Meet Ella Magers | Founder & CEO of Sexy Fit Vegan

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ella Magers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ella, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I knew from the time I was 7, which was 1987, that my life’s purpose was to reduce the human-caused suffering of animals, and my life has been a journey of discovering the most effective ways to fulfill that purpose.

In 2013, veganism was just beginning to come into the limelight and I felt called to create the brand Sexy Fit Vegan. I built a website (Sexyfitvegan.com) and started a blog with the intention of making waves across the globe with my message of compassion for all of earth’s creatures.

Even though my personal “why” for going vegan was ethical, I knew from working as a personal trainer for over a decade that people often feel most motivated to make diet and lifestyle changes for the physical results they want to experience. I also knew that getting in great shape, losing weight, building lean muscle, and feeling sexy (my brand redefines what it means to be sexy… e.g. strong is sexy and compassion is sexy!) were all benefits of eating a proper whole foods, plant-based diet, hence the decision to name the brand Sexy Fit Vegan. I wanted to break the stereotypes that had existed for so long (that vegans were typically weird, scrawny, angry, etc) and inspire people to open their minds to making the healthy, responsible, and compassionate choice to go vegan!

From there it was a matter of creating programming that would help people align their lifestyle with the values of optimizing one’s health and well-being, elevating one’s consciousness, connecting more intimately with other people, animals, and nature, experiencing more happiness and connecting with purpose.

What should our readers know about your business?
I discovered my fierce compassion for animals when I was 7 years old and realized that the so-called “food” on my plate was actually a once living, breathing, feeling animal. When that light bulb went off, I vowed never to eat meat again. In fact, I knew at that point that it was my life’s purpose to advocate for the rights of animals to be free from human-caused suffering!

From there, I was curious enough about our modern food systems to dig in and do the research. When I came to understand the cruel practices of the animal agricultural industry (aka factory farming) at the age of 15 I became fully vegan (before most people were familiar with the meaning of “vegan”). That was 28 years ago!

Seeing the world through such a different lens than most people, and caring so deeply about the plight of animals was tough, however, at the age of 16, I was diagnosed with clinical depression and struggled with severe anxiety. I felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders.

At the same time, I believe that it is the clarity about my mission in life that saved me. Despite the depression, anxiety, alcohol, drugs, my college job working in nightclubs, and toxic relationships, I pulled through because of the responsibility I felt to advocate for animals.

It wasn’t until many years later that I became empowered with the mental and emotional self-coaching tools I now teach, and the deep sense of connection I now feel to the Universe.

After a successful career as a personal trainer, I created my brand, Sexy Fit Vegan, in 2013 when veganism was just beginning to come into the limelight. Though I did not have much of a plan for monetizing the new brand, I was motivated to simply start creating content and finding ways to let my voice and message be heard.

I created a website and started blogging. I was soon receiving welcomed publicity, including being named among Shape Magazine’s 50 top trainers in America and Trainer of the Month on the world’s leading bodybuilding and fitness website (bodybuilding.com). I was invited to speak in the media and got a book deal. It was satisfying knowing I was reaching so many people across the globe.

As a woman on a mission to revolutionize the fitness and wellness industries, I champion:

-Plant-based living as a path to holistic health
-The importance of ethical + compassion-based living for spiritual well being
-Animals rights + advocacy
-Embracing movement (as opposed to “exercise”) for functional strength and mobility, longevity, and a higher quality of life
-Normalizing a plant-based diet + making vegan options more accessible
-Healing the planet through wise, sustainable choices

I next began creating and launching online coaching programs designed to take people through the process of adopting a fit and healthy plant-based lifestyle and become energized from the inside out (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual).

People who have followed me and my work know that I’ve experienced a ton of serious challenges throughout my life. And I must say, it feels incredible to be able to say that at this point in my life, at the age of 43, I am by far the healthiest, happiest, fittest, and most confident version of myself.

I’ve been very open about my personal challenges, so those who know me are aware of my intense journey of healing from the clinical depression, anxiety, disordered eating, a distorted body image, and severe insomnia I experienced most of my life.

Many also may know that, toward the beginning of 2022, I experienced burn-out. It forced me to take a much-needed sabbatical of sorts, and what may be news to them, is that I’ve emerged a completely re-energized, and radically upgraded version of myself after an insanely transformative experience in the jungles of the Amazon.

