Coffee as Daily Self-Care: 10 Minutes to Pause. Sip. Savor

What if your morning coffee did more than wake you up—what if it helped you feel grounded, steady, and clear? We sit with Toni, founder of Me Time Coffee and 20-year military veteran, to explore how a daily cup can become a true self-care ritual. Her story moves from slow Southern breakfasts to a stress-induced alopecia scare that forced a rethink: stop chasing rare spa days and reclaim ten quiet minutes each morning.

From fitness coaching to launching a roast-to-order coffee brand for busy women, Toni explains why she chose Me Time over a hustle-forward name. She shares her “pause savor method”: brew fresh, light a coffee-scented candle, take a few deep breaths, and sip without screens. We dive into specialty-grade coffee—ethical sourcing, Q grading, and why roasting to order transforms flavor and often lets you cut back on cream and sugar. Curious about caffeine, brewing methods, or taste? This conversation clears it all up.

Practical tips include swapping mountains of creamer for a thin layer of whipped cream, downshifting sugar week by week, and choosing gear that fits your morning—French press, Chemex, or simple drip—all in about four minutes. We spotlight Sample Pack Sundays, limited runs to explore origins like Ethiopia, Uganda, and Tanzania, plus Toni’s coffee-scented candles that turn aroma into a calming anchor.

Whether serving her country, stepping on a bodybuilding stage, or helping women build intentional businesses, Toni leads with one belief: you deserve time for yourself. Me Time Coffee proves self-care isn’t indulgent, it’s foundational—and it can start with your morning cup.

Connect with Toni and bring her ritual into your day:

☕ Coffee
 https://metimecoffee.com/collections/coffee

🌍 Sample Packs
 https://metimecoffee.com/collections/sample-pack-sundays

🕯️ Candles
 https://metimecoffee.com/collections/candles

✨ Bundle
 https://metimecoffee.com/products/metimemorningbundle

📖 Book
 https://amzn.to/4qFfFUV

🛍️ Essentials
 https://amazon.com/shop/minibeasttoni

Try the ten-minute practice tomorrow: brew fresh, light the candle, breathe, and sip. ☕

Transcript

Meet Tony Of Me Time Coffee

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey friends, and welcome to Mom Talk Maryland. I'm your host, Claire Duarte, founder of the Columbia Mom. And this is your spot for real conversations, local love, and a whole lot of community. Whether you're folding laundry, running errands, or hiding in your car for some peace and quiet, let's dive in. So I'm so excited to have you here, which is like, you know, we'll we'll get into some of the questions here, which is like so funny. So when I get started with the podcast, I always I'm like, I love an origin story. Like, tell me about your origin story, which we will. We're gonna we're gonna jump in. But for the record, we have Tony of Me Time Coffee here. And part of our origin story is that we met here downstairs. And I think it was the small business summit that's right, which is coming up again, actually. Um I'm pretty sure it's a yeah.

SPEAKER_01 0:45

Yeah, because it was March when I had just joined uh Howard County Chamber of Commerce, and that was like my first event. Yeah. I've been following you, and so when I saw you, I was like, oh yeah, I guess you know you're like, I know her, not really, but like I know her.

SPEAKER_00 0:59

Oh, you do, oh you do. I share uh I have no boundaries for better or for worse. Um but um but isn't that so funny? Yes, I know. So I'm so excited. So we're back at obviously at the Maryland Innovation Center. This is like where uh I record most of my interviews. Um, but so tell me, so tell me, tell us um uh a little bit about, I mean, obviously I want to know about you. We've already been yapping behind the scenes for the record. Um, but I, you know, obviously I love to get to know, you know, how you got started, why me time coffee. What's the story behind that?

Origin Stories And Many Beginnings

SPEAKER_01 1:33

So you know what's crazy? Like, this is something that I struggled with, which is crazy, right? Your your origin story is yes, how you started. Yeah. So it shouldn't be something you struggle with. But the reason why I struggle with it was because I didn't have just one story, and I was trying to make it like you know, you see other business owners, and you're like, well, everyone has this thing, and sometimes it's traumatic, and I just didn't have that. So sometimes I didn't feel like, well, maybe I don't have an origin story. So it's funny because it's different as to why I started specifically meantime coffee, but then also like why I started the business or what made me move forward in the business. Right.

SPEAKER_00 2:15

Well, and actually the way you said that, I was talking with a friend kind of similarly, and I think um those are kind of two different things because it's almost like you're you're putting together the passion, like the there's like the desire, the hobby, the interest. You can have that and just go about life, right? But then there's like the decision to make it a business or monetize, etc. Like those to me are two different things, they're often layered on top of each other, of course, but the decision to make them one is I I agree. So I that's just where my brain was going with that. No, exactly. No, it's it's so funny.

Coffee As Family Ritual And Identity

SPEAKER_01 2:49

So it's like multifaceted, which is it's crazy, right? Because it's like, how do I bring this about in one story? So for me, um the back in the day thing is I had my first cup of coffee when I was five years old. Yeah, girl. And it was it was a black cup of coffee. My grandfather drank coffee every morning. Um, and just growing up in the house, like breakfast was a thing. Like we sat down at the table, we ate breakfast, especially like a Sunday breakfast or a Saturday breakfast. My grandmother made like homemade biscuits, like coffee, you know, whatever have you. So it was, I didn't grow up like grabbing cereal and like running out of the door. So that means you were like good. And it was and we weren't like rich or anything, but like we ate food. Like my grandfather's from Mississippi, so like he would go fishing, he would go hunting, things like that. So coffee was always introduced, at least in my household, as something that you sit down and have. Like a rich. Yeah, it was never like, you know, and again, like my grandfather wasn't taking three dip breaths or anything like that. Like he was watching TV, having his coffee, or maybe talking to us and stuff like that. But it was always a moment. Yeah. And so, you know, over the course of time, obviously growing up, you start drinking coffee, like for real, for real. Right, right. Um, but then you you get caught up in like, you know, the frappuccinos and the macchiatos and all the things. But even over time, I just really never liked milk. I just never liked milky drinks. I do not like milk. I don't like milky drinks. I don't like creamy. Like made for they're actually not. I did a whole bunch of research on that. They're really not. Um yeah, I don't like creamy. I'm not a, it's just I've never liked those type of drinks, you know. I even have a hard time with a protein shake. Like, I just have to like throw it back because even using water, I just don't like shake things. So but anyway, so that's like kind of I think where coffee has always been, I don't want to say my saving grace, that's a little melodramatic. But coffee's always been my hug in a mug, right? It's always been the thing that was like my moment of peace. And for me, just throughout life, I've always been busy. I love being busy. It's never, you know, been like, oh my god, my friends over like, oh my god, you're always doing something, you're always moving, you're always going. But I love it, and it's like, you know, as you keep going through life, as you're, you know, working multiple jobs, like I'm in the military, I just hit 20 years last month. Oh my god, girl. It's like you're doing that, doing all the things inside of there, and then still trying to, you know, be with your family and your friends and stuff like that. So over the course of life, things that I love to do was go visit coffee shops. Like that was always my vibe, like visiting a local coffee shop and visiting a museum, no matter if it's inside the country, outside the country, when I travel. Um, so that was always like my piece. Um, but still, that's is that something I can do every single day due to my job? No, it's not. Yeah, yeah. So it was basically getting into that situation where I came into a period of my life, I think we all have like that health scare that's like, wait a minute. And for me, it is I'm one of those like it only takes me one time. Yeah. Like you only have to do it's one time. So for me, it was I had developed like a bald spot, like randomly bald spot, right? And what was crazy about it was it just like appeared, but then it grew back, and so I was like, oh, okay. But then it happened like over and over again. This is a course like three to four years, and so after researching it, I looked it up and it was called like alopecia arredia, artraria. Not like full, but it was the same spot, which is crazy. Oh, the same spot. How big would it get? Like a quarter, and I mean like skin bald, like the table ball, and then it was low back. Yes. So after I looked it up, it was called stress-induced alopecia. So and for me, what is crazy was I didn't never, I never felt like that. Sorry, I'm looking at it. It was like in the top of my head. Like it was still covered up like a little bit. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it wasn't like, you know, but still, I was kind of like, oh my god. And like and then you were more stressed, yeah. Like, you know, my hair. Oh my of course. We're women, like especially as a woman.

SPEAKER_00 7:13

We lose our hair. Yeah.

Stress, Alopecia, And A Wake-Up Call

SPEAKER_01 7:14

So, but you I started, um, I was ended up seeing, I was seeing a neurochiropractor anyway, just for competing. I competed bodybuilding. So, like, we're just kind of, you know, having some issues like, why is this one side stronger than the other? But this sort, you know, hurts, blah, blah, blah. So she was just talking about imbalances and things like that. So I brought it up to her. And what I realized was in my mind, I wasn't stressed out. Because I deemed stress as someone sitting in a corner rocking back and forth and cannot function. And my life didn't stop. Like, I was still moving and grooving. Right. I was going through my day. So I was trying to pinpoint, because I couldn't pinpoint when I noticed the ball spot to like what was going on. Yeah. So after, like, you know, you take your notes and things like that. And what I noticed it was when I had a bunch of stuff going on at the same time, whether it was like moving to a new duty station, starting school, because of course I I go from zero to a hundred. It's like it's like, oh, you you got orders to move, you should go ahead and do your masters. Oh, you want to compete in bodybuilding too? Oh, are you running half marathons? Because I love being busy. So it was like pinpointing when that all happened. And going to the spa is great, but it's still not something that you can do every day. Right. And it was kind of like getting back to my roots, right? Yeah. What could I do? What could I do every day that I was already doing and just make it into a moment? And that's what it had to be about. It was like, okay, I love coffee, and I love coffee. Like, it is always a moment for me. Even if I made my coffee at home, I wouldn't drink it until I got to the office and close my door, like, uh, give me a moment. I have to drink my coffee. So coffee was so it's really just about sitting down and seeing, and I think that that's what that like hair loss was. It was the like call of, hey, I know you love being busy. Hey, that's great. But at the end of the day, it's easy for someone to say, girl, you should slow down. You should take a day off. But like you, what you you can't give me. You can't, you were like throw your kids somewhere. Like, you know, I don't have kids, but I have friends with kids, so it's like it's always easier said than done. And I think as like a high achieving woman, yes, that we thrive on having projects and doing multiple things. So I and I'm big on psychology, and I just don't think it's a one-size-fits-all when it comes to self-care and what that really means. And taking something off of your plate is great, but we also have to be realistic. Yeah. So for me, it was what was the thing that I could do no matter what, that was not going to, you know, disrupt my life, but also give me a moment to pause. Yeah. And that's really, I think, my origin story of how Me Time Coffee at least came about, or what made me want to use that as something that could help all women. I've always been passionate about women's health. I used to do, you know, personal training. Um, that was a burnout moment because I could imagine people don't follow the rules. It's like you're paying me to tell you these things that I know work, but you're not following the rules.

SPEAKER_00 10:36

Right, right, right, right, right.

SPEAKER_01 10:38

So it was, I think that was the thing where during the last few years, it you know how you step back and you kind of get back to the things that you really love, and then you remember, like, I remember when I was younger and I wanted to start a coffee shop. So it was like getting back to oh my goodness. Because you know, we have all these plans when we're, you know, younger and we grow up, we're like, I want to be this, I want to do this, I want to do that. But then of course, that's mixed in with you gotta go to college. When you go to college, you gotta, you know, now you have to find a job. And then when you find a job, now like so. I think that as you get older and life slows down, at least in your head, right? Where you're not still trying to just hit all the wickets, yeah. You start going back to you, the you, you, like what's inside of you. What do you love? What do you want to do with it, and how can you help people with what you could wake up every day and do with no stress? And for me, it was coffee. Like, it was coffee. So that's like the origin behind why coffee. Um, but then there is like why me time coffee, why that start, things like that.

SPEAKER_00 11:48

So oh my goodness, I love that. That is so cool. I mean, you're so right about like when we have those moments um in our life, whether it's health related or family related or sit whatever, you know, they do kind of force you to slow down and and examine yourself. And when we're doing that self-examining, because we kind of that forces us to mute the noise and look inward, and sometimes when we're looking inward, that forces us to look back. Yes, you know what I mean, and and it can be a really powerful moment when you're doing all of that. So it's like rebinding your why. Yes, no, I think that's so cool. And so then how long or when did you officially start Me Time Coffee?

