Strong Voice Interview #44: Laura Joan Salm

Laura Joan Salm has built a life that defies easy categorization: economist by education, coach and consultant by practice, and self-described free-floating radical by nature. Fluent in five languages, holding a PhD, she has shaped careers and organizations across borders while never losing sight of what makes her distinctly herself: color, curiosity, and an uncompromising sense of personal style.

With a wardrobe split between boardroom and festival field, a home furnished entirely during lockdown with pieces collected across Switzerland, and a bag collection that reads like a color manifesto, Laura brings the same intentionality to everything she touches. Her work, coaching individuals and consulting for corporate clients, is built on the same principle: showing up fully, and authentically.

In this interview, she talks about following intuition over instruction, why a good bag should never make you feel boring, and what it really means to navigate a life you've designed entirely on your own terms.

Tell me your name and a little bit about yourself?

Hi, I'm Laura, I'm an economist by my education and a free floating radical in my life.

Your home, your wardrobe, your bag collection. Everything about you is full of color and intention. Where does it come from?

I feel like the way I dress is a bit of an extension of my personality. And in a way, my home is an extension of that. I really feel that this is like a third skin. I’ve always been drawn to individual pieces, and I'm not following any trends. I don't think it is in fashion what I like or the way this place is “dressed". It's mostly from the 70s, and everything was furnished during Covid during lockdown, so it's collected throughout Switzerland.

You speak five languages, you’re a Master’s (inaudible), you have a PhD and you have built a career on your own terms. What drives you to keep adding things to your life?

I’ve become a lot more mellow (laughs). I mean I say this and at the same time I am doing guitar lessons, singing in a choir, learning Portuguese, and, and, and. I’m still learning every day. I really enjoy that as part of my life. I would say I am now less driven in terms of needing to get a degree from what I do.

And what drives you?

The fire inside (laughs).

Color, craft, curiosity. These things come together naturally for you. How do you show up in your work?

I love working. I really love doing the best for my clients, whether that's in coaching, whether that's for my corporate clients. I think they like me showing up as authentically as I can. So, I was in Saudi with a nose piercing… I really enjoy dressing professionally. I do like that. But I also think that there's a balance of still being myself and showing up authentically.

Your bag collection is full of color. Green, orange, red and now fuchsia. What does a bag need to be for you to choose it?

I think I'm really drawn to the specific features of a bag, that it has a good fit, and that the color itself is vibrant.

You’ve built a life entirely on your own terms. How do you navigate choices when there is no map?

I'm not really good at driving with a map. I’m not good at card reading (laughs). I’ve gotten better at understanding my intuition and following it, and I'm very good at goal setting and knowing what I want long term. But I would say that's probably more the equivalent of a compass than a map.

Finish this sentence for me: A good work bag should never make you…

Feel boring.

And finish this one: If you're hesitating to invest in this bag…

We deserve good things. I much rather have one bag than five.

Which ALEMI bag are you carrying today and why this one?

This is the new HELVETIA. And I think the color is just really, really cool. I like how it's quiet luxury and the deep blue. Really beautiful.

So you own the green and the burnt orange VIADUKT, the red SEEFELD MINI, and the pink CLUTCH and now this one. Why color? What does color do for you at work and in life?

I'm a spring type, so I love color. Half of my wardrobe is super colorful. I always joke that half of my wardrobe is workwear and the other half is festival wear. I’ve just always felt drawn to color.

Which bag do you reach for on which kind of day?

I think the SEEFELD MINI is my 'I'm going out' bag. I love it. I find it both dressy and a bit posh. Very strong woman. I love the deep shade of red. I'm really into reds. I think this is my 'I'm going out tonight' bag. And the orange and green one: festival, easy going, coffee. The perfect summer accessory.

If you had to replace one of them tomorrow, would you buy exactly the same one again?

I think I'm missing a HELVETIA right now. Maybe I would trade one of them for that. I'm still missing it.

Who is a woman you would hand this bag to and say 'you need this'?

My sister. I'm just a huge fan of my sister. We are super close. She's a mother of three. She's super cool. We talk every day. Yeah, I think she's the one I would say: “you need this in your collection”

How long have you been wearing ALEMI?

From the very first day. I don't know how long it dates back, but I was part of the initial days when Christina and I used to shoot together.