"Love & Bananas" - Rescuing Elephants with Actress, Director Ashley Bell

You'll never look at your friends' photos of riding an elephant the same way again after watching Ashley Bell's documentary, "Love and Bananas." It's the story of rescuing Asian elephants from the cruelty they endure to be housed in zoos and "entertainment" in circuses, as well as rides. Ashley calls the film "an action adventure story," yet it's so much more.  It's also a love story between the elephants being rescued and Lek Chaillert, the renowned conservationist/rescuer who was Bell's guide on the adventure.. Listen to Ashley tell the story of how she came to this powerful story in this fascinating interview with Joan Michelson on the Green Connections Radio podcast.  Ashley also talks about how it transformed her into an activist for this cause and shares insightful career advice. Read my Forbes blogs about her documentary and what you can do, and on her career advice here too.. "Trust your gut. Tell your story. And you will get everyone in the world saying 'no' to you, and all those people will be the first people to call you" when you're successful, Ashley told Joan. "It's going to be terrifying. There are going to be moments when you don't know what you're doing. And there are going to be moments where it's scary to do things a little bit different." "But, I so encourage people to blend their advocacy with their passion, because then something truly incredible happens." You'll want to listen to these podcasts too: ·       Kathleen Rogers, President of Earth Day Network, which honored Ashley Bell with the Women and the Green Economy Leadership Award for her advocacy. ·       Emeliie O'Brien, Founder and CEO of Earth Angel, a company that works with film and television productions to reduce their carbon footprint. ·       Dayna Reggero, Eco-filmmaker who created the Climate Listening Project. ·       Flo Stone, Founder of the DC Environmental Film Festival. Thanks for subscribing on iTunes or iHeartRadio and leaving us a review! Also, join our Facebook Page  and share your insights! Follow us on Twitter @joanmichelson