Incredible Woman #8 - Linda Black. Monday's questions...

KARA: "Please tell us about yourself (hobbies, talents, introduce yourself). What do you think makes you an incredible woman?"

LINDA: "What makes me incredible? Hummm…I’m incredibly normal, average, nothing special, just “unique” like everyone else!

Background: I grew up in Salt Lake on the West side and attended West High School as a teen. I really enjoyed my growing up years and spent many hours in gymnastics, cheerleading, orchestra, and academic studies. I was never really good at one thing, but had a lot of interests. My dad was a school teacher and my mom stayed home to raise eight kids. She is a very good cook, a trait that sadly did not get handed down to me. I graduated from High School in 1981 (so many years ago) and went to college at BYU. At the end of my freshman year, a friend of mine talked me into trying out for the BYU cheer squad. It sounded fun to me so I went to tryouts. I made it and spent the next two years cheering for BYU. This afforded me a lot of opportunities to travel. I went on my first plane ride (to Las Vegas no less) with the team and I can still remember the take off and how it felt like a roller coaster. I love to fly!

I met my husband Rick while in college. I was working at Utah Technical College (now UVU) as a math lab assistant. Rick was taking math and showed up in the lab for some help with his homework. He never asked me for help but he did ask me out on a date! His passion for the outdoors was a trait that I immediately fell in love with and a year later we were married in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. I graduated a year after that with a BS in Computer Science.

One distinction that I hold is that I have always had a job. Since the age of 15 working at Baskin Robbins in downtown SLC I have always worked. The only time I’ve had off is when my kids were born. Life is hectic when you have 4 kids and are working full time. I did go to part time work and finally in 2003 quit the corporate scene to pursue my love of fitness. I started a company called Corporate Yoga where I bring yoga on-site to the work force. A year later I bought an existing yoga business from a good friend of mine and today co-own Lifted Life Yoga Center with my best friend Julie Branham."

KARA: "You are a busy mom with 4 kids – describe your children, what do you love about each one? What is a typical day like at the Black household?"

LINDA: "My children are each so different. Mike, the oldest nearing 22, has always been obedient, always in the right place at the right time and creates incredible opportunities for himself by working smart. He has a lot of self motivation and is an easy child to raise. Elliot, who is nearing 20, I would say, taught me patience and a lot about what NOT to do as a parent. Hence, I learned a lot about parenting while raising him. He is very kind and loving. He likes to ponder deep questions, is skilled with his hands and makes friends easily. I love that he always gives people the benefit of the doubt. Alexis is 17 and I love her smile and she has an infectious laugh. She is a caring person and great with kids. Madison, the youngest at 13, is a creative soul and the party maker. If you need assistance with a party, she will think up a theme, make the invitations, write a list of needed decorations and food, and put it all together for you. A great help to me since I don’t have a spec of party creativity in my body. I am the work-a-holic not the party gal.

A typical day is never typical at our house. We don’t have a set schedule or routine. (It takes a lot of planning to be this disorganized and still get things done.) Rick, my husband, works for the SLC fire department and is on for 48 hours and then off for four days. On his four days off he usually works a couple of 12 hour shifts with Life Flight as a Flight Paramedic. So some days we eat as a family and other days it’s “fend for yourself” day. I like to be there for the kids to make breakfast and get them off to school which happens most days of the week. On Sunday we go to church, cook a great meal, make a dessert, and take a nap! Sometimes we hold our family home evenings on Sunday or another day of the week when Rick is home."

Check back tomorrow to learn more about Linda. The link to her business website is on the sidebar - go visit and take a look!