Reclaiming Your Hue: A Podcast for Women Rediscovering Themselves in Motherhood & Entrepreneurship

Ep. 93 w/ Laura King | Coach, Author, Co-Founder & CEO, UNLOK Human Potential

• Kelly Kirk • Season 1 • Episode 93

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Shine Brighter

Your kid spills the milk and suddenly you’re not reacting to the mess, you’re reacting to a lifetime of pressure. That’s where this conversation goes fast: the real reasons high-achieving moms and leaders feel on edge, and what it looks like to rebuild calm without pretending everything is fine. I’m joined by Laura King, executive recruiter, coach, and author of Shine Brighter: The High Performer’s Guide to Purpose, Presence, and Peak Living, for a candid look at the peaks and valleys behind “having it all together.” 

Laura shares what happened when a hard season in motherhood exposed how much her nervous system was carrying. We talk neurofeedback, why it can feel like your brain has a tiny gravel road to calm, and how consistent rewiring practices can expand your capacity for patience and presence. We also get honest about the moments that sting: choosing work because it’s easier than being emotionally available, realizing your kids mirror your unhealed patterns, and learning to repair with apology instead of shame. 

From the career side, Laura brings 17 years of recruiting insight and thousands of conversations to the table. We break down why resumes aren’t the magic key, how storytelling and relationships actually create opportunities, and what career alignment looks like when you’re craving purpose, mission fit, and a healthier leadership culture. Faith weaves through it all too: surrender, guidance, and the daily decision to release control and lead with love. 

If you’re navigating corporate burnout, entrepreneurship, mom life, nervous system regulation, or a big pivot you can’t fully explain yet, this one will meet you right where you are. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share it with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a quick review so more women can find Reclaiming Your Hue.

Resources mentioned:

A Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

Connect with Laura:

Contact the Host, Kelly Kirk:

  • Email: info.ryh7@gmail.com

Get Connected/Follow:

Credits:

  • Editor: Joseph Kirk
  • Music: Kristofer Tanke 


Thanks for listening & cheers to Reclaiming Your Hue! 

Welcome And Mission Of The Show

Kelly

Welcome everybody to Reclaiming Your Hue, where we are dedicated to empowering women to embrace and amplify their inherent brilliance. Our mission is to inspire mothers and entrepreneurs to unlock their full potential and radiate their true selves. I'm your host, Kelly Kirk, and each week my goal is to bring to you glorious guests as well as solo episodes. So let's dive in. Hi, Laura. Hello. How are you?

SPEAKER_02

Oh, I'm wonderful. Thank you.

How Kelly And Laura Met

Kelly

Isn't it so nice to see each other again? I love real life connection. It's just nothing beats it. I know. I'm with you. Thank you for carving out time. I appreciate it. I know that we we like got it on the calendar and we needed to reschedule. And we've got it on the afternoon and we're here, we're doing it. We're live. This is incredible. Shall we dive in? Yes, we shall. Well, let's actually share with the listeners first how it is that you and I are connected. Do you remember how we got connected? Was it Constantina? It was that like multiple avenues. It was multiple avenues. So I meant to be. It really was. So we met each other at Constantina's event, but I had actually had somebody go, You've got to meet Laura King. And now the name of that person is escaping me. Erica Dvorak.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, yes. It was Erica Dvorak. It's hilarious because I was actually like voice memoing her on the way over here.

Kelly

Yeah. So it was Erica. And I believe she had had her interview, and then she may have mentioned it like shortly after that. Like, you've got to know Laura King. And then I was at Constantina's event, and somebody just said your name. And I like whipped my head around so quickly. And I was like, wait, Laura King is here. And then I just went up to and I was like, hey, you don't know me.

unknown

I don't know.

SPEAKER_02

You had that beautiful um like bow in your hair. I did. Yeah. Yeah.

Kelly

Yeah. It was like, I think that we were supposed to like dress with like glitter, blitz, or glam or something like that. And I had a very like sparkly blush and then sweater on and then a cute little um headband bow or the headband bow. Like headband bowl.

SPEAKER_02

I was like, I need to even before you came up to me, I like I think I I just like in scanning the room, I'm like, I need to know that woman.

Kelly

Oh, I love that. Isn't it fun how that happens? I just um, you know what? It was it was meant to be, just as you said, Laura. I love it. So what's interesting too is when we I believe that we connected at one point after that. Was it Zoom? I think it was Zoom. Or over the phone. And at that point, let's share with the listeners motherhood or entrepreneurship first. Because I was about to spill the beans, but I don't want to spill the beans.

SPEAKER_02

So it's almost it's crazy because the I the way I look at it though, it's almost one and the same because it was gosh, six months after my firstborn that I um joined a search firm where I was like 100% commission. Like it was taking a chance on like, I believe I can build a book of business.

Kelly

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

It was still within the confines of another organization, but it was all commission.

Kelly

Listen, when I started this podcast, same. I was in the mortgage world, and most mortgage lenders, actually, all mortgage lenders are W-2'd, but it's a hundred percent commission. So eat what you kill. You do not get paid until that loan closes, day of closing. And so I'm with you. I'm with you.

SPEAKER_02

It was so interesting. Like I had a fire in my belly that I never had before. It was just like an empire, it was like a very empowering season of like I am figuring this out as a mom and as like a business owner mentality. So you said that was so that was way like that was like 2012, is when my first son was born. So your first.

Kelly

Your first son.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Oh my god.

Kelly

My first son, yeah. How many kiddos do you have? I have four. Four boys. We just kept going, running around. I love that though. Seriously.

SPEAKER_02

And what are the ages? So my oldest, Miles, is 13. Um, Broni is 10, Charlie is eight, and Crosby is six.

Kelly

Ooh, your household must be so fun.

SPEAKER_02

Um, it's like lovely to come into your household because I'm like, oh, this is what it would look like if I yeah.

Kelly

Well, let me just tell you smoke and mirrors, because um I always like to have my guests come into a nice clean environment. But believe me, when I say that it's not always like this, because we do have three kiddos running around most of the time. But the difference is like your walls are still white.

SPEAKER_02

My walls are not white. I mean, there's your house is lived in.

Kelly

Lived in. Yep. It's so lived in. There's nothing wrong with that. Yeah. We we also have um the type of paint where we can easily wipe it off. Okay.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, that's we still have like the builder's paint that just shows everything. And we're like, do we really even want to paint now or just wait another couple years?

Perfectionism And Parenting Triggers

Kelly

Yeah, just I would just wait it out because especially with the range that you're working with here with the kids. Yes. We actually, so as you know, my husband and I are in real estate, and just recently we went and um previewed a friend of ours' house, and we said the very same thing like, you have a beautiful home and it's very well lived in. And she was like, just don't judge. And I'm like, There's no judgment here. I'm I'm like right next to you, sister, because this is like Do you know?

SPEAKER_02

Having children was the best thing that could have happened to me because I was so type A perfectionist. I couldn't even leave my home unless everything was in its place. Like it was to the point of almost like OCD compulsive. And I now am have reached a point where I can leave when there are messes, and I'm like, it's going to be okay. It's going to be okay.

Kelly

What a humbling experience, huh?

