205 - From Prison Rags to Plant Based Riches with David Israel

Okay, today’s guest has an incredibly compelling story. He’s someone who truly knows how to turn adversity into opportunity. Uber-successful serial entrepreneur, David Israel, has owned, among other things, a nightclub, a jewelry store, a chain of upscale pawnshops, and a maintenance company. But what’s most interesting, is that in 2011, while enduring the most personally challenging period in his life, he founded POP! Gourmet Foods, taking the snack industry by storm and forming partnerships with globally recognized retailers, nationally and internationally. He was even featured in Oprah magazine multiple times. Then, in 2017, David had an epiphany. The following year he took his passion, and considerable experience, and created the wildly popular company GOOD PLANeT Foods, to address the burgeoning demand for people who want to eat better, healthier, environmentally friendly products. 

This is a guest who can probably teach us all a thing or two about making lemonade out of lemons. So get ready for a riveting tale that has all the high-stakes drama of a movie in the making.

“The sentence was five and a half, but with good time I’m out in four, which I knew wouldn’t be a problem. And look, it was life-changing. I mean, we all have this idea of who these people are in prison, and it’s what you see on TV, and it’s really not true. A lot of these guys are just victims of their environment or where they grew up and are really intelligent, smart people. I would call them entrepreneurs, they just didn’t know how or didn’t have the opportunity to do things the right way.” -David Israel

What we discuss in this episode:

• How he started with nothing and created multiple successful businesses.
• His mindset for starting businesses.
• The powerful life lessons he learned in prison.
• How he started to POP! Gourmet Foods while he was in prison and turned it into a snack sensation.
• How he helps formerly incarcerated individuals.
• The origin and evolution of GOOD PLANET foods.
• His thoughts on the future of plant-based foods.
• His leadership style.

Resources:

• https://goodplanetfoods.com/
• https://goodplanetfoods.com/where-to-find-us/ 
• https://www.whatsnextwashington.org/
• https://www.prisonscholars.org/

The Plant-based Playbook IS HERE!

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Researched and written by a diverse group of highly credentialed researchers, clinicians, and athletes, the Playbook leverages peer-reviewed science and real-world experience to illuminate the physiological benefits of a plant-based diet. The Playbook also includes robust, field-tested tools and resources for meal planning and other practical implementation techniques. 

You can download the Playbook here: https://switch4good.org/plant-based-playbook/ 

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