Designing Daily Me Time

From Fitness To Coffee Entrepreneurship

SPEAKER_01 12:28

So August 2024, that is when I made the decision to like live outside of my head. Yeah, and for me, it was more so about taking that step back and realizing that you are credentialed, you have all the tools, you don't need another degree, you don't need another book, you don't need another, you know, you don't need another thing to give you more knowledge. You have it. So for me, living outside of my head was stop over planning, stop overthinking, and just act. So that's when I was transitioning from personal training and fitness, and I'm like, man, I still want to help women, but I I have to find a way that is going to not stress me out because I took a break from um my like fitness as far as even competing and as far as even training. Um October 2024 is that's when I was like, okay, I'm doing this, I'm gonna do it the right way, I'm gonna just do it. And I um filed for my trademark. So Me Time Coffee was not the first name. Oh, okay. I was still coming like into out of fitness, into what the audience that I wanted. So the first name of the business was going to be Fuel Her Coffee. Oh, I had the like logo imagine it was gonna be like a woman with a coffee mug with like a you know, a bicep curl. Oh it was gonna be, you know, clean coffee for um women on the go, you know, um all the things, right? It was gonna cater to the fitness community. And I took a step back. What's crazy is the trademark came back where it wasn't used already, but it was like variations of it. So like my trademark attorney was like, Well, do you wanna go forward? And I took a step back and I was like, you know how things just happen as they're supposed to. Absolutely. I was like, you know what? No, I don't want to push hustle culture, I don't want to push hustle coffee. Like, no, I'm transitioning out of this, the and not transitioning out because I'm still in the fitness industry, but I'm like, I that's not how I want to push this. Women need something that's simple where they can take something out for themselves every day. Self-care on the weekend is great, monthly's great, quarterly's great, spa days are great, weekend trips for the girls, they're great. Those are all things, and I'm not knocking any of those things. Because I love them. That's right. But why does it have to wait? And why do we have to keep waiting? And that's how I feel. It's like self-care is either a 10-step routine or it's packaged into something that we have to go and do. So as spend money and exactly. So as I was like, you know, going through the motions of like, okay, so this name, what about this name? And I was like, oh my god, me time, like it's our me time. Yeah. And so that's literally how me time coffee was born. But to back that up, I read a book by Rachel Rogers called We Should All Be Billionaires. And the one, it's an amazing. I read the book three times. The one part of the book that really hit for me was whatever you want to start now, that you're or whatever you want to say you're starting in three to five years, what part of it can you start now? And the reason why that was so important was I said when I retire, I want to open up a gym and a coffee shop for women, like all women's gym, all women's coffee shop. Yeah. But at that time, it was like three years. Like it would have been three years until I retired, right? So I was like, well, I like that. Because the idea was if you keep saying in three years I'm gonna do this, life is going to life. And in three years, something's gonna come up where you're gonna say, Well, in another three years, so you will never start. No, and so I'm like, okay, I like this. This is true. And that's when the whole living outside my head thing happened. I'm like, okay, but like, how can I start a coffee shop like online? Because I don't know for whatever reason, I purchased coffee online before, but I just didn't think of like an online coffee shop, right? So I'm like, I don't know how I'm gonna do this. Can you not? And that and that's why I living outside your head is is matters so much for me because I believe in the power of the tongue. I believe in what you say will come to fruition. If you say it, it will happen. Especially if you're always walking in your purpose. Right. I ended up having a phone call with um a guy that I worked with, but he was stationed in California, but we work in the same kind of like unit, we're just spread out. And we had just like met, because I had just got to the unit. And as we talked, he was just telling me about all his business ventures, you know, he has real estate, and he told me that he had a coffee company. And I was like, What? He was like, Yeah, it's online. And I was like, What? How do you do that? And he explained it to me. We had like a great conversation, we had other conversations, so I had ordered some coffee from him, and he basically went over everything and like how it worked, and then like I started on the search. And from that conversation, when I tell you I got the trademark, I did the LLC, I launched, like I think I filed everything maybe like the end of the summer, September, fall. Yeah, I got it back October 18th. I launched November 15th, is when I launched. Wow. And then I taught myself how to make candles five weeks after that because I wanted it to be a full experience. I wanted this to be a self-care focused coffee company. It's not about grabbing your coffee and running out of the door. And as a busy woman, as a high-achieving woman, if that is the only time that we have that we can do it every day, is just spending the first 10 minutes of the morning with something we already are doing. Grab your coffee, make it. I want it obviously high quality because women deserve the best. Like we just deserve the best. So, like, how can I make this elevated? Like specialty great coffee, roasted on demand, so nothing sits on the shelf. So it's like waking up, not early, not even early. Just waking up and spending the first 10 minutes not on your email, not on your phone, not checking your DMs, going over, brewing your coffee, lighting your coffee-scented candle. That's why I stick with specializing in coffee-scented candles, with the exception of one. I do have a matcha candle. Uh-huh. Um, and then just taking a few deep breaths, and we call it our pause savor method. And it's just taking a few deep breaths just to relax and kind of reconnect with yourself. I think we spend a lot of time learning, thinking, praying, but we don't spend the time not doing things. So, how can you get those answers that you're looking for if your mind is always planning the next thing? Oh my god. And so that's what it was about. It was what was the thing that we already love, that I already love, that we already are doing, and how to make it a full moment. And then you go about your day. And by me doing it, I realized that my day was a lot better. Because you know, when you start your day jumping out of the bed, it's like you never can catch up. No. But that just that 10 minutes made my the rest of my day just flow. Like not running out of the house. Like we were just talking about that right now. Me getting it right out of the house. Like, not running out of the house. Right. It just makes it better. And we have 10 minutes. You know, I know people like go back and forth with that. We all have the same 24 hours, like, no, we don't, yes, we do. We have 10 minutes because normally we are not getting out of the bed. I would I would love one person to shoot you a message on your podcast and be like, I get out of the bed and just go right to it. We don't get out of the bed. Right. I mean, I go to the I go to I just joined Burn Boot Camp. I go to Burn Boot Camp at 5 a.m. My alarm clock goes off at 4. At 4 15, I look at it. And then at 4 30, I get up, get dressed, and leave. Because I can't um I'm not one of those people that I don't do well with space in between things because I'll start doing something. That's how busy I live to be. Yeah. So if I get up too early and I'm not doing something, even if it's just sitting with myself, I start doing something, which means that I'm gonna be late for the thing. And then I would miss the chip.

SPEAKER_00 20:48

I that's I've absolutely fallen to that trap too.

SPEAKER_01 20:51

Yes. Yeah. So it's like I get up at I wake, you know, my alarm clock goes up at 4 just so I can be awake. Yes. But then I'll just lay there and then I'm like 4.15. I'm like, oh, then I'm fighting with myself, you know, I don't want to do this. Oh my god, I can't believe I have to get up. This is horrible. Why can't I just have what I want without going to the gym? Yeah. And then like 4 30, I'm like, perfect. 4 30 to 4 45. I gotta be out of the house by 4 45. Well, 4 45, I'm going to the kitchen, making my little water mix, and then I'm out the door because it takes seven minutes to get there. Like, I love to be on there. So it's like because of that, and it's it's productive for me. And I think it's productive for a lot of business owners. But even with that, we still have to take a moment to slow ourselves down. And that moment still has to be, it has to fit in our schedule. Like, I think that's what it the magic of me time coffee is I'm not asking you to do anything that doesn't fit in your schedule. Right. Which makes it sustainable. So that was the goal. Simple, intentional, and sustainable. Something you can do without thinking. Perfect. Something that you already love, coffee, right? And eventually we'll branch out into tea as I establish the business more. You know, because of course I love tea too. Yeah. Um, but nothing beats coffee.

