Meet Victoria Rusia Castro | Creator/Editor of Dallas Vegan Insider

We had the good fortune of connecting with Victoria Rusia Castro and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Victoria Rusia, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
I’ve always envisioned Dallas Vegan Insider (DVI) to be a one-stop resource for those who are vegan or plant-based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, whether it’s through my social media posts or my more descriptive newsletters.

DVI informs individuals about all the latest local vegan news, vendors, meetups, and events. I strive for DVI to inspire these people to support local small businesses and sanctuaries, knowing that their patronage is both important and greatly appreciated. With the rising costs of produce and leases–and the recent closures of several vegan businesses in the last two years–those left standing, whether they are pop-ups or brick-and-mortar, need foot traffic more than ever! Through this journey, I’ve come to make many friends with business owners, and they are always happy to see their goods and services reach new customers through word of mouth.

I also use DVI to let people know about various vegan social meetup groups. That way, those who are new to veganism or a plant-based diet can find their people and make new friends. I, myself, participate in many of these social groups and it’s been a welcoming experiencing. Though DVI is not a social group, I do occasionally coordinate “foodie” meetups, both for fun and to just show love to vegan vendors.

I’m not one to say that I make a big impact or difference in the vegan community, but it’s always a goal to be helpful for those trying to navigate the landscape.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What makes Dallas Vegan Insider special is the amount of curation around vegan content. There are many vegan influencers out there, but I, in my opinion, am the only one to organize all the vegan events, vendor pop-ups, and social meetups in one convenient calendar and newsletter. I pride myself in also be a resource to ask when you need to find all vendors that provide a specific vegan good or service. Need hot pot places in DFW that offer vegan options? Need a list of bakers who make beautiful decorative vegan cakes? I’ve got a list for that!

Currently, I am both very stressed and excited (strexcited?) about my upcoming website. It’s the next obvious step in the evolution for DVI–a centralized location where you can find everything you need, whether it’s my calendars, my vegan vendor map, vendor lists by categories, newsletters and updates, and additional resources. It’s also a much easier way to tell people where to go instead of having to spell out the URL of my newsletter or Linktree.

In all honesty, this entire endeavor has been driven by my ADHD’s hyperfocus, and my obsessive personality to get these completed, much to my detriment. What that says about me… is up to the reader and my therapist. It has definitely not been an easy journey. Maybe for some! Content creators I know make it look easy, and maybe they are just built differently mentally, but it has been stressful to keep things organized and crank out content. Especially content that gets maybe a few hundred views. Those are the days where you try really hard not to let it get you down or give up. I’m still slowly learning how to manage my time between a full-time job that has late weekends and on-call and content creation, while still having a semblance of a life and free time.

What do I want the world to know about DVI and my story? That I’m a hard-working, compassionate person who cares a lot for the animals and people, and I hope that it shows in my work. I’ve been a vegetarian since 2004 and a vegan since 2012, and have been a Dallasite all my life. If I can help someone in my community, then my job is done.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Seeing as I am a major vegan foodie, a lot of my fun will revolve around food. My first stop, no question, is HopeBoy’s Kitchen outside of Oak Cliff Brewing. It is at the top of the game when it comes to food, and it is always a pleasure to introduce newcomers to their flavors. Afterward, we travel just a few minutes to Swirled Peace, the only vegan soft serve shop in DFW located in the heart of Bishop Arts, for a little sweet treat. And since you’re on the main strip of Bishop Arts, it’s a great time to walk around and window shop through many unique shops.

I don’t always partake in alcoholic beverages, but when I do and I want a casual time with a group of friends, I like to go to On Rotation by Love Field airport. They have a great selection of my favorite beer selections–goses and sours–among many other varieties, And if we’re up for a non-alcoholic adventure, there’s no better place than Beyond the Bar in Richardson. They make some great mocktails and if you plan it just right, they may have karaoke going on that night!

For a late night hang, nothing beats going to Charlie’s Star Lounge in Deep Ellum on a Friday or Saturday night. Chef Daddy’s Tex Mess, a personal favorite vegan pop-up that frequents Charlie’s, Barbara’s Pavilion in Oak Cliff, and Low Doubt in Fort Worth, will be there cranking out some hearty burritos, tortas, brisket, you name it! The cherry on top is that Charlie’s hosts karaoke on Fridays.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are just too many people to list! Dallas Vegan Insider would not be here without my partner and several of my close friends encouraging me to keep going, finding ways to expand my brand, providing me advice, but, most importantly, reminding me to take mental health breaks when it gets too much.

The concept of Dallas Vegan Insider has personally always been around since 2017 when I started creating a My Maps of all vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants in DFW. It took several months to curate, but several people in the North Texas Vegans Facebook group appreciated the map for its convenience. The map has been defunct for several years, but I still see people asking for it, and that’s always surprising to me! While that map is in the process of revitalization, the spirit is still there: create a convenient way for vegans like me to find businesses, food, and friends. Because if I found a need for it, then others may, too. The vegan community keeps me going.

I also want to extend my gratitude to the vegan vendors of DFW. Several months back, many of them banded together to present to me a community gift as a thank you for DVI’s public support of their businesses. It was very sweet and it was somewhat serendipitous because at the time, I was heavily considering scrapping DVI altogether.

A special mention to Lauren Belmonti, my graphic designer who elevated the DVI branding, and Mita Shah Bhagat, who blessed me an existing and successful platform from which to grow my DVI newsletter.

DVI would not be here today without the support of my community!

Website: Coming Soon: https://dallasveganinsider.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dallasveganinsider

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dallasveganinsider/

Other: Newsletter: http://dvi.beehiiv.com/
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dallasveganinsider

Image Credits
Diego Leon De Jesus
Ashton Gabbart