Hi, love. Thanks so much for taking out the time for this blog post.
Today’s topic is about the benefits of having a plant-based vegan diet, the importance of having a positive mindset, and the impact of serving others.
I truly believe that this post is going to be beneficial for a lot of people. Many of us are following our dreams, but sometimes we get sidetracked for many personal and professional reasons — which makes sense, as it is a part of life. But we have to get back on track — and that is the essence of what this interview is all about.
Our guest for today is lovely Tabitha Brown, who, despite having faced many setbacks in life, is thriving on several levels today. I can’t wait for you all to get inspired by her example.
Who Is Tabitha Brown?
A proud Southern country girl originally from North Carolina, Tabitha is an accomplished actress and a vegan influencer known for her plant-based / vegan food reviews. She has over four million followers on her TikTok account and over three million on her Instagram account. Described by Huffpost as “America’s Mom,” her content has been regarded as “comforting” and “calming.”
Tabitha started her career as a co-host, with well-known DJ Busta Brown, for a local late-night talk show interviewing celebrities who performed at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. She followed this by landing roles in several indie films and direct-to-video films. In late 2020, she got her own show — All Love — on the Ellen Digital Network.
From being a Southern girl in North Carolina, Tabitha went on to become an actress, which is not an easy endeavor. However, even as a kid, she always knew this is what she wanted to do. Even when I watch her content online, I am always smiling and laughing.
“I [always] wanted to be on the TV … and wanted to perform. … I loved making people laugh … [and entertain them. So I had decided that] this is what I am going to do … when I grow older.” – Tabitha Brown
As soon as this girl walked through the door, I could feel her energy, spirit, and light. Tabitha has had an incredible health journey that she shared in this episode. From feeling that her life held no meaning to realizing that she needed a massive spiritual lift, she finally found out how to manifest the life of her dreams. Her story is nothing short of inspirational, and I am so excited to share this interview with you all on the Get Loved Up podcast.
Trust Yourself Instead Of Believing In The Hype Of Life
Looking at Tabitha and sensing her positive vibrations, I can easily tell that she is doing what she was always meant to do. She has been free and independent since she was a little girl, but just like most of us, when she got older, life started affecting her.
“When I say [that] life started to affect me, [it means that] I started believing in the hype of life, … believing what other people were saying, instead of trusting and believing in [myself]. … I started covering my accent, … [or wore] my hair in a certain way … because that is what the society [expected of] me. … [And] those were the years I was not free.” – Tabitha Brown
Tabitha has always been the hippie-type — spreading the love around her and making her own clothes — but even then, she was not entirely free. Tabitha realized this only after she went into a really dark phase in life of being sick when she thought that she was dying. Finally, she said, “No more.” She could not put on a mask every day and pretend to be someone else just to make the world feel comfortable.
“[It started with] chronic neck pains that turned into headaches, [leading] to chronic fatigue. … Doctors did not know what was wrong with me. … And one day I lost my [eye]sight, … [which was very bizarre]. … [But] God had to take me through that. I lost my sight because [I was not seeing anyway]. But finally, I woke up [from this state, and I started seeing myself clearly], … for the first time.” – Tabitha Brown
Love, whenever you are stuck in life and want to figure things out, you must ask yourself this question: “What is my passion and purpose?” Here’s how Tabitha put it:
“Go back to your child-like mentality. Think about [things that] you loved doing as a child before letting the world interfere with it. Because [as a] child you didn’t care about what [anybody said] — this is pure. [When] you get older, people start telling you [what you can and cannot do]. … And you start believing it, … thinking it’s true. And the next thing you know, … [you stop living for yourself anymore].” – Tabitha Brown
Tabitha is absolutely right. I know that I have also experienced the same. Many of us find ourselves caught up in what the world wants of us — to the point where we don’t recognize our face in the mirror. But by going back to the basics and thinking like a child, you finally wake up to your true self.
The Wake-Up Call
When Tabitha had been sick for over a year, her doctor was convinced that her disease was hereditary. She felt really exhausted and tired of waking up every day and wanted everything to end. But the only thing keeping her alive was her family. She has always believed in God and his power, but she was slowly getting convinced that he was not so powerful after all. That is when she remembers having a wake-up call in front of her bathroom mirror.
“I had a conversation with my [mirror-self] asking, ‘What is going wrong? Where did you get lost … and stop believing?’ … And at that time, I said, ‘NO!’ I knew who I was, and I was going to wake up. … I fell on my knees and [submitted myself to God]. … At that moment I [had my wake-up call and] became free, and from that day on things just started to change in my life.” – Tabitha Brown
In that instant, she submitted to her higher power and his plan for her, realizing that it was time she woke up to who she truly was. This was a massive mental and spiritual shift for Tabitha. I think it’s just so powerful how, in her weakest moment, she gained the strength to stand tall and take back responsibility for her life.
Transitioning Over To A Vegan Lifestyle
It was sometime in 2017 that Tabitha had a dream where she saw herself on TV. Upon waking up, she thought to herself, ‘How on earth can I end up on a show now that I’m not even auditioning?”. Tabitha started praying and heard a voice telling her to start creating videos. Now that she was living a life of obedience, she decided to become a sit-down comedian at home. This when her daughter convinced her to watch a life-changing documentary.
