Linda is a faithful client, mother and business woman of 25 years until she came to the realizations, “Wait, was this really what I want to do?” If you can, Linda, can you give a quick synopsis of where your life was a couple years ago before we met?
Thank you Dani. I was sold the world’s idea of Success. My parents were very young when they had me and while I was growing up, a lot of things happened. When I was 17 I was given the equivalent of about $50 and sent out into the world. From that point on I was very driven, very motivated to make something of myself. To prove everyone wrong.

By the time I was a young adult I was completely wrapped up in my business. I was known for that success and from the outside I had a very success career. But I was broken inside. I had been married, it lasted 4 months, which is something I’m not too proud of.

My life was a fast paced string of broken relationships, stress and conflict. That brings us to 2012, my 40th birthday. It was the 10th anniversary of my marriage to my second husband that was near divorce. And at that time we were $250K in debt. I was looking at a pile of debt, about to close my business and file bankruptcy.

When did you hear about us?
I had a friend, Richard, who every time I saw him would talk about Dani Johnson. He kept telling me I needed this training and I would tell him, “That’s great it worked for you but I don’t have time for that.” I was struggling to keep my business together, my marriage together.

I ignored him for a year until I finally said let’s have lunch and why don’t you tell me more about this.

How amazing that your friend persisted with you!
We weren’t even that close! I only knew him from church and I even asked him, “Why did you keep pushing me about this?” And he said he saw me as a strong female business woman but he could just see the potential influence I could have and knew I needed this. I can’t even tell you, I’ve had friends for 20 years who wouldn’t be as persistent as Richard was with me.

And if I hadn’t finally listened I would be divorced, in worse debt and bankrupt.

Linda you were on a path to destruction and did a total 180. You finally went to First Steps To Success in London, what happened that caused that major change? What steps did you take?
Dani the most profound experience was your tool called GEMS. For the first time in my life I came across a group of people who knew who they were. They were driven, confident, they looked like me! And it solved my identity crisis I’d been having for the past 40 years. I never knew where I fit in.

So what happened next?
We were trying for years to have another baby and 3 weeks after our first event I became pregnant with my baby girl. I stepped out of our business, which was a big big thing for me. My identity up to that point was so wrapped up in business that it was huge and I stepped away from it to become a full time mom. And for the past 2 years I’ve been learning to cook, bake, clean and do the laundry and be ok with all of it. I’ve been home schooling my 7-year-old who is absolutely thriving in that environment.

I have friends who look at my life and tell me I look so happy and balanced in my life now.

Me and my husband have the most unbelievable relationship and we hold each other accountable now.

I love working full time, and I gave it up to be a full time mom and shockingly our business is being blessed with more and more business now.

You found your purpose, how does that feel?
It’s the biggest blessing. I used to hold on to guilt wondering how to balance time with my business, my husband, my kids and not lose my mind. What I found out is it’s not actually not that difficult! When I live with the right priorities, servant of God first, wife second, mother third and business woman 4th… it all flows together.