I tried Tabitha Brown's BBQ jackfruit sandwiches and this 5-step recipe is a go-to vegan option for Juneteenth

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12353265" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tabitha-brown" source="Orion">Tabitha Brown</keyword>'s <keyword id="11894124" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="youtube" source="Orion">YouTube</keyword> Kids show "Tab Time" premiered Wednesday. </li><li>Insider spoke with the "Feeding the Soul" author about her journey and inspiration. </li></ul>Tabitha Brown's gentle approach to teaching has a direct connection to <keyword id="12670700" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mister-rogers" source="Orion">Mister Rogers</keyword>, whom she credits with partially inspiring her new kids' show, "Tab Time," on YouTube.The actress turned "momfluencer" garnered the hearts and attention of viewers with her TikTok vegan cooking videos that came sprinkled with words of wisdom. Brown grew her following on the platform to nearly five million followers, leading her to new business ventures like her own branded seasoning and a best-selling cookbook. Now, her growing fanbase opened the door for her to pursue a dream that felt like an answered prayer, she said."For the last few years, that has been my desire — to do a <keyword id="6354493" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="children" source="Orion">children</keyword>'s show," Brown told Insider during a phone call earlier this week. "I thought that if I could get children's minds to open, to where they understand themselves and their feelings, then they can learn to have compassion, kindness, and love for others." <h2>Brown says she has been compared to Mister Rogers in the past thanks to their shared belief in compassion</h2><div type="image" title="Tabitha Brown for &quot;Tab Time&quot;" height="2028" width="2700" msid="88094595" hostid="261"></div>Brown said she came up with the idea of creating a show like "<a href="https://www.misterrogers.org/">Mister Rogers' Neighborhood</a>" with a modern twist that includes vibrant colors and music. "Tab Time" explores themes such as family, helping others, music, how things grow, and mistakes.Rogers' show ran from 1968 to 2001, and was designed <a href="https://www.fredrogers.org/about/">for young viewers to explore early childhood themes</a> through his interaction with friends and neighbors along with puppet stories set in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe."For years people would compare us," Brown said of the late Fred Rogers, who hosted the children's program. "They would say, 'You remind me of Mister Rogers,' and I would think, 'How do I remind you of Mister Rogers?' But I guess over time I started to see it and understand because he was all about love and compassion."And it's the same love and compassion that Brown <keyword id="12087690" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="shows" source="Orion">shows</keyword> that got many online to become fans. For example, <a href="https://time.com/6100891/tabitha-brown-profile/">In Time Magazine's profile of Brown</a>, she was called the "the Gentlest Person on the Internet."Throughout her 10-episode YouTube show, Brown hopes that it not only helps children but the inner-child in adults as well. She hopes "they feel loved, heard, seen, and excited about a new way of thinking and communicating." <h2>Brown says 'Tab Time' is tapping back into herself after feeling lost in the Hollywood shuffle</h2><div type="image" title="Tabitha Brown wearing a blue dress" height="1823" width="2430" msid="88094597" hostid="261"></div>Brown told Insider she had to rediscover herself when asked about the journey to becoming this person that inspires and connects with people."It really came from me tapping into myself," she said. "I had to get back to me. For so many years I was lost in the shuffle of trying to fit in and trying to be accepted by who I thought Hollywood, the <keyword id="11896019" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="entertainment" source="Orion">entertainment</keyword> industry, or corporate America wanted me to be — and I lost myself."She continued: "And so I was like, 'Wait a minute, this is not freedom.' In that moment, I tapped back into Tab and said, 'You know what? I'm enough just as I am. And I have to show up for me and be who God created me to be every day.' That's what freedom is."It's a daily process for Brown, who said she peels back layers of herself daily. "I don't sacrifice my freedom for anything," she added.Episodes of "Tab Time" are released on Wednesdays at 12 p.m. ET on the official <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Every1hasastory">Tabitha Brown YouTube channel.</a>

Tabitha Brown was inspired by Mister Rogers for her new YouTube Kids show 'Tab Time'

