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Blue Lotus Cafe

Blue Lotus Cafe

By Blue Lotus Hua Hin

Welcome to a plant-based growth podcast by Christophe Berg & Ivor Madžar. Both passionate about learning & teaching, we cover a variety of topics from plant-based cuisine & its industry, healthy lifestyle habits, plant-based nutrition, self-development and marketing & communication. Christophe is an Executive Coach and Consultant on Plant-Based Projects, and Ivor is a Digital Marketing Manager for Plant-Based Businesses. This is Blue Lotus Cafe: 20 minutes on topics we would love to learn about when we started.
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Instructor Mindset

Blue Lotus Cafe Sep 11, 2019

00:00
19:46
Our Podcasting Experience

Our Podcasting Experience

We're guiding you today through our experience of doing the Blue Lotus Cafe podcast. After year and a half, we want to share our process, the reason why we started recording and the results. Our workflow is consistent because of the pre-set format and our intention is always clear - we love learning and teaching. Because of that we want to share with you as much as we can and help you in your self-development process.
Dec 30, 202031:54
Selecting Ideas As A Multi-passionate

Selecting Ideas As A Multi-passionate

If you grew up thinking it doesn't make sense to figure out what you want to do in your life and stick to it forever, then this is an episode for you. We are on a mission to prove that people can not only have multiple passions in life, but can be good at balancing them all. Even more than that - if they realize it's a strength, they can thrive in bringing them together. Are you a multi-passionate person? We definitely are.
Dec 23, 202021:32
Find Your Crew

Find Your Crew

Do you have a creative crew? A team of people who have different set of skills, but together you have all you need? If not yet, this episode is perfect for you. We hope to inspire you to find your crew so together you can find your tribe - fans and ambassadors of your company. In this episode we share what you can do to find them or to let them find you. Enjoy!
Dec 16, 202019:14
Circadian Rhythm

Circadian Rhythm

There is more than enough research that shows our bodies are synced with a Solar cycle. From when we get up to when we go to sleep, and even during our sleep - functions in our body are following the Circadian Rhythm. Every cell in our body actually has its own Circadian Clock. Today we are going through what happens at different times of the day and why it is so important to follow it. Nature has its own terms and the best thing we can do for our health is to sync with it.
Dec 09, 202024:28
Future Of Dining

Future Of Dining

Covid-19 has changed a lot, no doubt about it. Restaurants are searching for new ways to serve the customers and keep themselves alive. Many of them took a direction in home delivery, but is this the only way? When will people go back to restaurants and what can restaurants do to stay true to their mission and passion?
Dec 02, 202021:04
Insights On Becoming An Independent Knowledge Worker

Insights On Becoming An Independent Knowledge Worker

In the second part of becoming an independent knowledge worker we are getting some very practical advice from Naval and Christophe. Tune in to hear more about playing a long-term iteration game and where to stop compromising. Should we invest time in Networking and how not to damage your health in the race for wealth. What does wealth mean to you and how to find success and happiness?
Nov 25, 202018:14
How To Become An Independent Knowledge Worker?

How To Become An Independent Knowledge Worker?

We're back at sharing wisdom of Naval Ravikant. This week we are covering all the steps you should focus on to build necessary skills to create a business, design a lifestyle you want and play the long-term game. Find how you can be unique and remarkable, and find ways to build it into your brand. Join us also next week where we will take this topic into more details and share with you the insights about becoming an independent knowledge worker. As always, Christophe and Ivor are with you to guide you through the topic.
Nov 18, 202020:27
Active Resort

Active Resort

We believe in Active resorts. Not only we believe in them, but it is our mission to help develop them and give people a chance to find something that could transform their lives. Active resorts are based around great instructors, trainers and coaches who guide people through an experience where they can grow, learn more and become better in what they love. We are talking about transformation through practice and lifestyle changes. And active resorts can provide a safe environment exactly for that.
Nov 11, 202019:35
Immune System

Immune System

In the time of the pandemic, it is crucial to understand and build a strong immune system. This week we are covering what an immune system is and what habits you can develop to make it more resistant. When we were kids our bodies became stronger and more intelligent after every contact with microbes and viruses. In the older age this can sometimes be more challenging, so it's important to know how to approach and prepare for any future contact with different kinds of microbes.
Nov 04, 202024:52
Healthy Microbiome

