Rex & Co. (fka Laura Bo Creative)

Tag: personal growth

  • Tell Her I Hate Scary Movies…

    Tell Her I Hate Scary Movies…

    The below is an email I sent in response to someone who was part of a team dynamic I was getting to know. I was brought in because of my previous work. Edited for privacy.

    Here’s my take — FUCK NO. She can take her satisfaction and eat it. 

    As far as answering her questions, I could ask the same thing except I don’t have to. I will not spend more than 20 minutes addressing this situation past this email. 

    After that point, I will move along and do my thing, and do what I am good at (noted below). If she wants to play difficult, she picked the wrong person to do it with. 

    She knows how to do keywords – that’s cool. SEO, PPC, and Advertising are successful when the brand, the messaging, the platform and the target are aligned. Right now, based on what I have seen and heard — they are not. So let’s get on with it…

    *I think there are still some unanswered questions about Laura, and I think for me, those questions are do the skills that it takes to fill a concert hall translate to the skills that it takes to sell a subscription technology product?* 

    holy toxic hellhole. this is a fucking startup, and calling bullshit is an important part of my skillset.

    *And also, what functions would she perform?* 

    i don’t perform, and I am not a robot. I am a person, and clearly I am here to remind everyone that your product is also for humans.

    *I kind of struggled to get an answer out of her when I put that question to her when first we spoke. She said well I kind of do everything and so I said well do you do paid media and she said no I don’t do that and I said will you do PR and she said no I don’t do that* 


    The ability to do everything, and having a preference and/or skillset are NOT mutually exclusive. In the current context, I see that the best use of my time is to stop wasting time and resources. Let’s start with the messaging, solidify the audience on both the product front and fundraising part.  Pitch Decks -take that off of Founder X’s plate so they can focus on the product. Adjust and expand on the decks –  Work with you (Founder Z) to align the lanuguage in the upcoming fundraising campaign. Prepare for it.  Evaluate the current “resources” that are available that she still hasn’t made available and stop wasting everybody’s fucking time.

    *so is it content?* 

    yes

    *Is it business development?* 

    duh it’s a start-up in the fundraising and product development stage…

    *Is it email, social, higher level strategizing?* 

    all of the above, why is this even a question? Higher level strategy is the fucking top, it dictates the email, the social, the ads, etc. I don’t care how many fucking keywords you put in a website, if it doesn’t connect to the right investor or the user, or command some type of attention it’s wasted money. also impressions are trash.

    *And what support will she need?* 

    none from her. I will need information, and open communication from all parties involved if anyone expects me to stay on the project, let alone for free. ‘Founder X’ has been an absolute pleasure to interact with, and has provided me with plenty to dig into. 

    *Will she need design support, copy support, what is it?* 

    no, not at this point in time.

    *So those questions are still unanswered for me and I can’t full-heartedly give my blessing until those questions are answered to my satisfaction.*

    As previously mentioned She can take her blessing & satisfaction and eat it. 

    Cheers! 

    Me.

    P.S. As a Chief of anything, this is petty AF. Girl needs to do her research. The passive aggressive digs are sad. I am not here to prove myself. Her immediate need to defend and deflect is just screaming red flags at me. I will build a temp site myself at this point, a brand guide is future shit. The waitlist WILL be better, and people will TRUST your brand and product.

    death to the ego. call me whenever. 

    I am not meant for the land of corporate. that’s ok. all of this made me realize that I don’t do what I do for the credit, I’ve spent most of my career having other’s claim my work, sitting back waiting for someone to notice. But I’m not here for that these days. I noticed. I am the problem FINDER, gap filler, and solutions expert. I want to be in and out before I get bored. Those who have taken my advice have succeeded. I like to shake shit up, force people out of their comfort zones, and call it how I see it.

    END RANT. for now.

  • Undefined – Fear of Labels – part 1

    Undefined – Fear of Labels – part 1

    Context. Interpretation. Understanding. Judgement. Acceptance. Definition. Perspective. Experience. Knowledge. Algorithm. Rabbit Hole. Blinders.

