February 13, 2024 • 52 mins
I heard a lyric from a song the other day... that said, "There's no one more thankful to sit at a table than the one who best remembers hunger's pain." And so when these hard times come and these moments, it really is like a gut punch. But then you look back and it just makes you appreciate things going forward. - Shane Martin
When Shane Martin decided to swap his Southern comfort food for kale and quinoa, he didn't just change his diet to plant-based —he transformed his life.
In our heartwarming conversation, Shane takes us through his journey of self-discovery, from his days as a high school athlete to becoming a beacon for plant-based living with his Shane and Simple brand and the Real Men Eat Plants podcast. His tales are filled with authenticity and humor, particularly when he reminisces about our zany first encounter during a food demo that perfectly captured the beautiful chaos of transition.
This episode isn't just about food or plant-based diets and weight loss; it's about finding harmony in the unexpected symphony of life. Shane, an ex-musician, strings together his experience with weight gain, personal loss, and career shifts, showing us that it's possible to compose a new life score, no matter the setbacks.
His stories offer a candid glimpse into the emotional challenges he faced and the resilience it took to embrace a healthier, plant-based lifestyle for himself and his family. Our chat is sure to strike a chord with anyone who's ever had to pick up a different tune and learn to play along.
We wrap up with a generous helping of inspiration as Shane shares the evolution of his blog, from a simple spark of encouragement to a full-blown career that feeds not just the stomach but the soul. He reminds us that sometimes, the most delectable recipes come from the simple ingredients of vulnerability and transparency.
As Shane stirs the pot of his plant-based wisdom, listeners are bound to feel a dash of motivation to cook up their own changes, whether in the kitchen or in life.
So grab a snack, and join us for an episode that's as nourishing for the mind as it is for the body.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Shane Martine (00:00):
I don't know why it was on my brain.
I guess it was because thereare these two beautiful women in
the car that I'm just like.
Uh, I just I don't know, ifit'd been just a bunch of dudes
I wouldn't have been worried.
But I try to be coo, but Iguess going.
Do I smell y'all?
Ella Magers (00:15):
I mean, hey there and welcome to rise and thrive
with me, ella majors.
I created this high vibepodcast from a place of profound
curiosity, fierce compassionand the deep desire to connect
you with the wisdom ofinspirational wellness, health,
(00:38):
fitness and conscious leadersand change makers.
Here's to discovering our blindspots and embracing life as the
adventure it is.
The time is now.
Let's do this.
Hey, hey everyone, ella hereand you're in for a treat today.
I knew in the first few minutesmeeting Shane Martin in person
(00:59):
that I had to get him on theshow because he is quite the
character, and I mean that inthe best way possible, even
though he calls himself anaverage, ordinary guy.
I'm not sure if he's a good guyor not, I'm not sure, even
though he calls himself anaverage ordinary guy.
I'm going to kind of call someBS on that, on his own
(01:22):
description of himself, becausehe has an extraordinary story
and, well, you'll see, he has ahuge heart, is as authentic as
they come, and he's making waveswith his Shane and simple brand
, his recipe blog and newsletterand by hosting the real men eat
(01:43):
plants podcast, which I waslucky enough to be a guest on
not long ago.
So I'll put the link to that inthe show notes as well.
Shane was born in Mississippiand grew up eating southern deep
fried gravy covered food.
His dietary lifestyle andadulthood led him to reach 300
(02:04):
pounds.
After finding forks over knives, shane switched to a plant
based diet and transformed hislife and those of his family,
and now he's helping transformthe lives of people all over the
country and across the globe.
I am super excited for you tohear this one, so let's do this.
Shane, it's so great to haveyou on the show.
Shane Martine (02:32):
Yes, you make me smile every time I see you.
Ella Magers (02:35):
Well, I feel the same about you and it was not
that long ago that we met inperson.
It was so great to meet you inOmaha for the Healthy for.
Lifetime conference.
Yes, and I was so impressed.
I remember you were off runningbefore we went to dinner and
then I know that because it wasso funny, you had me cracking up
(02:56):
like our first conversation,because I don't know if you
remember, but we were all ridingtogether in the car to go to
the vegan restaurant, right, andwe get in the car.
and you said something like do Ismell y'all?
And there was like a little bitof silence in the car and it's
(03:16):
all good.
And you said, no, I took ashower, it was just that I keep
sweating after I run, orsomething like that.
Shane Martine (03:23):
Yes, because here's the thing I don't know
what it's like for you when youwork out, but it's like if I go
for a run, it feels like I guess, if I do like something like
high intensity, like CrossFit,or when I was in Charlotte I
worked at a place called IronTribe and they had showers there
or if I run, I find I have tohave this at least half an hour
(03:44):
of cool downtime, because if Idon't and I just go jump in the
shower, it doesn't matter howlukewarm I make it, I get out, I
dry off, I feel good and I'msweating and I'm like so you
need that buffer, you need thatbuffer period.
I do, and so.
Ella Magers (03:59):
I didn't have it.
Shane Martine (04:00):
I didn't have it and I thought, hopefully by the
time I get down to the lobby andwe get in the car and I'm one
of those, fortunately that Idon't have to wear anti
perspirant or deodorant, but Idon't have a problem with
underarm sweat, that's a littleTMI but anyway, I don't normally
, but I was sitting there.
I don't know why it was on mybrain.
I guess it was because thereare these two beautiful women in
(04:23):
the car that I'm just like.
I just I don't know.
If it'd been just a bunch ofdudes I wouldn't have been
worried, but I try to be cooswhen I came, but I guess going,
do I smell y'all?
Ella Magers (04:34):
I mean anyway, it was so great.
And then we learned our mutuallove of North Carolina and that
you lived in Charlotte.
And then, for those of youdon't know, I grew up in Chapel
Hill, north Carolina.
I went to school in Wilmingtonand yeah, and then you had me
cracking up again.
You had the hundreds of peoplecracking up during your food
(04:54):
demo.
Oh with Melissa.
It was almost like a sitcom.
Shane Martine (04:59):
Well, and you know, here's the funny story
about that I guess she had toldme how she planned on doing it.
I didn't know that.
It's funny because that's thefirst time I'd met Melissa, like
personally, and you know she'svery straightforward, got it
planned out.
She reminds me of my wife,because my wife is like that and
I'm not like that.
(05:19):
I can be a loose cannonsometimes.
And so when I saw that she wasplanning on doing all this stuff
and laying it out, I was likeyeah, this is not going how I
thought it was going.
So I could tell it was like shewas struggling because I'd be
right beside her trying to kindof push her buttons.
She was like I called her laserbeam after that.
But it was so funny becauseafter we kind of got to the
(05:40):
green room you could tell shewas a little rattle.
But when we came out, it's likeeverybody thought it was
planned Right, exactly.
Oh, so great that y'all decidedthat.
And I was like, yeah, that wastotally not part of the.
It was fun because I feel likeyou have to have that yin and
yang with people, you know, andso.
But it was so fun and I wastotally like she's never going
(06:00):
to ask me to do anything likethis again, and so fortunately
she still texts me and we talkand good, Good, yeah, for a
little context for our listeners.
Ella Magers (06:09):
This was a conference and Shane and Melissa
were doing a food demonstrationof Shane's recipes.
But the dynamic there yes,Melissa is very type A.
She had everything planned outand you were up there like
scooping dip out of the blenderwith your finger and yeah, it
was.
Shane Martine (06:26):
Yeah, and I tell you I felt bad because I didn't
realize.
She said she had had everythingplanned out and laid out the
way we were going to do it andas we made the recipes, she
wanted them set up a certain waybecause she was going to go
back and take pictures of eachone and post nice pictures.
Well, here I am tossing foodout to everybody.
Milt Riddles is coming up andhe's getting it and taking it
(06:48):
around and I totally destroy herlayout.
But anyway, so it worked outand it was fun.
Ella Magers (06:55):
But it really did work out because, yeah, the
whole room was so engaged and,yeah, milt is passing the dip
around that you had licked itand nobody cared.
It's a big family.
It felt like a big family inthat room.
Shane Martine (07:08):
You know what?
I think we talked a little bitabout this when I interviewed
you on the Real Minute Plantspodcast, but there was something
special about that conference.
There was, I mean it, just thecamaraderie, even with the
speakers, but I mean just thepeople that were there.
I hated to leave.
I mean I really, really did.
There was this sadness to leaveand then, when they came to
(07:32):
take me to the airport, Estherand her husband were with me and
I don't know that there are twosweeter people on the planet.
So I mean that's the weekend andjust you know it was just good.
And then you know getting tomeet you and then forge, you
know, a friendship from there.
It has just been galley.
It just reminds us the world isnot that big a place.
(07:54):
You know, when the stars alignand you just kind of have these.
I feel like, do you know, gigiCarter?
Ella Magers (08:01):
I do yeah.
Shane Martine (08:02):
OK, gigi is one of my dearest friends and I feel
like her relationship remindsme of kind of how you and I have
met and started our friendship.
We met like at a plant basedimmersion weekend and we were
speakers and you know it was oneof those things that just
forged and you know it's justshe and Cersei are two of my
favorite people and so this kindof reminds me of that.
(08:25):
You know, you just meet and youfeel like, did we meet when we
were teenagers?
You know, and hang out, that'skind of has that vibe, so
totally.
Ella Magers (08:32):
Totally All right.
Well, I wanted to start beforewe dive into your story, and
then I'm really excited aboutwhat you put as the topic that's
inspiring you these days, so Ireally want to get to that.
Ok first I have a littlelightning round Just the first
thing that comes to your mind.
Shane Martine (08:49):
A few questions.
Ella Magers (08:50):
Ok, I know this is a surprise, so and I hope it's
relevant.
Do you listen to music whileyou're in the kitchen?
All the time and if so, what'sa song that gets you fired up to
create?
Shane Martine (09:01):
You know what I'm a musician was a musician by
trade.
Right, I'm a little abstract,to be honest with you.
Ella Magers (09:08):
Honest is good.
Shane Martine (09:08):
I'm very nostalgic so I listen to music
in seasons, so I have aphotography playlist when I'm
shooting pictures of recipes andit's called mountain music.
And we used to vacation inBoone, north Carolina I mean our
happy place, and there is alittle grocery store there
called Earth Fair.
It's kind of like are youfamiliar with Earth Fair?
(09:30):
So it's a regional local, it'slike a Whole Foods but it was
started in Asheville but it'sall over the Eastern Seaboard.
Anyway, they had a little onein Boone and every time we would
get to Boone with our family wewould take the kids to the
cabin where we were staying andthe older ones would stay with
the younger ones and Andre and Iwould go down and buy our
groceries for the week and we'dgo to Earth Fair and it has that
medicinal smell like a WholeFoods over by this.
(09:52):
I love that, you know, and it'skind of hippie-ish and they
always had like 70s musicplaying, like James Taylor and
you know, dancing in themoonlight, and so every time I
go in with my iPhone I'd holdShazam up and I'd take and
create a playlist and just Booneis my happy place.
So when I first startedblogging to kind of put me in
(10:14):
the mood.
I think about the mountain, soI'd play that playlist.
And then I have a playlist forthe fall which is just jazz
music, and now I have a December, christmas, instrumental
fifties, forties and fifties.
So for me it's funny because Ican't nail down like one song OK
, it's seasonal for me.
Ella Magers (10:32):
Fair.
Shane Martine (10:33):
But, like, my summer and spring playlist is,
you know, like a moon taxi andhippo, campus and some of the
music show the holiday.
I mean, it's just all over theboard.
So I have so many playlists,it's like what mood am I in
today?
So love it.
Doesn't really answer thequestion, but it's like there's
not one song that depends on thetime of year, depends on when
(10:54):
I'm working and no, it paints agreat picture.
Ella Magers (10:57):
I love that, yeah.
Shane Martine (10:58):
Some days I watch the office when I'm cooking.
Ella Magers (11:02):
I can see you watching the office.
Ok, a quirk or fun fact thatmost people don't know about you
.
Shane Martine (11:08):
Work or a fun fact?
Um, Holly, I have a lot ofquirks.
Ella Magers (11:16):
You perspire long after you stop running.
Shane Martine (11:18):
Yes, I would say from a kitchen standpoint I'm
very organizationally challenged, but I cannot stand a full sink
of dishes.
My wife is the type Aeverything's organized.
