Laura Gassner Otting 
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 … Read more
I spoke 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 … Read more
I’ve been surprised recently by how many people are surprised that I reply to their responses to my Hello Truesday newsletter. So, I’ll say it again, since I’ve recently gotten thousands of new newsletter subscribers: I read and reply to every response, even if it sometimes takes me a while. YOU are why I write … Read more
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 … Read more
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, … Read more
I don’t set resolutions…. for two reasons. First, I’m kind of an “Every Day is Day One” sort of gal. It’s Jan 1? Start. It’s Wednesday, July 12? Start. It’s 2pm? Start. You are the star when you decide to start. Every day, any day… it’s Day One. Second, for all things there is a … Read more
I am the world’s worst gift giver. Truly, I come up blank every single time. Unless it’s a book. I’m an author! Of course, I love to give books. And, in our home, the traditional half-birthday gift is a book. So, in honor of both my kids and my husband’s half-birthdays, all of which I … Read more
If you caught last year’s Access Hollywood segment, you know I usually dive headfirst into talking about New Year’s resolutions around this time. But this year? I’m hitting pause on that hustle. Instead, I’m pulling out the highlighter to reflect on the moments that made 2024 unforgettable, both for me and for all of us … Read more
It’s Christmas Eve! It’s Chrstmas Eve! And everything’s perfect in Storybook Christmas perfection. Well, maybe not exactly. Let’s try that again. It’s Christmas Eve! It’s Christmas Eve! And everything isn’t perfect. But it’s perfectly *your* story. How do I know this? Because meaning matters, and I was taught about meaning in the very best possible way: … Read more
First, we need to define success for ourselves. I used to have this crystal-clear idea of what success was supposed to look like—who I was going to be and who would make my parents proud. I thought law school was the path, but when I got there, it was nothing like the courtroom dramas on … Read more