The Evolution Of A Dream

Recognizing a need for a local community periodical and with a yearning to fulfill her sense of purpose, the former investment banker set the presses rolling, launching the first edition of the magazine. In the 20 years since that first tabloid-size publication, with Linda’s two young sons gracing the cover, The Boca Raton Observer has grown and evolved as it captured the cultural zeitgeist of its namesake city and paralleled its exponential development. Among its many accolades,

The Boca Raton Observer has achieved the distinction of being Florida’s largest city magazine, The Authority On Boca & Beyond and Florida Magazine Association’s (FMA) 2023 Best Overall Magazine, the magazine’s fourth win. The success of The Boca Raton Observer is inextricably woven through the fabric of the diverse community of Boca Raton, making it a key source of community news that mirrors the city’s growth and prosperity.

It is through Linda’s vision and commitment, and the talents of a creative, hard-working team and community partners, that The Boca Raton Observer has garnered many prestigious FMA awards for writing, design and overall excellence and has earned recognition for its dedication to local charitable organizations. The magazine has become a monthly must-read and a stylish compendium for all that’s happening in Boca Raton and the surrounding South Florida communities. The celebrities gracing the covers of each issue — and their compelling stories — come courtesy of Linda’s persistence and powers of persuasion. Readers have come to rely on these journalistic triumphs that speak to how South Florida is connected to the greater national and international stage.

As the face of The Boca Raton Observer, Linda is always present, out and about in the community, attending events, supporting the causes she believes in and forging important partnerships. It hasn’t always been easy over the 20 years, she admits. In the beginning, the learning curve going from banker to publisher was steep.

Working closely with her husband Ralph, who left his corporate career and joined the business side of the magazine in 2008, has not always run smoothly, as many spouses who work together can attest. She’s also faced some personal issues over the last seven years without compromise to The Boca Raton Observer and, of course, the pandemic presented major obstacles for everyone, including significant inflationary costs for postage and paper for the magazine.

In the face of many challenges, this milestone of 20 years feels particularly celebratory. The Boca Raton Observer is better than ever, thanks to the leadership of Linda and Ralph, loyal marketing partners, engaged readers, a dedicated staff and a supportive community.

Twenty years later, Adam and Andrew, the two young boys on the cover of the first issue are young men forging ahead with their own lives. Adam, 25, and Andrew, 22, are both post graduates with rising business careers. They have been positively influenced by seeing all their parents have achieved with The Boca Raton Observer.

As we anticipate the magazine’s next 20 years, let’s raise a glass of champagne to celebrate and reflect on the evolution of The Boca Raton Observer and the woman who was pivotal in making it all happen.

Calling Her Own Shots

“I created something that came from within me,” says Linda. 

Producing The Boca Raton Observer from the ground up and nurturing it over the years was like raising another child, she explains, adding, “The Boca Raton Observer is my third child. But it’s my accomplishment, not someone I co-parented or co-created. Had I not started the publication, I would have given birth to a third baby; maybe even a fourth.”

Her story is relatable to working women everywhere. With a high-powered investment banking job in New York and later in Florida, like many mothers juggling careers with family responsibilities, Linda felt under pressure. When she was pregnant with Andrew, her second child, she resigned from her job in equity syndicate and corporate finance.

“It was the first time I wasn’t in school or working,” she says.

But after two years as a stay-at-home mom, she knew she needed a change. The tipping point came when a saleswoman at a department store got in the elevator with her and greeted her children by name.

“It’s time for me to go back to work,” she recalls saying to herself.

“I was bored. I loved being a mom, but when you’ve had a career, you don’t feel like you have a complete sense of purpose with having a personal life,” she explains.

Linda always loved magazines and began conceptualizing The Boca Raton Observer in the summer of 2003. “I wanted to control my destiny and run my own business,” she says. “Community has always been very important to me. I felt there was a void in our market and city for a true local magazine that accurately captured our community’s sophisticated lifestyle.” 

Another motivating factor for the entrepreneur to go back to work and put her dream in motion was her desire to be able to afford to put her children through private schooling. “I knew I wanted my kids to go to private school,” she says. Once that decision was made, she never looked back. Her subsequent engagement with community leaders allowed her sons a unique entrée into that enriching sphere and served as an adjunct to their growth and education, something that gives her great satisfaction.

She also wanted her children to see her succeed as a woman in business. “I wanted to teach my children how important it is to support a strong woman and to be philanthropic.” That’s one of the reasons she chose Pitbull to grace the cover of the November 2020 Giving Issue. “In the interview with the Grammy-winning artist and philanthropist, he talked about being surrounded by strong women as a child. ‘I wanted to be that type of Wonder Woman in my children’s eyes. I was blessed with two sons, and it is imperative that they know that women are entitled to all the same opportunities as men,’” she says.  

Establishing A Brand

“The Boca Raton Observer is an extension of me,” Linda says. “It has changed as I’ve changed. It’s a brand that has matured alongside me, my family, my team and the community.”

The publisher explains, “Our community has grown immensely over the last 20 years. Many families have moved here and Boca Raton has become much more of a year-round residence with the younger generation who are starting their chapters here. Boca Raton is not the same place I moved to in 1996 after my wedding.” 

She adds, “Our amenities, services, institutions and nonprofits have evolved and changed to include and grow with the culture of our community. I feel lucky to have witnessed the growth of our hospital, resort, charities, schools, cultural organizations, dining scene and houses of worship.”

The publisher noted an interesting side effect of the pandemic. She says, “COVID-19 added an extra dimension to Boca’s story as many decided to relocate here or change their status from transient to permanent.”

From the beginning, Linda has invested herself totally in the magazine. “I said, ‘I’m going to give it a year,’” she recalls. “We broke even in six months.”

In its second year of publication, the magazine became the glossy lifestyle periodical it is today. “It grew very quickly,” Linda says. Coming from a business perspective and not a journalistic one, she hired professional writers, photographers, designers and editors from the beginning.

“It’s important to realize that I started The Boca Raton Observer as a business. I was not a journalist or professional writer. I am a businesswoman with an education and working background in finance,” says Linda. “I learned the nuts and bolts of sales, publishing, creative and conceptual direction like I learn any subject — through research, asking professionals, listening to people and hiring a fantastic, seasoned team who all have a background in publishing and journalism.” 

Finding that staff came through turning to her circle of friends for advice and surrounding herself with women she could trust.

“Empowering women and minorities is very important to me,” says Linda. “I am a Latin Jewish woman who feels strongly about giving others every opportunity possible.”

Having the top-notch creative team and Linda’s hands-on involvement gave the magazine its edge in a competitive field. “I think that’s why it succeeded. So many magazines have folded and we have grown into a very large publication.”

A major factor in the magazine’s growth is reader loyalty.

“My primary goal was to create an Observer community of readers like myself who had moved to Boca Raton and were starting their new lives and wanted to be engaged,” says Linda. “People feel like they’re invested. We conduct readership studies and people really read the magazine. They feel like they’re part of it. We’ve created

The Boca Raton Observer community. It’s a community within a community. I say this all the time, there are other great magazines around, but they’ve tried to be regional. We always try to keep our departments and our feel very local.”

The Boca Raton Observer has grown immensely in 20 years, mailing 35,000 copies and boasting 150,000 monthly readers, as audited by the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM), the recognized national leader in publisher audits.

Linda understood the importance of the magazine going digital with the drop of the first online edition, the June/July 2011 Entertainment Issue with Perez Hilton on the cover.

“I knew it was the best way because the web was the future. At that point, I thought it was amazing and I was so impressed with what was going on in the digital world. A few years later there was a massive shift away from print and many magazines suffered, and in some cases, even shuttered. People always ask if we think print media is dead. I feel it’s very much alive.”

However, constant communication and access are important in the digital world we live in. “The ease of being able to always access the magazine is important,” she says.

The magazine took home the 2023 Silver Best Overall Magazine Website award at the annual FMA Charlie Awards and is the first regional magazine in the nation to have had its digital circulation audited by AAM.

Winning the FMA Charlie Awards “is a very significant measure of excellence in the state of Florida,” says Linda, referring to the largest state magazine association in the country.

“Those awards are very important to me. Every year we strive to win editorial, design and overall excellence.”