Healthy Microbiome

More and more research papers on Microbiome are coming out every day. It's a hot topic with some intriguing science behind it and we are here to join the conversation. Today we are discussing what is a microbiome, how to achieve the right balance with diversity, and what the lab tests are telling us about the bacteria in our body. How many problems can we solve by feeding our gut right?
Oct 28, 202034:05
Future Of Vegan Junk Food

Future Of Vegan Junk Food

Ok, we have to talk about this. We have seen, been a part of and enjoyed the craze, but it's time to talk about what is behind it. Today we go into what's happening on the market and how is the food industry taking advantage of the movement. But also we want to discuss the vegan milks, cheeses, burgers and egg replacers. Let us know what you think about the vegan movement so far and where do you want it to take us.
Oct 21, 202021:52
Future Of Catering

Future Of Catering

We have seen a big shift in the restaurant industry. Restaurants doing food delivery over external apps, people opening catering businesses, buffets disappearing... What is the next right move for anybody wanting to work with food? Are big restaurants going to come back or will we all keep ordering food to our house? How can we use this situation to our advantage and connect with our customers more?
Oct 14, 202023:49
Self-management

Self-management

Today you can hear us talk about Self-management. From remote work to being a freelancer or doing deep work for yourself - knowing how to organize yourself and deliver in time is an essential skill to have. We often hear from people that they struggle with staying focused and on track, even when their business depends on it. Why is it so and how to easily change the mindset and our habits?
Oct 07, 202025:35
Develop Your Audience

Develop Your Audience

Are you in for our 90-day Instagram challenge? If so, in this podcast you will get all the information you need to develop your content, create a long-term strategy and find your true fans. We decided to do this challenge to test if organic growth is possible and to increase engagement with our followers through high quality content. The task is not easy, but the journey will be fun!
Follow our IGTV and our Live videos to see the progress every month :)
Sep 30, 202042:31
First Principles

First Principles

Philosophy of First Principles was popularized by Elon Musk, but its roots are deep in essentialism and science. This approach can help you find solutions to existing problems and make the start easier. Have you tried it yet?
Sep 23, 202032:26
Fixed vs. Growth Mindset

Fixed vs. Growth Mindset

How difficult is it for you to exit your comfort zone? Is it worth the risk to see what awaits on the other side? What to do if you have to close your company in which you invested all your money and energy? Today we're challenging two mindsets to see how to become stronger and more confident person, how to take and apply constructive feedback, and how to turn failures into new opportunities. Tune in to hear more about it...
Sep 16, 202030:02
Personal Branding

Personal Branding

Time to change the perspective of Personal Branding! If you're trying to build a strong and sustainable business, you will need to start from yourself. Knowing yourself and aligning personal goals with the goals of your business can help you understand and better communicate your message. But there's more...
Sep 09, 202026:29
Exit Rule

Exit Rule

We know you don't like to think about it - but for every project there should be an exit rule. It doesn't matter how great the idea for your start-up is, if you don't know when to give it up, you could waste so much more time and money. But, there are also things you can do before even starting a project which could help you to know how sustainable it could be... This is for us one of the most important topics when it comes to turning your idea into business.
Sep 02, 202016:54
Financial Independence

Financial Independence

One thing no one teaches us in school is how to manage our money. For most people it seems intuitive, but in the end of the month there are unexpected losses, no savings and no safety. Today Christophe gives us two perspectives for being smart with our finance - in the first part of the podcast we are discussing the context and the environment we find or put ourselves in, and in the second part we talk about layers that will help us prioritize and invest our money in a smart way. Enjoy!
Aug 26, 202020:42
Acute vs. Chronic Stress

Acute vs. Chronic Stress

Let's talk about stress. Although it seems to be our constant enemy, there are a lot of situations when stress is good for us. This is why we want make a distinction between the acute and the chronic stress today. In this episode we are defining each of those and discussing what are the best ways to avoid the chronic stress altogether.
Aug 19, 202016:38
Sleeping Habits

