The spotlight is on Linda for this 11th installment in my A Woman I Know series. My weekly link-up post is published on Saturdays and during every month, I cycle through four recurring themes, a different one designated for each week. On the occasion when there is a fifth Saturday in the month, I publish this special feature. You can get caught up on the past installments which have featured Amy, Joya, Cathy, Bernice, Josephine, Sheilah, Jude, Esther, me, and Victoria by clicking on their names.
Linda and I first met a little over five years ago. Keith, her boyfriend at the time and now fiance, is a long-time friend of The Husband’s and he had invited us to join the two of them on a weekend trip to Cayucas. We stayed in a lovely home perched on a hill overlooking the ocean that belonged to a client of Keith’s. The four of us had a grand time exploring that quaint California central coast town as well as wine tasting in nearby Paso Robles.
After hitting it off so well, we began to see each other socially on a more regular basis. Linda is a fun person to be around (Keith as well). There have been many milestone celebrations that we’ve enjoyed together as well as family losses that we’ve consoled and supported each other through. It was their purchase of a weekend getaway place near where we live now that first got The Husband and me interested in the possibility of buying our own place in the area.
While sitting and talking with Linda to gather background information for this post, I was struck by her passion for helping people and her ability to turn a problem into a success. She and Keith lead busy lives and often traveled in pre-pandemic days. Linda has many long-lasting friendships and enjoys meeting new people as well. She shared with me that, after having moved to a new city where she didn’t know anyone, she once used a dating app to make contact with a woman in the area who then invited Linda to a meet-up with her friends. Let me fill you in on some of what makes Linda so fabulous.
Life for Linda began in Winnepeg, Canada. After high school, she attended college in Toronto for two years before transferring to McGill University in Montreal where she earned a degree in Psychology and then went on to earn another in Special Education. Her first job was as a teacher at a Jewish day school. A while later, Linda’s boyfriend at the time (and later husband) got a job offer in the US and so she moved with him to Toledo, Ohio. Unable to work in the US, she entered a Master’s program and earned two degrees; one in Educational Psychology and the other in Rehabilitation Management. During her time in the US, Linda got married and her daughter was born.
Eventually, life led the family back to Toronto and Linda began to look for a job. Needing childcare for her young daughter, Linda searched for a nanny/housekeeper but had little success. Out of her own necessity and a realization that other families must be facing the same challenge, Linda decided to start a placement agency which she ran successfully for 5 years. In the interim, she and her husband separated and divorced.
Despite the success of the nanny agency, Linda had wanted to work in a field related to her Rehabilitation Management degree. Jobs in this field didn’t really exist in Canada at that time but she was offered a job located in Detroit. As a caseworker for an insurance company, Linda was tasked with helping people who could no longer work in their previous occupation due to injury find new jobs. While she was happy with her job and a new relationship that she was in, shared custody of her daughter meant that she had to travel back to Toronto every weekend to see her. Linda remarried during this time and after a few years, she and husband #2 moved back to Canada so that she could be closer to her daughter.
Needing to find employment in a field that didn’t exist in Canada and relying on the success she’d enjoyed at her job in the US, Linda again started her own business, this time in vocational rehabilitation. Linda built a thriving business managing cases that were referred to her by insurance companies. At the start, many of the cases had been related to car accidents but it shifted more and more to worker’s comp cases after a change in Canada’s insurance regulations. With that shift, more and more of the cases were located in the US and Linda found herself traveling a lot.
Even though living in the US would’ve allowed for even more growth in her business, Linda put off relocating again until her daughter started college. When it came time to make the move, she opted for Florida because of the warm weather (unlike in Canada) and because it would be closer for traveling to see her daughter (who was then living in Montreal) than California. Her second marriage had ended a few years previously so she was making the move alone although she and her boyfriend at the time continued a long-distance relationship for several years. It was there that she made that dating app connection with a woman who introduced Linda to her friends, with whom several she became long-standing dear friends. One of those friends is the mother of Linda’s future son-in-law … Oy, what a story (but for another time.)
