Featured IAW Member | CEO, LGW Executive Consultants & Founder, Bright Box Collective
When we first featured Laurie Waligurski in January 2025, she was a relatively new entrepreneur channeling 30+ years of corporate experience into a firm she had built from the ground up. She was committed, clear-eyed, and already making an impact.
A year later? The mission is bigger, the message is sharper, and there is a new company in the picture.
We are bringing Laurie back — because when a member grows like this, it is worth talking about twice.
FROM CORPORATE LEADER TO ENTREPRENEUR — AND BEYOND
Laurie’s path to entrepreneurship was shaped by decades of experience leading transformational change at a global tech company. Specializing in process optimization, organizational design, and cultural shifts, she developed a deep passion for guiding teams through complex transitions.
‘The decision to start my own business was the culmination of my career,’ Laurie says. ‘I realized that many organizations — especially those without the frameworks of large corporations — needed tailored tools and guidance to implement effective change. I launched my firm to bring this expertise to a broader audience and make a more direct, personal impact.’
Her inspiration? Her family — especially her three adult children — who gave her the courage to take the leap, even during the uncertainty of COVID.
Since then, she hasn’t slowed down. Alongside LGW Executive Consultants, Laurie has launched Bright Box Collective — expanding her platform and her reach as a speaker, author, and thought leader in women’s leadership and organizational transformation.
THE INSIGHT THAT DRIVES EVERYTHING
A year of deeper practice has only sharpened Laurie’s conviction about what makes or breaks organizational transformation.
It isn’t strategy. It isn’t process.
It’s culture.
‘Communication, leadership, accountability, and culture are not soft skills — they are business capabilities that directly influence execution, innovation, retention, and results.’
Laurie has spent her career watching organizations invest in all the right frameworks and still fall short — not because the plan was bad, but because the people weren’t aligned, engaged, or connected to the vision.
‘Organizations achieve stronger outcomes when they invest in both performance and the people responsible for delivering it.’
That’s the work she’s built her firms around. And it’s why her clients keep coming back.
THE REWARDS OF DOING WORK THAT MATTERS
The most challenging part of Laurie’s work, she’ll tell you honestly, is the emotional labor of transformation.
‘Change is uncomfortable — even when it’s necessary. The hardest part is helping leaders and teams sit in the discomfort long enough to move through it. People want the results of change without the disruption it requires.’
That tension never fully goes away. But neither does the reward.
‘When a client has a breakthrough — when they see the connection between how they lead and how their team performs — that’s everything,’ she says. ‘Watching someone go from frustrated and stuck to energized and clear on what to do next is deeply fulfilling work.’
That cycle of challenge and reward is what drives her to keep building, keep showing up, and keep expanding her platform.
AUTHENTICITY IS NOT A LIABILITY
One of the sharpest evolutions in Laurie’s message over the past year is her direct stance on authenticity in leadership.
‘One of the biggest myths I encounter is that showing up authentically makes you appear weak,’ she says. ‘But in my experience, it’s the opposite. Authenticity builds the trust and psychological safety that allows teams to do their best work.’
For Laurie, this isn’t soft philosophy. It’s strategy.
Leaders who model authenticity — who are honest about challenges, transparent about decisions, and willing to be human in front of their teams — create cultures where people feel safe to take risks, speak up, and bring their full capabilities to the work.
‘Authenticity is a leadership strength,’ she says simply. ‘And organizations that understand that have a real competitive advantage.’
A COMMUNITY THAT REFLECTS WHAT SHE BELIEVES
Laurie first joined IAW during a chapter in her career defined by bold transitions. A year in, her perspective on the community has deepened.
‘IAW gives me access to women who are not just doing big things professionally — they are thinking deeply about how and why they do them,’ she says. ‘The conversations here go beyond tactics. They are about values, vision, and building something that lasts.’
That kind of peer community, she says, is rarer than people realize — and more important than they often credit.
‘I’ve gotten more from the relationships I’ve built in IAW than I expected. And I’ve tried to give back in the same spirit — showing up fully, sharing what I know, and genuinely investing in other women’s success.’
WHAT SHE’D TELL HER YOUNGER SELF
If Laurie could go back and offer one piece of advice to the version of herself just starting out, it would be this:
‘Stop waiting until you feel ready. Readiness is not a prerequisite for bold action — it’s the result of it. And trust your instincts more. The judgment you’ve developed over your career is a powerful asset. Don’t second-guess it simply because someone else might do it differently.’
For the women watching from the edges of their next big move — the career pivot, the business launch, the leadership leap — Laurie’s message is both practical and personal:
You have more to offer than you know. Take up the space you’ve earned.
Connect with Laurie:
LGW Executive Consultants | Bright Box Collective | LinkedIn
