Laura Gassner Otting

When I was 25 years old, I went to a bar to meet my best friend Jina. Madam's Organ (in Adam's Morgan) was halfway between our two apartments and, thanks to her special relationship with the bartender (ahem), we never paid for drinks and he looked the other way when we got up on the bar shaking our money makers. Don't judge! It was the 90s, we were young and poor, and our jobs in the White House didn't cover much after rent and the weekly ramen 10-for-a-dollar sale. But, that night, even...

Last week I had the great privilege of guest lecturing in Dr. Bret Simmons' business management class at the University of Nevada. At one point, I asked the students how many of them had mentors; a paltry few hands went up. Then I asked how many of them had champions; every one of those few hands dropped, and no more went up. Zip, zero, nada, zilch. Do you have a mentor?Do you have a champion?More importantly, do you know the difference between the two? You need both, but there is an...

This picture is the culmination of thirteen years of effort.This picture is the fruition of a plan interrupted by life.This picture is the lemon of a body forced into submission. Did I bring all five of my other major medals all the way to Tokyo to take this picture? Yes. Yes I did. #notsorry If this picture is worth a thousand words, those words start with: AGAINST ALL ODDS, I DID IT ANYWAY. Why?Because I didn't run my first mile -- of my entire life -- until I was 39 years old. If you'd...

Happy Wedsnotruesday! Yes, it's Wednesday, not Truesday. I'm a day late. This happens from time to time, but as I always say, it's how you know that I'm writing you fresh content each week and this isn't some AI bot of some recycled email. Life's been a little harried lately. January and February are a busy season for sales kick off meetings (SKOs), and I've been doing a lot of them. Between Transunion, IBM, Charter Oak Financial/Mass Mutual -- "HI!" if you were in my audience and new here,...

I'm just back from celebrating my birthday weekend in beautiful Puerto Rico, where both of my boys flew in to be with me and my husband and enjoy sheet cake with me on the beach. (Yes, I'm bougieAF about a lot of things, but you are going to have to pry the cheap supermarket sheet cake out of my cold, dead hands.) Go check me out on instagram if you want that video; I'm in a bikini on the beach, and your inbox is a family show, kids. But, birthdays of course always have me thinking about...

It’s my birthday week, so naturally, I’m celebrating life. But here’s what I need you to know: Sheet cake is truly my first love. (Sorry to my husband, Mr. Hot Stuff.) I love sheet cake so much. I want it served at my birthday. I want it served at my funeral. If you have a wedding coming up and need a cake taster, I'm your girl. #willflyforcake So, two years ago, when I got a message that said, "Hey, Laura, we need a video about Wonderhell for your birthday to launch your pre-sale campaign,"...

Last week I told you that I was heading to speak to IBM and the most remarkable thing happened. While the audience was majority male, the people on stage were majority female. They brought a woman client to tell her story -- Neeli Bendapudi, the president of Penn State -- and they had a panel where three of the four panelists were women, and they had me as their keynote speaker. And, what was even more remarkable is that no one said a word about it. They didn't congratulate themselves, nor...

First, thanks for all the love from my Nana's wisdom last week. I'm so glad you enjoyed that newsletter which, admittedly, veered into the risqué a bit more than even I normally go. I was overwhelmed with your responses and I loved every one of them. I was also surprised how many people were surprised themselves that I replied. So, I'll say it again, since I've recently gotten thousands of new subscribers: I read and reply to every response, even if it sometimes takes me a while. YOU are why...

My Nana was born on this day 107 years ago. And, if you've heard me give a keynote, you may have heard me talk about her. Why? Because the woman was SMART. Like, smart smart. Like, well before her time smart. Like, so smart that she would tell you exactly what she thought with the twinkly of wisdom in her eye. Come to think of it: she was the original Truesday teller. So, we'll get to the professional stuff in a minute. But, in honor of my Nana, I'd like to tell you the top five things she...

If you are anything like me, the fires in Los Angeles have been heavy on your heart. If you are anything like me, you've asked yourself, "How can I help?" Or, at least that's what I used to ask. I'd spend my time, my treasure, my talent all in hopes of solving big problems. But, somehow I didn't seem to be making any progress. Then one day, I realized it was the wrong question. Don't get me wrong; it's the question that comes from the very best part of our humanity. But, asking "How can I...