    “What do you do?” is a common conversational question, it can have a variety of meanings, depending on the context of the question, the tone of the questioner, and the perception of all parties involved.

    I do a lot of things. Don’t label me. Don’t put me in a box. Don’t assume you know me based on anything.

    Are you an artist? sometimes. Are you a parent? Yes. Do you work? yes. What kind of work do you do? can you be more specific?

    I can’t take a compliment, because I wasn’t raised receiving them.

    It’s different now. I finally reached a point of realization, a place of knowing that I can’t control what anyone thinks of me, and I was never here to be approved. I know myself, I know who I am, I know what I like, I know what I am good at, I know my strengths and weaknesses. I am not here to be tolerated.

    To be continued….

  • Chasing Sparks

    Chasing Sparks

    Below is a part of an application I submitted in March 2024 for a guest residency spot in the neighborhood. I didn’t get the spot. It’s all just a part of the story, and the journey…

    —
    Hi there, I’m Laura Rex. I am looking to ignite my spark again. I am a maker and a dot connector. I find it hard to say I am just one thing, hence why I am applying under the multi-disciplinary section. I am a writer, an artist, a photographer, a creator, a designer. I am a dreamer and a doer. I am a parent and recently a wife. I found the Woodward residency while I was exploring the neighborhood — escaping my home office basement on daily walks during the pandemic. Your hope that members and guests feel energized to be there is my literal dream right now.

    A quick about me, the history – I am adopted, born in Nebraska. I was raised in NYC. I attended a boarding school in Vermont for 3/4 years of high school. Went on to study Communication Studies at SUNY Oneonta and found myself working with musicians at Gibson Guitars after graduation, time spent in the showroom lead to my first publication, a handful of venue reviews for a NYC Live Music Guide. Webster Hall was one of the venues, and I became enamored with the space. From door cashier to marketing director, and what we used to call “talent wrangler”. Post Webster Hall I made the move cross country solo, and lived in LA for a brief yet amazing year. Upon returning to NYC in January 2017, I found my current spot in Ridgewood, I found work in marketing, in hospitality and lifestyle, and ended up as the Head of Food & Beverage/ Marketing Manager at the McCarren Hotel up until covid.

    Long story short. I have been home for the better part of 4 years. I was lucky to have remote work in 2020 when the pandemic hit, which allowed me to become a parent in late 2021. Opted out of maternity leave. Ran myself dry trying to keep up with a toxic job + parenting and snuffed out my own light. I finally said NO MORE a year ago, and after a half-dozen attempts at quitting I was free in August 2023. I could see the light at the end. It was so close. The kiddo was going to be starting at wBees Forest School in September*, which turned to November. Such is life. Then holidays, sickness, more life. Last week was the first time I had a quiet space at home. I am exploding with concepts, ideas, and projects. I have dozens of “work in progress” projects.

    In an effort to stay close to home & my kiddo, I would be honored to land a guest spot at Woodward Residency. A new experience, a change of scenery, connecting with others are just the little bits I need to make magic happen and spur me to move through some of the projects I have been sitting on.

    I want to do cool shit. I want to create more. I want to focus and connect more. Some projects I would love to complete during my time there: 1.“What’s that sound?” A Children’s book/ book series that explores sounds and noises. Using photos, illustrations, and some engineering to create a board book that is interactive and educational and can also be a helpful tool for those with sensory issues.

    2. Club Kid Chronicles – A Coffee style table book that shares all of my stories from my days at Webster Hall (2010-2015). Coming up on 10 years out, I wanted to finally share polaroids, interviews, stories, and essentially never before scene stuff of some of the biggest musicians that passed through.

    3. Complete draft of the script/ screenplay for the book ‘I Was A Teenage Fairy’ by Francesca Lia Block.

    4. Building a catalog/ database of digital collage elements using IRL tools and mediums. Paint, marker, torn paper, etc. All of the things I use in my own collage pieces, but digitized.

