We were lucky to catch up with Mary Dee Moralita recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mary Dee, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I created O.G. Lola’s in 2019 to heal our planet, our people and our communities from the inside-out. Every single thing that we consume is connected in the most intricate, energetic ways. We are here to help everyone remember the simple ways of our ancestors. Healing happens when we nourish ourselves with whole foods and vibrant plants – when we remember to be mindful to our earth, to not take more than we need from her. We are also here to decolonize veganism. Indigenous vegan culture has been around since the beginning of time. The food that we share is delicious and nostalgic to the palate to remind folks that plant based food is full of flavor, joy and soul.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I experienced my “big awakening” in 2012, at the age of 22 – after trying to conform to American capitalistic ways as a 2nd generation immigrant my entire life. My eyes were finally open to the current state of the world. I learned so much that year about how the western ways of life had been feeding us misinformation about health, healing and so much more. It took me about 7 years to finally take a huge leap of faith and leave my minimum wage 9 to 5 to share my purpose of truly helping my family and communities heal. On my 29th birthday in 2019, I watched a TED Talk that changed my life and I created O.G. Lola’s with my last $500. I used that money to fund my first pop up. Simultaneously during that time, I drove Lyft & Uber all over Las Vegas night and day, passing out flyers and menus, just to make ends meet. There were so many days that year that I almost gave up but there were too many customers that approached me with tears in their eyes, hugging me, sharing their experiences about my food bringing them back to moments they had with their late Lolas (Lola translates to grandmother in Tagalog) so I knew I had to keep going. 5 years later, I’ve hosted Vegan Kamayan Feasts from Florida to California, catered events, popped up as a guest chef in restaurants, vended at farmer’s markets and now serve the community via food truck with my partner. It’s been a wild journey, and this has been the hardest year yet, but I wake up grateful every single day.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Small business owners aren’t robots and hustle culture isn’t for me. As an indigenous woman, I had to learn the hard way that I’m not meant to “just keep going” I take lots of breaks and every single one of them is needed and appreciated. A slow, simple life is what I’m striving for in the next couple of years.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Authenticity, simplicity and practice. Stay authentic to who you are when you are engaging and sharing your knowledge with your communities – I’ve never been one to post “trends”. Keep your content simple, clean and vibrant. Keep practicing by consistently posting and connecting with your people by sharing uplifting information. Remember the purpose and universal need for genuine human connection and support.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://o-g-lolas.com
• Instagram: @o.g.lolas
• Facebook: @o.g.lolas
• Yelp: O.G. Lola’s
• Other: TikTok @o.g.lolas
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