Embracing Culinary Activism: The Story of Crystal Dawn Culinary with Crystal Bonnet

Pivot! A Vegan Business Interview Series

Get ready to be inspired by the remarkable journey of Crystal Bonnet, the mastermind behind Crystal Dawn Culinary. As a raw food chef, instructor, and cookbook author, Crystal embraces her culinary artistry as a potent form of activism, changing skeptics' minds about vegan food. Join us as we explore her captivating foray into entrepreneurship and how she leverages her passion for plant-based cuisine to make a positive impact on the world.

Having honed her culinary skills at Matthew Kenney Culinary Academy and Pure Joy Academy, Crystal's deep knowledge of raw foods led her to establish Crystal Dawn Culinary. Here, she shares her insights with students eager to discover the health benefits of plant-based living.

Beyond creating delectable plant-based menus for new restaurants and catering health retreats across Canada and Europe, Crystal is passionate about using her culinary skills as a form of activism to influence change. She shares her experiences of how she effortlessly showcases the ease and deliciousness of raw desserts, proving that choosing plant-based options doesn't mean compromising on taste or satisfaction.

Moreover, we delve into Crystal's inspiring journey as an entrepreneur. Armed with determination and a vision for a more compassionate world, she ventured into the world of business, founding Crystal Dawn Culinary almost four years ago. Throughout her entrepreneurial voyage, she has encountered failures and mistakes, but she embraces them as invaluable lessons that have contributed to her growth and success.

Join us as Crystal shares her insights on transforming failures into stepping stones and the resilience required to navigate the world of entrepreneurship. Her passion for culinary activism and unwavering dedication to her mission will leave you inspired to make positive changes in your own life and the world around you.

Don't miss this empowering episode, where we celebrate the fusion of culinary artistry, activism, and entrepreneurship with the incredible Crystal Bonnet.

Get to know Crystal Bonnet and Crystal Dawn Culinary more here: https://crystaldawnculinary.com/

Quote:

If you are feeling you're feeling stuck, and you're feeling overwhelmed and stressed – it will pass. Just know that this means that you're on the right path, you're growing, you are doing something important. And just keep going – they say that only 4% of business owners don't quit and keep going. So be that 4%. Be that 4% because those 4% are the ones that succeed. So just keep going and don't quit, and it will all work out.

–Crystal Bonnet

Notes:
👩🏻‍🍳 [02:03] Activism intertwined with entrepreneurship: Crystal embraced culinary activism.
🌞 [03:45] From raw food classes to creation of an online academy and raw dessert culinary course.
👂🏻 [06:15] How Crystal serviced her community: polls, surveys, market searches and finding gaps in the market.
😇 [08:01] Fun dehydrating series: what is a successful online course?
😎 [10:19] Crystal’s priority is her students: being present and super engaged is her secret sauce.
🤓 [13:59] The biggest risk Crystal takes: when you create a product that is not suitable for business growth.
🙃 [16:23] Managing your emotions and difficult decisions: growing and learning as a person together with your business.
📸 [19:19] Tech challenges, photography, filming and food preparation Crystal does all by herself.
📕 [21:31] Cookbook The Art of Raw Desserts: it took two years to create this project.
🤹🏻‍♀️ [23:41] Managing multiple projects at the same time: keeping your business sustainable and having multiple revenue streams.
⚡ [26:26] Only 50% of her students are vegans: other people just enjoy the food.
⚖️ [28:24] Taking breaks and taking time off is hard for Crystal: balancing work and her time.
🎯 [33:23] If you don’t feel like you want to quit - you are not doing it right: be the 4% of the ones who never give up!

-----

Thanks for listening to Pivot, our vegan business interview podcast. This is recorded as a live-streaming session, so I hope you’ll join us for future interviews as well! If you are feeling inspired but unsure of how to take actionable steps to improve your business, I invite you to explore our two premium paid podcasts, Going Solo and Fix It.