Naming The Brand And Ditching Hustle

SPEAKER_00 21:59

That's right. Say that the truth. So then tell us. Okay, so now we got the origin story, and I love all the little nuggets and it's like. That only took like the whole hour to do that. No, exactly. That's that was the whole point. Um, okay, so for you know, our Colombians, our Hoko folk, our Maryland folk, like, so how does the business work if people are interested in um your coffee? Like, how um what if because obviously I've seen you could do events, and I'm sure you do plenty of that too in the in the um area, but uh, you know, for individuals that are looking for their cup of coffee.

SPEAKER_01 22:32

Yes. So you just go straight to www.me timecoffee, m-e-t-i-m-e.com. And you go right there, you go to shop and purchase your bag. And the beauty of Oliver Coffee is not roasted until it's purchased. So nothing sits on the shelves. I think that, oh my god, we need to have another podcast because I would love to go into the ins and outs of coffee. Like I just did a series of like the miseducation of coffee. And crazy, yeah. Oliver coffee is specialty great, which means that not only is it ethically sourced, it also means that um you don't get any bubble guts. Like, it's no bitter taste, no bubble guts. I think people are so used to coffee just having such a harsh taste, and we drown it out with all those things. So fitness and health will always be a part of it. And I knew that if I'm going to my audience is gonna be women, it has to be good. And that's the goal. Coffee's so good that you can cut back on the cream and sugar. I tell people, but you're grown, you can do whatever you want.

SPEAKER_00 23:33

No, but I sorry, like my my husband um uh became lactose intolerant toward the end of college, and which is funny because our little story is that we dated freshman year, broke up, and they got back together after college. So, like by the time we got back together, and I was like, You're what? You're like cool. Yeah, I was like, this is odd, okay. Um maybe stress induced for all I know, whatever. But um, and I remember I didn't get into coff drinking coffee until um after college as well, because you know, hashtag jobs. Yep. Um and it was mainly more of just like the you know, everyone else is doing it, and I guess I should kind of thing. But it's a vibe. I mean, honestly, coffee culture, like it's just a vibe.

SPEAKER_01 24:09

Coffee shops, meeting up with friends, having a cup of coffee, like it really is a vibe.

SPEAKER_00 24:14

I know. Well, my husband's Latin, so that we can have a whole so when you talked about like your family sitting down, I was like, Don't I know it? I mean, I mean my family's like white as heck, so like that's you know a whole different thing. But like his family, oh, it's uh, you know, they have like coffee like eight times a day, like right before bed. Like it's I'll be coming up to pick up the kids at seven. She's like, You want coffee? And I'm like, No, but yes, and that's I appreciate that gap.

SPEAKER_01 24:34

And that is the thing about coffee, you know. I think that we're just we're used to like the quad shot of espresso mixed with a cup of mimic plays for all of them. Trust me. Yeah, so it's like when we think of like coffee at night, like that's crazy.

SPEAKER_00 24:48

But it's oh god, yeah, we that we have to have a whole nother conversation about coffee and coffee and ethnicity with all of that because that's when I started dating him. That's I kind of really opened my eyes up to that. Like the movie and condo when the kids are like drinking coffee. I was like, I mean, I was again like I that's not my lived experience, but like I know that firsthand from his family.

Start Now: Trademark, Launch, Candles

SPEAKER_01 25:10

And I always tell people they're like, coffee, it really had never been for me about like, oh my god, I have to drink this coffee because I'm so tired. I don't think that I ever remember saying, I have to drink coffee because I'm so tired. But it's always been like, man, I can't wait to have my morning cup of coffee. Or I can't wait to have coffee. And honestly, if even if I don't have it in the morning, which is very rare, um, and I have it like in the afternoon, it's still like a like I don't want to drink coffee and just walk around, like, no, no, no, no, no. Like I love I it's just that experience, and maybe it's the nostalgia of home, but it really is just a beautiful moment just to sit back and have a cup of coffee. And I tell people, like, when you get a quality cup of coffee, I enjoy my coffee, how people enjoy their wine or their whiskey. That's awesome. Yeah, the notes you taste. I I just was talking to a girl on Threads, and she said, you know, when you start drinking black coffee, you realize that there is a difference of quality. Oh, yeah. And I told her, I said And I'll do even one better. When you start making like a Kim X or a French press cup of coffee, you will realize that it even elevates the taste just as much. Because a chimex is like, have you seen a Kim X, right? It's like the light bulb upside down, light up looking things, like a pour over.

SPEAKER_00 26:24

Okay, I was like, I have a French press at home.