Sleeping Habits

Are you a morning person or a night owl? How many hours of sleep should you really get and what happens to your body if you don't get enough? Today we dive into sleeping habits and how to maximize your productivity while feeling fresh and rested. It's not only about the hours of sleep, but also about the quality of it. And to achieve that, there are couple of habits you might consider developing before going to sleep...
Aug 12, 202017:15
Backlog

Backlog

This week Christophe is sharing with you his to-do list to open a plant-based cafe. Learn more about what you need, even before starting a project. We always recommend to cover your grounds by doing an opportunity study. Until you put the money in, there is not much to lose and you can play with the idea and the concept. Time is on your side. Use it wisely and research every creative & administrative detail you will need. Develop your Tactic plan, Communication plan and Action plan. How? Tune in for more... 
Aug 05, 202024:01
Profit & Loss

Profit & Loss

Not following the food cost and the Profit & Loss is often one of the reasons why many businesses fail, especially restaurants who always struggle to achieve profit. Today Christophe is sharing a simple template to explain what you need to have in your Profit and Loss document and how to split the percentages. We often get occupied by the idea, the feeling and the mission of our business, that we forget, or ignore the numbers. But, they keep growing and at some point it can be too late. Make sure you control the numbers and don't let them play you out of the game.
Jul 29, 202014:26
Workshop Development

Workshop Development

If you want to design and lead your own workshop, there is a lot more work behind the scene which often gets taken for granted. Today we share our experience of doing workshops for many years and explain how to develop the idea, structure your recipe handbook, prepare and practice before you get your students. In the end it an art of balancing the educational aspect with keeping it fun and engaging.
Jul 22, 202016:30
Recipe Development

Recipe Development

So many of our students came to us with the same question - "How to create my own recipe?". It seems that it is almost impossible to think of something new and original, but is it even necessary? In today's episode we discuss where to get inspired and how to make it your own. We also encourage you to break out of the known conventions when it comes to servings, plates, presentations... Plant-based cuisine is an opportunity to create new rules, new flavors, new culture. And we need your help. Are you in?
Jul 15, 202018:31
Autodidact

Autodidact

Are you an Autodidact, or in other word, a self-learner? Is it easy for you to put yourself in the mindset of a student and research and explore the subjects that matter to you? We know that learning should never stop, but we are rarely taught how to learn. This meta-skill, we would say, is one of the most important ones in our lives. When we know how to learn, and how to learn by ourselves - then there is no limit to what we can know and achieve.
Jul 08, 202024:13
Show Your Work

Show Your Work

In today's episode we're covering another great book from an American writer - Austin Kleon. In "Show your work" he shares with us principles to manifest creativity, do what we are passionate about and share the process with the people who care. This is more than a marketing gimmick, it is a way to grow your ideas, make them count and get feedback. It is a way to do deep work that matters. It is a way to become better by doing. This is why it resonated so much with us, and we hope you will get a lot out of it too.
Jul 01, 202018:39
Steal Like An Artist

Steal Like An Artist

In today's and next episode we're covering two great books from an American writer - Austin Kleon. He describes himself as "a writer who draws", and his books are in a way his personal manifestos. In "Steal like an artist" and "Show your work" he shares with us principles to manifest creativity, do what we are passionate about and share the process with the people who care. This is more than a marketing gimmick, it is a way to grow your ideas, make them count and get feedback. It is a way to do deep work that matters. It is a way to become better by doing. This is why it resonated so much with us, and we hope you will get a lot out of it too.
Jun 24, 202024:46
Coaching & Mentoring

Coaching & Mentoring

After we covered what is the job of an educator or an instructor, we are ready to tackle on the roles of a coach and a mentor. What may look and sound the same, is actually not. There are different ways to help your customer and there is a different focus on what is important. Being a coach maybe makes more sense when you are trying to find clients to help out, but mentors are the ones who often don't need to be marketed and whose wisdom will keep you on your true values. Hopefully examples in our talk help you make a clear distinction and to know what title to use in creating your brand.
Jun 17, 202020:06
Teaching & Training

Teaching & Training

In the next two episodes we want differentiate Teaching and Training as a job/career, from Mentoring and Coaching. Too many people use these terms interchangeably, but they are very different in the mindset and the approach. If you identify yourself with any of these labels, listen in to see what responsibilities it encapsulates and what is expected of you by your students.  This week we dive in Teaching & Training, a topic which compliments our previous episodes on "Instructor Mindset" and "Become a Teacher". 
Jun 10, 202022:04
Water Fasting

