In 2016, Lainey was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. She also went through a divorce. During this time, she took comfort in company with her goats. As she realized the therapy her goats provided her, she set out to start a program in which she and her goats could help others suffering from stress, depression, and more. Thus Goat Yoga and Goat Happy Hour were born.
Lainey created a media whirlwind when she first combined the words "goat" and "yoga" at an event in summer 2016. Since then, her pastoral life has been anything but simple. Since August of 2016, she has appeared in hundreds of publications and media outlets around the world, including Time Magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, CNN, National Geographic, and many more.