About Laura Higgins
I started my first company just before I turned 21; I entered the world of business ownership full of enthusiasm and the street smarts that came with being a semi-feral teenage orphan in San Francisco. That company was a cadre of San Francisco comedians, graphic designers and actors that delivered unusual brand events for several local startups that are now big names, like Oracle. At first, my job was simply "figuring out how to get stuff done," whether we needed a red Ferrari for a video shoot, or a set of Army drill sergeant uniforms for a company picnic, or a miniature volcano that spewed realistic-looking lava. Or a costume to make a dog look like a prehistoric beast. My job was part detective, part location scout, part analyst, part communicator -- and every day was different. That's how I cut my teeth in business; doing stuff that seemed weird or possibly impossible.
Our company was an agency that specialized in tackling projects the "responsible and established" companies wouldn't touch. Either the budget was too small, the timeline too tight, or the expectations too huge for the major branding and event production firms to take on. We didn't care, we were just having fun.
In varying degrees, I've taken that role my entire career. I've made dumb mistakes and smart decisions; and I've learned, learned, learned. I found wonderful mentors and I took their advice. One valuable tip was to give away what you know. You never know who might benefit from your experience.
Our company was an agency that specialized in tackling projects the "responsible and established" companies wouldn't touch. Either the budget was too small, the timeline too tight, or the expectations too huge for the major branding and event production firms to take on. We didn't care, we were just having fun.
In varying degrees, I've taken that role my entire career. I've made dumb mistakes and smart decisions; and I've learned, learned, learned. I found wonderful mentors and I took their advice. One valuable tip was to give away what you know. You never know who might benefit from your experience.
Laura and Jay Conrad Levinson, Father of Guerrilla Marketing
I'm a certified Guerrilla Marketing™ Business Coach - I've had the lovely good fortune to work directly with Jay Conrad Levinson, creator of Guerrilla Marketing. Funny story how that started.
Most entrepreneurs have been exposed to at least one of Jay's books at some point; when I stumbled across his home address in the back of an early edition of one of his books -- turns out it was never supposed to end up in print. I realized we were practically neighbors -- so I put together a little "Wow!" package of goodies, and left it on his front doorstep (which was a little nerve-wracking, because his lovely house was at the end of a very long, winding private driveway in Marin County, CA). He called me the next day, saying that "nobody had ever Guerrilla-Marketed HIM like that!" We met for coffee; I helped him set up a video program for his Guerrilla Marketing International site, and we remained friends for many years. He's a dear man.
Most entrepreneurs have been exposed to at least one of Jay's books at some point; when I stumbled across his home address in the back of an early edition of one of his books -- turns out it was never supposed to end up in print. I realized we were practically neighbors -- so I put together a little "Wow!" package of goodies, and left it on his front doorstep (which was a little nerve-wracking, because his lovely house was at the end of a very long, winding private driveway in Marin County, CA). He called me the next day, saying that "nobody had ever Guerrilla-Marketed HIM like that!" We met for coffee; I helped him set up a video program for his Guerrilla Marketing International site, and we remained friends for many years. He's a dear man.
My husband, Martin and I live beside a picturesque greenbelt in the exurbs south of Denver, Colorado, with our giant Irish Wolfhound Preston McGinty, an aging Labrador Ball Retriever Mix named Fargo Lebowski, and an assortment of cats. I count my lucky stars every day that Martin and I started our family early, because now the kids are grown, the nest is empty, and we get to enjoy life without needing babysitters or Disney products. (Plus, we're insanely proud of our amazing, smart and tech-savvy daughters -- they are a never-ending source of cool new YouTube videos and other fun online time-wasters.)
