We’re spotlighting women Ambassadors in our Thistle Collective to share their stories of empowerment, alongside their passion for the power of plants in of honor Women's History Month and the #EmbraceEquity campaign.
The International Women's Day 2023 campaign theme is #EmbraceEquity, which acknowledges unique challenges and barriers people face, urging action to create a more equitable society.
We're honoring Women's History Month and the #EmbraceEquity campaign by spotlighting some of our incredible Ambassadors in the Thistle Collective. The Thistle Collective is made up of passionate advocates of health and wellness aligned with the common goal to help people get and stay healthy by sharing the power of plants. Read on to hear their empowering perspectives on diversity, living with positive intention, and eating plants to promote optimal health and wellness.
Heather Fletcher, MS Exercise Physiology, @heatherfitfoodie
Tell us about yourself!
My name is Heather Fletcher, I am a health and wellness blogger, and I live in Tampa, Fl.
Who is a woman in your life that you admire?
I admire my mother. She has paved the way for women in her industry as one of the only women in leadership amongst all men engineers in the United States and internationally. Through her leadership and example, she has inspired other women to be assertive and confident in an industry that is traditionally for men.
What is your heritage and/or background that led you here today, and how has it influenced your personal journey of empowerment?
As an African American woman, I educate my community about their health and wellness. African Americans, throughout generations, traditionally are not health-focused. Therefore, we are leading the way for health disparities in America because of the lack of education and emphasis on personal health. This has influenced my journey to set an example for others and to teach them how to be healthier while incorporating their traditions and customs.
How do you amplify your personal mission through your platform to promote women's empowerment and health?
As an exercise physiologist, I share pressing health topics that cater to the needs of women and people of my cultural background on my blog, thefitfoodielife.com, and my social media. I use myself as an example to motivate people to live healthier lifestyles.
What inspires you to eat a plant-based diet and how has it impacted your life and health?
I like eating a plant-based diet for its heart health benefits and overall response in my body. I have a rare congenital heart condition, so it's important for me to have a diet that supports my needs when it comes to heart health. A plant-based diet helps optimize my biomarkers, and I have much more energy and feel like I am aging backward.
What advice would you give to other women who are interested in transitioning to a plant-based diet, especially those who may be hesitant or unsure where to start?
Gradually ease into a plant-based diet. Be open-minded when it comes to trying foods and recipes. You will be amazed at how delicious plants can be when you try new things and don't limit yourself—having assistance like thistle.co makes the transition easier!
How do you believe women can continue to break barriers and make history in the future?
Women need equal access to leadership positions and decision-making roles. Women should be encouraged and supported to take on leadership roles and be given equal opportunities to succeed. Women must help and empower each other in an inclusive environment promoting innovation, collaboration, and growth. Finally, women must recognize and address all challenges from women of different backgrounds and come together for all issues regardless of religion, culture, or socioeconomic background.
Shauna Higgins, M.D., Dermatologist, @dr.shauna.higgins
Tell us about yourself!
My name is Shauna Higgins and I am a dermatologist in Los Angeles, California, where I was born and raised. From the moment I decided I wanted to go into medicine, I knew I wanted my approach to be holistic in nature. I grew up in a household that had an emphasis on health and fitness and as soon as I began learning more in my junior high biology class, I took our household to the next level. As soon as I learned what trans fats were in the 7th grade, I went home, only to find that it was in the majority of the products in our kitchen. I single handedly boycotted anything with trans fats/hydrogenated oil and forced my mother to begrudgingly change her entire grocery shopping routine. Since then, I have committed myself to holistic care of myself, my patients, and their skin.
Who is a woman in your life that you admire?
Personally, obviously my mother for the reasons all children admire their mothers; because of the selflessness and the sacrifice it takes to do this job well. Professionally, my mentor Dr. Ashley Wysong. She is a powerhouse and a force within medicine and dermatology but also as a human being. I've never quite met someone with the bandwidth that she has for performing at the cutting edge professionally and diligently pushing the field forward in addition to caring for her partner, family, staff, and mentees as fiercely and deeply as she does. As I've told her before, she is constitutionally unable to turn away from doing the right thing for her staff and her patients.
What is your heritage and/or background that led you here today, and how has it influenced your personal journey of empowerment?
