Meet Nell Lindquist | Owner, Timberline Leadville

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nell Lindquist and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nell, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
As I’ve grown in my career and created ventures I’m interested in, I work more but have a much better balance because I enjoy it. I feel more fulfilled and less burnt out by my day-to-day, so I am less starved for a break. Even with this, though, your brain still needs a rest! One of my favorite things about living in the mountains is that I can very quickly get out int eh woods and feel very, very far from my computer.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My husband and I entered hospitality primarily because we needed a change. We were ready to get to the mountains and needed a way to make it feasible financially. Mick had a career in residential renovations, and I work in digital development; we have 0 hospitality experience! We felt we knew enough about the adjacent industries and could learn on the job.

This was a leap for us, and it took a lot of support from our friends and family to get where we are today. It has also taken a TON of literal blood, sweat, and tears. Mick and I have filled in for every job at the motel – during renovations and day-to-day operations. We went into this knowing it would need to be our number one focus and that we were going to be thrown curveballs. We’ve worked to embrace the roller coaster and surprises of it and show up every day with the energy to take on whatever is most needed.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Leadville is such a fun and understated place. When friends visit in the summer, we usually pack a cooler, grab our kayaks, and head to Turquoise Lake for the day. It’s close enough to town that you can bike there, but there is no service, and you are surrounded by National forest, so you feel off the grid. It’s a gorgeous, special place that is never crowded.

I would start the day with burritos and coffee at City on a Hill for food. I would grab some to-go lunches from the Golden Burro, too. After a day at the beach, we would get rooftop drinks at Treeline Kitchen. Hands down, some of the best views in Colorado, and the drinks + food are amazing! I love getting pizza in the back garden at High Mountain Pies and then if we’re up for it, post-dinner drinks at the Legendary Silver Dollar Saloon.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I dedicate my shoutout to my aunt Christy. She was an interior designer and one of the more talented and creative people in my life. She encouraged me to believe in myself and take the risk for the motel, and she worked with me to establish the design foundation for The Timberline. She passed in 2021, and I feel so fortunate to have parts of this motel as an incredible reminder of her.

Website: https://timberlineleadville.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timberlineleadville/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nellryan/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimberlineLeadville