How the Chair of JOY® Experience Came into Existence

When I was eight years old, my brother threw a baseball bat at me and broke my nose. My tears, blood, and pain were dismissed, leaving me with a crooked nose and a perpetual feeling of being broken and displaced. This experience set me on a lifelong journey, searching outside of myself for acceptance, success, and peace. I lost the spirit, the part of me that enjoyed waking up every day. I was constantly on the move, living in over forty homes, and experienced both business successes and failures, including a tumultuous divorce and difficult custody battle.

Overwhelmed and exhausted after a three-year custody battle for my children, I found myself sitting on the deck near the beach at a friend’s cottage, utterly spent. The waves lapped in the moonlight as I took a deep breath and let go of my worries. Immersing myself in nourishing memories, I thought of my kids. I recalled a day at a Wisconsin beach where my girls played joyfully with seashells from Florida, and another day when we celebrated together at a bus stop. These memories washed over me, filling me with joy, peace, and so much energy to think about what was possible. I had a shift in perspective—maybe I was meant to be a different kind of mom. I started wondering what my new role was. Moments later, I received the call that the custody battle was over. I realized then that I had found my Chair of JOY®—a space to be still, breathe, think, and feel, transforming pain into joy. It seemed possible, but I wasn’t sure.

Fast forward twenty years, with countless hours of practice and refinement, I am now able to share this powerful, measurable practice with you as the Chair of JOY® Experience. Throughout the years, I used all sorts of chairs: rocks on the edge of the river, logs in the woods, benches at the park, my kayak, bike, patio chair, chaise lounge, front porch, and even the curb on the sidewalk. I started to understand that the times I stopped to sit helped me set intentions, become aware, and start to heal. For a long time, I felt the urge to share it with others, but I was busy building other things, like a family business. Through observing people and pulling in more examples, I realized that any chair, used three times a day, every day, can facilitate acceptance and awareness. The message is simple: joy has always consumed me. I used to believe that “happily ever after” was elusive and reserved for fairy tales. I was always looking externally for joy. When I found the concepts that are integral to the Chair of JOY®, it made me want to tell others. You have the power to create your desired life through your thoughts. The Chair of JOY® has become a symbol of this internal joy and life expansion.

In 2019, as the reality of COVID-19 started to set in, I decided to buy a fancy chair and take it out and about to show people what I did when I sat down. It was an eye-catching conversation piece. For a while, it was just that—a conversation starter. But then 10 people sat in it, then 100, then 1,000, and now thousands more to date. Each time they do, I watch it help others. They forget their grinding routines, and the mental health break is incredible. When the chair first came off the truck, the first place I took it was Red Rock Canyon north of Las Vegas. I watched people’s smiles and their questions—it sparked a movement I would later call JOYELY. The movement has blossomed into a group of amazing humans who have brought their wisdom and have been Living JOYELY their whole lives. I am so glad to learn from them and to share this experience with so many more.