How a Health Crisis Gave Design Consultant Linda Holt Courage to Reimagine Her Life
The first time she met with her oncologist after being diagnosed with cancer, design consultant and professional photographer Linda Holt listened through tears as her doctor told her something difficult to absorb. After recovery, the doctor said most of her patients tell her that cancer was the best “gift” they ever received.
But now that the ordeal of cancer surgery and arduous treatments is behind her, Linda agrees with the assessment of her fellow cancer survivors.
“After my initial disbelief, I began to think of everything on my ‘bucket list,’ wondering, ‘What is holding me back?,’” she says. “Facing the worst and my own mortality brought me to a turning point that helped me overcome my fear of failure. I was emboldened to start living the life I really wanted.”
Today, 6 years later, Linda is thriving in an innovative career niche she carved out for herself, has moved from a large country home to a city condo minutes from Boston and has gained self-confidence, joy and courage. “I love getting up every day,” she says.
Here’s a look at how Linda reimagined her career, reimagined her outlook and reimagined her home:
- Reimagining her career. For most of her career until 2010, Linda was a professional photographer, but always had a passion for design. She followed that passion in 2008, studying interior decorating for two years. After graduating, she opened a full-service interior design firm that she was running at the time of her diagnosis in 2015.
During hours of sitting in the chemo chair or laying face down on the radiation table, Linda had time to think about her priorities and removing negativity from her life.
“I began to realize that the full-service design business was not a good fit for me because of my personality type,” she says. “There was a lot of stress when things went wrong or clients got upset, and projects took months to complete.
What I really enjoyed was when a client hired me for a 2-hour design or color consultation. They were delighted with the ideas and direction I gave them, and I went home uplifted with no worries about follow up or mired down in all the details. It was a win-win.”
With newfound clarity from her cancer struggle, Linda knew that becoming a design and color consultant full-time was the right career path, but it meant taking a big risk in walking away from the bread-and-butter income of her full-service interior design business. Cancer helped her find that courage.
“Once I had faced something so life-threatening, it put everything in perspective, and I realized that, as scary as starting something new was, it was not cancer.” Linda pivoted to her “sweet-spot,” providing design and color consultation for clients.
Then, her sweet spot got even sweeter when she worked with a business coach who suggested she also embrace her photography experience and combine both design consulting and photography in her brand. During the COVID shut-down, Linda created evergreen video teaching modules on how to photograph interior design projects.
Now, Linda enjoys a specialized niche as a certified color and interior decorating consultant who guides homeowners to decorate their own homes and as a former professional photographer who helps designers save money by teaching them to take better photos of their own projects or who edits their photos for them if they don’t have the skills or time.
This is a dining nook Linda designed in a small condo for one of her clients. The starting point was the turquoise and green window valance and the client’s love of turquoise. The dining set is the client’s grandmother’s, and they painted the chairs a spring green.
- Reimagining her outlook. “There’s no longer negativity and drama in my life,” Linda says. Shortly after her recovery as she was regaining the strength to get up and around, one incident looms seminal in her mind that illustrated her transformed outlook.
“I went to Starbucks and had to wait in a very long line. Everyone around me was complaining. But I actually felt joy because I took in my surroundings and the people in line with renewed interest. I studied the colors on the walls and took note of the smells and sounds and watched baristas work. I became 100% present in my daily life more than ever before.”
She also gained a new confidence. “When I was finished with all my treatments and declared cancer free, I felt like Superwoman for what I had gone through. My tolerance for self-doubt and perceived shortcomings such as my appearance, my age, my design schooling (or lack of) is close to zero. Things that used to frighten me like public speaking or truly putting myself out there now seem like a piece of cake.”
- Reimagining her home. When she recovered from cancer, Linda and her husband still lived in the large country home where they’d raised their family in Boxford, Mass. They had always wanted to live near the city of Boston, allowing them to spend lots of time walking in the city, but had put off such a drastic change and downsizing. No more…they sold their home and moved to a condo 15 minutes from downtown Boston.
Linda loves her new home, which she says helps them to live their best life because of the inspiring surroundings.
A home is the foundation of a happy life, Linda says. “I like to wrap rooms in an envelope of neutrals and layer in the color. If you surround yourself with colors you love, they support you, they energize you, calm you and inspire you.”
Her favorite room is a small seating area just off the kitchen and dining room that features walls of windows and lots of plants and includes a large moss wall hanging as a tribute to Linda’s love of nature.
“I enjoy sitting there in the mornings in the swivel chair with a cup of coffee. It is a meditative space, my quiet sanctuary before I go off to work.”
Linda’s previous studio space in her larger home showcases the love of color she brought with her into her new home. Of everything in this room, she kept the fern filled planter to bring with her into their smaller condo.
It’s important to not let go of those things you genuinely love, even when downsizing.
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Linda, thank you for being willing to open up and share such a very personal story with the readers of #designhappyliving. I hope your story will encourage others who are currently facing a life crisis to have the courage you did to re-imagine their best life, and then to take action to make it happen.
