Rise & Thrive with Sexy Fit Vegan Founder Ella Magers

You Had Me at Quantum: A Soulful Plant-Based Love Story with Quinn and Ella

• Ella Magers, MSW • Episode 38

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My journey started four years ago when I stopped drinking although I really started down the rabbit hole two years ago and I started to learn about frequency, vibration and all the limits the matrix imposes. - Quinn Donahue


I am excited to share today’s episode, which is by far the most intimate episode to date, given that I get to introduce you to the extraordinary human being whom I’m calling, my “person” (though I suppose it’s interchangeable with partner, significant other, boyfriend, beau). I’m not that into labels. 

What I am into is connection, love, respect, compassion, health, intimacy, intuition, peace, freedom, growth, and discovering the things I don’t know I don’t know. And I feel like those are all components of our relationship, and reasons why having him on this show is in total alignment. And guess what? He has a name! It’s Quinn Donahue. 

Quinn has a fascinating life story to share. He lives in Austin, Texas, where he was born and raised. He has had a life-long passion for music, which is the industry in which he built his career. 

It was four years ago when he made a dramatic shift from the stereotypical music business kind of lifestyle... partying, alcohol, drugs, cigarettes... to doing yoga daily and following a spiritual path of self-discovery and growth. A year ago he felt called to further his health and embody compassion for all living beings by adopting a plant-based lifestyle and going vegan… another huge shift, given that he was a hunter in his past!

In this introductory episode we tell you all about our unique love story that blossomed from a plant-based/vegan dating app. 

Our journey is a testament to the power that comes from approaching the world with profound curiosity.

This episode is also about exploring our spiritual connection and how the Universe aligned to bring us together. We unravel the exciting intersection of science and spirituality from our mutual fascination with Quantum mechanics.
 
Our goal for these episodes is to have raw and organic discussions on various holistic health-related topics that will leave you with profound insights and help you make powerful shifts and take courageous actions that are aligned with becoming the best version of yourself!

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Take on ...

Quinn Donahue:

You know the level of intimacy just in that one word. Quantum knew that I could ask those things and that I would get those kind of answers. It was very serendipitous and just so romantic and beautiful. Yeah, I mean, I was in instantly, just over that, and it was magical and I knew I had to get to Miami.

Ella Magers:

Hey there and welcome to Rise and Thrive with me, ella Majors. I created this high vibe podcast from a place of profound curiosity, fierce compassion and the deep desire to connect you with the wisdom of inspirational wellness, health, fitness and conscious leaders and changemakers. Here's to discovering our blind spots and embracing life as the adventure it is. The time is now. Let's do this. Hey, hey everyone. Today's episode is by far the most intimate episode to date, given that I get to introduce you to the extraordinary human being I'm calling my person Though I suppose it's interchangeable with partner, significant other, boyfriend, beau. I'm not that into labels, but what I am into is connection, love, respect, compassion, health, intimacy, intuition, peace, freedom, growth and discovering the things I don't know. I don't know and I feel like those are all really important components of our relationship and reasons why having him on this show is in total alignment. And guess what? He has a name it's Quinn Donahue. Quinn has a fascinating life story to share. He lives in Austin, texas, where he was born and raised. He has a lifelong passion for music, which is the industry in which he's built his career. It was four years ago when he made a dramatic shift from the stereotypical music business kind of lifestyle, you know, the party scene, alcohol, drugs, cigarettes to doing yoga daily and following a spiritual path of self discovery and growth. And a year ago he felt called to further his health and embody compassion for all living beings by going vegan Another huge shift, given that he was a hunter in the past. In this episode we focus on the story of how we met and even act out our very first messages back and forth, which is pretty fun, and I do want to mention, if you're not familiar with, the term quantum, which we reference quite a bit. I encourage you to stay tuned for our future episodes together where we'll be diving into deep discussions about our journeys down what is often called the quantum rabbit hole, and in the meantime there's a documentary called what the Bleep Down the Rabbit Hole, I think something like that, but I'll add that to the show notes in case you're interested. So yeah, our plan is to sprinkle into this interview based podcast this type of episode where Quinn and I have super raw and organic holistic health and wellness forward conversations on topics big and small. I'm personally really interested in the intersection of science and spirituality. We'll be sharing our personal journeys intimately with you, which means we're going to laugh and probably cry. It's just that you know we both have very open hearts at this point in our lives. My trip to Peru with ayahuasca last year really opened my heart on a whole new level, and I know we'll get into that in future episodes as well. And, most importantly, our intention is to help spark profound discoveries for our listeners that's you.

