To carve space where thoughtful words and stories weather the chaos of this fast-paced world and thrive. Here, language is shaped, shifted, and nourished with care and meaning, offering an invitation to pause and join us.
Lonna is the founder of Garden Communications Co., formerly known as lonna.co, where she helps purpose-driven businesses and nonprofits make the most of their communications through professional writing, ghostwriting, and editorial support. She believes that meaningful engagement, lasting loyalty, and enduring trust grow when we give our ideas the time and space they need to take root and flourish.
Lonna discovered a deeper layer of this truth while navigating her mother’s decade-long journey with early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease, a long goodbye she shared through essays, articles, and reels that continue to comfort and inspire readers around the world.
Over the years, Lonna has combined her expertise in communications, marketing, and storytelling to support a wide range of clients, from arts organizations to nonprofits and mission-driven businesses. She has written for regional publications, consulted on communications strategy, and created content that helps organizations connect authentically with their audiences. Her work bridges the gap between strategic thinking and the power of well-crafted words.
In her spare time, Lonna enjoys running and practicing yoga, supporting both her physical and mental wellness, and she is an avid reader who loves exploring new ideas through fiction.
Maddysen Boecker trained as a digital animator and now works as a communications professional, bringing design expertise and strategic thinking to a variety of Garden clients. Inspired by a future free of machine-generated fluff, she helps organizations amplify their voices in meaningful and lasting ways.
Originally from central Minnesota, Maddy earned a Bachelor of Science in Animation with minors in Film Production and Graphic Communication from Minnesota State University Moorhead. Since then, she has applied her creative skills across multiple communications channels, including writing, editing, podcast and video production, social media, and website content, connecting strategy with creativity to help organizations communicate effectively.
Outside of work, Maddysen enjoys gardening, reading audiobooks, and discovering new recipes to try with her husband, Zack. She combines design and strategy to cultivate communications that bloom with clarity and purpose.
Shannon Steffke is a storyteller at heart, with a career that bridges journalism, marketing, and creative writing. She began her professional journey as a television journalist in Sioux Falls, spending seven years crafting stories that connected audiences through sound, imagery, and narrative. That early experience honed her ability to communicate with clarity, empathy, and resonance.
Seeking a career that offered more flexibility for family life, Shannon transitioned into marketing and advertising. Over the past 20 years, she has worn many hats in agency and in-house roles, on both the client side and the creative side, always finding ways to merge strategy with storytelling. Words remain her true passion, and she continues to nurture that love through freelance writing alongside her full-time marketing role.
A mom of three, Shannon thrives on life’s moments both big and small: golfing, traveling, reading, and cheering on her kids in all the things they love. She is excited to be part of the Garden team and to contribute to work that is thoughtful, creative, and purposeful.