By Donna Heiderstadt
Laura Kohler titled her keynote address at NKBA | KBIS’s Women to Women (W2W) Leadership Conference “Finding Your Light,” and after listening intently to her very personal story of her path to a three-decades-long career in the kitchen-and-bath industry, the 118 women invited to attend the third-annual event in San Antonio, Texas, responded with a standing ovation.
Her uplifting message resonated not only because it was from one of the most accomplished and respected women in the industry, but also because Kohler, who is currently Chief Sustainable Living Officer for Kohler Co., was so candid about her journey — which is what W2W was designed to facilitate. It’s about women telling their stories to other women who are eager to listen and learn.
Noting that she embraces the opportunity to talk to women around the world, Kohler — the great granddaughter of the Wisconsin-based company’s founder, John Michael Kohler, and daughter of its long-time Chairman and CEO, the late Herbert V. Kohler, Jr. — said she does so because she is dedicated to helping others “find their light.”
“My dad didn’t believe I would ever, ever work for the company,” she explained, noting that after high school, she “ran from Wisconsin, ran from the family business, and ran from Kohler Village.” Her goal? “I wanted to be anonymous.” And yet while settling in at Duke University in North Carolina, where she thought she would find some level of normal college life, she discovered all the dorms had Kohler toilets — and she became known as “the toilet girl.”
Kohler acknowledged that by moving away and majoring in Political Science with a minor in Theater and International Studies, she “chose a divergent path from my siblings,” who opted for MBAs. Kohler ended up earning an MFA in Theater and pursuing a creative career that included stints teaching theater in Poland, managing an improv company in Chicago and, of course, waiting on tables. She was, she said, “the queen of part-time jobs.”
It was at the age of 30 that Kohler realized she needed to pivot, that “this vagabond life doesn’t work.” So, she left the theater world behind to return to Wisconsin to work for The Kohler Foundation with its focus on arts & education. A year later, her father beckoned her to join Kohler Co. as Director of Public Affairs. It was the mid 1990s and Kohler “found myself amid a sea of men” in classic public relations/communications job that made her essential to the company pretty quickly.
As she and her husband, Steve, grew their family, Kohler took just two weeks off after the birth of each of their three daughters, rising to the position of Vice President of Brand Communications and Advertising. During this time, she said she learned about Kohler’s customers and “how a brand is an experience.”
The next twist in her journey was to become Head of Human Resources for 24 years as the company grew from 16,000 employees to more than 40,000 worldwide. During this time, she introduced one of the first flexible workplace programs for the company’s employees. “My past theater management experiences helped me pivot,” she told those gathered. “Don’t underestimate the power of your experience, because you are uniquely situated to help that business pivot.”
By setting her focus on people, Kohler said she realized that people are the center of what we do in this industry. “You, as designers and builders, bring magic into people’s lives,” she told those gathered.
Kohler also advocated that companies are responsible for the communities where they operate. “When that community thrives, your business thrives,” she said, adding that she knows people look at her to set an example via a high ethical culture. “I am proud of having created safe and respectful workplaces,” she noted.
Kohler elicited laughs from the audience as she talked about having “side hustles” in addition to her corporate responsibilities. Hers were developing and nurturing a series of programs through Kohler’s Arts/Industry: Innovation for Good®, the I-Prize, Safe Water for All, and the KOHLER WasteLAB, among them. “Those were all things that I believed in,” she said. “Art Is good for the spirit.”
Above all, Kohler imparted relatable words of wisdom to the W2W audience as she encouraged attendees to discover how to “think about what is possible as you manifest your passion and your talent.”
She told them:
• Many times, the hard and lonely things are the things that make us who we are.
• You can’t make a bad decision in life, because it will end up being a good lesson.
• When bad things happen, we need to pivot to the opportunity.
• Think of your life as cumulative. All the twists and turns will add up to make you who you are.
• Your side hustles can become something you grow. Don’t sell short your passion projects.
• Be a learn-it-all not a know-it-all.
• We are all here to learn and inspire — the power of connection is huge.
Kohler’s final advice echoed back to her days in the theater, when her first director told her to move around the stage and find the light that would focus the audience’s attention on her. “It’s time to wear that confidence,” she told everyone, “and step into the light.”