Since the magazine began entering the Charlie Awards competition in 2007, The Boca Raton Observer has been one of Florida’s most award-winning publications, garnering 100 awards for writing and design.

A self-described “alpha” personality, Linda is hands-on during the 18-day publishing cycle. She is a perfectionist with a vision for how she wants each issue to look. “I like things a certain way,” she says, insisting on the best for each and every page. The “celebrity-obsessed pop culture fan,” as Linda calls herself tongue-in-cheek continues to be starstruck by the big names she can get. A big push goes into each issue’s cover, which is prepared roughtly six months in advance. “As the magazine has grown, The Boca Raton Observer has attracted major national and international talent, such as Andrea Bocelli, John Legend and Andie MacDowell.” Celebrities on her wish list are soccer great David Beckham and actor and UT Austin alumnus Matthew McConaughey. “My day will come,” she says with a smile.

When she recently saw all the issues from 20 years laid out in the office, “it was very emotional for me,” she says. “Those were a lot of deadlines, a lot of sleepless nights, stress, hard work, dedication and love all wrapped in one.”

The Importance Of Giving

From its outset, The Boca Raton Observer has always partnered with the area’s top nonprofits. “Charity and community are a large part of what The Boca Raton Observer is about. We keep that constant,” says Linda. The magazine sponsors 40 to 60 events a year in a multitude of nonprofit sectors (health, education, women, children and religious organizations, to name a few), appealing to The Boca Raton Observer’s diverse readership. Linda, who serves on many boards and has won corporate awards, attends as many as two or three events in an evening, up to four a day during season. “This is my community and I feel it’s important for me to be there personally. Not just with my clients, but with my friends and partners,” she says. 

The magazine’s November Giving Issue is one of her favorites of the year. “Everyone gives in different ways. It’s about giving of yourself.”

Unity In The Community

Danielle Hartman, president and CEO of Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services, describes Linda, who serves on the board of the Rales Jewish Family Services, as a great connector. “She’s able to bridge through the nonprofit sector people who own businesses and want to be involved charitably with nonprofits who can benefit. The community benefits from her.”

The magazine has been the exclusive media sponsor of the organization’s two major fundraising events, their annual gala and The Reflections Of Hope Luncheon, a partnership that promotes community engagement. Under Hartman’s leadership since 2010, the operating budget for Rales Jewish Family Services has grown to over $20 million and legacy gifts are at $15 million.

“Our agency has grown over the last 20 years from primarily serving seniors and mental health to the largest human service provider in south Palm Beach County serving adults and children of all ages,” says Hartman. “We have also greatly expanded our programs over time to meet the needs in the community as they evolve, including adding several programs to serve families with children, including those with disabilities.”

Rales Jewish Family Services recognized The Boca Raton Observer for its role in supporting diverse charitable organizations throughout the community.

“We honored Linda and Ralph in 2018 with our corporate leadership award that was presented to them at our annual gala. That award is not just about Jewish Family Services, it recognizes a corporation or nonprofit business that is charitable throughout the entire community. Clearly, Linda and Ralph give so much.”

On the magazine’s 20th anniversary, Hartman says, “The Boca Raton Observer has always provided engaging content, wonderful stories, great feature pieces and it’s a beautiful avenue for nonprofits to get the word out in the community on their work. Kudos to Linda and Ralph for having the vision and creative talents — to have such longevity over 20 years is something to be admired.

“We look forward to Linda’s creative ideas and having more opportunities to partner with them as we continue to engage in the community in new and different ways. As more people move into the community, [we hope] that they would be introduced to The Boca Raton Observer and use that as a forum to get involved charitably with the community.”

Lincoln S. Mendez, the North Region Executive since 2022 and CEO of Boca Raton Regional Hospital since 2019, says, “We have always viewed our relationship with The Boca Raton Observer as a true partnership. It has always been there for us as we communicate with our community and provide the latest updates for the hospital.”

Mendez notes, “Linda has such a dynamic personality that she has been able to effectively network throughout the South Florida community. She has earned the trust and respect of her readers.”

He adds with a twinkle, “Since my wife and I are also of Cuban heritage, it seems like every time we run into Linda and Ralph at functions, things tend to get a little louder where we are standing!”

