Ice cream, Andy Warhol, and Leading by Doing

posted 20th July 2011    Written by: Laura    CATEGORY: Inspiration, Laura, Season 4

I remember asking Molly on our first blogger call if we would get to do an interview post at the end of the season. And lo and behold, we do! I LOVE these!

What are you most proud of from the last 6 months? My improved ability to listen to myself. This has led to me to make joyful wedding planning decisions, be brutally honest with my new colleagues, become acutely aware of my business needs and sensitivities, and set some personal goals for the year that I’m really excited about.

What is your favorite meal memory? This might be lame, but it’s what immediately came to mind: It’s June 2008. After a long day of travelling, I had just checked into my hotel in Long Beach, CA. I was in California for the first time and was beside myself with excitement, but was too tired to function. I went for a stroll to check out my surroundings and happened across Cold Stone Creamery. Little did I know, it would be the start of a love affair. I ordered the biggest size of Founder’s Favorite, in a waffle bowl, and sat on the steps in front of my hotel, with the sun on my face and the water glistening in the distance, and ate the best ice cream I’ve ever had, for supper. Then I went to bed (at 7 p.m. local time), slept for 12 hours, and awoke ready to take on the world…or just Long Beach and the surrounding area.

What’s the best piece of advice you have for someone struggling with a QLC? That’s it’s OK to take baby steps. Not every QLC needs to be handled by quitting your job, breaking up with someone, travelling for a year, moving to another country, or otherwise turning your life upside down. That works for some, not all.

Post a picture of your happy self over the last six months – Where were you, what were you doing and who were you with? I was at an amazing resort in the Mayan Riviera with my Hunny and about 40 others, for the wedding of two dear friends. On this particular day, Hunny and I pretended we know how to golf, by playing 9 holes of the nicest course I’ll probably ever be on in my life.

What’s the best piece of advice someone has ever given you? The words of wisdom I’ve most appreciated over the years have been realizations and ah-has more so than advice. Things like “Laura, you’re a builder, not a maintainer,” and lessons from Molly about to view certain personal tendencies as strengths, rather than shortcomings. The advice inspiring me right now is:

Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art. – Andy Warhol

What’s your killer music mix? An Eminem, Jay-Z and Kayne West iPod playlist. Or the Garden State soundtrack.

Three biggest obsessions right now? Insanity workout program, the Millennium trilogy (Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and so on), Booster Juice smoothies, and Big Brother. Oops, that’s four.

What has happened in your time as a Stratejoy blogger that you would never have imagined for yourself in January? I now have a short-term plan for Red Balloon that I’m really jazzed about. I expected to be feeling more tension between what I want to be doing and what I am doing. I found a killer wedding venue. Also, I have some new ideas brewing in the back of my mind that I wouldn’t have expected. I wasn’t that inspired in January.

What’s something you learned from each of the other ladies of Season 4? That young women are full of surprises, strength and potential. We’re bursting with it! I mean, I sort of already believed that, but these ladies have proven it!

What’s your dream job? Dream vacation? Dream home? Dream job: a hybrid of author, mixed media artist, and magazine editor. Dream vacation: Hawaii and the Greek Isles, but not in the same trip! Dream home: It has two bedrooms, an extra room or alcove for a kick-ass, space-efficient office, two bathrooms, lots of closet space, tons of windows, no carpet, a fireplace, a nice back deck and fenced backyard, a view of something charming (maybe trees, or a park, or…something), and a detached garage. It does not have a creepy basement or attic (although non-creepy basements are OK). It’s walking distance to a coffee shop. It’s in a neighbourhood I feel comfortable jogging in. And, in my dreams, I have the money and know-how to fully redecorate it to make it full of inspiration and colour!

What’s currently turning you on? My Hunny’s participation in our wedding planning – and it’s not by force!

How are you going to change the world? By creating moments of clarity for others and by oozing authenticity (you know, leading by doing).

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Comments (1)

One Response to “Ice cream, Andy Warhol, and Leading by Doing”

  • Kate Says:
    July 21st, 2011 at 3:17 am

    LOVING that picture! You look so beautiful and so happy!!

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