Culturally, my mother's family is Belizean and my dad's family is Jamaican. Inherent in those two cultures is a warmth that I take with me to every patient encounter. Also inherent in those cultures, particularly Jamaican culture, is a fiery work ethic. That, combined with witnessing the profound lack of diversity in medicine, particularly in dermatology, has always motivated me to continue on the oftentimes difficult road to where I am today. Representation absolutely matters. Dermatology is one of the least diverse fields in medicine with approximately 3% identifying as Black/African American. As a Black female of Caribbean descent, I hope to serve as an example of what is possible, albeit with hard work and sacrifice.
How do you use your platform to amplify women's empowerment and health?
Primarily by sharing my own story, road to dermatology, and the difficulties therein as a means to allow others going through the same thing to feel seen, validate their experiences, but also inspire them to keep going. I also try to educate on the holistic, complementary and alternative medicine approach to overall and skin health.
What inspires you to eat a plant-based diet and how has it impacted your life and health?
My education primarily. I took lots of nutrition classes in college, and learned the ways in which diet is linked to chronic disease in medical school. I also took east-west medicine courses in medicine, which furthered my desire to support the body in its ability to heal itself rather than having a primarily reactionary approach.
What advice would you give to other women who are interested in transitioning to a plant-based diet, especially those who may be hesitant or unsure where to start?
I've gotten so many of my friends who thought they'd never transition primarily to plants to make the switch, and they all love it! I think the main hesitation is surrounding taste. I think people assume healthy means devoid of flavor, which is absolutely not the case. Especially when you have companies like Thistle that make eating plant-based food taste delicious. Thistle also makes it so EASY. Going plant-based can be difficult to do on your own at first because you have to make sure you're getting all the varied nutrients your body needs. And you honestly might just not be familiar with all the options open to you and how to put them together. With nutritionists and chefs working together on Thistle meals, you remove alllll of these concerns from the equation.
What advice would you give to younger generations of women who are seeking to find their voice and make a positive impact in their own lives and communities?
Listen to your inner compass. Stay authentic to yourself, what you believe in, and genuinely champion those causes. As long as you continue to listen to your heart and your body in regards to what excites and fulfills you and you put the right work ethic behind it, you can't go wrong.
Have you ever been involved in advocacy or activism for women's rights or gender equality? How has that experience impacted your perspective?
Informally. I attended an all girls private school in LA (another unique aspect of my story because my dad was BIG on education, this school was CRAZY expensive, but after a few years, an anonymous donor heard about me and agreed to pay my way through high school. Still have no idea who they are). Being at an all girls school itself is a breeding ground for women's rights causes. We pushed to grow the STEM program given that women are historically underrepresented in these fields, and I have continued to mentor in this regard.
Emily Kucharczyk, Health and Wellness Coach and Content Creator, @emilykuchhTell us about yourself!
Tell us about yourself!
Hello! I am Emily Kucharczyk. I am a Pilates Instructor and wellness coach in San Diego, California.
Share with us your heritage and/or background that led you here today, and how has it influenced your personal journey of empowerment?
I was very fortunate to have the mother I had growing up. My mother had a healthy relationship with food and exercise, and it allowed me to grow up without the pressure of toxic diet-culture mentalities. My mom never forced us to eat certain things or didn’t allow us to eat certain things. While she did make us try at least a teaspoon of new foods and limited our access to “junk food”, if we didn’t like something or didn’t want to eat something she didn’t force us. She taught us about balance and made exercise more about movement and fun rather than obtaining a certain ideal body image. I realize now how fortunate and privileged I was to grow up like this. Many women are taught at such a young age toxic habits around diet and exercise. I don’t think until being asked this question today I ever noticed what a massive impact this has had on my career as a health and fitness coach. My language around diet and exercise is neutral. I don’t allow my clients to shame themselves for eating foods that bring them joy or shame themselves for skipping a workout. I want my classes and my messages across the internet to feel safe and supportive, always, like my mom’s messages did to me.
How do you use your platform to promote women's empowerment and health?
It is my goal to always be as authentic and transparent as possible on social media. I know a lot of times we as women fall victim to comparing ourselves and our journey to that of others on the internet. I strive to allow others into my real life through all the peaks and valleys. I am not a perfect human and in sharing the things I struggle with, or have dealt with, I hope to make it so other women feel less alone. I want other women to feel empowered to make tough choices that will make them the happiest, even if it comes with temporary discomfort or the disapproval of others.
What inspires you to eat a plant-based diet and how has it impacted your life and health?
