Laura Watkins is the owner of Pure Salon Spa, an Aveda salon and spa recognized among the Top 200 salons in North America. She also serves as a Purefessor with Aveda Business College, where she shares her expertise in business development and leadership with salon owners across the country. She has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and an MBA from the University of Louisville, as well as a cosmetology license. After battling treatment-resistant major depressive disorder that nearly claimed her life, Laura has become a passionate advocate for mental health awareness.

She is the author of Something Feels Off, a raw and inspiring story about her struggle with mental illness and how she overcame it. With Something Feels Off, Laura hopes to use her platform to educate others about the power of self-care as a form of preventative care - especially within high pressure service industries like beauty and wellness.  She is committed to training salon owners and industry leaders to recognize the signs of mental health challenges, foster supportive workplace cultures and integrate mental wellness into the fabric of how salons operate.  Her mission is clear: to spark a movement in which compassion, transparency, and self care are just as essential as creativity and client service.