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12353265" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tabitha-brown" source="Orion">Tabitha Brown</keyword>'s book Feeding the Soul includes recipes and life advice.</li><li>The actress spoke to Insider about her book and how veganism helped her with chronic pain. </li></ul>Tabitha Brown, the <keyword id="11894142" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="food" source="Orion">food</keyword> and life guru who's breaking barriers as Black woman in wellness, offers a bounty of mouth-watering recipes, including vegan fried carne asada jackfruit tacos, in her new book Feeding Soul. "You know when you're watching your favorite TV show, and you're like, 'On Thursdays, Grey's Anatomy comes on, I gotta get my food,' well at the end of each chapter, maybe there's a recipe that will become your favorite thing you can watch with your favorite show," Brown told Insider. Yet Feeding the Soul, which was released last month, is not a traditional cookbook, though Brown said she was initially approached to write one and plans to eventually do so.The New York Times bestseller is as full of life advice and personal anecdotes as it is the innovative and healthy recipes that made Brown famous on <keyword id="11894125" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tiktok" source="Orion">TikTok</keyword>. <blockquote class="pullquote-wrapper"><q class="pullquote-quotation">I belong in every room I step my foot in</q> <cite class="pullquote-source">Tabitha Brown</cite></blockquote>"I hope that my book feels like a friend in the hand and that it feels like a little piece of me you can take along with you," Brown said. "And everytime you need a little pick-me-up you can turn the page and get it."Brown has been a working actress since the early 2000s, but she became well known in 2017 after posting a <a href="https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/tips-and-ideas/archive/trending-whole-foods-market-ttla">viral video</a> of herself reviewing Whole Foods TTLA (tempeh bacon, tomato, lettuce, and avocado) sandwich. She was subsequently hired as a brand ambassador for the company because her sheer enjoyment of the sandwich inspired others to post videos of themselves trying it out. "Good God, almighty," Brown says in the viral video. "I told myself I was gonna eat half now and half later … but honey, listen." Last year, Brown experienced a social media breakthrough when she started posting to TikTok, where her humorous and inspirational videos garnered her a following of approximately 5 million followers. However, Brown didn't just stand out on the platform for uplifting social media users during a particular difficult and confusing time at the beginning of the pandemic. She attracted attention as a Black woman in the wellness industry, emerging as a prominent voice in a space where women of color are vastly underrepresented."I've been in many rooms where I'm the only Black woman, especially as a vegan, and I'm alright with that," Brown told Insider. "I belong in every room I step my foot in." <h2>A lack of representation in wellness affects Black community <keyword id="11894571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health" source="Orion">health</keyword></h2>The US healthcare system has a longstanding legacy of <a href="https://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/healthcare/347780-black-americans-dont-have-trust-in-our-healthcare-system">mistreating and misdiagnosing Black people</a>, which has led to comparatively worse health outcomes and the erosion of trust in Black communities.One recent study that showcases the inadequate care Black patients can be subjected to involved medical practitioners receiving a case of either Black or white patient with a torn ACL. The results showed that participants generally assigned lower pain ratings to the Black patients, thereby downplaying the play they were actually experiencing."The stated purpose of healthcare is to reduce pain and suffering and so to condone healthcare inequalities is to condone the pain and suffering of Black and brown people," Sophie Trawalter, and one of the authors of the study, said during <a href="https://batten.virginia.edu/about/news/black-americans-are-systematically-under-treated-pain-why">a virtual discussion of the research. </a>While Brown does not bill herself as a medical expert, she does provide general guidance regarding how people can take care of their mental and physical health. Her content specifically focuses on food because she said turning vegan was the only thing that helped her with her own chronic illness. <div type="image" title="Cover of Tabitha Brown Feeding the Soul book" height="648" width="432" msid="87166270" hostid="261"></div>"I was very sick for a year and 7 months," Brown told Insider. "I had this terrible headache in the back of my head and that headache was accompanied by chronic fatigue and chronic pain." She recalled going to numerous doctors, but "they couldn't figure out" what was wrong with her since her blood tests and MRIs didn't show any abnormal results. "I'd taken every drug the doctors had given me," Brown said. "I was a guinea pig because I was desperate for an end to the pain." It wasn't until her daughter came home from high school several years ago and suggested the family watch ​​What the Health, a documentary about reversing and preventing chronic diseases. Brown and her husband decided to do a "30-day Vegan challenge" and by day 10, Brown said she was no longer experiencing debilitating headaches. "It's been over four years now and I haven't looked back," Brown said. "I hope that people, especially in the Black community, see someone who looks like themselves and says. 'Oh wait, she talks about food differently and maybe I can try that. Maybe I can help some of the ailments that are running in my family by changing what I eat.'<h2>Feeding the Soul showcases a different side of Brown </h2>While Brown is often portrayed as an overnight success, Feeding the Soul provides insight into the many challenges she encountered on her way to becoming the social media creator whose content resonates with people globally.From discussing her mother's struggles with ALS to her son's diagnosis of motor tics, Brown said she decided to share the fullness of her story to "help others." Each chapter in the book not only delves into a personal anecdote of experience, but offers a pithy lesson, including "no shame in putting yourself first," "running only leads you back to you," "mind your business with love," and "freedom is knowing you're enough." <blockquote class="pullquote-wrapper"><q class="pullquote-quotation">I hope that people, especially in the Black community, see someone who looks like themselves and says. 'Oh wait, she talks about food differently and maybe I can try that.</q> <cite class="pullquote-source">Tabitha Brown</cite></blockquote>"One of the most difficult parts to write was the story I tell about my son," Brown said. "It was difficult for me to write about it because I realized how much I was holding it, but when I finally wrote it, it was freeing." Brown said that there's another part of her story readers might be surprised by. In the introduction, she talks about having the gift of supernatural sight, one that enabled her to prevent her daughter from falling out of the backseat of a friend's car. "I've never really gone into detail about my gift of seeing, but I chose to do that in the first chapter because I wanted people to know from the beginning and decide, do you still want to walk with Tab on this journey?" Brown said. "If you're alright with it, then let's keep walking."

In her book 'Feeding the Soul,' Tabitha Brown talks breaking barriers as a Black woman in wellness

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Reports have shown Black Americans are more likely to adopt vegan diets.</li><li>Plant-based options, independent from modern trends, have been a part of Black American culture for generations.</li></ul>When Brenda Sanders founded the <a href="https://www.afrovegansociety.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Afro-Vegan Society</a> in 2016, she felt her mission was promoting a choice between life or death. As a space for Black people to convene over their unique experience with veganism, it also revealed the dire health status of so many Americans."There's no way to even deny at this point that all of these completely preventable diseases that are still so prevalent in our community are not diet-related," Baltimore-native Sanders told Insider. "It's a matter of life and death for marginalized communities, especially Black and Brown folks."Sanders echoes a bleak statistic: on average, the life expectancy of <a href="https://www.kff.org/report-section/key-facts-on-health-and-health-care-by-race-and-ethnicity-health-status-outcomes-and-behaviors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Black Americans is 6 years lower than the overall population</a>. With heart disease as the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most common cause of death</a>, poor diet and healthy food inaccessibility has had a detrimental impact for decades.Despite pressing health concerns, reports have shown that Black people are leading the numbers in vegan and plant-based eating. In the past 10 years, reports have shown that Black Americans were <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53787329" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nearly three times</a> more likely to follow a vegan diet. In 2021, a <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/282779/nearly-one-four-cut-back-eating-meat.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gallup poll reported</a> that 31% of nonwhite respondents cut back on their meat consumption within the year prior compared to 19% of white respondents. And a <a href="https://www.vrg.org/press/201511press.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2015 survey</a> conducted by the Vegetarian Resource Group found that 8% of Black Americans reported never eating meat, fish, or poultry, compared to 3.4% of the overall population.<h2>Rooted in history</h2>Advocates and Black vegans themselves are not surprised by these numbers. As a counter narrative to exclusive, coastal, and expensive options at retailers like Whole Foods or Erewhon, veganism and plant-based options have been ingrained in predominantly Black communities for much of the 20th century and beyond."When I was introduced to veganism and plant-based eating 25 years ago, it was through Black people who had opened up a health food store/cafe back in the early seventies," Sanders recalls. "And if you go around the country, there were these little out of the way, tucked-into-the-corner-of-the-hood spots that were serving plant-based food."The roots of Black veganism and vegetarianism go through many subcultures of Black America and the diaspora: from Rastafarianism, the Nation of Islam, and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/01/24/fastest-growing-vegan-demographic-is-african-americans-wu-tang-clan-other-hip-hop-acts-paved-way/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">early hip-hop culture</a>. Plant-based cuisine, existing for centuries before modern "vegan" nomenclature, have been reintroduced and reinvented within Black American culture for quite some time.<h2>Fighting food insecurity</h2>While Black communities are no cultural stranger to plant-based or vegan options, accessibility is the primary obstacle to impacting community health. Post-pandemic, the nation is facing one of the <a href="https://www.socialpolicylab.org/post/grow-your-blog-community" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highest rates of food insecurity in the past 25 years</a>.According to the<a href="https://www.socialpolicylab.org/post/grow-your-blog-community" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Harvard University Social Policy Data Lab</a>, 1 in 6 Americans are struggling to eat meals daily with Black communities being twice as likely to experience food insecurity. On top of that, a history of geographic and urban planning has left large portions of the American South without easy access to food at all.<a href="https://www.abreezeharper.com/bio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Amie Breeze Harper</a>, author of "Sistah Vegan: Black Women Vegans Speak on Food, Identity, Health and Society," purports that a laundry list of systemic tactics have led to the inaccessibility of healthy food options, including the "racial wealth gap, poor transportation infrastructure" and targeted marketing that excludes the majority of the nation. "Systemic racism has made phenomena such as food apartheid a major impediment to achieving access to any type of holistic and culturally appropriate dietary practice, which includes veganism," Dr. Harper said. "Food apartheid tends to affect Black and Brown communities the most, if we are talking about racialized minorities in the USA."<h2>Food apartheid</h2>A food desert, also as referred to as "food apartheid," is defined by the <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/45014/30940_err140.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United States Department of Agriculture</a> (USDA) as "large proportions of households with low incomes, inadequate access to transportation, and a limited number of food retailers providing fresh produce and healthy groceries for affordable prices." To qualify technically as a food desert, at least a third of the population must live more than 1 mile from a supermarket in an urban environment or 10 miles from a supermarket in rural areas. According to the McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility, <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/bem/our-insights/nourishing-equity-meeting-black-consumers-needs-in-food" target="_blank" rel="noopener">21% of Black Americans reside in a food desert. </a>But the solution isn't as simple as erecting more supermarkets or groceries stores. Accessibility serves as the first behemoth for increasing nutritional value — reshaping demand and reducing costs follows directly behind as nutrient-rich food <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-happens-when-new-supermarkets-open-in-food-deserts-not-what-you-may-think-01570734542" target="_blank" rel="noopener">can cost ten times more than "junk food,</a>" not including the increasing wealth gap or price inflation. "Sometimes you build the supermarkets and people don't come," Sanders explained. "And then it becomes 'well they had a grocery store there and people didn't support it so it shut down.' But how much did you reach out to the community? Did you do a cooking demo to the community? We got to get education there, too."<h2>The power of social media</h2>To bridge the knowledge gap, Black vegans are taking to social media to provide guides and recipes on how to prepare fresh foods once they're in the hands of those who need it. Collectively, vegan chefs and influencers alike have amassed millions of followers connected to vegan and plant-based cooking. "I have seen how specifically Black communities, for example, are using the internet and social media to advocate for, and promote, their vegan food options and businesses in a way that didn't exist even 15 years ago," Dr. Harper said. "I think of how <a href="https://www.instagram.com/iamtabithabrown/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tabitha Brown</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/afrovegansociety/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brenda Sanders</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/byanygreens/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tracye McQuirter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kubenicecream/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kai Nortey</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/badassvegan/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Badass Vegan</a> have used cyber technology to create a more diverse way to narrate and promote veganism."Celebrities have also advocated for veganism. In 2019, Beyoncé and Jay-Z <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/01/entertainment/beyonce-vegan-concert-tickets/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offered fans</a> the chance to win tickets to their concerts for life if they incorporated more plant-based meals into their diets. Venus Williams has spoken about how a raw <a href="https://www.insider.com/venus-williams-vegan-diet-improved-skin-but-loves-junk-food-2021-4">plant-based diet helped</a> her manage an autoimmune disease.The deeply-rooted cultural significance of plant-based and vegan alternatives remains the key to the often overlooked popularity within Black communities. Dissecting it from continued trends and promoting its connection to issues related to individual well being, environmental health, and generational community development remains at the core of the Afro-Vegan Society's mission. "We must divorce the idea of plant-based alternatives from trends, from the idea that it has to be expensive, or that it somehow runs counter to our culture," Afro-Vegan Society founder Sanders said. "There are so many different problems that can start to be addressed by this one change.

