Page 37 - San Diego Woman interactive pdf

Women of Distinction

Laurel has many different areas in which practice what they preached. Donating their shows now. It’s the place where we share
she is equally passionate. “When I say that services to programs that support peace and knowledge and resources to drive a more
I am a multi-passionate entrepreneur, it's justice, wilidlife abundance and diversity, conscious form of capitalism. What we mean
because I'm excited by a lot of things. And I and regenerative economics is an important by that is we like to interview stakeholder-fo-
have my hands in a lot of businesses in vari- element of their business model of ‘doing cused business owners and thought leaders
ous roles. And – like Marie Forleo – I believe business for good’. They not only retained involved in the ‘business for good movement.’
‘everything is figureoutable.’” their existing clientele, but their business So, these are companies and folks who know
A few years ago, Laurel experienced grew even more. that if you take care of the environment and
extreme personal challenges and a spiritual “Like everyone, we had to adapt to your people with your work first, then profits
awakening where she was fortunate to have being remote. We were meeting clients and and abundance will follow. We teach our
advisors that helped her explore the foun- conducting our podcasts interviews online clients how to be mindful, purposeful, and
dation of her feelings. They advised that she instead of in our in-person studio. People intentional about their goals and actions. We
was frustrated and felt suffocated at work be- became excited by the content we were help them understand how to take care of
cause she had to answer to a boss when she sharing and by the ideas we had to offer. As their vendors or customers or any stake-
was clearly meant to be the boss. Being able a result, listeners were garnering knowledge holders in their business. In this way you
to make her own decisions would expand her and resources to clarify and understand the are taking care of both your people and the
life. She needed to attract the right projects purpose of their business, their core values planet. And as a result, you end up meeting
and clients that she felt proud of their work your financial goals.”
and not have to take the road someone else They interview non-profit and for-profit
planned for her. organizations and especially certified B Cor-
“I expressed anger regularly at work and porations. These BCorps are vetted and audit-
home because I had visions and solutions to ed by the third-party B Lab, which administers
problems and injustices that seemed so obvi- a program that is considered the highest stan-
ous to me. And by nature of being a planner, dard in social responsibility. A STELLAR CO has
I could see the many specific steps to get to achieved its pending BCorp certification and
the remedy or goal. So it was confusing and are in B Lab’s queue to finalize it this year. The
frustrating when others didn't take action. I ORION Podcast can be found on YouTube as
often took it personally. When I realized that well as Spotify and Apple or by visiting the A
I could choose to lead in my own way and STELLAR CO website at www.astellar.co.
not try to control others, I healed my life. I Laurel loves being her own boss. “Found-
launched my own business, A STELLAR CO, ing and owning a conscious business means
a consulting firm with my co-founder, Jessa we get to design it, to fulfill our purpose in
Spainhower. Basically, our strategic planning life, and we have control of our time and our
model helps companies ‘Do Business Without energy. And to me, the biggest reward is just
Being a D!@#’ to each other and the environ- being the CEO of all aspects of my own life. It’s
ment. We are business strategists guiding the freedom to explore and expand. I can choose
conscious economy.” to continually support non-profits like Torrey
Their business was started almost two Project, a business bootcamp for stakehold-
years ago, and they have navigated through er capitalists, while for-profit businesses
the pandemic with grit and optimism. Thank- and their financial, environmental, and social like Geosite, a Silicon Valley tech startup,
fully, the use of Zoom and other virtual tools al- goals. And by working with A STELLAR CO have brought me on to their advisory board
lowed A STELLAR CO to continue to engage cli- to crystalize those ideas into a strategic plan, because I have the creative freedom to push
ents. As a new company they didn’t qualify for the POLARIS or North Star and guiding light, society forward and it energizes me.”
federal help, so they were on their own. “The helps them expand and enjoy themselves in Besides being the co-founder of A STEL-
only thing I can say is that it made us incredibly the face of the pandemic. It’s how Jessa and I LAR CO, Laurel holds an executive position
tough, and very innovative, which just fueled can support our communities.” with Controlled Thermal Resources, a com-
our fire even more. We focused on streamlining As Laurel explains, “when you have your pany in Imperial County that is developing a
our business processes, setting up templates North star, you can be resilient through a pan- 100% renewable energy geothermal power
for our work products and just organically demic. You are empowered to take the next plant and a lithium mining facility at the
marketing ourselves through the launch of our right step even if you aren’t getting govern- Salton Sea.
ORION Podcast, like the constellation Orion. ment support. You can greet these challenges “They reached out to me to help build
Through this work style we have attracted the with reverence for the opportunities they the Hell’s Kitchen Lithium and Power Project.
right customers. A lot of them we've offered contain because you are clear on what you They knew I owned my own business and
complimentary consulting services, which want, you’ve charted your course, and you that I might not have the time, but that I had
made us feel good to help small businesses or have a team of connected accountability the skills and expertise to successfully permit
solopreneurs that might not normally be able partners and stakeholders that want to help the project. They thought I might be inspired
to have access to our offerings.” you achieve your moonshot goal.” by an opportunity to create green jobs in a
This also allowed the new partners the I asked Laurel to tell us a bit more about disadvantaged community. A few weeks after
ability to show the world that they did in fact the ORION Podcast. “We have produced 50 the interview, the pandemic hit but they still

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