Laurel Coote
President / Founder
Pick My Brain

One day last fall, the phone rang. Upon picking it up, one of our clients at the time asked, "Hey, Laurel. I'm just calling to pick your brain, do you have a minute?" In that instance, Pick My Brain was conceived. Laurel founded the consulting company out of her passion to help others - be they clients, colleagues, vendors or other professionals. Pick My Brain uniquely provides tailored consulting and coaching to entrepreneurs, corporate executives, managers, and individuals - helping you take your business and life to the next level!

Prior to launching Pick My Brain, Laurel founded The Laureli Group, Inc. (TLGI), a full-service meeting management and event marketing company in 1999. After several successful years of planning and executing events and conferences, Laurel wanted to make a greater impact on both her clients and the world.

So, in September 2007 she launched Meetings That Give Back™ - a division of TLGI that transforms communities by uniting them with socially responsible companies during events that give back to those in need. Through these events, Meetings that Give Back has positively impacted the environment as well as the lives of disadvantaged and homeless children and families.

Driven by a passion for excellence, quality service and measureable outcomes, Laurel is committed to making a tangible and positive difference for her customers through collaborative consulting. Laurel earned a B.S. in Business with a Major in Marketing from Eastern Illinois University in 1981. In addition, she is an adjunct professor at Glendale Community College, teaching Event Planning and Meeting Management in the college's Hospitality and Culinary School.

Laurel is a strong proponent of continuing education and volunteerism. She gives her time volunteering in both the meetings industry and her local community. In the past year she has been a featured speaker, presenter and panelist with Meeting Professionals International, Southern California Chapter and the International Special Events Society (ISES), Los Angeles Chapter. She will be leading the Meetings Media Webinar on Small Business Ownership in the Meetings Industry in October 2008 and will present at the Event Solutions Conference in February 2009 on Corporate Social Responsibility.

lcoote@pick-my-brain.com
310-771-0665