Ella Magers:

And, by the way, before we dive in, I want to give a shout out to Elizabeth, who sent me an email yesterday that said, and I quote, loving the reboot. And it's only day one. So if you haven't taken advantage of the 22 reboot challenge yet, I highly encourage you to take the leap and go all in. It is such a powerful program that gives you a structured 22 day process for replacing your unhealthy habits with new habits that will become your new way of life, resulting in more energy, releasing excess body fat, improving your health, releasing excess body fat, improving your digestion, experiencing more peace and joy, just to name a few of the benefits. I really did create it with professionals, entrepreneurs and mission driven leaders in mind, but it's a system that will absolutely help anyone who is having trouble prioritizing their health and self care. So if that's, you check it out. I'll put the link in the show notes. And yeah, enough of all that, let's do this. And here we are. Hey, babe.

Quinn Donahue:

Hello babe.

Ella Magers:

This is exciting.

Quinn Donahue:

To say the least, very, very happy to be here.

Ella Magers:

I'm so happy to have you on and to have this experience together.

Quinn Donahue:

Absolutely.

Ella Magers:

I have a feeling that a good way to start is to kind of let people know how we met and maybe well, spoiler alert, it was a dating app, but do you want to know, do you want to start and share, kind of, how you even got on this dating app so we can start to paint this picture for people of how we met just three months ago now, right, yes, yeah.

Quinn Donahue:

Three months ago. Yeah, so I'm scrolling on social media as we do. I come across a dating app ad, throws me over to the app store, starting to think maybe I should get back into looking at dating apps. I'd quit them for a long time. I just kind of given up going that route, finding my mate that way. Went on the app store and decided to search vegan dating apps because that's my flavor.

Ella Magers:

And how long has that been your flavor?

Quinn Donahue:

Just over a year, yeah, so August of last year. I downloaded this dating app. In July of this year, go on a trip with some friends, get back and start looking at the app. I'd had it for maybe two, three weeks.

Ella Magers:

First of all, this was not in got to say what trip this was, because, Okay, sorry. I love this trip because I want to go next one.

Quinn Donahue:

I go on a trip to the Grand Canyon with group of best friends 28 folks or so every three years. This was the third time I've done it. It's magical, to say the least. You raft the entire Grand Canyon all 280 miles over eight days. You sleep on the river, you bask in God's glory. It's refreshing, to say the least. So obviously didn't use the app or look at the app until I got back from that beautiful trip, downloaded a vegan dating app, went on the trip just kind of messing around with it, and, lo and behold, this beautiful woman in metal reaches out and likes me and that was the beginning of the rest of our lives.

Ella Magers:

Yeah.

Quinn Donahue:

How long had you been on the app? You tell me how long ago.

Ella Magers:

I think I had been on that particular app for several years, probably since it first came out, because I've been vegan myself for 28 years and you know I've known my purpose on earth is to be a voice for animals and to be a voice for compassion for all living beings since I was seven years old. So when there was a vegan dating app, I mean I knew I was around when there was nobody around me even knew what the word vegan was. So having a vegan dating app seems pretty cool, pretty awesome. That said, the percentage of people who are vegan on this earth is relatively small. So I had oscillated back and forth between vegan dating apps and regular dating apps and no dating apps. And really, I mean the last many years I've been more focused on myself, my own growth. I've been through some periods of burnout, where I ended up in the Amazon jungle doing ayahuasca for 12 days, the kind of thing. So dating really wasn't a big priority for me for the last few years and I kind of went back and forth of saying, well, you know, I just got to go on faith, right. Like, do I really spend time and energy and effort looking for the right person or do I trust the universe to bring that person to me Right. And then you go back and forth and you're like, well, doesn't mean the universe is going to do all the work. Like I think I probably have to do some of the work, so I would kind of go on and go off.

Ella Magers:

I had decided that you know what, I know that I cannot end up with somebody who's going to be eating animals. And so I was kind of in a phase of when I traveled I would turn on the app because I think the app has maybe a 500 mile radius and if it had a global radius I would have put the global radius on, because I'm pretty free to travel. And I kind of felt like, yeah, I'm looking for a needle in a haystack here, you know, and so I'm willing to travel for love. So I was coming back from the Organic Produce Summit in Monterey, california, where I was speaking, and I was flying through Dallas, dsw, and turned on the dating app because I said, well, when I go to a different airport I will turn it on and get kind of populate a new group of potentials.