Black communities are leading a vegan revolution. Food insecurity and systemic obstacles still stand in their way.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>For many people and businesses, consumption of animal products is the norm.</li><li>While <keyword id="11955817" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vegan" source="Orion">vegan</keyword> eating and living is becoming increasingly normalized, it still has a way to go.</li></ul>Anthony Bourdain <a href="https://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/anthony-bourdain-thinks-vegans-are-self-indulgent/">once said</a>: "Vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter faction, the vegans … are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit." He's <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-46042314">far from alone in that sentiment</a>. Vegans, who don't consume or use animal products or by-products, have faced an <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1368430215618253">uphill battle</a> with stereotypes and judgment. And while defecting from meat, dairy, and animal products is becoming increasingly normalized, those stereotypes still exist — in everything from marketing to interpersonal relationships.Whether one identifies as vegan or plant-based — or something else on the veg spectrum — the notion of rejecting the status quo of consuming meat, eggs, and dairy still goes against the norm. That means even as veganism <a href="https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/features/vegan-celebrities/">goes more mainstream</a>, old stereotypes are hard to shed.One vegan changing the narrative is TikTok vegan foodie Tabitha Brown, who said going vegan helped her with chronic pain and fatigue. "Four years ago I didn't think I would have been vegan — who knew," Brown told <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/plant-based-diets-vegan-vegetarian-and-animal-alternatives/">CBS Morning News host Ben Tracy in an interview</a>. <a href="https://www.today.com/food/black-vegan-why-so-many-black-americans-are-embracing-plant-t209743">Research has shown</a> that Black Americans are nearly three times more likely to be strictly vegan or vegetarian than other Americans, and Brown is one of them.<div type="image" title="Tabitha Brown wearing a blue dress" height="4984" width="3987" msid="90646926" hostid="261"></div>"What did you think of vegans?" Tracy asked. "I honestly thought: 'That's for white people,' particularly white women who do yoga and maybe they're in a cult," Brown said with a laugh. Brown's fame started as a fun project encouraged by her kids, where she posted vegan cooking demos with life lessons sprinkled on top. Now, Brown's one of the most notable and influential vegans today. "My goal is not to judge anyone, or force my lifestyle on anyone," Brown told CBS. "It's simply to share what it did for me. And representation matters, right. So now when people think of a vegan, they also think of a Black woman with an afro." Allen Pizza, an Atlantic City-based DJ and music producer, ditched animal products when his heart health devolved and he got diagnosed with a rare disease. He went fully vegan in 2013, and recounted dating a girl who told him: "You're not a man if you don't eat meat." Pizza would beg friends, several of whom had health issues like diabetes, to just try going vegan or eating plant-based. He was brushed off. But starting a few years ago, he said friends actually started calling him to ask for advice on how to make the shift. "Some people just won't change until it's catastrophic to their own well-being," Pizza told Insider. A few vegan restaurants have opened in his hometown in New Jersey, and he finally convinced friends to go with him. To their surprise, he said, they liked it.Muzammil Ahmad, a fourth-year medical student from Edmonton, Canada, gravitated toward veganism due to personal observation and science. "I have witnessed many health problems including cancer, heart disease and diabetes in my family," Ahmad said. "I also had suffered from my own health issues including migraines, cystic acne and chronic fatigue." After combing through research studies on health and watching documentaries on animal-welfare topics, Ahmad knew going vegan and focusing on plant-based eating was for him. But those around him had questions: mainly, where he gets protein, calcium, and iron."Once I was able to answer the scientific nutrition-related questions, the reactions became much better and more people became interested in learning more," Ahmad said. Ahmad believes men tend to have a hard time with veganism "due to the <a href="https://www.foodandwine.com/news/marketing-plant-based-meat">marketing tactics by the meat industry</a>, as well as the old traditions and sayings associating meat with masculinity." Ahmad is now sharing his plant-based knowledge with others through nutrition coaching and public speaking as he continues with his doctorate."It is important to keep raising this awareness to keep reducing this stigma," Ahmad said. "It has been more than three years since that decision, and I have not looked back. My health is much better. I have not had a single migraine since, my skin cleared up, and my energy levels have been great. And I am happier knowing I am making a positive impact to the planet and helping reduce animal cruelty caused by our <keyword id="11894142" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="food" source="Orion">food</keyword> system."Beth Skidmore, a California resident and founder of the nonprofit <a href="https://rootedsantabarbara.org/">Rooted Santa Barbara</a>, recalls going vegan about 10 years ago and not having a lot of resources. Now, Skidmore says, "there is an exciting shift happening." But going vegan or eating an entirely plant-based diet is still commonly seen as restrictive and extreme. Skidmore's trying to change that perception through her nonprofit, which focuses on education and health outcomes associated with plant-based eating. "Also, often vegan eating is thought to be expensive," Skidmore told Insider. "But whole grains and beans are some of the most cost-effective foods, while some of the more highly processed vegan foods that can help replicate the meat or cheese experience, are often more expensive." Skidmore also touched on the uses of different terminology."For me, 'plant-based' has helped open the conversation more and highlight the health aspects," she said. "Even if you're interested in plant-based eating for ethical or environmental reasons, it helps to understand how to prioritize foods for health and affordability so that it's sustainable." For many, going vegan, or even shifting to a more plant-centric lifestyle, seems extreme. But for those like Pizza, Ahmad, and Skidmore, it's a choice rooted in their own values."I've become exponentially passionate about all the benefits of this lifestyle and am incredibly proud to live this way," Skidmore said.

