Laura Gent Felker

I talk to my husband all the time about what success actually is, because it's not a title, and it's not what I've achieved in my career, but it's how I show up in life. I think about the friendships I make, the causes I'm for, how I show up as a leader to my job. I would attribute my success to all the wonderful people that have been in my life that have led me along the way, including my parents, my husband, and many of the mentors that I've had along the way.

I had a coach give me advice about showing up to your life in the most aligned way, and that will bring good things in the end. Alignment can mean a lot of different things - whether it's alignment with your job, alignment with your purpose, alignment with your family choices, or your approach to life. You just have this one life to lead, and being able to really show up in the way that you envision and being able to fulfill that vision is what matters.

Find something that excites you, and that when you wake up on Monday morning, you are excited to open up your laptop, and good things will come. I think that's my biggest piece of advice - don't chase money, chase what excites you. And be surrounded by people that inspire you every single day to show up.

There are a couple of challenges that come to mind. One is the rapid evolution of technology, and our roles are evolving in such a quick manner in the age of AI. I've been having a high desire to help skill up not only my organization, but those around me in this niche, because our jobs are going to change at rapid rates. Secondly, with women specifically, we're seeing this shift of women in corporate. During COVID, we saw a lot of companies opening up more flexibility and investing in things like paid leave, but we're seeing a shift going the other way right now, which is making it really difficult for women. Return to office is happening, and women bear the brunt of that. If you're sick in your first trimester and you have to commute an hour and be in the office 5 days a week, that might throw a wrench in your performance. I'm seeing rapid rates of moms getting burned out right now across my industry, and I truly want to be a voice to help empower women. For opportunities, I think being able to have an approach with a growth mindset and really take the opportunity that we're in an era where something is rapidly evolving. There's a tremendous opportunity for us all to learn together in this age of AI, because even me, being in charge of data and AI strategy at my company, I'm learning every single day because the world is changing.

One value that's really important to me is being true to myself and true to others. Another value is how I show up - am I making a difference in the world in a positive way and serving others? A third one comes from when I worked at Disney World. My favorite character was Jiminy Cricket, and the reason why is he always said, 'always let your conscience be your guide.' That is pretty well embedded into how I lead in corporate, how I show up in life, and how I am with my friends and family. I even have Jiminy Cricket sitting here at my desk as a constant reminder.