About Laura
With a wealth of experience and knowledge, author Laura Hill is a recipient of numerous awards, a businesswoman, mother of three, and has served as the first female mayor of Southlake, Texas. After her term limit in May 2021, Laura left office knowing exactly what she wanted to tackle next. Communication was one of the hallmarks of Laura's time as Mayor. She was always looking for ways to connect with people - young and old - and a year before leaving office, she started writing about her experiences as Mayor. The result was the beginning of her new book; Walking in My Shoes: A Woman's Story of Leadership.
Laura is married to Joe McSweeny and is the proud mother of three grown children, Maggie, Preston, and Trent, all of whom live in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Laura is an accomplished businesswoman who knows what is required to not only create jobs but also sustain and grow jobs. Laura is the co-owner of two successful companies, Downey Publishing and Texas Ice Cream. Downey Publishing, established by her father in 1986; is an independent directory company serving over 10,000 small businesses throughout rural Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Texas Ice Cream is a mobile fleet of ice cream trucks, founded by Laura’s husband, Joe, in 2008.
In her first book, Walking in My Shoes: A Woman's Story of Leadership, Laura takes you on a walk through her experiences as a woman in positions of leadership for over four decades. You will find her journey is full of memorable stories and hard-learned lessons. She shares her story with honesty, humility, and a bit of humor about the path she took and the choices she made along the way, meeting challenges in a way that reflect integrity and the best that women bring to adversity. Laura speaks candidly about marriage, raising children, leaving corporate America to join her father’s business, and serving as Mayor of Southlake. Her journey unveiled her gift of leadership and a desire to serve. Laura finds joy in sharing lessons for all women that aspire to achieve more than they imagined.
As an accomplished businesswoman and business owner, her focus is on meeting challenges in the unique way women do, without surrendering to the false belief that women must be like men. You will come away feeling confident, having learned valuable lessons. In the book, she emphasizes that we each have a story, one that, regardless of age, has shaped who we are today. You will be inspired to look back on your path and challenge yourself to make bold changes for your future. A key takeaway found in her book is to be brave and committed when it comes to standing by your values. Walking in My Shoes is a valuable resource not only for women but anyone who aspires to lead or is in a position of leadership. You will find a treasure trove of lessons learned that will empower, encourage, and equip you in business, philanthropy, community service, and parenting.
You can order Walking in My Shoes: A Woman's Story of Leadership at the link below!