You would think that this wouldgrind her.
But even if we wake up to aclean sink, she likes through
(11:40):
the day, when she has lunch orwhatever, to just set a dish in
there, even if there's nothingin the sink.
And when I come in to cook andstart creating, I want clean
sinks.
And so sometimes we argue it'slike there was nothing in the
sink, you had one glass, rinseit out, but it was like I don't
operate that way and I'm likeyou should, and so for some
(12:00):
reason that is just a.
I don't know why that gets tome.
It's like if I see a sink, aglass and a spoon in the sink, I
have to wash them and put themaway before I start cooking.
I have to start with a cleansink.
Then I mess everything up, butI have to start with a clean
slate.
But I will tell you a fun factI don't know if you listen to
country music at all.
Ella Magers (12:19):
I just started to actually since starting the
sanctuary in Virginia.
Yes, I just started.
Shane Martine (12:26):
Okay, so Not too long.
I don't know if you're familiarwith Kenny Chesney, country
artist.
Ella Magers (12:30):
Yes.
Shane Martine (12:31):
If you go back and listen to his song from
about 15, 20 years ago, therewas a song he did called the
Good Stuff.
Okay.
The story of that song is aboutmy mother and my mom and dad's
relationship.
They were the inspiration forthat song.
Ella Magers (12:45):
Really.
Shane Martine (12:46):
Yeah, after my mom died with cancer in 2000, my
dad worked at his record labelas security and when my mom was
going through chemo my dadshaved his head and my dad was
real good friends with all theseartists and Kenny had come in
and he saw that and he actuallyon his album has a comment to
that and the songwriters weretalking to my dad and my dad was
(13:09):
just telling them all thesestories and they changed the
name and some of the stuff.
But my dad brought me the demofrom the songwriters and I just
bawled because I knew exactlywhat it was about.
But that's a fun fact, wow.
So that song, the Good Stuff byKenny Chesney, was about my mom
and dad.
Ella Magers (13:24):
Incredible.
Yeah, wow, that is fascinating.
Thank you for sharing that.
Shane Martine (13:31):
So you got a quirk and a fun fact.
Ella Magers (13:33):
Well, perfect, because one of my questions I
couldn't decide on all thequestions One was a pet peeve,
but I already got that, so wegot two more.
As a young adult, what did youthink about vegans?
Shane Martine (13:46):
Weirdos.
They ate grass and bark andusually didn't take showers and
were loony lefties that wantedto live in the woods.
I mean literally that was youknow or wanted to protest zoos
all the time.
That was my take.
Ella Magers (14:03):
Yep, and we'll get back to that.
Shane Martine (14:05):
Sure.
Ella Magers (14:06):
All right, favorite recipe for Super Bowl Sundays,
the one that you make year afteryear that you can't live
without, just one.
Shane Martine (14:13):
Just one.
It would have to be my queso.
I knew it.
It's the queso, yes.
Ella Magers (14:20):
And this recipe is on because this is going to come
out before Super Bowl Sunday,so I know you've got probably
many recipes.
Shane Martine (14:26):
Yes.
Ella Magers (14:27):
Yes, but the queso is the most it's on there.
Shane Martine (14:29):
Yeah, I tell people that is one of the best
transition.
You take that to any Super Bowlparty.
And my brother's not vegan atall, but he likes his favorite
cheese dip, so Amazing.
Ella Magers (14:41):
Ok, cool, all right , so I do want to spend a few
minutes kind of talking aboutyour journey to plant-based
living.
I know you grew up in ruralMississippi on baloney
sandwiches.
You were an athlete and thenyou went to college football and
a scholarship and you were alsoa musician as a starting point.
Shane Martine (14:57):
Yeah.
Ella Magers (14:58):
Let's talk about you know anything else you
wanted to mention from thebeginning, but then about your
health journey after that.
Shane Martine (15:05):
Where you want me to start.
Ella Magers (15:06):
Yeah, I mean, did I get like the very quick summary
of growing up?
Shane Martine (15:10):
Yeah, I mean I grew up in rural Mississippi,
was very athletic, playedbaseball early on.
That was my main sport and wasnever overweight as a kid.
Then, as I got into junior highI played football and fell more
in love with football.
But I was a kicker and playedother positions but I loved
(15:30):
kicking and so got into that andended up started drawing a lot
of attention from colleges.
And right after my footballseason in my junior year my dad
was a highway patrolman, a statetrooper in Mississippi, and we
found out right before I startedmy junior year he was going to
get transferred from Boonevilleis up in North Mississippi
(15:52):
around Tupelo, so it's close tothe Tennessee and Alabama lines,
and he was getting transferredto Jackson, the capital, to go
to work for the governor staff.
Like the highway patrol kind ofhas a secret service branch,
they provide protection for thegovernor and so he was getting
transferred there.
So we moved Christmas of myjunior year and I ended up
(16:13):
graduating there, playedfootball down there, got a lot
of attention and so originallywent to college on a football
scholarship and I'd been amusician since I could walk and
I ended up leaving college aftermy sophomore year and moving to
Nashville to pursue music andwhen I got to Nashville I think
(16:37):
I'm 6'1", 6'2" I think I weighed185 pounds still very spelt.
But when I didn't have afootball coach or a strength and
conditioning coach making me dosomething, I got very lazy very
quickly.
And I think I was 20 when Imoved to Nashville and I got
married at 26.
(16:57):
I had met my wife, got marriedand by the time I got married,
over six years, I went from 185pounds to 240 pounds on my
wedding day and I left Nashville2005.
That's when I moved toCharlotte and I was a music
director at a church inCharlotte and did that for the
(17:20):
next 15 years, but from 05 until2013,.
Then I got to 300 pounds.
Ella Magers (17:27):
And I'm curious, before we get into the health in
terms of your music, was yourgoal to be a professional
musician for the rest of yourlife?
And I'm just very curious, yeah.
Shane Martine (17:38):
Yeah, I loved it.
I still do so.
I was a guitar player and asinger and wanted to be a
songwriter, so I ended up.
My goal was to.
I wanted to get a record deal,I wanted to write songs, I
wanted to tour.
I wanted to be a big artist.
I originally had moved toNashville to do contemporary
Christian music and I ended upgetting a publishing deal with
(17:59):
Sony Music and so I startedwriting for them as a songwriter
and I ended up getting asked toplay guitar on People's Demos
and a couple of independentprojects and then getting hired
as a guitar player to go out onthe road with some different
country artists and Christianartists.
So I started to make a livingas a side musician and so I had
(18:20):
a couple of publishing deals andso my goal was to just kind of
in some way support myselfplaying music and did for a
while.
So that was the goal originally.
And then when iTunes came along,basically we saw what happened
to the music industry, whathappened to the housing market
back in 07, when all thatcrashed, and that's what
(18:41):
happened to the music industry,and so everything went
completely soft.
Artists stopped touring becausethey were like everybody was
buying CDs, and now they go tobuying one song on iTunes and
the artists stopped touring.
They weren't cutting records,they were trying to regather
themselves and figure out how tonavigate this, and so guys like
(19:01):
me who were starting to come upmake a name for ourselves.
Well, if you can have this AAAsession player that everybody
knows, play on your records thatplayed for Shania Twain and
Alan Jackson and all of this.
Or do you want Shane Martin?
Well, they can get this guy forthe same thing they were paying
me.
So that's kind of what happened.
So, anyway, we got hit reallyhard financially, and so I went
(19:23):
from flying on planes anddriving on tour buses and
playing in the studio todelivering pizza at night and
radiators during the day.
So it's true what they say Withmusic it's feast or famine.
Nobody makes a median living.
Ella Magers (19:38):
So how did you deal with that emotionally?
Shane Martine (19:40):
It was hard because for me, as a musician,
it's not just what you do.
You're creative, you don't justcreate, I mean, it's who you
are.
And when you're not able to doit, and then when you've done it
at a certain level, it's veryhumbling when it all gets
knocked out from under you.
And what made it even tougheris I had a wife and two new
(20:04):
children at home and it was hard.
We went through some struggleseven in our marriage early on,
because my mom had died in 2000.
And so I was dealing withdepression from my mom dying.
I was very close with my momand when the music thing
happened it got to a point whereI was making $8.50 an hour
(20:25):
delivering radiators during theday, and then I would go deliver
pizza four or five nights aweek and it was exhausting.
And my wife was a graphicdesigner, but her goal when we
started having kids, she said Iwant to be home with our
children.
That's where my heart is.
And so we had some friends thatlet us move into a garage
apartment that they had finishedout to house aging parents
(20:47):
eventually, and they offeredthat to us and we were able to
move in and live rent free for ayear to kind of me get on
supporting them on my income.
And then we found a littlehouse out in Ashland City,
tennessee, and we were paying$500 a month.
It was a little bitty twobedroom house and it was sweet
and I had a three-year-old and aone and a half-year-old and
(21:09):
they shared a room and somehowwe made it on, we got on Dave
Ramsey, so that was kind of howwe survived.
Everything was cash and it wasa sweet time.
But it was tough.
And then I think I got to thepoint where one night I remember
I didn't even tell my wife.
I said I can't do this anymore.
They need me to provide forthem.
(21:29):
So I got online one night, goton monstercom and Dell Computer
had moved to Nashville about ayear or two earlier and they
were hiring salesmen.
No-transcript.
I applied, did a phoneinterview, got another interview
, went in and got hired througha corporate temp agency and
basically had six months to hitcertain metrics and then they
(21:52):
would bring you on full time.
And then I ended up gettinghired full time by dale and went
to work for them and was one oftheir top salesman and home
sales for a little while and wewere starting to breathe.
So I gave up music and told mywife I'm gonna go and do this
and then I think probably thatwas like November, december of
(22:13):
four and then in March of five,this church in Charlotte called
and Wanted to interview me andwe went out and Andrea was
elated because if we got the jobit would still be a decent
salary.
But we never anticipatedleaving Nashville and moving
that far away from our families.
But she didn't want me to givemusic up to that, and so this
(22:34):
was a way to stay into.
Anyway, long story short,that's how we ended up in
Charlotte in a five and it wasgreat for our family.
But that's the long way ofanswering your question.
Like it really took the windout of my cells.
There were a lot of struggles,but I do tell people this is
hard as it was.
There were some sweet times inthere with my wife and my kids
(22:54):
at the time, who were my twooldest, were that little and you
know you always think you coulddo things differently or
navigate things differently, butI'm a big believer that things
work out the way they aresupposed to work out.
You know we have to rest in thatand not resist it, and that
doesn't mean you don't fight it.
It doesn't mean that you don'tbreak down and that you're not
honest and that you're not open.
(23:14):
But it's pointless to resist it, you know, because I'm not a
fatalist by any stretch of theimagination, but I just think
that when these things comethere's a purpose.
Otherwise you just have randomhappenstance which has no
purpose, and I can't accept that, you know.
So I look back and I see how itjust made us better, it
(23:35):
strengthened us.
And somebody told me I heard alyric from a song the other day
I was talking about this lastweek that said there's no one
more thankful to sit at a tableThen the one who best remembers
hunger's pain.
And so when these hard timescome and these moments, it
really is like a gut punch.
But then you look back and itjust makes you appreciate things
(23:56):
going forward.
Ella Magers (23:57):
Absolutely Always, always.
So meanwhile you, at this pointin time, you were gaining
weight, so getting back to thehealth, yes, yeah.
Shane Martine (24:07):
Okay, so, yeah, so my eating habits didn't
change at all, so I justcontinue to gain weight.
And when we got to Charlotteyou know Charlotte's pretty
health conscious, I mean it'skind of like a mini Europe, so
to speak, you know.
I mean everybody rides bikesand everybody runs and swims.
You know swimming's huge there,even in the high schools, and
the past where I worked for waslike Mr Biker and you know that
(24:31):
kind of thing, and he was 1215years older than me and maybe
older than that yeah, 1520 yearsolder than me.
And so you know he's ridingbikes and he's out, you know,
doing all this and you know hereI am coming in and you can tell
that I'm the one that's notfrom Charlotte, kind of thing.
And he said I want you to go seemy doctor, you need to have a
physical, you need to have aphysical.
(24:52):
And his name was Neil spate.
I never will forget him and hewas an MD, but he definitely
tried to, definitely tried tooperate on a more holistic like,
trying to get people to changetheir lifestyle and things like
that.
