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Speaker & bestselling author

Laura Gassner Otting

Transform workplace performance with Laura Gassner Otting, speaker and bestselling author. Laura works with organizations to overcome doubt, embrace ambition, and pursue limitless success, delivering powerful insights featured in Harvard Business Review and on major TV networks.

Trusted by Harvard Business Review

Laura Gassner Otting, Speaker | Author: Wonderhell & Limitless
Laura Gassner Otting

Laura Gassner Otting

Boston, United States

Typical fee range

$26k–50k

This is an estimated fee range for local in-person events. Location and format affect the final fee.

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Boston, United States

Starting from

$26k–50k

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Laura Gassner Otting's biography

At a glance

  • Bestselling author of three books translated into five languages
  • Founder of successful search firm, sold in 2015
  • Keynote speaker on ambition, leadership, and living a limitless life
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" \- "Wonderhell: Why Success Doesn't Feel Like It Should… and What to Do About It."

Laura's showreel and videos

Topics, sessions and talks

Invitations, Not Limitations: Embracing Your Wonderhell
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.
Live Limitlessly
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.
Limitless Leadership
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.
Limitless Growth
Limitless

Why we recommend booking Laura

Laura brings a wealth of experience from her diverse background, including leadership roles and entrepreneurial success, to inspire and motivate your team to think bigger and achieve their goals. Her engaging PepTalks on ambition, limitless living, and effective strategies provide actionable insights that can transform your business and leadership approach. Booking Laura means investing in a catalyst who will ignite passion, drive, and innovative thinking in your team, leading to tangible results and a more motivated workforce.

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Trusted by Harvard Business Review

Featured Projects

Laura Gassner Otting - Wonderhell: Why Success Doesn’t Feel Like It Should… And What To Do About It book cover
Laura Gassner Otting - Limit Less book cover

frequently asked questions

Something we've not covered here?

How do I book Laura Gassner Otting for my next event?
Email hello@getapeptalk.com or call PepTalk on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US), and one of our speaker agents will contact you within hours to confirm Laura's availability and fees. If you can, please include your budget upfront – it helps us fast-track your request. It’s also helpful to know the date, format (virtual or in-person), location, and a bit about your audience.
What is Laura Gassner Otting's speaking style like?
Laura Gassner Otting draws on a 20-year executive search career and a three-year research project with nearly 6,000 responses across 74 countries to frame her keynotes, grounding her arguments in workforce data on engagement and productivity. She structures her talks around a central diagnostic question — such as "Why doesn't success feel better?" — and uses that framework to move audiences from self-assessment to actionable steps.
What topics does Laura Gassner Otting specialise in?
Laura Gassner Otting speaks on career ambition and the emotional experience of success, employee engagement and limitless leadership, and aligning personal values with professional purpose. She is a three-times bestselling author whose works have been translated into five languages, and she draws on a 20-year executive search career and research spanning nearly 6,000 respondents across 74 countries.
Can PepTalk help plan the speaker programme for my event?

Yes. Beyond booking a single speaker, PepTalk helps shape a full programme, matching voices to your agenda, audience, and goals across a day or a series. It is a consultative service, not just a booking. Tell us about your event at getapeptalk.com.

What does 'typical fee range' mean?

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How far in advance should I book a motivational speaker?

Book a motivational speaker at least 3–6 months in advance, especially for popular speakers or large events. Top speakers get booked quickly, so earlier is always better. For major conferences or peak seasons, booking 12 months ahead ensures you secure your first choice.

Help, I need a last-minute speaker for my event!

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