At The Fearey Group we believe everyone has a story to tell. As a firm that has been around for more than 36 years, we understand where we came from has strong bearing on where we are. So, what stories currently make The Fearey Group one of the leading independent public relations and public affairs firms in the Pacific Northwest?
Each Friday we will shine the spotlight on one person within The Fearey Group. We will ask them the questions to help them share their stories and give insight into what makes our firm fearless.
For the first installment of Fearless Friday, we shine the spotlight on our vice president Laura Tufts.
What is one thing most people do not know about you?
Laura Tufts: I love music. I love to sing, I love to dance and I used to play the piano and violin. This year, I want to learn to play guitar.
What is one thing in your career you are most proud of?
LT: I am most proud of helping Seattle Children’s Hospital get a “yes” from the City Council to expand its current campus and build a facility that the hospital really needed. We got the “yes” and they built a new cancer unit, critical care unit emergency room.
What is your favorite thing about Seattle?
LT: I love Seattle. I love that we are so close to the ocean and to the mountains. I’m currently loving working downtown. The market and the fresh food and people here are amazing. Really, lovely people everywhere you go. From the people you work with, to the people you just meet on the street or the person serving you lunch. People in the northwest are pretty nice.
If money were no object, and you had a month to travel, where would you go on vacation and why?
LT: I would go back to Italy but would spend more time on the coast (I love sun and sand). Last time I travelled there I visited Florence and Rome – which were amazing, but I loved the sleepier spots we stopped at like Cortona. Find me a quiet spot near the water and then I can have my girlfriends come with me and we can all drink wine – for like a month.
If a movie was made about your life, what actress would play you?
LT: Gwyneth Paltrow because I think she’s really beautiful, and cool. I had a friend tell me once that my mannerisms and her mannerisms were the same. And I loved her in Sliding Doors.
If you could have three wishes granted, what would they be?
LT:
- I wish that I would have spent more time with my grandparents during college. I lived really close to my grandparents in Portland and I spent time with them. But, now that I’ve lost both of them, I really wish I’d spent more time with them. It was so lovely to get to know them as an adult.
- I would wish that my kids would stop growing up. I would stop time right now. I love my 18-year-old right where he’s at. He’s in such a great space and so excited about life and I’m not ready for him to go. My daughter is at a great age of twelve. She’s sweet and funny – and is sort of that pre-coming a teenager. So it’s magical right now (and about to get harder) Finally, I want my little one to remain my ‘little’ – he’s a 9-year-old – and so happy and silly and full of wonder. All three are so amazing – I consider myself very blessed to be their mama.
- Seems very cliché but, I would wish to have a little bit more money. Not so much that it would be an insane amount and I’d lose all grounding, but enough money to not have to work so much, travel more and enjoy life.
If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would you choose and why?
LT: Martin Luther King Jr. because his very existence changed how we live. I figure he has no idea how much impact he had on our society, especially given what’s going on right now.
If you could live in any sitcom, which one would it be and why?
LT: Modern family. It is the show that makes me laugh out loud all the time. I really relate to Claire Dunphy – we are possibly one and the same.
Who is one person that has impacted your life in a positive way? And why?
LT: The one person who has impacted my career the most was my very first boss after graduating college, John Dillon. To date he is the person I have learned the most from in my career. He was an incredible (and patient) mentor. I’ve become the person I am in my career, and really established who I wanted to be as a leader, based on his guidance.
What are two truths and a lie about yourself?
LT:
- I was a VP by the time I was 30.
- My favorite food is spaghetti.
- I love to ski.
Lie: I love to ski.
LT: I don’t love to ski. I love to sit by the fire in the lodge and drink wine, but I do not love to ski. I hate being cold.