    5. A view of Ridgewood through Playmobil – a photo series of different local businesses, and community scenes recreated using playmobil toys and building custom sets.

    At the end of the 3 month residency I hope to leave with my spark ignited and a clear vision of my my creative path, maybe even something tangible to show for my time there. A pop-up event, a draft of a book, the completed design for a new community co-op, at this moment I am not quite sure, but when I get there I’ll know.

    I am not sure if this personal letter is too much, or not enough. 700 words feels hard, and I am very out of practice. I saw the application deadline post on social a few days ago, and I will not let fear and doubt hold me back from trying. I am currently in the midst of a website overhaul, most pages are hidden, but I shared over a link to some projects I have done.

    — 

  • WORD SHIT: Raw

    Raw

    [rô] adjective

    1.(of an emotion or quality) strong and undisguised.

    2.frank and realistic in the depiction of unpleasant facts or situations.

  • Fire Me Up – Feelings

    Fire Me Up – Feelings

    At any point in time I woud rather have big feelings, and feel all the things then feel nothing.

    Yes I get fired up about things — It should be more alarming that there are people who feel nothing.

  • How to overcome stupidity.

    How to overcome stupidity.

    This morning I asked myself if it was possible to overcome stupidity, and perhaps the word close-minded would be better suited for the true question. Is it possible to explain something in a way that will make the person understand, care, or empathize?

    Less then an hour later, upon opening my Instagram for a brief moment of doomscroll, a quote by Mark Twain was front and center.

    No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot.
    – Mark Twain

    The quote itself was set to a chill instrumental version of gangsta’s paradise, with a black and white video of water crashing behind it.

    It was in that moment that I was reminded yet again on how much energy is wasted when I attempt to explain my perspective to someone who gives no fucks about it. For now the goal is to focus on recognizing and bringing awareness to myself when I begin to spiral into explanation. To stop. Take a moment. Say nevermind and walk away.

  • A name is a name – but what’s up with the personal branding BS? What happened to self-identity?

    I have changed my name a lot. Some were nicknames, some were legit, legally on paper (read part 1 here). I have also built my own brand at least a dozen times — Each time I would tear down the previous version, and start from scratch, rebuild it to something completely new… Only to feel “over it” by the time I got to the end. LOL for me.

    Only a handful of those have ever seen the light of day. Most only briefly. A moment where I was so proud and so excited of my “new creation”. And ya know I would go and share it with some people (like a special sneak preview). I would share it with my besties who would say “WOOT that’s awesome! I don’t get it, but it’s awesome!” And I would share it with a person in my industry/field, usually someone that I respected or admired. Sometimes I would show my mom – that ended pretty early –

    Anyway, those brand versions were really just my identity all packaged up. Which would change every few years based on whatever current special interest I had, or visual I had locked into.

    Now, I would imagine You’ll have the people coming for me saying, “Well, you shouldn’t care.” No shit. I’m working through that. I’m 36. I’m a mom now. Or the people saying “oh, well it just wasn’t the right timing” Sure, no problem.

    You can tell me whatever you think I want to hear or perhaps whatever you think you want to hear.

    As far as why past brand iterations didn’t work? I don’t really care. Trying to understand why is not helping me today or tomorrow. All I know is that my biggest mistake, my biggest failure and regret is not just doing it. Waiting for external validation and approval…

    Here’s the thing when it comes to “just doing it”. Once upon a time, I had this extreme sense of “Fuck the world”. And my mother would tell me “you’re so angry and you hate the world” and blah, blah, blah and like, yeah, maybe I did. Because it was hard as a teenager and try to wrap your head around the fact that your own mother who adopted you HATES you.

    I absolutely am angry. I have every right to be.

    THE BO YEARS – no W
    I used to try and make my whole brand, my identity. Uh maybe you knew me at the Laura bo phase. Uh, for those of you don’t know,
    My middle name is not BO. I have five bow tattoos, I have five ribbon tattoos, right? And I got three of them the summer just before I went to college my freshman year and two of them within the first year of college.

