Erica: Hey, girl. By now, you know I have HER Collective, my online community for ambitious women who are done doing it alone. HER Collective is for the women who are smart, capable, and driven, but they find themselves stuck on the sticky floors like self doubt, burnout, and waiting for permission that quite honestly never comes. Inside HER, you get more than motivation. You get real support, real strategies, and real momentum.

Erica: We work on things like clarifying what you want now and what's coming next, building confidence without burning yourself out, navigating hard conversations, career moves, and leadership moments with clarity, and surrounding yourself with women who actually get it. This isn't about hustling harder. It's about moving intentionally with the right tools and the right people in your corner. If you're ready to stop spinning, start choosing yourself, and build a career and life that actually feels aligned, I'd love to welcome you inside HER Collective. You can learn more and join us at www.joinhercollective.com.

Erica: Because honestly, girl, you were never meant to do this alone. Have you ever wondered what it really means to face life's biggest challenges and come out stronger on the other side? Today, we're diving into a story of grit, gratitude, and courage with someone who redefined what it means to live boldly. Laura Bratton is a speaker, coach, and author of Harnessing Courage, and her journey will inspire you to see your own challenges in an entirely new light. Diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease at just nine years old, Laura faced the unimaginable reality of losing her sight.

Erica: But instead of giving up, she leaned into her inner strength, built brick by brick, and became an unstoppable force for good. Her story is one of resilience, adaptability, and self belief, and trust me, you're gonna walk away from this episode ready to tackle whatever is holding you back. You are listening to the Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors podcast, the show that's here to empower you to break free from limiting beliefs, ditch toxic behaviors, and unlock the infinite possibilities waiting for you. I'm Erica Rooney, your host and biggest cheerleader on a mission to get more women into positions of power and keep them there where they belong. If you're ready to shatter ceilings, crush self doubt, and build a career and life overflowing with growth and abundance, you're in the right place.

Erica: Here's the deal. We talk about the real stuff here. Imposter syndrome, perfectionism, fear, burnout, you name it. It's raw, it's honest, and it's exactly what you need to level up. So grab a seat, pop in those earbuds, and let's dive in.

Erica: Today, I have the honor of introducing someone whose story will leave you inspired and ready to tackle life's biggest challenges. Y'all, my friend Laura Bratton is joining us today. She is a speaker, author of the book Harnessing Courage, and she has a journey that is nothing short of extraordinary. She was born and raised in South Carolina, so she's just a little bit below me, but her world shifted at just nine years old when she was diagnosed with an eye disease and faced the heartbreaking reality that she would lose her sight. Now over the next decade, Laura underwent one of the most difficult transitions that I can imagine, and she learned to navigate life without vision.

Erica: But that is not where her story ends. It is where it just begins, and you get to hear it directly from this powerhouse woman today. Laura, welcome to the Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors podcast.

Laura: Thank you for the opportunity.

Erica: Oh, I'm so pumped that we're finally doing this, but you know what? We're gonna dive right on in. Can you just drop me into your story? You are nine years old, and you learn that one day you're gonna lose your vision. I cannot imagine that, let alone at nine years old. Tell me, how did you feel? What was running through your mind?

Laura: The news was, I was still a typical nine year old, and I hadn't lost much vision at that point. They had said you will in the future. So the good news was I was still playing basketball and gymnastics and dance and brownies and church choir and still doing all the nine year old things, not being able to grasp my reality at all. When that did hit was when I was in middle school, a teenager. That's when the reality hit.

Erica: Is that because you started losing more of your vision by that age?

Laura: Yeah. So I went from one day being able to read print, open my locker, to the next day not being able to see print, not being able to open my locker.

Erica: Oh, wow. It was that drastic?

Laura: It was that drastic.

Erica: Yeah. Oh my gosh. Well, what was the hardest part about coming to terms with losing your sight? And can you talk to me about how that shaped your sense of identity?

Laura: The hardest part was accepting the loss and accepting myself in this new normal. Being a teenager in middle school, in high school, going through this huge physical change that affects every single part of my life, accepting: am I still enough? My belief, my mantra was, this is too much, I'm not strong enough.

