When we sit down with Laurie Bolt to chat about bringing her whole self to work, she tells us, “I’m not just a Director of Business Optimization at Nestlé. I’m a mother. I’m a wife. I’m part of the LGBTQIA+ community. And I want to feel comfortable owning all sides of myself — not assimilating to the idea of what a corporate woman should be.”
Laurie also clarifies that being authentic in the workplace is different than being transparent.
“Bringing my whole self to work doesn’t mean that I bring everything to work. It means that I can share what I’m comfortable sharing, while also holding on to more personal parts of myself,” she shares.
Ultimately, Laurie wants to have a choice in the matter. And throughout her career, Laurie has learned the importance of taking ownership of her career decisions and intentionally building an environment where she can show up authentically.
We asked Laurie to share some moments in her career that helped her to develop this mindset, along with a few tips for how others can bring their whole selves to work.
Laying the foundation for authenticity & autonomy
Laurie admits that early in her career, she believed assimilation was key to career growth. She remembers wearing skirts and makeup to the workplace because it was the expected attire for women, practices that felt far from authentic to her, simply to follow suit with her peers.
“I felt like I needed to be the way somebody else expected me to be in order to be successful,” she shares.
With time, Laurie started to see that squeezing herself inside a box was both unsustainable and counterproductive. She recalls two turning points in her career that brought this realization to the forefront — and lay the foundation for her to bring her whole self to work.
Finding advocates
Laurie started her career with Nestlé in the Sales department, but she ultimately found that it wasn’t the best fit for her.
A manager from the Supply Chain department recognized Laurie’s potential and encouraged her to make the leap to his team. To this day, Laurie still considers him to be her most influential mentor. She observed this leader as he worked to get to know his team and develop an authentic rapport with each person. He created a psychologically safe space where his team felt trusted and valued for who they were.
Laurie recalls, “I remember sitting in his office one day and telling him that I’m gay. It just felt safe. We’d developed a rapport and I knew I could trust him,” Laurie shares. “He became an advocate for me, offering to share my story with my permission, which in turn helped me to take those first steps towards authenticity.”
The comfort Laurie found in her new environment also revealed the potential of authenticity and self-advocacy, traits that would prove essential in the next stages of her career.
Advocating for myself, and creating my own path
Over the next several years, Laurie’s career continued to advance within the organization. She took on new roles and responsibilities within Supply Chain, including joining an international team in Switzerland (Nestlé’s global headquarters.)
Each new role came with unique challenges, responsibilities, and opportunities. As she looks back, there have been amazing high points and some low points throughout her career. Through it all, the things that have served her best were being authentic and advocating for herself. She has learned that sometimes advocating for yourself means saying “no” because something is not right for you at a certain time. Laurie believes that while it’s good to be ambitious, it’s just as important to set healthy boundaries and know your limits. Ultimately each of us must accept consequences of our choices; but we also get to reap the rewards.
Laurie shares “Your environment will only get better if you take control of your career. There are always risks with taking on something new and turning down offers, but only you can decide what’s right for you.”
Creating a safe space for others – the ripple effect
As Laurie continues advocating for herself and creating her own path, she’s noticed a change in her demeanor and as a leader. Today, she has become an authentic leader who knows her team members and develops an authentic rapport with each person. Building on her career and life lessons, she strives to create a psychologically safe space where her team and colleagues feel trusted and valued for who they are as people, not just a job title.
One of the biggest lessons she shares with her team and colleagues is that it’s important to set boundaries and it’s OK to make mistakes. Laurie has worked hard to create an atmosphere where – “I knew it was safe to make mistakes because I was in an environment where I could recover. This has helped me to shift my focus to ensuring my colleagues also feel psychologically safe.”
Laurie has been able to shine as her authentic self as an active member of Nestlé’s THRIVE Ability Network, an employee resource group that supports teammates through critical illness, invisible disabilities, care-giving and mental wellness. Through THRIVE, she works to educate and raise awareness around mental wellness specifically, including meeting one-on-one with coworkers experiencing burnout or a lack of psychological safety.
“I understand that my Nestlé colleagues are as unique as I am, and they are more than just a job title. They need to feel seen and included. It’s only when they feel good about themselves and the environment they’re in that they can produce their best work,” Laurie shares.
Advice for bringing your whole self to work
Laurie now recognizes that bringing her whole self to work creates a ripple effect.
“By being your authentic self and advocating for your needs, you create a safe space for others to do the same,” she shares.
Laurie hopes everyone will contribute to the ripple, and offers this advice to help us on our way:
- Find your advocates and mentors. “When you’re a minority on your team, it’s helpful to find someone who will both advocate for your mental health and speak on your behalf when you don’t have the strength,” Laurie says. She encourages you to take advantage of your company’s mentorship or sponsorship programs and keep searching until you find the right match.
- Take control of your career decisions. Ultimately, this allows you to find a work environment where you feel comfortable showing up authentically. Laurie shares that sometimes it’s OK to say no. Just because everyone else is telling you it’s a great opportunity, doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Laurie shares, “You have to be intentional about your choices and control your own career path — don’t rely on others to do so, because they likely won’t lead you in a direction that feels authentic to you.”
