Passion Collective

10/15/2026

Never underestimate the power of a pair of silver shoes! I adored being back in Birmingham, England with Heligan for the second year running, speaking about passion, performance, and what happens when we reclaim what motivates and fulfills us.

The audience included new interns, senior partners of law and finance firms and entrepreneurs. Every person brought very different experiences, responsibilities, and ambitions, and yet there was so much shared connection. ✨ 

Passion drives performance way more than we sometimes realize. When we understand what lights us up - what we have enthusiasm, desire and devotion for - we create new possibilities for what we can contribute and accomplish.

THAT is where true success and leadership happens. 

The tricky part is finding the time to fight traffic (and police blockades from the Conservative Party Conference!!?!), finish the work emails, get cover for the kids and perhaps most of all, finding courage to take action on what WE want. 

This is why events like this one are so important. Thank you, Heligan Group for inviting me back, and for investing in this community - it truly matters!

10/11/2026

Discomfort is part of the bargain we must strike if we are to experience the “buzz” of our passions.

And this hike today in the STUNNING Lake District proved it for me. I may not be as fit as the last time I hiked the lakes in 2019, I may have been out of practice, I may have used various Ye Olde English swear words along the way !! … but I loved it. ❤️

What are you holding back on because it’s hard? Where are you hesitating because you know you need to push yourself and it’s more of a mark of shame that you’re putting on yourself rather than a challenge you know you can compete with?

That thing you want to do more of, let me tell you you do have it within you. You are capable get out there and do it in perfectly and then do it again! You will inspire all those around you and most of all give yourself, confidence, resilience, and the knowledge that you didn’t let comfort stop you. ❤️

10/10/2026

W is for Wow, W is for Wonderful, W is for University of Warwick! What a treat to share my “Work Worth Loving” keynote to 120+ staff leaders as part of the Inspiring Women series. 

This was a first for me: keynoting in a lecture theatre, presenting UP to the audience!
I was transported back to my history lectures at Warwick – heads down, studying hard (well, most of the time 😉.) 

In this session, we explored how the practice of “job crafting” strengthens energy, creativity and impact at work. 

As I signed books afterwards, several participants had already made plans for weaving their passions into their current roles. (LOVE that! 🩷 )
Massive thanks to the Development & Alumni team Catharine Rainsberry and Simran Kaur, as well as Amanda Lang who gave me the VIP treatment. And of course, to Penny Triantafillou for connecting us. 🙏 

P.S. Pix courtesy of my longtime friend Adam Fradgley, who really IS the best!

10/05/2026

09/25/2026

If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at the topic of “passion”, then Robert Lee is here to put you straight!

Robert joined a recent FEI Twin Cities event, where I shared my “Work Worth Loving” keynote. By the end, he’d approached me with notes written all over his copy of “Born to Buzz” - a true convert!

He’s a rock-star Executive Chief of Staff and COO, so it meant the world...

In this testimonial, Robert shares how Work Worth Loving helped him rethink how to make careers more energizing and gratifying – YES!

Thank you Robert Lee for sharing this testimonial and for helping to show people the power of passion! ❤️

👉 Planning a Fall or Spring event? Let’s talk!

09/24/2026

The shoes! The hugs! The “Passionado” cocktails! This was one heck of a party to launch Born to Buzz - a year ago today! Thank you to you all for making this a night to remember... shall we do it again?... 😉

Special thanks to Erin Duffy☘️ for emceeing the night, and the “Buzz” panelists Astrid Benedetto, MIM, SHRM-SCP, CPPM, Junita Flowers Kristi Jacobson Tracy Moore and to Wise Ink Media ❤️

👉 Oh, and if you haven’t yet got your copy of Buzz, shoot us a DM and we’ll send you a link to get your OWN personally signed copy.

09/20/2026

Beyond thrilled to be featured in "Win-Win: 5 Ways Leaders Can Benefit Themselves By Mentoring Others" for Forbes.

In this article, I share how mentors who actively help others to find and cultivate their passions can create possibilities for their mentees and their organization.

That's the win-win!

I'd love to know what you think - do YOU know a finance guy who wants to DJ?!

✨ Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gdWZybu3

09/09/2026

One year ago today, I published "Born to Buzz". It’s hard to express how thankful I am...

To all those who stood up and supported me, despite their busy schedules...

To those who shared a review, bought copies for friends or invited me into their companies...

To the experts who helped lift me and “Buzz” up...

Thank you, I will never forget it.

The more “Buzz” travels, the greater the impact we can ALL have with our passions.

This is just the beginning... ONWARDS, PASSIONADOS! - Laura x

P.S. Get your personalized copy here :) https://www.passioncollective.co/store/p/born-to-buzz-shipping

09/04/2026

Bringing the Buzz to Chicago at SHRM’s Elevate conference! There’s no better city to bring our Passion Collective message of motivation, contribution, and doing Work Worth Loving! Over 200 HR, Talent and Recruiting leaders gathered for a full day conference to explore the new reality of work. It was an honor to be the closing Keynote! More pics and videos to come! ❤️

09/04/2026

“When you’re on stage, it should be the best of yourself.”

When • Scott McKain shared this at today’s National Speakers Association-Minnesota Chapter (NSA-MN) event, I realized that’s what makes this profession so fulfilling for me, and so many others.

The best way I can describe it is a desire to connect to other humans, to be a catalyst for people and for businesses, and most of all, knowing that you have something that can help.

It comes when you realize that your life experience - the wins, the losses, the pain, joy and knowledge - has given you something to say.

The goal is never perfection, mainly because it means revealing parts of you that have been hidden for years; parts of you that others need to see.

So - there’s no “half-arsing it” when you’re a professional speaker. There’s just too much at stake for individuals and businesses. It requires continually learning, preparing, listening, adapting and responding. ❤️

Thanks Scott for the inspiration today - and cheers to passion, distinction and generosity!