Meet Linda Hoopes, a friend and client we’ve worked with for over a decade. She’s a speaker, author and consultant. Linda has inspired us for years through her writing, photography and music. Her passion for life is contagious!
Why do you do what you do?
I help people and organizations learn to thrive in turbulence. I believe that people have within and around them the resources to address the challenges they face. It is joyful and important work to help people build their capability to take on larger and more meaningful challenges, because the world needs all of us bringing our best selves forward and working together to create a positive future.
What would you want others to know about your work?
Most of my work is done through others. I prepare leaders and helpers to teach and coach people dealing with a broad range of challenges–practitioners I have trained are working with school teachers, business leaders, survivors of trauma, entrepreneurs, caregivers, people with chronic illness, and many more. I use my experience and knowledge in workplace psychology, organizational change, resilience, well-being, human energy, photography, music, massage, and sailboat racing to inform my writing, speaking, and teaching.
At what moment did you know you were a leader?
It’s been a gradual realization rather than one specific moment. Each time someone tells me that they feel valued and lifted up by working with me, or tells me that I have inspired or taught them in some way, I gain a little more confidence in myself as a leader and influencer.
Who are the women you look up to?
There are so many! The ones coming to mind right now are my sisters, who have each found ways to balance family, work, and their own well-being to bring wisdom and insight to the world. I also tend to look up to woman pioneers and adventurers in science, business, politics, the arts, and life.
If you could lift up or spotlight another woman, who would she be and why?
I love the life and work of Emilia Lahti, from whom I have learned a lot about the Finnish concept of “sisu” which is about displaying courage and determination in the face of adversity. She is passionate about ending the silence around abuse and interpersonal violence.
How can we support an initiative you care about?
One of the initiatives I’ve become interested in is Conscious Capitalism, which is a movement of people who believe that business can and should be a force for social good. I am passionate about figuring out how we can bring voices on all sides of the political spectrum together to work toward a better future for our country and the world, and this is one place I believe we can start. You can support it by learning more about it at www.consciouscapitalism.org and, if you find that it resonates with you, putting some of its principles into practice in your own work.
