On Her Time is Pinch’s ongoing series celebrating women who lead with intention, clarity, and a deep respect for the lives they’re building, both personally and professionally. These are women shaping success in ways that feel sustainable, meaningful, and distinctly their own.
This chapter features Moriah Holland, founder of Light Heart Coffee. A lifelong barista turned entrepreneur, Moriah has built more than a café, she’s created spaces rooted in warmth, community, and care. Her journey is one of steady growth, thoughtful leadership, and honoring the belief that work should fit into life, not compete with it.
From Barista to Founder: Building Light Heart Coffee With Intention
Moriah Holland’s relationship with coffee began long before Light Heart Coffee had a name. It started at home, watching her dad brew thoughtful light roasts, and deepened during family trips where she’d research local coffee shops before arriving, drawn to the warmth, creativity, and quiet rhythm of those spaces.
By the time she was a teenager, she already knew. Coffee wasn’t just a drink, it was a way to bring people together.
As soon as she was old enough to work, Moriah became a barista at Caribou Coffee in Minnesota. There, she fell in love not only with the craft, but with the culture around it, the friendships, the community, and the way a simple cup of coffee could make someone feel seen. Owning a coffee shop became less of a goal and more of a certainty.
“I knew deep down that owning my own coffee shop was the dream.”
What followed was a winding, meaningful path that wove coffee through every chapter of her life, from mission work in Hawaii, to volunteering as a barista in Cambodia, to helping open Keiki and the Pineapple from the ground up. With each step, Moriah learned not just how to make great coffee, but how to build something lasting around it.
How Light Heart Coffee Came to Life
When COVID disrupted wedding plans, Moriah and her now-husband Caleb pivoted toward something simpler, a small backyard wedding in Alaska, and time spent deepening friendships that would later become foundational to Light Heart Coffee.
After moving to Minnesota for Caleb’s college years, Moriah continued working in coffee, splitting time between Wuollet’s and a health-focused restaurant called Brim. At Brim, she helped implement their coffee program, attending tastings and selecting beans, gaining hands-on experience in shaping a coffee offering from the inside out.
The turning point came unexpectedly during a trip to Arizona. Touring a future salon suite space with friends Maddi and Elliott, a casual comment turned into a real possibility.
“Well, if you want someone to do the coffee part, we’ll do it.”
Four months later, in January 2022, they moved to Arizona. By April, Light Heart Coffee opened its doors with just Moriah and Caleb behind the bar. Scrappy, personal, and deeply intentional from day one.
Light Heart Coffee quickly became more than a café. It became a reflection of everything Moriah loved, people, creativity, and spaces that feel warm and welcoming.
A Defining Shift: Opening the Second Location
Opening Light Heart’s second location marked a major shift in Moriah’s journey as a founder. The first shop had finally found its footing, but launching the DC Ranch location accelerated everything.
“The growth that followed confirmed that what we were building had real traction,” she shares. “It expanded what felt possible.”
That moment reframed the future of the business, not just as a passion project, but as something sustainable, scalable, and deeply rooted in community. Still, growth didn’t change the heart behind it. It clarified it.
What a Typical Week Looks Like Now
Today, Moriah’s rhythm reflects the evolution of the business. Her weeks are spent moving between locations, checking in on maintenance needs, tasting coffee to ensure consistency, and still working barista shifts a few days a week.
“It’s definitely stressful at times,” she admits, especially when espresso machines decide to act up all at once. “But I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
What once meant doing everything has become something steadier. A presence built on trust, consistency, and intention.
When Work Fits Into Life, Not Against It
For Moriah, balance doesn’t come from strict separation. It comes from integration.
The business is an extension of who she is, built alongside friends, fueled by passions she already loves. Coffee, matcha, interior design, photography, all woven naturally into her work.
“Building Light Heart doesn’t feel separate from my life,” she says. “It fits into it.”
That philosophy shapes how she leads and how she lives, allowing ambition and fulfillment to coexist without competition.
Self-Care as Sustainability, Not Indulgence
Maintenance and self-care are not luxuries in Moriah’s world. They’re practical tools for longevity.
Because her work is so closely tied to who she is, taking care of herself directly impacts how she leads, creates, and connects with others. Rest, boundaries, and intentional breaks allow her to show up clearer, calmer, and more present.
“When I’m intentional about rest, boundaries, and breaks, I’m able to show up better for both the business and the people in my life.”
It’s a reminder that sustainability isn’t about slowing down ambition, it’s about supporting it.
Why Moriah Represents On Her Time
Moriah Holland embodies the spirit of On Her Time. A woman building with heart, choosing presence over urgency, and allowing her work to grow in rhythm with her life.
Light Heart Coffee was born from a lifelong love of coffee and community. Still rooted in intention. Still led with heart. Built, on her time.
Follow the Series
On Her Time highlights women shaping their lives with clarity, courage, and care. Stay tuned for the next feature.
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