The new season of Enlightened Omnivore opens with my friend and mentor, Michael Puglisi. Michael has worn a lot of hats, airplane de-icer, chef, butcher, and founder of Electric City Butcher, the Orange County shop that became a shrine to craft butchery, and a community hub for responsible agriculture. It was also where I learned almost everything I know about butchery.

In our conversation, Michael reflects on what it means to lead in success, to fail publicly, and to let go while always maintaining purpose. We talk about label fog and the ethics of buying better, the trap of consistency, and why imperfect food often tells the truest story.

And somehow we got it all recorded in about an hour. Not bad for two guys known to talk…a lot.

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