SPEAKER_01 26:26

Yeah, so the Kim X it does to coffee what the wine aerator does to wine. That it really opens up the notes because it's open brewing, you're pouring everything over, it's slowly dripping down. So, and then because of like Kim X, and I just bought a French press that I'm in love with, but I would was very particular because I didn't want any of the plastic to touch the coffee. Yeah, especially hot, and you get that now. Like, I haven't used my regular coffee maker. I'm gonna have to find another one because it is when that plastic heats up, obviously for all the other health reasons we already know, but when that plastic heats up, it does have a different taste in your coffee. So with that chimex, it's like, what's so funny? I dropped my chimex, which is crazy. I dropped my chimex before on the ground, it was perfectly fine. But how I dropped it this time last week. It just hit the cutting board on the thing, it broke it. So okay, I went right on Amazon. I ordered when it was right there in my house by the end of the night. Like I was like, uh no. No. But I've just been making my and people look at it like I'm gonna do um, I'm gonna do a live. Probably it'll be my first like YouTube live back it in different brewing methods because when you look at it, absolutely should. Yeah, so when you look at it, it looks complicated, but honestly, on average, all coffee makers take three to four minutes. It's just a matter of what fits into that morning me time that day for you. Right. Because with a French press, you put it all in, you can walk away, you come back, you plunge it. Coffee maker, one press button. Kim X. But you're still waiting even on the button. It's the same amount of minutes. Kim X, on the other hand, you just are pouring it over, but it's still that same three to four minutes. So it's the same process, it's just, but it's relaxing. That's cool.

SPEAKER_00 28:09

You know what we'll do is I'll have you send me some, like send me the like the link to the book and some of like um I mean, obviously, we'll link, you know, your your website and your products, but like some of these other like kind of add-ons, I think that'll be really cool. Like, and we'll put that in, we'll have those in our show notes. Okay, some that people wait, people can also check those out because like I want to see what these are. You know what I mean?

The Pause Savor Method

SPEAKER_01 28:27

So oh my goodness, it's so great. But yeah, like and that's what me time coffee is all about. Really, it is the simple, sustainable, um, intentional self-care moment. Because and then, of course, you know, people are like, a self-care focused coffee company, that doesn't make sense. It's just coffee. I'm like, no, no, no, no. It's a moment. So with that, and then our coffee being, I think that that's what makes it also elevated, too, for my audience, because like I said, we deserve the best. So with it being ethically sourced, with it being hand picked, with it being roasted on demand, I think that's the key. The roasted on demand. That is because that's when you get, you know, a lot of stale coffee, or you get sometimes you can get mold in coffee. A lot of people don't know. Coffee beans are not beans, they are seeds from a cherry, a coffee cherry. So it's it comes from a fruit. So the same thing, yeah. That's what I'm like, we have to have a whole yeah, so the same thing that you or the same like quality or intent that you would put in sourcing your vegetables. Yeah, it works the same way with coffee. So if you've ever you've probably I always say this because I'm like, you've probably seen it, just don't don't remember. Right, right. If you go to like a local coffee shop and you see pictures on the walls of like guys in the field with like these cherries, and you're like, why is this in a coffee shop? Those are coffee cherries, they're different than regular cherries. And inside those cherries, they're seeds. And those seeds are. Is it the same type of fruit on the outside as of like the coffee cherry? Yeah, so and that's kind of how um that's the origin. So coffee was um first found or established in Ethiopia. And the legend is is that uh these goats like had all this energy and they were chewing these cherries, and then humans obviously would, you know, testing them out and trying to figure out like, well, what was this all about? Because there's also a coffee tea. So for people that love the taste of coffee but may not want to actually, I don't know why, not drink coffee and do drink a tea. There's a coffee tea with tea leaves, but it's the coffee cherries are the same thing that you can make tea leaves. So yeah, they're um they're you know, after they're picked, peeled, and um the seeds are taking out, they're dried. And then after they're dried, they're roasted just like you would, because you have to dry before just like a vegetable. Right. You don't want to roast a wet vegetable because it's gonna be mushy, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it's dried, and then now there's different processes of drying, dried in the sun, all these other things, right? Yeah, and then roast it. So that's why your light roast coffee has more caffeine than your dark roast coffee, because like a vegetable, I know people think it's the opposite. Because dark roast has a bolder taste. It does, but it has less caffeine.

SPEAKER_00 31:03

Well, because you know it's like the greener the vegetable, the more nutrients. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 31:09

Yes, but there is a time where, so think about your vegetable, right? Depending on the vegetable, right? If you're roasting it, salting it, whatever have you, there comes a time where if you overdo it, it extracts. It's gotta extract the nutrients. So same with coffee. Coffee beans are green. As they're roasted, they're light, and then they're roasted longer, then that caffeine is getting extracted as you are roasting it.

SPEAKER_00 31:30

But that makes sense, like the richer the flavor, yeah. Because like you think about like a s'm'ore, right? Like I like mine.

SPEAKER_01 31:35

I love a dark chocolate.

SPEAKER_00 31:37

Yeah, and so I like it. It needs to be black because I like the smoky flavor, but then it's melted on the inside. You know, the golden is fine, but then you know, you can have the golden. Like you can keep that for you, you know.

