Recently, I challenged myself to articulate what I actually believe about life, work, growth, and leadership. Not goals. Not resolutions. Beliefs. This is the result…
Her Story
About Laura
Laura Hollaway is the Director of Partnership Management at Valid Systems, where she leverages over 25 years of experience in billing, payments, and fintech to deliver AI-powered fraud prevention solutions for banks, fintechs, and merchant service providers. In her role, she focuses on strategic partnerships, helping financial institutions streamline operations, enhance customer experience, and mitigate risk through innovative technology. Laura’s professional philosophy emphasizes knowing your worth and setting your own standards, guiding both her personal career decisions and the organizations she advises.
Prior to her current role, Laura built a distinguished career consulting and leading business development across industries such as utilities, communications, insurance, auto finance, and home services. In 2024, she took a six-month sabbatical to hike roughly 850 miles of the Appalachian Trail, returning with renewed perspective and a pivot into AI-driven fraud prevention. She is also the founder of Women in Fraud, a LinkedIn newsletter and community she launched at Valid Systems, which grew from zero to nearly 1,000 subscribers in just three weeks, and has since hosted live roundtables, interviews, and industry panels, including speaking engagements at major payments conferences.
Outside of work, Laura is an avid hiker, runner, and creative writer. She actively volunteers and supports organizations including Dress for Success, Meals on Wheels, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Free Mom Hugs. With a non-traditional educational path that combines college coursework, professional sales certification, and advanced studies in generative AI and negotiations, Laura continues to combine curiosity, leadership, and a commitment to mentorship in both her personal and professional pursuits.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Laura
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success largely to the support of my family and friends, whose encouragement helps me maintain mental clarity and perform at my best in my work.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering the industry is to know your worth. Don’t let others define your standards or limit what you believe you’re capable of—you set your own standard and own your potential.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are maintaining mental clarity through the support of family and friends, standing firmly in my own worth, and giving back to my community through service and inclusion, as reflected in my nonprofit involvement.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Laura
A One-Page Manifesto for Living & Leading with Intention
Over the years, I’ve learned that clarity doesn’t arrive all at once.
1. Discipline Is Freedom
Discipline isn’t about restriction—it’s about self-respect.
The habits I keep determine the energy I bring to my work, my relationships, and myself. Doing the hard thing today creates options tomorrow.
2. Presence Is a Competitive Advantage
Being fully present—listening without distraction, showing up consistently, following through—matters more than performance or polish. In leadership and in life, presence builds trust faster than words ever will.
3. Nature Is a teacher
When my mind is noisy or my direction feels unclear, movement and nature bring perspective. Growth doesn’t always come from pushing harder; sometimes it comes from stepping outside and paying attention.
4. Softness and Strength Are Not Opposites
Empathy, curiosity, and emotional intelligence are not weaknesses. They are leadership skills. The key is pairing softness with boundaries—caring deeply without self-abandonment.
5. Growth Requires Motion
Stagnation is a signal. Learning, evolving, and taking on new challenges keeps both people and organizations alive. Momentum doesn’t require perfection—it requires movement.
6. The Past Does Not Disqualify the Future
Mistakes, detours, and hard chapters don’t define us unless we stop moving. Accountability matters—but so does forgiveness, especially toward ourselves.
7. Love, Work, and Leadership Should Feel Steady
Chaos is not passion. Burnout is not success. The most sustainable relationships—personal or professional—are built on consistency, effort, and mutual respect.
8. Wanting More Is Allowed
More clarity. More vitality. More meaning. More alignment.
Growth often begins when we’re honest about what no longer works.
9. Worth Is Not Earned
Value isn’t something we prove through productivity or sacrifice. Value exists already—and when we lead from that place, our decisions change.
This manifesto isn’t aspirational. It’s directional. A reminder of how I want to show up—as a leader, a partner, a parent, and a human.
If you’ve never written your own, I highly recommend it. Clarity is powerful—and it compounds.
-Laura Hollaway
Women in Fraud is a LinkedIn newsletter and community amplifying the voices, leadership, and influence of women shaping the future of fraud prevention and financial risk.
Women in Fraud: We're not staying quiet anymore...
I launched Women in Fraud because I was tired of watching brilliant women protect the financial system without getting the visibility they deserve. If you believe influence should match impact, subscribe and join us.
Women in Fraud: We’re Not Staying Quiet Anymore
I started Women in Fraud for one simple reason:
I was tired of seeing smart, hard-working women do big things—and not get seen for it.
In fraud and payments, women are everywhere.
We stop scams.
We build tools.
We work with banks and fintechs.
We use AI to catch bad actors.
We protect people’s money.
This work is serious. It is fast. It matters. And women are leading it. So why weren’t we talking about them more?
I Decided to Build the Platform
I didn’t wait for someone to invite us to the stage. I built one.
What started as a small LinkedIn newsletter quickly grew into a strong community. Women wanted to connect. They wanted to learn from each other. They wanted to be seen.
And once the conversations started, they didn’t stop.
We talked about:
- How much we should be paid
- How to ask for more
- How to move into leadership
- How to handle stress
- How AI is changing fraud
The more we talked, the stronger we became.
This isn’t just a newsletter. It’s a place where women in fraud lift each other up.
Fraud Is a Big Deal
Fraud isn’t a back-office job anymore.
It protects brands.
It protects customers.
It protects trust.
When fraud teams do their jobs well, no one notices. But when something goes wrong, everyone does. The women in this space carry enormous responsibility.
They deserve credit.
They deserve visibility.
They deserve influence.
This Is About Worth
I believe something simple: Know your worth. Set your own standard. Do not shrink.
Women in Fraud is about making sure women in this field feel strong, seen, and supported. We are not waiting for permission. We are building our own table.
Join Us
If you work in fraud, risk, payments, compliance, or AI—this is for you. If you believe women should be visible in the rooms where big decisions are made—this is for you.
Subscribe to Women in Fraud and be part of the community:
👉 https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/women-in-fraud-7377036382999052288/
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Join the conversation.
We’re not staying quiet anymore.
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