SPEAKER_02

It is, but I mean, it didn't come without a lot of like yeah. Like I would rage. Like I would rage when it was like so dirty and like no one was cleaning up after themselves. But this has been all I always say, my my four boys, they literally are my greatest teachers.

Kelly

Okay, we're gonna sit here for a minute. I want to talk through this, and here's why. Cause I empathize with this. I don't know if I'm if I am quite to the level that you may have been at, but I certainly have those moments to your point about like children being our greatest teachers. Yes. I can't count the number of times where I'm like, thank you for helping. And then all I want to be like is can we try that again? Yeah. Yeah. And if my husband is listening right now, he will literally be like, oh my god, Kelly. But he gets it.

SPEAKER_02

He also likes to be like, But what we're doing is we're unwinding decades of programming. And until you become a parent, you don't realize that there's these things in you that are just in you. Like there's there's it's it's your subconscious. And like like when you know, my son spills the milk. My old reaction would have been like I was shamed, right? Like how could you do that? And no, are you not paying attention? I don't do that to my kids. Like it was a okay, like breathe. Yeah, is this really a big deal? This is spilled milk.

Kelly

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Do I need to shame them?

Kelly

I know. No, I know. So talk myself and the listeners through like how did you coach yourself through that to get to that point where it was just like Well, I messed it up about a million times first. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I mean, I I don't think you I'm I'm the first to admit, like, like it was recognizing these patterns of when I would rage. Yeah. I was like, okay. Like then being curious about, okay, um, what would my best self do? And so it was like these these um intentional moments that I would um usually like before going in, so so my husband is the one that's home when they get off the bus at four, and I usually roll in between five and five thirty. Um and usually I would I would be picking someone up from daycare, but now they're all in, they're all in grade school, yeah, in middle school. So I take an extra moment in my car and I literally visualize about what ideal Laura looks like. Because from five o'clock on, that's a whole other ball game, right? I I'm exhausted from a full workday, but I know that I don't want to let that out on my kids.

Kelly

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And so it's like this compartmentalization where I'm like, okay, how would my best self greet my partner? How would my best self greet my kids? How would my best self react if this goes wrong? Like I'm almost predicting the things that are gonna happen. I know the kids are gonna whine when they want to go, well, and I tell them it's time to go to bed. How am I gonna like I literally think I go into my imagination and I and I imagine like ideal Laura? And then I'm like, okay, now here we are. It's it's the live movie. What's she gonna do, Laura? And it's almost like I can like zoom almost out of my body and say, like, okay, like you got this. Do I always get it? No.

Kelly

Definitely, I mean, that's failure is the ultimate teacher, right? And so it's it's in those learned opportunities where you're like, okay, how do I actually want to this next go-around? Use this as an opportunity to to kind of come into the highest version of myself, the best and most ideal version of myself.

Visualizing Your Best Self Daily

SPEAKER_02

And I also think about fast forward when my kids become parents or they're out in the world, they are literally like I am and my and my husband, look, we are their role models. We are their role models. So, how do I want to best set them up? Yeah, do I want them to have a wild reaction? Right. Well, I had to learn that the hard way because like we literally went through this in 2023 where one of my sons he raged. And I got to see my anger in him. And I'll never forget the moment when I was told, Laura, when you heal, your son will heal. And it was like, oh, it was like a gut punch of like, oh, hi, I'm the problem. It's me. It's like the Taylor Swift side. And it's like until I heal these parts of me, it like it's just it's like these children are our mirrors. Showing us the the unhealed parts of us. And like that set us up in this whole neural feedback, you know. I mean, just and therapy, it's like I at the in the midst of it. If you would have told me it's all gonna work out, Laura, I would have said some explain like I don't believe you, you know. I was I was in the thick of like victim mindset of like this is the most worst awful thing. My kid is throwing chairs, my kid is running away from home, he's saying he hates our family. Like it was uh bad news bears. Yeah. And it was a season then that I realized that my mental health was actually suffering, and I was the one that needed to do the work. Not that everything is all like sunshine and rainbows now, but holy cow, I have now two of my boys who have gone through neurofeedback, okay, which helps rewire the brain. I went through neurof neurofeedback.

Kelly

I was just, I was just gonna say, um, I read this in your book, and we'll share with the listeners here in just a little when when the time is right, a little bit more about that as well. But for for somebody who's listening right now, and frankly myself, can you just kind of talk through what that means? Like the process of neural feedback.

Neurofeedback As Brain Rewiring

SPEAKER_02

Think of um the difference between a gravel road and a six-lane highway. Okay, and my ability to find calm was like a gravel road. I could not find calm. I was anxious all the time. Okay. And so neurofeedback um is an incredible tool that allows your brain to make the connections that it wasn't able to make before. All by just watching, like I literally would sit down, they would hook this thing up to my head, and I would just watch a TV show for 30 minutes. And the screen would get big when I was making a connection, it should. And the screen would get small when it wasn't. So it would go big, small, big, small, big, small, big, small. I didn't have to do anything but just sit and watch TV for six, well, almost six months, twice a week.

Kelly

And was this this help help kind of bridge the gap here? Was this because initially your husband was like, no, we originally went in because we were at our wit's end, um, therapy wasn't working.

SPEAKER_02

We didn't want to put him on certain medication, so this was an um alternative to medication. And so we were sitting there and he was getting his brain scan. I literally heard God whisper, You need this too. It was like, you need this too. And I was like, um, can I also get a brain scan? And so Brody and I did it together.

Kelly

Wow, we did it together. Wow, wow, wow, wow. I love those little god nudges.

SPEAKER_02

But it was, I mean, like, I I don't love that I would literally have to like hold him down in the car because he was kicking and screaming, didn't want to go. Those were not pretty times.

Kelly

So Brody's your oldest. No, Brody's my 10-year-old. 10-year-old? Okay, thank you. So when was this happening? 22. He was eight. He was eight. Okay. So just a few years ago. He's gonna be almost nine. He's gonna be, he's gonna, he's gonna be 11. 11? Yeah. I can't math is not mathing right now. It's been a lot of things. Math is hard. Math is hard. I was thinking like he was eight at that.

SPEAKER_02

But my now, my my now eight-year-old, um, last summer we also did for him as well. Okay. Wow. And um, insurance companies, please start covering this.

Kelly

Start covering this. You know, it's interesting that you bring that up because I can't count the number of times that I've had individuals here on the podcast, and we've either talked about healthcare or insurance or both in conjunction and just the lack of um coverage that they actually have. And it almost feels like it's gotten worse. It's gotten worse. And I'm going, the math is not mathing anymore for the amount that you have to pay for insurance and what coverage you actually get. And you go to the doctor, you provide your insurance that you're paying an arm and a leg for, and then you're nothing gets covered. Nothing gets covered, and you get slapped with the bill, and you're like, How is this even helping me?

SPEAKER_02

How is this even helping me? Yeah. That's a whole that could be a whole other podcast. Totally could, but anyway, let's rein it in.

Kelly

I know. Let's rein it in.

SPEAKER_02

It is not health care, it is sick care right now. I know. And there's a whole overload of that system that needs to happen.

Kelly

It it seriously, it seriously could be its own podcast discovery. Multiple series. Yes, it for sure could.

SPEAKER_02

Get other experts on here because I'm not an expert, although I just know that I have so many friends who, especially like my age, are going more the functional medicine route to get their hormones, you know. Yeah. And then like again, none of that is covered. I know.

