HAGERSTOWN, Md. (WDVM) — In the middle of Women’s History Month, Laura Wallace discovered she had been named one of Yahoo!’s 10 Leading Female Entrepreneurs To Watch Out For In 2021 for her work on her business, Worx Graphic Design.

“It was actually a little bit surreal. I was checking my email and I got a notification, and at first, I was like ‘this can’t be real,'” said Wallace. “So I actually went to Yahoo and put it into the search bar to see if it would come up … and it’s legit.”

Wallace, CEO of Worx Graphic Design, is a branding and mindset coach. She created her multi-award-winning company, which focuses on helping businesses work on their images and cultivate their brands, 14 years ago when she was 6 months pregnant with her son.

“Call it hormones, call it excitement, call it ambition — whatever you will,” said Wallace, smiling at the memory. “I just always had this dream to pursue my creative spirit. So six and a half months pregnant, on my couch, I started a business.”

While Wallace acknowledged the possibility of being placed on this list opening doors for her, she was far more concerned with how it felt to have her work spotlighted and to be named alongside other such powerful businesswomen.

“It means the world to me. I’ve been an entrepreneur for my whole life. I’ve run my branding studio for the last 14 years now, so to be named as one of the leading female entrepreneurs in the space … it’s a huge honor.”

Wallace’s main goal is to empower other women in business, and she feels that not only her work but also her presence in the Hagerstown community sets an example of that.

“I’m a firm believer that you don’t have to leave where you grew up to do really great things,” said Wallace. “So always go out, adventure, soak up that awesomeness. But you can bring those things back and do big things in your local community as well.”

Wallace also hosts her own bi-weekly podcast, “The Gutsy Podcast”, where she encourages women and gives them behind-the-scenes knowledge about what it’s like to run your own business.

For more information on Laura and her work, visit LauraAura.com.