This is the first post in a three post series. Read part 2, part 3.

Before I was a minimalist (and especially before I had Happy Herbivore), I was very unhappy. I spent hours crying and sobbing about how miserable I was with my life. There was plenty of good in my life. Plenty to be thankful for — but there was so much that was making me so unhappy that I couldn't see past it. The storm …

Meet Anastasia Campos, a documentary photographer and long-time Herbie, who started photographing family and friends and ended up with a successful business! 

1. Tell us a little bit about your business.

I specialize in documentary photography. What does that mean? I like to tell real stories, stories of people and the places they live in. My work focuses on activity — capturing life as it happens.

2. How did you get into photography, and how long have you been working …

**this 2013 challenge has concluded, but I'm leaving the post up for reference.

Are you up for a challenge?

A few years ago, I hosted a 30 Whole Days Challenge. The goal was to eat healthier... eat more whole, unprocessed foods. My editor, Nichelle, took the original challenge not too long after she found HH and it changed her whole outlook on food (she's been 100% plant-based ever since!).

Nichelle mentioned the challenge in her guest post …

Last week, we shared the end of Jana and her family's adventures cooking through Happy Herbivore Abroad. She cooked every single recipe in the book and it brought the family together — they got excited about the "recipe of the day" and love plant-based cooking (and eating!). Today, we are sharing the beginning of a new challenge! Jana's 11-year-old son, Caleb (AKA Kitchen Shadow), decided he wanted in on the fun and began cooking his way through  Everyday Happy …

Back in January, Lydia sent me an email, the subject "My Plant-Based Turn-Around." I knew from the subject it was going to be an uplifting email. Another testimonial about this lifestyle: Someone else finding good health after switching to a plant-based diet (my favorite kind of email!!) — but I honestly had no idea how absolutely incredible Lydia (and her story) really was. Or that she was going to be so young! As of late, many of our …