Kelly

So well, there's a rabbit hole for everything. So, but, anyways, back to reclaiming your hue. This is a great podcast. We like to talk about motherhood and entrepreneurship. We talk about the the peaks in the valleys, and we're kind of like with your story, Laura. I mean, just this blip of blip in part of the story. Would you would you say that this was one of the valleys? Oh gosh. Let's talk through this.

The 2023 Crisis And A Wake-Up Call

SPEAKER_02

Oh my gosh. Well, I wasn't really even in my own body. Like, I wasn't present. I wasn't um in 2023. I was going through this complete, like, why am I here? What's this all for? Um, God, you place these huge dreams in my heart. Why aren't they happening? You know, and I was living in my mind versus like actual like being with people.

Kelly

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And it was um, again, I mean I was getting the neurofeedback treatment too. And I like I knew things were bad, but I didn't really realize how bad they were until I was out of it. And, you know, even talking with my husband, like, he's like, I'm like, how did how did you let me behave this way? Didn't you try to get through to me? He's like, Yeah, I tried. You were so stubborn, and you were just not, you were not able to get take advice really from anyone. And what pulled me out of it was I had come across um, so in recruiting, I would gone to this conference in gosh, probably like 2015 or 2016, after my second son was born. And um, it's all about in recruiting, like to be a big biller. You want to be a big biller. And so it was like this the seminar about like secrets of being a big biller. And I'll never forget the exercise they made us do was um write our obituary. I was like, come again, let's come again. What are we doing here? I thought we were talking about becoming a big biller, and it was one of the most profound exercises I've ever been um invited into doing, which is thinking about the end of your life and what do you want it to mean. And it was like, oh so in 2023, I come across something I've written in 2015 about what my life meant. Like, and I I think I actually it's in Shine Brighter, it's in the book. And I was like, holy cow, I am not living into this person at all. So that was like I had been just yeah, just like the opposite of what I knew like how I wanted to show up in the world for people.

Kelly

Yeah, fascinating.

SPEAKER_02

So that became like okay. I I was separate from God, thinking it was all on my shoulders to make everything happen, all my dreams. And that was the beginning of oh, maybe I just need to get back to communion with God and realizing that like He will show me the way. And it's not supposed to be uh Laura's timeline and Laura's decision, it's being like obedient. Oh, that word obedient is on how do I want to say this?

Letting Go Of Control With God

Kelly

My relationship with God has grown immensely over the last couple of years. I found a discipler through my church. She's like 80 years old. I've talked about her many times on this podcast. She was literally sent by God for me at the most epic time. And it's like peeling back onion layers. The reason I bring this up is because it's like peeling. Back onion layers, and the more you build that relationship with God, the more you understand you can let go of control. Like literally, Jesus take the wheel. I mean, it's not a song for nothing, right? Or at least a lyric in a song. And I think about that almost on the daily.

SPEAKER_02

Do you know? Like what's getting me through these times is I have worship music on repeat to keep my mind on what is true and what is lovely and what is like good.

Kelly

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Because it's so easy to slip into negative thought patterns.

Kelly

Oh, for sure. I'm with you. I mean, it is especially given the what I like to call the landscape of our state, right? But then the landscape as a country, too. It's just um, yeah, I'm I'm with you, Laura, where it's like, okay, I can I have a choice, and this goes for anything in life, right? I have two choices. I can choose to go this route, better attitude, better mindset, leading by faith, leading by love, leading how Jesus would want me to. Or I can completely steer the boat the other direction. And that's a choice too. Yes. Life's about choices. It's a common phrase in our house. Life's about choices. But that like control, the grip, and having it so firm. And as soon as you start to just let it go, I mean, I mean, literally think about holding your fist so firm and the tension that that creates. And as soon as you start to like, oh, I think about that as how our relationship is with God. Yes.

SPEAKER_02

Isn't it incredible? I mean, I I am I've looked at like even like the last 12 months of I feel like I've gotten two decades of growth compressed into 12 months with how much I am changing, and I'm learning or even unlearning patterns that this world has taught me. And it's like I was taught to work so hard and grind, and it's just like push and force, and I'm like, that is not working. Yeah, that is not working. And and thinking that I get to control when these things happen to me, it's like, oh, it's like receive, arms open, receive. And I'm literally guided to the people I'm meant to serve. Like literally, the names just come to me. Reach out to this person, reach out to this person. And even if they're not gonna be my next client, you just don't know where that path is gonna lead you. It doesn't cease to amaze me.

Career Alignment And Courage At Work

Kelly

Yeah. Like never know. Okay, so let's back up because I want I want to bring the listeners up to speed to what it is that you are doing today, right? Yeah, but there's a lot of in between. Yeah. So we were in recruiting. Yes. So we're still in recruiting. Still in recruiting.

SPEAKER_02

So that was a very courageous conversation I had entering 2025. Um, shout out to Skywater because they have been so amazing. Like, how amazing it is to have an employer that sees your value and can make an arrangement that keeps you without losing. Like, I just am like reveling in like there are so many employers that could just think outside the box to accommodate your talent. And so I was very open to say, like, I don't know exactly what my path looks like. I just know I'm being called.

Kelly

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And I literally said that. And I'm like, oh my gosh, my boss is gonna think I am a psycho. I'm like, I'm feeling called. It's like, well, what does that mean? I'm like, I don't know, like I might go back to school, I might be like, I don't know if I'm gonna go into like psychology, or I might, you know, start up my coaching practice again, or and he was like, Well, let's just make something work. And we we did so that I can still have these this time to explore because that's really what I needed was time and space, still have an income, earning an income, but being able to experiment. And so I have done individual coaching, helping people find alignment in their career because so many people are so, so like, I can't keep doing this. I can't keep doing this. And all of my brilliance as an executive recruiter, helping them see the best in who they are and their gifts, which PS, by the way, like it's really hard to see your own gifts. So that alone is like I am just in awe of the executives I get to work with that I'm helping them see and then really anchor in to these gifts and show the possibility of how what that looks like if they were to change industry or change the type of job or change the even the structure if they if they didn't want to be in corporate. What would what would a fractional engagement look like or a consulting engagement? Like helping them see possibility.

Kelly

I remember um a part in your book, and I think I I think I dog eared it. It's speaking to exactly what you're talking to. Um Emma, your coaching client Emma, yeah, and how she went out of she went out of financial the financial industry into something more environmental, still utilizing her skills, but it was more about finding the mission alignment, yeah, right?

Coaching People Beyond The Resume

SPEAKER_02

And so, like even like right now, I'm helping people think like their their own headhunter, like, oh, they're like people like waiting for jobs to get posted on LinkedIn and like no no no no no no no no no. Let's go find some target companies that really just interest you, sure, like reaching out and learning how to reach out to a stranger and and how you you message them so that they actually respond to you, like things that I I just took for granted of my skill set and teaching other people how to do that. Oh, and they're having these beautiful conversations and they're starting to see possibilities. I'm like, yes.

Kelly

So you have been in recruiting for a total of 17 years, 17 years, and I think that you threw the number in your book of the amount of 30,000 conversations, interviews, yeah. So you've seen it, you've seen a collective of so many different personalities, personality styles, their approach to recruiting. Yeah, like their their approach to being recruited or wanting to be hired on, right?