My childhood best friend originally got me to try a plant-based diet. She has been vegan for over a decade and her passion for animals and determination to fight for animal rights is what originally got me thinking about it. Through my own experience working in animal rescue and the bigger impact eating a plant-based diet has on our planet, I have stuck to a plant-based way of eating. I want to do as much as I can to impact the planet in a positive way. After being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s and looking to improve my overall body health and function, eating a plant-based diet has allowed me to feel more energized and move with less inflammation.
What advice would you give to other women who are interested in transitioning to a plant-based diet, especially those who may be hesitant or unsure where to start?
You don't have to jump in headfirst! Start small with one meal a week and build from there. Get friends to try it with you, maybe once a week try a new plant-based restaurant or recipe together. I too was very hesitant to start. In the health and fitness industry it's always been "protein, protein, protein" and I struggled with understanding plant-based diets and how to get as much protein in as I can. Thistle has helped me experience a lot of variety in plant-based eating which has made it so much easier for me.
What advice would you give to younger generations of women who are seeking to find their voice and make a positive impact in their own lives and communities?
Don't ever underestimate the impact you can have on someone's life. Social media does a really good job of making us all believe we need to go out and save the world with one major action but really, I believe it boils down to what are you doing every single day in little actions that have a far larger impact. Buy the person behind you a coffee, say hello to someone new at work, small talk it up with the cashier at the grocery store. As cliche as it is, you never know what a person is going through, and these little connections may impact someone far beyond anything you could ever imagine.
Can you share how your personal experiences have impacted your perspective on equality?
Throughout my educational experience it became more and more apparent that many people, especially women, did and still do not have access to many of these "healthy" lifestyle "choices" we are taught to make on a day-to-day basis. Growing up I had the privilege and access to whole and healthy foods, but many people don’t have access to food at all. A lot of language around food and exercise assumes that everyone has access to the same things and that's simply not the case. What may be "healthy" for someone might not be "healthy" for the next. Every human should have access to clean water, healthy foods, and a way to exercise their mind and body and I hope to bring this to more and more women as I move through my career.
We are always accepting applications from influential and inspiring community builders – from nutritionists and health coaches, to fitness enthusiasts, wellness leaders, and medical professionals. Does this sound like you? We invite you to apply now to our Thistle Collective Ambassador program and become a change maker in our community!
We’re spotlighting women Ambassadors in our Thistle Collective to share their stories of empowerment, alongside their passion for the power of plants in of honor Women's History Month and the #EmbraceEquity campaign.
The International Women's Day 2023 campaign theme is #EmbraceEquity, which acknowledges unique challenges and barriers people face, urging action to create a more equitable society.
We're honoring Women's History Month and the #EmbraceEquity campaign by spotlighting some of our incredible Ambassadors in the Thistle Collective. The Thistle Collective is made up of passionate advocates of health and wellness aligned with the common goal to help people get and stay healthy by sharing the power of plants. Read on to hear their empowering perspectives on diversity, living with positive intention, and eating plants to promote optimal health and wellness.
Heather Fletcher, MS Exercise Physiology, @heatherfitfoodie
Tell us about yourself!
My name is Heather Fletcher, I am a health and wellness blogger, and I live in Tampa, Fl.
Who is a woman in your life that you admire?
I admire my mother. She has paved the way for women in her industry as one of the only women in leadership amongst all men engineers in the United States and internationally. Through her leadership and example, she has inspired other women to be assertive and confident in an industry that is traditionally for men.
What is your heritage and/or background that led you here today, and how has it influenced your personal journey of empowerment?
As an African American woman, I educate my community about their health and wellness. African Americans, throughout generations, traditionally are not health-focused. Therefore, we are leading the way for health disparities in America because of the lack of education and emphasis on personal health. This has influenced my journey to set an example for others and to teach them how to be healthier while incorporating their traditions and customs.
How do you amplify your personal mission through your platform to promote women's empowerment and health?
As an exercise physiologist, I share pressing health topics that cater to the needs of women and people of my cultural background on my blog, thefitfoodielife.com, and my social media. I use myself as an example to motivate people to live healthier lifestyles.
What inspires you to eat a plant-based diet and how has it impacted your life and health?
I like eating a plant-based diet for its heart health benefits and overall response in my body. I have a rare congenital heart condition, so it's important for me to have a diet that supports my needs when it comes to heart health. A plant-based diet helps optimize my biomarkers, and I have much more energy and feel like I am aging backward.
What advice would you give to other women who are interested in transitioning to a plant-based diet, especially those who may be hesitant or unsure where to start?
