Linda Meyers

One evening in 2011, Linda Meyers, 48, a kindergarten teacher for 26 years, went home and asked her husband George, “What’s the worst that could happen if we quit our jobs, sold our house, and moved to Tuscany?” His response: “We just wouldn’t have a home.” Fast forward to 2026 and Linda and George, now 61 and 62 respectively, own La Chiusa, a boutique hotel in Tuscany, as well as five cooking schools, an olive oil farm, and a lavender farm. “I always knew there was something more for me to do. You should be joyful every day and I lost my passion for teaching. I knew it was time to shift my mindset, step out of my comfort zone, and make a change.” Within two weeks, Linda was already in Tuscany — she didn’t speak the language and really had no idea what she was going to do — but she loved food and entertaining and this became a starting point for what would slowly unfold. And now looking back on her journey — while she has been deep in the trenches of refurbishing La Chiusa — Linda discovered that as the centuries-old hotel takes on a new look and becomes more vibrant, her personality is as well. As she makes small changes here and there, adds new amenities, fresh coats of paint, and modernizes the property, she is realizing her personality is also awakening with fresh insights, new desires, and more joy than she could have ever imagined. In fact, Linda is so inspiring to the people who come to the hotel and take her Cook In Tuscany classes, that the experience has evolved to be about much more than Italian cuisine and culture. Linda’s

attendees are so inspired by her life change, they are learning to shift their own mindset and follow their passions as well. “I’m not saying that you have to be as drastic as I was and

quit your job, sell your house, and move to another country, but any small mindset shift can have a huge impact on your life.”