Meet Lina Collazos | General Manager & Communication Specialist

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

Hi Lina, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Balance is essential for me to be my best self. I think about my life much like Doctors of Oriental Medicine think about health, holistically. If one area of my life does not feel balanced such as work then health, wealth and happiness are teetering like a 3-legged stool.

I have tried so many forms of therapy from professional to recreational (art, photography, writing, gardening, etc.) and the best one by far has been balance. When I make sure to start and end my day with what makes me feel good like meditation, journaling, exercising and reading I am able to pour my best self into my work both as a professional and a student. I am better able to serve my community and the relationships that mean the most to me when I let balance take the lead.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
For the past 6 years I have enjoyed a career in leadership in fitness and hospitality. Stepping into leadership was a choice that made sense to me, there is no glamour to it and it is highly rewarding and fulfilling. My lessons and who I am can be summed up into one mantra- make it make sense and the simplest answer is usually the right one.

I give my energy to projects, work and teams that I can learn from as much as teach. I participate exclusively in activities and work that makes sense to me. If it doesn’t make sense at first, I step back and give my best effort to make it make sense. If I cannot simplify it enough to make it make sense then that’s not the right fit for me. I move on because it doesn’t make sense.

Currently, I am pursuing a degree in Organizational Communication with goals of completing a Master’s Degree specializing in Training and Development. In the future you’ll find me teaching classes in leadership and communication. You’ll probably stock your bookshelf with my poetry collections and personal growth books and enjoy a product or event from side-hustles for dogs, plants and kids!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Assume Tea & Poets is part of our trip on a daily basis (: Kamarya and I would start our week long stay-cation at the beach by El Farrito. We’d bring refreshing juices from Los Pinarenos Fruteria in Little Havana and we’d have dinner at Miami’s yummiest hole in the wall, Lung Yai. We would have to visit the newly renovated Coco Walk mall, we’re adults, we’d have Salt & Straw ice cream for a late breakfast with mimosas from Chug’s Diner. The Bay would be calling our name so we’d picnic at Kennedy Park with a fresh fruit and salad from Milam’s Market. No trip to Coconut Grove is complete without a visit to Ariete for their insane oyster selection and uniquely crafted charcuterie program, we’d let the server curate our experience from there (that’s our favorite). For a night-cap we’d enjoy drinks at Bodega’s cozy mezcaleria den and come on down for some dancing. There are so many other amazing gems to discover in Miami like Tree-Top Trekking, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, the Frost Science Museum and the Perez Art Museum. Even Kendall has some spots we’d enjoy like Shibui, Jealous Fork and Arcade Odessy.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The list is never quite right for these things but in short- my framily. This includes the incredibly beautiful family I was born to and the family of friends and their families that have chosen me along the way. A special shoutout to my dad for raising my sister and I to be absolute forces of nature and my mom for helping me do the work to find myself as an adult. The Johnson family has welcomed me to their family and I am always humbled and honored by this. A special thanks to my mentor and greatest friend, Joaquin Ortiz. Our work together at Tea & Poets, Jealous Fork and more has helped shaped me into the leader and person I am today. Thank you to my sensational neighbors who help me make life happen everyday by embracing community in its purest form. He wouldn’t understand these words if his furry feet were still padding around but I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank my best friend Charlie for making me the best version of myself by leading by example.

Instagram: _linaandco_

Image Credits
Pedro Rubio, @papa.romeo.79 (picture with Notorious shirt) Daniela Davis, @bydaniex (picture with my dog, Charlie)