✨ Meet your workplace bestie! ✨

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I’m Luana and I created My Workplace Bestie because work can be… a lot.

Whether you’re navigating tricky conversations, chasing that next big career move, building a team from scratch or just trying to stay sane between meetings, you deserve support that’s real, relatable and rooted in experience.

I’ve always been fascinated by people - what motivates them, what holds them back and how to shift a mindset from “can’t do” to “can do.” I’ve learned that when people feel seen and safe, they perform better, communicate better and build better relationships.

That curiosity started early. I was drawn to law for its fairness, persuasion and sense of justice, then sales for its insight into influence and human behaviour. Both gave me the tools to understand people and the drive to create workplaces where they can actually thrive.

After 15+ years leading the People & Culture agenda for global organisations, I’ve seen both sides of the system - how decisions are made and how they land. That balance matters to me. It’s why I do what I do today: creating calm, confident, human-first workplaces where people can grow, stumble, get back up and realise their potential.

I’m a passionate and experienced HR leader with a big heart for workplace mental health, wellbeing, personal development, employee relations and building high-performing teams.

I’ve supported businesses through every kind of growth, from start-ups finding their feet to global corporates scaling fast, from family-run gems to boardroom giants.

I’ve partnered with frontline teams, founders and C-suites alike with one clear goal: to create workplaces where people feel seen, supported and empowered to do their best work. I’ve always been the bridge between employee and employer, translating what each side needs so both can thrive.

Now I get to pour all that knowledge, energy and empathy into helping others navigate the workplace, rediscover who they are and build the confidence, clarity and courage to show up fully (with a few giggles along the way!).

When I was younger (or wee as we’d say in Scotland!) I wanted to be a lawyer. I craved fairness, loved helping people and if I’m honest I was a little bit obsessed with the sharp suits and Legally Blonde energy.

I realised what drew me to law wasn’t the courtroom itself but the skills behind it- the persuasion, influence, strategy and the ability to see all sides of a story with compassion and perspective.

That curiosity led me into sales where I became fascinated by the psychology behind it. I noticed how small shifts in language and positioning can change outcomes and how understanding what makes someone tick can completely transform communication. I built and led high-performing teams and developed a deep understanding of human behaviour.

Always eager to learn more I’d spend hours reading articles, watching videos and listening to podcasts about mindset, motivation and personal growth. That curiosity turned into action when I certified as a Master NLP Practitioner, which gave me a deeper understanding of how people think, feel and connect.

Sales taught me how to communicate, motivate and negotiate - lessons that became the foundation for everything that came next. As I moved into leadership I became even more intrigued by what drives people, what holds them back and how to shift a mindset from “can’t do” to “can do.” Coaching others toward promotions and watching them thrive lit something up in me that targets and commissions never could.

That’s when I found my true fit in HR. I went back to education for my CIPD qualification while working full time and began carving out a new path. From Operations Manager to HR Advisor to Business Partner to leading global People & Culture teams, I had a vision and made sure to build momentum every time I seen an opportunity. The common thread: justice, empathy and influence, which were all the same things that drew me to law in the first place, just in a different courtroom.