Finding Fulfilment in the Impact, Not the Applause with Laura Hutfless
Laura Hutfless is the founder and CEO of FlyteVu, a creative and entertainment marketing agency connecting brands to consumers through pop culture and purpose. Under her leadership, FlyteVu has delivered award-winning campaigns for brands like Spotify, Bumble, and Under Armour and led impactful efforts like Bumble’s first Super Bowl ad, Vista’s global ReferHer programme, and the rebrand of Humane World for Animals.
Driven by purpose, she launched the FlyteVu Fund, which allocates 10% of agency revenue to nonprofits and Triumph Over Tragedy, a therapeutic program for mass shooting survivors. In 2021, she adopted her daughter as a single mother and, in 2024, led FlyteVu through a successful acquisition by Driftwood Music Group, where she remains CEO.
Below, Laura looks back on the moment she learnt a valuable lesson on recognition and answering the question of what drives you when no one is clapping.
A few years into building FlyteVu, our team had grown to over 25 employees. We were hitting our stride, taking on bigger clients, and producing incredible work. I was still deep in the trenches – brokering complex talent deals, pitching big ideas, and building decks late into the night.
There was one particular campaign where I had spent weeks negotiating a major celebrity talent deal between challenging parties. I developed the creative concept, sold it to the brand, and navigated all the complicated details to get it across the finish line. When the campaign was finally approved, it was time for our weekly all-agency meeting – a ritual where the team celebrated wins and recognised one another’s efforts.
That day, someone gave a ‘shout out’ to the account lead for the campaign. In reality, that person had come in near the end, after the heavy lifting was done. I sat there smiling, but inside, I was hurt. I felt unseen, unacknowledged, and, frankly, a little resentful.
Later, I vented to my coach, explaining how much work I had done and how unfair it felt not to be recognised. He paused, looked at me calmly, and said words that would change my perspective on leadership:
“The higher you climb the ladder, the better you need to get at patting yourself on the back.”
As a reformed people pleaser, it was, and still is, the best piece of leadership advice I’ve ever received.
As leaders, we rarely receive the acknowledgement we once craved earlier in our careers. Praise, validation, and recognition become increasingly scarce the more responsibility you take on. And if your motivation is tied to external validation – applause, titles, accolades, or even a paycheck – you’re in for real disappointment.
At a certain point, leadership requires a recalibration of your ‘why.’ You must ask yourself: What drives me when no one is clapping?
For me, it’s about finding fulfilment in the impact, not the applause. Leadership can be lonely. The decisions get heavier, the stakes higher, and the gratitude less frequent. The constant weight can feel draining and depleting – like you’re pouring from an empty cup with no one there to refill it. To endure, you must find fuel from a source that isn’t reliant on people. For me, my fuel is my Faith and the well that I draw from is my personal relationship with God. There is peace in knowing my purpose.
For the younger generation stepping into their careers, this lesson is invaluable. The earlier you learn that fulfilment comes from contribution, not recognition, the stronger your foundation as a leader will be. Instead of counting down the days to a promotion, celebrate your teammates, support your peers, and find joy in the collective wins.
A verse I learned when I was young has always stayed with me:
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” Colossians 3:23
That verse has become a guiding principle in my life: work hard, even when no one notices – because the One who matters always does.
The best leaders aren’t fuelled by praise. They’re fuelled by purpose.