So I went, had a physical andabout two, three weeks later I
got a letter from his office andit had all my numbers in it and
(25:13):
besides probably 3536, and Iwas about 280 pounds and my
glucose was way up.
I was a pre diabetic, mycholesterol was like over 400
fatty liver, extremely highblood pressure, the whole thing
and he said I need to see you, Iwant to see you.
(25:35):
So I guess that was like 2007,2008, and I did what every
concerned patient did.
I didn't go back, I didn'trespond because I was like, if I
don't go, he won't findanything.
Ella Magers (25:47):
I mean, but you saw the numbers yes, yeah, the
numbers and somehow you talkedyourself into thinking that if
you didn't address it, then what?
Shane Martine (25:57):
I think, you know , for me it just was.
I guess, after I saw my mom die, you know, there was always
this fear of findings.
There was this thing and Ican't explain.
It was like finding somethingand there's this idea that if I
don't go, they won't find it.
And so I just didn't go back.
You know, it's funny because Ithink everybody thinks you know
(26:17):
you've got cancers and thingslike that, but the thing that
kills most Americans is heartdisease, overwhelmingly,
overwhelmingly.
And a lot of people don't evenrealize that one of the leading
causes of death from smoking isnot lung cancer, it's heart
disease.
And so, you know, I just kindof hid the paper and my wife
found it and she goes what areyou doing?
(26:38):
You know, because my wife, evenbefore we were plant based, she
was a very healthy, consciouseater, like lots of salad, lots
of vegetables, and if she hadmeat it was more like a side or
just a part of it, you know.
And so so I put that in thedrawer and just ignored it, and
that was, like I said, around2007, 2008, and went on for
(27:02):
another few years.
Ella Magers (27:03):
Wow, another few years without going back to the
doctor, without addressing it.
And then what was theturnaround?
Shane Martine (27:11):
So we had moved from Charlotte to Atlanta, I had
taken a job there and it wasjust absolutely terrible.
It was horrible.
We had no business moving thereand and that job lasted maybe
about 18 months and then youknow, we have four kids by this
time and Super, stressed, super,you know.
(27:33):
Just dealing with the situationand I started to get staff
infections that would heal, likeI would get them get on some
penicillin antibiotics, get ridof them and they would come back
.
And I mean I was getting themon my lower back, like right
above my butt, right there, andthey were just painful and I
started to develop like the darkpatches under the arms and
(27:54):
stuff, like you know, diabetic.
And we left.
I got a job in Opalica, alabama, right outside of Auburn, where
the university is, and we werestarting to kind of see things
turn around for us a little bit.
You know, get our feet backunder us after the catastrophe
in Atlanta.
And my son was playing baseballand at this time he was like six
or seven, yeah, seven or eightanyway.
(28:16):
I was out one night helping theteam you know play.
I was a former baseball playerof course I'm still big as a
house and one of the kids hit aball and it wasn't rolling that
hard, but it hit a rock and itbounced up and hit me in the
shin.
I went out that hurt and abouttwo days it's holed up and I got
a staff infection again and itwas so painful I didn't want to
(28:37):
go to the doctor.
I kept, you know, putting Heaton it and everything, and it was
terrible.
So finally I went to the doctorand they had to do the whole
lancing it and all of that kindof stuff and I went over to
Target to get my medication.
I had to get on an antibioticand it was hurting so bad that I
had to get on one of thoselittle motorized carts and I was
(29:00):
riding through Target and Idrove by a mirror and I had to
back up to try to get mymedication and I think that's
the first time that it hit meLike something has to change,
because this is not just aprecursor to the future.
This is the present.
This is my reality right nowand it doesn't get better if I
keep doing what I'm doing.
It doesn't get better and Ijust remember getting back to my
(29:24):
car and going home and just go.
I don't even know where to go.
But I have to do something andI had done diets in the past.
I've done, you know, countingfat grounds.
I had done keto or not keto,yeah, keto, or you know the
Atkins diet and stuff like that,and I would lose weight quickly
but I'd gain it back quicker.
So the staff infection it gothealed.
(29:46):
I still remember it.
I was in Winn Dixie with my wifeand two of my kids and my
daughter, maddie, is the oldest,was with me and I just kind of
check my blood pressure just forthe heck of it, and it came
back like even on that littlemachine it was like 160 over 110
.
I mean it was just stupid.
And my daughter goes daddy,like you know, and I was like
don't tell your mom, don't tellyour mom.
(30:07):
But then that's when it's likewhen your kids are like 11 years
old and she looks and they getthat that's not good.
That hit me in the heart and Irealized Andrea had not been
wanting me to change and gethealthy, because she was ashamed
of the way I looked.
She literally was concerned forme, and so I would say that was
(30:29):
probably the turning point.
And I woke up one morning on aSunday morning and I looked in
the mirror my face is red andI'm puffy and tight.
And I got on the scale and Iwas like right there at 300,
like 298 or whatever it was.
And I went to church that dayand I got home and I called a
buddy of mine and I'd seen amutual friend of ours from
(30:50):
Nashville who was on the Ironman Facebook page.
He was being interviewed and hewas talking about how he lost a
friend to a disease and hedecided to get healthy and he
ended up going plant based.
And I said, hey, man, I sawthis thing with that.
He's locked like 80 pounds.
Man, he looks incredible.
And my buddy, jason, because Icouldn't get a hold of that he
said, yeah, man, that went vegan.
(31:11):
And I just went well, I'm notdoing that.
Ella Magers (31:14):
And he said look stinky people.
Shane Martine (31:16):
Yes, I still remember it was a Sunday,
january 19th.
He said just watch forksovernight.
So Sunday night my wife and Isit down and watch that
documentary.
And I went cold turkey the nextday because I thought, wait a
minute, because it was the firsttime that I didn't feel
attacked by.
I always felt attacked by vegan, you know, like it always had
(31:37):
to be about the environment orthe animals first and those
things.
It's not that those thingsaren't important, but if I'm 300
pounds and can't get off thecouch, I can't do anything for
anybody if I don't take care ofme first.
And so my wife and I watched itand I think the thing that blew
me away about forks over kniveswas it was all about the health,
it was all about disease, itwas all about your family, it
(31:58):
was all about cooking and eating.
And I remember looking at mywife going.
They were eating things.
You know that you're told don't, don't eat potatoes, don't eat
pasta, don't eat breads, andthey're saying eat it, you know.
And so we didn't know where tostart cooking, we didn't know
how.
But the next day we kind ofjust started on our journey
together and for the first twoweeks we said this is daddy's
(32:19):
food, this is everybody else's.
And then we're like that's notgoing to work and so we just
said in the house everybody'sdoing it.
And two or three of my kidsalready had dairy allergies from
birth.
So they saw a milk anyway andno dairy.
So amazing.
That was kind of it.
And then in two weeks I lost 20pounds, but I was never hungry,
(32:40):
I mean I was eating.
And then in three months I lost55 pounds and had a physical
for life insurance because Idon't think we could have got
insured.
And that's when I remember Isaid this is going to be the
telltale sign.
It's either going to be if Idon't see results.
I'm done.
You know, they did our bloodwork and my blood pressure went
(33:01):
from.
The last time I had it checkedwith a doctor was like 153 over
106.
After three months of goingplant based, my blood pressure
was 126 over 79 which in thesouth was great, but that's a
huge turnaround and mycholesterol went from over 400
to 199.
So I was below 200.
There was no trace of diabetesanywhere in my system, just
(33:26):
everything reversed.
And that's when I went.
This is legit and that's it.
I'm not going back.
So been there ever since.
Ella Magers (33:33):
Yeah, wow, it was like you committed, your family
got on board and that was it.
No turning around.
Shane Martine (33:41):
Yeah, and it was hard.
The first two weeks we wereeating tofu and salads and
didn't know how to fix anything.
But, then, like we found thiswhole underground.
You know, I found Rip Eselston.
I saw it Talk and it blew meaway what plant based was like.
He was showing these peanutbutter chocolate chip Cookies
for a dessert and we were makingmeatloafs with lentils and oats
(34:02):
and I was like, wait a minute,I can still have mashed potatoes
, I just need to add almond milkand some seasoning and you know
, there doesn't have to be allthe butter and corn.
So after two weeks findingrecipe and I found his book in
the library there the engine todiet.
So I got all the recipes and itwas, yeah, that's been it ever
since.
And then I got passionate aboutit and the rest is history, as
(34:23):
they say.
Ella Magers (34:24):
Yeah, yeah.
And when?
At what point did you start torealize that you were so
passionate that you wanted tocreate a blog, a business?
Shane Martine (34:34):
Yeah.
Ella Magers (34:35):
Yeah.
Shane Martine (34:35):
It was weird because we started having people
reach out, even family goingwhat are you doing?
Because you know a lot ofpeople when they lose weight,
they don't look healthy.
You know they may look sunken,or you know because and that's
what people need to realizelosing weight does not mean
you're healthy.
Right, it's healthier thancarrying a lot of weight, but
diets are deprivation.
They're not feeding yourself.
(34:56):
And so I didn't look deprived,I was vibrant, I was like I'm
not tired in the day, you know.
And so people were calling andasking and I was sharing recipes
with them and talking with them.
And I'm an extrovert by nature,but I do love talking with
people, I love sharing stories,I love hearing stories, and I
remember my wife telling me shesaid you ought to start a blog
(35:19):
because I knew she followedbloggers and things like that
and she goes.
You know a lot of them get paidand sponsors if they have a big
enough following, and so shesaid you ought to consider that
and I was like, yeah, that'd befun.
I knew when I got passionateabout the food and I was
watching and I followed Rip likeall the time, like Rip was
still is one of my heroes and Iwould watch him do Ted talks and
(35:40):
I thought, man, if I could goaround talking to people, and I
was like I'd love to figure outa way.
I mean, I thought aboutquitting my job at the church
and going down to Earth Fair andgetting a job in the grocery
store because I love beingaround it.
We moved from Auburn to Madison,mississippi, for a brief stint.
I got involved with some plantbased groups there.
I started hosting potlucks inthe house and I just thought I
(36:02):
want to figure out a way to dothis.
And Andre was still talkingabout the blog and so I went to
WordPress, got the software,kind of started looking at it
and it was originally titledfrom famine to feast is what it
was called, and I put a coupleof things out there.
But you know, I'm such aperfectionist when it comes to
(36:22):
my art and my presentation.
It's like I just couldn't pullthe trigger to get things out
and my wife said just putsomething out there.
I had no clue how to blog, Ididn't know about recipe plugins
or anything, and so I kind ofdrug it out a little bit.
And in 2015, we moved back toCharlotte, got back to Charlotte
and we were in a rental housetrying to find a house to buy
(36:45):
and we went from famine to feast.
I showed a buddy of mine and hewas like a designer and he goes
.
I didn't really like that.
And he goes sounds like areally bad youth group name from
a church and I was like pointtaken.
And then we had one called theplant based menu or whatever,
and some friends of how Iactually met Gigi Carter.
(37:07):
I was talking to them about itand they said look, man, they
said the thing that draws peopleto what you do is you when you
talk, so it just needs to beyour story and the recipes that
came out of your story.
And my wife was actually aNashville visiting her family
and so I just was trying tothink of a name for the blog and
somebody said hey, shane,thanks for sending this.
(37:28):
They say I love the way youjust keep it plain and simple.
And I call my wife and I saidwhat about Shane and simple?
And that may go back to one ofthe quirks, because it's like if
I ask somebody a question, Idon't want them to write a book,
just yes or no.
You know, like I don't havetime for the blah, blah, blah,
blah, you know, and she goesthat is totally you, you know,
you were to the point, just yeah.
(37:49):
So we registered the name and Ilearned how to set a blog up,
learned about recipe plugins andjust kind of started.
But still it was about over ayear before I made it live and
I'd had this name and we boughtour house and settled in.
It was August of 2017.
And Andre goes just dosomething.
(38:10):
And so the first recipe was agrilled peanut butter and jelly
and banana sandwich.
Ella Magers (38:16):
Nice.
Shane Martine (38:17):
And I took pictures with my iPad and I
still have original pictures andthey're terrible.
But I did it and just startedtrying to do it once a week,
once a month, whenever I could,and fortunately it gained
traction and got to a pointwhere that was August of 2017.
