Laura Bashore shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Laura, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
Being a career strategist is not about providing a quick fix or making something up. I partner with my clients to bring out their natural strengths. I’m often asked, “What can I do for you?” The answer is the sky’s the limit.
If you’re willing to implement strategies based on your strengths, then I can help you get what you want. If you want someone to do it for you, then you will continue to struggle.
The real ‘win’ in career management is for you, the client, to own your career. And this works for entrepreneurs and business owners too. It’s not about fitting the mold. It’s about becoming your own MUSE and taking control of your career path.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Laura Bashore, the founder of MUSE Business Solutions, a company dedicated to helping professionals and entrepreneurs take control of their careers, elevate their influence, and build meaningful success. I’m also the franchise owner of TEAM Referral Network San Diego County, where I lead nine chapters of business owners and professionals who believe in the power of community, collaboration, and giving back. And this year, I stepped onto the TEDx stage to deliver my talk, “You Are the Algorithm,” which explores how personal stories—our lived experiences, values, and accomplishments—will define relevance and leadership in an AI-driven world.
My work is guided by a simple but powerful belief: Your story is your strategy. Whether I’m coaching a W2 professional navigating a career pivot or an entrepreneur trying to scale, my focus is helping them uncover and articulate the value they already possess. I’ve spent more than 15 years in career development, management, recruiting, and business leadership, and the through-line has always been empowering people to stop downplaying their potential and start owning their accomplishments.
What makes MUSE Business Solutions unique is that it integrates three pillars—Career Strategy, Business Growth, and Community Leadership—into one cohesive ecosystem. Through my career company, Anew Resume and Career Services, I help clients build strong personal brands, leverage AI effectively, and communicate their achievements with clarity and confidence. Through TEAM Referral Network, I help business owners build relationships, expand visibility, and grow through trust-based networking. And through my speaking and workshops, I give individuals and organizations a roadmap for thriving in a world where technology is everywhere—but human judgment, story, and connection matter more than ever.
Right now, I’m focused on expanding MUSE as a hub for professionals who want more than just a job or a business—they want a legacy. I’m developing programs that help people design a strategic path forward, whether they’re stepping into leadership roles, scaling a company, or reinventing their career entirely.
The bottom line? No matter where you are in your professional journey, you have the power to influence your trajectory. And my mission is to make sure you never underestimate that again.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
The part of me that believed I needed to stay small to make others comfortable.
For years—especially early in my career—I downplayed my accomplishments, softened my voice, and tried to fit into spaces instead of owning the value I brought to them. That mindset served a purpose once. It helped me observe, learn, build emotional intelligence, and understand people at a deeper level. But it’s not a mindset you can lead with.
When I stepped onto the TEDx stage and shared “You Are the Algorithm,” I realized something profound: the stories we hide are the very stories that make us powerful, relatable, and relevant. Staying small no longer aligns with the work I’m meant to do.
As the founder of MUSE Business Solutions and franchise owner of TEAM Referral Network San Diego County, my role is to model what it looks like to stand fully in your impact. I can’t teach others to own their story if I’m still minimizing mine.
So what I am releasing is the outdated belief that humility means invisibility.
I’m keeping the empathy, the curiosity, and the groundedness that journey gave me—but letting go of the habit of shrinking.
Because the truth is:
To lead a community, a business, or a movement, you have to be willing to take up the space your purpose requires.
What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
For a long time, I measured my success by timelines—where I thought I should be by a certain age, title, or income level. I believed that if I didn’t achieve a milestone by a specific date, I was failing. And the irony is, I accomplished a lot… but I didn’t feel successful, because I was constantly chasing the next deadline I’d created for myself.
The “failure” came the day I realized I was achieving impressive things—building businesses, raising a family, creating impact in my community—and still feeling behind. That wasn’t failure of performance. It was failure of perspective.
What I changed my mind about is this:
True growth doesn’t follow a timeline. It follows you—your wisdom, your experiences, your capacity, your season of life.
Knowing who you are and what you want doesn’t happen overnight. It evolves as you evolve. And when I finally recognized that, everything shifted.
Today, I don’t measure my life by dates. I measure it by wholeness.
If my businesses are growing, if my community is thriving, if my personal life is full, and if I wake up happy with who I am and how I lead—then I am on time.
Through MUSE Business Solutions, TEAM Referral Network, and even my TEDx talk, “You Are the Algorithm,” I teach others the same lesson:
Your accomplishments don’t just show up at the destination. They happen all along the journey—sometimes quietly, sometimes boldly, but always meaningfully.
Letting go of forced timelines has allowed me to celebrate the entire arc of my success, not just the highlight reel. And that has made all the difference.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What truths are so foundational in your life that you rarely articulate them?
One of the deepest truths in my life—one I don’t say out loud often—is that your story is your greatest source of power, even when you don’t realize you’re writing it.
It’s foundational to how I live, how I lead, and how I coach, but it’s something I rarely articulate because it feels almost instinctive now. Every challenge, every pivot, every unexpected opportunity has shaped who I am far more than any title or milestone ever could.
Another truth is that growth requires both ambition and self-awareness. I’ve learned through my own journey—including building MUSE Business Solutions, leading TEAM Referral Network San Diego, and preparing my TEDx talk—that success expands when you understand yourself deeply. Not the polished résumé version, but the real version: your strengths, your patterns, your values, and the moments life humbled you enough to pay attention.
And perhaps the biggest truth is this:
Happiness is a strategy, not an outcome.
For years, I believed happiness came after I achieved the next goal or reached the next level. But now I know it’s the foundation that allows everything else to grow. When my work is aligned, my relationships are meaningful, my businesses are serving the community, and my life feels full—that is success.
These truths guide the way I help others take control of their careers, whether they’re W2 professionals stepping into leadership or entrepreneurs scaling a business. You cannot build a meaningful future on someone else’s definition of success. You have to become the author of your own.
And that, in essence, is what I teach:
Your story matters.
Your voice matters.
And the life you build is shaped by the truths you choose to honor—even the ones you only say to yourself.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Absolutely—and I say that because I’ve lived both sides of that question.
Early in my career, I relied heavily on external validation. I wanted the promotion, the acknowledgment, the “you’re doing great” that made the hard work feel seen. But what I realized—especially as I grew my businesses, stepped into community leadership, and prepared for my TEDx talk—is that praise is fleeting. Purpose is not.
The work that has shaped me the most has rarely come with applause.
No one claps while you’re rebuilding your confidence.
No one cheers when you’re learning who you are.
No one hands you a trophy for choosing integrity, growth, or resilience.
But those are the moments that define you.
What I’ve learned through MUSE Business Solutions, TEAM Referral Network, and my own evolution is that your best shouldn’t depend on being noticed—your best should be a reflection of who you’ve decided to become. If I only gave my all when praise was guaranteed, I would have quit a long time ago.
Now, my motivation comes from something deeper:
* the clients who transform their lives because they finally see their own value,
* the business owners in TEAM who find community and clarity,
* the professionals who realize their story has always been their strategy,
* and the commitment I’ve made to myself to lead with excellence, even when no one is watching.
Your relevance, your impact, your identity—they’re built from the inside out.
Praise is a bonus. Purpose is the engine.
So yes—I can give my best without applause.
Because the real reward isn’t the recognition.
It’s becoming the kind of person who knows the work matters, even in silence.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://arcresume.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraobashore/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiRoSPDG6cs
- Other: TEAM Referral Network: https://linktr.ee/teamreferralsd
Image Credits
Captured By Venus, Diane & Ruwan Photography, Robin Harris Photography