Gradually ease into a plant-based diet. Be open-minded when it comes to trying foods and recipes. You will be amazed at how delicious plants can be when you try new things and don't limit yourself—having assistance like thistle.co makes the transition easier!
How do you believe women can continue to break barriers and make history in the future?
Women need equal access to leadership positions and decision-making roles. Women should be encouraged and supported to take on leadership roles and be given equal opportunities to succeed. Women must help and empower each other in an inclusive environment promoting innovation, collaboration, and growth. Finally, women must recognize and address all challenges from women of different backgrounds and come together for all issues regardless of religion, culture, or socioeconomic background.
Shauna Higgins, M.D., Dermatologist, @dr.shauna.higgins
Tell us about yourself!
My name is Shauna Higgins and I am a dermatologist in Los Angeles, California, where I was born and raised. From the moment I decided I wanted to go into medicine, I knew I wanted my approach to be holistic in nature. I grew up in a household that had an emphasis on health and fitness and as soon as I began learning more in my junior high biology class, I took our household to the next level. As soon as I learned what trans fats were in the 7th grade, I went home, only to find that it was in the majority of the products in our kitchen. I single handedly boycotted anything with trans fats/hydrogenated oil and forced my mother to begrudgingly change her entire grocery shopping routine. Since then, I have committed myself to holistic care of myself, my patients, and their skin.
Who is a woman in your life that you admire?
Personally, obviously my mother for the reasons all children admire their mothers; because of the selflessness and the sacrifice it takes to do this job well. Professionally, my mentor Dr. Ashley Wysong. She is a powerhouse and a force within medicine and dermatology but also as a human being. I've never quite met someone with the bandwidth that she has for performing at the cutting edge professionally and diligently pushing the field forward in addition to caring for her partner, family, staff, and mentees as fiercely and deeply as she does. As I've told her before, she is constitutionally unable to turn away from doing the right thing for her staff and her patients.
What is your heritage and/or background that led you here today, and how has it influenced your personal journey of empowerment?
Culturally, my mother's family is Belizean and my dad's family is Jamaican. Inherent in those two cultures is a warmth that I take with me to every patient encounter. Also inherent in those cultures, particularly Jamaican culture, is a fiery work ethic. That, combined with witnessing the profound lack of diversity in medicine, particularly in dermatology, has always motivated me to continue on the oftentimes difficult road to where I am today. Representation absolutely matters. Dermatology is one of the least diverse fields in medicine with approximately 3% identifying as Black/African American. As a Black female of Caribbean descent, I hope to serve as an example of what is possible, albeit with hard work and sacrifice.
How do you use your platform to amplify women's empowerment and health?
Primarily by sharing my own story, road to dermatology, and the difficulties therein as a means to allow others going through the same thing to feel seen, validate their experiences, but also inspire them to keep going. I also try to educate on the holistic, complementary and alternative medicine approach to overall and skin health.
What inspires you to eat a plant-based diet and how has it impacted your life and health?
My education primarily. I took lots of nutrition classes in college, and learned the ways in which diet is linked to chronic disease in medical school. I also took east-west medicine courses in medicine, which furthered my desire to support the body in its ability to heal itself rather than having a primarily reactionary approach.
What advice would you give to other women who are interested in transitioning to a plant-based diet, especially those who may be hesitant or unsure where to start?
I've gotten so many of my friends who thought they'd never transition primarily to plants to make the switch, and they all love it! I think the main hesitation is surrounding taste. I think people assume healthy means devoid of flavor, which is absolutely not the case. Especially when you have companies like Thistle that make eating plant-based food taste delicious. Thistle also makes it so EASY. Going plant-based can be difficult to do on your own at first because you have to make sure you're getting all the varied nutrients your body needs. And you honestly might just not be familiar with all the options open to you and how to put them together. With nutritionists and chefs working together on Thistle meals, you remove alllll of these concerns from the equation.
What advice would you give to younger generations of women who are seeking to find their voice and make a positive impact in their own lives and communities?
Listen to your inner compass. Stay authentic to yourself, what you believe in, and genuinely champion those causes. As long as you continue to listen to your heart and your body in regards to what excites and fulfills you and you put the right work ethic behind it, you can't go wrong.
Have you ever been involved in advocacy or activism for women's rights or gender equality? How has that experience impacted your perspective?
