Meet Linda Daubenspeck

We were lucky to catch up with Linda Daubenspeck recently and have shared our conversation below.

Linda, thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. One of the things we most admire about you is your generosity and so we’d love if you could talk to us about where you think your generosity comes from.

The quality of being kind and generous seems to have been in my genetic as well as my environmental makeup from day one. Those who have gone before me planted the seeds. I grew up in a rural area of Southern Indiana, in the town of Canaan. I could, and still can, name the individuals who lived in every house in town. All tolled, the grand total was almost one hundred. I realize this will sound like fiction, or like a story written a hundred years ago, but my house had one bedroom and no indoor plumbing. There were two double beds in the bedroom. My parents slept in one. My older sister and I slept in the other. Was I poor? Not that I knew. Oh, looking back, we didn’t have much money or possessions. My sister and I wore homemade clothes and hand me downs, but poor? Absolutely not! As far as we were concerned, we were rich beyond our wildest dreams. We had everything we needed. We were loved by our parents, grandparents and extended family. We had a literal ‘village’ of a hundred people that treated us as though we were family. We had a fantastic church. Everyone gave of their time, their energy, their possessions and their love to anyone who needed it. Whether it was giving garden produce to others in the summer, or area farmers pitching in to get crops harvested for a neighbor who was hospitalized, or women preparing meals for a funeral or the birth of a child, or anyone available helping a little boy with Downs Syndrome learn to walk, our community freely gave of themselves. We shared what we had, and we gave without hesitation. Life as I knew it could not have been better, and the childhood that I experienced prepared me to give as was given to me. Philippians 4:12 (NIV) states, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” My parents and my community embraced this idea of contentment – and generosity – to my sister and I throughout our early lives. It wasn’t until I was much older that I even thought about the possibility that we might have been poor.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am a people person and enjoy interacting with people from all walks of life. For approximately 25 years, I worked in the sales department of a manufacturing facility. This is a fantastic family owned company that was ‘home’ to both my husband and I for a very long time. They allowed us to raise our family. My sales position allowed me to develop phone relationships with people from all over the world. Approximately seven and a half years ago, I approached my boss and informed him I was interested in a new challenge. I was getting burned out and did not want to be that frustrated and negative person who became bitter prior to retirement. Every time I would see my boss in the hallway, he would say he had not forgotten our conversation. Several months went by. One day I received a request to meet with him and the head of the Human Resources department. I went into panic mode, trying to think what I had done or who I might have offended to be called to the ‘principal’s office’. Little did I know that someone was leaving a position within that department, and he offered it to me. I accepted, and it was the best decision I could have made. I was honored to serve the company and its approximately seven hundred employees for seven plus years, interacting one-on-one with individuals as well as entire departments in ways I had never had the opportunity or privilege to do previously. Seven and a half years ago, I could not have imagined a more challenging and fitting culmination to my career. Frustrated? Bitter? Not a chance! I was able to finish strong. My employer allowed me to create a position where I truly was a ‘human’ resource. I did not fulfill the typical HR employee assignment. My role was employee engagement, and I spent the vast majority of my time interacting with people. If I had not put myself out there and stepped into the unknown, I wouldn’t have experienced the high point of my career. With the help of so many coworkers, I was able to achieve something I didn’t realize was even possible, and I have nothing but wonderful memories.

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?

There are many qualities, skills and areas of knowledge which are necessary for success in any endeavor. Therefore limiting my selections to three was very difficult. In many ways, I feel that there are components of each which overlap. The three that I chose are a good work ethic, optimism /a positive attitude and adaptability. The first, a good work ethic is an absolute must. Show up and do the work! Be reliable and take responsibility for your actions. If your employer knows that you are reliable, they will come to rely upon you. Be honest and trustworthy. Do not give them reasons to question you or your actions. An employee with a good work ethic is someone to be extremely valued.
Be optimistic. Keep a positive attitude about everything and everyone you encounter. Even if it isn’t the best of circumstances, look for the best – in people and in situations. Whether it’s during the struggle or how the outcome will affect your life going forward, look for the good. Looking at every situation with gloom and doom breeds negativity. Avoid complaining. And SMILE! The more grateful and thankful we are, the more opportunities we will have for which to be grateful and thankful. My husband has a saying that speaks volumes, “Be thankful for the problems you don’t have.”
The third is adaptability. Be willing to go with the flow, to switch gears mid-stream. Be open minded and do what it takes to get the job done. Embrace – rather than fear – change. It is inevitable, and if you don’t embrace it, you will be left behind. How can you adapt in order to work with others for the common good? How can you put your best foot forward? How can you learn more, do more or develop skills to enhance your job security? Get creative. Take criticism and be open to feedback. We all make mistakes. Learn from them and use them for growth.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

I notified my former boss in December of 2023 that I was planning to retire in January of this year. The entire year was spent letting go of the reins on projects under my supervision. I was ‘excluded’ (in a very complimentary manner) of long range goal setting and event planning. I also spent a great deal of time and energy, outside of work, developing a personal ‘to do’ list of things I wanted to get accomplished. This list included activities I wanted to be involved with, organizations where I wanted to volunteer and classes I wanted to take when the time came. My husband of 39 years was planning to retire a year later. However, as the year progressed, it became evident that my husband was experiencing some major health issues. After months of doctors’ visits and tests, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in November of 2024. Suffice it to say, that retirement is not what I thought it would be. I have always been a positive person and continue to be. I made the realization that ‘you don’t know what you don’t know’ until you are faced with the situation. It seems that I had blinders on to scenarios that I had never faced previously. I have been blessed beyond measure and have not had a tremendous amount of bad things happen in my life. I had a wonderful upbringing with great Christian role models. I met and married a fantastic Christian man. Our marriage is strong and always has been, with communication high on our priority list. We have three adult children with great daughters and son in laws and five adorable grandchildren. An infant daughter died shortly after birth, and we’ve had our share of deaths of family members and friends. However, I have discovered that if I haven’t personally experienced something, the empathy for those who are going through those experiences hasn’t been present. Oh, the words were there, and I genuinely felt sympathy for them, but empathy? No. I had not walked their walk, but I’m trying to do better about putting myself in their shoes. My husband’s cancer journey continues with ups and downs. He and I have always enjoyed traveling, so during the good times, we are continuing our adventures, checking items off our bucket lists and enjoying every minute with which we are gifted.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: Linda Eades Daubenspeck