Life in Florida was good for Linda and her business continued to thrive. After about 6 years, Linda took on an equity partner in order to expand the business further. That partner eventually wanted to retire and sold his interest to a set of new partners who had a similar business to Linda’s. The new partners made personnel and structural changes to Linda’s operation even though initially they’d said that they wouldn’t. It was now 9 years since she had moved to Florida and the new partners told Linda that they needed her in their Los Angeles office. Her daughter was then living in the LA area so Linda was more than happy for the chance to live closer to her.
In the summer of 2013, Linda made the necessary arrangements to rent out her home in Florida, found a place to live in LA, and moved. A few months after that move was when she met The Husband’s friend Keith, a widower with two adult children. But after several months in LA, her business partners told her that they didn’t need her to be in Los Angeles anymore and that they wanted her to return to Florida. Linda pushed back and ultimately gave her notice because she was being treated more like an employee than a business partner. Next, she did what any other accomplished woman in the prime of her life would have done … she started over. Again.
With help of another woman who she had worked with and had quit when Linda did, along with a small investment from her new boyfriend, she set up another rehabilitation management business. But this time, instead of working for the insurance companies, Linda wanted to help the injured persons in their fight against the insurance companies. Linda started out by contacting the attorney for the client in the last case she had been working on for the previous business. She still does work with that attorney and many others. Once again, Linda had recognized an opportunity to provide a service to people in need and she built a business doing just that.
Linda told me that her proudest accomplishment, besides the influence she’s had on the wonderful person her daughter has become, is the success of her business. Seeing how much she helps people who might not be able to get the services she provides otherwise makes her immensely happy. It was no surprise to me when Linda told me that as a young girl she had wanted to be a doctor. Unfortunately, it was the dissection labs in biology that dissuaded her of that dream but not of the one to help people in need.
Aside from what she does now to help people in need, I asked Linda what would be her dream job. A gal after my own heart, her response was an interior designer. She and Keith had completely updated their beach getaway place in a glamorous coastal style. They bought a house together a couple of years ago and have been transforming it into a gorgeous home with a very modern and contemporary look. Linda has an excellent eye for style and can beat anyone in getting the best deal in furnishings. The photos in this post were taken in their living room and backyard; the adorable pup in a few of them is Daisy.
As I mentioned early on, Linda also likes to travel. She told me that the best trip she’d ever taken was the one she and Keith took to Hong Kong and Bali with her daughter. Linda said it was an incredible experience from the beginning to the end. I remember seeing the photos she shared on Facebook and it did look like they were having a fabulous time. When traveling, Linda says that she likes to get as much of an authentic experience of the places visits, from enjoying the local cuisine, exploring the culture, and shopping for unique souvenirs. On her bucket list of places Linda hopes to visit in the future are Morocco, Australia, and Puglia, Italy.
Along with all of the things going on in her own life, Linda is busy helping plan the details of her daughter’s upcoming February wedding. In addition, Keith’s daughter and son-in-law became first-time parents back in February. They help out the new parents by watching their grandbaby two days a week. When I asked Linda what her perfect day would be, she told me “sleeping in, relaxing at a spa, and then dinner overlooking a beach … except if the baby comes over because that’s a perfect day no matter what else happens”.
Let’s Wrap This Up
Now, onto the Fine-Whatever link-up. My featured blogger from last week is Britt, the self-described main face behind Not Your Mom’s Gifts. She fully understands that giving gifts that are both meaningful and useful can be really hard sometimes so Britt and her team created an online community that connects people with beautiful, practical, and affordable gift ideas. Another woman building a business based on helping others.
Finishing up on this post, I hope you’ve enjoyed this introduction to Linda, one of the fabulous women I’m honored to call my friend. October is the next month with a fifth Saturday and I have another awesome woman lined up to introduce to you. However, I’m still looking to fill slots for next year so be warned my other friends and family, I may soon be calling to ask you for a favor. Please consider saying yes.
Be well and let’s stay in touch! Subscribe, tweet, follow, friend, pin … all options are available. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
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Photos: MMPerez
40 Comments
I really enjoy this series and reading about your friends! I love how she found a need that needed to be addressed and created a company to help fulfill that need.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Mireille, I’m glad that you’re enjoying this series and especially reading about Linda. She is an exceptional person.
