Mollie Engelhart
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
This episode features Molly Englezos, founder of the regenerative agriculture movement and former vegan restaurateur behind Sage Vegan Bistro. Molly shares her profound transformation from a staunch vegan activist to a regenerative farming advocate after moving from Los Angeles to Texas. (00:24)
The conversation explores her family's controversial exit from veganism when her father ate meat for the first time in 40 years, leading to massive public backlash and protests. (02:23) Molly details her journey through multiple business ventures - from recording studios to marijuana cultivation to successful vegan restaurants - before ultimately finding her calling in regenerative agriculture.
She discusses the deeper philosophical questions around food systems, touching on everything from soil health and local food production to family dynamics and spiritual awakening. (62:13) The episode reveals how personal crisis and financial challenges led to profound insights about nature, motherhood, and our disconnection from the natural world.
- Main themes include the transition from industrial veganism to regenerative agriculture, the role of soil health in human wellness, and challenging conventional wisdom about food systems and family structures.
Speakers
Molly Englezos
Molly Englezos is a regenerative agriculture advocate and author of "Debunked by Nature." She founded and operated multiple successful Sage Vegan Bistro locations in Los Angeles for over 15 years before transitioning to regenerative farming. She now operates a 206-acre regenerative ranch in Texas, offering farm-to-table dining and hospitality experiences. Molly is also a former recording studio owner, poet who appeared on HBO Def Poetry, and cannabis entrepreneur who navigated multiple industry transformations throughout her career.
Key Takeaways
Question Everything You've Been Told About Food Systems
Molly's journey from veganism to regenerative agriculture demonstrates the importance of critically examining deeply held beliefs. (07:49) When she realized that even "vegan" farming requires death - from pest control to organic fertilizers sourced from slaughterhouses - it cracked her ideological armor. This led to a broader awakening about other indoctrinations she had accepted without question. Her experience shows that true wisdom comes from direct observation of nature rather than adherence to rigid ideologies. The key insight is that intellectual honesty requires us to follow evidence even when it challenges our identity and community belonging.
Nature Never Lies - Learn to Read Her Language
Through hands-on farming experience, Molly discovered that nature operates by immutable principles that reveal truth when we pay attention. (61:53) She explains how the lion-grass cycle demonstrates there is no true "veganism" in nature - death feeds life in an endless cycle. Plants can't make minerals; they only extract what living soil provides through microbial action. When we align our practices with natural systems rather than fighting them, we achieve better outcomes with less effort. This principle extends beyond farming to business, relationships, and life decisions.
Local Food Creates Coherent Health
Molly presents compelling evidence that food grown in your local environment provides superior nutrition because it contains the same microbiology as healthy soil - 73% identical DNA. (90:18) She believes water has memory and that plants growing in your bioregion carry information that helps your cells adapt to local conditions. This isn't just about freshness or nutrients, but about maintaining the connection between human health and the land that sustains us. The practical application is prioritizing local farmers' markets and regional food systems over industrial agriculture from distant locations.
Financial Resilience Comes Through Multiple Revenue Streams
Throughout her career, Molly survived multiple industry collapses by diversifying income sources and staying adaptable. (21:35) When the music industry crashed due to Pro Tools and piracy, she pivoted to poetry touring. When marijuana became unprofitable, she moved into restaurants. When COVID devastated restaurants, she focused on the farm. Her strategy involves identifying emerging opportunities early and building businesses that serve community needs rather than chasing trends. The lesson is to develop skills that transfer across industries and maintain multiple potential income streams.
Build Community Around Shared Values, Not Ideology
Molly's experience with cancel culture taught her the difference between authentic community and ideological conformity. (05:43) When her vegan restaurant customers turned on her because her father ate meat, she learned that loving people you disagree with is essential for real relationships. Her current Texas community demonstrates how focusing on shared values - faith, family, local food, traditional skills - creates stronger bonds than political alignment. The practical application is choosing relationships and business partnerships based on character and shared purpose rather than perfect ideological agreement.
Statistics & Facts
- Molly lost 10% in top-line restaurant sales for almost 18 months after her father's controversial decision to eat meat, demonstrating the significant financial impact of cancel culture on businesses. (03:58)
- A teaspoon of healthy soil contains more living beings than all human beings on the planet, illustrating the incredible microbial diversity that supports plant nutrition and ecosystem health. (80:13)
- The microbiology in healthy human gut and healthy soil share 73% identical DNA, providing scientific support for the biblical concept that humans are made from soil and supporting the importance of local food systems. (93:02)