Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsay Taylor Dellinger.
Hi Lindsay Taylor, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
It all began in Kansas City. I learned to read at a very young age, which quickly blossomed into a passion for writing. I think I was about four or five years old. It was evident that animal rights were important to me when the first story I ever wrote was “Wolf in the Tree.” The story was about a lone wolf who lived in a tree in a forest that loggers were chopping down. Don’t worry. It has a happy ending.
Around eight years old, I discovered a love and passion for fashion. Fast forward to two months after graduating high school, I moved to Los Angeles to attend the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. I’d never been to LA before, and I had one friend and $900 in my pocket.
The first six months were an adjustment period, having experienced homesickness for the first time in my life. My mama was my best friend, so we spoke every day, and one of the best things she ever did for me was when I was talking to her on a specifically rough day. I knew she also wished I was home in Kansas City, so I asked her, “Should I drop out and move back?” Her response was, “I can’t answer that for you, Linds. You have to make that decision for yourself.” She easily could have said, “Yes,” and I probably would have started packing, but I’m so glad she left it up to me.
I pushed through and found my footing; many thanks to landing a job at Buffalo Exchange on La Brea, where I met some people who are still my friends today (Hi, Claudia!) I started interning at a fashion/lifestyle magazine called “Atomica,” which unfortunately is no longer around today. I landed my first job as an assistant designer a month after graduating college. I studied fashion design but somehow fell into doing graphic design. I loved it, and I really excelled at it. I was learning so much about the apparel industry. It was fascinating, and while a ton of hard work, it was often lots of fun. It was particularly fun when I worked for Ed Hardy at the beginning and the rise of their fame. I became the production design manager there, and after almost three years, the recession hit, and I lost my job.
This two-year interim allowed me the energy and time to pursue another one of my passions – music. I wrote and recorded my first EP, performing around Los Angeles with my brother from another mother, Jimmy Heberling. VoyageLA interviewed him in January 2017!
My father was diagnosed with cancer during this period in 2009, so I lived in Kansas City for a few months seeing him through his treatment. My mother was then diagnosed with the same cancer in late 2010. The news of my mother’s terminal illness extinguished any motivation to continue with my music. I moved to New York City in 2011, and both of my parents passed away that year, four months apart. It was the single most devastating time in my life.
I married the person I thought was the “love of my life” a year later, and we moved back to Los Angeles in 2013. Soon after returning, we filed for divorce. I was grateful to be back in LA, as this is my home now. I went through some serious ups and downs during my divorce – many financial issues, memorable nights out, trial and error, doing what I gotta do situations, etc.
Navigating the grief of losing my mother was the most trying. It was like walking down a path that you know you should be on because it’s the only one there is, blinking, and suddenly, there are several different paths in front of you. Learning how to exist in a world where the single most important person in your life doesn’t is a challenging and strange road. I’m grateful for every single circumstance, though. It truly showed me just how incredibly strong I am, and I know my mama would be very proud. Her friends and sister (my auntie) constantly remind me of that.
My career path led me to the most rewarding role I’ve played in the fashion industry, and that was Art Director to a small, tight-knit team. Mentoring other talent and seeing them succeed and excel – there’s nothing like it. Unfortunately, becoming an Art Director also comes with its challenges and bullshit (Am I allowed to say that?). Somewhere between year four and year seven of working with companies that license Disney apparel and product, I realized how there had to be something else. There was something inside me that kept nudging me, “There’s got to be something else.” Corporate life was no longer serving me. I was often emotionally distraught. It would sometimes lead to physical symptoms. Once that happened, I knew I had to figure out what “something else” was quick.
During this time, I began writing my first book, a memoir about 20 online dates with 20 different men. Swipe Write was just published on January 25th of this year, and I am so proud and excited to be able to say that. It was a lifelong goal of mine, and I’m not stopping there! As one reviewer states, it’s more than just the humor and entertainment of the dates – I dive deep into some serious topics, including the relationships with my ex-husband and my father. I also dedicate the book to my mama because she always said, “She’s gonna be a writer someday.”
Fast forward to now, and I’m busy promoting Swipe Write and working on “something else.” My partner and I bought a school bus in March 2021, I ecstatically quit my job in September 2021, and we’ve been converting the bus into a tiny home on wheels DIY-style. We’re nearing the finish line, at which point we’ll be traveling around North America in what we’ve deemed the “Wow Wagon.”
That is my story in a nutshell!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The most challenging thing I’ve faced was the death of my parents when I was only 26-years-old, particularly losing my mother. Navigating grief while trying to maintain a “normal” life and promote self-growth is not a straight line. It’s complicated, sometimes ugly, and also devastatingly beautiful all at the same time. It has definitely not been a smooth road, but I’m a firm believer that no road worth traveling is.
I’ve struggled with being a woman in the corporate fashion industry, answering to primarily prideful men or women who couldn’t be bothered to hop off their high horses, all while striving to successfully lead my own team sans ego. Overworked and underappreciated in the corporate world is not something new, but it looks different for each of us. Once something becomes soul-crushing, it’s time to move on. I know easier said than done, but as my mama always said, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a writer, and I just published my very first book, Swipe Write. It’s a humorous and in-depth memoir about 20 online dates with 20 different men. I’m looking forward to getting started on my next book (topic still pending, though I have a couple of ideas). Publishing this book is easily what I’m most proud of in my professional life thus far.
I pay the bills freelance designing and writing, so I’m still very much involved in the fashion industry. Currently, I’m creating social media collateral and a menswear print collection for Wrap Up by VP, a loungewear company based out of Los Angeles. The most significant difference is I make my own schedule, and I don’t work full-time. As a result, I sleep better now, too.
In terms of writing gigs, I’ve written content for various outlets including an online French fashion magazine and the artisan home goods company, Ecletticos. It’s really exciting to finally get paid to do what I love!
The other half of my time is spent converting a school bus into a tiny home on wheels with my partner, which entails a lot of interior design. Interior design is something I said I wanted to do if I didn’t end up studying fashion design.
I specialize in graphic design, copywriting, and drinking wine. I’m known for making something that’s otherwise dull and boring, exciting and engaging, whether visually or verbally. I’m also pretty funny, so I’m told.
I believe my empathy and ability to lead and inspire are what sets me apart from others. In a world full of self-involved humans, it’s rare to meet someone who genuinely cares for your well-being or someone who is just as invested in your success as you are. Being an Art Director in the fashion industry taught me so much about what it means to be a good leader. Well, that and Adam Grant – man, that guy is pure gold! If you don’t follow his stuff on social media, I highly recommend it.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I feel the characteristic most important to my success is humility. I’ve always admired people who can keep their egos in check, the ability to admit when they’re wrong, and remain humble. I don’t think I had a choice in the matter, having grown up from extraordinarily humble beginnings, but I’m grateful for those beginnings.
Pricing:
- $9.99 – Swipe Write Amazon Kindle eBook
- $13.99 – Swipe Write Amazon Paperback
- $17.99 – Swipe Write Amazon Hardcover
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.Lindsay-Taylor-Dellinger.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_road_linds_travels/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRoadLindsTravels
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Leend_Sigh
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyOnY9xuD-SJsYK3rBXKWtQ
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NBC8GGS
Image Credits
LINDS inside the WOW WAGON and LINDS at HER BOOK RELEASE PHOTO CRED: Marlenee Vega