    It doesn’t matter. The point is, is Why was it Bo not b-o-w? Because the first time I had it as “bow”, people said oh it’s “Laura bow” like the pronunciation was BAO. They assumed it was my last name. So I dropped the W. Back then my last name was still my fathers, MARFILIUS.

    THE FIONA YEARS
    I was just barely 18. Took me three more years to take my mom’s last name. Maybe you met me in high school during my Fiona years, right? Uh, it technically. Started, when I went to Camp, Sleepway camp, the same year I got kicked out of camp.

    But I decided that, hey, I don’t know these fucking people. I see them for a few weeks out of the year and I don’t want to be Laura right now, right? Because I thought Laura sucked. And so I said, fine, I’m going to be Fiona and I was Fiona. Up until my freshman year of high school, where there was already a Fiona.

    Her real name was Fiona. And obviously F comes before L in the in the alphabet. Um, and so I decided to go by Laura that year. That blip. The following year when I was shipped off to boarding school in Vermont, I went back to Fiona. I didn’t grow up with the name, Fiona, I didn’t have nicknames. I always wanted a nickname. I didn’t know the, uh, the the ugly side of nicknames.

    To be continued…

  • What Makes A Good Parent?

    In the midst of my increasingly ugly divorce with my soon to be ex-husband we continue to “disagree” on some seemingly universal basics. Now while some of you may be thinking — just don’t talk to him. Move out. Be the bigger person. Please kindly and disrespectfully fuck off. Three years of silence and being the bigger person got me here to this exact point.

    So after a quick google search of “what makes a good father?” for the comic relief, followed by the same search of “what makes a good mother?” it has occured to me that society in this country is FUCKED. (As if we didn’t already know this.)

    Below are the two images of the top things listed for each search as prepared by google.

    As noted these were compiled from various sources across the web. WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK THOUGH?

    *Please note I am fully aware of what MY definition of a good parent is on both sides. We will get to that.

    Can we just talk about the apologize when necessary first?

    To be continued….

  • Stop being so polite..

    Stop being so polite..

    Stop being so polite, and try being honest.

    It has recently come to my attention, awareness, or top of mind that I often find myself surrounded by a bunch of people so worried about offending someone, that nobody wants to say anything at all.

    Enough with the judgement, can we try to lead with curiosity?

    Come from a place of understanding, or wanting to understand. Enough with the judgements, the assumptions, the snarky passive-aggressive bullshit.

    Say what you mean and mean it.

  • Journey Into Imagination…

    Journey Into Imagination…

    One Little Spark is a song, one of my favorites, and extremely annoying at times– it’s THE theme song for the ‘Journey Into Imagination’ Ride at Epcot in Disneyworld. My all-time favorite ride that features my favorite purple dragon. FIGMENT.

    Anywho. I am leaving the lyrics below.

    Journey Into Imagination with Figment version

    For every sound your ears are hearing,
    A thousand thoughts can start appearing.
    And each of us, imagines different things.
    From just a sound, your mind has wings.

    One spark of light,
    Can light your fancy.
    Your mind sees more,
    Than what your eyes see.
    Your sense of sight can make your fancy fly,
    There’s more to sight than meets the eye.

    One awful whiff can send you reeling,
    One lovely sniff can be appealing.
    Your mind can find what enters through your nose.
    That’s how you tell a skunk is not a rose.

    With just a spark of inspiration,
    I’ve made my house an innovation.
    Imagination really clowns around
    Mix downside up, and upside down.

    We all have sparks,
    Imaginations!
    That’s how our minds create creations.
    We set them free and oh what they can do!
    Those magic sparks from me and you.

    Imagination!
    Imagination!
    A dream can be a dream come true,
    With just that spark from me and you.


    One little spark,
    Of inspiraton,
    Is at the heart of all creation.
    Right at the start of everything that’s new,
    One little spark lights up for you.

  • Word Shit: Humility

    Humility

    [hyoo-mil-i-tee] noun

    the quality or condition of being humble; modest opinion or estimate of one’s own importance, rank, etc.

