Rising ICON #1: Shelisa Demuth
What name do you prefer to be called?
hi, i’m Shelisa.
Your pronouns?
she/her
Where did you grow up?
Cold Spring, MN, but I was born in Joliet, IL.
What city are you currently based in?
St. Paul, MN
How do you typically introduce yourself to new people?
Nice to meet you! I’m Shelisa. I work in public relations. I’m the founder of a media startup called LAUREL.
[ALWAYS followed by…..] Tell me about you.
[and because I’m usually near coffee] Oh, and what can I order for you here? (i love an oat chai or an iced vanilla latte most days)
What’s one thing you wish more people knew about you?
That I’m a single parent to one incredible kid since 2015 and that co-parenting teaches you a lot about human resilience if you let it. Like most things, you have to establish strong boundaries and be patient and kind.
Who do you help?
Generally executive leaders and innovators who are scaling public awareness of their venture.
What are you building now?
LAUREL’s first digital product, Force to ICON. It’s an app that helps leaders with public relations and visibility. We launch in 2024.
What were you building ten years ago today?
My second business (the first was a colossal failure). I was running go to market strategies for small businesses and retail stores.
What do you predict of yourself 10 years from now?
I’ll have retired after helping 1 billion leaders scale their impact through the power of connection. Will spend time split between philanthropic work and building with leaders in a new, globalized economic landscape. I’ll be graduating my daughter from high school that year (hard to imagine), and will spend my time writing books about communication and lecturing on anthropology.
What’s something you wish everyone knew about your industry?
That the people who shape public perception are approachable, generally good and very open to telling your story.
Why do you believe the work you do matters?
Representation in media has had a profound impact on my identity and career. Growing up in a rural midwestern community, my racial identity was obscured. It was the elements of culture presented through media that made me feel connected to who I come from. Furthermore, I’ll never forget the way my heart swelled as I watched Kamala Harris be sworn in as the first woman and Black woman to be elected as vice president. It changed something within me and made the idea of being first to do something less intimidating. Which issues get solved and which communities are awarded resources is heavily influenced by whose voices are heard and championed. Bold leadership commands attention. Telling stories of innovation and breaking barriers and allows us to see what’s possible and be challenged by what’s missing.
Who is your mentor and what is the best advice they’ve given you?
I’ve had so many over the years and am grateful for every one. Most pivotal to me was Lisa Lieberman Wang who said, “Change your story, change your life.”
What piece of content about you or your company are you most proud of?
Easy. We recently published a quick guide to visibility that’s helping a lot of people. It’s free. Please find it here if useful.
What publication do you hope to appear in next?
I want to be the daily feature in The Broadsheet newsletter by Fortune.
Who would you love to be interviewed by?
Oprah Winfrey, Elaine Welteroth or Sean Evans.
If you had to give a TEDTalk tomorrow, what would the title be?
Making your identity your superpower.
What award that would mean the most to win?
I don’t think about this often. Impact over awards. Maybe a Peabody.
What makes zero sense to you?
People who aren’t curious.
What’s a word in your industry you hope gets re-evaluated?
Storytelling.
What game are you changing?
Leadership + media relations. Who gets recognized as authority and who is economically advantaged as a result. There are so many great leaders flying under the radar.
What’s the next thing you’re a part of that you want to invite more people to participate in?
I’m always thinking about the future. I serve on the board of directors at Junior Achievement North, an organization that creates a future of options for youth through financial and entrepreneurial empowerment. We have an event coming up on December 7th in St. Paul, MN.
Where can we follow you online?
I’m most active on LinkedIn but my guilty pleasure is TikTok!
One thing that makes every leader better?
Empathy.
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We’re grateful to each Rising ICON for their transformative work. Thank you, Shelisa, for sharing your story!
LAUREL is a media relations partner for bold leadership. We build effective strategies for scale and growth specializing in digital executive presence and go to market strategy. To accelerate your rise, get our free guide to visibility Force to ICON: the TLDR. To follow along with the Rising ICONS series, nominate a leader or subscribe to our weekly emails below.
“Telling stories of innovation and breaking barriers allows us to see what’s possible and be challenged by what’s missing. ”
Notice: It’s important for our readers to understand the origin of this interview content. The featured ICON contributed responses that were not edited from the original submission. All claims are made solely by the contributor and do not reflect the views of LAUREL or its partners. Thank you for supporting rising leaders. The future is bold.
