan diet I knew what it had done for me. I didn’t allow my oldest son to eat meat, dairy, or processed food any more, I told my brother who I knew this diet change would help him in many of ways, and at that point I wanted to tell as many people as I could to help change their lives all because I knew what it had done for me. Now most people are very skeptical about vegan food. When they hear vegan food they think of tofu and plain salads…the old me would have agreed. Since I already had a strong background of being in the kitchen since the age of 7 all I had to do was look up some recipes of what I wanted to eat and veganize it. It took practice and tons of it but practice makes perfect right. Fast forward to the present day, I have catered events, held and hosted my own vegan brunch buffets, participated in many events, meal prepped for individuals, and so much more. At Viva La Vegan, we cook from the soul and we innerstand that in order to reach a certain crowd of people you have to meet them where they are at and encourage them and elevate all at the same time.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a mama of two healthy, intelligent, loving boys who I chose to take this route with. I have been vegan since my oldest son was a one year old and now is five years of age. My youngest who is two years old has always been vegan and I get questioned so much about him not eating meat and how healthy he is. It literally boggles the mind of people at how “big” my boys are and they do not eat meat or high amounts of processed plant based food. I am born and raised in the city of St. Louis, MO. I am the oldest of 4 siblings, three on my mom’s side, and one on my dad’s side. I have always had a passion for cooking especially since I was my mother’s child who she didn’t have to worry about wasting food. I was always in the kitchen whether learning how to cook or cooking to eat. My grandmother Sharon, who is no longer in the physical with us suffered from multiple sclerosis or MS and could barely walk and I would visit her quite often to help care for her the best I could. She would give me instruction on how to cook what she wanted to eat and most of the time I was eating with her. Grandma Sharon would have me in the kitchen making eggs, brown sugar bacon, pancakes, sausage…all the foods a vegan would never eat. But I took care of her and that’s where my roots began. Although I was passed down the skill set from my lovely mother who can cook and bake almost anything and my dad who is a chef, no doubt about it, I have it honest. What sets me apart from others is that I see the need to help people heal from bad habits of eating and poor food choices. Although I cook a lot of comfort foods, I also make healing foods, fresh squeezed juices, and herbal drinks, I know how to reach people when it comes to eating food. Most people want to eat how they use to so I came up with recipes to touch the souls of my customers to have them wanting more of what Viva La Vegan has to offer.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson that I had to learn is that it is harder to get people to stop eating and doing the things that has caused a negative impact when habits have been passed down from generation to generation so on and so forth. There were times where I was discouraged and in disbelief that people would want to eat my vegan food. Although that was not my true truth, I had to dig deep into my core and believe my business will reach the right crowd of people who really are seeking a change for the better good of their health. That’s not to shame anyone who still eat meat, I can just vouch for what the change has done for me and I can only speak from my truth.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Once I realized that everybody is not going to want to eat vegan food, I had to change to change my thought process on who my crowd is. I learned that not everybody wants to eat vegan but most people want to be healthy at least. Now I create comfort food so good to the point I have people question whether or not I put meat in my food. Of course the answer is no, but that’s just the love I put into Viva La Vegan.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.vivalaveganeatz.com
• Instagram: Vivala_veganlove
• Facebook: Viva La Vegan LLC

Image Credits
The group gradation pic from left to right is Carlton Jones, Nancy Jordan, Kenneth Lewis (boyfriend, #1 supporter), Eddie Davis. All the other three names are instructors of Center of Acceleration of African American Businesses (C.A.A.A.B.) at Better Family Life.