Woman of the Week – Laura Bennett

Each week, we feature a fantastic new woman we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting gals who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Laura Bennett

My Current Job/Company: CEO and co-founder of Embrace Pet Insurance

My Birthday: March 2, 1966

My Work: I’m the face of Embrace Pet Insurance, the “chief embracer” – and am involved in just about everything to do with Embrace Pet Insurance.

My Passion: I’m passionate about entrepreneurship and building an amazing business…..and creating the quality to go along with that is just incredible. On a personal side, I’m passionate about my family. And I absolutely love traveling off the beaten path. I also love eating food – anything from the fanciest restaurant to a random little cantina in California that serves the best Mexican food I’ve ever had in my entire life.

My Family: Two daughters, Ellie and Erin, 8 and 6; my husband, John, our three cats and nine fish.

My Heroes: I think everyone’s a hero in their own lives. In my life, my mother and my grandmother have inspired me. My grandmother led an incredibly challenging life with moves and divorces and racial bias and had so much backbone and resolve. I still have the watch she bought for herself as her symbol of independence.

My Escape: Reading, long hot baths, long drives by myself. And, I love doing jigsaw puzzles; it’s very meditative.

My Pet Peeves: Fickle or fake people. Oh, and when people don’t use their turn
signal!

My Indulgence: Chocolate, coffee, massages, and eating pie for breakfast!

My Roots: I grew up in England and my dad was in the Royal Navy so we moved every two years. We stayed for a bit in Bath, England. I went to boarding school for high school so I could be in one place. My parents immigrated to Canada when I was 16 and I went to university there. Then I moved to Ireland for four years and then moved to Ohio where I am now. I’m British-Canadian-American.

My Future: Continue to keep growing the business and be as good a parent as I can be. Once the girls are older, traveling more!

My Love(s): My family. And, I love music. That’s how I met my husband; on a street corner in Ontario, trying to get into a concert. I love to laugh. I also love what I do for a living and using my brain to be creative.

My Movie: “The Good, the Bad and The Ugly,” “The Sound of Music,” “Lord of the Rings,” and “Harry Potter.” I like a variety of things, but I’m not a big fan of chick flicks.

My Quote on Life: Just Do It.

My Accessory: My thumb ring.

My Advice to Young Women: Whenever you are starting in your career or your life, it really is only the beginning of the rest of your life. The decisions you make then have impact but you aren’t pigeon holed into your choice forever. Trust you will find your path – if it makes you happy you can be successful. You will work it out yourself. Hang out with excellent people so you can see what is out there. Learn what your version of success is.

How I Balance it All: You can’t! You always have to make priorities. You have to say what you are not going to do. Find help where you can. Share with your partner. You have to let perfection go.