Get to know Linda on Instagram at https://instagram.com/lholtcreative.
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As always, thank you for taking a bit of time out of your day to read my blog.
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Again, thank you. I appreciate each and everyone of you.
In Gratitude
Leslie
Thank you for sharing this inspiring story
Good morning, Asta, and thank you for taking the time to read Linda’s VERY inspiring story.
She truly has designed a very happy life for herself, after all she’s been through, and I’m grateful she was willing to share her story with readers of Design Happy Living.
Good morning, Asta, and you’re welcome. I’m so glad you enjoyed reading it. I really appreciated Linda being willing to share it here. She’s a gem.
It’s wonderful to learn more about Linda’s experiences and her courage in designing a life that she’s loves. Thank you for sharing this inspirational story!
Good morning, Donna, and thank you for taking the time to read the inspiring story of Linda Holt’s life. She’s an inspiration to me, too, and I was so grateful that she agreed to let this part of her life’s story, which hasn’t been told online before, be shared here with my readers.
Be blessed!
There are so many noteworthy takeaways Leslie. Linda thank you for sharing your story here and congratulations on your intentional living and the beauty that you create every day. Coincidentally, I lived in Boxford too. It was nice for a while but soooo cold in the winters. You made a great choice to move closer to Boston. Take good care! xo
Hi Gigi ~
Thank you for taking a few minutes to leave a comment. I’m so glad you found worthwhile takeaways from reading the post about Linda’s inspiring story about how she designed a happy life for herself after her diagnosis and treatment. Knowing you a bit as I do, I hope you found her story of intentionality encouraging.
Thank you again, Gigi.
Linda is such a special, kind, brave and thoughtful person. I am so happy she is living her dreams! She certainly deserves it!
Hi Kelly!
It’s nice to hear from you! I totally agree with you re: Linda. She is such a special person..so brave,kind,thoughtful..and a very talented photographer and designer.
I appreciate you leaving a comment and I hope life is treating you well!
Beautiful story of hope and encouragement.
Good morning, Joanne. Linda’s story surely is that. I was so honored that she agreed to share it here.
Thanks for taking your time to read it and leave a comment.
Hi Leslie,
Having known Linda Holt during and after her health journey . I will say that in Linda finding her happiness she has also helped me find additional joy and creativity. Linda and I share our love of interior design, photography and..the challenge and triumph over cancer. Linda is the real deal and inspires and brings a smile to so many people. Linda as one of your fans and friends it was wonderful to read this story.
Good morning, Peggy, and what a wonderful comment. Thank you for taking the time to share this. And yes, like you, Linda is the *real deal* and she sure does bring a smile to many people…like you do, too.
I wish you a wonderful week ahead, Peggy!
Thank you for sharing such an inspiring story, I took away so much and feel encouraged.
That makes me so happy to read, Carla..as that is the mission of this blog: to help my readers feel inspired, encouraged, uplifted and more joyful!
PS: I loved your recent blog on the color PINK, and found the brownish pink I want to paint my own walls by reading it!
Have a great week ahead!
What a beautiful and inspirational story! This really inspires me to take a step back and reevaluate what is most important to me in my life. Thanks so much for sharing.
Hi Lisa ~
Thank you for taking a few minutes to read Linda’s story. She constantly inspires me to reach for more, do more, and I’m glad she’s encouraged you to re-evaluate what’s most important in your life.
Have a great week ahead!
Thank you for sharing Linda’s inspiring journey, Leslie! It is remarkable how often unwanted life events are what help us reevaluate what is most important and gain perspective and courage!
Hi Anne~
It really is true, isn’t it? Unexpected life events show us – sometimes – what we really want fir our lives and that we are capable of maintaining the discipline necessary to achieve those goals. Sam is such a great example of that & I’m glad you took the time to read this post. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing your brave and inspiring story so that others may find the courage to re-imagine their own lives. Oh, and I love that fern planter too!!
Thank you, Mary Ann! I appreciate you taking a bit of time to leave a comment!
This is such a wonderful article on Linda. Although I have known Linda online for many years, I was delighted to meet her during one of our KBIS trips. You know when you meet someone and they are exactly who you think they are? That is Linda!
When Linda created her photography class, I knew I would be purchasing it. It has been so wonderful to learn new tricks (from the pro) and be able to put them into action for my own business. She has a wonderful way of explaining everything and I would recommend her class to anyone!
Leslie, what a great feature!
Sheri: Thank you so much for the kind words. And yes, I know what you mean about Linda. She is exactly who she is whether talking with her online or offline.
And it’s wonderful that you’ve purchased her photography class. She’s so good at it and everyone I know who’s taken it has learned so much! I am sure she appreciates your additional testimonial for it here, too!
Have a wonderful week ahead, Sheri!
What an inspiring story. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for taking a few minutes to read Linda’s story, Vanessa. It truly IS inspiring and I am grateful that she was willing to share it here.
Thank you for reading, Vanessa, and thank you!