From Yellow Pages to Hyper-Local Media: Linda Hakim’s Playbook

In this episode of Shady Characters, we sit down with Linda Hakim, a true connector and community builder in South Orange County. Linda is the publisher behind three hyper-local magazines with Best Version Media, serves as an ambassador for multiple Chambers of Commerce, and leads communications for the San Juan Capistrano Rotary. Few people are as deeply embedded in the fabric of South OC as Linda, and this conversation reveals how she has built an entire career around local storytelling, relationships, and trust.

Linda shares her journey from working at Vons in the 1970s and selling Yellow Pages ads with Verizon to becoming a modern digital marketer who manages more than eight social media accounts and reaches tens of thousands of local followers daily. She reflects on how social media evolved from a creative outlet for travel and family memories into a powerful professional tool that now supports her magazines, chambers, Rotary work, and business clients.

We talk about her passion for featuring real families on magazine covers, why hyper-local print still matters in a digital world, and how community recognition creates meaningful impact for businesses and residents alike. Linda also opens up about personal loss, resilience, and how work became both purpose and legacy as her children grew and life changed.

The episode explores her newest venture, SouthOrangeCounty.com, a professional interview platform that gives business owners high-quality video, podcast, and social media content from a single conversation. Along the way, Linda shares stories from decades living in South OC, including San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point, and Rancho Santa Margarita, offering insight into how the region has grown while maintaining its character.

This conversation is about tenacity, reinvention, and the power of showing up for a community every single day. Linda Hakim is proof that local storytelling, done with authenticity and consistency, can build an enduring legacy.