And then by October of 2019, itwas about half of my salary at
(38:39):
the church I was working at.
But my wife and I said, ifyou're ever going to make this
happen, we've got to be all in.
So she picked up more work.
She's a graphic designer and sothe company that she gets
contractors like we got as muchwork as you want.
So she picked up and we lookedat all the numbers and, like I
said, she's very tight.
And so I thought she's going tobe like no, we got to have the
security.
But we met at a little coffeeshop called Nova's Bakery, like
(39:04):
a mile and a half up the roadfrom us, and it was where when I
first started blogging, I'd getup and go at five in the
morning before I'd go to theoffice, and we sat there that
afternoon in the window and thenwe were the only two in there.
Npr was playing classical.
I mean, I still remember it.
Like we had our little coffeesand she brought all the numbers
and said this is what we need tohave just to survive and that
(39:26):
was counting if we buy our ownhealth insurance and everything
and we made the decision to doit in October 2019.
So December 31st was my lastday at work and fortunately, we
look at it now and we go oh, wemade it one more month, we can
do this.
So, it's been over three and ahalf four years now Amazing.
Ella Magers (39:44):
Amazing.
I love Shane, and simple Likethat is just spot on.
It's such a great name, such agreat blog.
I love the pop up on thewebsite that says practical,
non-pretentious, plant-basedrecipes.
I love the non-pretentiousbecause it's like it's so
divided.
Now it seems you've got still,you know, the vegan hippie-dippy
(40:06):
kind of scene and then you'vegot a very luxurious high end
very inaccessible andintimidating plant-based spayor.
So the non-pretentious part.
Did that just come at you likeI got to put that in there.
Where did that come from?
Shane Martine (40:24):
You know it was funny because they said every
blog needs a tagline and I'vealways said there's a lot of
pretentious people in Charlotte,there's a lot of pretentious
people in the music business,and I think it was just kind of
what you said it was.
I love alliterations if theycan flow, but I just thought,
like somebody called me like theTim Allen.
(40:44):
You remember Tool Time?
Ella Magers (40:45):
Oh, of course.
Shane Martine (40:46):
Somebody said you're like the Tim Allen of
vegan cooking or someone, and Ithought I guess you know it's
like you can be friends witheverybody, because my friends
range from the most Uberconservative to off the rail
liberal and progressive and wejust have a good time and you
know just everybody.
But I just thought what I don'tlike is pretentiousness and I
(41:09):
always felt like you know, a lotof people think that eating
plant-based and there are, likeyou said, there's this
hippie-dippy and then on theother side you've got the
well-heeled elite.
You know and it's like you can'tbe in our vegan circle.
And so I just thought I'm justa very practical person and so I
just typed it out one nightpractical, not pretentious,
plant-based recipes.
(41:30):
And I thought, if anything,that's a good alliteration.
And you said that's yourtagline and I went, oh, you're
right, yes, and so that's kindof been it, and I've had more
people comment about thattagline than the name, because
they're like they said, I triedyour blog just because I saw
that tagline and I thoughtthat's cool.
So I love it Very cool.
I think it touches the button,but they seem to remember it.
Ella Magers (41:52):
Yes, yes.
Well, I want to touch on youknow, when I asked you, what has
you inspired these days, one ofthe things that you mentioned
was vulnerability andtransparency, and you've been
very vulnerable and transparenttelling your story here.
Was there something inparticular that made you write
that?
Shane Martine (42:13):
You know I'm a very defensive person by nature
and I feel like that's one ofthe things I think.
Growing up in the deep southwe're very prideful people and
we have a very pull yourself upby your own bootstrips, blue
collar, work ethic and that'sgood.
To a point, you know, it's likeI can't afford to go buy this,
(42:33):
but I got, I'm going to figureout how to build it and if I'm
struggling I ain't going to tellanybody.
And 2005, when I first wentinto ministry, the pastor that I
worked for is just, he was likea wise old sage and creatives
musicians.
I mean, there's a part of us,there's an arrogance in there
because it's like what makes uswant to be in front of people.
(42:55):
You know it's like, yeah, wewant to help, but there's a
certain confidence that has tocome with that to be able to do
that.
You know, or want to do that.
And I love a microphone, I lovebeing the center of attention,
but I have to realize it's notalways about me, you know.
So he and I would meet once aweek to just kind of discuss,
you know, the layout of aservice or something.
(43:17):
And he said, hey, I want totalk to you about something and
I'd bring it up and I go, butwait, but let me tell you about
what really happened.
He said do you realize, everytime I just want to talk to you
about something, you always tryto defend yourself?
You never just sit and listen.
And he motioned his arms.
He said quit doing this likepushing away.
And he said just sit and listen, don't affirm, don't deny, just
(43:38):
listen and receive.
And that stuck with me.
And so I went from being a guythat people didn't want to
confront or talk to, because itwas like they knew I was going
to push back right off the bat,to being a guy that people said
hey, if Shane has hurt you or isbothering you, you can go
confront him.
Like he will hear you.
And that is something that justalways stuck with me.
(44:00):
And what I saw was vulnerabilityand transparency, one.
I think it does more to breakdown the walls and make people
feel safe with you, and it justreally is an area for growth.
And I feel like life is tooshort to kind of image, manage
and you know, just for lack of abetter term, the bullshit.
(44:23):
You know, we touch peoplebetter when they feel like we're
accessible.
We're able to meet them wherethey are.
And so for me, when I talkabout transparency and
vulnerability, especially as aman, I don't feel like men.
I think that's the biggest thingthat prohibit.
I feel like men don't feel safeand feel like to be vulnerable
(44:43):
and transparent because it'swe've got to put on this thing.
We got to go out and you know,for lack of a better word kill
something, drag it home, andwe've got to be this and we've
got to be that and we don't wantto ask for help.
And I think, you know, when wego back to what I was talking
about when the music businessgot hit, like, how did I handle
that?
I think, over those years, whenyou look back and just some
things my wife and I have gonethrough, we have gotten to the
(45:05):
point where pride was juststripped away and we had no
alternative but to ask for help.
And that's what I say.
I think that was some of thebest lessons that came from that
and I've just seen how it hasimpacted my life, improved my
life, and it's not just forpeople, I mean it's with your
kids.
I mean it's like when you dosomething with your kids that
(45:25):
has hurt them or you'veresponded a certain way, you
know you expect your kids tocome apologize to you, but when
you, as a parent, have to go tothem and said you know what I
was wrong in this situation andI need you.
And that's one of the things wetry to instill in our kids.
We want them to be leaders, butlearn to lead with repentance
and vulnerability.
That doesn't mean you're weak,it doesn't mean you get walked
(45:47):
on, but learn to own yourmistakes, learn to own your sin,
and in any conflict, veryrarely is it one person at fault
.
Now it can be 80, 20, it can be90, 10, it can be 50, 50.
But when you recognize what youbrought to the table in that
conflict, be the first to stepout and go hey, I am really
(46:08):
sorry and I did this.
And so I think just that ideaof vulnerability and
transparency it strengthens usand it's something that you just
don't see.
It's not very popular in ourculture right now.
Ella Magers (46:21):
Absolutely.
Shane Martine (46:21):
And so I don't know.
It's life giving, almost, youknow.
Ella Magers (46:25):
It's empowering too .
It is you can own your stufftoo, and not be defensive, you
get to take back your power inthat.
Shane Martine (46:35):
Yeah, yeah, you're not giving people power
over you and it's not that youdon't care what people think in
the sense, because you want tohave a good reputation, but who
you are is not dependent on whatthey think.
You're able to sleep a littlebit better at night, but it's a
great area for growth and it'sjust.
Image managing is depressingand it is exhausting.
It's absolutely exhausting, andpeople are smart.
(46:57):
They can sniff out phonies in aheartbeat, you know, and I
think that, yeah, I mean, it'sfunny that you bring that up
because Rich McCarty, who's adoctor here, he'd been
prescribing my website.
He's kind of like he loveshealing his patients with diet,
if they'll do it, and he hadbeen prescribing my recipes for
two or three years and one ofhis patients said hey, I follow
(47:18):
this guy.
I think he lives in Mississippinow and the guy goes.
No, no, no, he lives in NorthCarolina.
He goes, no, dude, he movedback and it was one of the guys
that followed me religiously andhe goes.
He emailed me and he said yeah,I live 20 minutes up the road,
so we had connected and he toldme.
He said you know, he goes.
I follow a lot of bloggers andhe's on my Shane and Simple page
(47:38):
on Facebook.
He said you know what he said?
I have never seen peoplerespond the way your people
respond, like if you putsomething out there that you're
struggling or that, hey guys,this is going on, sorry.
He said it's like a littlecommunity.
And I went back and I lookedand I said it really is.
I mean, it really is.
And I think it comes from thatidea of trying to be transparent
(48:00):
, like hey, we're all in thistogether.
It's not just about the food,you know encompasses everything
we do, you know.
Ella Magers (48:06):
So oh, shane, I wish we had another hour, which
means I might have to ask youback, because we didn't even get
to talk about the recipes, andI want to talk about your take
on oil and all this, and we areout of time, so will you come
back?
Shane Martine (48:21):
I'll tell you what.
All you have to do is give methe date and the time, and I am
sorry that I talked a lot.
Ella Magers (48:27):
No, this is perfect .
This was perfect.
This is the stuff thatfascinates me.
I mean, the food part is great,but it's the story, it's the
human behind the recipes thatI'm most interested in, and I
think that our audience is.
And all of this is so importantfor the idea of holistic health
.
Right, that vulnerability, thetransparency, the story, the
(48:49):
resilience that you demonstratedin your life and all that
you've been through and for youto come out and now be inspiring
and helping people all over theworld to get healthy and enjoy
and find joy in the kitchen andwith plants and the impact
you're making is huge.
So I'm so grateful and gratefulto you and your story.
Shane Martine (49:10):
Well, yes, all that to say is all you have to
do is give me a date and a time,because it'd be an honor, I
mean anytime we get to hang out,yes, so agree, I'll let you say
awesome.
Ella Magers (49:21):
We'll tell people your blog where to find you.
Anything else that you want toshare?
Shane Martine (49:25):
Last year, so Shane and simplecom is the best
place to find the recipes.
Everything is free.
Sign up, get the newsletter sothat you never miss a new recipe
.
I tell people, community ishuge and success.
So there are two Shane andsimple groups on Facebook.
There's the fan page, which isjust what I post, and that's
facebookcom slash Shane andsimple cooking.
(49:46):
But there's also a communitylike just a group page and you
can find that it's linked tothat.
But that's where I basicallylet everybody comment, share
things there.
Instagram is Shane and simplecooking.
Those are the best places tofind me.
I try to answer every messagethat comes to me.
It may take two weeks, but Itry to get back to it.
I love the trying to beintentional to get all that done
(50:08):
.
So that's, and then I will tellpeople Christmas morning I'm
doing a special live with ChefAJ.
Ella Magers (50:15):
Oh, no way.
Shane Martine (50:16):
Yes, so we're going to do.
She just reached out and shesaid hey, I was on her show one
time.
She said could we do somethingon Christmas morning?
I know that's family time, butI think people would love to see
what you eat, and we make aFrench toast casserole every
Christmas that I make.
So we're going to do it at like9 am Central time, which is
like 7 am Her time.
She's out in California, but ifyou follow Chef AJ, we're going
(50:39):
to a special Christmas morningbreakfast thing together.
Ella Magers (50:41):
So amazing and amazing and this is probably
going to come out afterChristmas, but that will stay up
on her YouTube channel.
Shane Martine (50:49):
Yes, and I think it'll actually be live.
We're doing it live.
Ella Magers (50:52):
Right, but I'm saying this is recorded.
When this is published, it'llbe January, so people will win
this.
Shane Martine (50:59):
Oh, this, this.
Ella Magers (51:00):
Oh, okay.
Shane Martine (51:03):
Let's read back.
Hey, new Year.
What's going on Everyone?
I was on Chef AJ, that wasawesome.
Ella Magers (51:10):
But I'm saying that people will want that recipe
and it'll be available on ChefAJ YouTube, so chain.
Thank you so much, and we willschedule our part two.
Shane Martine (51:19):
That sounds great .
Looking forward to it, thankyou.
Thank you, you're so welcome.
Ella Magers (51:26):
Thanks for listening to this week's episode
of Rise and Thrive with me,Ella Majors.