I realized that it was my addiction to “doing” that caused me to break down and burn out. I knew that if I didn’t teach myself how to stop the constant doing and learn how to “be” my purpose, I was on a path to self-destruction.

In order to reset my entire system on every level, I took the bold move of ridding my body and life of all the external substances I had been using to uplift, energize, distract, and numb me… things that kept me prioritizing my work and mission to make a positive impact on the world over paying attention to what I truly needed to nurture my spirit and soul.

This first meant getting off the anti-depressant medication I’d been on since I was 16 years old when I was first diagnosed with clinical depression. It meant stopping caffeine (I had grown to rely on my strong sencha green tea and matcha lattes with oat milk daily). It meant quitting cannabis, which I had been using for years as my sleep aid of choice. I also detoxed from social media and work.

I can tell you that shit got real and raw once I stripped myself of all of these coping mechanisms! It wasn’t pretty, but I had no doubt it was the journey I needed to be on, not only for myself, but for all the people who were struggling in similar ways that I would be able to help once I got to “the other side.”

In short, giving myself the opportunity, time, and space to really feel all my emotions and utilize the mindset and metaphysical tools I had been collecting and teaching for years, in combination with a 12-day Ayahuasca retreat at the Temple of the Way of Light in Peru, endorsed by the renowned author, physician, and addiction expert Gabor Maté MD, was exactly the prescription I needed.

The experience gave rise to my two most recently launched projects…

22Reboot is a revolutionary 22-day holistic health transformation system that teaches people (specifically entrepreneurs, professionals, and leaders) how to disrupt harmful habits and create a healthy and sustainable lifestyle that benefits both themselves and the Planet.

And Rise & Thrive… An inspirational interview-based podcast focused on holistic wellness for the vegan-curious and the curious vegan.

I don’t think “everything happens for a reason.” I DO think that everything that happens creates opportunities for us to up-level our consciousness and make the choices that bring us closer to aligning our outer reality with our most peaceful and powerful inner selves.

That said, I couldn’t be more excited to help people across the globe who are at-risk for, or are experiencing burn-out and/or health issues, to take charge of their health and well-being both for the benefit of themselves, animals, and the Planet through my podcasts, coaching programs, writing, and speaking.

I’m also thrilled to be on the founding board of Hogs & Kisses Farm Sanctuary, and to be able to share that experience, and the stories of the individual animals that we rescue with my audience!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting, we would do a ton of outdoor activities including kayaking in Oleta State Park and taking my dog to the doggy beach at Haulover.

I would take them to my favorite spots for training, including Muscle Beach for calisthenics, Modo Yoga for hot power yoga, and boxing (outdoors) with my friend and boxing coach Joshua Dempsey.

We would venture all the way to Ft. Lauderdale to drink the best-tasting kratom on the planet at Leaves & Roots Kava Bar (vegan-owned) where we can also play ping-pong and pool and dance to great beats.

On Sunday we’d head to South Pointe Park for the Acro Yoga Jam and catch some live music at Monty’s.

And we’d of course hit up Planta in South Beach, maybe twice… Once on Monday for happy hour/Maki Monday, and another night for a decadent plant-exclusive dinner. We’d also likely make it to Plantisserie for lunch one of the days.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There is a very long list of people I credit for their support and encouragement along the way.

First and foremost, I give thanks to my parents. Although they first thought my refusal to eat meat (at the age of 7) would be “a phase” I’d grow out of, once they realized how strongly I felt, they gave me the space and freedom to explore my passion for animal rights.

I know lots of parents who, like mine, drove their kids around to all their activities (I was a competitive swimmer, gymnast, and volleyball player). I don’t know too many parents however, who would drive their kid to participate in protests and demonstrations, or who would give their blessing for their child to travel 8 hours to attend a pigeon shoot where she would be doing her best to save injured birds who’d been shot.

My parents, both of whom followed my lead and have been vegan for many years) did all of those things for me and more, and I am forever grateful.

Website: https://ellamagers.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellamagers/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/empoweredveganlife/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/sexyfitvegan

Other: https://sexyfitvegan.com https://22reboot.com https://ellamagers.com/podcast (Rise & Thrive with Ella Magers Podcast) https://sexyfitvegan.com/podcast (The Vegan Life Coach Podcast) ella@ellamagers.com (inquire about 1:1 coaching)

Image Credits
Yanni De Melo Michael Reh