Hello, plant-based enthusiasts and wellness seekers! Today we have the privilege of introducing you to the incredible Olivier Mankondo, a weight loss and wellness coach with an extraordinary story and expertise in plant-based nutrition. So, let's jump right into it!
The Plant-Based Pathway to Transformation
Olivier Mankondo, founder of Mankondo Global, is not your average wellness coach. He's also a speaker on a mission to help people adopt plant-based nutrition, lose weight, and most importantly, reclaim their health. His journey into this transformative lifestyle began in 2016 when his health was at its lowest point. He suffered from a laundry list of health issues, including high blood pressure, edema, dandruff, chest pain, and more. At 220 pounds, he was tired, sluggish, and frustrated.
Then came a turning point. One day, while watching a YouTube video featuring an Indian yogi, Olivier discovered the power of a plant-based diet. The yogi suggested that by eliminating animal products from his diet, Olivier could potentially reverse up to 70% of his chronic health issues. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, Olivier decided to make a radical shift.
Cold Turkey Transformation
In a matter of days, Olivier embarked on his plant-based journey. He quit meat, dairy, and processed foods cold turkey, and the first week was tough. He experienced detox symptoms, but after that initial hurdle, his body responded with remarkable changes. Within four months, he had lost an astonishing 77 pounds, and his health began to rebound.
But the most impressive part of Olivier's transformation was yet to come. He visited his doctor, who had previously predicted a lifetime of medication due to high blood pressure. To their astonishment, Olivier's blood pressure had normalized, and he was able to ditch the meds entirely.
Inspiring Others through Wellness
With newfound vitality and freedom from illness, Olivier was inspired to help others follow the plant-based path to better health. His mission is not just about weight loss but also about spreading the message that good health is our default state. Aging doesn't have to mean suffering from chronic diseases; it can be a journey of vitality.
Navigating Business in a Changing World
Olivier officially launched his wellness coaching business in 2019, but like many others, he faced challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, in 2023, as the world adapts to new norms, his business is picking up momentum. He's helping numerous clients shed pounds, regain health, and transform their lives.
Plant-Based Trends in the UK
Operating in the UK, Olivier has witnessed the flourishing plant-based movement firsthand. In recent years, vegan options have become widely available in restaurants, hotels, and even on airplanes. The once-niche lifestyle is now mainstream, with diverse, delicious plant-based alternatives emerging regularly.
Olivier's Book: A Plant-Based Guide
Olivier is not only a coach but also a published author. His book, Plant-Based Nutrition: How It's Going to Change Your Life, is a comprehensive guide to adopting a plant-based lifestyle. It covers topics like the nature of our diet, his personal transformation, the limitations of the medical system, and practical steps to reclaim health.
Nurturing the Plant-Based Community
In the UK, as well as around the world, the plant-based movement is growing stronger. People are becoming increasingly aware that the current medical system often treats symptoms rather than addressing the root cause of health issues. Olivier emphasizes that being proactive about health is crucial, and through his work, he empowers others to take control of their well-being.
Join the Plant-Based Revolution
As we wrap up our conversation with Olivier Mankondo, we encourage you to explore his website, https://oliviermankondo.com/ . You can find a wealth of information, including a free gift: his "Seven Tips to Lose Weight." If you're ready to embark on your own journey towards better health and wellness, don't hesitate to sign up for his 16-week one-on-one coaching program. It's an opportunity to transform your life and embrace the plant-based lifestyle.
Remember, your health is an investment, and it's never too late to make positive changes. Join the plant-based revolution, take control of your well-being, and start thriving just like Olivier Mankondo.
Thank you for tuning in to the Plant Based On Fire podcast, where we ignite change, one plant-based story at a time. Stay tuned for more inspiring interviews and stories from the world of plant-based businesses.
>Podcast Episode Transcript:
Bryan (00:00.994)
Hello everyone and welcome back to Plant Based on Fire, where we talk about plant based businesses and their inspiring stories to thrive in the industry. I am your host, Brian, and joining us today is Olivier Mankato. He is a weight loss coach and wellness coach with a remarkable story and expertise in plant based nutrition. Welcome, Olivier.
Olivier (00:24.473)
Thank you very much for having me Brian, I really appreciate it, thank you.
Bryan (00:29.054)
It's such a pleasure to have you here and thank you for reaching out and grabbing some time with us. I'm excited to unpack this a little bit. So tell us a little bit about you, your company name and stuff like that. And what kind of what was your plant based journey?