Water Fasting

What is Water Fasting and should you do it? Today we explain why fasting on water could be useful and how long it usually lasts. We also share our own experiences on fasting which for each of us is for a different reason, with a different process, but with similar results. There is a lot of history behind it and today there are clinics which provide a safe environment to try it out. There are also times when you should do it, as there are times when you shouldn't. To learn all this and more ,tune in and let us know if fasting is something you already do or wish to do it. Thanks for listening!
Jun 03, 202028:39
Time Management Techniques

Time Management Techniques

Last week we covered Attention Management, and today we want to share 4 different techniques that will help you manage your time and be more productive in your daily work. Learn more about Time Blocking, Batching, Grouping and Time Boxing. Learn how to remove distractions and set your priorities. We have been using these techniques in Blue Lotus to organize our work and become more effective. Why are they so important? Short answer - because Multi-tasking simply doesn't work. It's time to adopt new habits and do more in less time. Are you in?
May 27, 202024:49
Attention Management

Attention Management

How easily do you get distracted? Emails, notifications, social media, people... There are many things that make us lose focus and waste time. Our habits and strength to say No are the driving factors that could help us do more in less time. Christophe is offering couple of attention management techniques that you can start practicing today to improve your productivity. We don't say it will easy, but we do say it will be worth it.
May 20, 202024:14
Dealing With Change

Dealing With Change

Change is hard - there is no question about it. But it is often necessary. How we deal with change is another question. Our abilities to adapt and to use it to our advantage are crucial to lead a happy life. Now it may seem more important than ever, but there are many times in our life when there is a need for the next step, for the transformation, to be lost, to start again... How should we use the stress, the discomfort and the pain? Can these triggers push us to improve our lives and to be completely ourselves? Today we share the Why, The How and the What of Changing our lives for the better. Is the risk worth it? Hell yes.
May 13, 202024:35
Learning How To Learn

Learning How To Learn

This essential life skill has often been pushed under the rug and it was expected that we know how to do it intuitively. We think it's crucial to teach yourself what is your way of learning before you start pursuing different subjects. Today we talk about visualization, re-framing, teaching and practice as tools for developing a better understanding of how you learn with understanding and long-lasting effect. Do you have a favorite technique? Are you more of a visual learner and how important is it to you to include other senses?
May 06, 202032:06
Mind Mapping

Mind Mapping

Today we break down Mind Mapping and why it's such an efficient method to brainstorm, organize and memorize what you need. Both of us have been using Mind Maps for many years now and we even record this podcast by creating maps for each topic. We talk about where and when they are useful and how to get the best out of them. We want to share how we do what we do with all of you and if this method helps you, let us know on our Social Media pages. Thanks for listening and, once again, we hope you'll enjoy the show!
Apr 29, 202023:14
Dopamine Fast

Dopamine Fast

Dopamine - this neurotransmitter plays a major role in the motivational component of reward-motivated behavior. In short - it gives us the feeling of pleasure which Social Media companies take full advantage of. How much time are you spending on Social Media and do you feel that it became addictive? We're recommending a break from this and similar addictions to re-focus and balance yourself. We recommend a Dopamine fast.
Apr 22, 202024:46
Trends in 2020

Trends in 2020

Is Plant-based food getting more important in 2020 and in the future? We are no Nostradamus, but we did our research and decided to talk how much it developed from 2019 and which segments are getting more attention in the food industry. We also wanted to cover labels such as "vegan" and "plant-based" and make a distinction between them as not all plant-based food on the market today has vegan ethics behind. Let's dive in...
Apr 15, 202030:20
Becoming A Teacher

Becoming A Teacher

What does it take to become a teacher or, in our case, a plant-based Instructor? We dive in the main differences between being a chef and being a teacher and how to transition from one to another or merge them. In this episode we will talk about the right mindset to apply if you want to use your skills to teach others and help them grow.
Apr 08, 202024:08
Becoming A Chef

