Lana Penley
I’m Lana Penley.
I am on a mission to help teams and schools build healthy, high-performing cultures that last!
My work blends mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and practical, research-backed strategies that help people show up calm, connected, and ready to lead—no matter what pressures they’re facing.
Trusted By:
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I’m a former school principal with 25 years of experience
helping leaders build emotionally healthy, high-performing cultures.But the biggest lesson of my career didn’t come from a classroom
— it came from a fire.
Years ago, a devastating blaze reduced Marysville School in Oregon to ashes. Overnight, we lost classrooms, supplies, and a sense of safety.
But we didn’t lose our spirit. That moment reshaped everything about how I lead and why I teach what I teach today.
Outside of work, I’m happiest spending time with my partner, Dian, and our two pups — who believe belly rubs are a full-time job.
I had a great childhood growing up in Tennessee, now call North Carolina home, and I start every morning with coffee, dog cuddles, and add on a quick game of pickleball as often as I can. (If you know, you know. 😄)
After transforming our school, my career goals changed. I wanted to take the message of reimagining schools as places of healing to workpalces and schools across the coutnry.
Since then, I’ve trained thousands of leaders /school and workplaces across education, corporate, nonprofit, and healthcare sectors to:
• Reduce stress and burnout
• Strengthen emotional resilience
• Build cultures where adults and students thrive
Whether you’re leading a school, a company, or a team, one truth always holds:
When adults thrive, the culture transforms.
"Lana's story is so inspirational. She took the worst moment in her life, and used it to propel to something greater. We could all learn from that."
-Business Executive, North Carolina
The Inspiration-Out of the Ashes
You’ve heard the short version of my fire story.
Here’s the part that shaped everything I teach today.
Years ago in Portland, Oregon, a devastating blaze reduced Marysville School to ashes. Overnight, our staff and families faced fear, loss, and uncertainty — and I faced the hardest leadership moment of my career.
But something remarkable happened in the aftermath:
our community didn’t crumble — it came together.
Through SEL, mindfulness, and connection, we navigated the healing process side by side.
Students learned to manage emotions.
Staff supported one another.
Families rediscovered hope.
Adults remembered how to breathe again.
When the new school opened, it wasn’t just a building — it was a symbol of resilience, empathy, and collective strength.
A reminder that even after crisis, we can rise stronger than before.
That experience continues to guide every workshop, keynote, and program I lead.
And this video shares the heart of that journey:
Data after Implementing SEL:
75%
Reduction in Suspension Days
48%
Reduction in Referrals
Our School became the city's highest-performing Title 1 School in math and reading.
Lana has a unique ability to teach stress reduction strategies in a fun and engaging way.
Portland, Principal
About the Book
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After rebuilding Marysville School from the ashes and witnessing the shift, I knew I had to share this work on a larger scale.
That journey led to my book, Unlocking SEL: The 5 Keys to Transform Your School Through Social and Emotional Learning.
Unlocking SEL offers the practical, research-backed strategies I used as a principal to create emotionally healthy, high-performing school environments.
Inside the book:
• The 5 Critical Keys that guide strong schoolwide SEL implementation
• Strategies to support educator well-being and help teams
• Actionable tools to weave SEL into daily routines
• Techniques to reduce stress for students and staff
• Real stories showing how SEL builds resilience
Written for educators and school leaders, the book provides a clear, step-by-step blueprint for lasting change — helping every adult feel supported, every student feel seen, and every school become a place where people truly flourish.
Unlocking SEL debuted as the #1 New Release in Educational Psychology and Classroom Management and continues to reach schools nationwide ready to transform well-being and culture from the inside out.
Meet The Team
I have been in education for more than 20 years. Lana's training was the best I have ever had.