SPEAKER_02

Like that's I see what gets tracked. I I see who gets hired and who doesn't. And newsflash, it has nothing to do with your resume. I know stop spending time tweaking your resume. Opportunities happen through people, and it's not owning your story, being able to speak to the storytelling aspect of how that shows up. Sure. And it's like we need leaders more than we ever have needed leaders inside companies right now. And I'm showcasing like this is how you lead. This is like, and I like almost like need to do like time out. You need to like see how unique that is. Because they just they take their grit gifts for granted. They're like, oh, this comes so naturally. I'm like, I know, and you're supposed to do that because it does come so naturally. We think it has to be hard.

Kelly

It doesn't have to be hard. Well, we are our own worst critics after all. And I can totally empathize with like making things more challenging than they really need to be. Oh, yes, because I think um I like to think of it this way, Laura, and maybe this resonates with you, but like sometimes it feels like the puzzle pieces are just so close to your face that you can't even like you can't even get even a millimeter away from it to truly understand the vastness of opportunity that's right in front of you. If you were to just, I don't know, if if you had a little faith or whatever your alignment is, right? Right.

SPEAKER_02

And I tell people like like those, those inklings, those things in your heart, they're not supposed to just die there. They're supposed to come to fruition. The how is none of your business, but it's you're taking a step, right? And it's like I say, okay, there's a staircase, you don't know where it's all leading, you just have to take the first step. Yeah. And then the next step becomes um apparent because for instance, now what I'm seeing, and I'm like, oh god, thank you. Okay, thank you for helping me take this step because now I am using it's just crazy all of my years and seeing so many dysfunctional um environments, workplaces. I would, I would place someone and then they wouldn't work out. Go figure because there's so many other the way that work gets done and the behavior that's getting sent was completely backwards. And so now I'm being brought into these conversations inside companies, and how the business is evolving is um I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm gonna help so many more people love work again by helping transform these organizations and teaching them how to unlock more potential from their people. Because guess what? Everyone wants to do like innately good people, but they haven't been unlocked yet. They haven't been able to see their gifts and how it relates to the mission of the organization. And that's just one instance. There's a lot of other things I'm being brought into that is showcasing, okay. Well, when you allow this behavior to happen, that's actually violating this core value. So what you're really showing your employees is, yeah, it's okay to just skirt the system, right? Yeah, they don't see that. And I'm like, oh my gosh, this is this is so much bigger than I ever thought. And I don't think I would have gotten here if I hadn't had the courage to have that conversation with my boss.

Kelly

I have been out of uh corporate setting for quite some time. It doesn't mean that, like, for instance, being in the mortgage industry, that you you were working underneath a corporate umbrella, but when you're building your own business underneath a corporate umbrella, it looks different than like your typical nine to five, and I'm getting a, you know, either semi semi-monthly um salary or bi-weekly salary. You know what I mean? Like it does look different, and there still can be the commonalities of just like the inner workings of politics and um scrutiny and the negativity, and just you allowed that to happen, but not but you're not having a conversation over here, right?

SPEAKER_02

And the thing is as a recruiter, you know, for 17 years, 18 years, I'm I've gotten to hear people share everything with me. Like I have to keep obviously very confidential information, but I know a lot about how things have happened inside companies, like hundreds, even thousands of companies. And I know that there is an extreme amount of opportunity for those leaders who really do believe that if they unlock their people who take care of their customers, they will see their revenue increase. But what has happened is that we've been squeezed and squeezed and squeezed, more profit, more profit, more profit. And people are like, this is not even fulfilling anymore. It's like like it's the whole like slow down to speed up, like let's slow down and realize we're all human and we're not just robots, right? And and then you know, AI is coming in, like people are being asked to do so much with so much less than they used to have, like resources-wise, that it is a return to basics. I mean, we're talking like, hey, let me just sit down with my people, like face to face, and maybe understand what's going on in their life. Because gosh, I think about I was open enough with my employer when I was going through my mental health crisis. And they were so amazing, so amazing. But I know there's people struggling right now, like right now, and their employer has no clue and they are barely hanging on, they are barely hanging on, and how much loyalty that would build. Right. If if you had an employer that said, Hey, go take two months off. Go just we believe in you. We have seen you work so hard for us. Go take time off.

Kelly

Just imagine how that could fundamentally change the landscape of a business, a corporation.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, my prediction is we're going, we're going back to the olden days. Let's go back to the olden days where we left our computers at work. You couldn't bring it home with you.

Kelly

Wouldn't that be just something?

SPEAKER_02

You couldn't bring it home with you.

Kelly

Yeah. Let's let's uh let's parallel this with motherhood. Yeah. Because I feel like there's ways. There it is. There it is. So you have so you have you're still in recruiting, but it's very, very, very part-time. Yes. And when did you officially make the leap into coaching?

SPEAKER_02

That would have been the beginning of 2025. Although I will say I dabbled in it because you did 2020. Yeah. And I've been hosting, I've been hosting purpose workshops since 2020. Yeah. Yeah. So I've always kind of had that on the side. And then I also built marketers community. Okay. Which I just um now Abby Kelsey runs that business. So I've I've had, yeah, I've had my fair share of entrepreneurship.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

Presence Practices And Nervous System Calm

Kelly

High achieving woman. I I know that. I get that. Okay. So you are your coaching, you are also doing recruiting and thriving with four boys and an incredible entrepreneurial husband, too, which we'll talk about that as well. Because, you know, having an entrepreneurial family is interesting. It's fun. There's modeling and so much growth that's happening, which by the way, we need to come back to the book. We have so many things to talk about. Okay, but we're paralleling what you were just speaking to and motherhood. Yeah. Right.

SPEAKER_02

So you know, like that time when um my kid asked me to go to the park, and I told him, I'm sorry, I have too much work to do. Like, I want to go back to all those moments where I'm like, why did I choose work over and over? Because honestly, working was easier than like being in the present moment. That one stings. It is it's an achievement addiction. But then at some point you realize, wait, this is just gonna keep going on forever. Like it's a hamster wheel.

Kelly

Once what's enough, going back to purpose, right? Yes, faith, and I'm sure that that has played a lot into this kind of unraveling and peeling back the onion layers and realizing what actually is important, the humans in front of us, literally the humans in front of us. So you talk about how it was more challenging to be in the present moment versus just doing the work that was right in front of you stings. And I I feel that it stings, like because I had been there. I did that, I became a bonus mom first, and I got slapped on the wrist one, maybe two times before it was pretty evident to me like you cannot do this anymore. My husband at the time, at the time we were engaged to be married, and I remember getting like we were getting ready for dinner, and I was still operating in the mortgage business. Yeah, and I could have kept working like through dinner, and he was like, We're gonna have dinner. Shot the laptop. Yeah, I know it stings, doesn't it? It does sting, but it's like it does, but it was a profound moment for me because I was going. This is my first introduction to the family unit, you know, and it was learning and growing, but I could have like I literally could have kept working in it. I wasn't even like perfect after that in terms of those moments. It still happened, it happened when Maddie arrived too, and I got another little slap on the wrist for it then as well. But that that like being in the present moment can still be very challenging. Oh, absolutely. So I want to I want to talk in this area and what are some of the things that you are working on as it pertains to that, and how are you coaching others through that too?

