About Me.
Helping Others Find, Become, and Bravely Be Their Best Selves.
​I’m Emily Bottino, founder of DaZyne. I'm an inspirational speaker, life coach, and consultant committed to helping people find, become, and bravely be their best selves. With over 20 years of experience in teaching, public speaking, consulting, and fearless living, I’ve developed the wisdom, skills, and passion needed to empower others to push past their limits towards a life truly worth living.
Lifelong Learner & Explorer.
I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Philosophy from Stony Brook University in New York, as well as a Master’s degree in Neuropsychology from the Universidad de Sevilla in Spain.
But my education extends far beyond academia—I’m also a globetrotter, writer, survivor, reiki practicioner, philosopher, psychonaut, non-fiction audiobook junkie, dancer, modern pilgrim, and soon-to-be first-time mom.
Psychology Department Faculty, Stony Brook University, New York
My Story.
New York: First Steps.
After gradulating from Stony Brook University at 22, I took my first real job as a front desk administrator in an oncology unit. The work was mind-numbing, and life in New York felt soul-crushing, but I gained two invaluable insights:
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First, I had in me a deep yearning to guide and support people during their most intimate and challenging health, family, and financial crises. I would often sit with the patients during my lunch breaks as they recieved their chemo infusions, eager to hear their stories and provide them with the comfort of a listening ear.
I also learned over the next two years that the daily grind in a familiar environment was not for me. I had started traveling during this time and always dreaded coming home to New York. Determined to escape the monotony in search of a life worth living, I sold all my possessions and bought a one-way ticket to Paris.
Brooklyn Bridge, New York
France: Fish out of Water.
Paris, France
Arriving in Paris with nothing but a bag and permission to stay with a friend until I could get my bearings, I took the first job I could find: English-Speaking Nanny to Three Children. The experience was as cliché as it sounds—drama, intrigue, romance, suffering, and of course, endless wine, cheese, and baguettes.
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Living in France was my first confrontation with deep cultural structures. Someone once told me: "Culture is to a person like water is to a fish. It’s all around you and determines how you move, but is unnoticeable until you’re out of it." It was true. Things I had once assumed were true for everyone I realized were actually just parts of my particular culture.
I thrived as a fish out of water. Every interaction became an anthropological and political study. Every commute was a lesson in art, history, and architecture. I learned that there is no clearer mirror than someone with a profoundly different perspective from your own. After a year and a half in Paris, I craved a greater intellectual challenge. My best friend, Marta, suggested I apply for a master’s program in her hometown of Seville, Spain. With tuition 36 times cheaper than similar programs in the U.S., I decided to go for it. For the second time in my twenties, I sold all my possessions and booked another one-way ticket, this time to Southern Spain.
Universidad de Sevilla, Spain (Dr. Juan Vargas pictured right)
Spain: Overcoming Impossible.
I arrived at the University of Seville, ready to pursue a Master of Advanced Study in Neuropsychology. I was eager to explore the brain through the lens of human behavior and had chosen a science-heavy, investigative psychology program, assuming it would largely be in English.
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I'll never forget the welcome assembly on my first day. Dr. Juan Vargas, who would later become my thesis advisor, stood before the incoming class and introduced the program in the fastest Spanish I had ever heard.... I didn't understand a word. Nervously, I raised my hand and asked:
"Um, excuse me, can you repeat that in English?"​
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Juan looked at me, confused, and responded: "¿¿Qué??"
All my peers turned to stare at me- every other student in that class was a native Spanish speaker. My heart sank. Had I known this advanced program would be entirely in a foreign language, I never would have applied. But there I was, and my student visa depended on my staying in the program. I had two choices: attempt the impossible or go home. With determination, blood, sweat, countless tears and the persistent help of my friend Marta, I not only became fluent in Spanish but also graduated the program- with honors. My time in Spain taught me three of the most important lessons of my life:
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1. Just because something seems impossible doesn't mean it is. I proved to myself that we are capable of incredible accomplishments, but what often holds us back is the preemptive belief that we can’t.
2. People have far more in common than what separates them. Communication, understanding, and connection are always possible, even without a shared formal language.
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3. You can get through just about anything if you've got a friend. I never would have made it through this journey without Marta cheering me on, helping me every step of the way, and refusing to speak English with me—no matter how much I begged. She taught me what it means to be a great friend and an even better coach.
Austria: Finding my Calling.
After graduating from my master's program, I decided to pursue a doctorate in Neuropsychology at the Karl-Franzens-Universität in Graz, Austria. As a struggling PhD student without much money, I took a part-time job teaching English as a Second Language to make ends meet. And that’s when everything changed.
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I realized my true calling wasn’t research. I loved studying the brain, but I was not meant to be in a lab with rats. From my very first lesson, it was clear—I was born to be in the classroom, teaching and motivating people to overcome their self-limiting beliefs and achieve competency.
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I transitioned to full-time teaching, working as a freelance language instructor at Berlitz and in two Austrian elementary schools. Though I much prefered working with adults, teaching children at the same time gave me a clear perspective on the differences between child and adult learning.
At Berlitz, I taught technical and professional English—covering topics like Sales & Purchasing, Negotiation, and Management—to employees at various companies contracting Berlitz’s services. I absolutely fell in love with both the art of great teaching and professional coaching, as well as the opportunity to gain an inside view of so many different industries and management levels. I worked with professionals across every field, from manufacturing to marketing, healthcare to hospitality. My understanding of culture expanded even further—this time into business culture. Just as with national cultures, I learned that we all work differently, and there is no single "right way" to work.
Graz, Austria (best friend Marta pictured right)
Montana: The Joy of Service.
After more than a decade exploring both Europe and the corporate world, I returned to the U.S. to be closer to family and pursue a life of service.
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I spent a year with AmeriCorps in Montana, educating the public on Medicare and Medicaid, advocating for low-income older adults, and fighting against medical fraud and elder abuse.
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Traveling around Montana to give passionate presentations, I developed a strong inclination toward public speaking. I found deep fulfillment in serving the underserved, particularly those experiencing life transitions that left them feeling vulnerable, scared, and/or lost. The flame of passion for guiding and providing hope to those in crisis was reignited, and I became determined to build a career in training within human services—combining my love for teaching and public speaking with my commitment to serving those who needed it most.
Helena, Montana (Governor Steve Bollock pictured left)
Maine: Lessons in Leadership...
After my Americorps service ended, I moved to Maine to begin my career as a Learning & Development professional at Creative Works, an organization supporting adults with disabilities. I created and implemented tools for personal and leadership development at all levels.
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I came to understand that if you want to develop a great employee, you must first develop a great person- intellectually, physically, spiritually, and emotionally.
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Creative Works, Westbrook, Maine
Over the past seven years, I honed in on my greatest gift and calling: inspirational speaking. I moved our leaders with speeches on courageous living and empathetic leadership, creating a safe space where both current and prospective leaders could grow and transform. By combining my talents, experiences, and passions, I built an incredibly effective toolkit to help employees discover, trust, and boldly embrace their truest, best selves—both at work and at home.
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... and Inclusion.
At the same time that I was working as Creative Works' Director of Learning & Development, I also co-founded Baila-ME with my friend and colleague ,Sgt. Bryan Noyes. Baila-ME is a Maine-based Latin dance event promotion and coordination company.
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My passion for cultural diversity, music, dance and languages is well utlized at Baila-ME, where we use latin dance as a fun and safe environement to foster inclusion among Maine's Latin ballroom dancing community with its growing Latinx population.
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Through Baila-ME, I continue to expand my multicultural awareness and communication skills across cultural barriers, even while remaining based in Maine.