How these professionals are challenging stereotypes about veganism, from how it's marketed to who can do it

Hi, this is Amanda Perelli. Welcome back to Insider <keyword id="1112328" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Influencers">Influencers</keyword>, our weekly rundown on the influencer and creator economy. <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/influencerdashboard">Sign up for the newsletter here.</a>A year ago, Tati Bruening became obsessed with <keyword id="6762469" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="TikTok">TikTok</keyword> and would sit and scroll for hours. Then she got an idea: What if she could take photos of these rising stars for her <keyword id="819905" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Instagram">Instagram</keyword>? "I saw the potential in the talent and the e-boy scene," Bruening said. "These are good looking boys that could have a career in modeling, why aren't we taking advantage of this?"This week, I wrote about how the 19-year-old photographer (known as Illumitati online) has built a business taking fashion portraits of top TikTok stars like Chase Hudson and Avani Gregg. Hudson, aka Lil Huddy, is obsessed with fashion, and Bruening has taken dozens of photos of him in looks styled by 23-year-old fashion stylist <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tabitharsanchez/?hl=en">Tabitha Sanchez.</a>Together, Bruening and Sanchez have worked on shoots for TikTok creators like Sienna Mae Gomez (<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@siennamae?lang=en">7.9 million followers</a>), Larray (<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@larrayeeee?lang=en">17.9 million followers</a>), and Willy Wonka TikTok (<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@willywonkatiktok?lang=en">16 million followers</a>). How did Bruening first reach these Gen-Z stars?To land her first subjects, she used Instagram to catch their attention, and sent dozens of simple messages like "Let's shoot!" to creators. By the end of May, Bruening had her first studio session with TikTok star Zieler, who had under 100,000 followers at the time. "Eventually, I got to this point where Lil Huddy DM'd me and said, 'Hey, when are we shooting?'" she said. "A bunch of these really, really awesome people started having interest in me, and I think that was after I had done a shoot with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/luvanthony/?hl=en">luvanthony</a> and became connected with TalentX." <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-tiktok-star-photographer-ilumintatis-business-portraits-2020-10">Read more about Bruening's photography business here.</a><h1><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-instagram-influencer-makes-brand-deal-email-template-2020-10">The email template an influencer uses to turn gifting offers into paying deals</a></h1><div type="image" title="Emma Cortes Influencer lifestyle" height="2006" width="2670" msid="79063850" hostid="261"></div>Instagram influencer Emma Cortes has about 38,000 followers and she booked $40,000 in brand deals in 2019.She works with brands on creating fashion and lifestyle content and strategically negotiates with the brands to turn their offers into long-term, paying deals — even if the brand only offered a gift. My colleague Sydney Bradley spoke with Cortes about her negotiation strategy, which she breaks down step-by-step, and an email template she uses."I never really give a flat rate," Cortes said. Instead, she provides a range.Right now, her average rates are between $1,500 to $2,500 for an in-feed Instagram post and a few story slides, she said. Business Insider verified these rates (and her income) through documentation provided by Cortes.So far, this strategy has allowed Cortes to secure some five-figure deals that are multi-month contracts, she said.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-instagram-influencer-makes-brand-deal-email-template-2020-10">Read the email template Cortes uses for turning a gifting opportunity into a paid brand deal here</a>.<h2><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-micro-youtube-influencer-earns-candle-maker-2020-11">A full-time candle maker earns more money from YouTube videos about her products than from selling them</a></h2><div type="image" title="Erica Boucher" height="2186" width="2915" msid="79063853" hostid="261"></div>Erica Boucher, 26, lives in California and makes soy wax candles for a living. Boucher quit her job in June and made the switch to selling candles full time after being accepted into <keyword id="10879" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="YouTube">YouTube</keyword>'s Partner Program.Now, Boucher earns a big chunk of her money through YouTube videos about her business.I spoke with Boucher about her business and broke down exactly how much money she makes on YouTube and in Etsy sales. "The pandemic happened and I wasn't working at my full-time job, but I didn't know how long that would last," she said. "I had a little bit more time to work on my business and it absolutely exploded. Honestly, my YouTube channel and Instagram