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A DECADE+ OF STORYTELLING POWERED BY THE BEST WRITERS ON THE PLANET

BE PART OF THE LEGACY

TAMPA BAY • FEBRUARY 23-24 2026

This FINAL encore experience will be unlike any other. Because like everything we do, it's been "reimagined" from beginning to end. It's not a virtual or hybrid event. It's not a conference. It's not a seminar, a workshop, a meeting, or a symposium. And it's not your typical run-of-the-mill everyday event crammed with stages, keynote speeches, team-building exercises, PowerPoint presentations, and all the other conventional humdrum. Because it's up close & personal by design. Where conversation trumps presentation. And where authentic connection runs deep.

A Conversation with Mom

I dialed her number because I knew she would listen.

“Hello, Sunshine!” she exclaimed with the same loving tone I’d known for so long.

“Hi mom,” I said back, and let out a long sigh.

I didn’t have to say much because she knows when I sigh like that, something is troubling me.

Our conversation wasn’t long, and she listened with a compassionate and astute ear like always. No interruption, she let me say what I needed to say.

When I finished, she said to me – in her matter of fact way – “what are you going to do?”

I was used to this question; she’d been saying it to me for years. I wanted to scream, “I don’t know! That’s why I called you.”

But I didn’t.

Instead, I smiled, beaming now, and said, “I’m going to be myself. My vulnerable, funny, creative, smart, and kind self. And I’m going to write one hell of a story.”

“That’s my, sunshine,” she said back to me with pride and love in her voice.

Or, at least I imagine that is the conversation we would have had recently if my mom were still alive.

Her lessons and words live on guiding me every day in business and life.

Never forget your roots, and always stay true to yourself.

Laura Mikolaitis
Laura Mikolaitishttps://bellasolwrites.blogspot.com/
Laura credits her writing, which laid dormant for years, to her late mom, who always believed in her. Writing unabashedly from the heart and inspired by millions of moments, three tenets of evergreen advice that her mom always shared with her are her guiding principles. Whether it is poetry, fiction, or a personal essay, her love for the written word feeds her mind, body, and spirit. Laura’s creativity also comes to life in her passion for photography. Her ongoing love affair with the moon, her joy for family and friends, her connection to nature, and being a loving canine mom often become some of her best subjects. Laura has held many roles throughout her professional career, including Brand Manager, Project Manager, and Director of Global Business Development and Sales Operations. In addition, she has a background in consumer-packaged goods, manufacturing, and textiles. Laura currently works in biotechnology for Berkshire Corporation as their Product Marketing Manager. She holds a Master of Science degree in Communications and Information Management from Bay Path University and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from SUNY Oswego. Originally from Northern NY, Laura resides with her husband and canine child in a small town in Massachusetts that captured her heart years ago.

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7 CONVERSATIONS

  1. Laura, as someone who misses my mother and her encouragement, I send you a virtual hug. When I thought about eventually losing my mother, I did not know how I would survive. I was blessed having helped her leave this world, and I can still smell her scent, feel her skin and hair, and hear her voice. Without being presumptuous, I imagine you might share a similar experience. Your lovely writing continues to give us an inside look at the remarkable bond you shared. Thank you for this.💖

    • Darlene, thank you so much. Virtual hug gratefully accepted – and one sent back to you! As for the similar experience, absolutely. I often smell her perfume, especially during times when I’m uncertain or having a hard time. She was my rock for sure, and I miss her every day. I never imagined the last time I said goodbye to her would be the last time. But in my grief, I found this love for writing and so she is my inspiration every time I sit down to pen a thought. Thanks for being here, Darlene. I appreciate you.

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