But with all sincerity he says, “The Boca Raton Observer has collaborated with us in many ways, always providing our community with the latest updates including during the pandemic and all of our construction projects.”

Once the expansion of the medical campus is completed in 2026 Mendez hopes the community will get a glimpse of the “new hospital” through The Boca Raton Observer. “This community will be very proud of the services being provided and the technological advances that will be featured in the final product,” he says.

On the 20th anniversary of The Boca Raton Observer, he says, “The magazine should be very proud of what it has accomplished over the past 20 years and that is has been able to maintain such a professional image throughout. I am very grateful to Linda and her team for truly representing Boca Raton in such a positive light.”

A City For All Seasons

Mayor Scott Singer, who has been in office since 2018 and on the City Council since 2014, has seen first-hand the impact the magazine has had.

“There’s probably no better source for local cultural and community events than The Boca Raton Observer,” he says. “Our residents and businesses have a better understanding of what’s ahead and a chance to review what just happened. It continues to shed a positive light on all things going on in the community, which benefits the city as we try to attract more business and investment here.”

The Mayor adds his voice in lauding the magazine on its 20th anniversary.

“Congratulations to The Boca Raton Observer. Thank you for being a mainstay and essential part of our community for 20 years. Looking forward to your continued service to our community.”

Connecting With Legacy

The history of the City of Boca Raton is inextricably intertwined with the iconic hotel and resort Addison Mizner, built in 1926. Now called The Boca Raton, its construction was a catalyst for the city’s growth and placed Boca Raton on the map as a leisure destination. The hotel and club have undergone many changes in its 96-year history.

President and CEO Daniel A. Hostettler is leading the newest evolution of the luxury resort, which includes a commitment to five-star service, as well as preserving the private club and resort’s history and sense of place.

Hostettler remarks, “It’s really important to have local media behind us as partners. It’s especially important when you are running a private club as we are, having a partnership with local media to get the word out on all of the things we are doing on the property and for various charities is instrumental.”

The Boca Raton Observer was at the forefront of announcing the arrival of  Hostettler in 2021. “Before I even landed in Boca it was a great introduction to the community to have the story featured that I’d been hired and all the things we were trying to do,” Hostettler notes.

Being covered in the magazine is  “great exposure,” he adds.  “We still, after 96 years, wrestle with the fact that not everyone in Boca knows us by virtue of the fact that we are a private club. Not everyone knows we are still accepting memberships on a limited basis. Not everyone knows we have events you can come to for charity and you don’t have to be a member. The Boca Raton Observer is great at getting the word out and being our voice in the local community.”

On The Boca Raton Observer’s anniversary, Hostettler says, “We’re about to celebrate our 100th anniversary in 2026. [Linda] is celebrating 20 years of being a huge impact on the community. We thank her for her support. It’s not easy to strike a balance between being both entertaining and informative as a magazine. The Boca Raton Observer certainly does that and does it extremely well. We wish The Boca Raton Observer well and in 20 more years we hope to be celebrating the 40th anniversary.”

Dazzling Decades

As The Boca Raton Observer has evolved and grown in 20 years, the city of Boca Raton and its organizations have grown alongside it. Among the highlights are the high-speed Brightline rail service, which debuted in 2022 connecting Boca Raton to a major transportation network; a new public school in more than a decade welcomed a burgeoning population of younger residents; the long-awaited Wildflower Park opened more green space along the Intracoastal Waterway; the city’s library, which celebrated its 75th anniversary this year, added a second location in 2008 — the Spanish River Library branch — and the new Downtown Library opened in 2013. And, as mentioned, a fundraising campaign to expand the hospital and The Boca Raton’s latest remodel, which includes a stunning harborside pool complex on the resort side.

Linda’s dream for her community magazine has been realized in ways she couldn’t have imagined back in 2003. Her vision for The Boca Raton Observer and her life are grounded in Maya Angelou’s inspirational words, “If you’re always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” 

What will the next milestone bring? It’s all under wraps for now, but the buzz is it will be something fun, fabulous and community-focused, of course.