Erica: What do you do when you feel that way, if feeling like you're not strong enough? Because I can feel that too, and I can put myself in your shoes, and I imagine I would probably feel the same way.

Laura: Yes. That was absolutely the hardest part, because there wasn't one part where I could say, okay, this is still the same. So that's where the grit and the gratitude came in, because the grit of it was: okay, this is too hard looking at the whole picture, looking at the future. How am I gonna do college? How in the world will I survive? But when I took it literally hour by hour, day by day, that's what started to build the process of the strength. So, no, I don't feel like I'm strong enough to plan my whole future and have it all planned out, but I can get through calculus in tenth grade.

Laura: I just need this one hour. I just need to get to lunch today, and then I'll figure out one to four later. So literally, having the strength in that moment built on itself.

Erica: Well, first of all, I ask myself all the time, how was I ever gonna get through calculus?

Laura: Which is a great point. That's where I lost that perspective, that every teenager is asking themselves this question too. I lost that perspective. Oh my gosh, I'm the only girl in the world trying to figure out the future. That's where I had to be reminded: no, this is also just a teenage human thing. I just had the added difficulty of figuring out how to do it without sight. So what you just said was a huge change in my perspective.

Erica: You broke it down almost to these very micro moments of, let me just get through this, and let me get through this, and all of that.

Laura: Yeah, and all of that adds up. There was evidence, evidence that you can do these things.

Erica: And then you finally pass calculus, you graduate. And then you went to, what was it, Arizona State?

Laura: Yeah, Arizona State. And the reason that I went from South Carolina all the way out there to ASU was specifically because of my situation. They have one of the best disability programs in the country. They fully integrate people with all types of disabilities, mental, physical, whatever it is, into their campus as an equal acceptance student. So you're not separated, you're not different, you're not other. You are fully integrated into the college experience, just with accommodations made. I had to go out there because blindness, at that point, it had only been a few years. It was so new. I had to go to somewhere that told me the resources that I needed, because I didn't know what to do.

Erica: If you are not blind and you've never been with anybody who is, how would you even know where to start?

Laura: I didn't know. Hey, it's an option that you have double time on your test, because it takes you double the time to read braille. I didn't know that was an option. I just assumed somehow I was gonna fail my test because I only got it half done. But they could tell me, hey, this is what you need, this is what we're gonna give you. So that was the reason for ASU.

Erica: That's amazing. And two snaps for ASU for being ahead of the curve. I have a nephew who has autism, and he actually goes to a school where they're fully integrated with neurotypical children, and it's amazing for him. That's the kind of world we need to be creating and living in anyway, because guess what, that's the whole world we exist in.

Laura: That makes me so happy for your nephew, because what I found in my situation is that when I was continually integrated into the normal college world, what you just said taught me: hey, in the real world, this can happen. I can be integrated in with accommodations. It's not that for the rest of my life I'm gonna be separate. So that's a gift your nephew's receiving.

Erica: It is a gift. I'm glad you phrased it that way, because I know how hard it can be too for parents who are in the struggle. And I did want to ask you that, because your parents played a huge role, I'm sure, in raising you and just moving through this whole thing. I wanted to ask your perspective from the parental lens, for any parent who has a child that is outside of the norm for any reason. What really helped you in that time that came from your parents? And what would you encourage other parents who may have children who are going through something to do?

Laura: Brilliant question. Okay, so the greatest gift they gave me was treating me as their equal child. I have one older brother, so as I'm fourteen losing my sight, they have another child applying to college, the star quarterback of the football team. So there's two completely different situations going on. What they did that was an incredible gift was, my chores were still my chores. We just made accommodations if I needed them. They didn't coddle me. They didn't say, okay, you can't go to college. They didn't say, hey, you can't go to this event with us because you can't see. They said, okay, you're going with us, and we'll figure out what accommodations we need to make. A very practical example, and my mom and I still laugh about this: I thought I was gonna use my blindness to get out of unloading the dishwasher. So one day I said to her, I can't unload the dishwasher, I can't see exactly where to put the forks and the spoons and the knives, so I just can't load the dishwasher anymore. And I still vividly remember, she was walking out of the kitchen, and she turned around in the doorway, and she was like, unload the dishwasher, figure it out. And the point was, she believed in me that I could figure it out. She was teaching me. The gift she was giving me was: yes, you are still a worthy daughter, a worthy human. You figure out how you need to put the knives and forks in. It wasn't out of demanding. It was out of total love, and I accept you for who you are, and you're gonna figure out how to do this.

