Joan holds two master’s degrees: Theater and Education. It was her desire to teach in the theater department at UNLV that brought her a position at UNLV she taught acting and theater history. Five years later, Joan founded and was the artistic director of the Meadows Playhouse, Las Vegas’s first year-round theater. Her interest in film brought her entrance to the American Film Institute in Los Angeles as a producing fellow. Before she graduated, Joan wrote her first screenplay and continued to write for film during the next 15 years in Hollywood, alongside producing several films.

During this time, Joan also pursued a career as a motivational speaker and blogger. As a keynote speaker, Joan commanded the stage with her delight humor, raw energy and wealth of life experiences. She spread her knowledge and energy as she combined 15 years of theater experience as well as over 13 years of experience as a yoga and meditation instructor at UCLA. 

Joan began her writing journey with her memoir, 60, Sex & Tango, Confessions of a Beatnik Boomer. Other books followed: I’m the Boss of Me: Stay Sexy, Smart & Strone at Any Age, a compilation of her most popular blogs, An Accidental Cuban, a thriller that takes place in modern day Havana. The novel is currently in development for a streaming series. Her recently published book, Once A Homecoming Queen, is a darkly humorous take on senior alcoholism. Joan also adapted Once A Homecoming Queen into an award winning screenplay. Her latest book is a memoir of her mother: Suddenly, I Was Jewish, The Life and Times of My Jewish Mother