I truly hope you found itinspiring and, if you did,
please help me spread the wordby leaving a rating and review
on your favorite podcast playerand by sharing the show with
your friends.
As you probably know by now, mylife's purpose is to use my
voice to make this world a moreconscious and compassionate
(51:48):
place, and your reviews andshares make a huge impact.
And last, I'm getting a ton ofinsanely positive feedback about
my short and sweet monthlynewsletter called the Way Short
for the Way Out Is Through.
I give my top five latest badassdiscoveries, insights and
explorations, like veganproducts and recipes.
(52:09):
I'm obsessed with books andshows 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 awesomeresources I have for you and
projects I'm involved with,including Hogs and Kisses Farm
Sanctuary, where our mission isto create the best life for farm
(52:31):
animals while inspiringcompassion for all living beings
.
Thanks a lot, and I'll see youon the next one.
I don't know why it was on my brain.
I guess it was because thereare these two beautiful women in
the car that I'm just like.
Uh, I just I don't know, ifit'd been just a bunch of dudes
I wouldn't have been worried.
But I try to be coo, but Iguess going.
Do I smell y'all?
Ella Magers (00:15):
I mean, hey there and welcome to rise and thrive
with me, ella majors.
I created this high vibepodcast from a place of profound
curiosity, fierce compassionand the deep desire to connect
you with the wisdom ofinspirational wellness, health,
(00:38):
fitness and conscious leadersand change makers.
Here's to discovering our blindspots and embracing life as the
adventure it is.
The time is now.
Let's do this.
Hey, hey everyone, ella hereand you're in for a treat today.
I knew in the first few minutesmeeting Shane Martin in person
(00:59):
that I had to get him on theshow because he is quite the
character, and I mean that inthe best way possible, even
though he calls himself anaverage, ordinary guy.
I'm not sure if he's a good guyor not, I'm not sure, even
though he calls himself anaverage ordinary guy.
I'm going to kind of call someBS on that, on his own
(01:22):
description of himself, becausehe has an extraordinary story
and, well, you'll see, he has ahuge heart, is as authentic as
they come, and he's making waveswith his Shane and simple brand
, his recipe blog and newsletterand by hosting the real men eat
(01:43):
plants podcast, which I waslucky enough to be a guest on
not long ago.
So I'll put the link to that inthe show notes as well.
Shane was born in Mississippiand grew up eating southern deep
fried gravy covered food.
His dietary lifestyle andadulthood led him to reach 300
(02:04):
pounds.
After finding forks over knives, shane switched to a plant
based diet and transformed hislife and those of his family,
and now he's helping transformthe lives of people all over the
country and across the globe.
I am super excited for you tohear this one, so let's do this.
Shane, it's so great to haveyou on the show.
Shane Martine (02:32):
Yes, you make me smile every time I see you.
Ella Magers (02:35):
Well, I feel the same about you and it was not
that long ago that we met inperson.
It was so great to meet you inOmaha for the Healthy for.
Lifetime conference.
Yes, and I was so impressed.
I remember you were off runningbefore we went to dinner and
then I know that because it wasso funny, you had me cracking up
(02:56):
like our first conversation,because I don't know if you
remember, but we were all ridingtogether in the car to go to
the vegan restaurant, right, andwe get in the car.
and you said something like do Ismell y'all?
And there was like a little bitof silence in the car and it's
(03:16):
all good.
And you said, no, I took ashower, it was just that I keep
sweating after I run, orsomething like that.
Shane Martine (03:23):
Yes, because here's the thing I don't know
what it's like for you when youwork out, but it's like if I go
for a run, it feels like I guess, if I do like something like
high intensity, like CrossFit,or when I was in Charlotte I
worked at a place called IronTribe and they had showers there
or if I run, I find I have tohave this at least half an hour
(03:44):
of cool downtime, because if Idon't and I just go jump in the
shower, it doesn't matter howlukewarm I make it, I get out, I
dry off, I feel good and I'msweating and I'm like so you
need that buffer, you need thatbuffer period.
I do, and so.
Ella Magers (03:59):
I didn't have it.
Shane Martine (04:00):
I didn't have it and I thought, hopefully by the
time I get down to the lobby andwe get in the car and I'm one
of those, fortunately that Idon't have to wear anti
perspirant or deodorant, but Idon't have a problem with
underarm sweat, that's a littleTMI but anyway, I don't normally
, but I was sitting there.
I don't know why it was on mybrain.
I guess it was because thereare these two beautiful women in
(04:23):
the car that I'm just like.
I just I don't know.
If it'd been just a bunch ofdudes I wouldn't have been
worried, but I try to be cooswhen I came, but I guess going,
do I smell y'all?
Ella Magers (04:34):
I mean anyway, it was so great.
And then we learned our mutuallove of North Carolina and that
you lived in Charlotte.
And then, for those of youdon't know, I grew up in Chapel
Hill, north Carolina.
I went to school in Wilmingtonand yeah, and then you had me
cracking up again.
You had the hundreds of peoplecracking up during your food
(04:54):
demo.
Oh with Melissa.
It was almost like a sitcom.
Shane Martine (04:59):
Well, and you know, here's the funny story
about that I guess she had toldme how she planned on doing it.
I didn't know that.
It's funny because that's thefirst time I'd met Melissa, like
personally, and you know she'svery straightforward, got it
planned out.
She reminds me of my wife,because my wife is like that and
I'm not like that.
(05:19):
I can be a loose cannonsometimes.
And so when I saw that she wasplanning on doing all this stuff
and laying it out, I was likeyeah, this is not going how I
thought it was going.
So I could tell it was like shewas struggling because I'd be
right beside her trying to kindof push her buttons.
She was like I called her laserbeam after that.
But it was so funny becauseafter we kind of got to the
(05:40):
green room you could tell shewas a little rattle.
But when we came out, it's likeeverybody thought it was
planned Right, exactly.
Oh, so great that y'all decidedthat.
And I was like, yeah, that wastotally not part of the.
It was fun because I feel likeyou have to have that yin and
yang with people, you know, andso.
But it was so fun and I wastotally like she's never going
(06:00):
to ask me to do anything likethis again, and so fortunately
she still texts me and we talkand good, Good, yeah, for a
little context for our listeners.
Ella Magers (06:09):
This was a conference and Shane and Melissa
were doing a food demonstrationof Shane's recipes.
But the dynamic there yes,Melissa is very type A.
She had everything planned outand you were up there like
scooping dip out of the blenderwith your finger and yeah, it
was.
Shane Martine (06:26):
Yeah, and I tell you I felt bad because I didn't
realize.
She said she had had everythingplanned out and laid out the
way we were going to do it andas we made the recipes, she
wanted them set up a certain waybecause she was going to go
back and take pictures of eachone and post nice pictures.
Well, here I am tossing foodout to everybody.
Milt Riddles is coming up andhe's getting it and taking it
(06:48):
around and I totally destroy herlayout.
But anyway, so it worked outand it was fun.
Ella Magers (06:55):
But it really did work out because, yeah, the
whole room was so engaged and,yeah, milt is passing the dip
around that you had licked itand nobody cared.
It's a big family.
It felt like a big family inthat room.
Shane Martine (07:08):
You know what?
I think we talked a little bitabout this when I interviewed
you on the Real Minute Plantspodcast, but there was something
special about that conference.
There was, I mean it, just thecamaraderie, even with the
speakers, but I mean just thepeople that were there.
I hated to leave.
I mean I really, really did.
There was this sadness to leaveand then, when they came to
(07:32):
take me to the airport, Estherand her husband were with me and
I don't know that there are twosweeter people on the planet.
So I mean that's the weekend andjust you know it was just good.
And then you know getting tomeet you and then forge, you
know, a friendship from there.
It has just been galley.
It just reminds us the world isnot that big a place.
(07:54):
You know, when the stars alignand you just kind of have these.
I feel like, do you know, gigiCarter?
Ella Magers (08:01):
I do yeah.
Shane Martine (08:02):
OK, gigi is one of my dearest friends and I feel
like her relationship remindsme of kind of how you and I have
met and started our friendship.
We met like at a plant basedimmersion weekend and we were
speakers and you know it was oneof those things that just
forged and you know it's justshe and Cersei are two of my
favorite people and so this kindof reminds me of that.
(08:25):
You know, you just meet and youfeel like, did we meet when we
were teenagers?
You know, and hang out, that'skind of has that vibe, so
totally.
Ella Magers (08:32):
Totally All right.
Well, I wanted to start beforewe dive into your story, and
then I'm really excited aboutwhat you put as the topic that's
inspiring you these days, so Ireally want to get to that.
Ok first I have a littlelightning round Just the first
thing that comes to your mind.
Shane Martine (08:49):
A few questions.
Ella Magers (08:50):
Ok, I know this is a surprise, so and I hope it's
relevant.
Do you listen to music whileyou're in the kitchen?
All the time and if so, what'sa song that gets you fired up to
create?
Shane Martine (09:01):
You know what I'm a musician was a musician by
trade.
Right, I'm a little abstract,to be honest with you.
Ella Magers (09:08):
Honest is good.
Shane Martine (09:08):
I'm very nostalgic so I listen to music
in seasons, so I have aphotography playlist when I'm
shooting pictures of recipes andit's called mountain music.
And we used to vacation inBoone, north Carolina I mean our
happy place, and there is alittle grocery store there
called Earth Fair.
It's kind of like are youfamiliar with Earth Fair?
(09:30):
So it's a regional local, it'slike a Whole Foods but it was
started in Asheville but it'sall over the Eastern Seaboard.
Anyway, they had a little onein Boone and every time we would
get to Boone with our family wewould take the kids to the
cabin where we were staying andthe older ones would stay with
the younger ones and Andre and Iwould go down and buy our
groceries for the week and we'dgo to Earth Fair and it has that
medicinal smell like a WholeFoods over by this.
(09:52):
I love that, you know, and it'skind of hippie-ish and they
always had like 70s musicplaying, like James Taylor and
you know, dancing in themoonlight, and so every time I
go in with my iPhone I'd holdShazam up and I'd take and
create a playlist and just Booneis my happy place.
So when I first startedblogging to kind of put me in
(10:14):
the mood.
I think about the mountain, soI'd play that playlist.
And then I have a playlist forthe fall which is just jazz
music, and now I have a December, christmas, instrumental
fifties, forties and fifties.
So for me it's funny because Ican't nail down like one song OK
, it's seasonal for me.
Ella Magers (10:32):
Fair.
Shane Martine (10:33):
But, like, my summer and spring playlist is,
you know, like a moon taxi andhippo, campus and some of the
music show the holiday.
I mean, it's just all over theboard.
So I have so many playlists,it's like what mood am I in
today?
So love it.
Doesn't really answer thequestion, but it's like there's
not one song that depends on thetime of year, depends on when
(10:54):
I'm working and no, it paints agreat picture.
Ella Magers (10:57):
I love that, yeah.
Shane Martine (10:58):
Some days I watch the office when I'm cooking.
Ella Magers (11:02):
I can see you watching the office.
Ok, a quirk or fun fact thatmost people don't know about you
.
Shane Martine (11:08):
Work or a fun fact?
Um, Holly, I have a lot ofquirks.
Ella Magers (11:16):
You perspire long after you stop running.
Shane Martine (11:18):
Yes, I would say from a kitchen standpoint I'm
very organizationally challenged, but I cannot stand a full sink
of dishes.
My wife is the type Aeverything's organized.
You would think that this wouldgrind her.
But even if we wake up to aclean sink, she likes through
(11:40):
the day, when she has lunch orwhatever, to just set a dish in
there, even if there's nothingin the sink.
And when I come in to cook andstart creating, I want clean
sinks.
And so sometimes we argue it'slike there was nothing in the
sink, you had one glass, rinseit out, but it was like I don't
operate that way and I'm likeyou should, and so for some
(12:00):
reason that is just a.
I don't know why that gets tome.
It's like if I see a sink, aglass and a spoon in the sink, I
have to wash them and put themaway before I start cooking.
I have to start with a cleansink.
Then I mess everything up, butI have to start with a clean
slate.
But I will tell you a fun factI don't know if you listen to
country music at all.
Ella Magers (12:19):
I just started to actually since starting the
sanctuary in Virginia.
Yes, I just started.