Informally. I attended an all girls private school in LA (another unique aspect of my story because my dad was BIG on education, this school was CRAZY expensive, but after a few years, an anonymous donor heard about me and agreed to pay my way through high school. Still have no idea who they are). Being at an all girls school itself is a breeding ground for women's rights causes. We pushed to grow the STEM program given that women are historically underrepresented in these fields, and I have continued to mentor in this regard.
Emily Kucharczyk, Health and Wellness Coach and Content Creator, @emilykuchhTell us about yourself!
Tell us about yourself!
Hello! I am Emily Kucharczyk. I am a Pilates Instructor and wellness coach in San Diego, California.
Share with us your heritage and/or background that led you here today, and how has it influenced your personal journey of empowerment?
I was very fortunate to have the mother I had growing up. My mother had a healthy relationship with food and exercise, and it allowed me to grow up without the pressure of toxic diet-culture mentalities. My mom never forced us to eat certain things or didn’t allow us to eat certain things. While she did make us try at least a teaspoon of new foods and limited our access to “junk food”, if we didn’t like something or didn’t want to eat something she didn’t force us. She taught us about balance and made exercise more about movement and fun rather than obtaining a certain ideal body image. I realize now how fortunate and privileged I was to grow up like this. Many women are taught at such a young age toxic habits around diet and exercise. I don’t think until being asked this question today I ever noticed what a massive impact this has had on my career as a health and fitness coach. My language around diet and exercise is neutral. I don’t allow my clients to shame themselves for eating foods that bring them joy or shame themselves for skipping a workout. I want my classes and my messages across the internet to feel safe and supportive, always, like my mom’s messages did to me.
How do you use your platform to promote women's empowerment and health?
It is my goal to always be as authentic and transparent as possible on social media. I know a lot of times we as women fall victim to comparing ourselves and our journey to that of others on the internet. I strive to allow others into my real life through all the peaks and valleys. I am not a perfect human and in sharing the things I struggle with, or have dealt with, I hope to make it so other women feel less alone. I want other women to feel empowered to make tough choices that will make them the happiest, even if it comes with temporary discomfort or the disapproval of others.
What inspires you to eat a plant-based diet and how has it impacted your life and health?
My childhood best friend originally got me to try a plant-based diet. She has been vegan for over a decade and her passion for animals and determination to fight for animal rights is what originally got me thinking about it. Through my own experience working in animal rescue and the bigger impact eating a plant-based diet has on our planet, I have stuck to a plant-based way of eating. I want to do as much as I can to impact the planet in a positive way. After being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s and looking to improve my overall body health and function, eating a plant-based diet has allowed me to feel more energized and move with less inflammation.
What advice would you give to other women who are interested in transitioning to a plant-based diet, especially those who may be hesitant or unsure where to start?
You don't have to jump in headfirst! Start small with one meal a week and build from there. Get friends to try it with you, maybe once a week try a new plant-based restaurant or recipe together. I too was very hesitant to start. In the health and fitness industry it's always been "protein, protein, protein" and I struggled with understanding plant-based diets and how to get as much protein in as I can. Thistle has helped me experience a lot of variety in plant-based eating which has made it so much easier for me.
What advice would you give to younger generations of women who are seeking to find their voice and make a positive impact in their own lives and communities?
Don't ever underestimate the impact you can have on someone's life. Social media does a really good job of making us all believe we need to go out and save the world with one major action but really, I believe it boils down to what are you doing every single day in little actions that have a far larger impact. Buy the person behind you a coffee, say hello to someone new at work, small talk it up with the cashier at the grocery store. As cliche as it is, you never know what a person is going through, and these little connections may impact someone far beyond anything you could ever imagine.
Can you share how your personal experiences have impacted your perspective on equality?
Throughout my educational experience it became more and more apparent that many people, especially women, did and still do not have access to many of these "healthy" lifestyle "choices" we are taught to make on a day-to-day basis. Growing up I had the privilege and access to whole and healthy foods, but many people don’t have access to food at all. A lot of language around food and exercise assumes that everyone has access to the same things and that's simply not the case. What may be "healthy" for someone might not be "healthy" for the next. Every human should have access to clean water, healthy foods, and a way to exercise their mind and body and I hope to bring this to more and more women as I move through my career.
We are always accepting applications from influential and inspiring community builders – from nutritionists and health coaches, to fitness enthusiasts, wellness leaders, and medical professionals. Does this sound like you? We invite you to apply now to our Thistle Collective Ambassador program and become a change maker in our community!