SPEAKER_02

Using all of our senses. I love this. Using all of our senses. I love this. So, like if you just chill and you look around, and it's almost like at 10 p.m. tonight, will I be able to remember this scene? Oh, well, let me take a look of all the things I'm seeing in my environment. And then anything I can smell, taste, hear, like I I I it's hard to explain other than like this is a movie. Right? And like, do you want to remember the scenes of the movie?

Kelly

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And the more that you can a part of it is also learning how to calm your nervous system. And so that's a whole other again, that's a whole other series.

Kelly

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Learning to breathe deeply. And for me, like have less caffeine.

Kelly

But I'm not completely overstimulated. I, as I'm almost finished with my tea, I do remember you saying that you wanted my tea.

SPEAKER_02

I want the tea and water. I'm so high maintenance.

Kelly

It was like 10 minutes ago, and I'm going, I didn't get in here any tea. Sorry. I'm never coming back. You're not allowed. You're not allowed. Anyways, my apologies for that. But yeah, that's so no no caffeine, right? Like limiting the caffeine.

SPEAKER_02

Limiting the caffeine, but realizing that I don't get this time back. And they how they say, enjoy every moment. And I would be like, oh my gosh, stop saying that. Like, okay, I see it why people say that right now. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, I see that. And am I perfect at it? Absolutely not. Yeah. You know, like we're all human. And and like it's just having for me, it's just the awareness. Like, okay, there I am seeing my child over here having an issue. Okay, I can step away and go work with him right now, versus having that be a distraction from what like it it comes back to like even me being selfish of like what I want to get done in a day. And it's like, okay, releasing that. Sometimes I don't get everything checked off my like the proverbial to-do list. Right. But also realizing like again, I go into my scene, the end scene at my funeral. What are people gonna say about me? Yeah, she showed up. Yeah, she made she saw me, she looked me in the eye, she was present with me. Like, yeah, those are the things that people are gonna take with them. Oh no, she was really good at answering her emails. Can you imagine? She was the best at returning my text messages within seconds. Nope. Uh-uh.

Kelly

Yeah. That obituary thing is really ringing for me. Almost like maybe I should do that. Yes. It's not the first time that that's come up on the podcast. I have a lot of my coaching clients go through this. Yeah. That's really good. It's very powerful. So, did we talk about dark moment?

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

We talked about the dark moment. Okay. Basically, my entire 2023.

Village Support And Seasonal Boundaries

Kelly

But I think like you wanted to touch on village. Yeah. And so I think becoming peaks and valleys, the village of support as we go through both of those ups and downs is highly, highly critical. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Like critical. Critical. This is so important. Like I'm so thankful I learned really early on in motherhood that it's not all on me. And I was totally fine with letting other people take my baby. Um, I learned to step, I learned how to step away.

Kelly

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And and realized it's not all on my shoulders. And like that's just continued into these seasons where I mean, I've got four in basketball right now. I can't be at all of the games. I just can't. And so we talk about that. Like, hey, you know, like, let me know which like what is really important for me to be there. And each kid's different. Each kid, like each kid is so different.

Kelly

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And so it's just like learning what their love language is.

Kelly

That's really cute and and really important, actually.

SPEAKER_02

And like I also realize that I'm not gonna get it right 100% of the time, and I'm very good at um apologizing. Very good at apologizing. But as it relates to like the village component, I um believe that like my boys have so many other role models in their life, and that's so good for them. Cause they're getting to see how other people do things, and I'm like, okay, well, like take note of you know, like, how would you do it? That it's almost like when we go to shadow people at work at work. Like, I'm gonna shadow all these different people, and then you're gonna figure out your unique style. But I just don't believe it's all on my shoulders. So, what who's your village of support? Definitely my in-laws are huge, they live in Lakeville and they they are so so active. Yeah. Um gosh, my parents too have like helped out so so much. Um, and then even like our our neighbors. That's fantastic.

Kelly

We have such awesome neighbors. I we have, I think I might have shared this with you when you were first arriving here. That our neighbors across the street, like I just I adore them. Like sincerely, yeah, love them. Sally was the shout out to Sally. She was the first person that came over literally as we were moving stuff into this house. With, I mean, she's she's sort of like the eyes of the neighborhood, which is good to have though. Good to have. Yep. And and then just such a warm and amazing heart, like heart of gold. And she comes with her plate of cookies, and little did I realize like fast forward to a year later, or a year and a half later, and I'm like grab like having coffee with her, and we're talking like all the intricacies of life and faith and God. Yeah, and just it's incredible, it really is. And she she knows the things about the boys and Maddie, and I love it.

SPEAKER_02

And oftentimes when I ask this question of other guests, I think that the initial assumption of like village is like to your point, in-laws or um your own parents or spouse, but it really the extension of your village can be yeah, we have uh one uh amazing coach that's like pouring into my 13-year-old right now, pouring in. I'm like, oh, this is amazing. Yeah, yeah.

Kelly

Well, and I think too, like seasons of life. I think about the season of life that you're in. And you know, when we were texting, what was it a few weeks ago, um, in in just like rescheduling everything for the podcast, and you were gearing up for that weekend, a basketball tournament. Yeah. And I'm like, I literally was like having these flash forwards to what our life could look like with one of the boys and going, oh my gosh, how is that season of life gonna look? Yeah, you know, but then I had to do the like, let's just here and now, right? That's for future Kelly and Joe to have to worry about. But these seasons of life too. I think it's I think we can talk a little bit about this as well. Um, as it pertains to business and as it pertains to motherhood and the seasons of life that you go to the lead-in versus yes, yes, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

You the is it's it's for me like impossible to go full throttle all the time and knowing like what gives. You're saying yes to something, you're saying no to something else. Uh-huh. And I've, you know, I've had to really ease up on a lot of the events, right? Because I'm like, I am just not going to give up my nights. Yeah. I it's a hard no, unless it's the event that I'm throwing. Right. We're not gonna say no to that. Oh, or like you know, events there during the day, fine. But like sure, my evenings are sacred. They're sacred, and so I'm not gonna give those up.

Kelly

Well, I I remember early on in my mortgage career, um, somebody who was trying to recruit me to another mortgage um company, and he was uh he had it figured out, he really did. Um, Spencer McLaughlin is his name. So, Spencer, if you ever listened to this, I just know that I always valued our conversations, but he always talked about time blocking your days. And he's like, the first thing I did when I established this time blocking was what are my big rocks? Yeah. Non-negotiables. Yeah, right. And I love that you said my evenings are sacred. Like, that's a big rock for me. That's a non-negotiable, it doesn't move. And it you're gonna be hard pressed to get time in that time period of me.

SPEAKER_02

And I've had to decline, like a lot of people ask me to do things. And so I've just had to get better at like, hey, like this is my season of life right now. It's not that I don't want to be there, but it's it's a no.

Writing Shine Brighter As Healing

Kelly

Yeah. Okay. You are like a gem. I love you so much, and I think this is a really opportune moment to talk about your book that you wrote. Shine The High Performer's Guide to Purpose, Presence, and Peak Living by Lee Laura King. That's right in front of my face right now. Um, talk about seasons of life, writing a book.