Olivier (00:45.749)
Yes, so my name is like you just said, my name is Olivier Mankondo. I'm a halter, weight loss and wellness coach. And basically my company is called Mankondo Global. And I've got a speaking business because I'm a speaker as well. And I've got my coaching business where I help people to be able to adopt a plant based nutrition where they can be able to lose weight and.
able to reclaim their health because this is very, very important because most people they just concentrate on the weight loss part, but they forget that you need to be in good health and when you're in good health necessarily you will be able to lose the weight and basically to answer to your question I started this plant-based nutrition. So before 2016 my health was not very good. I was suffering from a lot of problems I had.
high blood pressure. I was suffering from high blood pressure. I had massive edicts every day or every other day. I had dandruffs, chest pain, back pain, abscesses, and a lot of dental problems. And at that time, my weight was 220 pounds. And I was always tired, lots of problems, and especially at the place where I was working. I was working in the basement. I had to climb the stairs all the time. And I was always out of breath. And just one day,
just by chance I was watching a YouTube video and there was an Indian yogi who suggested that by going plant-based or by stopping eating animal product it was possible to reverse 70% of the chronic diseases and because at that time my health was pretty bad I said to myself okay I've got nothing to lose I'll try it and I went cold turkey it was a certain Wednesday that I watched the program on Thursday I came back from work I had my last meal of meat and on
Bryan (02:28.141)
Mm-hmm.
Olivier (02:37.597)
And the first week, it was very difficult because I had lots and lots of detox symptoms. And after that, after the first week, I was able to lose 11 pounds. And all the detox symptoms went away. Lots of mental clarity, lots of energy. And four months into my transformation, I went to see my doctor. And he told me that my blood pressure was completely gone. Although he told me that I was going to be on medication for the rest of my life. And after
Bryan (02:42.034)
Yes.
Bryan (02:45.424)
Ahem.
Olivier (03:06.225)
nine months I was able to lose 77 pounds and since 2016 I've not been sick a single day. So that's a little bit my journey.
Bryan (03:16.214)
Wow, that is incredible. I did the same thing. I went, you know, I went cold, cold Turkey. I guess that's the wrong term for it. I stopped immediately. And yeah, that first week or two is rough, but like you pushed through that and boy, the rainbow opens up on the other end of that for sure. So congratulations on that journey. So how did you, like you went through this amazing transformation and then you said,
Olivier (03:22.858)
Yeah.
Olivier (03:34.829)
Yeah. Yeah, thank you.
Bryan (03:43.234)
I you know, probably similar to me, like I've got to help other people like this is a secret that everybody needs to know about. So what inspired you to start the coaching and wellness business and dip into that?
Olivier (03:56.321)
Yeah, because like you said, the transformation was so dramatic that I said, because in my mind, or like we've been told that it's normal when you age, you need to be sick, it's normal. Because when I started that my transformation, I was 46. Today I'm 53. And I thought that because I was aging, it was normal to be sick. But now for the past seven years, I've not been sick a single day. And this was really a transformation where I said, no.
We're not supposed to be sick. The default is good health. And because I saw all these things that when you stop eating animal product, dairy product, processed food, and all these things, basically you start having a lot of mental clarity. You regain all your health. And there's no point of being sick. And because I find out that, and I say to myself, OK, I'm going to tell everybody that this is the way to go. People don't have to be sick because it really, really pains me.
to see people being sick. This is not normal. We need to strive. We need to be in good health. And we need to live into our hundreds with not being sick, not being in a wheelchair or things like that. That's why it really gives me the courage to go ahead and wants to spread the news.
Bryan (05:12.438)
Absolutely. So how is business going? How long have you been in business? Where is it? Where is it taking you on your journey here?
Olivier (05:22.357)
Yeah, so basically I decided to start my business in 2019. And it's also with the COVID because it was with the COVID and all that my business really slowed down. It's only now that it's starting to pick up. And I'm helping a lot of people basically to lose weight and regain their health because this is really, really important for people to understand that they need.
Bryan (05:32.182)
Yeah.
Olivier (05:48.417)
They need to be in good health because there's no point people are saying that no we're living longer. Medicine has made some breakthroughs and all that but there's no point of living to maybe 90s when you can't even recognize your own kids. You're suffering from dementia, you cannot even take care of yourself, you can't go to the bathroom, people have to help you and all that. So yeah my business is going good.
Bryan (06:11.586)
Yeah.
Bryan (06:15.446)
That is awesome. And, uh, you know, so obviously you're helping people with the coaching and the mentoring and all that kind of stuff, but you're a published author too, right? The name of your book is plant-based nutrition. How it's going to change your life. Right. So tell us, uh, what, what inspired, where can we get the book? Uh, what inspired you to write that? Uh, what's the feedback on that?