Ella Magers:

And there was Quinn and this sexy picture Cowboy-esque. I was like vegan cowboy sexy, yeah, so I liked, and maybe I super liked I don't know if that was an option or something and I think I sent you a message. I can't remember the very first interaction, but I know, didn't you screenshot? I really have.

Quinn Donahue:

I did. I have since canceled said app because the search is over, to say the least. But, yeah, before doing that, I screenshotted the whole interaction, the 2023 recording, if you will, the volley of messages that got us here, because it was that special and, yeah, that experience with any dating apps obviously never transpired like this or anything. And, yeah, I do have screenshots of them and I think you should play yourself and I should play myself and we should maybe just run through that.

Ella Magers:

Let's do it. I mean, I can't imagine anyone not wanting to hear this, so let's do it.

Quinn Donahue:

Here we go, so July 14, 2023. Hi Ella, your quantum answer wins.

Ella Magers:

Okay, and I think you've got to explain yeah. Because I don't have also my profile I don't know what I do, right.

Quinn Donahue:

So when this beautiful woman liked me I can't remember if it was a super like or not like any dating app, give a breakdown of once desires, trying to paint a picture of who you are, and in the spiritual part, the religious part, she highlighted quantum and parentheses. Not only was she breathtaking, she was vegan and she uses that word, quantum, and that really perked my ears, to say the least, and so much so that I reached out instantly.

Ella Magers:

Yes.

Quinn Donahue:

Yeah, so we'll start there. Hi, ella, your quantum answer wins.

Ella Magers:

Hey Quinn, what does it win me? That's so flirty.

Quinn Donahue:

My attention for one not sure what else. A beautiful woman with an open, curious mind is what I'm looking for. Are you currently traveling in Texas?

Ella Magers:

Nice. Curiosity is kind of my thing. It's amazing how life becomes so much more peaceful when we let go of the need to be right and explore life with curiosity and compassion. When did you start down the quantum rabbit hole? I was passing through Dallas yesterday on my way back to Miami from a speaking gig in Cali.

Quinn Donahue:

So true. The duality of right and wrong is such a hindrance of self. Yet everything must be defined as such in 3D. Asking why and leading with the heart are the best lenses to view this existence. My journey started four years ago when I stopped drinking although I really started down the rabbit hole two years ago and I started to learn about frequency, vibration and all the limits the matrix imposes. Oh nice, do you travel a lot giving talks?

Ella Magers:

Beautifully put and was going vegan a part of that same journey, or a totally different one. I'm starting to do more traveling for speaking, which excites me. My business is mostly online otherwise, which also gives me freedom to travel, though I'm in a reinvention phase at the moment.

Quinn Donahue:

Thank you. When did your journey with Quantum Start? I was already eating organically and sourcing meat from local farms or through hunting, but after reading and listening to my intuition, I realized veganism was a missing piece of my journey. Couldn't be happier with that decision. Looks like you've been vegan for some time. That is exciting about your speaking and traveling Congrats. What's your business? If you don't mind me asking, I'd love to hear more about the reinvention phase as well.

Ella Magers:

Thanks, yeah, I've been working for 28 years and have been working to create a more compassionate world for all beings ever since stopping eating meat at the age of seven. I went fully vegan at the age of 15. In a nutshell, elemajorscom is my website and home for my newest podcast. I hit a bottom last year and ended up in Peru on a 12-day ayahuasca retreat, which I'm still integrating, so I'm in a phase where I'm working on exploring new directions and projects. What about you? Career Work?

Quinn Donahue:

Oh, wow, Great stuff. You're amazing. You should be very proud of your work. I can't imagine how a hard coaching can be on you. I'm a concert promoter. I work for C3 Presents. We're a subsidiary of Live Nation. I book seven different venues around the country, a couple festivals and do some consulting for brands who need help translating the music business.

Ella Magers:

Thanks for your kind words. I really do love hosting the podcast. Interviewing extraordinary humans and sharing their stories and wisdom Sounds like a cool job. Do you enjoy it? What kinds of music do you like best? Do you get to attend a lot of shows as a perk?

Quinn Donahue:

The future is in podcasts. For sure, you're on the right path. I do love my job. I'm a music fan first and foremost, so it's a lot of fun. I love all kinds of music blues rock, country, bluegrass, house, world, you name it. I'm fortunate to be able to see all of it. Are you a music fan? And I think she didn't respond for a day and I got a little nervous. It was such an incredible back and forth. It was. You never experienced anything like that and you know I felt I had a fish on the line and so not a vegan face.

Ella Magers:

Yeah, I said yes, correct?

Quinn Donahue:

That's funny.