have brought so much traffic and helped me grow my shop."Some candle YouTubers, like Boucher, are part of a community of creators who make more money in YouTube ad revenue than they do in their main gig. For instance, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/27/how-much-money-a-social-media-influencer-makes-farming.html">one Minnesota farmer makes more money talking about farming on YouTube</a> than from his crops.Year-to-date, she's earned $14,320 from YouTube ads, according to screenshots of her creator dashboard viewed by Business Insider. She <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-do-influencers-pay-taxes-tips-for-youtube-instagram-blogs-2020-2">saves 25% of every check from YouTube for taxes</a>, she said.This post is the latest installment of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/youtube-money">Business Insider's YouTube money logs</a>, where creators break down how much they earn.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-micro-youtube-influencer-earns-candle-maker-2020-11">Read how much money she's earned on YouTube by month here.</a><h2>More creator industry coverage from Business Insider:</h2>Instagram:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-micro-influencers-charge-instagram-brand-sponsorships-2020-8">6 Instagram micro influencers explain how much money they charge brands for sponsorships</a> (Amanda Perelli and Sydney Bradley)</li></ul><h2>This week from Insider's digital culture team:</h2><div type="image" title="5fa1d0481df1d50018218b24" height="921" width="1260" msid="79063854" hostid="261"></div><h2><a href="https://www.insider.com/youtube-fake-election-results-livestreams-monetized-misinformation-2020-11">YouTube channels made money off of fake election results livestreams with thousands of viewers</a></h2>On Election Day, YouTube channels — including one with more than 1 million subscribers — livestreamed fake election results to tens of thousands of people.Insider reporter Kat Tenbarge found three fake elections results broadcasts that had advertisements playing before them.The top four videos in the YouTube search results for "Presidential Election Results" were broadcasting a fake graphic displaying an Electoral College projection hours before any state's polls closed.After Insider emailed YouTube with links to three of the fake broadcasts, the platform took down the videos Insider flagged. The platform said the streams violated YouTube's policies on "spam, deceptive practices, and scams."<a href="https://www.insider.com/youtube-fake-election-results-livestreams-monetized-misinformation-2020-11">Read the full post here.</a>More from Insider: <ul><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/election-2020-results-memes-reactions-trump-biden-maps-voting-2020-11">The best memes and social media reactions from Election Day 2020</a> (Palmer Haasch)</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/shane-dawson-hinted-at-return-on-instagram-jeffree-star-2020-11">YouTuber Shane Dawson hints at a return after being "canceled" over the summer</a> (Lindsay Dodgson)</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/celebrities-tricked-into-fake-borat-3-audition-by-youtube-pranksters-2020-10"></a><a href="https://www.insider.com/karen-meme-video-name-joe-biden-donald-trump-data-stereotype-2020-11">New data suggests that voters named Karen may be more likely to prefer Joe Biden</a> (Margot Harris)</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/voter-fraud-election-tiktok-conservative-hype-house-accounts-influencers-false-2020-11">Conservative accounts on TikTok are spreading false voter fraud allegations</a> (Rachel E. Greenspan)</li></ul><div type="image" title="FILE PHOTO: A Vote sign directs voters to an early polling station for the March 3 Super Tuesday primary in Santa Ana California, U.S., February 24, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Blake" height="3416" width="4554" msid="79063858" hostid="261"></div><h2>Here's what else we're reading: </h2><ul><li><a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2020-11-03/hip-hop-influencers-wav3pop-halloween-party-hollywood-hills">L.A. hip-hop duo Wav3Pop threw an influencer-packed party in the Hollywood Hills on Halloween</a> (August Brown, from The Los Angeles Times)</li><li><a href="https://fashionista.com/2020/11/tiktok-stars-fashion-stylists">The stylists helping TikTok stars explore mainstream fame</a> (Maura Brannigan, from Fashionista)</li><li><a href="https://www.voguebusiness.com/companies/the-next-frontier-of-influencer-marketing-live-shopping-videos">Vloggers and models are hosting live video streams to promote brands</a> (Kati Chitrakorn, from Vogue Business)</li><li><a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/11/3/21545053/trump-youtube-campaign-homepage-advertisements">Why the Trump campaign is going all-in on YouTube with homepage advertisements</a> (Rebecca Heilweil, from Vox)</li></ul>Thanks for reading! Send me your tips, comments, or questions: aperelli@businessinsider.com<h2><a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/influencerdashboard">Subscribe to the newsletter here</a>.</h2>