Shane Martine (12:26):
Okay, so Not too long.
I don't know if you're familiarwith Kenny Chesney, country
artist.
Ella Magers (12:30):
Yes.
Shane Martine (12:31):
If you go back and listen to his song from
about 15, 20 years ago, therewas a song he did called the
Good Stuff.
Okay.
The story of that song is aboutmy mother and my mom and dad's
relationship.
They were the inspiration forthat song.
Ella Magers (12:45):
Really.
Shane Martine (12:46):
Yeah, after my mom died with cancer in 2000, my
dad worked at his record labelas security and when my mom was
going through chemo my dadshaved his head and my dad was
real good friends with all theseartists and Kenny had come in
and he saw that and he actuallyon his album has a comment to
that and the songwriters weretalking to my dad and my dad was
(13:09):
just telling them all thesestories and they changed the
name and some of the stuff.
But my dad brought me the demofrom the songwriters and I just
bawled because I knew exactlywhat it was about.
But that's a fun fact, wow.
So that song, the Good Stuff byKenny Chesney, was about my mom
and dad.
Ella Magers (13:24):
Incredible.
Yeah, wow, that is fascinating.
Thank you for sharing that.
Shane Martine (13:31):
So you got a quirk and a fun fact.
Ella Magers (13:33):
Well, perfect, because one of my questions I
couldn't decide on all thequestions One was a pet peeve,
but I already got that, so wegot two more.
As a young adult, what did youthink about vegans?
Shane Martine (13:46):
Weirdos.
They ate grass and bark andusually didn't take showers and
were loony lefties that wantedto live in the woods.
I mean literally that was youknow or wanted to protest zoos
all the time.
That was my take.
Ella Magers (14:03):
Yep, and we'll get back to that.
Shane Martine (14:05):
Sure.
Ella Magers (14:06):
All right, favorite recipe for Super Bowl Sundays,
the one that you make year afteryear that you can't live
without, just one.
Shane Martine (14:13):
Just one.
It would have to be my queso.
I knew it.
It's the queso, yes.
Ella Magers (14:20):
And this recipe is on because this is going to come
out before Super Bowl Sunday,so I know you've got probably
many recipes.
Shane Martine (14:26):
Yes.
Ella Magers (14:27):
Yes, but the queso is the most it's on there.
Shane Martine (14:29):
Yeah, I tell people that is one of the best
transition.
You take that to any Super Bowlparty.
And my brother's not vegan atall, but he likes his favorite
cheese dip, so Amazing.
Ella Magers (14:41):
Ok, cool, all right , so I do want to spend a few
minutes kind of talking aboutyour journey to plant-based
living.
I know you grew up in ruralMississippi on baloney
sandwiches.
You were an athlete and thenyou went to college football and
a scholarship and you were alsoa musician as a starting point.
Shane Martine (14:57):
Yeah.
Ella Magers (14:58):
Let's talk about you know anything else you
wanted to mention from thebeginning, but then about your
health journey after that.
Shane Martine (15:05):
Where you want me to start.
Ella Magers (15:06):
Yeah, I mean, did I get like the very quick summary
of growing up?
Shane Martine (15:10):
Yeah, I mean I grew up in rural Mississippi,
was very athletic, playedbaseball early on.
That was my main sport and wasnever overweight as a kid.
Then, as I got into junior highI played football and fell more
in love with football.
But I was a kicker and playedother positions but I loved
(15:30):
kicking and so got into that andended up started drawing a lot
of attention from colleges.
And right after my footballseason in my junior year my dad
was a highway patrolman, a statetrooper in Mississippi, and we
found out right before I startedmy junior year he was going to
get transferred from Boonevilleis up in North Mississippi
(15:52):
around Tupelo, so it's close tothe Tennessee and Alabama lines,
and he was getting transferredto Jackson, the capital, to go
to work for the governor staff.
Like the highway patrol kind ofhas a secret service branch,
they provide protection for thegovernor and so he was getting
transferred there.
So we moved Christmas of myjunior year and I ended up
(16:13):
graduating there, playedfootball down there, got a lot
of attention and so originallywent to college on a football
scholarship and I'd been amusician since I could walk and
I ended up leaving college aftermy sophomore year and moving to
Nashville to pursue music andwhen I got to Nashville I think
(16:37):
I'm 6'1", 6'2" I think I weighed185 pounds still very spelt.
But when I didn't have afootball coach or a strength and
conditioning coach making me dosomething, I got very lazy very
quickly.
And I think I was 20 when Imoved to Nashville and I got
married at 26.
(16:57):
I had met my wife, got marriedand by the time I got married,
over six years, I went from 185pounds to 240 pounds on my
wedding day and I left Nashville2005.
That's when I moved toCharlotte and I was a music
director at a church inCharlotte and did that for the
(17:20):
next 15 years, but from 05 until2013,.
Then I got to 300 pounds.
Ella Magers (17:27):
And I'm curious, before we get into the health in
terms of your music, was yourgoal to be a professional
musician for the rest of yourlife?
And I'm just very curious, yeah.
Shane Martine (17:38):
Yeah, I loved it.
I still do so.
I was a guitar player and asinger and wanted to be a
songwriter, so I ended up.
My goal was to.
I wanted to get a record deal,I wanted to write songs, I
wanted to tour.
I wanted to be a big artist.
I originally had moved toNashville to do contemporary
Christian music and I ended upgetting a publishing deal with
(17:59):
Sony Music and so I startedwriting for them as a songwriter
and I ended up getting asked toplay guitar on People's Demos
and a couple of independentprojects and then getting hired
as a guitar player to go out onthe road with some different
country artists and Christianartists.
So I started to make a livingas a side musician and so I had
(18:20):
a couple of publishing deals andso my goal was to just kind of
in some way support myselfplaying music and did for a
while.
So that was the goal originally.
And then when iTunes came along,basically we saw what happened
to the music industry, whathappened to the housing market
back in 07, when all thatcrashed, and that's what
(18:41):
happened to the music industry,and so everything went
completely soft.
Artists stopped touring becausethey were like everybody was
buying CDs, and now they go tobuying one song on iTunes and
the artists stopped touring.
They weren't cutting records,they were trying to regather
themselves and figure out how tonavigate this, and so guys like
(19:01):
me who were starting to come upmake a name for ourselves.
Well, if you can have this AAAsession player that everybody
knows, play on your records thatplayed for Shania Twain and
Alan Jackson and all of this.
Or do you want Shane Martin?
Well, they can get this guy forthe same thing they were paying
me.
So that's kind of what happened.
So, anyway, we got hit reallyhard financially, and so I went
(19:23):
from flying on planes anddriving on tour buses and
playing in the studio todelivering pizza at night and
radiators during the day.
So it's true what they say Withmusic it's feast or famine.
Nobody makes a median living.
Ella Magers (19:38):
So how did you deal with that emotionally?
Shane Martine (19:40):
It was hard because for me, as a musician,
it's not just what you do.
You're creative, you don't justcreate, I mean, it's who you
are.
And when you're not able to doit, and then when you've done it
at a certain level, it's veryhumbling when it all gets
knocked out from under you.
And what made it even tougheris I had a wife and two new
(20:04):
children at home and it was hard.
We went through some struggleseven in our marriage early on,
because my mom had died in 2000.
And so I was dealing withdepression from my mom dying.
I was very close with my momand when the music thing
happened it got to a point whereI was making $8.50 an hour
(20:25):
delivering radiators during theday, and then I would go deliver
pizza four or five nights aweek and it was exhausting.
And my wife was a graphicdesigner, but her goal when we
started having kids, she said Iwant to be home with our
children.
That's where my heart is.
And so we had some friends thatlet us move into a garage
apartment that they had finishedout to house aging parents
(20:47):
eventually, and they offeredthat to us and we were able to
move in and live rent free for ayear to kind of me get on
supporting them on my income.
And then we found a littlehouse out in Ashland City,
tennessee, and we were paying$500 a month.
It was a little bitty twobedroom house and it was sweet
and I had a three-year-old and aone and a half-year-old and
(21:09):
they shared a room and somehowwe made it on, we got on Dave
Ramsey, so that was kind of howwe survived.
Everything was cash and it wasa sweet time.
But it was tough.
And then I think I got to thepoint where one night I remember
I didn't even tell my wife.
I said I can't do this anymore.
They need me to provide forthem.
(21:29):
So I got online one night, goton monstercom and Dell Computer
had moved to Nashville about ayear or two earlier and they
were hiring salesmen.
No-transcript.
I applied, did a phoneinterview, got another interview
, went in and got hired througha corporate temp agency and
basically had six months to hitcertain metrics and then they
(21:52):
would bring you on full time.
And then I ended up gettinghired full time by dale and went
to work for them and was one oftheir top salesman and home
sales for a little while and wewere starting to breathe.
So I gave up music and told mywife I'm gonna go and do this
and then I think probably thatwas like November, december of
(22:13):
four and then in March of five,this church in Charlotte called
and Wanted to interview me andwe went out and Andrea was
elated because if we got the jobit would still be a decent
salary.
But we never anticipatedleaving Nashville and moving
that far away from our families.
But she didn't want me to givemusic up to that, and so this
(22:34):
was a way to stay into.
Anyway, long story short,that's how we ended up in
Charlotte in a five and it wasgreat for our family.
But that's the long way ofanswering your question.
Like it really took the windout of my cells.
There were a lot of struggles,but I do tell people this is
hard as it was.
There were some sweet times inthere with my wife and my kids
(22:54):
at the time, who were my twooldest, were that little and you
know you always think you coulddo things differently or
navigate things differently, butI'm a big believer that things
work out the way they aresupposed to work out.
You know we have to rest in thatand not resist it, and that
doesn't mean you don't fight it.
It doesn't mean that you don'tbreak down and that you're not
honest and that you're not open.
(23:14):
But it's pointless to resist it, you know, because I'm not a
fatalist by any stretch of theimagination, but I just think
that when these things comethere's a purpose.
Otherwise you just have randomhappenstance which has no
purpose, and I can't accept that, you know.
So I look back and I see how itjust made us better, it
(23:35):
strengthened us.
And somebody told me I heard alyric from a song the other day
I was talking about this lastweek that said there's no one
more thankful to sit at a tableThen the one who best remembers
hunger's pain.
And so when these hard timescome and these moments, it
really is like a gut punch.
But then you look back and itjust makes you appreciate things
(23:56):
going forward.
Ella Magers (23:57):
Absolutely Always, always.
So meanwhile you, at this pointin time, you were gaining
weight, so getting back to thehealth, yes, yeah.
Shane Martine (24:07):
Okay, so, yeah, so my eating habits didn't
change at all, so I justcontinue to gain weight.
And when we got to Charlotteyou know Charlotte's pretty
health conscious, I mean it'skind of like a mini Europe, so
to speak, you know.
I mean everybody rides bikesand everybody runs and swims.
You know swimming's huge there,even in the high schools, and
the past where I worked for waslike Mr Biker and you know that
(24:31):
kind of thing, and he was 1215years older than me and maybe
older than that yeah, 1520 yearsolder than me.
And so you know he's ridingbikes and he's out, you know,
doing all this and you know hereI am coming in and you can tell
that I'm the one that's notfrom Charlotte, kind of thing.
And he said I want you to go seemy doctor, you need to have a
physical, you need to have aphysical.
(24:52):
And his name was Neil spate.
I never will forget him and hewas an MD, but he definitely
tried to, definitely tried tooperate on a more holistic like,
trying to get people to changetheir lifestyle and things like
that.
So I went, had a physical andabout two, three weeks later I
got a letter from his office andit had all my numbers in it and
(25:13):
besides probably 3536, and Iwas about 280 pounds and my
glucose was way up.
I was a pre diabetic, mycholesterol was like over 400
fatty liver, extremely highblood pressure, the whole thing
and he said I need to see you, Iwant to see you.
(25:35):
So I guess that was like 2007,2008, and I did what every
concerned patient did.
I didn't go back, I didn'trespond because I was like, if I
don't go, he won't findanything.
Ella Magers (25:47):
I mean, but you saw the numbers yes, yeah, the
numbers and somehow you talkedyourself into thinking that if
you didn't address it, then what?
Shane Martine (25:57):
I think, you know , for me it just was.
I guess, after I saw my mom die, you know, there was always
this fear of findings.
There was this thing and Ican't explain.
