Today we’d like to introduce you to Holly Lontoc.
Hi Holly, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hi, I’m Holly. I’m originally from Seattle and have been living in San Diego for the past three years. I’ve spent more than 10 years in program management in big tech, and I recently stepped into a role in AI. I really value the experiences and relationships I’ve built throughout my corporate career, but over the past year, I’ve also found myself building something much more personal.
That something is Solfire House, a community I created around an elevated zero-proof experience that reimagines what it means to go out. Rather than putting alcohol at the center of the experience, we use breathwork and meditation to help people feel grounded and present, followed by a social environment designed to foster more authentic and meaningful connection.
The idea came from something I had experienced repeatedly in my own life. There have been many chapters where I’ve wanted to focus on my goals and personal growth, but I felt like a lot of evening social settings didn’t support the person I was trying to become. So I would pull back from them, but often experienced loneliness in the process.
I found myself in one of those chapters again last year. I felt like I was going through the motions of life, chasing the dopamine highs of the weekends and building a lot of surface level connections. I knew that trajectory wasn’t going to get me where I wanted to go.
So I pulled back and started doing a lot of inner work. I began examining and rebuilding some of my core limiting beliefs and focusing on becoming someone I genuinely felt proud of and loved.
But there was something I really missed: those serendipitous nights where you don’t know who you’re going to meet or what you might experience. The kind of nights where you can drop your walls, have no agenda, meet new people, and still be in an environment that feels fun, elevated, and sexy.
Around that same time, I discovered breathwork and meditation and experienced firsthand how powerful those modalities could be. They were supporting my own personal development, but they also gave me this incredible feeling of lightness and connection with other people. We’re wired to co-regulate as humans, and these practices can help us become more present, soften some of the walls we build out of fear, process the past, and find the courage to move toward the things we actually want in our lives.
That sparked the idea behind Solfire House: What if we did that together, and then created a fun, grounded social environment afterward?
I wanted to create a place for people who are being intentional with their lives, who are pursuing something or growing into a new version of themselves, but who still want to go out, have fun, meet people, and experience a little magic.
There are surprisingly few sober or zero proof social experiences after dark. Solfire House is my attempt to change that, to create a community where personal growth and a great night out don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been an easy path. Ironically, building Solfire House has required me to confront many of the same fears I was working through personally: fear of failure, fear of being seen, and especially fear of failing publicly.
Entrepreneurship can be one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences because there’s nowhere to hide. You’re constantly putting your ideas, decisions, and ultimately yourself out into the world without knowing exactly how people are going to respond.
Solfire House has also been challenging because I’m building a concept that doesn’t fit neatly into an existing category. Breathwork and meditation have traditionally been positioned within wellness or more holistic environments. I’m asking: What happens when you bring those practices into nightlife and modern social culture? Communicating that in a way that feels approachable, elevated, and exciting has required a lot of experimentation.
Then there’s the reality of running an events business. Every month, you essentially start over. You have another room to fill, another experience to create, and another opportunity to wonder whether anyone is going to show up.
That part is still challenging. But then I see what happens when people actually enter the room. I see strangers connect, people let their guards down, friendships form, and people leave feeling lighter and more connected than when they arrived.
Those moments remind me why I started, and they make all of the uncertainty worth it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
In my 9–5, I work in program management in Big Tech. I’ve spent the past ten years with Amazon and Microsoft, and I’m excited to embark on my next role in AI.
As for Solfire House, I’ve had to wear many hats, from social media and brand development to event planning and logistics, sales and marketing, and breathwork facilitation. Starting this business is one of the things I’m most proud of because it’s challenged me in so many ways, and through all of it, I’ve kept moving forward.
I think what sets me apart is my ability to bridge strategy, creativity, and human connection. I’m comfortable moving between very different worlds, from corporate environments to entrepreneurship and experiential events. I have the operational background to take an ambiguous idea and turn it into something tangible, but I’m also deeply creative and people oriented.
I don’t just enjoy coming up with ideas; I love figuring out how to bring them to life and create experiences that genuinely impact people.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Joe Dispenza has been really impactful for me in understanding how our thoughts and patterns shape our lives. I also love The Almanack of Naval Ravikant for its perspectives on entrepreneurship, personal growth, and building a meaningful life.
For podcasts, I regularly listen to The Diary of a CEO and enjoy conversations around business, psychology, wellness, and personal development.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.solfirehouse.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solfirehouse
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-lontoc-8988b149/
