We had the good fortune of connecting with Laura Gagliardi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Laura, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
Balance? What balance? Oh wait, do you mean when everything works smoothly and there’s no stress whatsoever, people you deal with on a daily basis are 50% helpful and proactive, and the rest is inversely proportional, evening things out? Yeah no, that does not exist, but I got my own balance though, which means that despite the ups and downs and the sudden changes of plan, the boat keeps sailing and I’m going with the flow. Therefore balance for me and my business means to simply keep moving forward. Covid-19 has taken a lot of people I know out of balance, for instance, because they used to have a routine, to follow a schedule, to repeat the same ritual being super effective, profitable and successful, and then bam, the world has changed both inside and out, and it was sad to witness them hesitate on a daily basis. In my case, not having a fixed schedule, working independently while collaborating with others, the new norm was basically like the old. This to say that what is considered balance for many, is chaos for others and vice versa (raise hand).

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
This one time I found a magnet while traveling that I bought and brought home to stick on my fridge. I hated it. But I wanted it. It was making me feel kind of uncomfortable because… well, I have it right here, it says: “sometimes on the way to a dream, you get lost and find a better one” and I didn’t like it because I’ve always thought that there’s only one big dream to chase, and you have to try everything until you make it come true. Then something changed; with my profession I had to learn the hardest (to me) lesson, that dreams can indeed change with time, with you getting wiser, older, stronger. I got where I am today because I never stopped believing that dreams do come true, it’s just that the truth is: they change, because they can. Because we… change. Wearing many hats allows me, on a daily basis, to test my skills, to learn new ones, to abandon others, and this is exactly what a person like me needs: change. Someone who can’t stay still, who needs to move often and explore new horizons will always find something to do because this world is a constantly changing machine. So that keeps me busy. To be honest, striving in a world that never ceases to amaze me for how fast it changes, makes me kind of proud because it means that I do have some good qualities, after all. I’ve been hearing more and more often people saying that they’re jealous of my freedom, of the way I approach life, taking it one day at a time, adapting to whatever comes next. This is considered a challenge by many, and so to answer your question, here is how I overcome these so called challenges: I simply keep on… living. Although it may sound obvious and redundant, trust me when I say that not a lot of us know how to live nowadays, if you know what I mean. So the world should know that, well, let them figure it out for once. Too much is pre-made, precooked, and ready to be served to our minds already, let people get to know things by themselves; those who are interested in something, will seek it. Whether it’s me, my brand, my story, whatever, it will all be found by making the effort of researching, of asking, of trying to find the answers to the right questions. How about that (wink)?

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
In LA? Everything. Literally. I am not a big fan of those typically touristy spots but I would take my friends there just for the sake of it (I am not even going to mention them because we all know the symbols of the beautiful City of Angels), along with showing them all those other spots that many don’t even know exist. Having moved to the South Bay I am now appreciating more the sound of the ocean at night, long sunset walks on the beach, after I spent months being lulled in the valley by the sound of coyotes in the distance, and before then I had to get used to the chaotic nights of Hollywood. So I would want for them to try it all. Plus the desert a very short drive away, or hikes up the Angeles forest and mountains, or to visit my wolves friends at Wolf Connection in Alton, CA (which I highly recommend to support!) where I feel at peace. LA is the perfect city to make them try amazing vegan food of any sort, (you almost forget about those who are not vegan, sorry folks!), to introduce them to my city friends who live the actual city life around Hollywood, those who live in the Bubble (if you know, you know) never wanting to leave it, considering DTLA the gates of hell, the ones in Topanga and the surrounding areas which are simply fascinating, others in O.C. and then we would just play it by ear, as typical me would do, and that usually makes things always way more fun.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There is a long list of people, family members, friends, writers, producers, educators, you name it, that would be deserving of a shoutout and I wouldn’t want to risk and leave anyone out, so I’ll just say a big, massive thank you to everyone who, in their heart, knows they’ve been particularly dear to me …and many still are. Thank you!

Website: www.lauragagliardi.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/lawragagliardi

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