It was like finding somethingand there's this idea that if I
don't go, they won't find it.
And so I just didn't go back.
You know, it's funny because Ithink everybody thinks you know
(26:17):
you've got cancers and thingslike that, but the thing that
kills most Americans is heartdisease, overwhelmingly,
overwhelmingly.
And a lot of people don't evenrealize that one of the leading
causes of death from smoking isnot lung cancer, it's heart
disease.
And so, you know, I just kindof hid the paper and my wife
found it and she goes what areyou doing?
(26:38):
You know, because my wife, evenbefore we were plant based, she
was a very healthy, consciouseater, like lots of salad, lots
of vegetables, and if she hadmeat it was more like a side or
just a part of it, you know.
And so so I put that in thedrawer and just ignored it, and
that was, like I said, around2007, 2008, and went on for
(27:02):
another few years.
Ella Magers (27:03):
Wow, another few years without going back to the
doctor, without addressing it.
And then what was theturnaround?
Shane Martine (27:11):
So we had moved from Charlotte to Atlanta, I had
taken a job there and it wasjust absolutely terrible.
It was horrible.
We had no business moving thereand and that job lasted maybe
about 18 months and then youknow, we have four kids by this
time and Super, stressed, super,you know.
(27:33):
Just dealing with the situationand I started to get staff
infections that would heal, likeI would get them get on some
penicillin antibiotics, get ridof them and they would come back
.
And I mean I was getting themon my lower back, like right
above my butt, right there, andthey were just painful and I
started to develop like the darkpatches under the arms and
(27:54):
stuff, like you know, diabetic.
And we left.
I got a job in Opalica, alabama, right outside of Auburn, where
the university is, and we werestarting to kind of see things
turn around for us a little bit.
You know, get our feet backunder us after the catastrophe
in Atlanta.
And my son was playing baseballand at this time he was like six
or seven, yeah, seven or eightanyway.
(28:16):
I was out one night helping theteam you know play.
I was a former baseball playerof course I'm still big as a
house and one of the kids hit aball and it wasn't rolling that
hard, but it hit a rock and itbounced up and hit me in the
shin.
I went out that hurt and abouttwo days it's holed up and I got
a staff infection again and itwas so painful I didn't want to
(28:37):
go to the doctor.
I kept, you know, putting Heaton it and everything, and it was
terrible.
So finally I went to the doctorand they had to do the whole
lancing it and all of that kindof stuff and I went over to
Target to get my medication.
I had to get on an antibioticand it was hurting so bad that I
had to get on one of thoselittle motorized carts and I was
(29:00):
riding through Target and Idrove by a mirror and I had to
back up to try to get mymedication and I think that's
the first time that it hit meLike something has to change,
because this is not just aprecursor to the future.
This is the present.
This is my reality right nowand it doesn't get better if I
keep doing what I'm doing.
It doesn't get better and Ijust remember getting back to my
(29:24):
car and going home and just go.
I don't even know where to go.
But I have to do something andI had done diets in the past.
I've done, you know, countingfat grounds.
I had done keto or not keto,yeah, keto, or you know the
Atkins diet and stuff like that,and I would lose weight quickly
but I'd gain it back quicker.
So the staff infection it gothealed.
(29:46):
I still remember it.
I was in Winn Dixie with my wifeand two of my kids and my
daughter, maddie, is the oldest,was with me and I just kind of
check my blood pressure just forthe heck of it, and it came
back like even on that littlemachine it was like 160 over 110
.
I mean it was just stupid.
And my daughter goes daddy,like you know, and I was like
don't tell your mom, don't tellyour mom.
(30:07):
But then that's when it's likewhen your kids are like 11 years
old and she looks and they getthat that's not good.
That hit me in the heart and Irealized Andrea had not been
wanting me to change and gethealthy, because she was ashamed
of the way I looked.
She literally was concerned forme, and so I would say that was
(30:29):
probably the turning point.
And I woke up one morning on aSunday morning and I looked in
the mirror my face is red andI'm puffy and tight.
And I got on the scale and Iwas like right there at 300,
like 298 or whatever it was.
And I went to church that dayand I got home and I called a
buddy of mine and I'd seen amutual friend of ours from
(30:50):
Nashville who was on the Ironman Facebook page.
He was being interviewed and hewas talking about how he lost a
friend to a disease and hedecided to get healthy and he
ended up going plant based.
And I said, hey, man, I sawthis thing with that.
He's locked like 80 pounds.
Man, he looks incredible.
And my buddy, jason, because Icouldn't get a hold of that he
said, yeah, man, that went vegan.
(31:11):
And I just went well, I'm notdoing that.
Ella Magers (31:14):
And he said look stinky people.
Shane Martine (31:16):
Yes, I still remember it was a Sunday,
january 19th.
He said just watch forksovernight.
So Sunday night my wife and Isit down and watch that
documentary.
And I went cold turkey the nextday because I thought, wait a
minute, because it was the firsttime that I didn't feel
attacked by.
I always felt attacked by vegan, you know, like it always had
(31:37):
to be about the environment orthe animals first and those
things.
It's not that those thingsaren't important, but if I'm 300
pounds and can't get off thecouch, I can't do anything for
anybody if I don't take care ofme first.
And so my wife and I watched itand I think the thing that blew
me away about forks over kniveswas it was all about the health,
it was all about disease, itwas all about your family, it
(31:58):
was all about cooking and eating.
And I remember looking at mywife going.
They were eating things.
You know that you're told don't, don't eat potatoes, don't eat
pasta, don't eat breads, andthey're saying eat it, you know.
And so we didn't know where tostart cooking, we didn't know
how.
But the next day we kind ofjust started on our journey
together and for the first twoweeks we said this is daddy's
(32:19):
food, this is everybody else's.
And then we're like that's notgoing to work and so we just
said in the house everybody'sdoing it.
And two or three of my kidsalready had dairy allergies from
birth.
So they saw a milk anyway andno dairy.
So amazing.
That was kind of it.
And then in two weeks I lost 20pounds, but I was never hungry,
(32:40):
I mean I was eating.
And then in three months I lost55 pounds and had a physical
for life insurance because Idon't think we could have got
insured.
And that's when I remember Isaid this is going to be the
telltale sign.
It's either going to be if Idon't see results.
I'm done.
You know, they did our bloodwork and my blood pressure went
(33:01):
from.
The last time I had it checkedwith a doctor was like 153 over
106.
After three months of goingplant based, my blood pressure
was 126 over 79 which in thesouth was great, but that's a
huge turnaround and mycholesterol went from over 400
to 199.
So I was below 200.
There was no trace of diabetesanywhere in my system, just
(33:26):
everything reversed.
And that's when I went.
This is legit and that's it.
I'm not going back.
So been there ever since.
Ella Magers (33:33):
Yeah, wow, it was like you committed, your family
got on board and that was it.
No turning around.
Shane Martine (33:41):
Yeah, and it was hard.
The first two weeks we wereeating tofu and salads and
didn't know how to fix anything.
But, then, like we found thiswhole underground.
You know, I found Rip Eselston.
I saw it Talk and it blew meaway what plant based was like.
He was showing these peanutbutter chocolate chip Cookies
for a dessert and we were makingmeatloafs with lentils and oats
(34:02):
and I was like, wait a minute,I can still have mashed potatoes
, I just need to add almond milkand some seasoning and you know
, there doesn't have to be allthe butter and corn.
So after two weeks findingrecipe and I found his book in
the library there the engine todiet.
So I got all the recipes and itwas, yeah, that's been it ever
since.
And then I got passionate aboutit and the rest is history, as
(34:23):
they say.
Ella Magers (34:24):
Yeah, yeah.
And when?
At what point did you start torealize that you were so
passionate that you wanted tocreate a blog, a business?
Shane Martine (34:34):
Yeah.
Ella Magers (34:35):
Yeah.
Shane Martine (34:35):
It was weird because we started having people
reach out, even family goingwhat are you doing?
Because you know a lot ofpeople when they lose weight,
they don't look healthy.
You know they may look sunken,or you know because and that's
what people need to realizelosing weight does not mean
you're healthy.
Right, it's healthier thancarrying a lot of weight, but
diets are deprivation.
They're not feeding yourself.
(34:56):
And so I didn't look deprived,I was vibrant, I was like I'm
not tired in the day, you know.
And so people were calling andasking and I was sharing recipes
with them and talking with them.
And I'm an extrovert by nature,but I do love talking with
people, I love sharing stories,I love hearing stories, and I
remember my wife telling me shesaid you ought to start a blog
(35:19):
because I knew she followedbloggers and things like that
and she goes.
You know a lot of them get paidand sponsors if they have a big
enough following, and so shesaid you ought to consider that
and I was like, yeah, that'd befun.
I knew when I got passionateabout the food and I was
watching and I followed Rip likeall the time, like Rip was
still is one of my heroes and Iwould watch him do Ted talks and
(35:40):
I thought, man, if I could goaround talking to people, and I
was like I'd love to figure outa way.
I mean, I thought aboutquitting my job at the church
and going down to Earth Fair andgetting a job in the grocery
store because I love beingaround it.
We moved from Auburn to Madison,mississippi, for a brief stint.
I got involved with some plantbased groups there.
I started hosting potlucks inthe house and I just thought I
(36:02):
want to figure out a way to dothis.
And Andre was still talkingabout the blog and so I went to
WordPress, got the software,kind of started looking at it
and it was originally titledfrom famine to feast is what it
was called, and I put a coupleof things out there.
But you know, I'm such aperfectionist when it comes to
(36:22):
my art and my presentation.
It's like I just couldn't pullthe trigger to get things out
and my wife said just putsomething out there.
I had no clue how to blog, Ididn't know about recipe plugins
or anything, and so I kind ofdrug it out a little bit.
And in 2015, we moved back toCharlotte, got back to Charlotte
and we were in a rental housetrying to find a house to buy
(36:45):
and we went from famine to feast.
I showed a buddy of mine and hewas like a designer and he goes
.
I didn't really like that.
And he goes sounds like areally bad youth group name from
a church and I was like pointtaken.
And then we had one called theplant based menu or whatever,
and some friends of how Iactually met Gigi Carter.
(37:07):
I was talking to them about itand they said look, man, they
said the thing that draws peopleto what you do is you when you
talk, so it just needs to beyour story and the recipes that
came out of your story.
And my wife was actually aNashville visiting her family
and so I just was trying tothink of a name for the blog and
somebody said hey, shane,thanks for sending this.
(37:28):
They say I love the way youjust keep it plain and simple.
And I call my wife and I saidwhat about Shane and simple?
And that may go back to one ofthe quirks, because it's like if
I ask somebody a question, Idon't want them to write a book,
just yes or no.
You know, like I don't havetime for the blah, blah, blah,
blah, you know, and she goesthat is totally you, you know,
you were to the point, just yeah.
(37:49):
So we registered the name and Ilearned how to set a blog up,
learned about recipe plugins andjust kind of started.
But still it was about over ayear before I made it live and
I'd had this name and we boughtour house and settled in.
It was August of 2017.
And Andre goes just dosomething.
(38:10):
And so the first recipe was agrilled peanut butter and jelly
and banana sandwich.
Ella Magers (38:16):
Nice.
Shane Martine (38:17):
And I took pictures with my iPad and I
still have original pictures andthey're terrible.
But I did it and just startedtrying to do it once a week,
once a month, whenever I could,and fortunately it gained
traction and got to a pointwhere that was August of 2017.
And then by October of 2019, itwas about half of my salary at
(38:39):
the church I was working at.
But my wife and I said, ifyou're ever going to make this
happen, we've got to be all in.
So she picked up more work.
She's a graphic designer and sothe company that she gets
contractors like we got as muchwork as you want.
So she picked up and we lookedat all the numbers and, like I
said, she's very tight.
And so I thought she's going tobe like no, we got to have the
security.
But we met at a little coffeeshop called Nova's Bakery, like
(39:04):
a mile and a half up the roadfrom us, and it was where when I
first started blogging, I'd getup and go at five in the
morning before I'd go to theoffice, and we sat there that
afternoon in the window and thenwe were the only two in there.
Npr was playing classical.
I mean, I still remember it.
Like we had our little coffeesand she brought all the numbers
and said this is what we need tohave just to survive and that
(39:26):
was counting if we buy our ownhealth insurance and everything
and we made the decision to doit in October 2019.
