Laura Everette

I honestly attribute my success to having a mindset of saying yes to pretty much any opportunity that has been presented to me since I've been working in the pharmaceutical industry from the very beginning. When somebody comes up to me and asks if I can help with something or take something on, my response has always been yes, sure, I will help you out. I've had times where people ask if I want to be part of a group, and I won't have any idea what the group is or what they're doing, but I'm just like, sure, why not? Having that mentality has allowed me to network really well and make connections with people that I probably would have never made in a professional standpoint had I questioned myself or said I don't know if I can take that on. I feel like that has really opened up a lot of opportunities that have gotten me to where I am with my career. It's also established this view that people have of me as being a super supportive colleague for them to reach out to for help. Where I am today has been based off of not overthinking too much and just saying yes to opportunities and letting the cards kind of unfold as they have. The job I'm in now, I walked away from a really great position, but I got an opportunity presented to me and there was that moment where you start to overthink. I just had to stop, take a minute, pray, and let myself be led instead of getting in my head. It ended up being an amazing opportunity. I think the biggest amount of growth comes when you're uncomfortable. You have to put yourself in that uncomfortable situation to learn how to persevere and adapt, and that creates so much more room for growth.

The best career advice I ever received came from one of my managers early on when I was trying to figure out, in such a male-dominated industry with a lot of male leaders, whether I should change my personality or try to conform and be someone I'm not in order to fit this mold of a leader. His feedback to me was absolutely not. He told me that the pathway, the roles, and the opportunities that open up for us as individuals are based off of our qualities that we have as individuals. That was the one thing that I really appreciated - just owning my personality and not trying to change who I was as an individual. I also had a co-worker who said the best leaders always eat last, and I always love that statement because it's so true. It resonated with me not just as a leader in the workforce, but also as a soccer coach and as a mom. I'm always the last one to sit at the table, always making sure my girls on my soccer team are good, making sure they have all their gear, trying to make sure their stuff is washed. You prioritize your team, and I think the best leaders do that because the success of the team is a showcase of the qualities of a good quality leader.

My advice to young women entering the pharmaceutical industry, especially in a male-dominated field, is to stay true to yourself and not try to change your personality to fit some mold of what you think a leader should be. The opportunities that open up for us are based on our individual qualities, so own your personality and don't try to be someone you're not. Go into situations with grace. I think as female leaders, we tend to be very selfless, and I don't know if that's just a natural maternal instinct, but that's something I've really tapped into. The best leaders always eat last - you prioritize your team, whether in the workforce, coaching soccer, or as a mom. The success of the team is a showcase of the qualities of a good leader. Be supportive and have that selfless mentality. Instead of trying to be somebody else, understand that the way you're designed is meant to be a small piece of a giant puzzle. We all bring different skill sets to the table, and that's what makes a team so successful - being robust and understanding that we're all a piece of this giant puzzle. Be your person, and it'll all fit together as it should. It creates balance - there has to be a balance of energy across your team, across leadership teams, across the entire organization.

One of the ongoing challenges in my field is that it can still be male-dominated, which sometimes creates pressure to conform to traditional leadership styles. However, I see this as an opportunity to lead authentically and demonstrate that effective leadership can take many forms. From a professional standpoint, one of the most exciting opportunities for me right now is helping build and standardize a strong team of validation subject matter experts within the quality organization at the startup facility where I work. By developing talented professionals and advancing risk-based validation strategies, I believe we can strengthen both compliance and efficiency while setting a high standard for how validation is approached at our site.

The values that guide me most strongly in both my professional and personal life are authenticity, grace, selflessness, and a team-first mindset. I believe it is important to remain true to who you are and to lead with empathy and respect for others. Supporting the people around me and helping them succeed is something I take great pride in, whether that means mentoring colleagues or simply being someone others feel comfortable reaching out to for help. I try to approach every situation with humility and collaboration, because strong teams are built when people feel valued, supported, and empowered to contribute.