How To Buy And What Makes It Special

SPEAKER_01 31:47

And it's so crazy because I didn't think until I tried our Tanzanian coffee, which is a part of our um, it's a part of our Black History Month sample pack. Oh. And in that sample pack, it has it's called grounded. It has a that's so cute! Yes, it has a African espresso blend, it has an Ethiopian coffee, a Uganda coffee, and a Tanzanian coffee. Now I didn't like light roast because blonde roasts are typically it's like a citrusy kind of taste. Oh, and I really don't like that. Yeah. But the Tanzanian coffee is a fruity, bold, like taste, like a bright fruity taste. So that light roast, I was like, this tastes like a wine. Like, I was like, oh, this is good. So it's a light, medium roast, and it's so good. I'm gonna have that. So my wife's like, oh my god, I gotta drop this back off. Yeah. So yeah, that that's the whole, like, there's so much into coffee. So now that you kind of like know a little bit of that front half with coffee, that's why sourcing matters. Yeah, because just like if you, you know, poorly source a vegetable, it's gonna come with pesticides. It's gonna come with all this stuff on it. Right. Coffee has that same potential process if it's not ethically sourced. And the beauty with specialty grade coffee, in order to be classified as specialty grade, it has to be graded by the specialty coffee association. So there's like they're called Q graders. Right. And they grade for aroma, they grade for the size of the beans, like all everything has to look alike because just like you know, when you cut up vegetables, some are bigger, some are thinner, they cook different. Same with coffee. So all the beans have to look exactly the same. They judge for flavor, they judge for the aroma, they judge for bitterness, they judge for all of these things. And it has to meet a score of 80 or above in order to be specialty grade coffee. Oh my god. So it's like a big deal when you're giving a specialty grade coffee, you're getting that. Sometimes I'm at vendor events and people are like, Well, it it doesn't taste like like it has a lot of caffeine in it. And I was like, Well, what does caffeine actually taste like? Because it's not a flavor. That's so Right. And Oh my god, so many other I was like, are we still going so many coffee bags? So um I in one of the series that the reason why I did the Misseducation of Coffee is because it's the new year and we have, you know, everyone's on their fitness journey, which is awesome, right? But sometimes one plus one equals two, but sometimes people take out the plus one and then they go to three and then they miss the middle. So then you get the mushroom coffee phase, and then you get the, you know, the I I gotta have this with this, and it's like, you know, we are the experts, right, in our fields. Yeah. So I feel like it's my job to provide this information so people can be able to like everyone's not gonna go research this deep. Right. So, like when people are talking about caffeine and things like that, and they're like, Well, I like my my coffee bold, and I was like, Well, a bold process I mean more caffeine, and also caffeine doesn't have that much caffeine, how people think it is. Like, that's how people can drink coffee and go to sleep. Right. That's a mental thing, yeah. So when you're talking about caffeine, caffeine doesn't give you energy. Oh yeah, so caffeine does not give you energy. Caffeine suppresses the neurotransmitters that make you tired. So then you don't know you're tired.

SPEAKER_00 35:03

Right. And that's why sometimes like um I was gonna say like lately, like coffee hit different when I was post Spartan because I was exhausted. So it felt like I would drink it and I'd be like, I felt so awake. Whereas like now my sleep is better, my health is better, my mental health. So now when I drink coffee, I don't feel I'm like, I feel like it doesn't hit the same because I'm not as tired as I used to be. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 35:31

Yeah, so caffe caffeine in and of itself cannot just go in your body and create a whole new energy source. Like it doesn't, that's not a theme. Right, right. So yeah, it just susp it suppresses the neurotransmitters that may that tell your brain that you're tired. So now you don't know that you're tired anymore. And so it's not that caffeine like giving you energy, but on average, coffee has between 65 to like 90 on average milligrams of caffeine. Right. The average, like the skinny energy drinks, the Celsius, the rain energies, has 200 milligrams of caffeine. Yeah. So when I, you know, when people say, like, oh, you know, the only way I can have my coffee is if I have like a pound of cream and sugar, and I'm like, well, you know, just don't drink coffee. Go get an energy drink. Because if that's what you're really craving, go get an energy drink because now at least you're not doing the pounds of cream and sugar. Like you're adding things to, you know, sacrifice your health for something that you don't even like. I know. That's like insanity. I know.

Brewing Methods That Elevate Flavor

SPEAKER_00 36:26

Well, we can have a whole other discussion on even with the the problem of energy drinks, too, because of the chemicals and things like that. Exactly. Um, well, listen, to wrap up, because we're clearly gonna have to have you back to talk about more about so fast. I feel like I just went off on a whole standard. This is my entire life. This is like what, you know, because I was like, I need to have other people on here because I will go in a thousand different directions. So this is great because you got to go in a thousand different directions, not too much. It's okay. It's around the corner. I would love. I feel like we need to, I need to see like a coffee flight. We need to do that. Like that would be so cool. We can do like a coffee tasting, like that wing show. Yeah. Oh my god, that would be. Oh my god, we can we'll do that here. Yes. Because I so actually, I mean, I do drink black coffee. Admittedly, I mean, I do have a creamer, but it's the nut pods. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 37:11

