My name is Kathrin Jakob, I am 28 years old and originally from Germany, born in Munich and grew up in the Bavarian countryside. I moved to Los Angeles in 2020 to pursue my dream of becoming a professional and successful singer. I since have picked up the art of yodeling and have just released my debut single, all of which can be seen and heard on my social channels below:
Youtube channel: www.youtube.com/kathrinjakob
Websites: www.kathrinjakob.com and www.yodelstar.com
Instagram: @kathrinjakob and @yodelingvegan
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kathrinjakobmusic 
What was the moment you realize that you wanted to go vegan?
I have been a vegetarian since I was 13. I started to cut out mear for the 40 days of lent and after that just couldn’t stand the thought of eating animals anymore. When I moved to L.A. I decided to eat vegan and therefore healthier, but soon found out all the other reasons to be vegan, environment and the dairy and egg industry. Since then I knew I wouldn’t be going back to consuming any animal products.
How long have you been Vegan?
I have been vegan for 5 years now, vegetarian for 15.
Why is being Vegan important to you?
I love animals and I think what we are doing to them is wrong on so many levels. I can’t stand seeing them suffer or even knowing this is what happens all around the world every single second. Also knowing how being vegan affects the environment and our health is what makes it so important to me.
Everyone could thrive on a vegan diet and the whole world could be fed without any being having to suffer.
Any recommended Vegan books?
I really enjoyed reading “80/10/10”, a book about the high carb low-fat raw vegan diet.
Any recommended social sites, Facebook Groups or other?
I’ve been joining the LA fruitluck meetups for a while and I really enjoyed that. They have a facebook group as well.
Do you have a favorite movie or videos or your own media that you want to share?
I just released a music video to my new single “We R One.”
I think everyone should watch the movie/documentary “I am”, which is on Netflix and gives a little different perspective on the life we are living.
Do you actively promote veganism? How? Please share any stories you would like.
Currently, I am not doing as much vegan promotion as I want to be doing, but I probably would always feel it’s not enough. I created an additional Instagram account (@yodelingvegan) so I can share more vegan related pictures and topics. Part of want I want to achieve with my music is having a voice, so I can be heard by more people and of course promote the plant-based lifestyle. I might get a chance soon to do so on German TV and I sure am already doing this whenever and wherever I can.
What is the vegan stereotype you hear the most and how do you respond to it?
Vegans are too pushy, talk about it the whole time and are therefore like a cult. I sometimes apologize for being too much in people’s face, if they should feel that way. I then try to explain to them my point of view and why vegans feel that way and are that way a lot. I tell them that we simply can’t stand knowing that so many animals are being tortured when there is a simple solution, that it is hard to watch other people closing their eyes to the obvious truth. I sometimes make the comparison of “What would you do if someone next to you is being hurt or murdered? Would you support it or say something? Let it happen or try to raise awareness so it doesn’t happen again?” Just because it isn’t happening right next to us doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.
What’s your favorite Vegan restaurant?
“Au Lac” in Downtown LA. Hands down!
Please share your favorite vegan recipe?
I yet have to find my absolutely favorite vegan recipe. But here’s something I make quite frequently:
Cook as much jasmine rice as you can eat.
Cut some extra firm tofu into small squares and sautee them with chopped onion in some sesame oil in a pan. Wait until crispy on the sides and then add some thawed or halfway cooked broccoli florets. Add Himalayan salt, pepper, garlic powder and 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast. Then add a little bit of unsweetened almond milk and stir. Lastly, put some soy sauce or liquid amino acids and stir again. Let sit for a few minutes and then serve together with the rice. Enjoy 🙂
Some encouraging words for new Vegans?
Don’t be too strict with yourself, just because you fell off the wagon a few times doesn’t mean this isn’t for you. Also, it will become easier after a few days or latest after a few weeks. But you WILL notice a change in how you feel and your taste buds will change as well. One step at a time is always the best way to go and remind yourself constantly why you wanted to go vegan in the first place, whether it be for the animals, for your health, or for the environment. That reason will help you pull through.
What does living cruelty-free mean to you?
I believe that we all “vote with our dollar”. To me “living cruelty-free”, on top of not harming any living beings yourself, means to not support any brand or anyone who does so, by either killing animals for food, exploiting them in any way or testing their products on them.
What are you favorite Vegan non-food products or companies?
I love vegan clothing brands, such as “iapparel” or the German brand “Fritzi aus Preussen”. I am also very fond of Kat Von D’s make up as well as perfume line and also love Stella McCartney’s perfumes.
I also am a frequent customer of “Lush” and “Real Purity” (I love their deodorant)
What is the toughest Vegan item to find that you need?
Honestly, it’s pretty easy to find a vegan version of everything now, but what seems to be hard or rather rare to find is good vegan perfume at stores like Sephora.
Talk about a time when you struggled with your Veganism?
I think the only time I was close to “struggling” was when I transitioned from being vegetarian to being vegan. Giving up cheese was a little tough, but I just slowly reduced the amount of cheese I ate until eventually, I had no desire for it anymore.
Other situations where I sometimes struggle is when I’m in a place where vegan options are rare, mostly when traveling. I don’t fall off the wagon anymore, but it’s annoying to explain yourself and find something vegan and nutritious to eat.
What is one question you would ask other Vegans?
How can we as Vegans be the most successful in motivating others to go vegan without driving them further away because we are trying too hard?
This will be hard to answer for me. So far what I found works best is to let them come to you and give rather brief answers to their questions, so they have to ask more and so they don’t feel overwhelmed or judged by your rambling. Generally, it is always best to have a positive and happy attitude, even though it is hard sometimes when thinking about what animals go through every single day. I think we have to appreciate the small and slow changes, instead of getting frustrated that things aren’t moving faster.
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