  • A Name Is A Name Is A Name.

    What’s in a name? That famous quote by Shakespeare. I googled ‘famous quotes about names’ and a few stuck out — not sure if I qualify them as famous persay.

    “Names are powerful things. They act as an identity marker and a kind of map, locating you in time and geography. More than that, they can be a compass”  – Bookroo

    “There’s power in naming yourself, in proclaiming to the world that this is who you are” – Brainyquote [i question this source, but will save that for another time.

    “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom” –Aristotle.

    A cliche one for good measure “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken” – Oscar Wilde.

    There is a common saying that feels ingrained in my head from my younger years “Make a name for yourself” it always felt so intimidating and permanent — until it didn’t. Sure it is still intimidating, but it did not take long for me to realize that a name is not permanent, neither is a reputation. I have changed my name legally 3 times. I just straight up made up a new name when I was 12 and told people at camp that my name was Fiona — I carried that name with me through my high school years at boarding school. I went back to Laura in college, but again, we were in a new place, so I made up my own nickname “Bo” and Laura Bo has stuck with me ever since.

    To be continued…

  • Everyone loves a good quilt.

    Perseverance and a positive mindset can turn any obstacle into a stepping stone.
    So, keep pushing boundaries, embracing the unknown, and strive to follow your dreams.
    It will make an impact.

    In the end, it’s not just about achieving success or getting rich — it’s about learning and growing along the way. Each challenge faced and each solution found adds to the patchwork of experience that has shaped who I am and what I can accomplish.

    We might not be cut from the same cloth, but everyone loves a good quilt.

  • Thursday,January 18th, 2024

    Current mood: fine.
    Current Song: Last Yr Rly Sucked [StayLoose, Blair]

    In my ban.do planner it said that the sun was entering aquarius this week, it said it a few times, so I googled it. 

    “sun enters aquarius 2024” → the first little blurb was the following: A desire to break free will become more pronounced when the sun enters Aquarius on January 20, 2024, at 9:07 a.m. ET. Now that the sun is answering to Aquarius’ co-rulers, Saturn and Uranus, there might be an overwhelming feeling to be yourself. However, there could be an underlying sense of restriction. This sparked my curiosity, and made me jump down a brief rabbit hole 

    I went here because I liked her site name, and the site itself looked specific 

    https://www.thehoodwitch.com/blog/2024/1/17/pluto-in-aquarius-2024
    This original search made me wonder how astrology compares to human design. I have so many friends who are so obsessed with astrology, and horoscopes. I’m not. But i found this article that I have to read still. 

    Apparently they are similar though. 

    A bit farther down I found this vogue india article. And I dont want to knock on vogue, but I don;t generally consider it to have much authority on matters of the universe. Anyway, read it here. I did scan it briefly, and of course I came across the horoscope part of it. The Libra one is fascinating to me given the context of this exploration.

    Libra: Leap of faith
    While being the mediator comes naturally to you, the next chapter in your life courtesy of this transit is likely to make you communicate your exact emotions and move out of the ‘solo traveller’ theme of your heart. You are likely to come across many mirrors that will push you out of your comfort zone and make you question where you wish to pour your energies. Thankfully, the universe has your back so everything will work out just fine.

    When will it happen? “Gear up for an era filled with supportive collaborations where opportunities, connections and a turn of events that support a more altruistic theme of life become pronounced.“

    I will come back to this shortly.

    I wanted to include some of the handwritten notes I wrote down yesterday when I was trying to clear my head. I have been spinning my “wheels” for what feels like an eternity, but probably for the better part of the last 4 years, trying to find the next path to go down.

    So back to the whole Aquarius thing, and all I keep singing in my head is “The Age of Aquarius” lol. https://stylecaster.com/lists/how-aquarius-season-affect-each-zodiac-sign/ and also the pluto being in aquarius via SC is here

    https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2024/01/11642274/aquarius-season-january-2024-meaning-effects
    I stumbled upon my annual horoscope via allure here