Erica: Oh, you're not gonna take no crap from a kid who don't wanna do their chores.

Laura: Right. But I needed that. Because if she had said, okay honey, that's fine, I would have been like, oh good, then I can just use my blindness as an excuse. So that's the greatest gift my parents gave me. Just keep the normal standards. Don't lower your standards or expectations. Just make accommodations within whatever their situation is.

Erica: Normalcy with a round of accommodations. I like it. Alright, Laura. You talk a lot about grit and gratitude, and you mentioned it earlier, and you said that you really leaned in and created that out of survival. Talk to me about grit and gratitude, because you speak on it. How do people really lean into the grit and gratitude? I think we hear a lot about gratitude and just being thankful for all these things, but what does it mean in your world?

Laura: Yes, I'm so glad you asked, because the gratitude that I've learned to develop is not being thankful for the difficulty, being thankful for the positive, just being positive all the time and happy and cheerful and thankful. That doesn't work when you're going through any type of change, when we're trying to adapt and adjust. The gratitude that I found that is so healing, and I use it every single day, is recognizing what got me through and gets me through the trauma. So a tangible, practical example: no, I'm not grateful that I can't walk around by myself, but I'm grateful for the guide dog that gives me that ability to walk around by myself. No, I'm not thankful that I can't pick up my iPhone and use it like everyone else, but I am so thankful that Apple has created a product that makes the iPhone, and every Apple product, totally accessible. It's not being, oh I'm just happy, I'm positive, I'm thankful. It's recognizing the strength and the gift that gets me through the difficulty.

Erica: I love that, because all of that toxic positivity mess, where it's all rainbows and sunshine and everything happens for a reason, it's kinda hard to really buy that when you're actually—

Laura: When I drop a blueberry on my kitchen floor and I step on it. We're not going over that. Just the day to day practical things, that toxic positivity does not work.

Erica: Let's dive in a little bit, because I want to hear: are there any specific habits or practices or shifts in your mindset that have helped you through those moments where it felt like it was too much, or where you felt extreme frustration or anger or depression?

Laura: Yes, alright, so let me back up one step. The anxiety and the depression was absolutely the worst when it played into that positivity: just be positive, just move forward, just be the amazing superstar, just be that amazing person with a disability. That made me so depressed, so overwhelmed, so anxious, constant panic attacks. But the other end of the spectrum was true as well. Playing into that victim, the world owes me, this is just awful, let everybody serve me. That was equally as depressing. So that's where the balance of the grit and gratitude comes in. When I do feel those moments of anger, depression, anxiety, acknowledging what do I need to think or do in this moment to get through this moment, and that's a hundred percent where your book comes in about those sticky floors. My sticky floor was, I'm not enough. Again, going back to that teenage college years. Because of the blindness, I'm not enough. Just as you perfectly talked about in the book, it's constant strategies. It's not one time I woke up one day and said, okay, I believe in myself, I trust myself, I'm enough, let's go. It's every single day saying, okay, no, I have to trust in myself that I am worthy, that I am enough, and that's what I choose for today. It's an ongoing, continual process.

Erica: I tell people all the time: new level, new devil.

Laura: It's...

Erica: It goes that you're a growth minded person, you're constantly trying to figure out what is the next thing, which means you're constantly living in a state of being uncomfortable, which also means you're always living in the sticky floor world.

Laura: Right, because that comes up every time. You're a hundred percent right.