“We will keep growing and keeping up with the trends,” says Linda. “And we will keep having fun, enjoying life and getting involved in different charitable organizations. This year will be all about celebrating our two dazzling decades so there are many plans that I have been cooking up for a long time.” She adds, “The Boca Raton Observer will continue to evolve along with our wonderful city of Boca Raton and its great organizations, people and amenities. We truly ARE Boca. This issue is our greatest and biggest ever. And most importantly, the best is yet to come!”

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Personal Favorites

The “celebrity-obsessed pop culture fan,” as Linda calls herself tongue-in-cheek continues to be starstruck by the big names she can get. A big push goes into each issue’s cover, which is prepared ROUGHLY six months in advance. On her wish list are soccer great David Beckham and actor and ut austin alumnus Matthew McConaughey. “My day will come,” she says with a smile.

Anthony Kennedy Shriver

October 2004

I have always been extremely interested in the Kennedy Family dynasty and their accomplishments. Anthony’s mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver founded the Special Olympics and I’m a big fan of his sister, author, journalist and former California First Lady, Maria Shriver. I have attended many Best Buddies events and been very impressed with what Anthony has created. I admire what they do to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. My respect for

Anthony and Best Buddies is deeply rooted in art (one of my favorite Keith Haring artworks, which my family owns, is the charity’s logo) and they have a strong partnership with Romero Britto, who is a friend who created a fabulous art commission for The Boca Raton Observer’s 18th Anniversary cover. For years, I have been interested in charity and giving back. In 2004, when I was setting up issue themes and starting to create alliances with nonprofits in the community, I knew that

Best Buddies was an organization I wanted to be involved with. 

Tory Burch

April 2008

Tory is a true fashion icon. I love her style and the fashion house she created. We both attended University of Pennsylvania (she was one year ahead of me) and I felt many similarities with her being a mother, wife, entrepreneur and philanthropist. It was a thrill to interview her for the feature story and then see her again a few years later at one of her appearances in the Bloomingdale’s New York flagship store. Spending time with her was so much fun as she was so easy to talk to! She told me about raising a blended family of six children and feeling blessed to have a wonderful support system that allowed her to work in a field where she truly enjoyed what she did. She sent me a beautiful gift and note that I truly treasure. We discussed her foundation, which empowers women entrepreneurs by providing access to capital, education and community. It was that dedication that led her to grace our April Women’s Issue cover in 2008.

Andy Cohen

June/July 2016

Andy Cohen is a charismatic media mogul who worked his way up and wasn’t ever embarrassed to try to connect with someone. I have admired him for many years. I am a big fan of his “Real Housewives” franchises, read his books, met him at book signings, watched him on “Watch What Happens Live,” listened to Radio Andy and now enjoy watching him blossom as a single parent of two young children. I had the pleasure of visiting the Bravo Clubhouse and it was everything I had hoped. I interviewed him for our June/July Entertainment Issue in 2016 when he was the keynote speaker at the Old Bags Luncheon at The Breakers and we chatted while my photographer and friend Carlos Aristizabal took amazing photographs and my Harvard alumni attorney sister sat quietly. My favorite thing about Andy is the way he talks about his children, especially his son, Ben. I caught up with him recently at Congregation B’nai Israel’s 40th Anniversary Speaker Series and a large portion of his speech was about being a dad. 

Brooke Shields

April 2017

I grew up idolizing Brooke Shields. I followed her Calvin Klein commercials, movies, modeling, journey to Princeton University and relationship with her parents as an only child. She spent a lot of time in Palm Beach with her dad and I hoped to meet her one day. I remember how impressed I was that she dated John Travolta, Dean Cain and Michael Jackson. I related to everything about her — especially her height and eyebrows! When I finally met her at

The Breakers in February 2017, when she was the keynote speaker at the Cancer Alliance Shop the Day Away Luncheon^®, it was comfortable and a bit ironic. I was surprised to learn she was a normal woman, much like many of my girlfriends — and with cool tattoos! I had an opportunity this summer to spend time with her husband Chris Henchy and daughter Rowan in the Hamptons and have been enjoying her growing, global community, Beginning Is Now, of women over 40 learning to live their fullest lives on their own terms.