Laura Lampa on Why Success Doesn’t Always Mean Being in the Spotlight

Working in marketing or communications means accepting that your name might never appear on the work you’re responsible for creating.

Laura Lampa, Associate Director of R&D Site Communications at AbbVie and founder of LML StoryLab Consulting, began her career as a microbiologist before realizing her real passion was communicating complex science. Across roles at Monsanto, Kaiser Permanente, AgraQuest, Bayer Crop Science, Ginkgo Bioworks, and now AbbVie, she has spent more than a decade helping mission-driven organizations clarify their value and convey dense science through stories that are accessible to audiences.

In this episode, Laura joins Kristen to talk about why she loves the work of helping brands and experts step into the spotlight.

Watch or Listen to the Episode

Watch the full episode here or listen to it on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

The Big Idea: Being a Catalyst for Other People’s Success

Ask any professional how they define success in their careers, and they’ll probably describe some version of being in the spotlight: the name on the bylined article, the lead role on stage, the fancy plaque on the door. But as Laura points out, a communications professional’s name rarely appears on final content assets.

Throughout her career, Laura has embraced the role of catalyzing other people’s success, working behind the scenes to help brands and experts communicate more effectively. She has made an incredible impact in this way, and best of all, she finds it genuinely rewarding.

“It’s not my name that’s on the work. It’s going out on behalf of a leader or an organization or some other author who’s holding the byline. But being able to play a meaningful role in the success of others has always been something that makes me feel good.”

Laura Lampa

Associate Director of R&D Site Communications at AbbVie

Key Takeaways

Marketing and comms pros can make a significant impact by providing the support and structure people need to communicate effectively.

Clarifying a leader’s message, helping an expert explain their science, or connecting someone’s work to bigger goals is a mutually rewarding experience.

Feedback like, “That sounds exactly like me but better,” is a clear sign that a content asset hit the mark.

Ways to Connect with Laura

If you’d like to connect with Laura, you can do so here:

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