Erica: It does. And it's so important that people realize this is always a continual process. There's no magic fix, there's no easy button. That's okay, and that is what I want people to actually understand. It's not just that it's continual, but that it's okay that it's a constant thing to be dealing with.

Laura: Yes, going back to your question about the mindset: when I can accept it's an ongoing process, and that's okay, you're never gonna get to that red button moment where, ding, now it's perfect. It's just that it's okay that it's continual. That sticky floor is gonna be there, and as I continue to work on it and work through it, that's okay.

Erica: I love this, and I kinda want to talk about the fact that when you lose your sight, that's out of your control. And I think a lot of people think about, okay, this is what I can control, this is what I can't control. And losing your sight is a very specific thing, but I know that there are other people out there right now who are listening, and they have their own circumstance that is totally out of their control. What advice would you give them?

Erica: Hey there, listeners. If you have ever felt like you're stuck in a place, held back by self doubt, perfectionism, or that pesky inner critic, you're not alone. We all face those sticky floors that keep us from reaching the heights we dream of. But guess what, it's time to shatter those limiting beliefs and toxic behaviors to uncover infinite possibilities. My book, Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, is your ultimate guide to smashing through barriers, overcoming limiting beliefs, and stepping into your full potential. This book has been endorsed by none other than Mel Robbins, best selling author and motivational powerhouse.

Erica: It's also been featured in Success Magazine, so you know it's packed with insights that work. Inside, you'll find real life sticky floor stories, practical strategies to help you navigate your own sticky floor moments, and a whole lot of inspiration to keep you climbing. This isn't just a book, it's your roadmap to success, confidence, and freedom. Grab your copy of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors today at www.ericaandersonrooney.com.

Erica: Whether you're in the boardroom, the classroom, or just starting out, this book is for you, because no one, and I mean no one, deserves to stay stuck, no one deserves to feel small, and you have glass ceilings to shatter. Let's do this.

Laura: What you can control is your mindset. And what you can control is believing in yourself, knowing that you are worthy. There's so many situations we can't control that are out of our control. What we can control is believing in ourselves. And for me, that huge thing was not believing in myself only when things are going well, but believing in myself in the midst of so much happening that I could not, and still cannot, control. So that would be my biggest advice: choose, even in this moment, even if it's for the next thirty minutes, thirty seconds, next just one breath, just say, okay, for this moment, I believe in myself, and I am enough. And then just let each moment build on itself.

Erica: Yeah, and we talk a lot about the sticky floor of believing you are enough and knowing your worth, because I would say out of all of the women who've been on this podcast, when I ask people what piece of advice would you give your younger self, a lot of it is, I wish I knew my worth. How do you start to know and recognize and truly believe in your worth?

Laura: I think it goes back to trusting the worth in our humanity and the worth in who we are and the gifts that we have to give. Those gifts are worthy, those gifts are enough. In my situation, I was constantly comparing: well, I'm not enough because I can't drive, I'm not enough because, and I would name all the visual aspects. That's where I had to step back and say, that's true, I can't drive, but that doesn't make me less worthy. So, shifting my mindset to: I am worthy just as I am in this new normal.

Erica: In the new normal. I would say too, and I think just in my work with this podcast and in talking with other women, that number one, we all have those moments where we doubt our worth, regardless of our circumstances. And we wonder, are we enough, are we worthy? And I have found for me, when I am in those moments where I do not feel worthy or enough, I can lean on the other people in my life and in my circle who do, and it's almost like I borrow it from them.

Laura: Like, man.

Erica: Yes. And I think leaning into that community, or whoever is around you, will get you through some of the hardest times, and then you can start to put those building blocks. Take it all the way back to when you and I just started talking in the beginning. The building blocks of strength in the little pieces of evidence.

Laura: Yes. And I tell people all the time, hindsight is a gift that we will all have one day. Today is not that day. But I bet now you can look back and see, okay, this all unfolded for me. And here I am because of how everything turned out in my life.