“My husband and I started watching this [interesting documentary]. What got me the most was when [it said that] diseases are not hereditary. We eat the same thing, causing the same disease. [My mom died of a rare disease, and mostly everyone died with strokes at a young age on my dad’s side of the family]. The common denominator [was meat]. … [I thought] that this might be the thing that can break the curse on my family.” – Tabitha Brown
Shortly after this revelation, Tabitha tried a 30-day vegan challenge with her husband. On day 29, while her husband was ready for a piece of chicken, Tabitha realized that she hadn’t felt so well in over a year. Her headaches had disappeared, and she had regained her energy. Right then, she knew that this was going to be her path, and she decided to go fully vegan.
Serve Yourself By Serving Others
That same voice in her head told her to make videos of what she ate. Even though Tabitha was skeptical then, she still decided to remain faithful and started doing videos about vegan food she ate or cooked live on Facebook. These videos did inspire her, but she still had to earn money. While praying one day, God asked her to humble herself before him, and he would show her something extraordinary.
“[I already felt that] I was one of the most humble [people], … [but being more humble], to me, means ‘to serve.’ … Driving people [is also a form of] service, so I [decided to start driving] an Uber [and start earning while serving others]. … [And it was the] morning of 30th December 2017 [when] I had dropped someone [off, and I saw] Whole Foods … that had good vegan options. [Halfway through a sandwich, I decided] … to do a video … in my car and … tell people about [it]. … By night, the video [had gone] viral.” – Tabitha Brown
Within four days, Whole Foods had reached out to Tabitha and offered her to work with them as their plant-based ambassador. Since then, she hasn’t driven an Uber. By serving others, Tabitha went back to her roots and propelled herself forward, allowing her to serve even more people as a result.
Handling Rejection By Having Faith And Believing in Yourself
Even though Tabitha works with Whole Foods, she still goes out for commercials and auditions and, at times, even faces rejection. And for all of you out there who continuously face rejection on your way to earning a living, Tabitha had some advice to share…
“I say, ‘What’s for you is for you. … And if it is for you, it’s going to happen no matter what.’ So you go in and show up [and] move forward every day. … There are a million jobs out there, and you are not going to win [every time]. … If you have a passion, … then you are supposed to do something with it, … [and pursue your dreams with your gift]. It’s meant to be, maybe not right now, [but pursuing it builds character]. … If you are not out in the world living, then you’re not building your character. … Believe [in yourself], have faith, … and don’t stress about [anything].” – Tabitha Brown
In my yoga classes, I talk to people about non-attachment, and that’s the kind of lifestyle you should have — you should not be attached to anything. Whether you have a job or not, just detach yourself from it. Otherwise, it is going to end up building a lot of insecurities for you.
Instead, have faith that whatever is supposed to happen for you will happen to you. When you’re disappointed, understand that you didn’t get what you wanted for a reason. There is something better and brighter for you, love.
Shifting To A Plant-Based Diet May Help You Heal
Having a plant-based diet is definitely impactful for the planet, apart from being good for your health.
“I always say, ‘What you give out is what you get back.’ And I live my life by leading with love. … [By loving more,] we’d have less violence and pain. When I first [went vegan], I did it for health, … while animals never came into my mind in the beginning. [But by seeing a few documentaries, I realized the impact]”. – Tabitha Brown
More people are on antidepressants today than ever before, and it could be related to the animals that people eat. The animals are tortured and are depressed, and by eating them and their emotions, you may start suffering because they were suffering.
“It’s all tied together, [because] we all are one. … Knowledge is power, and [if] we wake up and pay attention, we can make a difference. … So many people have become vegan or [taken up] plant-based diets, just because of me gently showing them with love. This is an option. We can do this, and we can save lives.” – Tabitha Brown
This is such a valid point indeed —we must lead with love. By showing the path to so many others, Tabitha has already started serving the planet by advocating for a sustainable lifestyle. She’s putting others on a path to recovery and healing, and if you’re ready, you can join us on this path.
To get more information and knowledge about veganism, do check out these documentaries recommended by Tabitha — Cowspiracy and Forks Over Knives.
Get Loved Up with Tabitha Brown
Tabitha’s transformation has been phenomenal, and this interview with her has just been so inspirational and motivating. Since I could not fit everything into this post, do check out the full interview here to learn more about Tabitha’s journey towards having a plant-based diet, living with a positive mindset, and learning to serve others.
If you want to hear more from Tabitha, check out her YouTube channel for her vegan food reviews and other funny videos. You can also find Tabitha on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter.
I really enjoyed this interview. It will be beneficial to so many people who got sidetracked while following their dreams but want to get back on track. Tabitha is such a joy to be around, and if you felt inspired by her journey, tag Tabitha, @iamtabithabrown, and me, @koyawebb, on Instagram with a screenshot of the episode and your greatest takeaways. We would be delighted to know what you learned.
To get more information and knowledge about veganism, do check out these documentaries recommended by Tabitha — Cowspiracy and Forks Over Knives.
Until next time, keep a positive mindset and a will to serve others so you can get yourself back on track. I love you all.
Show Notes
- What happens when we start to believe in the hype of life instead of trusting ourselves (2:25)
- The power of returning to a childlike mentality (4:55)
- Why diseases are not hereditary (and what actually causes them) (13:30)
- What happened when Tabitha chose to focus on service (16:20)
- Tabitha’s advice on how to handle rejection (18:48)
- How changing her hair to an afro changed how Tabitha felt about herself (21:49)
- How Tabitha gets loved up (27:46)
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