May 2015 Event Recap – Linda Remsberg

“Some Days are Diamond, Some Days are Stone: Journals of a Leader”

Linda Remsberg shared her journey with the Bellevue chapter of KIROS on Thursday, May 14, 2015. Linda is an accomplished woman professional that has a unique background in technology and sales. Originally brought in to lead the technology team with NoteWorld, Linda quickly grew the company’s revenue, locations, and employees, eventually purchasing the company in 2007 and changing the name to Meracord. Under her leadership as the President and CEO, the company reached 100 Million in revenue.

Her background is an impressive one; her humility was even more impressive.

Over the years Linda has seen good times and bad, both professionally and personally, and she’s recorded it all in journals. Journals that she’s kept for over 30 years. As she spoke, she walked to a table of stacked books. They were her journals, and on the top of her journals was a pile of rocks. Linda called them stones and referenced a song that has impacted her throughout her life.

Some Days are Diamonds, Some Days are Stones

Things were going great for Linda and her company, milestone after milestone was being met. However the country was recovering from the Great Recession in 2009 and unforeseen changes were coming that would impact everything. On July 21, 2010 President Barack Obama signed into federal law the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Linda shared with everyone how driven she was in reaching the summit of her goals, but the uncertainty of what was to come had Linda descending instead of ascending. After the Dodd-Frank act was passed, constant regulatory changes brought hard choices for her and the company she had invested so much in. Linda had to lay off 100 employees early enough to keep the company running. The diamonds were turning to stones.

Writing in her journals had become an outlet, along with turning to God’s word. In her readings, Joshua 1:9 spoke directly to her.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

God instructed Joshua to move forward.

God instructed Joshua to go where the walls need to come down.

God instructed Joshua to go where the giants live.

Linda paused, before she spoke again. You could see that she was reflecting on all that she had been through. Although no words were said, her transparency spoke loud and clear. She regained composure and said the following.

“We are commissioned by God to do the same.”

Linda learned that it wasn’t all about her, but all about God. She realized that nothing would have brought her this close to God except for tragedy.

Joshua 4:24 also impacted her while going through these trials.

“that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”

After four years of trials and days, before closing her doors she asked God to show her something about what she went through. He spoke to her and directed her to her journals. As Linda read she saw that God was always with her; the words that she wrote through the good and the bad comforted her. There is no reason for despair, for God is with her.

She closed her talk by passing out stones to everyone there…I’m looking at mine as I write this review. I’m reminded that some days are diamonds and some days are stone, but regardless God is always with us.