I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Michelle Salinas, founder and CEO of Your Language Connection for 3 years. I am grateful to be the marketing partner for YLC. Michelle is a really great leader, the epitome of a Kickass Female Entrepreneur, and a really great mom and friend… this I know for sure. Watching her run her business and raise her 4 teenage kids, some with special needs inspires me every day.

I wanted to share with you what it’s like to be a part of Michelle’s family, whether it be her YLC family, or her friends and family, it’s a pretty nice thing to be connected to Michelle Salinas and this is just one of the reasons why… here is a recent email she sent to her team members since they haven’t been able to interact in person because of the pandemic. Michelle employs a small team to support her efforts, which is reflected by the word “we” in the following message she sent to her team members:

Hello and happy Friday! As you begin your mini holiday celebrations, and a very difficult year comes to an end, we want you to know that we are VERY grateful for all of you. We give thanks for your dedication and commitment, your skills and experience, your humility and kindness, your strength and generosity, your passion and commitment, and especially for being who you are and being a part of our very unique and special YLC team.

All of us have encountered many challenges throughout the year, some small and some big. Our strength, resilience, and passion for life will continue to move us forward. We’re very excited about the upcoming year, the potential it has for our mental and physical health, our financial security, and more peace in our lives. This is what most of us look forward to each New Year.

YLC is slowly making a comeback. It’s been and will continue to be, difficult because of the current pandemic, a challenging political environment, and increased racial tensions.

Please take the necessary precautions to stay healthy and safe. If you leave the state or go to a risky event, please self-quarantine for the health of yourself and others. Most of us have suffered a loss during this last year and it’s never easy no matter the cause. If you’d like a face shield or need new masks, please let us know. If you need help setting yourself up for successful virtual interpreting, reach out to us.

Though we weren’t able to connect in person this year, and possibly will not next year, know that we are together in spirit. Remember we are a team and together we are even stronger than on our own. Please reach out to us if in need or to share a special moment or celebration in your life. We want to know how you’re doing and what your plans are for the upcoming year. We care about you and your family.

Send us a picture of a special moment in 2020. We would love to make a collage from 2020 of all the beautiful faces that make up our team and moments that have kept your spirit alive through this very difficult year. Please take a minute now to reply to this email with a few sentences about how you are and your plans for the new year, as well as a picture or two.

Please only send pictures that you are comfortable with us sharing with others on the team and on social media. If any of you have any special interpreting stories from your experiences, especially this last year, we would love to hear them.

We all need stories that make us laugh, bring joy to our hearts, or help us feel needed. One way for us to connect is through our stories and pictures. please take the time to connect with us and others on the team.
YLC is a unique and very special business because of who we are and all that we represent. Let’s share it with as many people as we can as we end this year and move into the next.

May your upcoming holidays be filled with love, peace, good health, safety, comfort, plenty of food, and a very limited number of loved ones. We are all here if you need us!

Michelle Salinas, Maria Delamain, Kathy Hinton, and Kathie Haigis

Please support your local service providers in the upcoming year. 2020 was really really difficult on Your Language Connection and many other small businesses in Lancaster. If you need language services or want to learn a new language, just look right here in your backyard!

Be sure to check back to see the submissions from our team members!