Hi! I’m Lina
I’m an artist and a Joy Coach supporting my clients who are ready to break free from burnout and create lives, communities and businesses filled with meaning, flow, and fulfillment.
Continue reading to discover more about how I got here.
First Steps towards Joy…
In 2007, while stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base, a little “woo-woo” book I read named “The Secret” shook up my existence as I knew it — I could create my life, instead of trying to survive in a life that was inauthentic. The concept was radical to me at the time. I was in the midst of a health crisis, and it was time for a BIG change. Inspired and in action, I divorced, left the Air Force, and moved with my 3 year old son to Seattle to work with my mom.
By 2009, I found my way to a professional growth company and started taking course after course…Peeling back the onion layers and discovering new ways of getting out my own way. I discovered coaching (and that I was a good one) and dove deep into my own psychology, driven by a curiosity about the patterns that shaped my life and the lives of my clients.
From collapse to creation…
In 2011, after a couple rough financial years (aftermath of the 2008 recession) , my mom made what I believe was one of the hardest choices of her life. She closed her business after 25+ years in the furniture industry and moved back to Denmark. She left behind everything she had built for most of her adult life, friends, family and community, and also her identity as a business leader in the Furniture Industry. I watched, observed and supported her, and I also knew it was time to start creating something new for myself.
2012 I applied and accepted a position at Amazon as a Strategic Workspace Planning Program Manager. This period of my life felt like an MBA project in and of itself. It seemed like a miracle to find a role where my furniture background, HR experience from the Air Force, and my personal development skills were an absolute necessity. I was working with teams and their leaders, who had competing priorities across different organizations - getting clear on their growth plans, and then collaborating with Finance, HR and Global Real Estate to create strategic workspace roadmaps.
It was like a big Tetris game, but with humans, desks, dogs, many office buildings, and a bajillion personalities. It was the most rewarding time professionally, and also the most challenging.
I spent 7 years on multiple teams, building relationships, traveling the world, launching and improving programs, and finding ways to incorporate values of play and connection everywhere I went. I became the official Chief Fun Officer. Inter-team karaoke competitions, Beaver Time, Cat Shirt Tuesdays, and The Magnum PI Secret Society of Amazon Corporate were just some of my projects over those 7 years that left a lasting impact on my team members.
Covid, Cute toes and Creative Pursuits!
Fast forward to 2020, as a new mom (again) at home in a global pandemic I would discover that this curiosity had become it’s own trap: the “hamster wheel” of endless self-improvement, leaving little room for me to simply be.
In August of that year, I applied and was accepted to California Lutheran University, enrolled in their Bachelors of Arts program. I consumed every art course I could, including Art and Psychology, which led me to see how integral creativity and the art process is to not only understanding ourselves, but also giving ourselves tools to practice the art of being.
Ceramics in particular became an art form that I saw as uniquely positioned to facilitate experiences of transformation. From the first moment I had my hands in clay, to the conversations I had with classmates and my Professor about life, living, belonging and purpose. Clay felt like much more than moving dirt around. It was spiritual… healing…and communal.
By the time I graduated in 2022, I knew that part of my future would include having a community space to practice ceramics and experiment with creativity as well as personal growth. I also knew intuitively that it was important to distinguish my coaching work as a “Joy”Coach vs a “Life” Coach.
And that leads me to 2025. The year I am launching the next iteration of my dream…enter the Joy Lab.
Be the Banana: A Global Joy Movement
Probably the question I get most is, WTF is up with the banana?
In 2017, I found myself heartbroken after a breakup, packing for a vacation to Mexico with friends. As I scanned my closet, my eyes landed on a bright yellow banana costume—a quirky relic I’d barely thought about since I bought it. In a moment of intuition (or maybe just whimsy), I packed it.
Fast forward three days, sunburned and searching for a beach cover-up, the banana called to me again. I threw it on, walked to the beach, and jumped into the waves. Something shifted. Amid my sadness, I felt a spark of joy—genuine, messy, and freeing. A friend asked if he could wear the banana next, and a tradition was born.
Since then, over 300 people from around the world—United States, Mexico, Japan, Germany, Australia, and more—have said yes to being the banana. They’ve danced, laughed, and let go of their “looking-good” armor for a moment of pure play.
Not everyone says yes, though. Some worry about looking silly, which often sparks deeper conversations about joy, vulnerability, and the masks we wear every day.
For me, the banana is more than a costume—it’s a symbol of connection and liberation. It’s proof that joy and sadness can coexist, and that playfulness can transform the way we engage with ourselves and others.
Now, through my work, I carry the spirit of the banana with me, creating spaces where people can let go, connect, and rediscover the magic of being fully alive.
Now my question for YOU is….Would you say yes to being the banana?
Creating a Life I love with the Love of my Life:
In 2017, after a string of “un-relationships” where I put my desires on hold to accommodate others, I chose to break the pattern. I asked myself: What is the experience of the relationship and life of my dreams?
To find clarity, I made a collage—a visual representation of what that dream life would feel like. What colors? What activities? What values would we share? Within days of finishing the collage, I ended a relationship that didn’t align with the vision.
Fast forward eight months: I was on my first date—camping on Mt. Baldy—with Keith, the man who is now my husband.
The first time I saw Keith was two years earlier, during an online course. His Scottish accent and way of being left an unforgettable impression, and I whispered to my friend, “That’s my future husband.” My friend rolled his eyes—Keith was engaged, after all.
Later that year, we were on vacation with the same group. Keith and his fiancée joined us for lunch, but he left his wallet at the hotel. I paid, confidently saying, “You can pay me back later.”
In August 2018, Keith messaged me out of the blue to repay me. After ensuring he wasn’t a PayPal scammer, I casually replied, “I’m single.” As timing would have it, so was he!
Now, we’re living the life I envisioned—embracing each sunset, adventuring, being the banana, connecting with family around the world, and raising our daughter.
That collage wasn’t just art; it was a declaration of what I wanted and was worthy of, clearing the way for Keith to show up.
My Background:
Born in Denmark and raised in Boise, Idaho, I grew up surrounded by creativity and connection. My parents, both artists, inspired my love for the arts and meaningful expression.
My mom’s Scandinavian furniture store introduced me to beauty, balance, and the concept of "hygge"—creating warmth and connection at home. From helping her at markets to visiting clients' homes, I learned how art and design can transform a space. Today, she creates stunning felted vessels and alpaca knits in Denmark, and I’m endlessly grateful for the beauty she shared with me.
My dad, a musician, instilled in me the joy of performance and the power of music to connect with hearts. Whether singing in church or performing with our band, Jubilation Jam, I learned the magic of expression through song.
In 2022, I graduated from California Lutheran University with a degree in Art, a degree that was 20 years in the making. Since then I have built my business and community around joy, connection and expression.