How a photographer landed top TikTok stars as clients

<ul class="summary-list"><li>On Saturday, news broke suggesting that James Corden was "in line" to replace <keyword id="54602" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ellen-DeGeneres">Ellen DeGeneres</keyword> should her daytime talk show go off the air.</li><li>The news about Corden led to backlash from people accusing him of problematic behavior, similar to the criticism DeGeneres has faced in recent months.</li><li>Regardless of the accusations against Corden, it'd be uninspired to make him — a straight white man — DeGeneres' replacement.</li><li>Talk shows right now are hosted primarily by men, which means a female host is essential for bringing new perspectives to audiences.</li><li>"The Ellen DeGeneres Show" was groundbreaking when it premiered, and, should it go off the air, producers would do well to appoint a queer woman of color as her successor.</li></ul>On Saturday, the British newspaper The Sun <a href="https://www.insider.com/james-corden-ellen-degeneres-show-host-replacement-reactions-2020-8">reported that James Corden was thought to be "in line" to replace Ellen DeGeneres should she quit her namesake show</a>.It was the latest news in a <a href="https://www.insider.com/ellen-degeneres-mean-backlash-nikkietutorials-timeline-2020-4">maelstrom of bad press</a> for DeGeneres that began when the Dutch beauty YouTuber Nikkie de Jager said in February that the host — long known for <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/08/05/ellen-degeneres-turned-kindness-into-brand-now-brand-may-bring-her-down/">telling her audience to "be kind"</a> — had acted <a href="https://www.insider.com/nikkietutorials-ellen-degeneres-dutch-tv-interview-rude-2020-3">"cold and distant" during de Jager's appearance</a> on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."Since then, <a href="https://www.insider.com/ellen-degeneres-mean-backlash-nikkietutorials-timeline-2020-4">crew members, celebrities, and media personalities have publicly spoken out</a> about DeGeneres' character and accused her of problematic behavior. Corden himself has also faced criticism following the news that he might be DeGeneres' successor, leading to backlash on Twitter from people accusing the "Late Late Show" host of trying to lower young writers' salaries or saying he acted in a similarly entitled way as DeGeneres has been accused of.But regardless of your feelings about Corden or DeGeneres, the news that Corden could replace the longtime host points to a larger, more disturbing trend of talented women (especially queer women and women of color) consistently being sidestepped to pave the way for male comedians.<h2>DeGeneres' daytime talk show was once considered progressive and historic</h2>When it first premiered in 2003, DeGeneres' "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" was a huge move for network television.As an out lesbian, DeGeneres was one of the few queer women (aside from Rosie O'Donnell) to host an entire talk show, and she quickly found an audience with people who loved her dancing, pranks, and goofy sense of humor.But DeGeneres' hosting gig came after a turbulent few years for her.In 1997, while starring on the ABC sitcom "Ellen," DeGeneres came out as lesbian <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRUjNOpT5-A">during an interview with Oprah Winfrey</a>. She followed up the interview with a <a href="https://time.com/4728994/ellen-degeneres-1997-coming-out-cover/">groundbreaking Time magazine cover (featuring DeGeneres with the words "Yep, I'm Gay")</a>, and even addressed her sexuality in an episode of her sitcom.Titled "The Puppy Episode," the plot focused on DeGeneres' character Ellen Morgan as she <a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/coming-out-episode-of-ellen">confided in her therapist (played by Winfrey) that she's gay</a>. Numerous other <keyword id="6412373" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="celebrities">celebrities</keyword>, including Laura Dern, Demi Moore, and Billy Bob Thornton, also had small roles in the episode, which was <a href="https://www.biography.com/news/ellen-degeneres-sitcom-coming-out-episode">reportedly viewed over by over 40 million people</a>.<div type="image" title="ellen degeneres the puppy episode" height="1899" width="2532" msid="77395686" hostid="261"></div>Unfortunately for DeGeneres and the show, "The Puppy Episode" <a href="https://www.biography.com/news/ellen-degeneres-sitcom-coming-out-episode">garnered a significant amount of backlash from conservative groups, and the sitcom was eventually canceled in 1998</a>. Increased focus <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120714055855/http://www.wmagazine.com/celebrities/2007/03/ellen_degeneres">was also paid to DeGeneres' relationship</a> with the actress Anne Heche.A 2007 <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120714055855/http://www.wmagazine.com/celebrities/2007/03/ellen_degeneres">profile of DeGeneres in W Magazine</a> said the backlash and media attention "left her stunned, angry, unable to find work for three years, and mired in depression."DeGeneres was able to make a comeback in Hollywood, voicing the character of Dory in 2003's "Finding Nemo" and eventually becoming the host of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," which has won numerous Daytime Emmys throughout its run.Recent allegations surrounding DeGeneres and her show have now cast doubt on the host's cheery public persona — but to ignore the groundbreaking nature of her work, as well as the optics of having an out comedian host a daytime talk show, would be doing a massive disservice to DeGeneres and her career.<h2>Women, especially queer women and women of color, are still vastly underrepresented both in front of and behind the camera</h2>A <a href="https://www.wga.org/uploadedfiles/the-guild/inclusion-and-equity/wgaw_inclusion_report_20.pdf">recent report by the Writer's Guild of America</a> found that in the 2019-2020 television season, only 44% of <keyword id="6355065" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="TV">TV</keyword> writers were women and only 19% of writers were women of color. And while networks like ABC, NBC, and CBS <a href="https://www.wga.org/uploadedfiles/the-guild/inclusion-and-equity/wgaw_inclusion_report_20.pdf">have a decently high percentage of female writers</a>, there are still few women hosting late-night shows.