Last week I attended a seminar lead by Davida from The Healthy Maven about “How to Build an Ebook” with the plan of self-publishing my own in the near future (birthday goal!). At first, I wasn’t 100 percent sure if I could afford to miss a shift at work and I was kind of nervous about putting myself out there since I am a rather shy person around new people. When new people I meet at social events ask me what I do, I coyly respond, “well umm I have a food site, you know for vegans and umm sometimes I bake a cake…” Now this isn’t what I do to pay my bills but my server job pays for my passion so I lead with that. I bucked up and with a moment of bravery registered for the seminar. I got my confirmation email and volia, I was going. It was as simple as that.
I walked into this beautiful, sunny, rustic seminar room and sat with equally nervous bloggers from Toronto around a gorgeous wooden table. Davida introduced herself and welcomed any questions about the seminar, her site and marketing. It was an elating experience. She sold herself and her brand without skipping a beat or a moment of awkwardness. She told us, “the moment you decide that your site is your business, it is your business. Put on your business mask and hustle.” She explained to me later on that if I considered it a little hobby I did on the side then so would other people. I could literally feel the shift in my mentality. This is what I want to do so I am going to give it my all and there cannot be any compromise about it.
I absolutely loved the seminar and I can’t wait for another one hosted by Davida. In those three hours, she became a resource of “how-to’s” and a source of inspiration. She kept telling me “you can do this, you have come this far!!” When I first started, I literally knew nothing about blogging, site maintenance, SEO, plugins etc. but with each post it gets a little bit easier.
Some things that has not been getting easier is selling myself and really believing that I could do this. We are all our worst critics but it is time to put my game face on, even when I think I can’t do it. Negative mentality is no way to immerse yourself in your passion.
A big thanks to Davida with all of her wisdom and advice, which she admits came from her own mistakes. The seminar gave me the kick in the butt I obviously needed.
So what does this all have to do with Bahn Mi? I picked up a sandwich after the seminar. Wish I could tie it in but sometimes these things just happen.
- 8 ounces plain tempeh
- 1.5 tablespoons tamari
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Thai chili peppers, sliced OR 1 tablespoon Sriacha (if you don’t want it spicy, feel free to omit)
- 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 0.5 tablespoon natural cane sugar
- 0.25 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
- ½ daikon radish, ends cut and thinly sliced
- 1 Vietnamese bun, ends cut off and cut into small cubes
- 1 garlic clove, grated through a microplane
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 0.25 cup vegan mayo (I used Veganaise Brand)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ garlic cloves, grated through a microplane
- ½ cucumber, thinly sliced on a bias
- ½ cup cilantro leaves
- 4 cups greens, (I used baby spinach) divided between two bowls
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Rinse and dry the tempeh. Cut tempeh into 8 triangles. In a shallow pan, whisk together the rest of the ingredients. Marinate tempeh for 20 minutes, turning halfway.
- In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, sugar and salt together until the sugar is fully dissolved. Add the vegetables and stir around until coated. Let sit for 30 minutes to quick pickle while the tempeh is marinating. After 30 minutes, drain and set aside.
- In a medium bowl (I just rinsed out the pickle bowl) and add the garlic and oil. Let sit for 10 minutes to infuse the oil with the garlic. Strain the garlic out and toss the cubed bread in the oil to coat. Transfer to a lined baking sheet.
- Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Once the tempeh has marinated, transfer pieces to a lined baking sheet and back for 20 minutes, flipping halfway or until crispy and browned. When you go to flip the tempeh, add the croutons to the oven and bake for 10 minutes until the tempeh is done. If they are browning too quickly, remove from the oven.
- Meanwhile, prepare the salad with the pickled vegetables and prepare the dressing.
- Once the tempeh and croutons are finished cooking, assembly the rest of the salad and drizzle the dressing on top.
where was this seminar! I live in Toronto too and totally want to know about the next one
It was in Kensington Market lead by Davida from the Healthy Maven. Check out her website for any upcoming seminars!