In this blog post:

From Food Stamps to 7-Figures: The Mindset That Changed Everything
Why Growing Up Poor Was the Best Thing That Happened to Me

I grew up in a laundry room.

Not metaphorically. Literally!!

My bedroom was a converted laundry space, complete with that industrial sink that I used to stare at and wonder, "Why is there a sink here?"

My mom and I couldn't afford proper furniture, so we got creative. A bookshelf became my "closet" — balanced precariously on top of that sink, holding my folded clothes in neat little stacks.

We couldn't actually afford books to put on a bookshelf, which now strikes me as both tragic and beautifully ironic. Here I was, sleeping next to empty shelves that were meant to hold knowledge, dreams, and stories — but instead held my hand-me-down t-shirts and the underwear that I hand washed.

Looking back, I realize that sink was asking me the most important question of my life: "What are you going to do with what you've got?"

**Here’s a pic of the laundry room’s corner, where I slept.**
*The room size was 5 feet x 8 feet.* *And* y
*es that’s carpet on the wall…*
*Taken in 2010.*

The Thing About Starting Points

Here's what I've learned: it's not about where you start or what you're given. It's about how you perceive your situation.

It's about the story you tell yourself about your circumstances, and more importantly, what you decide to do with that story.

I could have looked at my laundry room bedroom and seen poverty. I could have looked at my single mom struggling and seen tragedy. But I didn't. Somewhere in that cramped space, I made a decision that would change everything: I decided that my circumstances were not my ceiling.

When Life Gives You "No," You Say "I'll Figure It Out"

No dad? Didn't need one. I refused to let his absence define what I was capable of achieving. I had my mom, I had myself, and that felt like enough.

No money? Well, the minimum working age is 15, so I'd work when I got there. I had four minimum wage jobs by the time I was 17. I was a paper filer (no, seriously), museum tour guide, folded clothes at retail stores, and interned at . Each paycheck was a tiny victory, proof that I could create something from nothing.

Those jobs taught me more than any business school ever could. They taught me about showing up, about the value of a dollar, and most importantly, about the dignity that comes from earning your own way.

No parental guidance? YouTube became my mentor. I remember searching "how to make friends" and binging videos — a stranger on the internet teaching me something my absent father couldn't and my overwhelmed mother hadn't gotten around to explaining. That moment taught me that information is everywhere if you're willing to look for it.

The University of YouTube

YouTube didn't just teach me about how to make friends or the best way to apply mascara. It became my entire education system. Can't afford tutoring? YouTube has math and science tutorials. Want to understand how compound interest works? YouTube. Curious about starting a business? YouTube.

I spent hours watching videos, taking notes, practicing what I learned. I treated every tutorial like a masterclass, every creator like a professor. While other kids were watching TV, I was getting a world-class education for free.

The beautiful irony wasn't lost on me — the same platform that taught me the basics of being a teenage girl also taught me the fundamentals of business.

From Student to Teacher

Fast forward a few years, and I found myself on the other side of the screen. I started creating content, sharing my journey, being vulnerable about my story. I used the same platforms that had educated me to build something extraordinary — a business that would generate seven figures in just two years.

The laundry room girl who used to watch other people's success stories was now creating her own… :’)

The Luxury of Choice

That business didn't just change my bank account — it changed my entire universe of possibilities. Suddenly, I could afford to solo travel the world, something that had seemed impossible when I was handwashing socks and undies, budgeting my $8/hour paycheck to somehow afford college.

I found myself living in the most luxurious spaces I had ever imagined. Luxury Airbnbs in Thailand became my temporary home offices. I booked same-day flights to Dubai… just to skydive the Palm.

I was experiencing a level of abundance that my younger self couldn't have even dreamed of.

But here's what's interesting — the luxury wasn't just about the material things. The real luxury was choice. The luxury was being able to wake up in Dubai one week and London the next, not because I had to, but because I wanted to.

I remember the first time I stayed in a hotel suite with a bathroom that was bigger than the (laundry) room I grew up in. I called my mom and gave her a virtual tour via FaceTime. We both cried — happy tears, overwhelmed tears, "how did we get here" tears.

The Plot Twist

The most beautiful plot twist in this entire story is that social media both raised me AND changed my life trajectory. YouTube, the free university that taught me everything from personal hygiene to personal finance, became the vehicle for my transformation.

I went from being a consumer of content… to a creator of a new life. From watching other people's success stories to writing my own!!

But the real transformation wasn't financial — it was psychological. I had gone from seeing myself as someone who needed help to someone who could provide it.

What It's Really About

So what's it really about? It's definitely not about where you start in life. It's not about what you're given or what you're denied. It's not about your circumstances, your family situation, or your bank account balance.

It's about how you take it all in. It's about the story you tell yourself about your situation and what you decide to do with that story.

It's about whether you see obstacles or opportunities, whether you focus on what you lack or what you can create.

I chose to see my laundry room as a launching pad, not a limitation. I chose to see my single mom as a model of strength, not a symbol of brokenness. I chose to see my empty bookshelves as space for future stories, not evidence of poverty.

Your Laundry Room Moment

Here's what I want you to understand: we all have laundry room moments. We all have people and events that ask us uncomfortable questions. We all have circumstances that feel limiting, resources that feel insufficient, and dreams that feel impossible.

The difference between those who transform their lives and those who stay stuck isn't talent, luck, or even opportunity. It's the willingness to see your starting point as exactly that — a starting point, not a permanent address.

Your laundry room might be literal poverty, or it might be a dead-end job, a toxic relationship, a health challenge, or simply the feeling that you're not living up to your potential.

Whatever it is, it's asking you the same question that sink asked me: "What are you going to do with what you've got?"

The answer to that question will determine everything.

From Laundry Room to Limitless

Today, when I'm traveling the world, living in beautiful spaces, and building a business that impacts thousands of people, I still think about that laundry room. Not with sadness or embarrassment, but with gratitude. It taught me that luxury isn't about what you have — it's about what you do with what you have.

Your story is still being written. Your circumstances are not your ceiling. Your starting point is not your ending point.

The question isn't where you begin. The question is what you do with the beginning you've been given.

With love and endless possibility,

Linda ✨

P.S. — Sometimes the most beautiful transformations happen when we honor where we came from while embracing where we're going.

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