VBT 082: Interview with Kat Mendenhall, vegan lifestyle coach and cowboy boots maker

In this episode I interview Kat Mendenhall, vegan lifestyle coach and educator who also sells custom-made vegan cowboy boots and other accessories in Dallas, Texas. After many years working in corporate sales, Kat found her calling: to mend the world through whole, plant-based nutrition and cruelty-free products. She is a Master Vegan Lifestyle Coach and Educator certified by the Main Street Vegan Academy, a Culinary Nutrition Expert certified by The Academy of Culinary Nutrition, holds a certification in plant-based nutrition by the T. Colin Campbell Foundation at Cornell University, and is certified as a Food for Life Instructor by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. In 2013 Kat, who’s a native Texan, launched her handmade goods business under her eponymous brand, with her signature line of custom vegan cowboy boots. Made from a patent microfiber material which is designed to have a leather grain look and a natural appearance, the boots come in a range of styles, and customers can tailor the finish to their liking, including choosing the material, toe shape, heel height and stitching colour. In this interview Kat discusses: • The challenges of running a bootmaking business, which is a dying trade, without any previous experience in the fashion industry • Why she takes a custom-made, handcrafted approach to her boots and how this sets her apart from other shoeware businesses • Why she chooses to have the boots made in Texas • The importance of running your business the way you want to and defining what success means to you • How the skills she gained working in corporate America have helped her to run two different businesses under the one brand • How she got and continues to get mainstream media coverage for her brand • How developing a community around her brand and being involved in her local community has resulted in her success • And much more Visit the Kat Mendenhall website  Brands mentioned in vegan business news roundup: Firefly Café RESOURCES: My Online PR Course for Vegan Business Owners & Entrepreneurs: Vegans in the Limelight My book Vegan Ventures: Start and Grow an Ethical Business Follow Vegan Business Media on: Facebook   Twitter  Instagram  Connect with me personally at: Facebook  Twitter  LinkedIn