The coconut, you know, it's really clean and or like I am very definitely a serving size. Like, when I want creamer, it's a serving size thing for me. Oh, I'm not sure. Because I don't want it to change the flavor of my coffee. Like, maybe I just want a creamer coffee. But have you tried whipped cream? I have not. So that's like my new, like, that's my thing when I'm trying to help people like wean off of like massive amounts of creamer. And also, too, like, I am that, and that's probably why I like fitness, it was just very exhausting for me with clients because everybody wants this drastic thing. Yeah. I am very incremental because I believe in sustainability at the end of the day. So, no, you're not gonna lose 30 pounds in 30 days, but when you lose it, you're not gonna gain it back. Right. So I tell people, whatever you're doing, just reduce it by a little. Yeah. And then do that week by week. Um, but whipped cream, what I love is when I do want like a little sweetness, because I'm not a sweet girly. Like when I want a little sweetness, I do a layer of whipped cream. What that does is it keeps my whipped cream at the top, so then when I drink it, it hits my lips. But then it keeps my coffee separate at the bottom, so that coffee comes in and it's still like a good black coffee. That is so cool. Yes, and get a thick whipped cream.

SPEAKER_00 38:17

And because because like I will say, my husband and I um got into like um well around the holidays, I feel like we have heavy cream in the house because it like. Yes, and sometimes in the holidays it's like you go, like I get into like a few. Like heavy cream is like, you know, comes with the holidays, it's just like in your house, and um so and it and it just whips so nicely. I mean, you know what I mean? So um we were like, well, we're definitely finishing it.

SPEAKER_01 38:37

And you can make your own, you know, it's very easy. Cool foam. Yes, with the and I saw I saw a guy do this. Um he bought the little like aerosol cans from like Amazon and put the little nozzle and poured, he made the whipped cream and poured it in there and then made his own, and it was like half the sugar. But I'm like, whipped cream has like five calories in it, so it's like and I never thought about that.

SPEAKER_00 38:54

I'm gonna have to try that. Um, we don't love a lot of sweet in our sugar in our coffee either. And my life, like last two seconds or before that's what I was getting ready to say when I was mentioning my husband lactose intolerant. Um, because he was like, he got tired of he'll take like the pills or whatever. He was like, I'm not changing my lifestyle, I'm just changing my pills. I'm gonna just adjust and make me more healthy. I'm not cutting out dairy out of my life. Um but um, you know, and and their family was big on lots of milk and sugar, and his father was even pre-diabetic at one point. So I think his mom still does a little bit, but I don't think she does uh I don't think her coffee is as um sugar and milk forward as it used to be. She still does a little bit, but um, but that's what I did. I was like, I started just like slowly weaning down. Yeah. And it's it kind of I was doing it because like he was already kind of doing it, and it was, I forget how much milk, but it was like we used to I used to do like two spoonfuls of sugar. Um I thought you were gonna say milk. I was like, that's not bad. No, the milk I remember was kind of like based on like, you know, call uh pour or whatever, but then I would I was doing milk and two spoon, and then I was like, okay, let me see if I can drop it down to one spoon.

SPEAKER_01 39:59

And that's what I tell like even mentally. One and three quarters, and then one and a half, and then one, like it's because all you're doing is you're just detoxifying your body because you it's not a matter of what you need, it's really what you're now used to, and it's the habit that you built. So that slow habit that you built, you just have to slowly unbuild that habit. Exactly. It works the same way. I know. Yes. I know.

SPEAKER_00 40:19

So I know. Well, listen, thank you so much for being here. We'll absolutely have to do the flight test. That would be so fun. Um, and then okay, wrap us up one more time. Um, your website for where um people can go to shop and check you out.

Correction: Coffee Science Deep Dive

SPEAKER_01 40:34

All right, so the website is www.metimecoffee.com for the best flavorful specialty grade coffee and mood-boosting coffee-scented candles. Oh yeah. Customized by me. I love it. But yeah, perfect. And oh, and to add to that, we're supposed to be wrapping up. Yeah. To add to that, we just started a new thing called sample pack Sundays. So every first Sunday of the month, we're dropping a sample pack that coincides with the month. So it's limited edition, and in the sample packs, you get four sample packs of coffee. Well, three to four, depends on the month. Yeah, three to four sample packs of coffee, but our sample packs actually brew up to four cups of coffee. So you can circle back around and like, which one did I really like? And the sample packs, we don't always have those in large size bags. So once a sample pack's gone, it's nice.

Sourcing, Roasting, And Freshness

SPEAKER_00 41:25

All right. Well, we will, like I said, we'll include all this information in our show notes. And when the episode goes live, we'll share it all with you. So we'll make sure to have all of that in there. And then what's your handle again on Instagram for people to find you? Is MeTimeCoffee underscore co-co. Well share! Thank you, Tony. Thank you for having me. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Mom Talk Maryland. If you loved it, leave a review, share it with a friend, or tag me at the dot ColumbiaMom on Instagram. I'd love to hear what you think. And don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode. Until next time, keep showing up, keep supporting locals, and keep being the incredible mom, the woman, and human that you are.