Today we’d like to introduce you to Linda Kneidinger.
Hi Linda, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Back when I was first interviewed about my coaching practice by VoyageLA in 2019, I talked about how life can be an unpredictable journey and how the twists and turns of mine led me into personal coaching. Now, six years later, life has given me even more surprises.
I’ve been coaching for almost a decade, but in some way or another, every career turn I’ve taken has always been about helping people show up as their best selves. Over the past year, I had two big opportunities to practice what I teach: writing a book and facing cancer.
For years I’ve watched my clients create incredible changes when they discover how they hold themselves back—and how much is possible when they shift their mindset. I wanted to bring those same strategies to a bigger audience, so about two years ago, I began writing Your Best Year Yet: Weekly Personal Growth Challenges to Unlock Your Best Self.
The book is structured as a collection of weekly entries. Each one begins with a story—from my own life, a client’s journey, or even a scene from a movie—that illustrates a common human struggle. Then I explain why the struggle is normal, how it can hold us back, and I close with a simple exercise readers can try that week.
Writing was both exciting and humbling. It stirred up self-doubt and required me to face the same challenges I coach others through: imposter syndrome, procrastination, the temptation to quit. But having my own strategies to lean on made all the difference.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Ironically, the very day I sent my completed manuscript to my editor, I got a life-changing call from my doctor. A routine physical had turned up a dark spot on my right lung. After more testing, I was diagnosed with stage 1B lung cancer.
I wasn’t the “typical” lung cancer candidate. I’ve never smoked, I exercise regularly, eat a mostly plant-based diet, keep my stress low, and stay proactive about my health. But what I’ve since learned is that non-smoking women are the second most at-risk group for lung cancer after smokers. And while breast and lung cancer occur at similar rates, lung cancer kills 40% more women each year, often because it’s discovered too late.
Suddenly, everything I’d written in my book took on deeper meaning. The mindsets and practices I teach became essential as I navigated treatment and recovery. They helped me stay grounded, grateful, and resilient through endless appointments and long days of uncertainty.
I ended up sacrificing one lobe of my right lung, but just a few months after surgery, I was running again and testing my limits. I’m thriving today—partly because my cancer is under control (thank you Keck Medicine of USC and Norris Cancer Center), and partly because I choose to thrive no matter what I’m facing.
Progress on my book slowed while I focused on healing, but once I regained strength, I returned to the project. Today, I’m incredibly proud that Your Best Year Yet is now available on Amazon. It’s a gift of encouragement—for friends, family, employees, or anyone ready to live their best, brightest life.
I continue to work one-on-one with a select group of clients, but I’ve also expanded my coaching practice to speaking with businesses, groups, and teams. There’s a unique power in gathering people together to embrace both their humanness and their potential.
Life will always surprise us. But with the right mindset, we can meet those surprises with courage, strength, and peace. Thank you for letting me share a piece of my journey.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At its heart, my work is about helping people build the mental skills that turn obstacles into opportunities. I specialize in coaching individuals who desire assistance with career transitions, burnout, time management, connecting with purpose, and creating personal growth, as well as athletes striving to develop winning mindsets. What sets me apart is my blend of neuroscience, psychology, and lived experience—I don’t just teach theory, I provide practical strategies that actually work in real life.
I’m known for making personal growth accessible, actionable, and even enjoyable. My clients learn how to quiet self-doubt, establish boundaries, improve relationships, and develop habits that support resilience, health, and fulfillment. Beyond one-on-one coaching, I speak to groups, businesses, and teams, creating dynamic spaces where people can reflect, connect, and grow together.
Brand-wise, I’m most proud of my new book, Your Best Year Yet: Weekly Personal Growth Challenges to Unlock Your Best Self, which puts my coaching strategies into the hands of a much larger audience. It’s not just a book—it’s a year-long journey of transformation, one small weekly step at a time.
If there’s one thing I’d love readers to know, it’s this: your best self isn’t found, it’s built—one small choice at a time.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Wow, such an interesting question. The idea of luck, though, kind of goes against the way I view my life and the perspective I share with my clients. Life is happening around us all the time, and it’s up to us to decide how we’re going to interpret the things we experience. We get to decide what we’re going to make these experiences mean for us and how we’re going to react to them.
So, even when faced with lung cancer, I’m not sure I thought of that as “bad luck,” it just became another experience on my journey through life. One of the entries in my book shares the ancient parable of the farmer and the horse and the idea that nonattachment, perspective, and acceptance influence how we interpret the events in our lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lindakneidinger.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ultimateyoucoaching/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ultimateyoucoaching
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-kneidinger/