So December 31st was my lastday at work and fortunately, we
look at it now and we go oh, wemade it one more month, we can
do this.
So, it's been over three and ahalf four years now Amazing.
Ella Magers (39:44):
Amazing.
I love Shane, and simple Likethat is just spot on.
It's such a great name, such agreat blog.
I love the pop up on thewebsite that says practical,
non-pretentious, plant-basedrecipes.
I love the non-pretentiousbecause it's like it's so
divided.
Now it seems you've got still,you know, the vegan hippie-dippy
(40:06):
kind of scene and then you'vegot a very luxurious high end
very inaccessible andintimidating plant-based spayor.
So the non-pretentious part.
Did that just come at you likeI got to put that in there.
Where did that come from?
Shane Martine (40:24):
You know it was funny because they said every
blog needs a tagline and I'vealways said there's a lot of
pretentious people in Charlotte,there's a lot of pretentious
people in the music business,and I think it was just kind of
what you said it was.
I love alliterations if theycan flow, but I just thought,
like somebody called me like theTim Allen.
(40:44):
You remember Tool Time?
Ella Magers (40:45):
Oh, of course.
Shane Martine (40:46):
Somebody said you're like the Tim Allen of
vegan cooking or someone, and Ithought I guess you know it's
like you can be friends witheverybody, because my friends
range from the most Uberconservative to off the rail
liberal and progressive and wejust have a good time and you
know just everybody.
But I just thought what I don'tlike is pretentiousness and I
(41:09):
always felt like you know, a lotof people think that eating
plant-based and there are, likeyou said, there's this
hippie-dippy and then on theother side you've got the
well-heeled elite.
You know and it's like you can'tbe in our vegan circle.
And so I just thought I'm justa very practical person and so I
just typed it out one nightpractical, not pretentious,
plant-based recipes.
(41:30):
And I thought, if anything,that's a good alliteration.
And you said that's yourtagline and I went, oh, you're
right, yes, and so that's kindof been it, and I've had more
people comment about thattagline than the name, because
they're like they said, I triedyour blog just because I saw
that tagline and I thoughtthat's cool.
So I love it Very cool.
I think it touches the button,but they seem to remember it.
Ella Magers (41:52):
Yes, yes.
Well, I want to touch on youknow, when I asked you, what has
you inspired these days, one ofthe things that you mentioned
was vulnerability andtransparency, and you've been
very vulnerable and transparenttelling your story here.
Was there something inparticular that made you write
that?
Shane Martine (42:13):
You know I'm a very defensive person by nature
and I feel like that's one ofthe things I think.
Growing up in the deep southwe're very prideful people and
we have a very pull yourself upby your own bootstrips, blue
collar, work ethic and that'sgood.
To a point, you know, it's likeI can't afford to go buy this,
(42:33):
but I got, I'm going to figureout how to build it and if I'm
struggling I ain't going to tellanybody.
And 2005, when I first wentinto ministry, the pastor that I
worked for is just, he was likea wise old sage and creatives
musicians.
I mean, there's a part of us,there's an arrogance in there
because it's like what makes uswant to be in front of people.
(42:55):
You know it's like, yeah, wewant to help, but there's a
certain confidence that has tocome with that to be able to do
that.
You know, or want to do that.
And I love a microphone, I lovebeing the center of attention,
but I have to realize it's notalways about me, you know.
So he and I would meet once aweek to just kind of discuss,
you know, the layout of aservice or something.
(43:17):
And he said, hey, I want totalk to you about something and
I'd bring it up and I go, butwait, but let me tell you about
what really happened.
He said do you realize, everytime I just want to talk to you
about something, you always tryto defend yourself?
You never just sit and listen.
And he motioned his arms.
He said quit doing this likepushing away.
And he said just sit and listen, don't affirm, don't deny, just
(43:38):
listen and receive.
And that stuck with me.
And so I went from being a guythat people didn't want to
confront or talk to, because itwas like they knew I was going
to push back right off the bat,to being a guy that people said
hey, if Shane has hurt you or isbothering you, you can go
confront him.
Like he will hear you.
And that is something that justalways stuck with me.
(44:00):
And what I saw was vulnerabilityand transparency, one.
I think it does more to breakdown the walls and make people
feel safe with you, and it justreally is an area for growth.
And I feel like life is tooshort to kind of image, manage
and you know, just for lack of abetter term, the bullshit.
(44:23):
You know, we touch peoplebetter when they feel like we're
accessible.
We're able to meet them wherethey are.
And so for me, when I talkabout transparency and
vulnerability, especially as aman, I don't feel like men.
I think that's the biggest thingthat prohibit.
I feel like men don't feel safeand feel like to be vulnerable
(44:43):
and transparent because it'swe've got to put on this thing.
We got to go out and you know,for lack of a better word kill
something, drag it home, andwe've got to be this and we've
got to be that and we don't wantto ask for help.
And I think, you know, when wego back to what I was talking
about when the music businessgot hit, like, how did I handle
that?
I think, over those years, whenyou look back and just some
things my wife and I have gonethrough, we have gotten to the
(45:05):
point where pride was juststripped away and we had no
alternative but to ask for help.
And that's what I say.
I think that was some of thebest lessons that came from that
and I've just seen how it hasimpacted my life, improved my
life, and it's not just forpeople, I mean it's with your
kids.
I mean it's like when you dosomething with your kids that
(45:25):
has hurt them or you'veresponded a certain way, you
know you expect your kids tocome apologize to you, but when
you, as a parent, have to go tothem and said you know what I
was wrong in this situation andI need you.
And that's one of the things wetry to instill in our kids.
We want them to be leaders, butlearn to lead with repentance
and vulnerability.
That doesn't mean you're weak,it doesn't mean you get walked
(45:47):
on, but learn to own yourmistakes, learn to own your sin,
and in any conflict, veryrarely is it one person at fault
.
Now it can be 80, 20, it can be90, 10, it can be 50, 50.
But when you recognize what youbrought to the table in that
conflict, be the first to stepout and go hey, I am really
(46:08):
sorry and I did this.
And so I think just that ideaof vulnerability and
transparency it strengthens usand it's something that you just
don't see.
It's not very popular in ourculture right now.
Ella Magers (46:21):
Absolutely.
Shane Martine (46:21):
And so I don't know.
It's life giving, almost, youknow.
Ella Magers (46:25):
It's empowering too .
It is you can own your stufftoo, and not be defensive, you
get to take back your power inthat.
Shane Martine (46:35):
Yeah, yeah, you're not giving people power
over you and it's not that youdon't care what people think in
the sense, because you want tohave a good reputation, but who
you are is not dependent on whatthey think.
You're able to sleep a littlebit better at night, but it's a
great area for growth and it'sjust.
Image managing is depressingand it is exhausting.
It's absolutely exhausting, andpeople are smart.
(46:57):
They can sniff out phonies in aheartbeat, you know, and I
think that, yeah, I mean, it'sfunny that you bring that up
because Rich McCarty, who's adoctor here, he'd been
prescribing my website.
He's kind of like he loveshealing his patients with diet,
if they'll do it, and he hadbeen prescribing my recipes for
two or three years and one ofhis patients said hey, I follow
(47:18):
this guy.
I think he lives in Mississippinow and the guy goes.
No, no, no, he lives in NorthCarolina.
He goes, no, dude, he movedback and it was one of the guys
that followed me religiously andhe goes.
He emailed me and he said yeah,I live 20 minutes up the road,
so we had connected and he toldme.
He said you know, he goes.
I follow a lot of bloggers andhe's on my Shane and Simple page
(47:38):
on Facebook.
He said you know what he said?
I have never seen peoplerespond the way your people
respond, like if you putsomething out there that you're
struggling or that, hey guys,this is going on, sorry.
He said it's like a littlecommunity.
And I went back and I lookedand I said it really is.
I mean, it really is.
And I think it comes from thatidea of trying to be transparent
(48:00):
, like hey, we're all in thistogether.
It's not just about the food,you know encompasses everything
we do, you know.
Ella Magers (48:06):
So oh, shane, I wish we had another hour, which
means I might have to ask youback, because we didn't even get
to talk about the recipes, andI want to talk about your take
on oil and all this, and we areout of time, so will you come
back?
Shane Martine (48:21):
I'll tell you what.
All you have to do is give methe date and the time, and I am
sorry that I talked a lot.
Ella Magers (48:27):
No, this is perfect .
This was perfect.
This is the stuff thatfascinates me.
I mean, the food part is great,but it's the story, it's the
human behind the recipes thatI'm most interested in, and I
think that our audience is.
And all of this is so importantfor the idea of holistic health
.
Right, that vulnerability, thetransparency, the story, the
(48:49):
resilience that you demonstratedin your life and all that
you've been through and for youto come out and now be inspiring
and helping people all over theworld to get healthy and enjoy
and find joy in the kitchen andwith plants and the impact
you're making is huge.
So I'm so grateful and gratefulto you and your story.
Shane Martine (49:10):
Well, yes, all that to say is all you have to
do is give me a date and a time,because it'd be an honor, I
mean anytime we get to hang out,yes, so agree, I'll let you say
awesome.
Ella Magers (49:21):
We'll tell people your blog where to find you.
Anything else that you want toshare?
Shane Martine (49:25):
Last year, so Shane and simplecom is the best
place to find the recipes.
Everything is free.
Sign up, get the newsletter sothat you never miss a new recipe
.
I tell people, community ishuge and success.
So there are two Shane andsimple groups on Facebook.
There's the fan page, which isjust what I post, and that's
facebookcom slash Shane andsimple cooking.
(49:46):
But there's also a communitylike just a group page and you
can find that it's linked tothat.
But that's where I basicallylet everybody comment, share
things there.
Instagram is Shane and simplecooking.
Those are the best places tofind me.
I try to answer every messagethat comes to me.
It may take two weeks, but Itry to get back to it.
I love the trying to beintentional to get all that done
(50:08):
.
So that's, and then I will tellpeople Christmas morning I'm
doing a special live with ChefAJ.
Ella Magers (50:15):
Oh, no way.
Shane Martine (50:16):
Yes, so we're going to do.
She just reached out and shesaid hey, I was on her show one
time.
She said could we do somethingon Christmas morning?
I know that's family time, butI think people would love to see
what you eat, and we make aFrench toast casserole every
Christmas that I make.
So we're going to do it at like9 am Central time, which is
like 7 am Her time.
She's out in California, but ifyou follow Chef AJ, we're going
(50:39):
to a special Christmas morningbreakfast thing together.
Ella Magers (50:41):
So amazing and amazing and this is probably
going to come out afterChristmas, but that will stay up
on her YouTube channel.
Shane Martine (50:49):
Yes, and I think it'll actually be live.
We're doing it live.
Ella Magers (50:52):
Right, but I'm saying this is recorded.
When this is published, it'llbe January, so people will win
this.
Shane Martine (50:59):
Oh, this, this.
Ella Magers (51:00):
Oh, okay.
Shane Martine (51:03):
Let's read back.
Hey, new Year.
What's going on Everyone?
I was on Chef AJ, that wasawesome.
Ella Magers (51:10):
But I'm saying that people will want that recipe
and it'll be available on ChefAJ YouTube, so chain.
Thank you so much, and we willschedule our part two.
Shane Martine (51:19):
That sounds great .
Looking forward to it, thankyou.
Thank you, you're so welcome.
Ella Magers (51:26):
Thanks for listening to this week's episode
of Rise and Thrive with me,Ella Majors.
I truly hope you found itinspiring and, if you did,
please help me spread the wordby leaving a rating and review
on your favorite podcast playerand by sharing the show with
your friends.
As you probably know by now, mylife's purpose is to use my
voice to make this world a moreconscious and compassionate
(51:48):
place, and your reviews andshares make a huge impact.
And last, I'm getting a ton ofinsanely positive feedback about
my short and sweet monthlynewsletter called the Way Short
for the Way Out Is Through.
I give my top five latest badassdiscoveries, insights and
explorations, like veganproducts and recipes.
(52:09):
I'm obsessed with books andshows 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 awesomeresources I have for you and
projects I'm involved with,including Hogs and Kisses Farm
Sanctuary, where our mission isto create the best life for farm
(52:31):
animals while inspiringcompassion for all living beings
.
Thanks a lot, and I'll see youon the next one.
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