Ashley Renne talks about growing up in Atlanta with parents from Jamaica and India. She explains how a study abroad trip to Egypt changed her life and was the catalyst that inspired her to travel the world. Ashley talks about traveling to India 3 times and re-connecting with her Indian heritage. She also talks about the differences between traveling with white men vs. women of color, and traveling to create content vs. traveling to immerse in the culture. Ashley then shares her journey to environmental sustainability and veganism. She also offers tips on eco-friendly travel as well as humanistic travel ethics for supporting local communities. She shares specific resources for identifying eco-friendly hotels, supporting local tour operators, and packing more sustainably and reducing waste. She then tells the story of how she flew on the most eco-friendly flight in aviation history. Next, Ashely talks about her entrepreneurial transition from a corporate 9-5 job to traveling the world as a location independent entrepreneur. She shares the biggest leverage points that she used to monetize her blog to over 6-figures in revenue. Ashley then talks about how she works and travels together with her husband Karl and why the secret to a happy marriage is…Deez Nuts! Ashley then explains the value in developing a whole-foods plant-based vegan diet. She explains how she is using plant-based nutrition during her pregnancy and gives tips to parents for raising healthy vegan kids. She concludes by naming her 3 favorite travel destinations as well as her top 5 hip hop MCs of all time. FULL SHOW NOTES AT www.MaverickInvestorGroup.com
Episode #104: Ashley Renne on Eco-Friendly World Travel, Plant-Based Nutrition and Why the Key to a Happy Marriage is…Deez Nuts!
Episode Summary
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About the Guest
Ashley Renne
Ashley Renne is a professional video creator, keynote speaker, world traveler, climate activist, vegan lifestyle advocate, plant-based nutrition specialist and the on-camera host of Smart. Healthy. Green. Living. After spending years in the corporate world, doing video production and editing work for major companies like The Weather Channel, The Home Depot, and WebMD, she quit her job in 2017 to become a location independent entrepreneur and started travel blogging to show different perspectives of the world through her own lens. Her blog Hey Ashley Renne shares tips on how to live a sustainably stylish and adventurously green life. She focuses on eco-travel as well as how we can have healthier bodies and make plant-based lifestyle changes – especially in communities of color which are disproportionately impacted by climate change and health problems. With mixed parents from Jamaica and India, Ashley grew up primarily in the U.S. and is currently based in Atlanta, GA with her husband Karl.
What You'll Learn
- How to be a more sustainable, eco-friendly traveler
- How to leave the 9-to-5 and monetize a blog to over 6-figures in revenue
- How and why to transition to a plant-based diet and raise vegan kids
Links From the Episode
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#1 BOOK ASHLEY RECOMMENDS
ECO-FRIENDLY HOTEL BOOKING SITES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
AIRLINES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
LOCATION WHERE THE INTERVIEW TOOK PLACE
TOP 3 FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
TOP 3 BUCKET LIST DESTINATIONS
OTHER PLACES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
#1 PERSON WITH WHOM ASHLEY WOULD MOST LIKE TO HAVE DINNER
TOP 5 HIP HOP MCS OF ALL TIME
CONTACT ASHLEY
Time Stamped Show Notes
[3:07] Growing Up Half Jamaican and Half Indian
- Growing up in the US and identifying as Black
- Not connecting with Indian and Jamaican culture as a kid
- Choosing to explore with her cultural heritage later as an adult
- Interracial dynamics of a mixed immigrant marriage in the U.S.
- Visiting with her grandparents who didn’t speak English
[8:45] Spicy Food
- Why Ashley doesn’t like spicy food
- How kids learn to eat very spicy food
- Why Ashley’s sister likes spicy food
[11:25] The Inter-Cultural Culinary and Music Scene in Nigeria
- The caliber of Indian food in Lagos
- The Dancehall Reggae scene in West Africa
[15:29] Living in Egypt and Developing Her Passion for World Travel
- Choosing to study abroad in Egypt as her first international trip
- The chaotic intensity of Cairo
- Noticing more nuances and complexities about Egypt on her second visit
- Different perceptions of the same locations at age 20 vs. age 33
- Transcending the “tourist gaze”
[28:29] Travelling to India and Reconnecting with Her Indian Heritage
- Ashley’s 3 Trips to India and 3 Different Experiences
- Experiencing India with family vs. as a content creator
- Traveling India with white men vs. women of color
- Sightseeing and Adventure Travel vs. Slow Travel with Locals
- Traveling for food
- Veganizing traditional South Indian dishes
[36:01] Ashley’s Journey to Environmental Sustainability and Veganism
- Seeing pollution first hand in Bali
- Learning about sustainable travel techniques
- Deciding to go vegan
- Understanding the links between veganism and environmentalism
[41:52] Eco-Friendly Travel and Sustainable Travel
- How travel was a central part of Ashley’s journey of self-discovery
- The main pillars of eco-friendly travel
- The humanistic side of sustainable travel
- Reducing impact on local people and cultures as well as the environment
- Packing more sustainably to reduce waste
- Staying at eco-friendly accommodations
- Use local tour operators and ensure the money is going into the local economy
- Making sure street art tours benefit graffiti artists
- Making sure tours of low income areas that benefit the local community
[50:54] Flying on the Most Eco-Friendly Flight in Aviation History
- Getting a personal invite by United as an Eco-Traveler influencer
- Ashley’s experience on the world’s most eco-friendly flight
[55:28 ] Ashely’s Entrepreneurial Transition
- Overcoming her negative stereotypes about entrepreneurship
- Merging her video production skills with her travel passion
- Launching her travel Blog
- Starting a video production company
- Deciding to focus on her blog full time and hitting 6-figures of revenue
- Why a narrow focus is crucial at the beginning
[1:07:00] Ashley’s Biggest Leverage Points in Monetizing Her Blog to Hit 6 Figures
- The importance of confidence and recognizing the true value of her work
- Identifying her weaknesses and outsourcing them
- Partnering with her husband to negotiate her band deals
- Landing her first 5-figure brand deal
- Ashley’s tips on negotiating bigger brand deals
[1:14:30] How Ashley and Her Husband Karl Travel Together
- Meeting on Match.com and connecting over “That’s What She Said” jokes
- Honeymooning in two locations to accommodate their different travel styles
[1:22:56] Why the Key to a Happy Marriage is….Deez Nuts!
[1:29:26] Plant-Based Nutrition and Tips for Raising Healthy Kids
- Developing a whole-foods plant-based vegan diet
- Getting a Plant-Based Nutrition Certification from Cornell University
- Using plant-based nutrition during pregnancy
- Raising kids on a plant-based vegan diet
[1:43:35] The Lightning Round
- #1 book Ashley recommends
- #1 person with whom Ashley would most like to have dinner
- Top 3 Favorite Travel Destinations
- Top 3 Bucket List Destinations
- Top 5 Hip Hop MCs of All Time
[1:56:03] Contact and Follow Ashley
