Occupation: owner of Golden Vegan
Children: Paityn, 2
Hobbies: reading, drinking wine, being outside, going on girls’ nights 

This fall, Golden Vegan will be the new restaurant in town, and Neshia Rowe is the mom behind it all. Golden Vegan will specialize in soul food with a plant-based twist and will be located in Zachary. Neshia’s experience with opening a vegan restaurant has taught her a lot about parenting; not only does it take a lot of patience, but it also requires plenty of TLC to raise a child and to open a plant-based restaurant. All that extra special attention is the best part of motherhood, according to Neshia. Aside from taking regular mommy-daughter Target runs, she loves nourishing her daughter’s little personality and molding her into an outspoken leader of the next generation. Despite any challenges she faces, Neshia knows how important it is to push through. After all, you might just wind up with your own restaurant in the end.

WHAT DOES A NORMAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
NESHIA: I wake up at 7:30, then my daughter and I will have breakfast while she watches Cocomelon. Since I’m working from home right now, we’ll make a few grocery trips to prepare for a day of working on the restaurant. If we have time, we’ll go to the park before coming home for dinner. Then, it’s bath time, and after that, we watch a show together before going to bed and doing it all again the next day.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE JOYS AND CHALLENGES OF RAISING YOUR DAUGHTER?
NESHIA: The joys of raising her are watching her grow up, learn new words, and discover new things. I’ve loved watching her little personality develop. The hardest part has been dealing with postpartum depression, but after getting through that, raising her has been so rewarding. 

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS A MOM?
NESHIA: Free-spirited, loving, adventurous, and outspoken. I am all these things because I want Paityn to have all those characteristics, so, in order for her to inherit those traits, I have to model them for her. 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO WITH YOUR DAUGHTER?
NESHIA: Definitely swimming, she loves to go swimming. I also started a kind-of bad habit because she will wake up asking to go to Target, so we’ll go there and get Starbucks where she’ll get a cake pop and I’ll have a coffee. 

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT BEING A MOM?
NESHIA: My favorite thing about motherhood is that I am able to mold and sculpt another human being. I am raising her to be loving and considerate of others, and I am playing a role in raising a leader in the next generation to come.

WHAT HAS PARENTHOOD TAUGHT YOU?
NESHIA: It’s taught me that nothing is perfect, that I need to wake up the next day and try again. Try your best and don’t give up. You just have to keep going!

WHAT ARE SOME THINGS YOU HOPE TO TEACH YOUR DAUGHTER?
NESHIA: I hope to teach her to be strong-minded, to stand up for the things she believes in, and to do whatever life makes her happy and brings her joy–no matter what people say.

WHAT IS SOMETHING YOUR JOB HAS TAUGHT YOU ABOUT PARENTING?
NESHIA: It’s definitely taught me patience and to be mindful of the things I’m doing. I work with vegan food, so there has to be a lot of love that goes into it, which has taught me a lot about how to be patient and nurturing as a parent.

HOW DO YOU TACKLE ANY CHALLENGES YOU FACE AS A MOM?
NESHIA: Prayer and meditation. I will also talk with other mom friends just to get their insight on things. Hearing other people’s opinions can keep me level-headed because I can be somewhat of an overthinker.

HOW DO YOU MAKE TIME TO RELAX?
NESHIA: I have to force time to relax. On the weekends, if possible, I will try to carve out three hours of time for myself to do what I think is relaxing; I will go to the spa, lay outside, binge-watch TV, read a book…anything that allows me to be by myself. I’m always around people during the week, so that downtime is definitely needed

WHAT PERSONALITY TRAIT OF YOURS DOES YOUR DAUGHTER ALSO HAVE?
NESHIA: She is fearless! Growing up, a lot of people told me I act without thinking. My daughter does the craziest things not knowing they’ll potentially hurt her. She’ll find a way to get it done, and she’ll ask the questions later.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR OTHER PARENTS?
NESHIA: There is no book about parenting. Do what fits your life, and do what you think is best for your child.

Quick Q&A

My favorite TV show is…The Handmaid’s Tale.

My favorite dessert is…vegan cheesecake.

My favorite food is…sushi.

My favorite holiday is…Halloween.

My guilty pleasure is…red wine.

The first thing I do when I wake up is…pray.

I’m always laughing at…the most inappropriate things.