Ella Magers on Expanding Compassion for Self and ALL Beings

Ella Magers on Expanding Compassion for Self and ALL Beings

It ain't my business to tell anyone how to eat or live their lives, but hey— it's my podcast, so I sure as hell am gonna tell you what I think. 😜


In all seriousness, I haven’t talked much at all about veganism or animal advocacy in the Bad Bitch Therapist world yet. In the past, I actually had a whole separate “Val the Vegan Therapist” website and vegan podcast, and while I’m still just as passionate about veganism today, I just realized that was not a thing that I wanted to do as a full-out additional brand / business.


And honestly, the topic of veganism is something that I always feel a little nervous about bringing into new spaces, like I’m sort of coming out of the “vegan closet”. It's a topic that often makes people uncomfortable, or like I must be judging them. (And listen— I ate and wore animals for the first 30 years of my life, until I finally sought out and fully processed information about the lives of animals and the realities of animal agriculture. So I have no room to be “holier than thou,” trust me.)


In my day-to-day real life I'm very much NOT shy about it. In fact, I’m usually out there preaching the good word ( “vegangelizing,” if you will 😝) by sharing all of the really good shit about living a lifestyle where I get to fully walk my talk of loving animals and seeing them as individuals worthy of life and belonging.


All that to say— I’m seriously giddy over the fact that my first vegan guest on this iteration of my podcast is Ella Magers, who’s been vegan for most of her life, is on the board of a farm animal sanctuary, and has been running the Sexy Fit Vegan brand for the last DECADE. ❤️‍🔥


Somehow, she had not even come on my radar until recently, and when I discovered her and started listening to her podcast Rise & Thrive, and then she said YES to coming on my show— let’s just say I had to make an effort to keep my fangirling in check. Through her work in many aspects of the vegan and animal rights movement, Ella has impacted so many humans and played a part in saving SO many animals’ lives.


In this episode, Ella shares her story of becoming vegan at a young age, prompted by her innate compassion for animals (which most of us also have, but are socially conditioned to separate from our choices about food, clothing, etc.). She also shares about how the most difficult thing she’s had to learn to do in living a life of compassion is learning how to extend it to include HERSELF.


Ella’s commitment to animals paved the road to her career as a coach, helping people to heal holistically and foster a positive relationship with food and their bodies— which also happens to align with loving animals, since plant-based eating is one of the best things humans can do for their own health and the health of the planet.


We talk about love for ourselves and others, the power of plant medicine, and finding that wholeness within ourselves so that we can live our lives in overflow.


This conversation with Ella is a testament to the power of self-love, compassion, and understanding in navigating both the emotional and physical aspects of our lives. Whether it's about facing mental health issues, adopting a vegan lifestyle or using plant medicine for personal transformation, Ella's insights offer a unique perspective, reminding us all to approach ourselves and the world with "curiosity and compassion."


About Ella

Ella Magers, MSW is on a mission to transform the health and wellness industry from the inside out. Vegan since 1995, Ella founded Sexy Fit Vegan in 2013 to pave the way for veganism to enter the mainstream. Ella’s desire to revolutionize our mindsets around eating and fitness is wholehearted and flows from a deeply personal place. Bodybuilding Bikini champion, Ella has led workshops across the globe and has been featured on some of the world’s most popular platforms including Shape, Bodybuilding.com, and Huffington Post. Her work as a podcast host, speaker, author, and coach gives people the tools they need to heal and thrive holistically and become empowered to move through the world with profound curiosity and fierce compassion for all living beings. She is on the board of Hogs & Kisses Farm Sanctuary and is based in Miami.


This episode covers:

  • [0:00] Intro

  • [3:30] Reading, Watching, Loving

  • [10:05] Sharing her feelings of nervousness to talk about being vegan

  • [11:43] Ella's origin story about being vegan

  • [16:16] Compassion as a compass

  • [18:22] Protective walls we put up

  • [23:38] How veganism factors in when working with personal training clients

  • [27:40] Veganism also having an issue with assigning morality with food "good or bad"

  • [30:18] The most impactful things on her journey of healing her mental health

  • [37:21] Ella’s experience with plant medicine

  • [47:05] Talking about dating and finding a partner who shares your values

  • [52:22] Developing an animal sanctuary

Resources + Stuff Mentioned in This Episode:


Connect with Ella


Connect with Val:


DISCLAIMER: None of my online content or coaching services are to be considered as therapy or a substitute for individualized mental health treatment or healthcare. These offerings are created for entertainment and educational purposes. For full disclaimer, visit https://badbitchtherapist.co/disclaimer .