Holy Cacao! : A Love Story Brewed in Ritual
When Leah Landon and Blake Krause landed on Market Street in Venice in 2022, they didn’t bring much with them. A couch to crash on. One pair of shoes each. A few essentials. What they did carry couldn’t be packed into a suitcase — a devotion to movement, mindfulness, and community that had already shaped their lives in ways hard to explain.
Before Venice, they had been living barefoot on the beach, running a yoga shala, living simply in rhythm with the ocean. Days were built on ritual, on connection, on cacao — an ancient plant medicine that had quietly become a constant in their lives. So when they arrived in a new city, they did what they always had: opened their doors, poured cacao, and invited people in.
At first it was small. A cup shared with new friends. A last-minute idea at the Mar Vista Farmers Market — “let’s just try it, see what happens.” One Sunday turned into another. People came back, curious, then devoted. Something about the way cacao slowed them down, softened the edges of the week, reminded them of themselves.
But Leah and Blake never saw themselves as entrepreneurs. They weren’t out to build an empire. They were students of cacao, willing to follow where it led. And when they asked a mentor for advice, they got back a line that became their compass:
“If you think you can tell the cacao what it will become, you have not sat with the cacao long enough.”
So they listened. No five-year plan. No projections. Just heart. More markets opened. Coffee shops wanted to carry it. Stores asked for it on shelves. Eventually someone said, “You need a website.” So they made one.
But the truth is, Holy Cacao was never just about cacao. It was about what happened in the space around the cup — the connection, the conversations, the intimacy of slowing down. And in that space, another calling revealed itself: love and relationship coaching.
Because behind the cacao booths and farmers market smiles was another story — their own. A story of partnership, communication, and conscious relating. Their relationship became not just a foundation, but a living example. And from that place, they began guiding others — not to fix what was broken, but to remember what had always been there: presence, vulnerability, love.
Their approach is simple, but profound: love is practice. Love is listening. Love is the courage to crack your heart open, again and again.
What’s next for Holy Cacao? They’ll tell you they have no idea — and that’s exactly the point. It isn’t a brand with a business plan, it’s a living expression of who they are. A reminder that when you show up with devotion and trust, the path makes itself known.
All they know is they’re glad you’re here.
To sip. To connect. To remember.
Because love, like cacao, is meant to be shared.
This story was created by Making Waves Project to spotlight real people whose creativity, resilience, and purpose inspire us all. By sharing these stories, we aim to honor the journeys behind the work and amplify voices that spark connection and change.
If you or someone you know has a story to share, we’d love to hear from you. And if you’re a brand interested in partnering with us to bring more stories like this to life, please reach out at hello@makingwavesproject.com
–
Photography by Robiee Ziegler
Produced by Katie Caro
Post production by Kelly Budish
