Laura Gassner Otting is an author, catalyst, and executive coach who helps people overcome doubt and indecision to pursue great ideas. With a rebellious and entrepreneurial background, she has worked in various leadership roles, including in Bill Clinton's White House. She founded and ran a successful search firm before selling it in 2015. Laura has appeared on popular TV shows, and her writing has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and HR Magazine. She is a bestselling author of three books, translated into five languages. Known for her audacity and passion for big ideas, Laura is an instigator and motivator who inspires others to think bigger and achieve their goals. She is also actively involved in philanthropic initiatives and has completed charity-inspired marathons. Laura offers keynote PepTalks on topics such as embracing ambition, living a limitless life, and effective sales and leadership strategies. Her works include "Mission Driven: Moving from Profit to Purpose," "Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life," and "Wonderhell: Why Success Doesn't Feel Like It Should… and What to Do About It."
After stewarding thousands of leaders through massive moments of career shift and organizational disruption, Laura knows a thing or two about the emotional rollercoaster of going after everything you’ve ever wanted. This talk was born from the question, “Why doesn’t success feel better?” In this keynote, Laura explains that success isn’t just an endpoint but a waypoint, a portal showing you that you were made for even more… if you choose to embrace your ambition, conquer your fear, and learn to enjoy the ride. This talk throws down the gauntlet and dares your audience members to dream even bigger.
Many of us spend our lives pursuing a singular idea of success, one that was created for us by someone else. We give votes to those who shouldn’t even have voices and strive to go faster and faster even as we find ourselves falling further and further behind. We chase gold stars, we check all the boxes, we Lean In – and we still feel incomplete. In this keynote, Laura teaches you how to ignore the rules that created your limits, align your energies and your actions, and do work that really matters so that you can live your best life. Aimed at entrepreneurs and misfits, idealists and dreamers, as well as anyone seeking to align who they are with what they do, this talk lights a fire within that catalyzes energy and excitement towards becoming the change agent needed to maximize impact.
Demographic shifts in the workforce have sparked unprecedented conversations about purpose and meaning. Millennials, Gen Xers, and Boomers alike demand more meaningful work, yet only one-third of the US workforce feels actively engaged. Traditional job value metrics—title, money, prestige—overlook the crucial element: the employee. Engaged workers are 22% more productive and profitable, but initial recruitment doesn't ensure retention. Drawing on a 20-year executive search career and a three-year research project with nearly 6,000 responses from 74 countries, Laura Gassner Otting teaches leaders how to unlock employee engagement, making both their workforce and companies limitless. Attendees will learn strategies to enhance engagement and drive profitability.
