About Christina
A glimpse of my one wild & precious life.
Christina Cherry, here!
I'm a coach who helps people rethink what's possible and create a life that feels more like their own.
I've always been fascinated by people. What makes us tick. Why we do the things we do. How we come to understand ourselves and the world around us.
That curiosity has been the common thread throughout my life, shaping the things I've studied, the jobs I've pursued, the places I've explored, and the people I've met along the way.
For more than a decade, I worked in public relations and marketing, building businesses, and helping other people tell their stories. These days, I spend a lot more time thinking about the stories we tell ourselves.
Who we think we are. What we believe we're capable of. The lives we imagine for ourselves, and all the possibilities we haven't considered yet.
Along the way, I've traveled the world, found myself in some wonderfully strange situations, and followed my fascination with human behavior into the study of happiness and play.
I believe we're all capable of experiencing our lives with more curiosity, connection, wonder, and joy. And I believe the most interesting discoveries often happen when we're willing to venture into the unknown.
Now I get to help other people explore that possibility for themselves. And I happen to think this is the most interesting work in the world.
The art & science of being human
By elementary school, I was practically conducting field research on the people around me, observing relationships, picking up on unspoken dynamics, and trying to make sense of it all.
So perhaps it's no surprise that I went on to study communications and sociology. I was fascinated by how we form our identities, make sense of the world, connect with one another, and navigate the expectations placed upon us.
That interest followed me into my career. But after being hit by a truck while walking down the street in Brooklyn, I found myself asking a different set of questions:
What makes a good life? What helps us feel fulfilled? And how much of our happiness comes from the way we choose to engage with the world?
I followed those questions into the study of positive psychology and human flourishing, earning certifications through Yale's The Science of Well-Being and Harvard's Managing Happiness. Eventually, my exploration led me to the National Institute for Play and the growing body of research on the role play has in our lives.
What I find especially compelling is the relationship between what we know intellectually and what we discover through experience. We can spend years trying to understand ourselves, but there are things we simply cannot learn without getting out into the world and trying something new.
That's the philosophy behind my work. I bring together research, reflection, and real-world experimentation to help people explore who they are, what matters to them, and what else might be possible.
Because understanding your life is one thing. Actually living it is another.
When you get the hot Shishito pepper…
Life's little pleasures
I have a tendency to get very excited about things. New interests, good music, interesting people, an unexpected adventure. My favorite pastime is learning something new and then trying not to make it my entire personality (see: stained glass art, horseback riding).
I consider a road trip with the windows down and a little radio roulette one of life's great pleasures. I dance like your favorite aunt, have a very impressive bandana collection, and have never met a dive bar I didn't like. I'm endlessly entertained by the stories people carry with them, and will always ask follow-up questions.
For all my love of being out in the world, I'm also very much a homebody. There's something deeply satisfying about creating a space that feels like you. I'm a sucker for musky candles, western-inspired art, and having people over for absolutely any occasion (preferably one with a theme to which I will commit fully).
Paradise to me is splash-splashing in a body of water, surrounded by mountains, with a good book in tow. Or a perfect slice of pizza.
Elsewhere on the internet
VOYAGEDENVER
Hidden Gems: Meet Christina Cherry of Playstate
A little more about my story, the winding road to Playstate, and the work I'm doing today.
Enough about me. What about you?
If something you've read here resonates, I'd love to hear your story. Whether you're interested in working together, bringing me in to speak, or simply saying hello, I always have time for a good conversation.