Allie’s journey into veganism began with a realization sparked by trending images of rainforest fires in 2019. Digging deeper, she uncovered the unsettling truth behind the destruction – controlled fires to make room for the beef industry.
This revelation ignited a profound change within her.
Choosing to no longer be complicit in the devastation, she embraced veganism overnight and has been a passionate advocate for the cause ever since.
Please tell us more about yourself
How blessed I am to be surrounded by so many loving and inspiring individuals
Allie Kirschner
I’m an artist, model, publisher, content creator and vegan influencer born and raised in sunny South Florida!
I am currently working on a collage series featuring birds found in Florida, in order to bring attention to endangered and unique species. The ‘Birds of a Feather’ series will officially debut later this year!
When I’m not working on my art, I’m publishing magazines for different organizations throughout South Florida with Passport Publications & Media. Or I’m working with different plant-based brands to help spread the word about as many cruelty free and vegan friendly companies as I can!
Back in 2019 I noticed some trending images of the rain forest on fire, but none of the posts explained how the fires got started.
I did a little digging online and learned the images featured controlled fires for Brazil’s beef industry. There isn’t enough available land to keep up with the demand for beef, so the rainforest is being burned away to make more room.
At the time I was eating steak regularly, but after researching and learning more about this issue, along with others like it, I decided I didn’t want to be part of the problem. I stopped eating animal products that day and I’ve been vegan since! It’s been four years since then, but I keep learning more and more reasons to continue to eat vegan.
I love eating my veggies with various vegan proteins, but I’ll admit I’m a bit of a tofu addict
Allie Kirschner
When I first went vegan many people assumed it would be a passing phase. My siblings used to joke about it, and didn’t take my choice seriously. Four years later the same people who doubted my sincerity tell me how impressed and proud they are that I’ve stuck to my decision, and I don’t hear nearly as many jokes about it.
I’ve even inspired friends and family to incorporate more plant based, meatless meals into their diets and have loved hearing how good they feel after eating meatless!
I try to make sure there’s protein in each of my meals and, of course, tons of plants!
Allie Kirschner
I remember going on a cruise a month or two after I decided to go vegan. I was still learning all the things I could or shouldn’t eat, and my knowledge base was unfortunately still pretty limited. I hadn’t realized there were specific buffets on the boat that had vegan options, and it wasn’t until the second night that I learned there was a special vegan menu for the nightly four course dinners.
I pretty much survived on rice, chips and guacamole for the entirety of the cruise. But after managing to get through the cruise without breaking, even with very limited options, I knew I could stay true to my vegan diet anywhere! The moral of the story is: do your research! Often times there are more options available than we may consider without looking into it!
I love being vegan!
Allie Kirschner
I’ve always been a big foodie, and I’m so blown away at all the delicious vegan food I’ve discovered since going vegan. At this point, there’s nothing I feel like I’m missing out on, and I feel so much healthier and happier knowing no one had to suffer for my meals.
My favorite way to tell someone to try vegan food is to invite them to go to a vegan restaurant with me! I’m fortunate enough to live in a place with a shocking number of vegan restaurants around, so it’s always easy to suggest one when I’m planning to meet up with a friend or go out with family. It’s an easy way to get people to try new things, and almost always leads to conversations about why everyone should incorporate a bit more plant-based food in their diets!
Don’t forget to breathe and appreciate the little things, because life is made of endless little moments
Allie Kirschner
When I first decided to go vegan I looked up a plethora of articles, podcasts, statistics and more to flood my brain with as much information as possible. Do some research! Going vegan meant relearning how to feed myself, and I wanted to make sure I did it right from the start! While that may sound intimidating to some, it was no where near as hard as I was expecting it to be, so don’t let that intimidate you!
I had been working as a model and content creator before I went vegan. However, once I made the switch, I was blown away by the opportunities that began to present themselves to me when I focused on aligning my gigs and sponsors with my new lifestyle.
All things that help me feel loved and grounded
Allie Kirschner
Today I regularly model and create content for some vegan brands I truly love, and it feels like new opportunities keep knocking each day! I now represent Terraseed, a completely biodegradable, sustainable and effective plant-based multivitamin that I take religiously.
I also regularly work with Doshi, a luxury vegan leather company that makes incredibly gorgeous and high quality accessories for the fashion conscious individuals who don’t buy animal leathers. And there have been many more one-off photo shoots or gigs for other wonderful plant-based companies! I feel incredibly lucky to work with brands that share my views and values!
Allie Kirschner
all images courtesy of Allie Kirschner