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Meet Maria Linzie of A Furniture Find in West of Denver

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Linzie.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Maria. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am in recovery. I am 40 and have been sober for 13 years after going to prison. I am a single mother of two. We lost the marriage to the father’s addiction. I have a degree in business.

I have been the sole proprietor of my very small used furniture store in Summit County for 6.5 years. I purchased the business when my son was a newborn so I could bring my kids to work with me. The business has evolved over the years to include factory closeout furnishings and home goods as well as a tiny e-commerce income stream. I don’t have any employees. My support system comes from my longtime boyfriend Ben and a couple of close friends and extended family. My business primarily exists because as an ex-con and recovering addict there are few opportunities available for sufficient employment and housing. I have had to build my own business to support myself and kids. It has been a struggle but also very rewarding. I have learned something new every day, tried different business strategies and had a lot of fun along the way. I’ve struggled but I have never failed to drag myself into work the next day and go again.

Practicing gratitude and appreciating where I am now vs 15 years ago is my primary focus spiritually. We have three dogs & two cats. We rent out our extra room on Airbnb year-round. We love to ski, travel, and go to concerts & Events. We spend a significant amount of time involved in the kids’ sports activities. Ice Hockey in the winter & Baseball and downhill MTB racing in the summer. We camp, fish and hike voraciously.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
LOL!!! NOOOOOO… Smooth is not the adjective I would use. I first started experimenting with substances when I was only 13. At 15 I ran away from home and thought I could manage myself. By the time I was 17 I was a full-blown addict with zero goals. I did manage to graduate HS in an alternative school 1400 miles away from home. Legal trouble soon followed. I spent the next seven years skinny and sad collecting felonies until I finally went to DOC. I still failed to get sober after prison for a few more years but finally decided at 26 that it was time! I moved away from Denver with a backpack of clothes and found a job. I really credit that job with saving my life. I was a construction laborer for a commercial general contractor.

My supervisor kept an eye on me and helped me get my head right. My body and mind started getting healthier and I advanced in the company. I eventually married a man who had joined me in the quest to leave our drug lives behind and started taking classes at the community college. My daughter was born in 2008 just as the economy collapsed. I lost my job but kept my sobriety and worked through it. We bought our first home in 2011. The same year I won a Ford F150. That was a huge financial step forward for us. I am still carrying some of that equity to this day! In 2012 we decided to move closer to our families in the Denver area. I was pregnant with my son and nearing completion of my degree. So we up and relocated to Summit County where I finished my degree and had my baby.

When I was ready to reenter the workforce I came to realize there were no jobs in this area that I could pay for childcare and not work nights and weekends. While I was looking for work my husband started using drugs again. I did not know this for quite some time. I bought the furniture store off an ad in Craigslist with the help of my parents. Back then my husband helped me until his drug use spiraled out of control. We lived with his horrific active addiction for a few years before I finally had to divorce him. He is incarcerated and the kids and I are ok. So the last few years have been rough to say the least but I somehow have managed to pay the next bill every time it comes due. I, unfortunately, had to have shoulder surgery a few months ago so that set us back but I’m still winning.

My business is modestly successful. My boyfriend makes me feel loved. My kids are amazing. It’s a pretty rad life.

A Furniture Find – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
A Furniture Find is a very small owner-operated used furniture store. I buy, sell, trade & accept donations. But what sets me apart is that I buy and resell liquidation furniture and home goods from major retailers. I have a respectable selection of merchandise in new or near new condition for typically about 1/2 off retail prices. This includes furniture, decor, bedding, kitchenware, window treatments and more.

My business offers very personal service. At any given time you will find me, maybe my kids, maybe my dogs, maybe the sweet little girls I watch here a few days a week and always great deals.

My shop really is a small family business and I try to stay connected to my community through serving them at my business. There is nothing that makes me feel better than my customers coming in time after time. So many people tell me they “furnished their whole house” here. Or I always tell people about you! I have so many “regulars” that sometimes just swing in to say hi. I love it!

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I don’t think I have ‘A’ moment. My career has been an evolution. And sometimes it’s a real roller coaster. What makes me the most proud is that I’m doing it. I am an entrepreneur. I am a risk-taker. I’m not getting rich but I’m living a fulfilling life. I am doing it in spite of being afraid, in spite of the obstacles that I have faced and in spite of my own shortcomings.

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