(Un)Common Knowledge of the Vegan Kind

March 1, 2021

This week we sat down with one of the countries youngest entrepreneurs to discuss some (un)common knowledge about her personal vegan journey and her plans for her business.

L.K. Rolan

Rashida Weekes is a flurry of activity in the kitchen as she floats between her stainless steel gas range top stove and her granite countertop. With the grace and strength of a ballet dancer she expertly prepares our dinner for this evening, vegan fried oyster mushroom po- boy sandwiches and perfectly seasoned sweet potato fries. Alexa plays 'Man of Your Word' by Maverick City as the sizzle of the fungi frying in the skillet only adds to the ambiance. The aroma of the food wafts through the air as my mouth begins to water. I remember I'm here for business.

This isn't our first encounter. Our last meeting was in Orlando Florida after an award show where Rashida stunned in a floor length red shimmery gown and accepted a hard earned award along with her salon team. Ms. Weekes is as accomplished as she is young. Originally from Barbados, she served in the U.S. Navy, earned her cosmetology certification from the Paul Mitchell school, her associates in business, taught and volunteered with her church and community and that was all prior to Covid.

While many in various service industries struggled to find their footing after Covid halted and in some cases completely closed down some businesses for good, I wasn't surprised to find that Ms. Weekes had found light at the end of what for many has been a rather bleak and arduous tunnel.

Things in the kitchen seem to have calmed down. Rashida has arranged two beautiful plates on the living room table along with a couple of mugs of her luxurious blend of rose-chamomile tea . She waves me over and I curl into the arm of her sofa, I prepare my paper and pens for our interview. As I ready myself, Rashida wraps a red throw around herself as she nestles into the hug of her favorite grey loveseat and takes a huge bite of her own sandwich (after a prayer of course).

When we last spoke you were on top of the world, you were a part of fashion week and then your salon was invited to Florida for the award show WOW just before covid. This is quite a departure from the hair industry, what made you decide to switch gears and start your own business, to begin Root'd?

It all started when I was feeling sick. I went to the doctor and they could not figure out what was wrong with me. So I had to take matters into my own hands. I was nauseous with headaches and had light headed most of the day. Even though the doctors had no clue what was causing my symptoms, they prescribed me medication for nausea but told me I had a clean bill of health. So if I had a clean bill of health, why did I need medication? So I did research and realized that by eliminating dairy and animal products you could get rid of headaches and other ailments and heal your body from the inside out.

So that was it for you?

That was Thanksgiving, 2019 I did the whole vegan thing Tofurkey and all. I went cold turkey (so to speak) and I haven't looked back.

Was it easier than you thought it would be?

It was harder! I enjoyed how I felt after eating vegan food, the changes my body displayed were amazing, more energy, more focus, clearer skin, and my hair grew like a weed. I realized that there wasn't enough resources out there! I started creating my own mouth watering vegan meals and taking my Caribbean flare and adding it to my vegan lifestyle.

Do you think everyone should be vegan?

I think if you have health ailments you should try it even if it's for 2 weeks and see if any of those ailments improve. You have to shift your mindset. But there is plenty of help out there. Root'd has a free vegan transition guide and a Vegan Transitional course available to help men and women transition seamlessly into a vegan lifestyle. Generational Heath is what we are about.

That is amazing. You have always been an inspiration to others. What do you think the biggest myth about being vegan is?

All you can eat is salads and that it's too expensive to be vegan. One of my desires is to help people who would like to make the change, but may not have the means to.

Where would you like to see Root'd Vegan be in the next couple of years?

I would like to see and help spread the vegan lifestyle to as many people as possible, especially in the African American Community. You see a lot of people with diseases like diabetes and hypertension. Even though the number of people transitioning has grown tremendously but they could be better. Many of these problems can be tackled by adopting a healthy vegan lifestyle and that would be wonderful to see.

Root'd is a wonderful resource for tackling questions like how to transition with your free 7 step guide, not to mention your wonderful recipes available on your site, locals can even hire you for meal prep. While we are on the subject of (UN) Common knowledge is there anything else you would like to share with my readers before we close and I get to eat this delicious food?

I believe I have created the perfect blend of a floral luxury tea that helped me fall asleep and relax after a long day. My Luxurious Lavender Chamomile Tea is the perfect tea before bed or a relaxing evening. This tea was designed to prepare your body for rest, we are all busy and our minds are always going a thousand miles a minute so what better way to wind down than to steep this Luxury blend in 8 oz of water for 5 mins and create an atmosphere of relaxation, and calmness.

That sounds phenomenal Rashida! I appreciate your time and I thank you for this delicious meal! Where can our readers find more information?

Of course! You can follow me on my Instagram at @Rootdvegan.

You can also access Root'd for Vegan education, recipes and products at:

https://www.rootdvegan.com/

https://mwaleadership.clickfunnels.com/veganwarrior

Thank you and see you next time!