<div type="image" title="Lilly Singh" height="1333" width="1777" msid="77395689" hostid="261"></div>In fact, NBC's Lilly Singh is the only woman hosting a nightly network talk show. Singh's show, "A Little Late With Lilly," premiered in September, making her the first queer South Asian late-night host.Samantha Bee is the only other woman hosting a late-night program, though her show, "Full Frontal," airs once a week.That's not to say there haven't been female hosts previously. In the past, <a href="https://www.insider.com/lilly-singh-women-on-late-night-tv-2019-9">comedians like Wanda Sykes, Joan Rivers, Robin Thede, and Chelsea Handler have all hosted nightly talk shows</a>, with varying levels of success.But white men still dominate talk shows, especially those on late night. An ill-conceived <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/09/late-night-tv-colbert-fallon-kimmel?mbid=social_twitter#12">feature by Vanity Fair in 2015</a> inadvertently highlighted <a href="https://www.vox.com/2015/9/15/9331223/colbert-diversity-late-night">the extreme white maleness of late-night TV show hosts</a>.Five years later, not much has changed. Women may be making slight progress in terms of securing writing jobs behind the camera, but if you tune in to a late-night talk show, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-mn-late-night-movie-women-hosts-writers-20190612-story.html">chances are your host will be a white man named Jimmy, Stephen, or James</a>.Daytime TV features slightly more women (e.g., the ladies of "The View," Winfrey, and "The Kelly Clarkson Show"), but it's still nowhere near as equitable as it should be, and DeGeneres' show is one of the few to feature an out female host.<h2>On Twitter, some users want to #ReplaceEllen with female comedians of color</h2>After news broke that Corden might be a leading contender to replace DeGeneres, Twitter offered up a variety of other celebrities who they said would make a better successor to the host.People advocated stars including Laverne Cox, Tiffany Haddish, Keke Palmer, and Tabitha Brown to take over.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—B I L L Y (@BillyCullum) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1291034894894804996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2020</a></blockquote><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—A no Bullshit Account (@truth_stan) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1290190023904710656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2020</a></blockquote><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—S A M M Y (@samuelhmorrison) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1290341531073880066?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2020</a></blockquote><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—rol magaña 八 (@rol_o) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1290235674487148545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2020</a></blockquote><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Michael Gold, Psy.D. (@drmichaelgold) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1290274323572301824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2020</a></blockquote><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—De-escalate On His Dick (@EscalateOn) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1290197234542231557?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2020</a></blockquote><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—StephC (@SteffClair) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1290334955982258177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2020</a></blockquote><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Duane Paul ☘️ (@duane_paul_96) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1290212552949944322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2020</a></blockquote>The "Flavor of Love" star (and frequent meme inspiration) Tiffany Pollard was also suggested by Twitter users.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—winntiiii (@prettybabyy69) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1290237236328321026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2020</a></blockquote><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">— (@tulsispears) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1290396310990979072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2020</a></blockquote>DeGeneres' show hasn't been canceled, but it's clear from the #ReplaceEllen hashtag that plenty of people are ready for a fresh host, especially if it's a woman of color.<div type="image" title="ellen degeneres" height="2250" width="3000" msid="77395694" hostid="261"></div><h2>Replacing DeGeneres is a chance to move the industry forward — not backward</h2>Andy Lassner, the executive producer of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," recently <a href="https://www.insider.com/ellen-degeneres-executive-producer-says-nobody-going-off-the-air-2020-8">told a fan that "nobody is going off the air,"</a> in response to a tweet about DeGeneres' show getting canceled.And Corden's representatives <a href="https://www.insider.com/james-corden-ellen-degeneres-show-host-replacement-reactions-2020-8">declined Insider's requests for comment</a> about the possibility of his replacing DeGeneres.But still, the prospect of Corden, or another straight white man, replacing an out lesbian on a high-profile talk show isn't just disappointing — it's problematic. Queer women and women of color deserve a seat at the table and to have their voices heard both in front of and behind the camera.DeGeneres' talk show was once considered progressive and historic, but it shouldn't be considered that radical anymore to have a woman of color or a queer woman hosting a TV show. And while no one should get handed a job on TV simply because of race, sexuality, or gender identity, the fact remains that these groups are consistently marginalized in Hollywood, even as progress is starting to be made.So let's stop giving white men a platform they don't need and focus instead on giving one to those who truly deserve it.<ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/ellen-degeneres-mean-backlash-nikkietutorials-timeline-2020-4">Why 2020 has been the year of backlash against Ellen DeGeneres</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/james-corden-ellen-degeneres-show-host-replacement-reactions-2020-8">James Corden could reportedly be Ellen DeGeneres' 'long-term successor.' Here's why people aren't happy with the choice.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/ellen-degeneres-radio-host-instructions-dont-talk-look-2020-7">A radio host said he was given specific instructions for working with Ellen DeGeneres: 'You don't talk to her, you don't approach her'</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/portia-de-rossi-ellen-degeneres-instagram-message-2020-8">Portia de Rossi posts 'I stand with Ellen' on Instagram as wife Ellen DeGeneres faces blowback from fans</a></li></ul>

You Searched For "tabitha brown" and got 8 results

I tried Tabitha Brown's BBQ jackfruit sandwiches and this 5-step recipe is a go-to vegan option for Juneteenth

Lauren Edmonds

Tabitha Brown was inspired by Mister Rogers for her new YouTube Kids show 'Tab Time'

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In her book 'Feeding the Soul,' Tabitha Brown talks breaking barriers as a Black woman in wellness

Gwen Aviles

Black communities are leading a vegan revolution. Food insecurity and systemic obstacles still stand in their way.

Isaiah Reynolds

How these professionals are challenging stereotypes about veganism, from how it's marketed to who can do it

Anna Keeve

How a photographer landed top TikTok stars as clients

Amanda Perelli

If Ellen DeGeneres leaves her show, Hollywood shouldn't replace her with a white man

Libby Torres

Sundance 2022 returns to Park City with an expanded lineup that includes Netflix's Kanye West documentary

Zac Ntim