Women Living Fully - Woman of the Week: Lara Wellman

Lara Wellman

I’m a certified business and marketing coach for small and micro-sized business owners, as well as solopreneurs at the Biz Studio.

I help entrepreneurs who are feeling overwhelmed and like they aren’t moving forward in their business the way they had hoped get crystal-clear on their business goals, give them support they need to reach those goals, and guide them toward creating the business and life they dream about.

Who inspires you in your life and why?

I’m inspired by so many people who surround me. The business owners in my community and how dedicated they are to finding happiness and fulfillment from their businesses, all while supporting everyone else around them (instead of seeing everyone as competition).

My children are also huge inspirations – how they see life and go barreling in to learn and connect in bold and brave new ways. Watching them has inspired me to be braver as well, and it’s been paying off in all areas of my life.

What have been some of the biggest challenges you have had to overcome in your life?

Life is rarely simple but I have always been lucky to have an incredible support network around me to support me when I struggled with mental health, career indecisions and frustrations at having a very busy young family and limited capacity for chaos.

What did you do to move through them? What did you learn?

I believe you need a community support for every part of your life – in your career, as a woman, as a child supporting aging parents, in your hobbies, as a parent, etc.

I also believe you can find community out there for whatever area you need support in and finding my communities is always what has been key in getting through the tougher times. And when I couldn’t find the community I needed, I created it because there are always people going through something similar who are also looking for people to connect with.

What are you most proud of?

My ability to have good relationships – with my family, with my friends, with my colleagues and to help foster a sense of happy respectful community in others.

What do you want younger women to know?

That they have the freedom of choice. They get to decide what they want out of their lives and create their own definitions of success. We all tend to live our lives in auto-pilot, moving towards the next big goal that we think we’re supposed to want in life. It’s fantastic if that IS what you want, but so few of us stop and make that decision intentionally. We all have more power of choice in our lives than we tend to think, we just need to stop, breathe, feel, analyze and decide where we’re trying to go.

Also, it’s ok to change your mind. You can want something at one point in your life and want something totally different later on. That’s not a failure, that’s being strong enough to change your course when needed.

What does living fully mean to you?

Living fully is about checking in with yourself and honouring what path you’re wanting to take, what relationships are serving you, learning to truly know yourself and love yourself and making all your life choices based on that. It’s hard work – but it’s really fulfilling when you start creating a life on your own terms!

Favourite quote?

She believed she could, so she did.

Pierrette Raymond

Pierrette Raymond is a multi-business owner and philanthropist. She has been running businesses since 1996, and has a background in Psychology, Education, Grief and Bereavement. She is the owner of 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Ottawa and Gatineau, and recently became a professional dog trainer with multiple certifications in dog behaviour and training. She is a four-time published author, speaker, facilitator, a community leader and also a member of the Forbes Coaches Council. She is the recipient of the Ontario Leading Women Building Communities award, given by the Government of Ontario to women in our province "who demonstrate exceptional leadership in working to improve the lives of others in their communities”. And she is a a Forty Under 40 Award Recipient.