I’m Laura (Benjamin) Lollar, a Facilitator in Colorado Springs. I’m also a communication coach, professional development coach and Principal of Communicate Colorado, a veteran-owned consulting business. I’ve worked throughout Colorado, the U.S., Canada, Germany and Great Britain and seen firsthand the energizing outcomes that occur when individuals and teams learn skills that simplify interaction, build self-confidence and strengthen mutual respect.
HERE’S THE BUSINESS STORY
Laura (Benjamin) Lollar is the Principal and Owner of Communicate Colorado LLC, a communication and professional development coaching and facilitation company in Colorado Springs. For over 20 years, Laura has facilitated team-building, retreats, marketing summits, strategic planning and partnering sessions. She has trained and spoken for organizations throughout the U.S., Canada, Germany and Great Britain. Laura has also coached hundreds of people struggling with interpersonal communication skills or seeking personal or professional development. Laura is a Member of the International Association of Facilitators (IAF).
A few of her organizational clients include Spectranetics, Junior Achievement, LibDib, the U.S. Army at Fort Carson and Fort Lewis, State of Florida, Cabela’s World’s Foremost Outfitter, Paint Brush Hills Metropolitan District, Christian Meetings and Conventions Association, National High School Rodeo Association, Professional Bull Riders and many others.
Laura is creator of the CARLA Concept Communication Model and author of the handbook of the same name. She is a skilled facilitator in DISC Personality Styles profiles, teamwork and the Conflict Lens. Her work has been featured on television, radio, online journals, newspapers and trade magazines. She has been a commencement speaker and guest lecturer at colleges and universities.
Earlier in her career, Laura served on the Communication Staff for the Mayor and City of Colorado Springs. At Current Inc., she was a Customer Service and Sales Team Manager who supervised an operations team of 100+ employees. She also led an upsell and cross-sell initiative at that 400-person call center which achieved almost $1M in added revenue in 18 months. At the Rochester Institute of Technology and National Technical Institute for the Deaf (RIT/NTID), Laura was a Senior Human Resources and Employee Benefits Specialist who supported over 2500 faculty and staff, including the deaf and hearing-impaired. Through her efforts, the college achieved a 20% increase in benefit plan participation.
Laura served her country as a decorated Non-commissioned Officer in the United States Air Force, with seven years active duty as a Paralegal. She was also a volunteer member of the Base Honor Guard Team, where she provided military honors for Active Duty, Reserve and National Guard service members and their families. During her enlistment, she attended the Non-commissioned Officers Leadership School and earned a USAF Commendation Medal, Marksmanship Medal and an Honorable Discharge.
Laura has volunteered for the Home Front Cares Welcome Home Heroes Program, Junior Achievement, Young Women of the West and Colorado State Parks and Wildlife. She also served on the boards of the National Speakers Association Colorado Chapter, Pikes Peak Partnership and Pikes Peak Council of the Boy Scouts of America. She is Past-president of the Colorado Springs Society for Human Resources Management. Laura also served two three-year terms in a public-at-large role on the Bureau of Land Management’s Resource Advisory Council (RAC) for the Colorado Frontrange. She presently serves on the board of the Black Forest, Colorado, Educational Opportunity Foundation (EOF), a scholarship program for high school seniors.
It’s been a joy and a privilege to work with a wide variety of individuals and organizations around the U.S. and overseas throughout the past 20 years. Click here for a partial client list.
It would be a pleasure to speak with you about your facilitator and/or coaching needs. Please contact me at your earliest convenience.
LAURA’S FACILITATED TRAINING PROGRAMS:
Teamwork: There IS an I in Team
DiSC Personality Profile Styles
Coaching “Godzilla” and Other Difficult People
Customer Service and Customer Connections
The CARLA Concept Communication & Feedback Model
How to Build a Blog or Basic Website (for Newbies, Non-techies and the Budget Conscious)
How to Learn and Leverage Social Media
How to Create a Conscious Career and Build Self-marketing Skills
THE PERSONAL STORY
The eldest in a big Catholic family, Laura grew up in Upstate New York among the woods and waters of the Finger Lakes area. Dad was a farmer and Mom was a city girl. Together they raised six children who all eventually moved to Colorado. Laura published her first newsletter articles on a blue mimeograph machine when the nuns weren’t watching. She joined the United States Air Force after high school to serve her country and get a college degree. Laura has worked at a college, in a phone center, sold vinyl checkbook covers, cleaned stalls on a 400 head horse farm and blogged for the Mayor of Colorado Springs. She launched her business in 1997 and has traveled the world coaching, speaking and consulting. Laura raised her three young un’s in a townhouse and later moved to a 1924 log cabin in Black Forest, Colorado. She lost it all in a 2013 wildfire and then rebuilt. Laura and her husband Doug were married in 2017 and live in Black Forest near Colorado Springs. Laura also writes humor at CabinMama.com.