Olivier (06:33.698)
Yeah.
Olivier (06:43.597)
Yeah. So for people, if they want to get the book, they can go on Amazon or they can go to my website, which is oliviermancondo.com and they can will be able to get the book. So in the book, basically, it's divided in four parts. The first part, basically, I'm trying to explain to people that we are we are frugivores because people think that we are omnivores. We need to eat meat and all that. But in the first chapter of the book.
I tried to, the first part, I tried to explain to people that we are frugivores. And when we look, for example, at gorillas, we share 99% of the same DNA. But what do gorillas do? They eat fruit, vegetables and tender roots. They do not eat meat. And in the second part of the book, I talk about my transformation, the way I've been able to lose weight and all that.
Bryan (07:20.055)
Mm-hmm.
Olivier (07:32.905)
And in the third part, I'm talking about how the medical system deals with diseases where they only deal with symptoms instead of addressing the root cause. And in the last part, I explain to people what they can do to be able to reclaim their health, for example, not using the microwave or using filtered water or just things like that to help them lose weight and really reclaim their health. So in a nutshell, that's what I talk about in my book.
Bryan (08:02.998)
That is awesome. So check out Amazon, grab a copy of Olivier's book on that front and see that impact. And like this is a global phenomenon that's happening here. You and I are on different sides of the pond, right? You're over in UK. Appreciate you joining me later in your day on that front.
Olivier (08:22.913)
Yeah, you're okay, yeah.
Bryan (08:27.554)
Talk to us a little bit about the UK plant-based vegan movement over there. Give us the inside scoop for all the American businesses and plant-based people that are listening to this.
Olivier (08:39.041)
Yes, so in the UK, I think when I started in 2016, there was not a lot of people who were not really aware of all these things. But now in 2023, it's really booming. You can see a lot of people, for example, if you go in a restaurant or if you go to a hotel or even the airplanes, wherever you go now, there are vegan alternatives.
Bryan (08:51.03)
Mm-hmm.
Olivier (09:04.393)
And this is something that is very, very good because in the past it was a little bit difficult. And now when you say to people that you want something vegan, they already know what it is. And here in the UK, really, there's a lot of places where you can get now vegan food, the processed vegan food, you can have them, you can have all the dairy products. In the past, you couldn't have that. Now you can have even ice cream.
And when you even taste this ice cream, it's even better than the ice cream made with cow's milk and stuff like that. So really, it's booming, the vegan movement.
Bryan (09:44.086)
That is awesome. I'm excited to hear all that stuff. I did live over in Reading for a little while, way back when. And that was before I was plant-based, though. So I would love to go back and explore that with you sometime. So if I make it over there, we'll have to hang out for sure. We're going to pause for a while.
Olivier (09:51.784)
Okay.
Olivier (10:02.381)
Yeah, because my brother as well lives over there. My brother lives in Basingstock, which is, I think, 20 miles from Reading. Yeah.
Bryan (10:11.414)
Very nice. Very nice. Yeah, very cool. That is awesome. We're gonna take a quick commercial break though. And we'll come back and speak with Olivier in one more minute. I just paused there, they're going to insert the commercial break. So we are back and we are speaking with Olivier, who is a health and wellness coach and just unpacking his business a little bit. So
Olivier (10:12.526)
Oh yeah.
Olivier (10:27.064)
Okay.
Bryan (10:38.19)
Talk to me about the business strategies here. Obviously, I think coming on some podcasts, getting your name and platform out there a little bit is so important, but what are some of the other strategies you're doing to grow your business and ways that you're trying to expand and what are your plans for 2024?
Olivier (10:57.077)
Yeah, so basically what I'm doing is that to help people, I usually, I've got my TikTok channel, I've got my YouTube channel where I try to post content every day to be able to make people know what it is exactly what we're doing because a lot of people when you talk to them about the plant based nutrition, the first thing that comes up in their mind is just eating
salad, that's all. But they don't know that there's a lot and yes lettuce. They don't know that you've got loads and loads of alternative, lots of stuff that you can eat like mushroom, bell pepper, beans, lentils and there's loads and lots of things that you can do. And that's why I'm trying to really talk to people so that they know exactly what's going on. And what I'm trying to say to people as well is
Bryan (11:28.862)
Yeah, iceberg lettuce.
Bryan (11:38.286)
Yeah.
