Authentic Brand + Business Coaching For The Personal, Professional + Financial Empowerment Of Women
I work with female executives, entrepreneurs and business owners, as well as women going through divorce (via Smart Divorce Strategy) in creating revenue-generating brands and businesses. Why? Money is power. Money is voice. Money is freedom. And women need more of all of those things in a world that continually gives them less. I work with you to own, communicate and monetize your value without compromise. This is how we change the world.
Traditional marketing tells you to know your audience, sending you in a million different directions trying to guess what they want. You don't have to guess when you are a branded expert in what you know. Authenticity. Brand. Business. It is all the same. It is all you. Brand is created from your authentic experience, perspective and values, combined and centered in what matters most to you. It's your energy and how you show up. And through your choices and interactions, it tells the world what matters most about you. It communicates your unique value based on your definition of it. This is how you stand out with confidence on your own terms. Your authentic brand message and aligned actions cut through all the noise to find relevance and create resonance with your just right people. If you don't start with authenticity or define your value for yourself, you are inviting others to do it for you, to guess, based on their limited impressions of you. That puts them in the driver's seat, not you. And you end up stuck. Cognitive dissonance. Imposter syndrome. And from that place, you create what you don't want. So, take the wheel instead. Be an expert in what you know. Let your brand communicate it and invite others to know you for it. This is how you advance your career, start/grow your business and forge meaningful engagement with key stakeholders. And the money you make from that is so much sweeter.
Defining, Claiming And Owning Your Value Is A Radical Act
I work with women because I know you. I am you. I was in Corporate America for over 20 years. I've been married and divorced. I'm a single mom and business owner. I wear all the hats, just like you. I know you work hard. You hustle. You go the extra mile. You're a multi-tasking machine who gets shit done. And you do it so well no one ever thinks to acknowledge you for it. Why? This is who you are. The responsible one. The go-getter. The fixer. And whether you are in a business suit or a rocky marriage, your experience is pretty much the same. You live in a pressure cooker of big dreams, high expectation, hard work, no appreciation and a persistent fear of failure. And thinking you have no choice, you accept it, even though it’s crushing you.
I work with women because we are not equal. Our ability to have and make money ... to gain more power, voice and freedom ... is intentionally limited by an inherently unequal system that continually gives us less. Designed by men, for men, our world depends on our inequality and has created systems of inequity to support it. And thinking we have no choice, we normalize it, even though it’s crushing us.
Money is the carrot and the stick that is used to keep us playing a game we can never win.
We carry the inherited fear of generations of women before us who had to compromise for safety. Fear tells us not to stand out or speak up. Be careful about the kind of attention you attract. If it's the wrong kind, it will be your fault. Safety says you need a man, not just because he will protect you, but because he will provide for you. Men. Marriage. Money. Money is safety. You jump through hoops for that safety. Compete against other women for that safety. You’re on the hamster wheel of do more, look better. And when comparison is the measure and perception the judge, it is not enough. You are not enough. And has it actually created safety? The number one suspect is always the husband.
The drive to do more, look better seamlessly translated into the working world once we were allowed access. Why not let us work when we still shoulder all the responsibilities at home? Why not let us do the work of a man in the same job for less money? Why not let us think we have the same opportunities, if we only do just a little bit more? Why not? We get less anyway, except for when we get nothing at all, like guaranteed or paid maternity leave. Outside the norm, pregnancy can't be encouraged by a paycheck. And we keep showing up wearing hard work like a badge of honor. At what cost? Even though we live longer, women have a lower lifetime earning potential than men. We are literally bankrupting our future.
Do you know where women are equal? Divorce court. In a divorce, all of the income, assets and debt accrued during the term of the marriage is equalized. So, if you are the breadwinner, it means you’ve worked a lot harder than a man in the same job and, yet now, your spouse will walk away with half of all your hard-earned cash. It also means you will likely be the one paying child support, even with 50/50 custody. It's a financial penalty for not only out-earning your spouse, but also for daring to leave an unfulfilling marriage. Post-divorce, women go into a financial black hole that takes 4-6 years to climb out of, while men have zero impact on their income. What's equal about that? The carrot and the stick. The fact that the Equal Rights Amendment has never been fully ratified tells us we are not equal. The system could be changed, but it hasn't. And it won't because the economy thrives on our insecurities. The government relies on our division. Corporate America improves their bottom line off our backs. And your hard work has only served to support their interests, not yours. And without even realizing it, you've forgotten about your most important asset. YOU. Let’s get to work.
Hi, I'm Laura Miolla. My professional background includes 20+ years in brand and business development, leadership and strategy as a Vice President of Business Development, Consultant and Advisory Board member. I have a Master's degree and professional certifications through the International Coaching Federation (PCC) and the Coaches Training Institute (CPCC). I am also a certified Parentology Coach and Mediator. I was also named one of Boston's Best Business Consultants by Expertise Magazine in 2021 and 2022.
I'm a speaker and writer with articles in numerous publications such as Huffington Post, Working Mother and YourTango, which can be accessed on my Blog, Media, Press and Speaking Engagement pages. I hosted the national radio show Divorce Sucks: The Smart Girl's Guide To Doing It Better in 2015. I also support new coaches in the certification process. And you can access my divorce-related work at Smart Divorce Strategy.
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