I lived in a small town in Missouri. Then it was a slow progression of accepting the issues involved with veganism and becoming conscious of the horrible things that happen with the exploitation of animals in the egg and dairy industries. I can do it. I grew up eating meat and if someone had come up to me saying I was a horrible person, it would have been awful. If what you're saying hits home, people are going to be defensive and maybe feel some guilt, and they won't want to feel that reaction.
Activists have to approach people from a positive angle and realize that every little bit helps.
When I first became vegan, I wasn't very good at it because of chocolate. The first vegan I met told me about a brand of vegan dark chocolate. It was trial and error and lots of yummy mistakes. I make all sorts of things people assume can't be vegan, because I'm persistent and creative. This is useful at Food Not Bombs, too, because we make meals out of whatever food gets donated.