Lovely to meet Linda. You have such interesting friends and write beautifully.
Thank you so much, Gail. It is my pleasure to offer these posts.
What a woman. Talk about starting over again and again.
XOOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Jodie, yes she is quite an amazing woman.
How lovely your post is, thank you so much for sharing it – a lovely tribute to your friend. Jacqui x
Jacqui, I’m so glad that you liked this post and enjoyed reading about Linda.
Thank you for introducing us to Linda! I have to say, I really love interior design, too… except, I am so good at starting a project and not finishing it! Lol! And, I love to travel… I hope to be able to do more traveling soon. We just did a small trip to Myrtle Beach this year for my daughters dance nationals, but didn’t plan anything else with Covid. Have a lovely weekend!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Carrie, sometimes it’s nice to just have a little bit of downtime to enjoy taking things more slowly. I’m glad that you enjoyed reading about my friend Linda.
She has done so much and shows you you don’t just need to work one job your whole life – she’s tried so many things!
Also adore her cute little pup – smiling just like you tow in that last photo! 🙂
Thank you for the link up!
Hope you are having a nice weekend 🙂 We will be at home enjoying this rare summer-like warmth in the middle of winter 🙂
Mica, Linda is quite a special woman.
I really love this series and learning about inspiring women! Thank you for introducing Linda!
Jill – Doused in Pink
I couldn’t even remember you with dark hair. Lovely read, thank you.
Nancy, dark hair was a long time ago, LOL. I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
Jill, I’m happy to hear that you like this series and enjoyed the introduction to Linda.
Wow, what an inspiration Linda is! I love the end when she said any day the grand baby comes over is a perfect day! That is so special. It sounds like you have a wonderful friend in this amazing woman. Thanks for sharing her story with us!
Shelbee
http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com
Shelbee, isn’t Linda quite the inspiration? I’m glad that you enjoyed the post and learning about another of my fabulous friends.
Just reading about Linda’s moves and businesses made me tired. LOL! I admire people with that kind of persistence and determination.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
Michelle, Linda is definitely a gal full of persistence and determination. One to be admired, for sure.
I find it so fun to read about your friends! Linda had done so much in her life- wow I’m so impressed by how she adapts so well to change in every aspect while moving on. Such determination is commendable- what an inspiration to keep moving forward and to just do it!
Lucy, it was quite a revelation for me as well to hear Linda’s life story. She is a remarkable woman.
Wow Linda sounds like a go-getter! What an inspiration. I love reading about women like her! Thank you so much for the feature & for hosting this link-up!! I’m honored that you chose to feature me along side Linda 🙂
Britt, you’re quite welcome and I’m glad that you enjoyed the post.
What a cool profile on an amazing and talented woman! I love her drive to help people, and through so much personal change. Thanks for this great look at your friend, Rena!
Thank you for the link-party!
I’m glad you liked this profile on my friend Linda, Sheila.
So nice to meet Linda! Thanks for introducing us.
You’re welcome and thank you for letting me know that you liked it.
That is one cute pup!! ♥♥♥
Wendy TheInspiredEater.com
She is a sweetie.
I love this series! Thank you for introducing Linda!
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
I’m glad that you enjoyed the post, Lovely.
I enjoyed meeting Linda; she is resilient. I think I’ll steal her idea the next time we move and use a dating app to meet like minded people. Now that is outside the box thinking!
Nylse, thank you for letting me know that you liked the post. Linda’s idea for meeting like-minded people is a unique one, indeed.
Linda is an incredible woman! I enjoyed learning more about her. She has had so many accomplishments in her life and worked hard for what she has!
Linda is a wonderful example of how to keep moving forward even when faced with a setback. I’m glad that you enjoyed reading about her.
Linda is really such a wonderful person. Great to know about her. Wonderful Post! Have a great day!
Rampdiary | Fineartandyou | Beautyandfashionfreaks
Yes, Linda is a wonderful person.
Linda is such an inspiring women. She is a go-getter! Thanks for sharing this info! Allurerage
Thetrendybride
It is inspiring to know about women like Linda who have overcome hardships and been successful in their lives.