Introducing “How She Does It,” a Corporate MomSense series celebrating women who are building remarkable careers while raising families, and offering an authentic look at what it truly takes to make it all work.
Meet Laura Hutfless, Co-Founder and CEO of FlyteVu, whose career has taken her from the Adweek 50 to Chief Marketer's Top Women in Marketing to the stage at Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit and Advertising Week. And now, she can add another recognition to the list: Laura was just named a 2026 Future Is Female Award winner by Advertising Week, an honor recognizing women whose leadership, creativity, and innovation are shaping what’s next.
Beyond building FlyteVu, she helped develop and launch Triumph Over Tragedy with The Onsite Foundation, a first-of-its-kind trauma-informed program supporting survivors of mass shootings.
Laura is also a mom. She adopted her daughter, Evelynn Hope (4), after deciding that motherhood would be part of her story no matter who was by her side. That journey shaped one of the biggest lessons she's carried into working motherhood: that it was never meant to be a solo job.
She's built a community of family, friends, and caregivers around Evelynn, and structures her week deliberately, protecting time for deep work and vision-setting alongside the moments that matter most at home.
Laura and her daughter, Evelynn
What is one practical tip you swear by for advancing your career without losing yourself?
As a woman, know and accept the trade-offs that come with every chapter of life. There are chapters when you can give more to your career, and that’s when you work hard, hustle, take risks, and go for it. And there are chapters when your priorities shift to family, kids, or other things that need more of you. In those seasons, advancing your career at the same pace may not be possible, and that’s okay.
That isn’t the Company’s fault, and it isn’t necessarily something the Company can solve. It’s simply a reality of life: different chapters require different choices and different trade-offs.
The key is knowing what trade-offs you’re making, choosing them intentionally, and feeling good about those choices. I don’t think you lose yourself because you choose to prioritize one part of your life over another. You lose yourself when the career or role you’re chasing is no longer compatible with the trade-offs you’re willing to make.
How do you structure your week—what is your approach to planning, protecting, and prioritizing your time?
Structure creates flexibility. Every Sunday, I plan my week - meetings, childcare, travel, and everything in between. I’ve learned that if I don’t intentionally protect my time, someone else will fill it for me.
I work from the office Monday through Wednesday. Those are my most accessible days for the team, when I schedule in-person meetings and spend time collaborating with staff. I try to protect Thursdays and Fridays for deeper work - planning, thinking, and vision casting - while also creating more flexibility for my daughter. That might mean having lunch with her, taking a walk together, or simply being more present.
What is one belief about working motherhood that you had to unlearn to reach the success you have today?
One belief I had to unlearn was that I could, and should, do it all myself. As a single mom by choice, I went into motherhood believing I could manage everything on my own. I quickly learned that motherhood was never meant to be a solo job.
I’ve built a community around us. My parents, friends, teachers, babysitters, and people who love my daughter and want to be part of her life. It really does take a village.
I used to think asking for help was a sign that I couldn’t handle it. Now I see it completely differently. Asking for help gives other people the opportunity to serve with their own gifts and abilities, and in return, my daughter gets something even more valuable: an extended family of people who love her, invest in her, and show up for her.
Laura is building a village around her and her daughter, Evelynn
What are your go-to rules for high-stakes days, and how do they help you save time and energy?
What matters more to me is how I prepare mentally and physically for the pressure of running a Company. I get up early and make sure I do something physical - whether that’s a workout or simply taking a walk. I pray. It’s my way of reminding myself that I can only control what I can. There is freedom in the release, and it takes the pressure off.
I also try to plan something on the other side of the big meeting or pitch that brings me back to what matters outside of work. Usually, that’s something fun with my daughter. It gives me a clear transition point and helps me leave the adrenaline behind and be present for what’s next.
What is your 2026 anthem?
My 2026 anthem is “Let It Go” by James Bay. Even though the song is about a relationship, I apply its message to life. There is only so much we can control, and learning to let go of the things (and people) we can’t has been incredibly freeing.
Leaning into the FlyteVu mantra that “Safe Doesn’t Fly”