SPEAKER_02

Well, just so you know, that like the writing of the book was actually like my therapy. Like that was my coming out of my muck out of the valley.

Kelly

That so the very beginning of this, I underlined it. It was in your preface, and it's it's a quote by Eckhart Toll. Death is a stripping away of all that is not you. The secret of life is to die before you die. Die before you die. Find that there is no death. I was like, and I think that there is like to speak to what you were just talking about, how this was therapy for you. I literally was thinking that early on in the interview. Like, I I wonder if this whole thing for me was just it was all for me.

SPEAKER_02

I I didn't even I didn't even want to release it. But then God was like, Laura. It was like me having these conversations with myself, and like, no, like I really believe that I was put on this earth to like bring this new consciousness like into like reality and show that you can use your gifts and get paid really good money, like yes, and you you can change, like it is absolutely 100% possible, but it's your decision, yeah. And like I think that so many people are reckoning with like, gosh, I just don't want to be miserable, and it could I choose something else, and I'm here to say yes, and like it can be as painful or as joyous as you want this to be, but like the rewiring of your own mind is possible, but it does take an extreme amount of intentionality and responsibility, so you can't be a victim anymore. You've got to say, I am gonna like in in partnership with God, like we're deciding how we want to show up and how we want to show our kids how this life gets to go. And I was just like, I don't want to pass on that you just, you know, wake up and you just have to just do what they told you to do to quote unquote be successful and play by the rules and just suck it up and not listen to your heart and come home and pretend like you're happy and do it all over again. Like that sounds like a very empty life to me. And I came here to bring and usher in like it can be a wild adventure, it can be your wild adventure, and that's what makes life so fun is you don't actually know what's gonna happen next.

Kelly

We have talked on faith, we have brought up God. When did faith really become like has faith always been something that's super important for you, or was it as you were writing the book, or like talk myself and the listeners through faith and what evolution is to you?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I think it it has been a big evolution because I grew up Catholic. I went through the motions, same, got married in the Catholic Church, but like and never I didn't I didn't get it. It's like, what is this? And then um, shout out to my friend Stacy Cupsky in 2020. Love Stacy, she so helpful. She helped me so much. We would I started reading the Bible. I started reading the Bible, and she was so knowledgeable, and we would send these Marco Polo's back to each other, like these videos, and um, I just got really curious, and then I started watching The Chosen and seeing like, oh, this is chills.

Kelly

Like I'm getting chills because I had such a uh amazing reaction and connecting the dots after watching the chosen.

SPEAKER_02

Shout out to chosen, watch the chosen, and I was like, huh. So it was just like I I started um actually visualizing that Jesus was with me every second of my day, and I'd just be like, hey Jesus, what are we doing next? Guide me, help me, like again, it just it helped me just take it the weight off of my shoulders and be like you help me decide. You know, I'd say just go to a non-denominational church now, and but I really genuinely believe that like the kingdom of heaven is within, and it doesn't really matter if you're worshiping in a building or in your home, it's a relationship with you and your creator, and it's a very intimate personal relationship that I can't dictate what that looks like for you. I can just share my story and hope that ignites something in you. I can't, I'm not ever, if someone ever tells you this is the exact recipe for XYZ, I'm like, no, you're supposed to empower the other person to file it for themselves. Because it's not, it's like do this and do that, and then you'll be perfect. I'm like, it just doesn't work like that.

Kelly

There's no secret sauce. There isn't a secret recipe. And I remember I've shared this a zillion times now about why I started the podcast because I truly wanted to know the secret to secret or recipe to how other entrepreneurial women were balancing. I don't love to use the word balance, I've replaced it with harmonization. Ooh, okay. But I'm like, how the heck are they doing it? And to your point, also, I just want to kind of piece this in. You talked about this being for you. The podcast has been for me.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, of course. You're getting all the benefit from it. You're the one who's having all of these intimate conversations and you're growing from it. And it's a it's an offering, and it's an offering, it's an offering.

Kelly

It's and it's just so incredible to be able to hear these incredible stories of surviving and thriving and growth and dying of self and sort of like this rebirth, so to speak, and coming into like true alignment. True alignment. Yeah, yeah. So I I mean, I'd forget where I was going with this, but the the testimony, I think, is really cool and important to be able to speak to other people and and not go, it has to be like this, be like this.

SPEAKER_02

Well, so so little like the dream that has been in my heart forever has been speaking. And that has been like the one that's like really gripped me and where I've had the most self-doubt. And it's funny, um coming up here this spring, I have not one, but two keynotes. And I just know I'm like, oh God, you wanted me to get to this point and know what I know now before you wanted me up there. When was your book launch? July of 2010. It was last. Yeah. Because I yeah, yeah, the ego part of me wanted to have those speaking opportunities right after the book launch, and I had to let that go. I said, okay, I think you get you're doing something else.

Kelly

The reason I bring it up and just bear with me. When I was at your book launch, it was incredible. And I wanted to hear more from you. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. And I wasn't, I wasn't at the point of my own self-trust. I'm still working on me. Yeah, it makes sense. I mean, I'm always going to be working on me, but my growth in the last year has been astonishing.

Kelly

See, and the the the version of Laura that I met was just last year. Yeah, right. Or sorry, a year and a half ago. Yeah because technically when Constantina had that event, it was uh 2020 tail end of 2024.

SPEAKER_02

Yep, I was just coming in. Just you were yeah, it was just coming in, yeah.

Kelly

Yeah. Tail end of 2024. And I I just love how our like relationship has blossomed since then. Like we met then, and then all of a sudden we're having a conversation about you being on the podcast, and you're like, not yet. And then you, Eric, and I were like floating ideas around. You're like, not yet. And then this started to come to fruition, and then the book launched, and I was like, I'm in. Like, I'm in, I'm gonna like go and support this woman. And here we are.

SPEAKER_02

I was like teared up. Do you know that there's women who showed up who I I had never even met before? She goes, My friend sent me this invite, and she's like, You have to be there. I was like, I was like, Oh my gosh. And so I kind of I finally got it. That at the end of the day, it's not about me. It's never been about me. Right. I know, and like, okay, God, you're constantly humbling me. I know, and it's just this constant like check it, Laura. Because this feeling when your heart swells up so big, it's all about the other. And like showing other women that they too can pursue dreams in their heart, and they aren't, we don't have the same dreams. Like your dream could be like so simple, and that you've always wanted to, I don't know, open a your own Etsy shop. I mean, right?

Kelly

Right, it doesn't have to be big. So I'm writing down a few things that I had wanted to come back to. The first thing that I want to talk through, the first of those few notes, as you have been coaching some of these, have they all been women? No, no, no, it's equal. Equal. Okay, yes. So equal parts, men and women, have you um most of them are in corporate. Oh, yeah. Those that are in corporate, let's just chunk these ones out. Okay, so those that are in corporate, as you've been coaching through their their expertise and their experiences and and helping them to go, this is where you can find more alignment. Has that allowed them to feel empowered to leave corporate and go into entrepreneurship?

