Meet Linda Mauro

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Linda Mauro. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Linda below.

Hi Linda, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

My work ethic comes from my parents and upbringing. I grew up watching them work while raising three daughters, which taught me the value of perseverance and responsibility. I’ve always pushed through challenges, and that’s where my work ethic comes from.

For me, handling stress in tough situations is directly tied to my work ethic. When I have no choice but to work, I have to learn how to manage the challenges that come with it—and with life. I believe that life teaches strength through adversity, and every challenge I’ve faced has been a lesson that has shaped who I am today.

When things get tough, I rely on persistence, perseverance, and the belief that there is always an end in sight. I see obstacles as opportunities to grow, and I use my past experiences as a guide to keep pushing forward.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I began my career in the fashion industry, focusing on marketing, advertising, and promotions. My journey has been shaped by my commitment to organizational leadership, adaptability, and the ability to leverage transferable skills. I enjoy bringing creativity and innovation into my role and I aim to lead by example. What inspires me is the support I can give to others working towards their own personal and professional development. I try to incorporate that into my leadership responsibilities daily.

I was an early career pivoter. After graduating from college and stepping into the fast-paced, competitive world of fashion, I learned quickly, worked hard, met my fears and defeat, and constantly pushed myself to grow. One day, I paused to ask: What’s next? What else can I do with my career? I didn’t have a clear answer at the time, but I knew I wanted to apply my skills in a new way. Living and working in New York City, I took inspiration from my surroundings and explored opportunities beyond the fashion industry.

My background in fashion—built on passion, resilience, self-motivation, innovation, and extreme attention to detail—became a gateway to higher education and leadership. I joined the Berkeley College enrollment team and with proven success, advanced into leadership roles throughout my journey. I was charged with some tough tasks that transformed my ability to take on some incredible leadership roles. For example in my first year being a COO I was tasked to collaborate on an architectural redesign and campus renovation to improve student, faculty, and staff engagement through space planning. I consider myself a visionary and am inspired through my creative mindset. Then, drawing from my fashion background and needing to rebuild, I launched the Designer-in-Residence program at the New York City campus, providing rising fashion creatives with a design studio/showroom space while offering students hands-on learning, industry exposure, internship, and inspiring opportunities. We are now embarking on year three of the 2025-26 Designer in Residence program, at @BerkeleyCollege and I couldn’t be more excited to watch the program grow.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back on the three qualities /skills or areas of knowledge that impacted me:

1. Have a plan and it’s ok to make changes along the way.
2. Having a growth mindset leads to success
3. Allow yourself to grow from the discomfortAllow yourself to be vulnerable as a learning opportunity; learn from mistakes as learning experiences.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

When I feel overwhelmed I like to listen to the silence and focus on what’s good. I remind myself, that things happen for a reason, own your feelings and learn from them. I do not like to play the blame game. Accountability is key. I don’t like being stuck in the overwhelming moment, I’d rather find ways to see the positives and balance them with the learning outcomes. I find value in surrounding myself with my husband, family, dog and allowing laughter in. I enjoy a healthy lifestyle and working out which is a great stress reliever!

Image Credits

City and State NY