Ella Magers:

Yes, it is.

Quinn Donahue:

So my last volley was may I have your number? Would? Love to talk outside this app if you're gay.

Ella Magers:

I'm gay.

Quinn Donahue:

I'm gay man. She gave me your number, which I'm not going to give right now, but yes, yes, please don't. And that's how the cookie crumbles.

Ella Magers:

Yeah, wow, I hadn't read that. I was so kind of blown away when you sent it to me because I didn't remember how we got started and how. Wow, just the connection piece and for me to have found somebody that can talk about quantum rabbit hole and who's vegan and just also something I had noticed in dating apps is just I mean, just a simple thing of being able to go back and forth to be curious about the other human being on the other side. Enough to ask real questions, relevant questions, based on really listening or reading you know the previous comments and asking something so relevant and even something that simple and I think probably people that have tried out dating apps understand that that is not something to be taken for granted. Just that simple fact. Do you know what I mean?

Quinn Donahue:

Yeah, the level of intimacy just in that one word, quantum knew that I could ask those things and that I would get those kind of answers. It was very serendipitous and just so romantic and beautiful. Yeah, I mean, I was in instantly, just over that, and it was magical and I knew I had to get to Miami.

Ella Magers:

Yeah, so it was just a couple of weeks after that.

Quinn Donahue:

Yeah, I mean, that was it. We faced time for a couple of different times, spoke on the phone, texting all that fun stuff, and then, you know, I was very forward. I think actually our first phone call I was. You know, I offered up, you know I can come to Miami.

Ella Magers:

Yeah, yeah.

Quinn Donahue:

And there was a pause, I remember that. Like who is this stranger? He's like oh, he wants to be in my front door, maybe he's there now, but you never know with these things, yeah, yeah. So, you know, I had to be gentle with it, but the energy was reciprocated, the frequency was there, the vibration was everything. And yeah, here we are.

Ella Magers:

Yeah, and I remember you saying that and what I appreciated about that, even though I don't think I'm not sure if I just didn't respond or just said, okay, good to know, kind of thing. You know, just it's important to also be safe on these things.

Quinn Donahue:

Oh, yeah, of course, of course.

Ella Magers:

And one of the complaints I hear my friends making about data apps is like, well, they never lead to anything. Like you might have a little connection and you text back and forth and then one person disappears. And that's kind of the nature. And I was so glad you asked me for my number because I wasn't checking those things often, daily, and I think that is what happens People kind of check and they're so kind of disenfranchised by past experiences that they're like, yeah, I mean, what are the chances that this is actually something Right? So I appreciated you not putting pressure but also putting that offer out quickly. And it was just the second time when you asked that I said yes, let's make it happen, yeah.

Quinn Donahue:

I had love on the line. I couldn't let you get away.

Ella Magers:

Yeah, yeah, thank goodness.

Quinn Donahue:

That was very obvious from the get go yeah.

Ella Magers:

No, there was an immediate connection and in so many things, you know, and I think there's so many things that we have in common, and there are things that we, you know, are differences, and I think both are really important because of the things that I'm looking for in a relationship, part of that is someone who's able to challenge me, and if you're exactly the same as somebody else, you're not going to be able to challenge them. And we have so much to learn from each other, and I think we have so much to share share with each other, but also to share with the world and that's why this is why I invited you to be on the show and why I feel really called for us to be able to share some of these messages together.

Quinn Donahue:

Most definitely.

Ella Magers:

Did this occur to you? Like from the beginning, did this would happen?

Quinn Donahue:

Yeah, yeah, intuitively. I mean I think I told you when the first time I came to Miami is like we need to figure out how to work together. We need to figure out something. Yeah, the yin and yang of it. Yeah, I mean I was searching for the divine feminine which I wasn't fully aware of, but now it's just so obvious and yeah, that push, pull, the similarities, the continuity of it all was just in sync more than yeah, just again, can't put words to just the how it all fell into place. Yeah, the puzzle pieces. And yeah, I'm overjoyed to be on your podcast and can't wait to share everything, share our love.

Ella Magers:

Yeah, and our stories, and I think we're gonna keep this first episode short, yeah, kind of as a great little introduction of how we met, just a few things about us, with that back and forth that we just read. And what I'm excited about is also just sharing in future episodes both of our journeys and the similarities, the differences and, like you said, just the whole feminine thing. It's so interesting because just these last few years, I mean we were coming together at this perfect time in both of our lives and both of our, as our paths are crossing. They're crossing, I believe, for a reason.

