Podcast: Laura Herring

Join Sharon Fiehler in a conversation with Laura Herring, Founder and Chair Emeritus of IMPACT Group, a global leader in the human resource consulting space. A successful entrepreneur, author and internationally known speaker, Laura also plays an active role in organizations that focus on the arts and stimulate economic growth in St. Louis and beyond. 

About Laura

A pioneer in career/life transition support, psychologist Laura Herring is Founder and Chair Emeritus of IMPACT Group, a global, WBE-certified career development firm that provides high touch solutions in global mobility, leadership development and career transition that drive individual and organizational performance. Celebrating 28 years this year, IMPACT Group is a leader in the human resource consulting space with solutions delivered by dedicated, expert career consultants paired with next generation technology. Outside of her advisory leadership at IMPACT Group, Laura plays a prominent role in St. Louis. She served the Regional Commerce and Growth Association (RCGA) for 10 years as the representative for small business and served on boards for The Science Center and the Missouri History Museum. Laura was the sole female founding member on the Economic Development Council in St. Louis. She played an active role on the Advisory Board for community relations with Scott Air Force Base under four generals. She was responsible for bringing spouse employment assistance to over 1 million military spouses around the world.

Laura continues to be actively involved in raising money for the St. Louis community and focuses on philanthropic giving to local social and community organizations that focus on the family and children, including the Central Institute for the Deaf and Variety the Children's Charity. She and her family are providing funds to renovate the Gate House in the Missouri Botanical Gardens and donating to renovate the St. Louis Zoo. She recently chaired a committee that raised $5 million for Webster University. She was the chairwoman of the Advisory Board of Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Art at Webster University, currently provides annual funding for Webster's Senior Theater Conservatory production, and sits on the Board of Directors of Webster University and previously on the National Chamber of Commerce National Advisory Board. Laura is also a member of the Women's Corporate Directors, the Committee of 200 and The Belizean Grove.

Presently, she is reviving the Protégé Program at C200, a program she was invited to be part of in 2003. Laura is currently Chair Emeritus of IMPACT Group. Under Laura's leadership, IMPACT Group received numerous awards including the Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Companies List, the Golden Plate Award by the Old Newsboys Day organization, the distinguished Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Small Business Award, “Top 500 Woman-Owned Business” awarded by DiversityBusiness.com and the St. Louis’ Top 50 Award by the Regional Chamber & Growth Association. Past individual honors for Laura includes the Top Women Entrepreneurs in St. Louis for multiple years, The Alliance of Women's Organizations' 1993 "Woman of Achievement" award, and the "Top 50 Who's Who in St. Louis Business" in 1994. She was also a recipient of NAWBO's Distinguished Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the St. Louis Business Journal’s 25 Most Influential Business Women award in 2004.

An internationally known speaker, Laura regularly addresses career/life transition issues at global and national conferences. She’s been featured in articles in The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Boston Globe, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis Business Journal, Chicago Tribune, USA TODAY, Newsweek, Fortune, Mobility Magazine and HR Executive. Laura coaches CEOs on growing their companies and speaks to business and university groups about igniting their entrepreneurial passion for business. In 2015, she authored the number one Amazon international bestseller on entrepreneurship: "No Fear Allowed, A Story of Guts, Perseverance & Making an Impact." Laura, a two-time breast cancer survivor, is actively raising $1 million for Siteman Cancer Center and is donating 100% of the profits from her book to Siteman Cancer Center for breast cancer research. For leisure, Laura enjoys, golf, travel, theater, reading and spending time with her friends and family, notably her husband Mike and her daughter Lauren, CEO of IMPACT Group.