Becoming A Chef

What does it take to call yourself a chef? Are you a chef after finishing a cooking school? What about self-taught chefs? Today we dive in deep into what it really takes to be a chef and how the industry changed throughout the years. Is French, military style of cuisine even sustainable today? Listen to the French guy explaining his views and what should a passionate Millenial do if he/she wants to start cooking professionally. Especially in #plantbased cuisine. 😉
Apr 01, 202024:09
Creativity By Constraints

Creativity By Constraints

Especially in this situation in 2020 when we are stuck in isolation, there is so much we can do for ourselves. Although staying at home looks like a big imposed constraint, this constraint we can use to boost our creative processes. Sometimes removing things and limiting ourselves can motivate the creativity so we stay focused enough to solve a problem and get in the flow.
Mar 25, 202020:23
Storytelling

Storytelling

Each of us carry a story. Each story is made up of hundreds of small stories we call moments. There is so much to say, show and do that can inspire, motivate and have an impact on somebody's life. As storytellers, to express ourselves is our duty. By sharing we become more creative, and through creativity we learn. Today we talk about how to tell stories that matter and why are they so important.
Mar 18, 202017:45
What is Enough?

What is Enough?

Should every business try to scale up? Can you be sustainable without constant growth, but by having your minimal viable audience? We are asking the question: What is enough? Help us define where is the limit where you have a sustainable business, where you feel happy and where you have enough satisfied customers every year. This episode is a sequel of our Sabbatical episode where we discussed how to grow your business without borrowing or investing money. Now, let's see how much money you need to be happy with the work you do.
Mar 11, 202019:50
Bootstrapping

Bootstrapping

You are doing your first Start-up? Before you start looking for investors or borrow the money, we recommend listening to this topic. Are you familiar with Bootstrap businesses? This concept is designed for new and small businesses and gives them an opportunity to grow and develop in a sustainable way. Christophe is covering everything you need to know about bootstrapping in today's episode. Tune in and don’t spend the money before you earn it.
Mar 04, 202027:03
Resilience - with John Fischer

Resilience - with John Fischer

We sat down with our student John Fischer, who is a CEO of a successful printing company in Colorado, to talk about his personal journey, struggle and how he used resilience to build his business after a dot-com crush. John openly shared with us how he manages his company and keeps on growing for the last 20 years. He talks about being transparent through Open Book Management and educating and supporting his team as a most important element to have a successful long-lasting business.
Feb 26, 202025:17
Sabbatical Project

Sabbatical Project

How often do you take time for yourself to reset, recover, explore, experiment and develop a new skill? What if this was a normal part of our lives - how different would you life be right now? We don't believe in vacations, we believe in Sabbaticals. Listen more about it in today's episode! :)
Feb 19, 202021:58
Ikigai

Ikigai

This japanese concept translates as: a reason for being, and it talks about finding your purpose in life. The question that we have is - How often does our purpose change and what to do about it? For many of us it was a real struggle to find what we love to do and what we are good at. When it came to creating a business around it, that became a challenge of itself. So, is it possible to unify all 4 pillars that Ikigai stands on, or are some of them combined enough?
Feb 12, 202030:48
Zen Cuisine

Zen Cuisine

Temple Cuisine is known as pure vegetarian food, “lent or fasting food” in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan; shojin ryori or “devotion cuisine” in Japan; “temple food” in Korea; “jay” in Thailand. Temple Cuisine in each of these countries is different and influenced by the local cuisine and ingredients. Today we sat down with Joyce - our Blue Lotus instructor and Damiao - one of our students, to talk about the philosophy of Zen Cuisine and how we interpreted it in our new cooking course.
Feb 05, 202025:16
Green Thai Cuisine

Green Thai Cuisine

Today we have a special episode where we want to talk about why we designed a Green Thai Cuisine course in our school and what kind of experiences our students get by spending a week in Thailand. There's a lot to learn from Thai culture, its food and people. We are grateful to be here and to have a chance to share it with you.
Jan 29, 202016:30
Communication Tactics

Communication Tactics

After you define your message, it's time to develop your marketing strategy by going through this 6 communication tactics. We want to talk about your project goals, audience, redefine what competition means and help you produce your content easily and more efficiently. After that we will distribute and scale what works best for you. Join us in another conversation on digital marketing and grow your business by finding people that care about your mission, products or services.
Jan 22, 202021:30