Laura: Right, a hundred percent. And a practical example of that is when I can circle back and think back on that time in the kitchen when I was trying to get out of dishes using my vision, and my mom said, no, figure it out. That was an incredible gift. She believed in me. She knew I was enough. She knew I was worthy. She knew I could figure it out. And so in those moments when I didn't know how to figure it out, when I couldn't figure it out, in those most depressed, anxious moments, I could think back on that experience and say, okay, she believed in me to figure it out in that moment. So exactly what you said, I'm gonna borrow her belief in me. Maybe I don't believe in myself right now, but I'm gonna borrow her belief in me to get through the next thirty seconds. And that builds on itself. I love how you said it. There's borrowing, I'll give it back to you later when you need it.

Erica: Yeah. That is so true.

Erica: Oh my goodness. And Laura, your story is rooted in courage, which is one of my core values, so I'm all about that. We talked a bit about what courage looks like for you when you were in middle school and you were going through it and trying to adapt, but you're in a completely different place now. What does courage look like to you now?

Laura: What it looks like now is the balance of acknowledging this is still hard, and I will figure it out. What I mean by that is, it's grieving and moving forward. I'm constantly in that balance of, gosh, I'm so frustrated, I remember how easy this was when I had full sight. So acknowledging that while also figuring out, okay, how can I use this iPhone. Courage looks like that constant acknowledging the difficulty and moving forward.

Erica: I love that, it's very powerful. It gave me almost chills, because it took me in a time machine, all the way to the future. Yes, things are gonna be different for you.

Laura: Yes.

Erica: And you are allowed to also grieve and be sad for how it is different for you, and then move forward. I think that's so beautiful.

Laura: Yeah, and as you were saying, so many people listening to this, whatever your change, whatever the circumstance is that, yes, you can't control, you have no control over the situation that is happening, but give yourself permission to grieve. Give yourself permission to say, gosh, this is just really hard today, this week is just a really hard week, and I'll still keep going. Courage, inclusive.

Erica: Right. Oh my goodness. Alright, Laura. If you could go back in time, let's say to the middle school Laura, because that seems to be when it started getting real hairy. If you could go back to the middle school Laura and give her one piece of advice, knowing everything you know now, all the life lessons you've collected, what piece of advice would that be?

Laura: Stop comparing. Because I constantly compared, I'm not good enough, because I'm comparing myself to people that are fully sighted, and that's not an equal playing field, it's just not fair. So the biggest thing: just stop. Just take the pressure off of comparing yourself constantly, and just be you.

Erica: Well, I'm gonna take that advice, I know I need to do that too.

Laura: Yeah, you said give that advice to her, but can I give that to myself too?

Erica: I still need that advice, it's a continual process. We get stronger, we get better, but we still have good days and we still have bad days. But what I love about life in general is that if you want to know true joy, if you want to know true happiness, you also have to go through the hard stuff. You have to have the bad days, and you have to suffer. That is just the experience that we have as humans. But there are things that we can do to make it better for us, like not comparing, trusting ourselves, knowing our worth, and all of those things add up and are just so beautiful in comparison to all of the other mind trash that sometimes goes on.

Laura: Yes, a hundred percent.

Erica: Well, Laura, if people want to connect with you further, if they want to work with you, because you are a coach as well and you do speaking, and they have your book, where can they find you?

Laura: So the best place is my website, laurabratton.com.

Erica: I love it, I will link it in the show notes so people can get you on their stages and check your book out and all the things. But Laura, thank you so much for this conversation. It was long overdue and amazing, and I just think you're an incredible human being. So thank you.

Laura: Well, thank you for the work you're doing.

Erica: Wow, you guys. Laura's story really reminds us that even when life feels impossible, even when you're handed an entire big old bag of dog poo, there is always a way forward. Her message of balancing grit with gratitude and leaning into community, and really believing in yourself even in the toughest moments, is one that we can all carry away with us. So whether you're facing your own sticky floor or you're aiming to break through that glass ceiling, remember this: you are enough.

Erica: You've got this. And y'all, if you love this episode, be sure to check out Laura's book, Harnessing Courage, and connect with her on her website at laurabratton.com. But until next time, let's smash through those dang ceilings, y'all.