Renee Linnell
Renee Linnell is a serial entrepreneur who has founded or cofounded five companies and has an MBA from New York University; before that she was a model and professional dancer. Her mission is to remind people Who They Truly Are and to reignite their passion for being alive. What began as writing for catharsis in 2013—as she struggled to regain her sanity after being brainwashed in a Buddhist cult—turned into her first memoir, The Burn Zone: A Memoir (She Writes Press, 2018). Still on Fire is the sequel.
Instagram: @renee.linnell
Favorite non-reading activity?
My favorite non-reading activity is surfing. Surfing waves or surfing mountains (snowboarding.) I love to go first thing in the morning when no one is around so I have a huge blank canvas to paint on by myself—just me, nature, and my board. There is something so incredibly peaceful about flying down an all-white mountain or a green glassy wave with no other humans in sight. To me it’s a form of meditation. Total bliss. As soon as other people arrive, I go home.
Do you have another artistic outlet in addition to your writing? Do you sew? Paint? Draw? Knit? Dance?
I dance. As an introvert and a very “weird” child, I learned to express myself without using my voice. I have always loved to dance. And I have never been afraid to dance. I’m the person who gets up at a restaurant and starts dancing to a good salsa song. I’m always the first on the dance floor at weddings and night clubs. I’m the person dancing in the aisle at a grocery store or on the sidewalk in front of a shop. I’ll dance on the side of the road or when crossing the street if a car is playing loud music I like. It always brings smiles and usually causes more dancing. Dancing is contagious, you know.
What do you worry about?
I worry about not being “perfect” at things—which is a problem and can be crippling in life. Unfortunately, I learned as a child that my being really good at things made my parents proud—so I learned to tie my self-worth to being “perfect.” I also worry about wasting my life. Much of my family died before I turned 15, causing me to realize any moment could be my last. I tend to live an extreme life because of this—packing as much into each moment as possible.
What brings you great joy?
So much! Everything, when I am in the right state of mind. Baby animals bring me supreme joy. A warm cup of strong coffee while watching the sunrise brings me exquisite joy. Surfing, snowboarding, dancing. Meeting new people. Chocolate! Great music, yoga, hiking, biking. When I’m feeling out of alignment the whole world irritates me, but when I’m balanced and centered, each breath, each moment brings me great joy. I have finally learned that if I am not feeling overwhelmed with joy I am “off,” and I try my hardest to not spew my “off energy” onto anyone else.
Do you speak a second language? Do you think differently in that language? Does it influence your writing?
I do. I speak Spanish. And I do think differently when I am in a Spanish speaking country. I love being an anonymous woman in a café in a Latin country. It’s one of my favorite places to write. Expressing myself in Spanish brings forth a completely different part of my personality: it’s more feminine, softer, more romantic. I used to dance Argentine Tango professionally and the tango-dancer/Spanish-speaker in me is very different from the surfer/snowboarder side of me. The Spanish speaking tango dancer wears high heels and dresses, she doesn’t leave the house without wearing make-up and nice clothing, and she loves to spend hours writing in a café. The snowboarder/surfer/hiker/biker in me doesn’t wear make-up, walks around covered in sunblock and with seaweed in her hair, and eats quickly so she can get back to being in nature.