Ella Magers:

I've been exploring my own feminine energy. There's been a lot of trauma in my life that has kind of helped cause me to put up this tough exterior that has been blocking a lot of my feminine energy. I've had this, and this is why I've been a Muay Thai practitioner for 20 years. 20 years ago, when I started and even know what sparring gear was, and it was a rush to be able to spar with my badass coaches who would beat the shit out of me, you guys, I was black and blue from head to toe and I was so proud of that. I was so proud of that, you know, and so my life has been about so much about compassion for others, for animals number one for people who are suffering, for populations that are suffering, oppressed, and so little compassion for myself.

Ella Magers:

And these last few years I've introduced this work of developing this compassion for myself and, in doing that, being able to release the blockages that are keeping me from fully shining my light as not only a human, but a woman, and so it just I mean our meeting and for you to be this masculine human who also embodies what it means to be compassionate, to be empathetic, to be sensitive to energies, and I'm going on and on here, but my point is that this just seems so perfect for us to be coming together at this moment in time in both of our journeys of discovery, to be able to now share with a bigger audience, and so I'm really excited, that's all.

Quinn Donahue:

I'm in.

Ella Magers:

Yeah, I know I love you.

Ella Magers:

I love you and we're here to spread love to everybody listening as well. So we will be back for another episode soon to really share. And I know when I expressed some things about my journey away from alcohol and the fact that Quinn's here has been four years now sober, and I know so many people when I expressed this were like, yeah, I'm ready to start down that path too, not because I'm an addict, but because I know that alcohol is not serving me. So how can I do that? We've got so much to share around that, around moving towards plant-based eating. What else are you excited to share about?

Quinn Donahue:

I'm excited to talk about music. Music, just a little bit of hearing in my heart which is woven through all these things that we're talking about, whether we are aware of it or not.

Ella Magers:

Ooh, can you give our audience? And one thing that I loved when we were first getting to know each other was you would send me music that I was unfamiliar with.

Ella Magers:

I'll put you on the spy here. Is there a one artist or song that maybe people in the mainstream haven't heard, and I know the one for me that you sent me, that I started bawling, I was out running, I put the song on that you sent me. I actually looked at the lyrics and I had never heard it before I wasn't into country music and it hit me so hard. Do you remember which song that was?

Quinn Donahue:

Your Sturgill Simpson. Yes, turtle's on the way down. Yes, yeah, I mean, people are familiar with him, but it's not. Yeah, I mean, it's one of my love languages and being curious and loving music and vibration and all that, it's just a beautiful form of intimacy, of sending somebody music, not only. You know, it's just yeah, it's just a perfect vehicle to express everything and I knew if that hit then we'd be off to the races.

Ella Magers:

Yeah, Big time.

Quinn Donahue:

Which is cool, which is great.

Ella Magers:

And I put that song. I don't know if you were on my newsletter list then and if anyone is not on my the way newsletter list. This is another topic I know we're gonna wrap up here in a moment, but when I started the way newsletter, which is my monthly newsletter please sign up if you haven't already I give my top five latest bad ass discoveries about recipes and workouts and music and quotes and books and podcast episodes and all of the above and I put that song in the way newsletter with a link to the Spotify. And when I started that newsletter, the way was short for the way out is through. Now, since then, I am very much debating whether I'm changing that to the way out is in and if the way through is in, so maybe they all go together. Do you know what I mean?

Quinn Donahue:

I do yeah, yeah, then all answers lie within.

Ella Magers:

Yeah, all right, we're gonna end it there. Thanks everyone for listening.

Quinn Donahue:

Thank you, love you, love you too.

Ella Magers:

Love you too. Love you too. Love you too. Thanks for listening to this week's episode of Rise and Thrive with me, ella Majors. I truly hope you found it inspiring and, if you did, please help me spread the word by leaving a rating and review on your favorite podcast player and by sharing the show with your friends.

Ella Magers:

As you probably know by now, my life's purpose is to use my voice to make this world a more conscious and compassionate place, and your reviews and shares make a huge impact. And last, I'm getting a ton of insanely positive feedback about my short and sweet monthly newsletter called the Way short, for the Way Out Is Through. I give my top five latest badass discoveries, insights and explorations, like vegan products and recipes. I'm obsessed with books and shows I'm loving and workouts that have me fired up. Head on over to my website, ellamajorscom, to sign up and check out all the other awesome resources I have for you and projects I'm involved with, including Hogs and Kisses Farm Sanctuary, where our mission is to create the best life for farm animals while inspiring compassion for all living beings. Thanks a lot, and I'll see you on the next one.