We recently connected with Laura Sylvester and have shared our conversation below.

Laura , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

I have had many incredible defining moments within my career as a solo female entrepreneur so far, however, one of them stands out amongst the rest. I was sent a DM on Instagram in autumn 2022 from a profile I’d never seen before. At first I thought it was spam and was about to delete it, but my intuition told me to respond, so I did.

The company behind the profile was actually a women’s wellbeing and spiritual festival here in the UK and they had reached out to me specifically because of the incredible work I do for women and wanted to invite me to participate at the festival as a guest speaker, or workshop host.

I honestly couldn’t believe it, it was such a huge pinch me moment. Of course I accepted. Instead of just doing one or the other, I actually decided to speak on stage, as well as hold a workshop.

In July 2023 I spoke on stage at a huge women’s festival, in front of 100s of women to share my personal story with mental health, it was truly surreal and such a defining moment in my career. The next day I held a very intimate, sacred women’s circle which was so beautiful, being able to hold such a safe space for women to come together and share their magic.
It is a weekend I will never forget.

Laura , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a holistic self-love and empowerment coach for women, NLP Master practitioner and hypnotherapist. I write a monthly wellbeing column for a magazine and hold in person women’s circles each month.

I have my very own self-published self-love journal which comes in 2 sizes and has been one of the most beneficial things in my own healing journey.

I do what I do today because of my own mental health history and the sheer adversity I have faced with an eating disorder. I have had one too many near death experiences which completely opened my eyes to just how much of a gift life truly is.

I help guide women back home to themselves, their truth, their authenticity beneath the layers that have accumulated over the years so they can finally break free of the constraints of other people’s opinions and any external, societal pressure.

What sets me apart is my own lived experience, my empathy, understanding and unique listening skills to truly get to know the women in front of me from inside out so I can help her be the woman she wants to be, not who she thinks or has been told to be.

I have spoken on stage at festivals to talk about my mental health journey, my experiences, but also how I overcame challenges to help inspire and educate.
People often describe me as a phoenix rising from the ashes.

Future clients should know that when working with me, you will always feel safe, seen, heard, loved and supported.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

In 2009 I was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa and since then, life has been a ride. To keep this brief, in 2017 I was admitted into hospital, they found that along with being severely underweight and malnourished, I had contracted E-Coli. My body wasn’t able to hold anything inside and my health was getting frighteningly worse by the minute, it got so bad I ended up in intensive care fighting for my life. Luckily I survived to tell the tale. After this episode in general hospital, I was moved to the other side of the country to undergo rehab for 5 months. In the beginning stages I couldn’t walk, every day was a challenge, but I never gave up. Every day I kept fighting and continued to strengthen my health day by day.

Since then I have had further set backs, but I have continued to keep fighting and never give up on my hopes and dreams.
Mental illness is scary, but I will never let it beat me.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

In my specific field as a holistic life coach for women, my personal experience with my mental health and the adversity I have faced makes a huge difference, because my clients can relate to me on a personal level, and they know I understand where they’re at.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.laurasylvv.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurasylv/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurasylv