Laurie Hirsch Schulz 

About me

Laurie Hirsch Schulz is a career transition and executive coach, facilitator, and founder of LHS Coaching. She helps experienced professionals clarify what they want from their next chapter, understand and communicate their value, and create an actionable career roadmap. She also coaches mission-driven leaders seeking to become more intentional and impactful.

Drawing on more than 25 years in marketing, strategy, consulting, and leadership roles at companies including Kraft Foods and Visa, Laurie brings a strategic and practical perspective to her work. As a facilitator for strategic and complex conversations, she helps boards, teams and organizations navigate difficult topics, build alignment and translate decisions into action.

Laurie is an ICF Professional Certified Coach. Her experience also includes non-profit leadership as a current leadership team and former president of Westchester Youth Alliance and founder of Broad River, a professional-development community for women.

What do you do and why do you do it?

I help people and organizations navigate change with greater clarity, purpose, and confidence. That may mean helping an experienced professional determine what they want from their next chapter, supporting a mission-driven leader who wants to increase their impact, or facilitating an important conversation that enables an organization or individuals in a community to move forward.

I know firsthand what it is like to build a successful career and then reach a point when the path you are on no longer feels like the right one. Change can feel challenging and destabilizing, but it can also create the opportunity to reconnect with what matters, recognize possibilities that may not have been visible before and make more intentional choices.

My values—community, connection, impact, and fulfillment—are at the heart of my work. I believe people are more powerful when they understand their own value, connect meaningfully with others, and have the support and courage to act on what matters to them.

My guiding mission is to be a spark that ignites the power of individuals and communities to fuel transformation for meaningful, sustainable, and equitable growth. I want the people and groups I work with to leave with more than insight. I want them to have a clearer sense of purpose, a practical way forward, and the confidence to create change that matters.

What changed for you after age 50?

Throughout my corporate career, I was fortunate to have a variety of interesting and challenging opportunities presented to me. I almost always said “yes” and that worked well for a long time. Then, in my early 50s, simply riding the waves of my career stopped working for me. I was no longer feeling engaged by my work, and I was being challenged to implement changes in the organization I led that did not align with what brought me the most professional satisfaction.

That is when I became more purposeful in leading and navigating my career. I negotiated an exit package, spent some time focusing on a professional “reboot” and committed time to exploring and getting really clear on my personal goals and my non-negotiable values. This clarity has led me to coaching, launching my business, and deep engagement in my community through non-profit work and community building.

What would you tell the 20 or 30-year-old YOU?

Have fun. Don’t take life so seriously. Your life and your career are long – it’s ok to make mistakes. There are many opportunities to pivot and change. Experiment with different opportunities and see how they fit. Be clear on what you value, what makes your heart sing, and engages your mind. Cultivate your communities and connections. Be more confident – you’ve got this!

What do you think you’ll tell yourself in retrospect at the end of your life?

You made a difference. You supported people and communities to feel empowered and gave them the tools to empower others. Your family and friends love, respect, and value you – not just because that is their “job” but also because you were there for them and gave back.

What impact do you think increased visibility can have on your business?

I hope to inspire others to take a pause and consider what they value and how they want to show up in their life and work. With this inspiration, they will reach out for a conversation with me to explore how they may activate personal insights into action.

Who or what inspires you and why?

My friend Andi Simon – I want to introduce her to you! She is curious and is always experimenting, researching new ideas, and integrating them into her work. She is action-oriented and knows how to make things happen.