Hello and welcome!
I’m Linda Thomson.
I am a LIFESTYLE, LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS COACH and I want to help YOU to create your DREAM LIFE.
A few years ago, and having worked for more than 25 years in the Corporate world, I found myself at a crossroads. I was asking “Is this it …. is this all there is?”
I was earning a great salary, had the respect of my peers, had a really nice/comfortable lifestyle… but still, something was missing. There was no real JOY in my life, and not nearly enough FUN.
In my heart I knew that I was destined for more.
After devoting so many years to supporting others in their success, I decided it was time for CHANGE. It was time to invest in me and the things that I LOVE. And when I stepped off the corporate wheel for long enough to start to listen to the whispers of my soul, I knew that FREEDOM lay right at the heart of my DREAM LIFE.
I love to travel the world, exploring new places, discovering new tastes, meeting amazing people, capturing great memories and immersing fully in the local cultures.
And so I choose now to invest my time doing more of the things that bring me joy – coaching, connecting, travelling, photography, writing, dancing, laughing… and so much more.
Things that light me up and inspire my soul.
I call this venture The Diamond Life Project – because my primary objective is to create a life that I LOVE.
A life in which I SPARKLE every single day
I’ve always been an ambitious woman, focused very much on my career.
In fact, it’s fair to say that throughout my adult life, I have been defined by my job.
Work to me has been very much about ‘Who I am’ and not simply ‘What I do’.
I have no regrets about the hours invested or the sacrifices made in order to achieve success in my career. But it was an opportune moment in 2007 that changed everything.
As a result of a new Brand acquisition, my employer offered me the option of a temporary re-assignment to New Zealand. The assignment was expected to last 3-4 months.
Given my role at the time was based in Scotland, the chance to escape the office politics, spend 3 months on the opposite side of the world (and in the sunshine) was an experience that I was NOT going to pass up.
Approximately 2 weeks after that first discussion, my suitcase was packed, my apartment secured, I had said my farewells and I was on my way.
What a discovery! Welcoming, open-hearted, fun loving people – laid back, yet innovative and entrepreneurial at the same time. Being a keen photographer, I was in awe of the beautiful landscape and of course… the sunshine …! New Zealand was stunning.
So when I was offered the option to extend the ‘temporary’ element of my assignment from 3 months to 12 months, there was no dilemma. I didn’t even have to think about it.
My answer was YES.
Even better still, rather than returning to Scotland at the end of the 12-month term, I landed a new senior role within the Business and relocated to Shanghai, China where I set up home for the next 3 years.
And it was here, in Shanghai that I fell in love. WITH LIFE.
The transformation that began during this time was unexpected yet extraordinary. I realised that for the first time in my adult life, I was fully present in every moment and I loved it.
From the first moment of waking in Shanghai to the moment I laid my head to rest each evening, the experience of every moment was different to anything I had known before. What I saw when I looked out of the window or walked down the street, what I heard, different sounds all around me, the smells, the taste of all of the different foods, all new.
My senses were fully awakened, and suddenly I was fully conscious to the experience of life.
These experiences in New Zealand and Asia opened my eyes to a world that I never could have imagined. A whole new set of emotions became available to me. This was something that I had never anticipated. But I LOVED it.
I loved it so much in fact that at the end of my 3-year contract in Shanghai, (and after reading the 4-hour workweek by Timothy Ferriss), I harnessed every ounce of COURAGE I had and announced that I was I taking a year off – a ‘mini retirement’ if you like, in order to continue on this journey that had started quite unexpectedly. And that’s what I did – I explored Asia – visiting Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Singapore, Hong Kong, Laos, India – and of course returned to spend some time in the beautiful New Zealand. The photo opportunities were endless. The joy in my heart, immeasurable.
After a short visit back to Scotland, I quickly realized that I was missing the experience of travel and so I then spent a month in Italy exploring Rome, Florence and Venice followed by a week in the Sorrento sunshine; then across the ocean to the west. I rented an apartment and spent a month in New York living like a local, followed by 3 weeks in Havana, Cuba learning to salsa and honouring my insatiable desire for photos.
All of it – AWESOME!
It was during this time that my idea for The Diamond Life Project was born.
I felt so happy, joyous and fulfilled, I wanted to find a way to live this life forever. When I’m travelling, meeting new people, taking photos and developing insight to into local cultures,
I feel ALIVE, FREE, INSPIRED and so incredibly GRATEFUL.
Words limit the experience… best way to describe it – I sparkle.
#itsallintheeyes
However, having been a Corporate woman for so many years and having progressed to a level where I was enjoying a generous salary and benefits package, I allowed the fear of failure (or perhaps it was the fear of success) to hold me back from setting up my own business in order to pursue that dream.
And so, in 2013, after 18 months of FREEDOM, I returned to work – though this time in a much smaller, more entrepreneurial Business.
It would be another 2 years before I did find the COURAGE to step outside of my Corporate comfort zone and create my own business.
And here I am today, after lots of soul searching, a few tears, lots of laughter and a significant investment in myself, LIVING my Diamond Life.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous.
Actually, who are you not to be?
~ Marianne Williamson
A life in which I SPARKLE every day.
And I want the same for you.
But I want to fast-track you to success. It took me 5 years to finally find the COURAGE
to bring my business idea to life. I don’t want you to wait that long.
Let’s get you started so that you can first DESIGN and then start LIVING your Diamond Life.
What lights you up?
- A more meaningful career?
- More time with the family?
- Freedom to Travel?
- A more Luxurious lifestyle?
- Starting your own business?
- A place in the sun?
Are you ready for a change in direction? Scared to let go of the comfort of a steady salary?
Perhaps you are facing redundancy and feeling uncertain about your future?
I get it, I’ve been there and now I can show you the way.
As your Coach, I will help you:
- Discover who you really are and what you want from life.
Through this process you will experience a level of clarity like never before. - Experience an increased level of courage & confidence.
- Break free from the FEAR that currently stands between you and your dream life.
- Embrace your unique-ness. Love yourself – flaws and all.
- Strengthen your self-worth and with that, your confidence.
- Identify & eliminate any limiting beliefs or destructive behaviours currently holding you back.
- Condition your mind for success (in all areas of your life).
- Create exciting life goals to gain a sense of purpose and direction, and design the life of your dreams.
I will help you to reconnect to your authentic self, discover your TRUE BRILLIANCE and create your DREAM LIFE.
By the end of our work together, you will feel ALIVE, INSPIRED, EXCITED, MOTIVATED and GRATEFUL
for the life that you live and all that you have.
So what are you waiting for?
Let’s get started.
Linda x
