Chloe Mohatt had reservations about leaving her native Montana to attend Grand Canyon University following the sudden loss of a friend.
And as a senior business management major, Mohatt was hesitant to start a coffee venture and instead remain on path toward a corporate career.
Thanks to a nudge by professor Robert Vera, Mohatt is off to a promising start in pursuing a career in producing and selling coffee while honoring her late friend with a commitment to helping college ministries.
“GCU has been the biggest blessing ever and has brought me so many amazing opportunities in the community,” Mohatt said at a February Marketplace event, about an hour before her Easy Soul Café products sold out for the second consecutive time.
Mohatt’s determination to succeed and help others is convincing, simply from the manner in which she spoke about honoring her friend, who committed suicide months before Mohatt was scheduled to enroll at GCU.
Her friend was a barista with a comfortable personality, so Mohatt thought “Easy Soul” was an appropriate way to honor her.
“That’s what I want Easy Soul to be built on, is just human connection and love for others,” Mohatt said. “I want people to walk into this space and feel invited and welcomed with open arms. The coffee industry has so much room for growth, and a lot of people don’t use it to its full potential.”
At the same time, Mohatt envisions helping those who have been impacted by sudden deaths in her hometown of Kalispell, Montana.
“My town actually went through a very tragic suicide epidemic where we had double digit suicides happen within 1 ½ years,” Mohatt said. “My town is a very small town that doesn’t see the sun very often, and seasonal depression is a super big problem.”
The suicide rate in Flathead County (where Kalispell is located) rose from 26.83 per 100,000 in 2019 to 39.29 in 2021, according to the Flathead City-County Health Department. Seven students in the Kalispell Public Schools system committed suicide during a 16-month span from May 2020-August 2021, according to the Flathead (County) Beacon.
“I’m a firm believer there’s a lot of spiritual warfare going on there. My community faced a lot of deaths, and it definitely drew us closer together and encouraged us to live every day to the fullest and to do things to honor them and glorify the Lord," said Mohatt, such as creating a legacy for her friend. "So that’s been a big motivation for doing that.”
Mohatt serves on the Christ Church college ministry leadership team, a role that she said has changed her life. She plans to donate from 10 to 20 percent of her proceeds from Easy Soul to college ministry to help “defeat the darkness of suicide and depression” while helping build the Kingdom.
“I’ve seen the Lord transform my life for the better, and I have that desire for everyone who is getting defeated by the enemy at the moment by suicide, depression and anxiety,” Mohatt said.
Based on sales, Easy Soul is providing a refreshing boost for students.
“It was such a blessing I pulled the trigger when I did, thanks to Robert.”
Said Vera: “How did you pull the trigger? You were a little reluctant.”
Entering her senior year at GCU, Mohatt was preparing for a career in the corporate world while living minimally after graduation. Saving money would give her the potential to start her coffee business down the road, “which is silly and the safe way to go, but I’m very glad I just decided to do it.”
With less than 15 hours before the first Marketplace, Mohatt purchased a coffee maker that didn’t produce the volume she initially sought and caused a mess.
Nevertheless, she managed to clear $17 in her first Marketplace after expenses. The process of producing and selling coffee has become much smoother and profitable as she paid off all equipment and a coffee cart. She makes her own syrup flavors to concoct drinks such as cherry vanilla, cake batter, cinnamon roll and honey lavender while receiving input from students and family members.
“I’ve done a few events off campus and even in my parents’ neighborhood,” Mohatt said. “I ended up being in a lot of revenue. I’m working on all my licensing and other paperwork to get registered at farmer’s markets – hopefully this summer.”
Mohatt realizes the coffee business is extremely competitive and saturated in markets such as Scottsdale. She has an eye on the West Valley, perhaps setting up at City Center in Surprise.
An array of friends have helped Mohatt produce drinks at marketplaces on campus.
“At times it’s been stressful because people have jobs and lives,” Mohatt said. “Luckily the Lord always provides, and I have help and people who are willing to come and help Easy Soul keep going.”
GCU News Senior Writer Mark Gonzales can be reached at Mark.Gonzales@gcu.edu
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