From Barns to Memoirs: A Career in Three Winters
On Change, Seasons, and an Unshaken Purpose
Winter of 1980
It was five in the morning, and the stars were still out. I fired up the truck while I made coffee and toast. The first call of the day was a scheduled herd health check, and the dairy could be as far away as seventy miles.
When I arrived, the cows—freshly milked—were lined up for pregnancy checks. My arm, shoulder-deep in a cow’s rectum, searched for the uterus, hoping to find a marble-sized embryo. This mattered, as getting a cow pregnant assured the following year’s milk supply.
After the reproductive checks, I might vaccinate calves for brucellosis, examine a cow in the hospital pen with a sore foot, or walk through the heifer pen, listening closely for coughing. Whatever ailments I found, I usually had what I needed in the truck.
After a quick recap with the dairyman and a thorough scrub of my boots, I got back in the truck for the next farm call. If there was an emergency, my answering service called the dairy where I was working after tracking me down. There were no iPhones, no GPS, no email.
I was lucky if I was on the long drive home by sunset, physically spent. By the time I got home, a shower, dinner, and bed were all I could manage.
Winter of 2010
Out the door by 7:30, I drove to the office of the company I had started ten years earlier: AlcheraBio.
We were running clinical trials to develop new drugs for animals—mainly dogs and cats, but occasionally cows and horses, even pigs and poultry. I had a staff of about thirty, many of them young women, and the office buzzed with overlapping projects and conversations.
My day was filled with emails, budget meetings, PowerPoints, data reviews, and planning sessions. I worked until early evening and went home with a different kind of tiredness—mental rather than physical. At least I didn’t smell of cow manure.
Often, after a quick dinner, I returned to my computer for another hour or two of work.
Winter of 2025
Both my cats are fast asleep on the bed when the alarm rings, nudging me toward the gym. I’m out the door by 8:30 a.m.
After my workout, I have another cup of coffee and catch up on emails: inquiries from venture capital and private equity groups, messages from women exploring the idea of starting their own animal health companies, and plans for my book launch (I’ll be reading at five or more veterinary schools).
In the afternoon, the sun slants low through the trees. I do house chores and play with the cats. Later, I spend another couple of hours at my computer, working on a series of braided essays that mix fascinating science with personal memories.
I doodle with ideas for another memoir–this one about my second marriage, my son, and my time as a pharmaceutical executive. What a luxury it is to structure my time as I like, without early-morning cow checks or budget meetings.
Over the years, my days have looked vastly different, shaped by changing roles, responsibilities, and seasons of life. But one thing remains constant: I am still working to break barriers for women by building companies, sharing knowledge, telling the truth of lived experience, and making space for those who come next.
Are you a woman working in a male-dominated field? I want to hear from you! Reply to this email or share you story in the comments!
Vetted Facts
In order to give milk, a cow has to deliver a calf. Her gestation period is 9 months, just like ours.
When she has her calf, the farmers say she “freshens”, or they say she is a “fresh cow”. It means that her milk comes in and she is now producing lots of milk—many cows give over 100 pounds per day. Her milk production increases for a few months, then levels off and starts to decline. The farmer’s goal is to get her pregnant again within a couple of months, so she can have a calf every year for maximum milk production.
Now’s the time to pre-order
Breaking the Barnyard Barrier hits the shelves this February! To ensure you receive your copy on launch day, pre-order from one of these retailers:
In the Media
I joined Ordinarily Extraordinary: Conversations with Women in STEM to discuss my memoir BREAKING THE BARNYARD BARRIER here.
On the Road
I’m having a book launch event at Water Street Bookstore. Will I see you there?
If you plan on attending, I encourage you to support Water Street Bookstore and purchase the book at the event. I look forward to signing it at the event!
Until next time,
Linda