Olivier (11:56.161)
that if you start eating this way, basically you will be able to reclaim your health and all that because it's not good for people to start suffering from stuff like mental dementia, from heart disease, from kidney disease and stuff like that. It's not good. And I even remember last year I lost my uncle, he died of diabetes. And these things really, it really pains me. And that's why really I want to really
put this message out so that people will be able to know exactly what's going on. And they will not have to depend on the medical system. The medical system is good for things like if you are in emergency, for example, you've got a gunshot wound or you have a car accident or something like that. Yes, it's very good. But in my own experience, what I've noticed that when the medical system has to deal with chronic diseases where they have to
Bryan (12:44.896)
Mm-hmm.
Olivier (12:54.013)
suppress the symptoms. I don't think that that's the good way to go. You need to go at the root cause and when you do that, basically everything is good and that's really what I'm doing with my business. And in 2024, what I would like is to grow that even more to have more clients and stuff like that. So really I can help as many people as possible.
Bryan (13:20.198)
is awesome. Well, we wish you a lot of luck on your journey. I'm curious, just because you are on over there and know that medical system better. They don't train the doctors here in America with very much nutritional training. And I do think they're here to treat the symptoms and the problem itself, but they don't get to the root cause a lot of the times. So do the do you know if the doctors over and, and
New England and the other places in Europe there, did they get as much nutritional training?
Olivier (13:51.501)
No, no, no. The doctors, they get zero hours of nutrition. And this is bizarre. It's like, for example, you are a mechanic, and you don't know anything about the fuel. It doesn't make any sense. And that's why, for example, when I went to my doctor, he told me that I'll be on medication for the rest of my life. And when I changed my way of eating, my lifestyle, I went back, and he asked me, what did I do? I said, I went plant-based. And.
Bryan (13:56.883)
Yep. Yeah.
Olivier (14:20.557)
For him, it didn't click. For him, it was something just like that. And so for them, nutrition has got nothing to do with health. For them, it's just the medication and or the surgery. But when you look at these two things, it just deal with the symptoms and not the root cause. It's like, for example, if you have your car, you're driving your car and you see in the dashboard, there's a light flashing.
Bryan (14:25.262)
I'm going to go to bed.
Bryan (14:36.011)
Yeah.
Olivier (14:49.265)
and you look at the light and it's telling you that you've got a noily leakage. Imagine you go to the mechanic and it just takes a fuse out. In the dashboard there's no flashing light anymore and it tells you that your car has been fixed. That's exactly what the medical system does. But if you continue to drive the car that way, the oil will continue to leak and one day your engine will die. So you don't fix the problem by suppressing the symptoms.
Bryan (15:07.595)
Yep.
Bryan (15:15.402)
Yeah. And I just
And I, and I can't understate enough how many people I interview for this podcast or some of the other podcasts that I do that have had to learn this on their own like you did, or just have this epiphany moment and stumble into it and stuff. So like for me it was forks over knives for you. It was the Indian guru kind of thing. And it was just like, you know, so there's been people that have nudged us, but I just wish it was more part of the system itself instead of us stumbling
stumbling into it and like we have to go all the way to the edge of death or despair to stumble into it somehow and then come back. So like I just encourage everybody out there watching this go and buy Olivier's book and take a second to study it. Like go to the Real Many Plants website and take our 30 day challenge and just give it 30 days and like you can change your life before you get to one of these pivotal life changing moments. It doesn't have to get to that point.
I'm curious, you know, you mentioned the person that showed you the video and he got you to hit the wake up button kind of thing. Like what other influences and mentors have, have guided you along your journey to build your business and have inspired you.
Olivier (16:36.905)
Yeah, there's a lot of people who have inspired me like Lauren Lockman is a raw foodist. Lauren Lockman, there's Fred Bishi, Dr. Fred Bishi, there's Dr. MacDougall, John MacDougall, Dr. Michael Clapper, Michael Greger, all these people have really, really inspired me when I started this journey.
Bryan (16:55.79)
Mm-hmm.
Bryan (16:59.916)
Yep.
Olivier (17:06.861)
So I've learned a lot from these people, especially Loren Lockmann. I've learned a lot from the guy.
Bryan (17:14.774)
So what advice would you give to other plant-based entrepreneurs trying to get more into plant-based business or start their business or, you know, join a company? What, what advice do you have for other plant-based business?
Olivier (17:29.441)
Yes, if I have to... The advice that I can give them is to keep pressing on because when you start, it's not always easy. And especially with the stuff that we know, which is different from the mainstream. And for example, when you say to people that you don't need to eat meat, they will say, no, that's not possible because you need your protein. So you need to start explaining all these things to people.
And at the beginning, it's not always easy, but you have to keep pressing on. And if you continue to do that and basically you will be able to strive. And that's the advice that I can give to people when they start the business. They can encounter certain roadblocks, but they need to keep pressing on and they will go through it. They need to be perseverant. And that's exactly what I'm trying to say.