SPEAKER_02

It's kind of funny. About half have left. Yeah, that's wild and so cool. It's very cool. And I'm not saying like everyone's called to be an entrepreneur. Um, but I think about the ripple effect. If I hadn't followed my gut and had the courageous conversation with Skywater, I there would not be this many people impacting the world using their gifts and learning about their own selves in such a big way through the journey of entrepreneurship. It's like you saying yes to your dream, the ripple effect of that is so. So fast, like you. I literally see like a whole stadium lighting up of like your yes is like a hundred thousand people in the stadium being ignited. Shine brighter, shine brighter, baby.

Kelly

I just think the God-given gifts that you have been presented, and the more that we can align with those, I mean it sounds so cliche, but it's the truth. I know people think it is such the truth. Sounds so corny. Oh, just shine brighter. But it's so, I mean, it metaphorically speaks for itself, in my in my opinion. Yes. The other thing that I wanted to touch on, how do you feel since going down this path? More entrepreneurial coaching speaker. You're in alignment speaking, author. How do you feel like in making that shift that has allowed you to show up more as a mother? Ooh, great question.

Entrepreneurship Ripple Effects For Clients

SPEAKER_02

I have been more present with my boys than I have ever been in my entire life. Interesting. So much more intentional. I am able to block my time and like turn it on and turn it off. And like, okay, let's be for real. Sometimes I'm with them and I'm still thinking about some work stuff. That happens. The realness coming from you is just amazing. They notice it too. They notice it too. And so does my husband. And my in-laws, big time. They're like, Laura is happier and just more joyous. And like peace. Yeah, there's like a there's like a I uh peace or like a groundedness for sure. Like I just don't freak out anymore. I was I would freak out it all the time.

Kelly

It's incredible. So do you feel like a combination of going through the neurofeedback feedback, then having the conversation with your boss and faith? Faith.

SPEAKER_02

Faith is the like your relationship with a higher power might be the most important relationship.

Kelly

Well, maybe I should say the relationship. Going back to the um discipleship that I was telling you about. I forget what where we like an article that we were reading, and it was um somebody who's just biblically awesome. And um he kind of put it into context in his article about the the order of importance, which is now I am speaking to individuals who are like faith is important to them and they are Christians. And if you are listening to this and this doesn't speak to you, I completely understand. But fellow Christians will understand when I say this the order of importance is God, spouse, kids, community, and everything else.

unknown

Yes.

Kelly

And I couldn't unsee, unhear, unlearn that, and that has provided such immense perspective for me since reading it.

SPEAKER_02

I want to share with you just a really small passage of something I wrote. This is actually back in February of 2024. Okay. So two years ago. I am so grateful that I get to be the fullest version of me. I wrote this a piece of the divine, and I get paid to lead others to the fullest version of themselves, too. I am using all of my gifts in service of my creator. All those I serve, whether they know it or not, are being blessed by divine love and feel wholeness in my presence. And we're here to remember who we really are: divine love, an endless soul, a soul chosen to come here with an assignment of character development and of expansion. Tell me more about it. I was like, when I just listen, like I like literally am being guided. So everything. Did you you wrote that? And and and I don't think I even knew I I had no idea what was coming. But I felt this like I was still like I just I knew I was out of alignment. I knew I was like, there's this thing in me, I can't put my finger on it. What is it? And it just kept gnawing at me and gnawing at me, gnawing at me until you have the freaking courageous conversation. And it's okay if you don't know, it's okay to go explore. I think that's the part is like people putting shame on themselves. Like, I should know what I want to do with my life. I should know. Stop shooting on yourself.

Kelly

This gal, Alicia Citro, she has been on the podcast. She wrote Higher Self-Habits, and she literally references that quit shoulding on yourself. Yes, like quit shoulding on my gosh.

unknown

Yeah.

Kelly

And I got a such a giggle out of it when she said it, which is why I just reacted the way that I did, because it sounds like quit shitting on yourself. Yeah. You know, and you're like, but kind of like when you say you should do something, you are shitting on yourself. Yes, you are. Yes, you are. Pardon my French. So you were you journaling?

SPEAKER_02

I was like, yeah, journaling. Oh, I journaling every night.

Kelly

That is journal every night. That's powerful. Is that in the book?

SPEAKER_02

That's not in the book. I didn't think so. No, I literally just stumbled upon that like two days ago.

Kelly

I was like, oh, I could use this for the podcast. So good. I'm so glad that you shared that because it's so it's so in line with thinking, like being here today, right? And we can only connect the dots backwards. I talk about this just too much on the podcast. And I think Steve Jobs is the one who ultimately said something of that effect. But like when you look backwards, you can connect the dots and go, oh my gosh, that person, and then this event, and then that circumstance, and then that conversation, and then that cry moment, and then this, and then that.

SPEAKER_02

But if you're so paralyzed to move, you're not gonna be able to do it. So I always say clarity happens when you're in motion. Clarity happens when you're in motion. So get up and get in motion. Writes it down. Usually that means talking to people. Yeah. That's so not hanging out by yourself. Like we're so isolated right now. Like we have to come together in community.

Kelly

Still, yes, and we're not actually isolated like how we had been in COVID, right? Like people, just because of so much that's happening digitally, it is oh, that's not real.

SPEAKER_02

Just it's not, it's an alternate reality. It's an alternate reality.

Screens, Limits, And Raising Capable Kids

Kelly

Thank you for saying what so many, so many of us really and we are we are coming to a reckoning, and I think it's it has been the most detrimental thing to our society. What does that look like with your kids? Out of curiosity, because the these are conversations that we're starting to have in our household about like just like time limits.

SPEAKER_02

I mean, I'm we're I mean, we they still have screens. And like, you know, I played a ton. I mean, I don't I played Mario Kart for hours on end. I mean, I was like I'm like, I don't have issues, a ton of issues with uh like video games, but they need to know like when it's time to put it away, it's time to put it away. So we practice. So, okay, mom's gonna say you have two more minutes and then it's time to put it away. We practice that. So then it's okay, mom. Nada, it doesn't have to be this awful attitude. Yeah, yeah. So we just practice limits and um, but I mean, like, we're also very real. Like, we're gonna be going to Florida and they're gonna have screens on the plane. Like, yeah, yeah. It's it's more important that they like the judge for me is when we're out in public, can they have um conversations? Like we were out, you know, for dinner the other night, and they all were able to order off the menu and made eye contact with the waiter.

Kelly

It's like great, yeah. I I love that you make this mention of being able to function in society, which and and not grow up to be little assholes. Right. I mean, that is like how we are raising the kids in our in our household is just yeah, that like there are there are limits, there are boundaries, there are time limits. We have a family model which is achieving excellence together, which for all of the Minnesotans that are listening right now, I mean, this epo episode probably won't air for four weeks, but four weeks ago, five weeks ago, it was scary that we that we it it had snowed cats and dogs before, like the night before. We didn't, I don't think any of us anticipated that amount of snow. And our boys were out there helping to shovel because we achieve stuff together as a family. Yep. And they did it again this morning. And how I put it into perspective for them because I could see on their face that they were like they were not happy about having to do that. And I said, Hey guys, thank you very much for helping out with this. Because if you hadn't helped, that meant that your dad and I would have to be out there and you guys would be in here by yourselves and you wouldn't have food in front of you. Like you wouldn't have breakfast, somebody in here to be able to help you with breakfast. Because so because you were out there helping, it allowed us to all hammer this out in such a quicker amount of time.

