By Mandy Haggerson
For the Clemmons Courier

Lindsay Hinshaw spent her youth in Dublin, Ohio. As the middle child of all girls, she had a very active and idyllic childhood. “We would go to the movies on Friday nights, and during the week and weekends play lots of sports. I loved everything from volleyball, basketball to soccer,” Hinshaw said. “I played soccer more seriously than the other sports, as I joined the travel team, but I always enjoyed being part of a team dynamic.”

Sports was always a fun activity for Hinshaw’s family too. “My dad played football in college, and enjoyed sharing it with my sisters and I,” Hinshaw said. “He would take us to the high school or the Ohio State University football games which I enjoyed tremendously. He made sure he got one on one time with us when he did, and I looked forward to it. It helped me develop a real love for sports.”

When Hinshaw had to decide where to attend college she was torn because she was raised an Ohio State fan. “Ultimately, I chose to go to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio because it was smaller. It had 18,000 students compared to 60,000. Also, my older sister went there, and I thought we would enjoy being in school together,” Hinshaw said. “I chose to major in psychology with the thought I would be a family and marriage therapist. Towards the end of my time in college, it hit me that I didn’t want to keep going to school. I wanted to be finished and start working.”

Hinshaw met with a career counselor who thought that sales and marketing would showcase her strengths. “I started interviewing with various companies. One of them was Black+Decker, and I had several rounds to get the job offer. It was a good professional opportunity at that time, and I also met my future husband, Kevin, in one of the final rounds who was also interviewing,” Hinshaw said. “We didn’t start dating until later when we ran back into each other at our training sessions in Towson, Maryland. At that time cell phones started to become popular, so we were able to communicate since we lived in different states at the time.”

As Hinshaw’s personal and professional life was flourishing, she immersed herself in sales and event marketing. “I knew nothing about power tools, but by the end of my time with them I had gotten proficient in every kind possible since I had to demonstrate them,” Hinshaw said. “After about a year and a half I moved back to Ohio. My mom had been pretty sick, so I was grateful to be there during that time. With entry level jobs within the company, you knew you would be in each place for about a year before being transferred. I had gone back to Ohio to work in their Home Depot division. I did their ordering and processing returns for stores within my territory.”

Not long after, Hinshaw’s talents were recognized by a recruiter that made an offer that was too tempting to pass up. “When I got a call about a position at Bayer Pharmaceuticals, I was intrigued. I had minored in microbiology and always toyed with the idea of something in healthcare because I loved science. I didn’t think I wanted to go to medical school though,” Hinshaw said. “I have been an executive institutional representative in a hospital setting since 2004 (surgical anesthesia). You would think going into hospitals everyday would be daunting, especially during a pandemic, but I love it. I enjoy that I get to be out and about everyday having discussions and providing resources within their administration.”

Hinshaw’s career allowed a lot of flexibility with being able to move to North Carolina to be with Kevin. “I was lucky that I was able to keep a job that I loved and be near my soon to be husband. Being in North Carolina was important because he started Woodbridge Furniture with his dad Mike Hinshaw in 2003. We were married two years after they began the company. I loved being able to see them build their family business from scratch. As they celebrate their 20th anniversary this year, what I’ve admired most is that they never once lost attention to detail or the importance of standing by your product. They still value relationships because it’s important. I know they take pride in each and every piece that is made. Kevin still will make a delivery, and there is nothing that he’s too good to do if it involves a client or customer. I respect that about him,” Hinshaw said. “It’s been fun to watch him and his father build something together and see the dynamic between them.”

Values and hard work are something that Hinshaw knew made Kevin a good choice for being dad to their children: Taylor (14), Max (11) and William (4). “We’ve been lucky because with both of our jobs, we’re still able to give our kids the time and attention they deserve from us. We’re both able to make our own schedules, so we can see them at their sporting events as they get older and develop interests of their own. Being present as parents is very important to us. Having had two very invested parents myself, I know the value of having a close family. When we lost my mom suddenly in 2020, it was devastating. The world doesn’t look the same when your mom is no longer in it. I’m grateful to have my dad and sisters that help remember so many cherished memories of what she contributed to our family,” Hinshaw said.

Hinshaw continues the legacy of love with her own family as she also starts on the adventure of building their own home. “It’s been a fun process. Faith is very important to us. We recently spent some time writing scripture on the framework. I’m looking forward to the happy memories we get to make there in the future,” Hinshaw said. “Life is short. Nothing taught me that lesson greater than losing my mom. I try to remember every day not to sweat the small stuff because it doesn’t really matter in the end.”