Laura West - Joyful Business

10/26/2026

I've been thinking about how much the skills we need to thrive in this New Era are changing.

For so long, we've been told we need to be the expert. Have the answers. Know what's next.

But what if one of our most powerful skills is simply Deep Listening?

If you're like me, you probably do this naturally. You pick up on what people are saying, what they're not saying, and what's happening beneath the surface.

But there's something powerful about practicing it intentionally.
Here's how it shows up in my business...

When I'm dreaming up my next program, planning the focus of a retreat, or choosing the topic for an Energetics Shifting session, I'm not just asking myself, "What do I want to teach?"

I'm listening.

To what my clients are experiencing. What they're struggling with. What they're longing for. What keeps coming up in our conversations.

And often, that's where the next creative idea comes from!

Deep Listening opens up possibilities we might never discover by trying to figure everything out on our own.

It helps us serve our clients more deeply, create what people really need, and build richer relationships along the way.

And the beautiful thing? It's a skill many of us already have. We just get to trust it, strengthen it, and use it more intentionally.

I'm curious: Where could a little more Deep Listening open up new possibilities in your business or leadership?

P.S. Imagine giving yourself four days by the ocean, in a small, intimate circle of women, to slow down, listen deeply to yourself, and discover what wants to emerge through you next. That's part of the magic we're creating at EMERGENCE 2027: A Retreat by the Sea, January 18–21 in Virginia Beach. I'd love for you to be part of it! (see my bio for details)

10/20/2026

**What if you stopped trying to do business the way you think you're supposed to?**

There are so many messages about how we should grow our businesses.

Be more visible. Post more. Network more. Follow this formula. Do what successful entrepreneurs do.

And some of those strategies might be great. But are they great for YOU?

What if you understood more about how you're naturally designed to lead, make decisions, connect with people, and create?

Imagine what might shift in your business when you begin trusting your own design instead of trying to fit someone else's formula.

That's what we're exploring next Tuesday evening at **Your Authentic Design**, an in-person experience for women entrepreneurs in Virginia Beach.

Through the fascinating lens of Feminine Human Design, we'll explore your unique gifts, your natural ways of operating, and what becomes possible when you bring more of your authentic self into your business.

And we'll have some rich conversations with other women who are creating businesses that matter to them.

✨ You'll receive your own Unique Design Profile and Report.
**Tuesday, October 27 | 5:30–8:30 PM**

GATHER, Town Center, Virginia Beach
(deadline to save Friday, Oct 23)

I'd love to have you join us!

An in-person evening for women business owners and leaders to discover how you're actually designed to work, lead and thrive, and what you can finally stop forcing.

10/16/2026

Are you ready to stop trying to be who you think you're supposed to be?

We waste so much energy trying to fit in, please others, or be someone we think people expect us to be. And sometimes, the only person putting those expectations on us is ourselves!

What if you could let all that go?

That's what I love about discovering your Authentic Human Design. You start to see how you're uniquely wired to be YOU. And some of those old stories about who you should be start to lose their grip.

Come explore your authentic design with me!

October 27 | GATHER | Virginia Beach

Join me in person for an evening of discovery, insights, and maybe a few big aha moments!

Deadline to save on your ticket is October 23!

An in-person evening for women business owners and leaders to discover how you're actually designed to work, lead and thrive, and what you can finally stop forcing.

10/05/2026

Are you noticing the shift too? Love to hear what you are experiencing, seeing, doing…

I see a New Era is emerging.

And I think many of us have been feeling it for a long time.

The old ways of working, leading and defining success aren’t working anymore. More. Faster. Tougher. Fit in. Push through. Hustle more. Follow the formula. Sacrifice.

Something is shifting.

We’re craving more meaning. More humanity. More creativity and collaboration. More trust in our intuition and our own unique way of doing things.

I’ve been talking about Joyful Business for over 25 years.

(And yes, our 25th anniversary is coming up! Stay tuned. )

Twenty-five years ago, talking about joy, intuition, energy, creativity and doing business differently wasn’t exactly the mainstream business conversation.

But I knew there had to be another way.

New Era

And now?

I feel like the world is finally catching up to the conversation so many of us have been having quietly for years.

Especially those of us who are Highly Attuned.

Sensitive. Empathic. Creative. Intuitive.

What if the parts of us that didn’t fit so well into the old era are exactly what’s needed to create the new one?

I believe we’re not here just to watch this New Era emerge.

We’re here to help create it.

And that feels incredibly hopeful to me.