SPEAKER_02

Like this took 10 minutes versus us being out there for 45 minutes. Yes.

Kelly

Yes, exactly. And I think just putting that into perspective for them, like thanking them, like expressing gratitude. And then also in you doing this and helping out, look at how this helped create sort of this whole family dynamic together. Right. Okay.

SPEAKER_02

Anyways, I feel like I think we should be pretty close to wrapping up, aren't we? Yes. We've been going, I mean, like we could probably go another two hours, but one last thing, and we'll start to land the plane.

Two Entrepreneurs Under One Roof

Kelly

Yeah. So one last note that I wanted to touch on, and and then we will truly start to land the plane. So you have a husband who is also an entrepreneur. I want you to briefly touch on the dynamics that that creates within the household. And have you thought about what modeling has looked like for your kids? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

No, the coolest thing is that like my husband made the switch from corporate to entrepreneurship when we opened our music school in 2021. And the dynamic, I mean, is he so good at like managing his stress and he's actually way more of the mother figure in the in the fact that like he cooks dinner every night and he's made the investments at Rocky so that other people are there in the evenings because one of his success metrics, our success metrics was how many nights a week are you home for dinner? And he was gone in the beginning a lot, and now he's home every night.

Kelly

Look at that.

SPEAKER_02

So like to the boys, like their dad is home a lot. Okay, he's there in the morning. I'm there in the morning. Well, sometimes I have to leave early, but and then he's always there to pick them up at the bus stop at 4 p.m. It's incredible. And he does way more like grocery shopping and food prep than I do.

Kelly

But this is why when you are in a household, you divide and conquer.

SPEAKER_02

These boys are getting to see their mom being the one that's a little more ambitious, right? Like a little more, like she's gone more than dad. Yeah. But guess what? They're all gonna marry women or not. Maybe they're not, they're maybe they'll they won't get married though. They'll they'll each be their own person, but the they will have seen wow, that's what a strong woman looks like. A strong, convicted woman looks like. I love it, and like I get excited. I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm gonna have the best, like like daughters-in-law.

Kelly

You are, you are, and because you have like you have put that out, God is gonna deliver.

SPEAKER_02

So, and these boys will see you pitching doing all the things. It's not like that's a man's job and that's a woman's job. It's like, no, it all gets done. We just divide and conquer.

Books, Routines, Advice, And Closing

Kelly

Yes, I mean, truly, the divide and conquer, I think, is probably the best way to put it because that is it's an evaluation that we've done in our own household. And it's like, uh, my husband is like, I'm not if you need help, like I'm not asking you to do all the stuff. You don't do all the stuff. I I can do the dishes, I can put away the dishes. I he was the person who was cooking before I was, so now I love to cook because I have the opportunity to do it, and it's amazing. And I don't like cooking at all, so I'm very happy to hand that off. All right, we're gonna land the plane, Laura, so you can get yourself over to Woodbury because that's gonna it's gonna be a little bit of a hike. Be a little bit of a hike. I appreciate our time immensely. Um, I am very curious. Ooh, this is gonna be a good question. What book are you currently obsessing over and why? Ooh. And if it if there's not a book, podcast.

SPEAKER_02

I'm reading one right now. Okay. Um, I have a heard of Rick Rubin. He's like a song, uh, like a music producer. He's like, he's worked with such amazing artists. He's got a long beard. I feel like it's called the create a creative act.

Kelly

Okay.

SPEAKER_02

And it is like all about the creative process. But there's a lot of spirituality in there, like a ton of spirituality in there.

Kelly

That I was wondering if I had heard of his name as it pertains to like.

SPEAKER_02

It is so good. And like anyone, and like the way that you look at creativity is like, oh, you could be creative making a meal, you can be creative picking out an outfit, arranging things in a room. Like, that's it's just opening my mind to like all the ways that we we are creative beings.

Kelly

I can't even tell you the long list of books that I have. Like, we are you can tell that we're a book. You love books. You love books. I've read a lot of the books that you have we have more books downstairs, like tucked away, but anyways, okay. I always love to ask this question just being in real estate, um, because we get to go into a lot of different homes, and there's always a favorite place within the house. So the book that you're reading right now, is there a favorite place that you're reading that book in in your house?

SPEAKER_02

In the sauna at lifetime. What? I never read at home. I always read in the sauna. So that's part of my routine. Okay. I have sauna and cold plunge before I come home, before my second act. I love that. Before your second act. So I either read it in my bedroom, okay, which is rare. I usually, it's always in the sauna.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

Kelly

That's awesome. Okay, what is the favorite room in your house outside of that? My favorite room in the house.

SPEAKER_02

Um, I don't have a favorite room. That's because I think we're well, we're currently finishing off the basement. The basement's gonna be my favorite room. My house is like a wreck right now because we have so many workers coming in and out of the house.

Kelly

Oh, but at least you have a space to go to, to resort to, and you're not like they they go downstairs, right? Yeah, so that's good.

SPEAKER_02

But like that's the next phase of like when because we've just had been really careful about how we spend our money. So, like, I do look forward to a time where I can make and go through each room and make it truly what I want it to be. And I'm like, I'm patient, yeah, it's fine. I'm patient.

Kelly

I'm with you. Yeah, I'm with you. I'm in that season of life too. Yeah, and I do little things here and there to just kind of spruce up each room, but I'm with you. Yeah, what's a piece of advice that you would give a younger version of yourself knowing all that you know now? Worry less.

SPEAKER_02

It'll all work it's all gonna work out. That's it. It's always working out.

SPEAKER_00

I love it.

Kelly

What's a piece of advice you would give a woman listening right now that's on the edge of entrepreneurship? Jump.

SPEAKER_02

Go.

Kelly

Don't think, just do. These responses are so punchy, so matter-of-fact, and so good. Sometimes less words are better. Less words are better. I I mean, yes. I'm a woman listening right now, and I have loved everything about what you have said. How do I connect with you?

SPEAKER_02

Um, you can head to laure.com. Okay. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and uh Instagram. Either. Beautiful.

Kelly

Yeah. Laura, I love you to pieces truly from the bottom of my heart. This has been so fun hearing just a little blip of your story, and I look forward to our continued friendship and for this episode to drop and for the lovely listeners to I think we should turn the table and have me interview you next. I just had that happen and I will in I will I'll accept the invitation.

SPEAKER_02

I've had a few I've practiced interviewing people, you know.

Kelly

Yeah, I know, right? I accept the invitation and we will get it on the calendar because I I think that that's great. It's so good. I Jess Laguerre, who was a guest on the podcast early on, um brought that up. I accepted the invitation, and that episode dropped just a few weeks ago. She kind of she kind of nailed it. Okay, clearly, I need to listen to that episode. Like you, it's okay. Um, but Laura, this has been incredible and I appreciate you. I value your time. And so thank you for just blessing and sharing insight and gems. My pleasure. Thank you. I hope you have a great day. Bye. Bye. Thanks for listening. And if you enjoyed this episode and know of any inspiring mamas who are powerhouse entrepreneurs, please help connect them with myself and the show. It would mean so much if you would help spread this message, mission, and vision for other Mompreneurs. It takes 30 seconds to rate and review, then share this episode with your friends. Until the next episode. Cheers to reclaiming your hue.

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Kelly Kirk

Host