Bryan (18:23.958)
That is awesome. So what, what trends do you see happening there? What are emerging in the plant-based nutrition and wellness industry?
Olivier (18:32.621)
Yeah, the trend that I'm seeing is that a lot of people are starting to understand that really what the medical system is doing is not really the way to go. And they are starting to discover on their own that this is, there's another alternative because for example, the stuff that I'm doing, a lot of people will say that is quackery because they will think that no, you can never heal with just starting to eat the right food.
And what the medicine as well is not understanding is that we are whole. For example, for me, what I think is that we are spiritual beings having a physical experience. But when you look at the medical system, they just take the body, just for example, you've got your heart, they need to treat the heart, they need to treat the intestine, but they don't understand that you are whole.
and you need to take care of all these things. And that's why, for example, even when you were saying that, why we have to stumble on things like that, for me, what I think is that, when you look at the pharmaceutical industry, it's the biggest industry in the world, and they live off sick people. You need to be sick for this industry to thrive. And if there are no sick people, then there's no incentive for them to put the right information out there.
It's like me, for example, for the past eight years, I've not taken a single pill. So if everyone should be like me, the pharmaceutical industry will be out of business and they don't want that. So they need to keep the system going on. And unfortunately, it's a little bit sad, but that's what it is.
Bryan (20:19.154)
Yeah, no, that's, that's awesome. Awesome. Yeah. Thanks for sharing that. Um, I guess, you know, last question before we sort of wrap up here for the day, how do you, like you've been working with some of these clients, you've seen some amazing transformations, um, of people that you're helping. How do you, how do you measure it? How do you, you know, it's always that, that thing of like, you know, where do you get your protein? But once they get past that, like what
How do you measure the impact and the success of the clients and the programs that you're, that you're running.
Olivier (20:52.353)
Yeah, so for example, I've got a client who, her weight was around the same, 220 pounds and she was able to lose something like 70 pounds. And for example, she had diabetes, it's completely gone. And there's another one, she was anemic.
She was anemic for a very long time. And when she started with me, just by changing a lifestyle, after only 10 days, she was able already to see a lot of changes that she's never seen with the medication that she was taking. Or for example, there's others. Or for example, there's another one who was suffering from lupus. And now she was in pain every single day, but now the pain is completely gone.
So this is how I can see that what I'm telling to people is really working because there's lots and lots of people who comes back and tell me that, oh, this is how I'm feeling. Or, for example, there's a lot of people who are suffering from constipation because there are people who can spend a week without going to the toilet. But now with what I'm teaching them, they go to the toilet every day. And there's lots and lots of testimonial like that where people are really having their life transformed.
Bryan (22:18.87)
That is awesome. Yeah. That's some great success stories there. Congratulations. Uh, well, we're, we're kind of wrapping up with our time with, with you, Olivier. What can we do as a community to help you tell us your website one more time? How do we get in touch and what can we do as a community to help?
Olivier (22:23.874)
Yeah, thank you.
Olivier (22:36.845)
Yes. So first of all, I would like to send your viewers or your listeners a free gift, which is my seven tips to lose weight. I will give you the link so you can put that in the show notes. And where people can see me, they can go to my website, which is oliviermancondo.com. That's oliviermancondo.com. They can go over there and especially they can sign up to my 16-week one-on-one coaching program.
They can just go, like I said, to my website. There's a free online master class where they can sign up. And at the end of the master class, they will be able to book a free discovery call with me. And on the free discovery call, we'll be able to establish what they got stock, what's the problem, and how I can help them. And if there's a good fit, then we could be able to work together. And I'll be able to help them to lose weight. And what is more important to me?
regain their health because this is something that people really need to understand.
Bryan (23:41.346)
Absolutely. So again, the website is Olivier Mankato. I will spell it because it's a tricky name. I think, O-L-I-V-I-E-R-M-A-N-K-O-N-D-O.com. Right?
And we will make sure it's in the show notes as well so they can click straight on it for you. Um, thank you again, Olivier for being here. We really appreciate you spending some time with us and letting us get to learn a little bit more insights into that health and wellness business that you have going.
Olivier (24:14.762)
Okay, thank you very much, Brian.
Bryan (24:15.958)
That is, and so that is all the time we have for this episode of Plant Based on Fire podcast. Thank you so much again, Olivier for being here. Check out oliviemancato.com and we really appreciate you joining us and sharing your insights and experiences with our community. Until next time everybody, keep that fire burning.
Olivier (24:40.716)
Okay, bye bye.