Perseverance And Grit
Caryn Dugan, Spirited Trailblazer. Our client and friend, Caryn Dugan, is one of the most optimistic and tenacious individuals we’ve ever met. Caryn is all about being the first to bring plant-based to a larger community. In 2008, she was motivated to start STL Veg Girl after losing her father to cancer and receiving her own cancer diagnosis shortly after. She has taught the first Forks Over Knives “Community” program to sold-out audiences and created St. Louis’ first Plant-based Nutrition Summit, featuring world-renowned experts. But Caryn’s biggest first began a year ago when she created the nation’s first plant-based nutrition, culinary and lifestyle education center – The Center for Plant-Based Living (CPBL).
PHOTO CREDIT: Sauce Magazine
Her latest business venture has been celebrated by the community with sold out classes, a speaker series and a growing number of people wanting to become healthier. Then, 7 months after its launch, the pandemic hit. With the center temporarily closed, Caryn’s resourceful nature has kicked into high gear. We recently had a candid conversation about how she’s adapted her business to keep healing others through food and education.
You are a heroic example of a person with a dream who’s undertaken an enormous challenge. It’s been a year since you launched Center for Plant-Based Living. Can you share how the experience has been? What have been the best parts? What scared you the most?
If you would have asked me 3 months ago, I might have a different answer. I’ve got to tell you, the community is so fantastic, they’ve been welcoming me all year long.
I’ve loved being in the ‘shop’ by myself, and I have loved being in the shop with 50 people – which we actually had one night. It was truly a labor of love to create it. Blood, sweat and tears all the way because my husband Tim and I built it ourselves.
This place is home to me, and I think it comes through in 2 ways: One is the way I greet people; Two is the way that we envisioned it – it doesn’t have the community center feel (not that there’s anything wrong with that). I wanted the space to feel like an extension of people’s homes because a lot of people who come in are seeking information. They are sick, or they’re scared, or they’re there to help somebody who is sick or scared.
I designed and built the kitchen with residential kitchen equipment, not commercial. I hoped people would come in and feel like they could sit down and learn – or they could understand how to use the equipment right away and start cooking in a class. I wanted them to say, “Oh, I know how to use that stove,” “Oh, I know how to use this oven.” “Everything looks really familiar, let’s get going!” I really believe in softening the learning curve. Instead of people being overwhelmed, they think “I can do this.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Feast Magazine
Once COVID happened, how did you pivot and adapt? Right when your momentum was picking up, you had to shift. You consistently offered free classes during the stay at home months. Can you share some of the triumphs and let downs?
I always knew that CPBL would have a digital arm to it, I just didn’t know it would be quite so soon! I closed on March 16, 7 months and 3 days after we opened.
I cried when I realized we had to close. I printed out every single upcoming class with all of the attendees, got a glass of wine and sat down at one of the class tables with a pen and highlighter, and logged in to the website. One by one, I issued refunds to every single person. You want to talk about something painful, I nearly depleted my entire account. Next, I made a video for my clients to explain what was happening.
When I went home. I was just numb, I didn’t know what to do. I told my husband I was out of business. He said, “No, no, just crazy times. It will be just be a couple of weeks.” No one knew anything, things were changing literally by the hour.
A week later, I jumped out of bed and said – I’ve got to do something that I know how to do, that I like to do, that other people will find value in. That’s when I switched to digital and started doing the Plant-Based Quarantine Cooking Show every Monday and Wednesday on Facebook and Zoom. I had never really worked with Zoom, I wasn’t a really big Facebook LIVE fan, but I wanted to cook, and I like showing people how to prep food, so I put those together and created a fun little show twice a week.
What are some of the triumphs from doing these free classes at home?
I’ve heard a lot of great feedback even though I was fumbling all over myself. I bought some cheap lights from Amazon. I had my Phone and iPad up on books, it looked like a shoddy tv studio in here. But it communicated well to people –we’re both at home and we’re all trying to make the best of this. The feedback was great, that's why I started the Plant-Based Quick Cooking Show every week. Even now, I wake up and wonder what’s going to happen. I don’t know if this business is going to last another 6 months, 2 years, 5 years, who knows, because I don’t know what people are going to want.
I didn’t really have a full business plan when I started the CPBL; I just knew we needed a brick and mortar place for people to find support. I did the business plan to the best of my ability, but there were so many unknowns, because there was nothing like the Center’s concept around.
But when COVID hit, it was like, now what are we all going to do? Nobody has a business plan for this! We’re all scurrying and trying to make it work. It’s been really interesting, and hard, frustrating, and exhausting – but it’s also a testament to grit and listening to people.