09/14/2026

09/14/2026

Whenever something feels a little "off" in my life or business, one of the first places I look is at my energies.

Not just whether I have enough energy to get through the day, but where my energy is flowing, where it's getting stuck, and where it might be leaking away.

For years, I've worked with what I call the 8 Sources of Vibrant Energy, both personally and with my clients: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, environmental, financial, creative and relationships.

It's become one of the foundations for creating an ecosystem that works uniquely for YOU.

Because our energy isn't just physical.

You can be sleeping well and still feel depleted because your creativity has gone dormant. Or your environment feels heavy. Or a relationship is draining you. Or money has become a constant source of pressure.

All of this contributes to our frequency. Our energetic field. Who we are being.

Who we are being - our frequency - impacts all the actions we take each day.

When we are in the flow with our frequency running at a high vibration then it acts as an amplifier for our actions.

When we are running at a lower frequency…it constricts or reduces the impact of our actions.

And here's what I love: we don't have to fix all eight. (Whew!)

Paying attention to just ONE source changes everything. It creates a domino effect without trying to perfect in every area of our life.

So I have two questions for you this week:

Where is my energy leaking or feeling stagnant? What do I know would help make a difference? (micro-action, decision, new ritual, difficult conversation, rearrange your calendar)

Where is my energy already flowing, and I could easily turn up the volume?

That second question is especially juicy.

We're so conditioned to look for what needs fixing that we can miss the energy that's already alive, flowing and asking for more.

Maybe that's where your next Big Yes is waiting. 💗

P.S. I created this new 8 Sources of Vibrant Energy visual as part of my New Era Skills & Practices series. Save it somewhere you'll see it and use it as a little energy check-in whenever you need one.

09/08/2026

I’ve been thinking a lot about community lately.
There is so much change. So much disruption. So much being reimagined in how we live, work and build our businesses. It is pretty overwhelming at times.
And I’m realizing I am craving community more than ever.
But - I don’t just want more community.
I want the right communities.
Communities that support me in becoming more of who I am.
That encourage my growth.
That help me build my “what’s next” and I help them create theirs.
And that make life more joyful along the way.

Because I really believe this is part of the New Era:

We aren’t meant to build everything alone.

In this New Era...
We collaborate. We share resources. We make introductions. We open doors. We contribute what we know. And the leaders of great communities don’t just lead from the front—they listen and co-create what’s next with the people inside them.

The old way built audiences.

The New Era builds ecosystems.

I made this week’s New Era Skills graphic about exactly that.
NEW COMMUNITY: Together is the New Era power to create your SoulWork.

Maybe the question for today is simply:

Who are the people and communities helping you become more YOU—and love your life while you’re doing it?

Feel free to let me know your thoughts about this too.

09/02/2026

This. This is at the heart of so much of the work I do. 💗

Helping women peel away all the shoulds, roles, expectations and conditioning they’ve collected over a lifetime, and rediscover who they really are underneath it all.

Because there is something incredibly powerful that happens when you stop trying to become who you think you’re supposed to be... and start living, creating and leading as more fully YOU.

That’s my passion. And honestly, I think it’s some of the most important work of this New Era.

Thank you, Dolly. You always know how to say it. ✨

07/07/2026

Lately I've been thinking a lot about trust.

Not trusting that everything will go according to plan. Life has never worked that way.

I'm talking about something deeper.
Trusting yourself.
Trusting that you'll figure it out.
Trusting your resilience.
Trusting that your gifts will meet the moment.
Trusting that even when the path isn't clear, you'll find your next step.

I believe this is becoming one of the most important New Era Skills.

For so long, we've been taught to look outside ourselves for the answers. Looking to...
The expert.
The strategy.
The perfect plan.
Those things can absolutely be helpful.

But I've come to understand that they're at their best when they support our own inner authority, not replace it.

The women I see thriving aren't the ones with all the answers.
They're the ones learning to trust themselves a little more each day.

To pause before reacting.
To notice what resonates.
To rely on their gifts instead of someone else's formula.
To remember that uncertainty doesn't mean they're on the wrong path. It simply means they're living.

📝 The graphic I'm sharing this week is a little reminder of that. You might want to save it somewhere you'll see it this week.

And each time you do, take one slow breath and remember:

You don't have to know the whole path.

You only have to trust yourself with the next step.

This Week's Reflection Practice:
Where in your life are you ready to trust yourself just a little more...even in the uncertainty?

Feel free to reply and let me know how this message or the visual resonates with you. I would love to hear!