We were lucky to catch up with Sara Linden recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Sara thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
My first career was launched out of my degree in biomedical engineering. My second career was launched out of doodling my way through a business planning course. I guess I would put that in the category of risk taking. I thrive when I’m out of my comfort zone. I love schmoozing (the yiddish version of working the room) and I have learned to trust the process. The journey may be unpredictable at times and, as I like to say to my Mahjong learners to “stay the course” and the rewards (and tiles) will appear.
I honed in on these beliefs and skills as I relocated six times in ten years for my corporate career. Before that, I moved from Phoenix to New Orleans to attend college. I wanted to live in a place far from Arizona, not too cold, with good live music, so Tulane University (without even a visit) was my new home. The first year was hard and I could have given up and went back to Phoenix. Many situations made me question my values, whether it was navigating friendships, learning how to balance my time, prioritizing my studies while I just wanted to explore the cultural riches of this historic and unique city. I stayed the course, graduated from Tulane, and was making life changing decisions for myself.
Straight out of college, I landed on a career path with a biotech company in their sales department. For ten years I was in this lucrative industry and earning enough money to support myself. I often refer to that decade as my golden handcuffs era. It was a male dominated industry, where my super power was the art of effective communication across different types of people with unique motivations: engineers, doctors, patients, salespeople and everyone in between. Turns out I love the challenge of delivering a message that resonates with each individual. That is one of the most important skills I have learned. Working my way up the corporate ladder I was relocated from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Nashville and Charleston, SC.
In 2009, I was at a crossroads of staying in the Silicon Valley start-up world with a travel-based career or doing something that brought me joy. There were two things that always brought me joy during this “golden handcuffs” stage of life: making arts & crafts and playing mahjong. I took a big risk in letting go of the hustle of my high paying career to balance my life better. I enrolled in a business incubator program to develop arts and crafts kits for people on the go. I was amazed that at each seminar, I would be madly scribbling notes about how to teach my generation about playing mahjong.
I made a major shift to working in the non-profit arena so I had more time & energy to dabble in teaching Mahjong around the Bay Area. That’s where I formally started my business, Mahj Club, to lead the Mahjong Renaissance for the next generation. It’s so much more than just a game, I say teaching mahjong is “building community one tile at a time”. The more I teach, the more true this is. I love hearing about my students forming lifelong groups. Of course, I love getting referrals from my past students, which is a big part of my success and growth.
In 2019, now with a husband and two boys, we relocated to Long Beach, CA to be closer to family. We have the Bubbies and Zadies (grandparents) nearby so we can all help each other and our boys get to bond with them. With lots of extended support from the amazing new friends who took my class and now love the game almost as much as me, I am full time Mahj Club! It’s exciting, risky, and most importantly, helps spread the joy of play. I am so thankful for all the growth this past year, that I was able to train another instructor. Together, we can provide bigger events and more classes. Another one of my mantras is “better together” and it is fun to share the glow after a successful class or event!
Sara, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Sounds cliche coming from a California based business, but it is my story; my passion started with a movie! (Side note, I want to give a shout out to Reboot Studios, a past employer, for all they do to support and elevate Jewish artists & culture and affirm the importance of the arts in our lives.)
In high school, my English class watched The Joy Luck Club after reading the same book by Amy Tan. The movie follows four lifelong friends who explore their relationships and history while playing mahjong. There is a scene in the movie when one of their adult daughters is playing mahjong with the other three Aunties and she mentions that she played in university. The aunties instantly rebuke saying, “Jewish Mahjong was not the same thing, entirely different.”
That same day I came home from school and asked my mother if she ever played. She was not familiar with the game, however, she was tile-curious and invited friends over to learn the Jewish version, known today as American Mahjong. One of her friends taught the rest of us and it quickly became a family activity when we were together.
Mahjong also became a vehicle for how to meet new people each time I relocated for my job. I would invite people I met to come over and I would teach them the game over drinks and noshes. It was good mental wellness for me to combat the loneliness I felt being a single young professional relocating across the country. I think having an ongoing in-person ritual is absolutely part of the healthy living experience for both young and older communities. I like to say it is the pickle ball equivalent for brain exercise and a great excuse to get together weekly to play.
I see myself as more than just a Mahjong instructor. I am a life coach sharing metaphors about making “order out of chaos” with the tiles that one is dealt. Much like in life, chaos happens and step by step a new path is found. At this time most of my clients are women, and as women, we need each other’s companionship and support. Mahjong offers an avenue to sit together around a table and talk or not talk about our lives. There are times when it is an escape from hard times as well as celebrations and milestones to share with each other. As life changes, the ritual of playing with the tiles and the joy it brings continues to bond us together.
Mahj Club is a wellness business, an event planning business, a concierge style private lessons experience, a party planner, a corporate team builder, and a retreat planner. Mostly, Mahj Club is the catalyst for bringing more joy to your life through play. We build community one tile at a time. Go to www.mahjclub.com for inquiries and for the tile curious!
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
Hands down, it is referrals from happy players!
I am forever grateful to all the amazing folks I have met through teaching mahjong through my business. They have encouraged me to keep building. One of my clients called me one morning and said, “Sara, you are leaving money on the table! You need to offer a follow up class.” That was a light bulb moment for me. I recently had added my first new instructor, Carol, and now have been able to expand to a new “strategy” class for those who took my beginner series.
We brainstormed the concept for a new class and offered it to that same client. She was thrilled and it has turned into a monthly mahjong workshop to continue to help those clients improve their skills and a bonus for us as we get to foster those friendships.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
I absolutely love books. One of my favorite things about starting my own business has been that I get to continue challenging myself to learn new skills and perspectives. I sometimes refer to myself as a DIY MBA student.
From my earlier career working alongside biomedical engineers, I learned about human-centered design and design thinking. I use these principles to both build the business and design our Mahj Club offerings. One of my all time favorite books is by Lisa Kay Solomon and its called “Design a Better Business: New Tools, Skills and Mindset for Strategy and Innovation.”
Additionally, from my time spent as a community organizer for non-profits I love returning to these books for inspiration. The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker and Power of Moments by Dan & Chip Heath continue to influence my philosophy of creating meaningful and lasting experiences for all humans.
I often incorporate key video clips in my classes. I love the clip from Late Show with Steven Colbert when he interviews Julia Roberts about things she does to relax and she talks about how much she enjoys playing mahjong with her girlfriends.
Recently, Good Morning America released a segment called “Mahjong mania sweeps the US: Learn about the game” which has brought mahjong to the forefront of American leisure culture.
And then, there is my video from when I first started teaching mahjong at my favorite space, the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco. That’s where everything took off.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mahjclub.com
- Instagram: @mahjonggsara
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MahjClub
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-linden-626b327/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mahj-club-long-beach-3
Image Credits
Rebecca Walker
Carol Weinfeld