CPBL will be open for classes starting July 9 and I’ve received quite a few sign ups; I’ll see what happens.
You asked me what good has come out of this, and don’t mean to sound like a Debbie Downer, but I don’t know yet. Like everybody else, I’ve forced myself to go digital, so I’m learning. There are challenges ahead: my in-person classes used to sell out at 20, but now I’m allowing 8. I’m working 2 to 3 times harder for the same revenue. And now, I’m a teeny, tiny fish in a huge bowl, because virtual classes are being offered everywhere. Everybody’s doing them.
I’m not far enough out yet to look at it and to say I’m so glad this happened. But I believe I will be there, because I’m a glass half full kind of girl. Right now, I’m still in the middle of it.
What tools have helped you most through this?
What keeps me going is remembering how scared I was in 2008, after I lost my dad and discovered that I had cancer myself. I remember that so well, being terrified and searching for answers, help and support.
That’s why I opened CPBL, because we all need support. The missing part for a lot of people who back pedal and decide not to follow a plant-based diet, even though they see drastic health improvements, is a lack of support.
Before, I was service-based, I was always traveling to clients and providing classes. I don’t want people to have to search for me (or others who offer plant-based help) because in 2008, I didn’t know what I was looking for. People who are scared may not really know what they’re looking for. But if they know there is a physical space that offers this, they know they can come in or call and always get information from me.
PHOTO CREDIT: Sauce Magazine
You’ve used social media to build awareness, are you doing things differently in this new environment, and if so, what do you recommend to others?
Connection with people is really, really important. I think I've established that pretty well through the STL Veg Girl channel. Supporting other people in social media helps because it shows you have a heart. I haven’t really done too much different, I don’t think.
Video is big, it’s king, I’ve put out more videos now, even just little live sessions here and there, updates from the shop, and of course the new YouTube channel. I think finding a balance between selling or making people aware of a new product or service, and showing that you’re compassionate is tough. You have to have to earn people’s trust and help them feel that they’re not always being sold something. And really communicating that you want to create some kind of foundation with people.
Do you have any introspection(s) you’d like to share?
You know, I hate when people say we’re all in this together because I’m so sick and tired of it. That, and the word ‘uncertain,’ it just drives me crazy.
But the truth is we are ALL in this together. At the beginning of the pandemic, when you watched the early days of the Today show or CNN fumble, you realized that all of these broadcasts were from home. We’re all trying to figure this out together. I realized I don’t have to be so perfect, seamless and so polished.
One night, I was on a Zoom call with girlfriends and I realized we all have a lot going on and have to be more compassionate and patient with one another. When someone comes up to me and says “I’m having a hard day,” I can empathize with them. Empathy is really having a moment right now. It has helped me get through this easier, just knowing that, everyone is having a tough go at this, whatever business you are in.
I’m also tiptoeing into it and, it gives me a moment to listen to what people want. Why would I fill up my calendar with 12 classes with 1 or 2 people attending each one? I might as well put 2 or 3 classes on the calendar and know that’s really the only choice people have right now.
You’re getting ready to run a Virtual Plant-Based 101 Immersion with Dr. Loomis to celebrate your one-year anniversary.
So, here’s the thing, everyone’s going virtual right now. How can I differentiate our plant-based 101 immersion from other events that are happening? What if we gave people a choice in the agenda, a chance to have a hand in what's going to be talked about?
On social media, we’ve announced the single day plant-based 101 event and asked our audience what they’d like to learn. I’ve been getting a lot of good feedback. We plan to build the immersion around what people want and on the back end, we’ll sell it in chapters, a la carte. I don’t want people to pay for something they don’t want and I never want to waste anyone’s time or money. We’re trying to give people a little bit of power.
Say COVID hadn’t happened, what is your dream?
My dream is the same, to eventually get back to where I was, selling out with 20 people in classes, adding classes to the schedule, thinking about opening up another physical space, and getting virtual classes rockin’ and rollin’ so we can be open globally. That’s the dream, that’s where I was headed. It’s hard, I always felt like I had the knowledge and the control. Now, there’s just no control. I really am just taking it day by day.
When the pandemic is behind us, do you think people will more clearly see their role in their health is super important – and that combined with the fact that PB is now mainstream, that the movement could explode next year?
It might, I’ve had some people tell me that “If it’s not health, then it’s weight control.” We’ve all gained a little weight. People want to get back on track and they want weight loss programs. I plan on offering them.
The more mainstream plant-based products and information become, I do hope that the two cross paths – not only the desire for it, but the accessibility of it. I hope it will blossom to something we have not seen before. I hope to be of service to people that are looking for that information.
