We were lucky to catch up with Laura Mignott recently and have shared our conversation below.
Laura, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
When I started my first business, DFlash, it was an idea that we came up with in a Starbucks. It was a simple idea, create an event that we wanted to go to. It quickly became a popular monthly series. What had started as a fun side project, had become a business and I now had to decide whether I should quit my full time job and give this idea a real shot at success. Well, I thought it was worth the risk and took the leap, quitting my job and working on the business full time. Of course, we had no money at the time, so I cashed out my 401k and used those funds to get going. As soon as I went full time at the business, we started to grow and get bigger projects and bigger budgets and more importantly my entrepreneurial life started. It stretched and challenged me in ways I never thought possible. I learned the importance of networking and building meaningful relationships. With all the ups, downs, sideways, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. over the next 10 years business grew and eventually, I got an offer from a huge agency to sell & join and a new journey began.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Meet Laura Mignott—a powerhouse storyteller, network weaver, and global showrunner whose magnetic ability to connect brilliant minds has earned her a reputation as a true mountain mover. As CEO of You Are Home, her cutting-edge brand consultancy, Laura transforms visionary ideas into immersive, unforgettable experiences.
Before founding You Are Home, Laura dazzled the world as Global Chief Experiential Officer at VMLY&R Commerce. There, she led a vibrant team of storytellers, designers, producers, and magic-makers to create standout experiences for household names like Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta, Dell, and Pfizer. For over a decade, she also helmed New York-based cultural communications agency DFlash, where her innovative approach to online and offline experiences helped brands make a lasting, meaningful impact.
Dubbed “the Oprah you know,” Laura is the creative force behind the award-winning Reset Podcast, where she engages with game-changing business leaders in candid, transformative conversations. Passionate about empowering others, she also developed the online course One Degree of Connection—a program designed to unlock your passion and reveal your unique “X factor” through practical, real-world networking skills.
Celebrated as the 2023 She Run Its Game Changer of the Year, a 2021 AdClub Rockstar, and the 2020 WiM Storyteller of the Year, Laura’s influence extends well beyond her professional roles. She actively shapes the future of her industry by serving on multiple boards and leadership committees, including Project N95 and Black Women Talk Tech.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
My company, Dflash was a very successful events agency and in March 2020, our entire industry shut down. We had to turn trucks around that were on the way for Austin for SXSW, because a global pandemic, had everyone stuck inside. As a result, we had to shut down. I had to tell my team to file for unemployment and let everyone go. In 2019, we had our biggest year, we were finally a global agency and in a matter of months, we no longer, could do the thing we were great at.. bringing people, together, in person. After the initial couple of months, I decided the thing to do was to find a way to bring people back together, and thus our virtual events division was created. We started bringing people together for virutal panels, conferences, workshops, even wine tastings. What we discovered was the magic was still there, we just had to built it and they would come. As a result, by the next year, we were bigger than ever, crafting events around the world in person and virtually. The lesson was when one door closes, never forget you have the skills to open a window.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I built the thing I wanted to have. I was a very shy child, who had a stutter. Very often I didn’t feel welcome in spaces. So I built a company and a core ethos of designing spaces where everyone felt welcome. When we created the first DFlash events, our friends were the people at checkin, we made a point that no one sat by themselves, we’d welcome them, invite them to go by the food/drinks to chat with folks. We’d invite the audience to ask questions, while panels went on. We’d say as a welcome ” our house, is your house”, so that attendees knew this was a safe, fun, space to make connections. As we grew the business, we kept to that promise, no matter how big the event experience, we built, everyone felt welcome and at home. I’m most proud of the fact that there are dozens of people who have experienced the things I’ve been an felt a sense of belonging and goodness out of the things I’ve created.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lauramignott.com
- Instagram: lmigno
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/lauramignott
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/lauramignott
- Twitter: lmigno
- Youtube: theresetpodcast
Image Credits
My photos, all shot on my iPhone