Meet Lina Dion-inglis | Joy Coach & Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lina Dion-inglis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lina, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
For me, work life balance seems to be a bit of an illusion, and maybe a trap we get into. When we say “balance” it makes it seem like all the areas in our life have an equal amount of attention or space. And maybe that’s just the Libra in me, wanting to think of balance that way. I’ve come to reframe it by thinking of it as creating harmony in my life. It ebbs and flows depending on what is important to me… I also have ADHD, so it depends on what I am curious about and really want to put my attention on and into. I’ve started to allow myself to think of it in fractals… sometimes I will have a lot of time and attention put on my art, sometimes it is my business. I have also learned through my adult experiences in corporate (tech) America, that prioritizing mySelf and my self-care, then my family has me feel centered and grounded.

And my early adult experience in the Air Force (7 years) and my time in the furniture industry with my mom, and then 7 years working at Amazon Corporate in Seattle left me with so many different life experiences and ways approaching life and business. When I was in the military the expectation was, my time was not mine… it was signed over to the Air Force. That was the priority over anything else. When I worked for my mom, I was also a single mom, doing my best to have enough time to work to pay the bills, make sure my son and I had food/rent paid, and also dancing around the nuances of having a small business and navigating the interpersonal relationship challenges with colleagues and being in business with my mom. After we closed our store in 2010, I started working at Amazon Corporate… and similar to the military, there was a push to put work before all else… but I think it was shrouded in a cloak of “lets have fun at work and bring your dog here too.”

Now… life is much different. I left Amazon when I was pregnant with my daughter in 2019. I was intending to move to California with my (now) husband, and I couldn’t imagine staying in the corporate burnout culture of Amazon any longer. I knew there was a different approach out there. My life never really feels “balanced” per se…. but I do feel like I have been able to create space for what is really important. 1. My wellness 2. My family 3. My friends and community 4. Nurturing and growing my business 5. Art and expression 6. Time for travel, play and rest which feeds into number one.

The biggest lesson I have learned in creating harmony in these different areas is the power of saying no. Saying no to something that is not aligned with my vision is a yes to me and my vision. My earlier years of adulting, I would say I was stuck in a pattern of saying yes to other people’s visions vs saying yes to mine.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I love telling people I am a Joy Coach… and seeing the reaction on their face. They usually respond almost immediately with “What is a Joy Coach?” I help people expand, express and embody joy, creating lives flowing with meaning. Flowing from them out to their families, friends, communities and the world as the difference makers they are.

My body of work includes personal lessons, experiences, intuition, my skills as an artist, and a box of fun. I customize my 1:1 work to meet my clients where they are at and help them develop their own tool kit for creating joy and a life filled with meaningful experiences. I work with clients 1:1, or in groups through workshops in my create-space or at their workplace. I also love speaking to large audiences, both kids and adults.

My model of working with my clients starts with of self-care. Self-Care is the roots of us… roots that feed the deeper well of our well-being and worth. Another tenant of mine is sisterhood. Most of the people I work with are women, many of us have challenging relationships with women stemming from trauma from younger self relationships with friends/siblings or challenges within their relationship to their mother or absence of. Creating a space of sisterhood where there is room for everyone to shine. This is a paradigm shift for many… so there is work to do to create new conversations with women around what it is to support and allow for authentic selves to show up and allow for the messy of others to have space too. This is a space without competition and it is inclusive. The third tenant is service, as in being of service. My work involves unraveling the self-sacrifice model that many women have grown up in and have been customized to, and stepping into a place of purpose by being of service in an area that lights them up.

One example of my own tools at work in the world, is my project called “Be The Banana.” I started it in 2017, after a breakup. I was finishing my packing for a vacation to Mexico with friends, and through my tears and the warm light of my bedroom, the banana costume hanging in my closet got my attention and I packed it without putting too much thought into exactly what I would be doing with it once we got to Mexico. 3 days later, I was sunburned on my shoulders and looking through my suitcase for just the right cover up… and low and behold the banana was it! I walked down to the beach in my banana costume and started jumping and splashing in the water. A friend approached me and started taking pictures and asked if he could be the banana… and I said yes! I was still sad about the breakup, and I was sooo filled with joy at the same time. Since then, I have traveled with the banana costume and invited 300+ people to be the banana (300+ people are the yesses…) United States, Mexico, United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Australia, Netherlands, Greece… and counting. I love sharing this with other people and seeing the conversations that come up, the inquiry around play and letting our “looking good” armor and masks down for a bit.

My work has been born from a lifetime of experiences, 14 years of personal development work, my degree in Art, and a passion for taking life a little bit less serious. My most recent expansion of my business was the jump into having an actual art studio/create space in Westlake Village. This has been the biggest challenge of my business so far… where I have had to move to an energetic space of trusting myself, and advocating for myself and my vision. And it is just the start… I have big plans for the future!

What I want people to know about me, and my story is how fun it can be to not know what is ahead… how beautiful things can be when they are a little messy, and how valuable and meaningful connecting with each other in real life with curiosity can be.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am still learning LA, but when I have friends/family from out of town visit we usually always take a trip to Pasadena and explore old town. I love exploring the beautiful architecture in Pasadena. And on the way home we would go to Eagle Rock and eat donuts from Donut Friend. Alternatively (not in LA) but I love zipping up to Solvang. I was born in Denmark, and while it isn’t the same as actually going to Denmark, I love that I can get a taste of home, be inspired by Danish Design and a glass of wine in a really beautiful place.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My Shoutout is dedicated to a group of women who I have come to absolutely love over the last 2 years. We call ourselves “Women of Wonder”, and what I love about this group is we all have different backgrounds and experiences, we are multigenerational spanning 7 decades. I would not be where I am right now were it not for their love, support and continued encouragement. They give me the space to be who I am, and gentle nudges/reminders when I need it. I am a strong believer in the power of community, and I know we give each other strength by holding each other. Our motto is “There is room for all of us to shine!” And I really feel that when I am with them.

Additionally… I wouldn’t be where I am without my husband and daughter. Aila Joy (my 4 year old daughter) is my constant reminder of being present and the importance of play. And my husband is my mountain… a grounding force when I need it, and the love of my life.

Instagram: @linathejoycoach

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LinaTheJoyCoach/

Image Credits
Alyson Berg Photography